Seating-system kits and methods of configuring seating systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10654573-B2
Application number	US-201715793496-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2017
Priority date	Oct 25, 2017
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

Provided is a seating-system kit for a vehicle that comprises floor beams, a primary pair of seat tracks, attached to the floor beams, and a first seat assembly, comprising a first seat support and a first plurality of seats, attached to the first seat support. The first seat support is attached to the primary pair of seat tracks and the floor beams support floor panels that define a floor surface. The vehicle has a virtual longitudinal plane, perpendicular to the floor surface, and a virtual longitudinal axis, parallel to the floor surface and lying in the virtual longitudinal plane. The seating-system kit comprises a secondary pair of seat tracks and a second seat assembly, comprising a second seat support and a second plurality of seats, attached to the second seat support, and wherein the second seat support is configured to be attached to the secondary pair of seat tracks.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seating-system kit for a vehicle that comprises floor beams and a primary pair of seat tracks, attached to the floor beams, the seating-system kit comprising:
a secondary pair of seat tracks;
a plurality of struts, comprising at least one of a first strut type or a second strut type and configured to provide a coupling interface between the secondary pair of seat tracks and the floor beams;
a doubler, configured to at least partially cover an opening in one of the floor beams; and
a spacer, configured to be positioned in the opening in the one of the floor beams; and
wherein:
at least a portion of the spacer is between the doubler and the second type strut when the second strut type and the doubler are attached to the one of the floor beams; and
the first strut type is geometrically different from the second strut type.

2. The seating-system kit according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first strut type comprises two first parallel side walls and a first face wall that connects the two first parallel side walls; and
the second strut type comprises:
two second parallel side walls;
a second face wall, connecting the two second parallel side walls; and
tabs, extending from opposite sides of the second face wall and perpendicular to the two second parallel side walls.

3. The seating-system kit according to claim 2 , wherein surfaces of the second face wall and of the tabs of the second strut type, facing in one direction, are coplanar.

4. The seating-system kit according to claim 2 , wherein:
the tabs of the second strut type are offset relative to each other along a longitudinal axis of the second strut type; and
the longitudinal axis is parallel to each of the two second parallel side walls and to the second face wall of the second strut type.

5. The seating-system kit according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the tabs of the second strut type is configured to overlap at least a portion of the opening in the one of the floor beams.

6. The seating-system kit according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of struts comprises struts of only the first strut type.

7. The seating-system kit according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of struts comprises struts of only the second strut type.

8. The seating-system kit according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of struts comprises struts of the first strut type and of the second strut type.

9. The seating-system kit according to claim 1 , wherein a wall, containing the opening in the one of the floor beams, and the spacer have equal thicknesses.

10. The seating-system kit according to claim 1 , wherein the spacer and at least a portion of the opening in the one of the floor beams have mutually complementary shapes.

11. The seating-system kit according to claim 1 , wherein the spacer has a shape, corresponding to a portion of a circle.

12. The seating-system kit according to claim 1 , wherein each of the secondary pair of seat tracks is formed of aluminum.

13. The seating-system kit according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of struts is formed of titanium.

14. The seating-system kit according to claim 1 , wherein:
one of the plurality of struts is configured to receive one of a plurality of first fasteners to attach the one of the plurality of struts to the secondary pair of seat tracks; and
the one of the plurality of struts is further configured to receive one of a plurality of second fasteners to attach the one of the plurality of struts to the one of the floor beams.

15. The seating-system kit according to claim 14 , further comprising the plurality of second fasteners and wherein the one of the plurality of second fasteners is configured to protrude through the one of the plurality of struts and the one of the floor beams and to attach the one of the plurality of struts to the one of the floor beams.

16. The seating-system kit according to claim 15 , wherein:
the one of the plurality of struts is the second strut type, comprising two second parallel side walls, a second face wall, connecting the two second parallel side walls, and tabs, extending from opposite sides of the second face wall and perpendicular to the two second parallel side walls; and
the one of the plurality of second fasteners is configured to protrude through the doubler, the one of the floor beams, and one of the second face wall or one of the tabs and to attach the doubler, the one of the floor beams, and the one of the second face wall or one of the tabs.

17. The seating-system kit according to claim 14 , further comprising the plurality of first fasteners, the one of the plurality of first fasteners is configured to protrude through the one of the secondary pair of seat tracks and the one of the plurality of struts and to attach the one of the secondary pair of seat tracks to the one of the plurality of struts.

18. The seating-system kit according to claim 17 , wherein:
the one of the plurality of struts is the second strut type, comprising two second parallel side walls, a second face wall, connecting the two second parallel side walls, and tabs, extending from opposite sides of the second face wall and perpendicular to the two second parallel side walls; and
the one of the plurality of first fasteners is configured to protrude through at least one of the two second parallel side walls.

19. The seating-system kit according to claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive to bond the doubler to the one of the floor beams.

20. A method of configuring a seating system of a vehicle that comprises floor beams, the seating system comprising a primary pair of seat tracks, attached to the floor beams and supporting a first seating assembly, the method comprising a step of:
attaching a secondary pair of seat tracks to the floor beams of the vehicle such that one of the secondary pair of seat tracks is positioned between seat tracks of the primary pair of seat tracks, and wherein:
the secondary pair of seat tracks is attached to the floor beams via:
a plurality of struts, comprising at least one strut of a first strut type or at least one strut of a second strut type and providing a coupling interface between the secondary pair of seat tracks and the floor beams;
a doubler, at least partially covering an opening in one of the floor beams; and
a spacer, positioned in the opening in the one of the floor beams such that at least a portion of the spacer is between the doubler and at least one strut of the second strut type, and

struts of the first strut type are geometrically different from struts of the second strut type.

21. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the step of attaching the secondary pair of seat tracks to the floor beams of the vehicle is performed such that only one of the secondary pair of seat tracks is positioned between the seat tracks of the primary pair of seat tracks.

22. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the step of attaching the secondary pair of seat tracks to the floor beams of the vehicle is performed such that only the one of the secondary pair of seat tracks is positioned between the seat tracks of the primary pair of seat tracks along its entire length.

23. The method according to claim 20 , further comprising:
prior to the step of attaching the secondary pair of seat tracks to the floor beams, detaching the first seat assembly from the primary pair of seat tracks; and
after the step of attaching the secondary pair of seat tracks to the floor beams

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Movsesian Sami
• Chen Jun

Classifications

• B64C1/20

  specially adapted for freight · CPC title

• B64D11/0696 Primary

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

• B60N2/015

  Attaching seats directly to vehicle chassis · CPC title

• B63B2029/043

  Seats; Arrangements thereof on vessels · CPC title

• B60N2/06

  slidable (B60N2/12 {, B60N2/2209} take precedence) · CPC title