Energy supply system for an electrical seat device in an aircraft or spacecraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9840330-B2
Application number	US-201514599882-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2015
Priority date	Jan 21, 2014
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

An energy supply system for an electrical seat device in an aircraft or spacecraft comprises a control unit connected to the seat device, an energy supply which is configured to supply the control unit with electrical energy and an energy storage device which is configured to store electrical energy in a rechargeable manner and which is coupled to the control unit such that said energy storage device can be charged by the energy supply and such that the charging and discharging of said energy storage device can be controlled by the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to use, as required, the electrical energy stored by the energy storage device to operate the seat device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An energy supply system for an electrical seat device in an aircraft or spacecraft, the energy supply system comprising:
a control unit connected to the seat device;
an energy supply which is configured to supply the control unit with electrical energy; and
an energy storage device which is configured to store electrical energy in a rechargeable manner and which is coupled to the control unit such that said energy storage device can be charged by the energy supply and such that the charging and discharging of said energy storage device can be controlled by the control unit;
wherein the control unit is configured to use, as required, the electrical energy stored by the energy storage device to operate the seat device;
wherein the seat device contains at least one consumer, the power consumption of which during operation is greater than the power consumption of the energy storage device;
wherein the at least one consumer is an actuator which is configured to adjust the seat device; and
wherein a threshold value for the minimum amount of energy stored in the energy storage device is provided in the control unit so that only the proportion of stored energy above this threshold value can be used for the operation of the seat device.

2. The energy supply system according to claim 1 , wherein the energy supply is configured such that electrical energy is transmitted in a contactless manner from the energy supply to the control unit.

3. The energy supply system according to claim 2 , wherein the electrical energy is transmitted inductively by coils between the energy supply and the control unit.

4. The energy supply system according to claim 1 , wherein the energy supply is connected to the control unit by a power cable.

5. The energy supply system according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one input unit which is connected to the control unit and is configured so that the adjustment of the seat device can be controlled by the input unit.

6. The energy supply system according to claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device comprises at least one of a battery, a capacitor and a supercapacitor.

7. An electrical seat device for an aircraft or spacecraft, comprising an energy supply system comprising:
a control unit connected to the seat device;
an energy supply which is configured to supply the control unit with electrical energy; and
an energy storage device which is configured to store electrical energy in a rechargeable manner and which is coupled to the control unit such that said energy storage device can be charged by the energy supply and such that the charging and discharging of said energy storage device can be controlled by the control unit;
wherein the control unit is configured to use, as required, the electrical energy stored by the energy storage device to operate the seat device;
wherein the seat device contains at least one consumer, the power consumption of which during operation is greater than the power consumption of the energy storage device;
wherein the at least one consumer is an actuator which is configured to adjust the seat device; and
wherein a threshold value for the minimum amount of energy stored in the energy storage device is provided in the control unit so that only the proportion of stored energy above this threshold value can be used for the operation of the seat device.

8. A method for supplying energy to an electrical seat device according to claim 7 of an aircraft or spacecraft, the method comprising:
supplying electrical energy to the seat device;
charging, in a controlled manner, a rechargeable energy storage device with electrical energy; and
discharging, in a controlled manner, said energy storage device to operate the seat device.

9. An aircraft or spacecraft comprising at least one electrical seat device, comprising an energy supply system comprising:
a control unit connected to the seat device;
an energy supply which is configured to supply the control unit with electrical energy; and
an energy storage device which is configured to store electrical energy in a rechargeable manner and which is coupled to the control unit such that said energy storage device can be charged by the energy supply and such that the charging and discharging of said energy storage device can be controlled by the control unit;
wherein the control unit is configured to use, as required, the electrical energy stored by the energy storage device to operate the seat device;
wherein the seat device contains at least one consumer, the power consumption of which during operation is greater than the power consumption of the energy storage device;
wherein the at least one consumer is an actuator which is configured to adjust the seat device; and
wherein a threshold value for the minimum amount of energy stored in the energy storage device is provided in the control unit so that only the proportion of stored energy above this threshold value can be used for the operation of the seat device.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Dueser Gerd

Classifications

• B64D11/06

  Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats (crew seat constructions for emergency purposes B64D25/04) · CPC title

• B64D11/0624 Primary

  Arrangements of electrical connectors, e.g. for earphone, internet or electric supply · CPC title

• B64D41/00

  Power installations for auxiliary purposes · CPC title

• H02J50/10

  using inductive coupling · CPC title

• H02J7/34

  Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other DC sources, e.g. providing buffering (H02J7/14 takes precedence) · CPC title