Aircraft armrest rail roller linkage apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016332732-A1
Application number	US-201615148531-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 6, 2016
Priority date	May 11, 2015
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An aircraft armrest may incorporate a rail roller linkage. The roller linkage may include an armrest plate, a rail attached to an aircraft seat assembly, a top roller link, and a bottom roller link. The top roller link may have a threaded upper adjustment cylinder, a pivot joint, and a pair of grooved rollers diagonally disposed on either side of the pivot. The bottom roller link may have an unthreaded lower adjustment cylinder, a pivot joint, and a pair of grooved rollers diagonally disposed on either side of the pivot. The grooved rollers may mesh with the rail. The roller linkage may include a roller adjustment screw, having a threaded portion, and extending through both of the adjustment cylinders. A compression spring may bias the roller link around the rail and may be disposed between the top roller link and the bottom roller link and surrounding the roller adjustment screw.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An aircraft armrest rail roller linkage apparatus comprising a plurality of rollers meshing with a rail and attached to a pair of links for providing smooth uninterrupted movement of the aircraft armrest rail roller linkage about the rail, wherein the pair of links are pivotally connected to each other, wherein a single adjustment screw is disposed between the pair of links for adjusting the pressure exerted by the rollers on the rail, and wherein a compression spring is disposed around the single adjustment screw and between the pair of links for providing pre-tension on the single adjustment screw and for holding the plurality of rollers in position about the rail as the plurality of rollers wear over time.

2 . The aircraft armrest rail roller linkage of claim 1 wherein the aircraft armrest rail roller linkage does not show any measurable looseness or failure after 1000 up-down cycles.

4 . The aircraft armrest rail roller linkage of claim 1 wherein the aircraft armrest rail roller linkage may be fully adjusted to an optimum pressure in less than three minutes by an aircraft technician.

5 . An aircraft armrest rail roller linkage apparatus comprising:
a rail attached to an aircraft seat; a pair of links, pivotally linked to each other by a single scissor hinge; a plurality of rollers attached to the pair of links and disposed on either side of the rail; a single adjustment screw spaced apart from the scissor hinge and disposed between each one of the links, for adjusting the pressure exerted by the plurality of rollers on the rail; and a compression spring positioned around the single adjustment screw for maintaining constant positive grip on the rail by all of the plurality of rollers.

6 . The aircraft armrest rail roller linkage of claim 5 wherein the pair of links comprises an top roller link and a bottom roller link, wherein an upper adjustment cylinder is disposed in the top roller link, wherein a lower adjustment cylinder is disposed on the bottom rollerlink, and wherein the adjustment screw passes through the upper adjustment cylinder and through the lower adjustment cylinder.

7 . The aircraft rail roller linkage of claim 6 wherein the adjustment screw has an outwardly treaded portion, the upper adjustment cylinder has an inwardly threaded portion, and the outwardly threaded portion of the upper adjustment screw meshes with the inwardly threaded portion of the upper adjustment cylinder.

8 . The aircraft roller linkage of claim 6 wherein the top link and the bottom link are attached to an armrest plate and wherein the armrest plate is attached to an armrest.

9 . The aircraft linkage of claim 5 wherein each one of the plurality of rollers comprises grooves.

10 . The aircraft linkage of claim 6 further comprising a retainer ring attached to the adjustment screw at an end of the adjustment screw which exits the bottom link.

11 . The aircraft armrest rail roller linkage of claim 5 wherein the aircraft armrest rail roller linkage does not show any measurable looseness or failure after 1000 up-down cycles.

12 . The aircraft armrest rail roller linkage of claim 5 wherein the aircraft armrest rail roller linkage may be fully adjusted to an optimum pressure in less than three minutes by an aircraft technician.

13 . An aircraft armrest rail roller linkage apparatus comprising:
(a) an armrest plate for attaching to an armrest assembly; (b) a rail attached to an aircraft seat assembly; (c) a top roller link, attached to the armrest plate, having an upper adjustment cylinder that is threaded and also having a pivot joint and a pair of grooved rollers diagonally disposed on either side of the pivot, the grooves meshing with the rail; (d) a bottom roller link attached to the armrest plate, having a lower adjustment cylinder that is unthreaded and also having a pivot joint and a pair of grooved rollers diagonally disposed on either side of the pivot, the grooves meshing with the rail; (e) a roller adjustment screw, having a threaded portion, and extending through both the upper and the lower adjustment cylinders, the threaded portion of the roller adjustment screw meshing with the threaded portion of the upper adjustment cylinder; (f) a compression spring, biasing the top and bottom roller links around the rail, disposed between the top roller link and the bottom roller link and surrounding the roller adjustment screw; and (f) wherein the respective pivot joints of the top roller link and the bottom roller link are positioned on opposite sides of the rail.

14 . The aircraft armrest rail roller linkage of claim 13 wherein the aircraft armrest rail roller linkage does not show any measurable looseness or failure after 1000 up-down cycles.

15 . The aircraft armrest rail roller linkage of claim 13 wherein the aircraft armrest rail roller linkage may be fully adjusted to an optimum pressure in less than three minutes by an aircraft technician.

Assignees

• Be Aerospace Inc

Inventors

• Sagare Rahul R
• Hames Sean

Classifications

• B64D11/0644 Primary

  Adjustable arm rests · CPC title

• A47C7/54

  Supports for the arms · CPC title

• B60N2/77

  Height adjustment · CPC title