Aircraft seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020148366-A1
Application number	US-201916660192-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 22, 2019
Priority date	Nov 13, 2018
Publication date	May 14, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A seat base includes a plurality of linear actuators each having a first end pivotally mounted to a base member and a second end pivotally mounted to a seat member. A controller is adapted for controlling an extension length of each of the plurality of linear actuators in a coordinated manner for adjusting a position of the seat member with six degrees-of-freedom and for damping vibration of the seat member. An active vibration mitigation method for reducing vibrations of an aircraft seat includes receiving vibration data from one or more accelerometers mounted to the aircraft seat and determining a vibration profile based on the vibration data. When vibration mitigation is warranted, control signals for damping vibration are determined and transmitted to a plurality of linear actuators adapted to support the aircraft seat.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A seat base, comprising:
a plurality of linear actuators, each one of the plurality of linear actuators having a first end pivotally mounted to a base member and a second end, opposite the first end, pivotally mounted to a seat member; a controller adapted for controlling an extension length of each of the plurality of linear actuators for adjusting a position of the seat member.

2 . The seat base of claim 1 , further comprising one or more accelerometers mounted to a portion of the seat member for providing acceleration data to the controller.

3 . The seat base of claim 1 , wherein each one of the plurality of linear actuators is pivotally mounted to the base member via a first pivoting clevis at the first end and to the seat member via a second pivoting clevis at the second end.

4 . The seat base of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of linear actuators include three pairs of linear actuators arranged to articulate the seat member in six degrees-of-freedom (DOF).

5 . The seat base of claim 1 , wherein the controller is adapted to determine a vibration profile of the seat member based on the acceleration data and to determine control signals for transmitting to each of the plurality of linear actuators for damping vibration of the seat member.

6 . The seat base of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface for enabling a user to provide inputs to the controller for simultaneously controlling the plurality of linear actuators to translate the seat member vertically, horizontally and longitudinally, to tilt the seat member about the pitch and roll axes of the aircraft, and to twist the seat member about the yaw axis of the aircraft.

7 . The seat base of claim 1 , further comprising one or more accelerometers located at the center-of-gravity of the aircraft such that accelerometer data from the center-of-gravity of the aircraft is received by the controller for determining vibration and motion information of the aircraft.

8 . The seat base of claim 1 , further comprising a first accelerometer mounted to the base member and a second accelerometer mounted to the seat member such that the controller minimizes vibration of the seat member via a closed control loop.

9 . An active vibration mitigation method for reducing vibrations of an aircraft seat, comprising:
receiving vibration data from one or more accelerometers mounted to the aircraft seat; determining a vibration profile of the aircraft seat based on the vibration data; determining whether vibration mitigation is warranted; and when vibration mitigation is warranted, determining control signals for damping vibration and transmitting the control signals to a plurality of linear actuators adapted to support the aircraft seat.

10 . The active vibration mitigation method of claim 9 , wherein determining the vibration profile of the aircraft seat comprises filtering the vibration data and determining characteristics of the vibration data.

11 . The active vibration mitigation method of claim 9 , further comprising determining an expected vibration level based on an aircraft phase of flight for determining whether vibration mitigation is warranted.

12 . The active vibration mitigation method of claim 9 , further comprising determining expected aircraft motion based on command inputs from a pilot control device or autopilot servo and extending/retracting the plurality of linear actuators in a coordinated manner for counteracting the expected aircraft motion.

13 . The active vibration mitigation method of claim 9 , further comprising actively controlling vibration of the aircraft seat induced while taxiing, during landing, or from air turbulence during flight.

14 . The active vibration mitigation method of claim 9 , further comprising determining an aircraft acceleration profile based on a center-of-gravity accelerometer located at the center-of-gravity of the aircraft, and mitigating vibration of the aircraft seat via closed loop control by the controller by reducing a difference between the aircraft acceleration profile and the vibration profile of the aircraft seat.

15 . The active vibration mitigation method of claim 9 , further comprising providing height adjustability, inboard/outboard tracking and tilting, forward/aft tracking and tilting, and swiveling of the aircraft seat by coordinating extension/retraction of the plurality of linear actuators.

16 . The active vibration mitigation method of claim 9 , further comprising extending/retracting the plurality of linear actuators in a coordinated manner for adjusting position of the aircraft seat in six degrees-of-freedom based on inputs received from a user input device communicatively coupled with the controller.

17 . The active vibration mitigation method of claim 9 , further comprising extending/retracting the plurality of linear actuators in a coordinated manner for mitigating seat vibration based on the vibration profile.

18 . The active vibration mitigation method of claim 9 , further comprising further comprising providing a subtle vibration of the seat member by controlling the extension/retraction of the plurality of linear actuators for waking a user.

19 . A seat base, comprising:
a plurality of linear actuators each pivotally mounted by a first end to a base member and by a second end, opposite the first end, to a seat member to enable movement of the seat member; and a controller for controlling extension of the plurality of linear actuators in a coordinated fashion for controlling movement of the seat member.

20 . The seat base of claim 19 , wherein the controller is adapted to receive inputs from a user input device communicatively coupled with the controller for adjusting position of the aircraft seat with six degrees-of-freedom.

21 . The seat base of claim 19 , wherein the controller is adapted to receive pilot/autopilot inputs for determining expected motions of the aircraft and to provide commands to the plurality of linear actuators for counteracting aircraft motion at the seat member.

22 . The seat base of claim 19 , further comprising one or more accelerometers mounted to the seat member such that the controller receives data from the plurality of accelerometers and determines a vibration profile of the seat member for damping vibration of the seat member.

Assignees

• Textron Aviation Inc

Inventors

• Fagan Stephen Howard
• Warren Paul Stokholm
• Pearson Emily O'Kelley
• Kneuper Jeremy Joseph
• Kendrick Phillip

Classifications

• B64D11/06395 Primary

  characterised by the arrangement of electric motors for adjustment · CPC title

• B64D11/0619 Primary

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

• B64D11/064

  Adjustable inclination or position of seats · CPC title

• B64D11/0648

  Lower frame constructions · CPC title