US 4,911,381 AGranted

Energy-absorbing leg assembly for aircraft passenger seats

AssigneeSimula, Inc.

InventorsMark R. Cannon, Richard E. Zimmerman, James C. Warrick

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Abstract

A leg assembly with special floor attachment fittings for mounting passenger seats in transport aircraft is disclosed as being especially configured to absorb energy resulting from a survivable crash or other cause of sudden deceleration, for increased passenger safety. The leg assembly includes a special base member having improved load distribution characteristics and legs which are attached to the base member and the seat in a way which allows the seat and legs to move to a forwardly stroked position in the event of inertial loading in excess of the value required to operate an energy absorbing mechanism that is provided on the leg assembly. The special floor attachment fittings are configured to absorb forces applied in various directions to minimize fitting failures and the changes of the seat being torn loose from the floor.

Claims23

Dependent claims

An energy absorbing leg assembly for attaching an aircraft passenger seat to the floor of an aircraft to attenuate the forces affecting the passenger seat and its occupant in the event of a crash or other cause of sudden deceleration, said leg assembly comprising in combination:

(a) a base member to be attached to the floor of the aircraft, said base member having a triangular configuration defining a front end, a rear end and an apex elevated relative to the front and rear ends and disposed intermediate the front and rear ends, said base member being in a plane perpendicular to the floor of the aircraft when attached thereto;
(b) a front leg having a lower end pivotally connected to the front end of said base member for pivotal movement about an axis transverse to the plane of said base member from a normal substantially upright position to a forwardly stroked position;
(c) a rear leg having a lower end pivotally connected to the apex of said base member for pivotal movement about an axis transverse to the plane of said base member from a normal substantially upright position to a forwardly stroked position;
(d) means disposed on each of said front rear legs for pivotally attaching the aircraft passenger seat to permit movement of the aircraft passenger seat with said front and rear legs from the respective normal substantially upright positions to the respective forwardly stroked positions;
and
(e) energy absorber means for holding said front and rear legs and the aircraft passenger seat supported in the respective normal substantially upright positions, said energy absorber means responding to inertial loading above a predetermined magnitude with an attenuating force as said front and rear legs and the aircraft passenger seat move toward their respective forwardly stroked positions.

3 more elements

(a) a base member of substantially triangular shape defining a front end, a back end and an apex in elevated relationship to said front and back ends and disposed intermediate said front and back ends, said base member lying in a plane perpendicular to the floor of the aircraft when attached thereto;
(b) a front leg having a lower end attached to said front end for pivoting about an axis transverse to the plane of said base member in response to movement of said front leg between a normal generally upstanding position and a forwardly stroked position;
(c) first means disposed on an upper end of said front leg for pivotally attaching the passenger seat to accommodate pivotal movement about an axis transverse to the plane of said base member upon movement of said front leg from the upstanding position to the forwardly stroked position;
(d) a rear leg having a lower end attached to said apex for pivoting about an axis transverse to the plane of said base member in response to movement of said rear leg between a normal generally upstanding position and a forwardly stroked position;
(e) second means disposed on an upper end of said rear leg for pivotally attaching the passenger seat to accommodate pivotal movement about an axis transverse to the plane of said base member upon movement of said rear leg from the upstanding position to the forwardly stroked position;
and
(f) energy absorber means mounted between said apex and the upper end of said front leg for yieldably holding said front and rear legs and the passenger seat in the normal generally upstanding position and for responding to inertial loading above a predetermined magnitude with a force attenuating motion when said front and rear legs and the passenger seat are urged to their forwardly stroked positions.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.