US 12,258,130 B2
Auxetic energy absorbing passenger safety assemblies
Jose Madrigal, Chihuahua (MX); and Mario Herrera, Chihuahua (MX)
Assigned to Safran Seats USA LLC, Gainesville, TX (US)
Appl. No. 17/632,234
Filed by Safran Seats USA LLC, Gainesville, TX (US)
PCT Filed Aug. 29, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/048791
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 1, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/040716, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 4, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0267009 A1, Aug. 25, 2022
Int. Cl. B60N 2/42 (2006.01); B60N 2/427 (2006.01); B64D 11/06 (2006.01)
CPC B64D 11/0619 (2014.12) [B60N 2/42 (2013.01); B60N 2/4221 (2013.01); B60N 2/42745 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A passenger seat, comprising:
a seat bottom; and
a seat back connected to the seat bottom, wherein a forward side of the seat back and the seat bottom define a seating surface for supporting passenger, the seat back comprising a seat back shroud on an aft side of the seat back and enclosing the aft side of the seat back, and a tray table supported on the seat back shroud, the tray table movable between a stowed position and a deployed position; and
an energy absorbing element on the aft side of the seat back and positioned within the seat back shroud or on an aft-facing surface of the seat back shroud, the energy absorbing element vertically above and vertically adjacent the tray table when the tray table is in the stowed position, the energy absorbing element comprising:
a crushable matrix comprising:
a plurality of cells having an auxetic cell geometry that are crushable in a direction of energy capture, wherein:
the crushable matrix comprises a three-dimensional grid comprising cavities defined by the auxetic cell geometry that extend in the direction of energy capture;
the auxetic cell geometry is expressed in a two-dimensional plane orthogonal to the direction of energy capture; and
a non-auxetic layer coupled to the crushable matrix.