Energy-absorbing link member and an aircraft seat fitted with such a member

An energy-absorbing link member specially designed for an aircraft seat, more particularly for the back thereof, to be interposed between two structural elements of the seat,

• the member comprising an outer sleeve terminated by at a first end by fastening means suitable for being rigidly associated with a first structural element;
• an inner sleeve terminated at an opposite, second end by a rod suitable for being rigidly associated with a second structural element;
• the two sleeves being fitted one in the other so that one is capable of sliding axially relative to the other in the event of the member being subjected to a force exceeding a certain threshold;
• the two sleeves being provided with facing holes on a transverse axis;
• a first pin constituting a fuse relative to the trigger threshold being mounted transversely through the holes and being held in position by a locking member such as a spring clip;
• a second pin being mounted transversely relative to the two sleeves in such a manner as to pass through them, to be carried by and to have at least one end projecting from the inner sleeve which is provided with at least one transverse-axis hole while being placed within the outer sleeve which includes a complementary housing in its inside face, the second pin having the primary function, while the two sleeves are sliding axially apart due to the trigger threshold being exceeded, of deforming the outer sleeve whose inside dimension is smaller than the corresponding dimension of the second pin so as to absorb energy, and having a second function of constituting an end-of-stroke stop by co-operating with an internal projection formed on the inside face of the outer sleeve.