Aircraft Seat Cushion

Aircraft crew seat cushions, such as used in ejection seats, must fulfill design requirements of light weight, flame resistance, minimum volume and impact absorption. Fulfilling these design requirements has previously resulted in seat cushions which are not comfortable. Specific problems with presently used cushions are pressure points under the buttocks and thighs, lack of conformance to a wide range of body sizes, no means of air circulation to remove heat and perspiration build-up between crewman and cushion. A cushion design is needed which results in the required comfort for an occupant sitting on the cushion for many hours without sacrificing the desired design requirements mentioned above.

According to this invention, an aircraft crew seat cushion is provided with a cover layer which will absorb perspiration from the body. A ventilation path is provided to prevent build-up of body heat. The cushion has an upper layer, which provides weight distribution to prevent pressure points and circulation blockage. The upper layer is secured to a shock absorbent layer. The cover layer and sides and bottom layer of the cushion are made of a flame resistant material.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an aircraft crew seat cushion according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view, partially cut away, of the seat cushion of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cut away view of the seat cushion of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a schematic isometric view showing the seat cushion of FIGS. 1-3 as it is used in an aircraft crew seat.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 1-3 of the drawing which show an aircraft crew seat cushion 10 having a close cell plastic foam shock absorbant layer 12 with compression characteristics selected to prevent bottoming of the occupant's skeletal structure on the hard supporting seat structure.

An upper layer 14 is cemented to the layer 12. The layer 14 is a Visco-Elastic Plastic Foam which provides an elastic flow, which acts like a liquid, that is it is firm under impact and softens with gradual load application. The slow static compression and restoration characteristics enables the material to exactly conform to body contours without the material applying a discomforting spring-back load to the occupant's skeletal protrusions. This material thermally isolates the occupant from high or low temperature materials in surrounding structure.

A ventilation layer 16 with high porosity and low backpressure to provide air flow properties is positioned over the layer 14.

The outer cover 18 has bottom and sides 19 and 20 made of flame resistant material. The top 22, of the cover, is made of a flame resistant material with good moisture absorbant properties and high porosity to provide good air flow characteristics.

The cushion 10 is used with an aircraft seat 24, as shown in FIG. 4.

Examples of materials which may be used to provide the desired characteristics for the cushion are foam, vinyl-nitrile, Ensolite Type M for the layer 12. This material can be purchased from Uniroyal Corporation. The layer 14 may be made of Temperfoam TF-47D or Temperfoam T-41 which can be purchased from Edmont-Wilson Division of Beckton-Dickinson Company. The ventilation layer 16 may be Space Fabric #6007-1-1-54 which can be purchased from Uniroyal Corporation. The top layer 22 of the cover may be Moisture Absorbent Upholstery-Langenthal Honeycomb fabric #2040 with 94% wool and 6% rayon, which can be purchased from INTERCEL Corporation. The sides and bottom of the cushion cover may be made of any flame resistant fabric, such as Nomex upholstery polyamide materials. Cements which may be used to join the layers 12 and 14 are Z-8082 or Y-8118 cement which can be purchased from the Swift Chemical Company.

Materials other than those described, which have the desired properties can be used.

There is thus provided a cushion for use in a crewman's seat in an aircraft which provides the required comfort for occupants and which are light weight, flame resistant, low volume and have high impact absorption properties.