Carriage assembly for a seat locking mechanism

• US 9,849,813 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2016
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Davis, Kenneth J., Hyde, Patrick Emmett, Tedtman, Scott H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Thomas J
• Application Number:
  US15/130,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20170297461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 29734422, 29734423, 29734424, 188 31, 188109, 188158, 188382
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/06 slidable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2209 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/062 transversally slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0717 Rounded, e.g. circular
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/146 characterised by the locking device
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/929 linear
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/938 and provided with braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/924 using electric or hydraulic energy
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/06395 characterised by the arrangement of electric motors for adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/064 Adjustable inclination or position of seats

Abstract

A seat locking mechanism comprises: a plurality of positional brake mechanisms including a longitudinal brake assembly, a lateral brake assembly, and a rotational brake assembly; and a carriage assembly operably connected to the plurality of positional brake mechanisms. The carriage assembly having a carriage tube and a carriage housing fixedly connected to the carriage tube. The carriage assembly in operation moves each of the plurality of positional brake mechanisms to at least one of a locked position and an unlocked position, when the carriage assembly rotates.

Claims

1. A seat locking mechanism comprising:

a plurality of positional brake mechanisms including a longitudinal brake assembly, a lateral brake assembly, and a rotational brake assembly; and

a carriage assembly operably connected to the plurality of positional brake mechanisms, the carriage assembly having a carriage tube and a carriage housing fixedly connected to the carriage tube,

wherein the carriage assembly in operation moves each of the plurality of positional brake mechanisms to at least one of a locked position and an unlocked position, when the carriage assembly rotates,

wherein the carriage housing is operably connected to at least one of the longitudinal brake assembly through a longitudinal brake cable and the rotational brake assembly through a rotational brake cable.

2. The seat locking mechanism of claim 1, wherein:

the lateral brake assembly includes a first lateral brake and a second lateral brake; and

the carriage tube has a first end and a second end, the first end being operably connected to the first lateral brake of the lateral brake assembly and the second end being operably connected to a second lateral brake of the lateral brake assembly,

wherein the first lateral brake and the second lateral brake in operation move to at least one of the locked position and the unlocked position, when the carriage assembly rotates.

3. The seat locking mechanism of claim 1, wherein:

the longitudinal brake assembly in operation moves to at least one of the locked position and the unlocked position, when the carriage assembly rotates.

4. The seat locking mechanism of claim 1, wherein:

the rotational brake assembly in operation moves to at least one of the locked position and the unlocked position, when the carriage assembly rotates.

5. The seat locking mechanism of claim 2, wherein:

the longitudinal brake assembly in operation moves to at least one of the locked position and the unlocked position, when the carriage assembly rotates.

6. The seat locking mechanism of claim 5, wherein:

the rotational brake assembly in operation moves to at least one of the locked position and the unlocked position, when the carriage assembly rotates.

7. The seat locking mechanism of claim 2, wherein:

the rotational brake assembly in operation moves to at least one of the locked position and the unlocked position, when the carriage assembly rotates.

8. The seat locking mechanism of claim 1, further comprising:

an electric motor assembly operably connected to the carriage assembly, the electric motor assembly in operation rotates the carriage assembly.

9. The seat locking mechanism of claim 1, further comprising:

an override bypass assembly operably connected to the carriage assembly, the override bypass assembly in operation rotates the carriage assembly.

10. A method of assembling a seat locking mechanism comprising:

installing a plurality of positional brake mechanisms onto a structural support of the seat locking mechanism, the plurality of positional brake mechanisms include a longitudinal brake assembly, a lateral brake assembly, and a rotational brake assembly;

installing a carriage assembly onto the structural support, the carriage assembly having a carriage tube and a carriage housing fixedly connected to the carriage tube, the carriage assembly in operation moves each of the plurality of positional brake mechanisms to at least one of the locked position and the unlocked position, when the carriage assembly rotates;

operably connecting the carriage housing to at least one of the longitudinal brake assembly through a longitudinal brake cable and the rotational brake assembly through a rotational brake cable.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

operably connecting a first end of the carriage tube to a first lateral brake of the lateral brake assembly; and

operably connecting a second end of the carriage tube to a second lateral brake of the lateral brake assembly,

wherein the first lateral brake and the second lateral brake in operation move to at least one of the locked position and the unlocked position, when the carriage assembly rotates.

12. The method of claim 10,

wherein the longitudinal brake assembly in operation moves to at least one of the locked position and the unlocked position, when the carriage assembly rotates.

13. The method of claim 10,

wherein the rotational brake assembly in operation moves to at least one of the locked position and the unlocked position, when the carriage assembly rotates.

14. The method of claim 11,

wherein the longitudinal brake assembly in operation moves to at least one of the locked position and the unlocked position, when the carriage assembly rotates.

15. The method of claim 14,

wherein the rotational brake assembly in operation moves to at least one of the locked position and the unlocked position, when the carriage assembly rotates.

16. The method of claim 11,

wherein the rotational brake assembly in operation moves to at least one of the locked position and the unlocked position, when the carriage assembly rotates.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

operably connecting an electric motor assembly to the carriage assembly, the electric motor assembly in operation rotates the carriage assembly.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

operably connecting an override bypass assembly to the carriage assembly, the override bypass assembly in operation rotates the carriage assembly.

19. A method of operating a seat locking mechanism, the method comprising:

rotating a carriage assembly, the carriage assembly having a carriage tube and a carriage housing fixedly connected to the carriage tube; and

moving, using the carriage assembly, each of a plurality of positional brake mechanisms to at least one of the locked position and the unlocked position, when the carriage assembly rotates,

wherein the plurality of positional brake mechanisms includes a longitudinal brake assembly, a lateral brake assembly, and a rotational brake assembly,

wherein the carriage housing is operably connected to at least one of the longitudinal brake assembly through a longitudinal brake cable and the rotational brake assembly through a rotational brake cable.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the carriage assembly is rotated by at least one of an electric motor assembly and an override bypass assembly.