Configurable vehicle seat and method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10421548-B2
Application number	US-201715599739-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2017
Priority date	Jan 24, 2017
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

An adjustable vehicle seat includes a seat frame forming a seat back, the seat frame being configured to couple with an aerospace vehicle; a seat pan coupled to the seat frame, where one or more of the seat frame and the seat pan is configured to couple the seat pan to the seat frame in one of a plurality of positions relative to the seat frame so that an eye position of a seat occupant relative to instrumentation within the aerospace vehicle is decoupled from a size of the seat occupant.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable vehicle seat comprising:
a crew reference point that defines a datum for vehicle seat adjustment, the crew reference point being common to all users of the adjustable vehicle seat;
a seat frame forming a seat back, the seat frame being configured to couple with an aerospace vehicle; and
a seat pan coupled to the seat frame, the seat pan is coupled to the seat frame in one of a plurality of positions relative to the seat frame and the crew reference point so that an eye position of a seat occupant relative to instrumentation within the aerospace vehicle is decoupled from a size of the seat occupant.

2. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 1 , further comprising a head rest coupled to the seat frame, the head rest is coupled to the seat frame in one of a plurality of positions relative to the seat frame.

3. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 1 , further comprising shoulder harness brackets coupled to the seat frame, each of the shoulder harness brackets is coupled to the seat frame in one of a plurality of positions relative to the seat frame and each other.

4. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 3 , wherein a distance between the shoulder harness brackets is variable.

5. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 1 , further comprising an anti-submarine bracket coupled to the seat frame, the anti-submarine bracket is coupled to the seat frame in one of a plurality of positions relative to the seat frame.

6. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 1 , further comprising lap harness brackets coupled to the seat frame, the lap harness brackets are coupled to the seat frame in one of a plurality of positions relative to the seat frame.

7. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 6 , wherein a distance between the lap harness brackets is variable.

8. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 1 , further comprising a leg support coupled to the seat frame, the leg support is coupled to the seat frame in one of a plurality of positions relative to the seat frame.

9. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 8 , wherein the leg support is configured to support both legs of the seat occupant.

10. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 8 , wherein the leg support comprises leg flail restraints.

11. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 10 , wherein the leg flail restraints include handles.

12. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 8 , wherein the leg support is coupled to the seat frame with at least one hitch pin.

13. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 8 , wherein the leg support controls an angle between an upper leg and a lower leg of the seat occupant.

14. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 8 , wherein the leg support further comprises:
a leg support base that is coupled to the seat frame; and
a foot rest, the foot rest is coupled to the leg support base in one of a plurality of positions relative to the leg support base.

15. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 14 , wherein the foot rest is configured to support both feet of the seat occupant.

16. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 14 , wherein the foot rest comprises foot flail restraints.

17. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 14 , wherein the foot rest is coupled to the leg support base with at least one hitch pin.

18. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 14 , wherein the leg support base comprises:
a first base member configured for coupling to the seat frame;
a second base member configured for coupling to the foot rest, the second base member is coupled to the first base member about a pivot axis; and
a brace member configured for coupling to the second base member and at least one of the first base member and the seat frame where the brace member controls rotation of the second base member, relative to the first base member, about the pivot axis.

19. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 1 , further comprising a five point harness coupled to the seat frame.

20. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 1 , further comprising a conformal seat insert coupled to the seat frame, the conformal seat insert conforming to the seat occupant and being configured to constrain lateral movement of the seat occupant relative to the seat frame.

21. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 20 , wherein the conformal seat insert is a rigid insert.

22. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 20 , wherein the conformal seat insert is configured to engage and constrain lateral movement of at least an upper torso of the seat occupant.

23. An adjustable vehicle seat comprising:
a seat frame forming a seat back, the seat frame being configured to couple with an aerospace vehicle;
a seat pan coupled to the seat frame, the seat frame being configured to couple the seat pan to the seat frame in one of a plurality of positions relative to the seat frame so that an eye position of a seat occupant relative to instrumentation within the aerospace vehicle is decoupled from a size of the seat occupant; and
a conformal seat insert coupled to the seat frame, the conformal seat insert conforming to the seat occupant and being configured to constrain lateral movement of the seat occupant relative to the seat frame;
wherein the conformal seat insert is scalloped so that an acromial point of a shoulder of the seat occupant is inset into the conformal seat insert to define a corresponding acromial point of the conformal seat insert, and the corresponding acromial point of the conformal seat insert corresponds to a crew reference point, wherein the seat pan is positionable in one of a plurality of positions relative to the seat frame so that the seat pan is located a predetermined distance from the crew reference point to position an eye of the seat occupant relative to instrumentation within the aerospace vehicle such that the position of the eye of the seat occupant is decoupled from the size of the seat occupant.

24. An adjustable vehicle seat comprising:
a crew reference point that defines a datum for vehicle seat adjustment;
a seat frame forming a seat back, the seat frame being configured to couple with an aerospace vehicle;
a conformal seat insert coupled to the seat frame and having an acromial point; and
a seat pan coupled to the seat frame, where the seat pan is coupled to the seat frame in one of a plurality of positions relative to the conformal seat insert so that the crew reference point and the acromial point are substantially coincident with each other and an eye position of a seat occupant relative to instrumentation within the aerospace vehicle is decoupled from a size of the seat occupant.

25. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 24 , further comprising a head rest coupled to the seat frame, where the head rest is coupled to the seat frame in one of a plurality of positions relative to the conformal seat insert.

26. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 24 , further comprising shoulder harness brackets coupled to the seat frame, each of the shoulder harness brackets is coupled to the seat frame in one of a plurality of positions relative to the conformal seat insert and each other.

27. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 26 , wherein a distance between the shoulder harness brackets is variable.

28. The adjustable vehicle seat of claim 24 , further comprising an anti-submarine bracket coupled to the seat frame, the anti-submarine bracket is coupled to the seat frame in one of a plurality of positions relativ

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Mccarley Michael C
• Clark Kent
• Weber Melanie L
• Ring Norman G
• Ferguson Christopher

Classifications

• B64D11/062

  Belts or other passenger restraint means for passenger seats · CPC title

• B29C64/386

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29L2031/771

  Seats · CPC title

• G05B2219/49007

  Making, forming 3-D object, model, surface · CPC title

• B64D11/064 Primary

  Adjustable inclination or position of seats · CPC title