Energy supply system for an electrical seat device in an aircraft or spacecraft

• US 9,840,330 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2015
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Dueser, Gerd
• Primary Examiner(s): Gannon, Levi
• Application Number:
  US14/599,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20150203206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 2972173, 307 91
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/06 Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats crew seat constructions for emergency purposes B64D25/04
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0624 Arrangements of electrical connectors, e.g. for earphone, internet or electric supply
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 41/00 Power installations for auxiliary purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/44 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/00 Circuit arrangements for emergency or stand-by power supply, e.g. for emergency lighting
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

An energy supply system for an electrical seat device in an aircraft or spacecraft comprises a control unit connected to the seat device, an energy supply which is configured to supply the control unit with electrical energy and an energy storage device which is configured to store electrical energy in a rechargeable manner and which is coupled to the control unit such that said energy storage device can be charged by the energy supply and such that the charging and discharging of said energy storage device can be controlled by the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to use, as required, the electrical energy stored by the energy storage device to operate the seat device.

Claims

1. An energy supply system for an electrical seat device in an aircraft or spacecraft, the energy supply system comprising:

a control unit connected to the seat device;

an energy supply which is configured to supply the control unit with electrical energy; and

an energy storage device which is configured to store electrical energy in a rechargeable manner and which is coupled to the control unit such that said energy storage device can be charged by the energy supply and such that the charging and discharging of said energy storage device can be controlled by the control unit;

wherein the control unit is configured to use, as required, the electrical energy stored by the energy storage device to operate the seat device;

wherein the seat device contains at least one consumer, the power consumption of which during operation is greater than the power consumption of the energy storage device;

wherein the at least one consumer is an actuator which is configured to adjust the seat device; and

wherein a threshold value for the minimum amount of energy stored in the energy storage device is provided in the control unit so that only the proportion of stored energy above this threshold value can be used for the operation of the seat device.

2. The energy supply system according to claim 1, wherein the energy supply is configured such that electrical energy is transmitted in a contactless manner from the energy supply to the control unit.

3. The energy supply system according to claim 2, wherein the electrical energy is transmitted inductively by coils between the energy supply and the control unit.

4. The energy supply system according to claim 1, wherein the energy supply is connected to the control unit by a power cable.

5. The energy supply system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one input unit which is connected to the control unit and is configured so that the adjustment of the seat device can be controlled by the input unit.

6. The energy supply system according to claim 1, wherein the energy storage device comprises at least one of a battery, a capacitor and a supercapacitor.

7. An electrical seat device for an aircraft or spacecraft, comprising an energy supply system comprising:

a control unit connected to the seat device;

an energy supply which is configured to supply the control unit with electrical energy; and

an energy storage device which is configured to store electrical energy in a rechargeable manner and which is coupled to the control unit such that said energy storage device can be charged by the energy supply and such that the charging and discharging of said energy storage device can be controlled by the control unit;

wherein the control unit is configured to use, as required, the electrical energy stored by the energy storage device to operate the seat device;

wherein the seat device contains at least one consumer, the power consumption of which during operation is greater than the power consumption of the energy storage device;

wherein the at least one consumer is an actuator which is configured to adjust the seat device; and

wherein a threshold value for the minimum amount of energy stored in the energy storage device is provided in the control unit so that only the proportion of stored energy above this threshold value can be used for the operation of the seat device.

8. A method for supplying energy to an electrical seat device according to claim 7 of an aircraft or spacecraft, the method comprising:

supplying electrical energy to the seat device;

charging, in a controlled manner, a rechargeable energy storage device with electrical energy; and

discharging, in a controlled manner, said energy storage device to operate the seat device.

9. An aircraft or spacecraft comprising at least one electrical seat device, comprising an energy supply system comprising:

a control unit connected to the seat device;

an energy supply which is configured to supply the control unit with electrical energy; and

an energy storage device which is configured to store electrical energy in a rechargeable manner and which is coupled to the control unit such that said energy storage device can be charged by the energy supply and such that the charging and discharging of said energy storage device can be controlled by the control unit;

wherein the control unit is configured to use, as required, the electrical energy stored by the energy storage device to operate the seat device;

wherein the seat device contains at least one consumer, the power consumption of which during operation is greater than the power consumption of the energy storage device;

wherein the at least one consumer is an actuator which is configured to adjust the seat device; and

wherein a threshold value for the minimum amount of energy stored in the energy storage device is provided in the control unit so that only the proportion of stored energy above this threshold value can be used for the operation of the seat device.