US 12,145,731 B2
Aircraft seat base assembly
Paolo Ballocchi, Newcastle (GB); Damian Christie, Belfast (GB); Nigel McKibbin, Banbridge (GB); Andrew W. Blackwood, Belfast (GB); and Deepa Jose, Belfast (GB)
Assigned to B/E Aerospace, Inc., Winston-Salem, NC (US)
Filed by B/E Aerospace, Inc., Winston-Salem, NC (US)
Filed on Dec. 7, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/544,734.
Prior Publication US 2023/0174239 A1, Jun. 8, 2023
Int. Cl. B64D 11/06 (2006.01)
CPC B64D 11/0648 (2014.12) [B64D 11/0696 (2013.01); B64D 11/0649 (2014.12)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A base assembly for an aircraft seat, the base assembly comprising:
one or more leg sub-assemblies, each leg sub-assembly comprising:
a front leg including a first link connection portion;
a rear leg including a second link connection portion; and
a link beam configured to couple the front leg to a portion of the rear leg, wherein the link beam includes at least a first sidewall arranged on a first side surface of the link beam and a second sidewall arranged on a second side surface of the link beam, wherein the link beam includes a first through hole on a first end of the link beam, wherein the first through hole penetrates through the first sidewall and the second sidewall, wherein the link beam includes a second through hole on the second end of the link beam, wherein the second through hole penetrates through the first sidewall and the second sidewall, wherein the first end of the link beam couples to the first connection link portion of the front leg via the first through hole and a second end of the link beam couples to the second connection link portion of the rear leg via the second through hole,
at least one of the front leg or the rear leg at least partially formed of a hybrid composite structure, the link beam at least partially formed of the hybrid composite structure,
the hybrid composite structure formed of at least a first material and a second material, where the first material is different from the second material, the first material including a thermoplastic material configured to provide ductility for the base assembly to absorb energy applied by a passenger load, the second material including a composite material configured to provide strength for the base assembly,
the hybrid composite structure including one or more first portions formed of the thermoplastic material and one or more second portions formed of the composite material, where the composite material is over-molded over one or more sections of the thermoplastic material to form one or more belts of the composite material over the thermoplastic material to provide strength,
wherein the first sidewall and the second sidewall of the link beam are formed of the thermoplastic material, wherein the first connection link portion of the front leg and the second connection link portion of the rear leg are formed of the thermoplastic material, wherein the thermoplastic material of the first sidewall directly abuts the thermoplastic material of the first connection link of the front leg to provide strength at a first connection point, wherein the thermoplastic material of the second sidewall directly abuts the thermoplastic material of the second connection link of the rear leg to provide strength at a second connection point, wherein the one or more belts of the composite material are arranged a select distance away from the first connection link portion of the front leg and the second connection link portion of the rear leg to provide ductility at the first connection point and the second connection point.