Abstract:
Aircrafts troop seating is lightweight and minimizes protruding features on which gear might snag. High strength webbing straps are added to a light weight seat fabric to add strength where strength is required, thus reducing the overall weight. The webbing is of a type used for seatbelts and meets fire regardant requirements. Seat belt style tension adjusters allow adjustment of the seating stretch to improve comfort and crash protection. Internal hardware attachment points are provided to reduce protruding features.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to passenger seating and in particular to passenger seating in military fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. 
   The ability to move quickly to locations all over the Earth is of great military importance. Generally, movement over long distances will be via fixed wing aircraft, and local deployments will be via helicopter. Seats providing safety and light weight are very important. The seat further preferably folds or collapses against the interior of the aircraft fuselage to allow loading of large cargo items. 
   Various troop seats are know for aircraft. U.S. Pat. No. 2,577,817 for “Foldable Seat,” describes a seat suitable for use in an aircraft, with crisscross webbing providing support surfaces. Unfortunately, the openings in the crisscross pattern allow the various items carried by soldiers to become caught, and in an emergency, could create a dangerous situation. The seats of the &#39;817 patent further include protruding seat frame elements (i.e., protuberances) which may further create a likelihood of catching on gear or clothing. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 2,556,076 for “Troopship Type Airplane Seat Structure,” describes folding seats having crisscross webbing for support. Unfortunately, the seats of the &#39;076 patent also have the drawbacks of the &#39;817 patent. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing an aircrafts troop seating which is lightweight and minimizes protruding features on which gear might snag. High strength webbing straps are added to a light weight seat fabric to add strength where strength is required, thus reducing the overall weight. The webbing is of a type used for seatbelts and meets fire retardant requirements. Seat belt style tension adjusters allow adjustment of the seating stretch to improve comfort and crash protection. Internal hardware attachment points are provided to reduce protruding features. 
   In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an aircraft troop seating including a rear longitudinal support mechanically connected to a bulkhead, a front longitudinal support, lateral supports connecting the rear longitudinal support and the front longitudinal support, and vertical supports supporting the front longitudinal support above a floor. Seating fabric resides between the rear longitudinal support and the front longitudinal support, wherein the seating fabric comprises a light weight seat fabric reinforced by spaced apart webbing straps running between the rear longitudinal support and the front longitudinal support. Internal hardware resides inside the front longitudinal support, wherein the vertical supports are connected to the front longitudinal supports by attaching to the internal hardware, thereby reducing protruding features. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a three man troop seat according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  depicts the three man troop seat with a light weight seat fabric cut away to show high strength webbing straps used to reinforce the light weight fabric. 
       FIG. 3  shows a one man troop seat according to the present invention attached to a two man troop seat according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  depicts the one man troop seat and the attached two man troop seat with the light weight seat fabric cut away to show the high strength webbing straps used to reinforce the light weight fabric. 
       FIG. 5A  shows the one man troop seat with the two man troop seat removed. 
       FIG. 5B  shows the two man troop seat with the one man troop seat removed. 
       FIG. 6A  shows a side view of a lateral support member of the troop seats. 
       FIG. 6B  shows a top view of the lateral support member of the troop seats. 
       FIG. 6C  shows a top view of the lateral support member of the troop seats swung away to allow the troop seat to the collapsed. 
       FIG. 7  is a side view of the high strength webbing attached to a rear longitudinal support and to a front longitudinal support including a tensioner. 
       FIG. 8  is a top view of the high strength webbing attached to the rear longitudinal support and to the front longitudinal support including the tensioner. 
       FIG. 9A  is a cross-sectional view of the front longitudinal support and tensioner taken along line  9 A- 9 A of  FIG. 8 . 
       FIG. 9B  is a cross-sectional view of the front longitudinal support and tensioner taken along line  9 B- 9 B of  FIG. 8 . 
       FIG. 10  is a cutaway view of internal hardware residing in the front longitudinal support. 
       FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a female end of a first front longitudinal support of the one man troop seat. 
       FIG. 11A  is a cutaway perspective view of the female end of the first front longitudinal support of the one man troop seat. 
       FIG. 11B  is a side view of a mating receiver adapted to reside in the female end of the first front longitudinal support of the one man troop seat. 
       FIG. 11C  is an end view of the mating receiver adapted to reside in the female end of the first front longitudinal support of the one man troop seat. 
       FIG. 12A  is a cross-sectional view of the mating receiver taken long line  12 A- 12 A of  FIG. 11B . 
       FIG. 12B  is a cross-sectional view of the mating receiver taken long line  12 B- 12 B of  FIG. 12A . 
       FIG. 12C  is a cross-sectional view of the mating receiver in the unlatched position. 
       FIG. 13  is a perspective view of an internal bolt residing in a male end of a second front longitudinal support. 
       FIG. 13A  is a cutaway perspective view of the internal bolt residing in the male end of the second front longitudinal support. 
       FIG. 14  is a side view of the internal bolt extending from a bolt carrier. 
       FIG. 14  A is a cross-sectional view of the internal bolt and bolt carrier taken along line  14 A- 14 A of  FIG. 14 . 
       FIG. 14  B is a cross-sectional view of the internal bolt and bolt carrier taken along line  14 B- 14 B of  FIG. 14A  with the internal bolt extending from the bolt carrier. 
       FIG. 14C  is a cross-sectional view of the internal bolt and bolt carrier taken along line  14 C- 14 C of  FIG. 14A  with the internal bolt retracted into the bolt carrier. 
   

   Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims. 
   A three man troop seat  10  according to the present invention is shown in  FIG. 1 . The troop seat  10  includes a seating area  16  comprising a lightweight seat fabric, a rear longitudinal support  22  attached to a bulkhead  14 , and a front longitudinal support  24  supported above a floor  12  by vertical supports  26 . An unused vertical support receiver  27  resides in the floor  12 . 
   The three man troop seat  10  is shown in  FIG. 2  with the light weight seat fabric cut away to show high strength webbing straps  18  used to reinforce the seating area  16  (see  FIG. 1 ). Tensioner pulls  32  are provided for each webbing strap  18  to allow adjustment of the seating stretch to improve comfort and crash protection. Lateral supports  20  connect the rear longitudinal support  22  to the front longitudinal support  24 . The rear longitudinal support  22  is mechanically connected to the bulkhead  14  by bulkhead attachments  30 . The vertical supports  26  removably connect to vertical support receivers  27  using claws which grasp mating surfaces in the vertical support receivers  27 . The vertical supports include external sleeves which are actuated to retract the claws and allow the vertical supports  26  to be withdrawn from the vertical support receivers. Each of the two vertical supports  26  are braced by a diagonal support  28 . The diagonal supports  28  are pivotally mounted to the front longitudinal support  24  at pivots attached to the front longitudinal support  24 , and to the vertical supports  26  using quick release pins. 
   A one man troop seat  10   a  according to the present invention is shown attached to a two man troop seat  10   b  according to the present invention in  FIG. 3 . The one man troop seat  10   a  has a first seating area  16   a  and is supported by a single vertical support  26 . The two man troop seat  10   b  has a second seating area  16   b  and is supported by two vertical supports  26 . One of the two vertical supports  26  supporting the two man seat  10   b , is braced by one diagonal support  28 . 
   The one man troop seat  10   a  and the attached two man troop seat  10   b  with the light weight seat fabric cut away to show the high strength webbing straps  18  used to reinforce the light weight fabric are shown in  FIG. 4 . The one man troop seat  10   a  includes a first front longitudinal support  24   a  and the two man troop seat  10   b  includes a second front longitudinal support  24   b . The first front longitudinal support  24   a  and the second front longitudinal support  24   b  meet at separation  34 . 
   The one man troop seat  10   a  is shown alone (with the two man troop seat  10   b  not shown) in  FIG. 5A , and the two man troop seat  10   b  is shown alone (with the one man troop seat  10   a  not shown) in  FIG. 5B . The one man troop seat  10   a  and/or the two man troop seat  10   b  may be collapsed or folded independently, thereby providing addition room for large equipment. 
   A side view of the lateral support member  20  of the troop seats  10 ,  10   a , or  10   b  is shown in  FIG. 6A , and a top view of the lateral support member  20  is shown in  FIG. 6B . The lateral support member  20  is connected to the rear longitudinal support  22  by a “C” shaped support end  20   b , and the longitudinal support member  20  is connected to the front longitudinal support  24  by a pivoting support end  20   a . The lateral support member  20  pivots about a pin or screw  36  in the support end  20   a.    
   A top view of the lateral support member  20  swung away from the rear longitudinal support member  22  is shown in  FIG. 6C . The lateral support member  20  pivots along an arc  37  about a pivot  36  in support end  20   a  to allow the troop seat  10 ,  10   a , or  10   b  to the folded or collapsed. The pivot  36  preferably comprises a screw and nut. The support end  20   b  preferably may be lifted to detach the lateral support member  20  from the rear longitudinal support member  22 . 
   A side view of the high strength webbing  18  attached to the rear longitudinal support  22  and to the front longitudinal support  24  is shown in  FIG. 7 . The webbing straps  18  preferably wraps around the rear longitudinal support  22  and is sewn in place. A top view of the high strength webbing  18  attached to the rear longitudinal support  22  and to the front longitudinal support  24  is shown in  FIG. 8 . The webbing  18  is preferably a Kevlar® weave. Preferred widths are approximately 5.5 inches for the three man seat  10 , approximately five inches for the two man seat  10   b , and approximately four inches for the one man seat  10   a . A suitable webbing is part number MODIFIED 4856 available from Bally Ribbon Mills in Bally, Pa. A suitable seat back and/or bottom material is Conex® or Kevlar® fabric part number 3049B available from Sherman Textile Co. in Dallas, N.C. 
   A cross-sectional view a tensioner assembly  39  taken along line  9 A- 9 A of  FIG. 8  are shown in  FIG. 9A  and a second cross-sectional view of the tensioner assembly  39  taken along line  9 B- 9 B of  FIG. 8  is shown in  FIG. 9B . The tensioner assembly  39  comprises strap take-up apparatus including a portion of the front longitudinal support  24 , a tensioner drum  38 , and a tensioner portion of the high strength webbing  18 . The tensioner portion of the high strength webbing  18  resides proximal to the front longitudinal support  24  and comprising an outer wrap  25   a , a drum wrap  25   b , an inner wrap  25   c , and the tensioner pull  32 . The outer wrap  25   a  connecting to (or continues from) the seating portion of the high strength webbing  18  and wraps partially around the outside of the front longitudinal support  24 . The drum wrap  25   b  connecting to (or continues from) the outer wrap  25   a  and wraps partially around the tensioner drum  38 . The inner wrap  25   c  connecting to (or continues from) the drum wrap  25   b  and wraps partially around the front longitudinal support  24  residing between the front longitudinal support  24  and the outer wrap  25   a . The tensioner pull  32  connects to (or continues from) the inner wrap  25   c  and falls over the tensioner drum  38 . 
   The tensioner drum  38  is connected to the front longitudinal support by tensioner screws  40 , and tensioner springs  42  reside over the tensioner screws  40  to urge the tensioner drum  38  towards the front longitudinal support  24 . The tensioner assembly  39  is similar to known seat belt tensioners, wherein pulling in the tensioner pull  32  causes the high strength webbing  18  to advance through the tensioner assembly  39 , thereby tightening the seating area  16  (see  FIGS. 1 and 3 ). The tensioners are a self-binding arrangement wherein the webbing is wrapped (or “looped”) around itself on the longitudinal support, thereby creating a binding (or locking) effect that increases with applied loads. The greater the applied load results in a greater binding effect. 
   A cutaway view of internal hardware  44  residing in the front longitudinal support  24  is shown in  FIG. 10 . The internal hardware  44  provides the ability to attach various members such as the vertical supports  26 , the lateral supports  20 , the diagonal supports  28  (see  FIGS. 2 and 4 ) and the like to the front longitudinal support  24 , or to any other tubular support. The internal hardware  44  is held in place by hardware screws  48  passing through a wall  49  of the front longitudinal support  24  and into the internal hardware  44 . An access passage  46  allows mounting screws to pass through the wall  49  and into the internal hardware to attach the various supports. The vertical supports  26 , the lateral supports  20 , and the diagonal supports  28  generally are attached using a bracket, for example, the pivoting support end  20   a  in  FIGS. 6A ,  6 B, and  6 C, to the front longitudinal support  24 , or other structure. In these cases, the bracket is attached to the front longitudinal support  24  using the internal hardware. The diagonal supports  28  may also be attached to the vertical supports  26  using the internal hardware  44  residing in the vertical supports  26 . The internal hardware may thus be utilized for any connection of support elements of the troop seat  10 ,  10   a , or  10   b  in order to reduce protruding features, and any troop seat using internal hardware to reduce protruding features is intended to come within the scope of the present invention. 
   A perspective view of a female end of the first front longitudinal support  24   a  (see  FIG. 5A ) of the one man troop seat  10   a  is shown in  FIG. 11 . A hardware screw  48  passes through the wall  49  and into a mating receiver  50  residing inside the front longitudinal support  10   a . The mating receiver  50  has a mouth  56  and a latch  52  (see  FIG. 12B ) which pivots about a latch pivot  54 , which latch  52  has a latch handle  53 . 
   A cutaway perspective view of the female end of the front longitudinal support  24   a  of the one man troop seat  10   a  is shown in  FIG. 11A . The mating receiver  50  is substantially cylindrical and has a threaded hole  58  for the hardware screw  48  to threadedly cooperate with. 
   A side view of a mating receiver  50  is shown in  FIG. 11B , and an end view of the mating receiver  50  is shown in  FIG. 11C . A portion of the latch  52  is seen to intrude into the mouth  56 . 
   A cross-sectional view of the mating receiver  50  taken long line  12 A- 12 A of  FIG. 11B  is shown in  FIG. 12A . The latch  52  pivots about the latch pivot  54 , and is biased in a latched position by a latch spring  60 . Two opposing threaded holes  58  allow attachment of the mating receiver  50  to the front longitudinal support  24   a.    
   A cross-sectional view of the mating receiver  50  taken long line  12 B- 12 B of  FIG. 12A  is shown in  FIG. 12B  with the latch  52  in a latched position, and a second cross-sectional view of the mating receiver  50  taken long line  12 B- 12 B of  FIG. 12A  is shown in  FIG. 12C  with the latch  52  in an unlatched position. The latch  52  is biased toward the latched position by the latch spring  60 , and actuation of the latch handle  53  along arc  55  moves the latch  55  to the unlatched position. 
   A perspective view of a male end of the second longitudinal support  24   b  having an internal bolt  62  and bolt carrier  64  residing in a male end of a second front longitudinal support  24   b  is shown in  FIG. 13 . The hardware screw  48  holds the bolt carrier  64  in place. 
   A cutaway perspective view of the internal bolt  62  and bolt carrier  64  residing in the male end of the second front longitudinal support  24   b  is shown in  FIG. 13A . A bolt handle  66  is provided to move the internal bolt  62  axially within the bolt carrier  64 . 
   A side view of the internal bolt  62  extending from the bolt carrier  64  is shown in  FIG. 14 . A cross-sectional view of the internal bolt  62  and bolt carrier  64  taken along line  14 A- 14 A of  FIG. 14  is shown in  FIG. 14A . Two opposing threaded holed  58  are provided to attach the bolt carrier  64  to the front longitudinal support  24   b.    
   A cross-sectional view of the internal bolt  62  and bolt carrier  64  taken along line  14 B- 14 B of  FIG. 14A  is shown in  FIG. 14B , with the internal bolt  62  extending from the bolt carrier  64 , and a cross-sectional view of the internal bolt  62  and bolt carrier  64  taken along line  14 C- 14 C of  FIG. 14A  is shown in  FIG. 14C  with the internal bolt  62  retracted into the bolt carrier  64 . The bolt carrier  64  includes a passageway groove  78 , and a bolt clip  76  resides in the passageway groove  78 . The bolt clip  76  is a common retaining ring. The bolt  62  includes a latching feature comprising a bolt channel  68  for cooperation with the latch  52  (see  FIGS. 12B and 12C ). When the bolt  62  is inserted into the mouth  56  (see  FIG. 12A ) and the latch  52  is in the latched position ( FIG. 12B ), the latch  52  holds the bolt  62  in the mouth  56 . When the latch  52  is in the unlatched position ( FIG. 12C ), the bolt  62  is free to move into and out of the mouth  56 . 
   The internal bolt  62  further includes a first bolt groove  70  and a second bolt groove  72 . When the internal bolt  62  is in the extended position ( FIG. 14B ), the bolt clip  76  cooperates with the second bolt groove  72  to urge the internal bolt  62  to remain in the extended position. When the internal bolt  62  is in the retracted position ( FIG. 14C ), the bolt clip  76  cooperates with the second bolt groove  72  to urge the internal bolt  62  to remain in the retracted position. 
   While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.