Floor connection assembly of an aircraft seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10618658-B2
Application number	US-201314403500-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2013
Priority date	May 24, 2012
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

The invention relates to a floor connection assembly for the mechanical connection of an aircraft seat to a floor structure of an aircraft, comprising at least three fastening points, wherein the floor connection assembly can be fastened on at least three fastening points with in each case one fastening element to the floor structure. The floor connection assembly comprises an adapter plate, wherein the mechanical connection between the adapter plate and the fastening elements is supported about at least one axis in a substantially torque-free manner.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A floor connection assembly for mechanically connecting an aircraft seat to a floor structure of an aircraft, comprising:
an adapter plate; and
at least three fastening elements,
wherein the floor connection assembly is configured to mechanically connect to a floor structure of an aircraft, such that:
(i) the adapter plate is mechanically connected to the floor structure of the aircraft by mechanical connection of each fastening element of the at least three fastening elements to a corresponding fastening point on the floor structure of the aircraft of a corresponding at least three fastening points on the floor structure of the aircraft, and
(ii) the adapter plate is mechanically connected to the at least three fastening elements such that each fastening element of the at least three fastening elements is mechanically connected to the adapter plate,

wherein each fastening element of the at least three fastening elements is configured to mechanically connect to the adapter plate such that the mechanical connection of the adapter plate to each fastening element of the at least three fastening elements is substantially torque-free about a corresponding at least one axis, such that when the at least three fastening elements are mechanically connected to the at least three fastening points on the floor structure of the aircraft, and the floor structure rotates a fastening element of the at least three fastening elements about the corresponding at least one axis, torque is not transferred to the adapter plate about the corresponding at least one axis by the fastening element of the at least three fastening elements,
wherein the at least three fastening elements comprise:
a first fastening element;
a second fastening element; and
a third fastening element,

wherein the first fastening element and the second fastening element are arranged along a first longitudinal axis,
wherein the third fastening element is arranged along a second longitudinal axis parallel to the first longitudinal axis,
wherein the first fastening element is arranged along a first transverse axis,
wherein the second fastening element and the third fastening element are arranged along a second transverse axis parallel to the first transverse axis,
wherein the first transverse axis is perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis,
wherein the first fastening element is:
displaceable in both directions along the first longitudinal axis, such that when the at least three fastening elements are mechanically connected to the at least three fastening points on the floor structure of the aircraft so that the first fastening element is mechanically connected to a corresponding first fastening point of the at least three fastening points on the floor structure of the aircraft, and the floor structure moves the first fastening point of the at least three fastening points along the first longitudinal axis axis, force is not transferred to the adapter plate along the first longitudinal axis by the first fastening element of the at least three fastening elements,
displaceable in both directions along the first transverse axis, such that when the at least three fastening elements are mechanically connected to the at least three fastening points on the floor structure of the aircraft so that the first fastening element is mechanically connected to the corresponding first fastening point of the at least three fastening points on the floor structure of the aircraft, and the floor structure moves the first fastening point of the at least three fastening points along the first transverse axis axis, force is not transferred to the adapter plate along the first transverse axis by the first fastening element of the at least three fastening elements, and
fixed along a first vertical axis,
wherein the first vertical axis is perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis and perpendicular to the first transverse axis,

wherein the second fastening element is:
fixed along the first longitudinal axis,
fixed along the second transverse axis, and
fixed along a second vertical axis parallel to the first vertical axis,

wherein the third fastening element is:
fixed along the second longitudinal axis,
displaceable in both directions along the second transverse axis, such that when the at least three fastening elements are mechanically connected to the at least three fastening points on the floor structure of the aircraft so that the third fastening element is mechanically connected to a corresponding third fastening point of the at least three fastening points on the floor structure of the aircraft, and the floor structure moves the third fastening point of the at least three fastening points along the second transverse axis, force is not transferred to the adapter plate along the second transverse axis by the third fastening element of the at least three fastening elements, and
fixed along a third vertical axis parallel to the first vertical axis.

2. The floor connection assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein when the floor connection assembly is mechanically connected to the floor structure of the aircraft, each fastening element of the at least three fastening elements has a substantially torque-free mechanical connection to the adapter plate, such that when the floor structure rotates a fastening element of the at least three fastening elements, torque is not transferred to the adapter plate by the fastening element of the at least three fastening elements.

3. The floor connection assembly according to claim 2 ,
wherein the at least three fastening elements is three fastening elements,
wherein the first fastening element is:
displaceable in both directions along the first longitudinal axis via the mechanical connection of the adapter plate to the first fastening element being displaceable in both directions along the first longitudinal axis, and
displaceable in both directions along the first transverse axis via the mechanical connection of the adapter plate to the first fastening element being displaceable in both directions along the first transverse axis, and

wherein the third fastening element is:
displaceable in both directions along the second transverse axis via the mechanical connection of the adapter plate to the second fastening element being displaceable in both directions along the second transverse axis.

4. The floor connection assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein when the floor connection assembly is mechanically connected to the floor structure of the aircraft, at least one mechanical connection from the adapter plate to a corresponding at least one fastening element of the at least three fastening elements has a corresponding at least one deformation region that makes displacement possible in a corresponding at least one direction by plastic deformation.

5. The floor connection assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein when the floor connection assembly is mechanically connected to the floor structure of the aircraft, at least one fastening element of the at least three fastening elements is mechanically connected to the adapter plate via one of the following:
a ball head bearing,
an elastomer bearing, and
a mount having a sliding fit.

6. The floor connection assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein when the floor connection assembly is mechanically connected to the floor structure of the aircraft, deflection of one or more fastening points of the at least three fastening points from one or more initial positions of a corresponding at least three initial positions by less than 200 mm does not cause significant deformation of the adapter plate.

7. The floor connection assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
the adapter plate comprises at lea

Assignees

• Lufthansa Technik Ag

Inventors

• Thomaschewski Oliver

Classifications

• B64D11/0696 Primary

  Means for fastening seats to floors, e.g. to floor rails · CPC title

• B64C1/20

  specially adapted for freight · CPC title

• Y02T50/46

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02T50/40

  Weight reduction · CPC title