Non-uniform tubes for aircraft furniture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12503237-B2
Application number	US-202118281149-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2021
Priority date	Mar 12, 2021
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

Described are non-uniform tubes (104) for a furniture unit for an aircraft. The non-uniform tubes can include a first end (108), a second end (110), a wall (112), and a tube central axis (118). The second end may be opposite from the first end, and the wall can extend from the first end to the second end. The wall can include an inner surface and an outer surface in which the inner surface defines a cavity (120) extending from the first end to the second end. The non-uniform tubes can include a first portion (124) between the first end and the second end. The cavity can include a cavity central axis (122), and, in the first portion (124), the cavity central axis (122) may be offset from the tube central axis (118).

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1 . A non-uniform tube for a furniture unit for an aircraft, the non-uniform tube comprising:
a first end; a second end opposite from the first end; and a wall extending from the first end to the second end, wherein the wall comprises an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface defines a cavity extending from the first end to the second end, wherein a distance from the first end to the second end is a length of the non-uniform tube, wherein the outer surface defines an outer dimension along the length of the non-uniform tube, and wherein the outer dimension is constant along the length of the non-uniform tube, wherein the cavity comprises a cavity central axis, wherein the non-uniform tube comprises a tube central axis, and wherein the non-uniform tube comprises a first portion between the first end and the second end, wherein, in the first portion, the cavity central axis is offset from the tube central axis, wherein:
a thickness of the wall in the first portion and in a crosswise direction comprises a first maximum thickness and a first minimum thickness;
the non-uniform tube comprises a second portion along the length of the non-uniform tube;
in the second portion and in the crosswise direction, a thickness of the wall is non-uniform about the tube central axis and comprises a second maximum thickness and a second minimum thickness; and
wherein the first maximum thickness of the first portion is different from the second maximum thickness of the second portion.

2 . The non-uniform tube of claim 1 , wherein, in the first portion, the cavity central axis is offset from and parallel to the tube central axis.

3 . The non-uniform tube of claim 1 , wherein the non-uniform tube comprises a second portion between the first end and the second end, and wherein, in the second portion, the central cavity axis is collinear with the tube central axis.

4 . The non-uniform tube of claim 1 , wherein a distance between the inner surface and the outer surface is a thickness of the wall, and wherein, in the first portion and in a crosswise direction, the thickness of the wall is non-uniform about the tube central axis.

5 . The non-uniform tube of claim 1 , wherein the non-uniform tube comprises a second portion between the first end and the second end, and wherein, in the second portion and in a crosswise direction, a thickness of the wall is non-uniform about the tube central axis.

6 . The non-uniform tube of claim 1 , wherein the non-uniform tube comprises a second portion between the first end and the second end, and wherein, in the second portion, the cavity central axis is offset from the tube central axis and offset from the central cavity axis of the first portion.

7 . The non-uniform tube of claim 1 , wherein the non-uniform tube is bent or non-linear between the first end and the second end.

8 . The non-uniform tube of claim 1 , wherein the non-uniform tube is linear between the first end and the second end.

9 . The non-uniform tube of claim 1 , wherein the non-uniform tube comprises a metal material.

10 . An aircraft furniture unit comprising the non-uniform tube of claim 1 .

11 . The aircraft furniture unit of claim 10 , wherein the aircraft furniture unit comprises a passenger seat.

12 . The aircraft furniture unit of claim 11 , wherein the non-uniform tube is a base frame tube of the passenger seat.

13 . A non-uniform tube for a furniture unit for an aircraft, the non-uniform tube comprising:
a first end; a second end, wherein a direction from the first end to the second end is a length of the non-uniform tube, and wherein a crosswise direction extends perpendicular to the length; and a tubular wall extending from the first end to the second end and having a constant outer dimension and defining a cavity extending from the first end to the second end, wherein the non-uniform tube comprises a tube central axis extending from the first end to the second end, wherein the non-uniform tube comprises a first portion along the length of the non-uniform tube and a second portion along the length of the non-uniform tube, and wherein, in the crosswise direction:
in the first portion, a thickness of the tubular wall is non-uniform about the tube central axis; and
a shape of the cavity in the first portion is different from a shape of the cavity in the second portion.

14 . The non-uniform tube of claim 7 , wherein the cavity comprises a cavity central axis, and wherein along the length of the non-uniform tube, at least a portion of the cavity central axis is not collinear with the tube central axis.

15 . A non-uniform tube for a furniture unit for an aircraft, the non-uniform tube comprising:
a first end; a second end opposite from the first end; and a wall extending from the first end to the second end, wherein the wall comprises an outer surface and a continuous inner surface, wherein the continuous inner surface defines a cavity extending from the first end to the second end, wherein the outer surface defines an outer dimension and the inner surface defines an inner dimension, wherein the inner dimension is not constant along a length of the non-uniform tube between the first end and the second end, wherein the outer dimension is constant along the length of the non-uniform tube between the first end and the second end, and wherein a central axis of the inner surface is not constant along the length of the non-uniform tube, wherein the non-uniform tube comprises a first portion at the first end, a second portion at the second end, and a third portion between the first portion and the second portion, wherein, in a crosswise direction: a shape and dimension of the cavity in the first portion is the same as a shape and dimension of the cavity in the second portion; and at least one of:
the shape of the cavity in the third portion is different from the shape of the cavity in the first and second portions, or
a cavity central axis of the cavity in the third portion is offset from the cavity central axis of the cavity in the first and second portions.

16 . The non-uniform tube of claim 15 , wherein the non-uniform tube comprises a first portion between the first end and the second end, and wherein, in the first portion and in a crosswise direction, the wall comprises a maximum thickness and a minimum thickness.

Assignees

• Safran Seats Usa Llc
• Safran Seats

Inventors

• Tranier Romain
• Stifter Christopher
• Verny Christian

Classifications

• B60N2/68

  Seat frames · CPC title

• B64D11/0648 Primary

  Lower frame constructions · CPC title