Aircraft seat assembly having a quick change preloading track lock assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9663232-B1
Application number	US-201615130073-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 15, 2016
Priority date	Apr 15, 2016
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

An aircraft seat assembly includes a foot assembly, a seat, and a track lock assembly. The foot assembly is received within a track assembly disposed on an aircraft floor. The seat is connected to the foot assembly. The track lock assembly moves between a lock position and an unlock position. The track lock assembly includes a clamping shaft having a base member and a shaft. The base member is received within the track assembly. The shaft extends from the base member and extends through the foot assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft seat assembly, comprising:
a foot assembly received within a track assembly disposed on an aircraft floor;
a seat connected to the foot assembly; and
a track lock assembly movable between a lock position that inhibits movement of the seat relative to the track assembly and an unlock position that permits movement of the seat relative to the track assembly, including:
a clamping shaft having a base member that is received within the track assembly and a shaft that extends from the base member and through the foot assembly,
a locking collar having a first collar portion and a second collar portion, the first collar portion having a counter bore and the second collar portion having a bore disposed concentric to the counter bore, wherein the shaft of the clamping shaft extends through the counter bore and the bore, and
a compression cap having a first cap portion defining a first bore and a second cap portion defining a second bore and a cap shoulder disposed between the first cap portion and the second cap portion.

2. The aircraft seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the track assembly includes a base disposed on the aircraft floor, a pair of opposing walls extending from the base, and a pair of lips extending from each wall of the pair of opposing walls towards each other.

3. The aircraft seat assembly of claim 2 , wherein the base member is configured to engage the lip of the track assembly while the track lock assembly is in the lock position.

4. The aircraft seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second collar portion includes a first stop tab and a second stop tab extending towards the track assembly, the first stop tab and the second stop tab disposed on opposite sides of the foot assembly.

5. The aircraft seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first collar portion is at least partially received within the first bore of the first cap portion.

6. The aircraft seat assembly of claim 5 , wherein the first bore of the first cap portion and the counter bore of the locking collar define a cavity.

7. The aircraft seat assembly of claim 6 , wherein the track lock assembly further includes:
a biasing member disposed within the cavity and engages an internal surface of the compression cap and a floor of the locking collar.

8. A track lock assembly, comprising:
a clamping shaft having a base member that is received within a track assembly coupled to an aircraft floor and a shaft that extends from the base member and through a foot assembly coupled to the track assembly;
a locking collar having a first collar portion having a counter bore and a second collar portion having a bore;
a compression cap having a first cap portion defining a first bore, a second cap portion defining a second bore, and a cap shoulder extending between the first cap portion and the second cap portion, the cap shoulder defining an opening, wherein the shaft of the clamping shaft extends through the bore, the counter bore, the first bore, the opening, and the second bore along an axis; and
a biasing member disposed between the compression cap and the locking collar, wherein the biasing member engages an internal surface of the compression cap and a floor of the locking collar.

9. The track lock assembly of claim 8 , wherein the first collar portion defines a rib extending about the first collar portion.

10. The track lock assembly of claim 9 , further comprising:
a latching lever connected to the compression cap, the latching lever defines a ledge extending about an interior surface of the latching lever.

11. The track lock assembly of claim 10 , wherein the clamping shaft, the locking collar, and compression cap are rotationally clocked together while permitting axial motion between the clamping shaft, the locking collar, and the compression cap.

12. The track lock assembly of claim 10 , wherein the latching lever, the compression cap, and the locking collar rotationally move the clamping shaft between a lock position and an unlock position, wherein the base member of the clamping shaft engages a lip of the track assembly when in the lock position and the base member of the clamping shaft does not engage the lip of the track assembly when in the unlock position.

13. The track lock assembly of claim 12 , further comprising:
at least one compression washer disposed about an end of the shaft of the clamping shaft that is received within the second bore, the compression washer disposed between a nut and a surface of the second cap portion.

14. The track lock assembly of claim 13 , wherein the latching lever is movable between a latched position and an unlatched position.

15. The track lock assembly of claim 14 , wherein a clamping load between the base member of the clamping shaft and the lip of the track assembly is applied by the compression washer when the clamping shaft is in the lock position and the latching lever is in the latched position.

16. The track lock assembly of claim 15 , wherein the ledge engages a surface of the rib when the clamping shaft is in the unlock position and the latching lever is in the latched position.

17. The track lock assembly of claim 15 , wherein the ledge engages a surface of the second collar portion when the clamping shaft is in the lock position and the latching lever is in the latched position.

Assignees

• Ami Ind Inc

Inventors

• Porter Ryan Stuart
• Ferguson Keith M

Classifications

• B64D11/0696 Primary

  Means for fastening seats to floors, e.g. to floor rails · CPC title

• B60N2/01566

  key rotating about a vertical axis · CPC title

• B60N2/01516

  with locking mechanisms · CPC title

• B61D33/0078

  adjustably mounted · CPC title