System for the inertial unlocking of a seat back

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11352140-B2
Application number	US-201917048973-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2019
Priority date	Apr 19, 2018
Publication date	Jun 7, 2022
Grant date	Jun 7, 2022

Abstract

The invention mainly relates to a system for the inertial unlocking of a seat back, in particular of an aircraft seat, characterized in that it comprises:a structural element of the seat back, called a connecting rod,a support piece for the fixation to a structural element of said seat,the support piece comprising a flyweight movable in translation between:a locking position in which the flyweight faces a lip of the connecting rod so as to prevent the connecting rod from rotating relative to the support piece about the axis of rotation, andan unlocking position in which the flyweight is released from the lip of the connecting rod so as to allow the connecting rod to rotate relative to the support piece about the axis of rotation,the passage of the flyweight from the locking position to the unlocking position being able to be carried out under the action of a deceleration by the seat.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for inertial unlocking of a seat back of a seat, the system comprising:
a connecting rod of the seat back,
a support piece for fixation to the connecting rod of said seat back,
an axis of rotation of the connecting rod relative to the support piece,
the support piece comprising a flyweight movable in translation between:
a locking position in which the flyweight faces a lip of the connecting rod so as to prevent the connecting rod from rotating relative to the support piece about the axis of rotation, and
an unlocking position in which the flyweight is released from the lip of the connecting rod so as to allow the connecting rod to rotate relative to the support piece about the axis of rotation,
the passage of the flyweight from the locking position to the unlocking position being able to be carried out under an action of a deceleration by the seat.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein a return spring urges the flyweight into its locking position when the seat is not decelerating.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the return spring rests by one of its ends on a guide bearing and by the other of its ends on the flyweight.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the lip has a shape configured to push the flyweight towards its unlocking position when the connecting rod is moved from an extreme inclined position to a raised position.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises at least one fusible member configured to retain the seat back under its own weight during a deceleration phase.

6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the fusible member comprises a pin inserted inside coincident openings in the connecting rod and the support piece.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the flyweight is mounted at an end of a shaft inserted inside a guide bush.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the guide bush is inserted inside a blind cavity.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein, in the locking position, the flyweight rests on a bottom of the blind cavity.

10. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the guide bush comprises a shoulder for managing a depth of the unlocking position of the flyweight.

11. The system according to claim 7 , wherein a guide bearing is interposed radially between the shaft and an internal periphery of the guide bush.

12. An aircraft seat comprising a seating surface, at least one seat back, and a system for inertial unlocking of said seat back according to claim 1 .

13. The aircraft seat according to claim 12 , wherein the inertial unlocking system is mounted between the seat back and a structural element of the seat.

14. The aircraft seat according to claim 13 , wherein the structural element of the seat is a crosshead.

Assignees

• Safran Seats

Inventors

• Marais Jean-Charles
• Lefevre Olivier
• Guirimand Anne

Classifications

• B64D11/0619 Primary

  with energy absorbing means specially adapted for mitigating impact loads for passenger seats, e.g. at a crash · CPC title

• B60N2/433

  Safety locks for back-rests, e.g. with locking bars activated by inertia · CPC title

• B60N2/4221

  due to impact coming from the front · CPC title

• B64D25/04 Primary

  Seat modifications · CPC title

• B60N2/42709

  involving residual deformation or fracture of the structure · CPC title