Method and system for flexible seat arrangement in airplanes

• US 8,944,378 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2011
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bishop GmbH
• Original Assignee: Bishop GmbH
• Inventors: Bishop, Peter, Sodore, Oumarou
• Primary Examiner(s): Ratcliffe, Luke
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woldemaryam, Assres H
• Application Number:
  US13/164,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20110309195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 244/118.1, 244/118.5, 244/122.R, 244/118.6
• US Class Current: 244/118.6
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/20 specially adapted for freight
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0696 Means for fastening seats to floors, e.g. to floor rails

Abstract

The invention provides a method for adapting a seat row arrangement in an airplane in order to set seat row distances, wherein the currently desired pattern of seat row positions is stored in a control device and wherein the seat rows are mounted on seat tracks (4) extending in the longitudinal direction and can be locked therein against longitudinal movements by a locking mechanism (12, 13) associated with each seat row, wherein each seat row whose position is to be changed is, under control of the control device, unlocked by releasing the locking mechanism for the seat row, is moved automatically on its seat tracks to the predetermined position by operating drive means under the control of the control device, and is locked there on the seat tracks by the control device by actuating the locking mechanism, characterized in that at least one cable (6) which is extending in the longitudinal direction along the cabin is driven by a motor to move back and forth in a manner controlled by the control device, each seat row or group of seat rows to be moved is subsequently moved by selectively coupling it to the cable (6) under the control of the control device for controlled time intervals such that the seat row follows the movement of the cable during coupling intervals whereby the movements of the cable integrated over the coupling intervals equal the total movement of the seat row or group of seat rows to the position according to the desired pattern of positions.

Claims

1. Method for adapting a seat row arrangement in an airplane according to a currently desired pattern of seat row positions in a longitudinal direction over a passenger cabin of the airplane in order to set seat row distances, if appropriate differing in some sections of the cabin, wherein the currently desired pattern of seat row positions is stored in a control device and wherein the seat rows are mounted on seat tracks extending in the longitudinal direction and locked therein against longitudinal movements by a locking mechanism associated with each seat row, the method comprising the following steps, each performed automatically by the control device:

(a) unlocking, under control of the control device, a seat row whose position is to be changed from a first position to a second position in order to obtain the currently desired pattern of seat row positions by releasing the locking mechanism for the seat row,

(b) coupling, at least one cable to the seat row, the at least one cable extending in the longitudinal direction along the cabin and being driven by a motor to move back and forth in a manner controlled by the control device,

(c) after step (b), driving the cable forth by a fraction of a total distance between the first position and the second position, said fraction determined by said control device,

(d) after step (c), releasing the seat row from the at least one cable,

(e) after step (d), driving the cable back, and then

(f) repeating steps (b)-(e) until a sum of the fractions equals the total distance between the first position and the second position, thereby moving the seat row on the seat tracks of the seat row to the second position by operating drive means under the control of the control device, and

(g) locking the seat row against longitudinal movement on the seat tracks by the control device by actuating the locking mechanism.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein for each seat row to be moved, the fractions are adjusted by the control device in such a manner that starting and end points in time of each fraction correspond to a point in time in which the cable is at rest.

3. Method according claim 2, wherein for each seat row to be moved, the cables for driving the seat row are driven to perform a periodical, oscillating back and forth movement with a variable amplitude and frequency which is selected by the control device such that the sum of the amplitudes over the coupling periods results in the desired distance of movement to the position of the seat row according to the desired pattern of positions.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein for each seat track, a cable is provided which is driven to move back and forth in the seat track, and wherein for each leg of a seat row that is slidably mounted on one of the seat tracks, the locking mechanism for locking and unlocking the seat leg on the seat track against longitudinal movements is provided.

5. Method according to claim 4, wherein for each locking mechanism, the position of the locking mechanism relative to attachment holes in the seat track is sensed and transmitted to the control device, wherein the control device is adapted to determine whether the locking mechanism is in alignment with attachment holes corresponding to a final position of the seat leg according to the desired pattern of seat row positions, and wherein the control device upon receipt of the signal indicating the alignment, actuates the locking mechanism to lock the seat leg on the seat track.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein the releasing of the locking mechanism to unlock a seat leg from the associated seat track is effected by moving a clutch body upward such that pins projecting from the lower surface of the clutch body are moved out of engagement with the attachment holes on the seat track, wherein the upward movement of the clutch body at the same time causes a coupling engagement with the reciprocating cable by moving clamping bodies attached to the clutch body into engagement with the cable, and wherein opposing one of the clamping bodies engage and clamp the cable between each other.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein a signal exchange between the control device on one hand and the motor for driving the cable, the locking mechanisms and coupling mechanisms on the other hand is effected by wireless radio transmission of signals.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein the control device is adapted such that the number of seat rows which are coupled at the same time to the cable to be moved thereby is limited to a predetermined threshold.

9. System for adapting a seat row arrangement in an airplane according to a currently desired pattern of seat row positions in the longitudinal direction over a passenger cabin of the airplane in order to set seat row distances, the system comprising:

a control device,

a plurality of seat rows mounted on seat tracks longitudinally extending in a cabin floor of the passenger cabin, wherein each leg of a seat row is mounted on a seat track having a locking mechanism capable of unlocking and locking the seat leg against longitudinal movements in the seat track, a cable driven by drive means for a reciprocating movement in the longitudinal direction,

at least one coupling mechanism associated with each seat row for selective coupling of the seat row to the cable under the control of the control device, wherein the control device is structured and programmed to carry out steps of;

(a) unlocking a seat row whose position is to be changed from a first position to a second position in order to obtain the currently desired pattern of seat row positions by releasing the locking mechanism for the seat row,

(b) coupling at least one cable to the seat row, the at least one cable extending in the longitudinal direction along the cabin and being driven by a motor to move back and forth in a manner controlled by the control device,

(c) after step (b), driving the cable forth by a fraction of a total distance between the first position and the second position, said fraction determined by said control device,

(d) after step (c), releasing the seat row from the at least one cable,

(e) after step (d), driving the cable back, and then

(f) repeating steps (b)-(e) until a sum of the fractions equals the total distance between the first position and the second position, thereby moving the seat row on its seat tracks to the second position by operating drive means, and

(g) locking the seat row against longitudinal movement on the seat tracks by actuating the locking mechanism.

10. System according to claim 9, wherein each locking mechanism includes a clutch body having pins projecting from its lower surface, which pins are arranged to be engageable with attachment holes disposed along each seat track, the clutch body being mounted to be moveable in vertical direction up and down to move the pins out of or into engagement with the attachment holes to thereby unlock or lock the associated seat leg in the seat track, the clutch body further being equipped with clamping members arranged in relation to the associated cable such that the clamping members are out of coupling engagement with the cable when the clutch body of the locking mechanism is in its locked position on the seat track, and such that the clamping members are in coupling engagement with the cable when the clutch body is moved upward to an unlocked position with its pins out of engagement with the attachment holes.

11. System according to claim 9, wherein the drive means include at least one linear electric motor at the front end of the cabin and one linear electric motor at the backward end of the cabin, wherein the cables extend in longitudinal direction between the motors and are driveable for a reciprocating movement by the two motors.

12. System according to claim 9, wherein each locking mechanism on a driven seat leg is provided with an optical sensor which delivers sensing signals to the control device which allow the control device to determine the locations of the attachment holes within the seat track.