Aircraft bench comprising bucket seats individually mounted to tilt downwards and at the rear of the bench in the event of the aircraft being subjected to a high level of deceleration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9359080-B2
Application number	US-201514601533-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2015
Priority date	Jan 24, 2014
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

An aircraft bench comprising a support structure having hinged thereto one or more frameworks for mounting at least one bucket. The framework(s) is/are hinged at the front of the bench to a pair of longitudinally-extending bars of the support structure arranged spaced apart in vertical superposition. The framework(s) is/are carried in suspension by the support structure by being held against tilting individually downwards and at the rear of the bench by at least one energy absorber interposed between the support structure and a framework with which it is associated. Deformation of the energy absorber, as caused by the aircraft crashing and/or being subjected to a high level of deceleration, allows the frameworks to tilt individually downwards and at the rear of the bench in order to protect the passengers installed in the bucket(s).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft bench having a support structure with at least one framework hinged thereto for mounting at least one bucket, the at least one bucket comprising a seat with a back extending upwards therefrom and respectively defining a seat plane and a back plane forming a dihedral angle relative to each other, the bench having a rear and a bottom and being fitted with at least one energy absorber means that is deformable under as a result of the bench being subjected to forces that are greater than a predefined force threshold;
the support structure comprising longitudinally-extending bars and being provided with anchor members suitable for fastening the bench in position for use on board the aircraft on an installation plane extending substantially parallel to the seat plane; and
the framework comprising at least one upright-member for holding the back and at least one top transverse-member for holding the seat, the top transverse-member being engaged with the upright-member and being hinged to the support structure via one of the longitudinally-extending bars that extends in a high portion at a front of the support structure, and that is referred to as the “top” bar;
wherein:
another one of the longitudinally-extending bars of the support structure, referred to as a “bottom” bar, extends in a low portion at a front of the support structure below the seat plane, the bottom bar and the top bar being spaced apart substantially in vertical superposition;
the at least one upright-member includes an extension extending towards a base of the support structure below the seat plane from a hinged connection between the top transverse-member and the upright-member;
the framework includes at least one bottom transverse-member extending under the seat plane and being hinged to pivot firstly relative to the extension of the upright-member and secondly to the support structure via the bottom bar so that the assembly formed in a transverse plane by the top transverse-member, the extension of the upright-member, the bottom transverse-member, and the support structure as considered between the bars, is arranged as a deformable quadrilateral; and
the at least one energy absorber means being interposed via secure engagements with the support structure and the framework, so as to retain the framework against tilting downwards and at the rear of the bench, with deformation of the energy absorber means allowing the deformable quadrilateral to deform so as to cause the framework to tilt and consequently to cause the bucket to tilt downwards and at the rear of the bench, by the top transverse-member and the bottom transverse-member pivoting relative to the support structure and to the upright-member.

2. The aircraft bench according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one energy absorber means works in traction, with the at least one energy absorber means being interposed between the top bar and the bottom transverse-member, retaining the framework in suspension via the bottom transverse-member.

3. The aircraft bench according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one energy absorber means works in compression, and with the at least one energy absorber means being interposed between the bottom bar and the top transverse-member, retaining the framework by supporting it via the top transverse-member.

4. The aircraft bench according to claim 1 , wherein the bench is fitted with a plurality of frameworks that are arranged longitudinally side by side and that are individually supported in suspension by the support structure, the at least one energy absorber means comprising a plurality of energy absorber means and each of the plurality of frameworks carrying an individual bucket and each being retained against individually tilting by a respective one of the plurality of the energy absorber means allocated thereto.

5. The aircraft bench according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one framework comprises:
at least two upright-members securely connected to each other by at least one longitudinally-extending top-piece;
at least two top transverse-members jointly hinged on the top bar and individually engaging respective upright-members; and
at least two bottom transverse-members jointly hinged to the bottom bar and individually hinged to the bases of the extensions of respective upright-members.

6. The aircraft bench according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one energy absorbing means comprises one energy absorbing means and the at least one framework is fitted with the energy absorber means.

7. The aircraft bench according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one energy absorbing means comprises at least two energy absorbing means and the at least one framework is fitted with the at least two energy absorber means.

8. The aircraft bench according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one framework comprises:
the upright-member engaged with at least two the top transverse-members having respective hinges with the top bar that are longitudinally spaced apart from each other; and
the bottom transverse-member having first ties for taking up the forces to which it is subjected, the first ties connecting together the bottom transverse-member and the bottom bar to which bottom bar the first ties are each engaged at positions that are longitudinally spaced apart.

9. The aircraft bench according to claim 1 , wherein the anchor members comprise at least two underframes extending transversely and longitudinally connected together by the longitudinally-extending bars, each underframe having at least one front leg and at least one rear leg, each leg being fitted at its base with fastener means for fastening the bench in its in-use position.

10. The aircraft bench according to claim 9 , wherein for each of the underframes, the rear leg is fastened to a high end of the front leg and extends transversely between the front leg and the rear of the bench following a curve towards the bottom of the bench with the concave side of the curve facing towards the top of the bench in the in-use position.

11. The aircraft bench according to claim 9 , wherein the support structure is fitted with second ties for taking up the forces to which it is subjected, the second ties connecting together each of the longitudinally-extending bars and bases of the rear legs of each of the underframes.

12. The aircraft bench according to claim 1 , wherein the framework is provided with first means dedicated to adjusting the angle formed between the seat plane and the installation plane so as to adjust the height of the bucket, firstly by pivoting the framework about the hinge between the top transverse-member and the top bar and secondly by preventing the pivoting of the framework by first locking means when the framework is at a desired angle of inclination relative to the installation plane.

13. The aircraft bench according to claim 12 , wherein the first MEANS are for adjusting the extent to which the energy absorber means extend.

14. The aircraft bench according to claim 1 , wherein the framework is provided with second means dedicated to adjusting the dihedral angle formed between the seat plane and the back plane by relative pivoting between the upright-member and the top transverse-member, and then by blocking the relative pivoting by second locking means when the seat and the back are at a desired mutual orientation.

15. The aircraft bench according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one energy absorber means is interposed between the top bar and the bottom transverse-member, and the second means are for adjusting the extent to which the top transverse-member extends between th

Assignees

• Airbus Helicopters

Inventors

• Joffre Jean-Francois

Classifications

• B64D11/0619 Primary

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

• B64D11/0648

  Lower frame constructions · CPC title

• Y02T50/40

  Weight reduction · CPC title