Patent Publication Number: US-2013241256-A1

Title: Aircraft seat control input transfer and disconnect mechanism

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to seating structures for aircraft. More particularly, the mechanism to adjust the seat position. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Due to the unique environment in which they are used, aircraft seat structures must meet a number of requirements. For example, such seat structures must satisfy government requirements involving aircraft safety. In addition, such seat structures must meet relatively rigid weight guidelines in order to provide satisfactory economical operation of an airplane in which they are used while, at the same time, occupying a minimum of space and still providing maximum passenger comfort and convenience. 
     The typical mechanism to adjust either the seat back position or the seat position relative to both linear and rotational movement is located inside the armrest of the aircraft seat and transmits control information to the seat base and back to adjust the position of the seat. A user operated hand control is fixed on the outside and near the top of the arm rest. One or more control cables lead from the hand control, inside the armrest, and exit the lower portion of the armrest and continue to the seat base or the seat back to a series of cams and clutch plates to actuate the movement of the seat. 
     This configuration has many drawbacks. One main drawback is the seat assembly process. The aircraft seat frame is first assembled as well as the mechanical workings. The seat control system is fully assembled and tested. The seat is then dissembled for upholstering. This includes removing the armrests from the seat frame. Once the seat is reassembled after upholstering, the seat control system is out of alignment, and must be again configured to government and manufacturer specifications. Reconfiguring the seat control system is specialized work that is costly and time consuming. This is particularly so since the all of the components are now upholstered. 
     Certain seat control mechanisms avoid this issue by not embedding the control system inside the arm rest. U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,916 to Chardon.  FIG. 3  illustrates sold linkage seat back control system, but the lever  34 , is not inside an armrest, but attached directly to the seat base. While this solves certain issues, this seat is not used in typical commercial or private aircraft. 
     The present invention solves the problem of seat control systems in an armrest. Additionally, the present invention allows for adjustable armrest positions during seat assembly using identical parts and a modular design. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an aircraft seat which includes a seat bottom frame having a side, a seat translation and rotation mechanism attached to the seat bottom frame which allows translation and rotational movement of the seat bottom frame. The seat also includes at least one armrest attached to the side of the seat bottom frame. The armrest can be removed and replaced, and set to different positions relative to the seat bottom. The armrest has a seat control mounted to an outside of the armrest, and an input transfer mechanism disposed inside the armrest. The input transfer mechanism has a seat control attachment end engaged to the seat control, and a receiver end. The input transfer mechanism does not use cables but a series of levers, cams and springs. A couple shaft is engaged on a first end with the receiver end of the input transfer mechanism and engaged on a second end with the seat translation and rotation mechanism. When the seat control is actuated, the input transfer mechanism causes the receiver end to rotate, the couple shaft transmits the rotation to the seat translation and rotation mechanism which allows the seat bottom frame to at least one of translate and rotate. 
     In a further embodiment, the input transfer mechanism includes a first control arm having the seat control attachment end and a second end. A second control arm is also includes having a third end and an opposing fourth end, wherein the third end is pivotally engaged with the second end of the first control arm. Further, a third control arm has the receiver end and a fifth end pivotally engaged with the fourth end of the second control arm, the fifth end is opposite the receiver end. When the seat control is actuated, the first, second, and third control arms are moved or pivoted to rotate the received end. 
     Another aircraft seat embodiment further has at least one armrest bracket disposed on the armrest, and the armrest bracket has a plurality of bracket holes. The also has a seat frame slot in the seat bottom frame configured to receive the armrest bracket. The seat frame slot has a seat frame hole. Also included is a fastener engaging the armrest bracket and the seat bottom frame by passing consecutively through the seat frame hole and one of the plurality of bracket holes to attach the armrest to the seat bottom frame. 
     An additional embodiment, the aircraft seat includes a seat back frame pivotally connected to a back of the seat bottom frame, and a seat back mechanism disposed in the seat bottom frame. Here, when the seat control is actuated, the input transfer mechanism causes the receiver end to rotate and the couple shaft transmits the rotation to the seat back mechanism, allowing the seat back frame to pivot. 
     In the above embodiment, the seat control can have all or some of a first position allowing only the translational movement, a second position allowing only the rotational movement and a third position allowing only the pivoting of the seat back frame. Here, depending on the control combination, even partial movements can have positions, i.e. rotation less than 360°. These positions are set by partial movements of the input transfer mechanism, each movement locking and unlocking the rotational, translational, and pivotal movements in a particular sequence. 
     An embodiment for an aircraft seat armrest includes at least one armrest bracket disposed on a bottom of the armrest, a seat control mounted to an outside of the armrest, and the input transfer mechanism disposed inside the armrest. The input transfer mechanism has a seat control attachment end engaged to the seat control, and a receiver end. The input transfer mechanism is cable-less and only uses a series of arms, cams, levers and springs. A couple shaft is engaged on a first end with the receiver end of the input transfer mechanism and is engaged on a second end with a seat translation and rotation mechanism. When the seat control is actuated, the input transfer mechanism causes the receiver end to rotate, the couple shaft transmits the rotation to the seat back mechanism and the seat translation and rotation mechanism allows the seat bottom frame to at least one of translate and rotate. 
     A further embodiment for an aircraft seat includes the seat bottom frame having a back and a side, a seat back frame pivotally connected to the back of the seat bottom frame, and a seat translation and rotation mechanism attached to the bottom frame. The mechanism allows translation and rotational movement of the seat bottom frame. The movements include front-to-back, side-to-side, and 360° rotation. 
     At least one armrest is capable of being attached and reattached to the side of the seat bottom frame. The armrest includes the seat control mounted to an outside of the armrest, and an input transfer mechanism disposed inside the armrest. The an input transfer mechanism has a seat control attachment end engaged to the seat control, and a receiver end. As above, the input transfer mechanism is cable-less. A couple shaft engages on its first end the receiver end of the input transfer mechanism and engages on its second end with a seat movement mechanism. In this embodiment, when the seat control is actuated, the input transfer mechanism causes the receiver end to rotate, the couple shaft transmits the rotation to the seat movement mechanism which allows at least one of the seat bottom frame to at least one of translate and rotate and the seat back frame to pivot. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of an aircraft seat with the input transfer and disconnect mechanism of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an non-upholstered top-front-left side perspective view of an aircraft seat of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a partially cut-away top-right perspective view of an aircraft seat with the input transfer and disconnect mechanism of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a right side partially cut-away view of an aircraft seat with the input transfer and disconnect mechanism of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a partially cut-away front view of an aircraft seat with the input transfer and disconnect mechanism of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a partially cut-away left side view of an aircraft seat with the input transfer and disconnect mechanism of the present invention; and 
         FIGS. 7A and 7B  illustrate the width adjusting embodiment of the present invention, wherein  FIG. 7B  is a magnified section of  FIG. 7A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the invention will be described herein below with reference to  FIGS. 1-6 . 
     An aircraft seat  10  includes a seat bottom frame  12  and a seat back frame  14 . The seat bottom frame  12  includes a seat translation and rotation mechanism  15 . The seat translation and rotation mechanism  15  allows the seat bottom frame  12  to move front and back and side to side and allows for seat rotation. The typical rotation permitted is 360°. 
     Further, the seat bottom frame  12  is attached, on a bottom side, to seat supports  16  which are fixed to the floor of an airplane fuselage  18 . The seat back frame  14  is pivotally attached to one end of the seat bottom frame  12 . The seat bottom frame  12  and the seat back frame  14  have generally square and rectangular configurations, respectively, and can be made from aluminum, light gauge steel, alloys, a strong light-weight plastic, or composites. Seat base  20  is located over the top side of seat bottom frame  12  and is upholstered and padded to be in contact with a passenger. The seat base  20  typically covers the seat bottom frame  12  and the seat translation and rotation mechanism  15 . The seat back frame  14  is also upholstered to form a seat back  22 . The seat back  22  can pivot from an upright position, to a reclined position, and back again, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 . 
     An aircraft seat  10  is also provided with a pair of arm rests  40 . Both arm rests are typically permanently fixed to the seat bottom frame  12 . On the outer surface of either armrest  40  is a user operated seat control  42 . The seat control  42  can be mounted on the front edge  44  or on the inner surface  46  of the armrest  40 . Further, the armrest  40  can include a seat reclining control  41 . 
     When the seat control  42  is actuated, the seat translation and rotation mechanism  15  is unlocked and translational and rotational movement of the seat bottom  12  is allowed. The user shifts her weight accordingly to move the seat into the desired position. Further, when the seat reclining control  41  is actuated, the seat back  22  is unlocked and can be pivoted back into a more reclining position by the weight of the user. When the seat reclining control  41  is actuated and the user&#39;s weight is not against the seat back  22 , the seat back  22  returns to the upright position. Actuation of the seat control  42  and the seat reclining control  41  can be by a positive pressure against the seat reclining control  41 /the seat control  42  or by pulling an edge of the seat reclining control  41 /the seat control  42 , depending on the configuration. 
       FIGS. 3-5  illustrates the seat control  42  attached to a seat control attachment end  49  of a seat input transfer and disconnect mechanism  48 . When the seat control  42  is actuated, it engages the seat input transfer and disconnect mechanism  48  and causes a receiver end  50  to rotate. The receiver end  50  is opposite the seat control attachment end  49 . Inserted into the receiver end  50  is one end  54  of couple shaft  52  and the opposite end  56  engages either the seat translation and rotation mechanism  15  or a portion of the seat back mechanism  58 , both of which can be located in the seat bottom frame  12 . The rotation of receiver end  50  is transmitted via the couple shaft  52  to unlock the seat translation and rotation mechanism  15 , freeing the seat to translate and rotate as described above. 
     In a separate embodiment, illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the rotation of receiver end  50  is transmitted via the couple shaft  52  to the seat back mechanism  58  to allow the seat back  22  to pivot. 
     The seat input transfer and disconnect mechanism  48  is a series of arms, pivots and springs, no cabling is used. In a particular embodiment, first control arm  60  has the seat control attachment end  49  and an opposing end  62  pivotally attached to a first end  64  of a second control arm  66 . Second control arm  66  is also pivotally attached at its other end  68  to third control arm  70  at end  72 . Third control arm end  72  is opposite the receiver end  50 . 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  illustrate the seat input transfer and disconnect mechanism  48  in operation. When the seat control  42  is actuated, the first control arm  60  is pulled forward moving ends  62 ,  64  forward and down. This motion forces the second control arm  66  to move downwards as it pivots about the ends  62 ,  64 . This in turn moves end  72  downward and causes receiver end  50  to rotate. This movement rotates couple shaft  52  to actuate either the seat translation and rotation mechanism  15  or the seat back mechanism  58 . When the seat control  42  is released, all control arms  60 ,  66 , and  70  return to the normal position. 
     Calibrating the lengths and angles of the first control arm  60 , second control arm  66 , and the third control arm  70  is important. User control of the seat input transfer and disconnect mechanism  48  must be such that the actuation of the seat control  42  is smooth. The amount of force required cannot be too “soft” or “loose” as to allow unintended actuation, but also not too “hard” or “tight” so a range of passengers, including children, can operate the seat control  42 . This is also important for the embodiment, discussed below, wherein the seat control  42  has numerous positions. 
     While the use of the input transfer and disconnect mechanism  48  is counterintuitive since it increases the weight of the seat as opposed to the use cables, upon disassembly and reassembly, only the couple shaft  52  is disengaged. This allows all other components to remain aligned when the armrests  40  and seat  10  are upholstered. 
     Further, as discussed above, the seat input transfer and disconnect mechanism  48  can be used to move the seat in the translational and rotational movement and also to pivot the seat back. Each of these movements can be actuated separately, using two different mechanisms or can be linked to a single mechanism wherein all movements are available on actuation of the seat control. 
     In a further embodiment, the seat control  42  can have more than one position, each position relating to a different position of the seat input transfer and disconnect mechanism  48  wherein each position unlocks a separate and distinct seat movement. In one embodiment, a first position can unlock the transitional and rotational movement, while a second position locks the transitional and rotational movement and unlocks the seat back pivoting movement. Further, there can be at least three positions, wherein each position unlocks a particular movement and locks the remaining movements. Furthermore, seat control positions can lock and unlock either the front-to-back or side-to-side movements separately and different positions can also control the amount of rotation of the seat. For example, one position can allow only 120° of rotation and another position allows the full 360° of rotation. 
     The use of the seat input transfer and disconnect mechanism  48  also allows the width of the seat to be adjusted without re-cabling the entire system. As illustrated in  FIGS. 7A and 7B , during assembly, the armrests  40  can be attached to the seat bottom frame  12  using bracket  100 . The bracket  100  has a series of evenly spaced bracket holes  102 . The bracket  100  is inserted into a seat frame slot  106  that can support the armrest  40 . Over the seat frame slot is a seat frame hole  104 . One bracket hole  102  is aligned with the seat frame hole  104  and then pinned through to affix the armrest  40  to the seat bottom frame  12 . Depending on which bracket hole  102  is used, determines the width of the seat base  20  by determining how far or close the armrests  40  are to the seat bottom frame  12 . Once the proper width is chosen, all that is required is a properly sized couple shaft  52  to link the seat input transfer and disconnect mechanism  48  with one or both of the seat translation and rotation mechanism  15  and the seat back mechanism  58 . 
     This allows both armrests  40  and the seat translation and rotation mechanism  15  and/or the seat back mechanism  58  to be assembled separately and engaged in the final stages of assembly. Further, manufacturing errors or changes in the seat width specifications can be easily accommodated.