Joby Aviation has been granted a patent for dynamic stroking seats for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. The seats are equipped with ballast tanks that can be adjusted based on the weight of the user, ensuring optimal weight distribution for a safe and comfortable flight. GlobalData’s report on Joby Aviation gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Joby Aviation, photovoltaic drones was a key innovation area identified from patents. Joby Aviation's grant share as of June 2023 was 1%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Dynamic stroking seats for vtol aircraft
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11680618B2) describes an energy absorbing seat system that includes a seat frame, a ballast tank, and a controller. The ballast tank is designed to hold a fluid ballast, and the controller is responsible for determining the amount of fluid ballast to be added or removed from the tank based on the weight of the passenger assigned to the seat. The fluid level in the ballast tank is adjusted by a ballast fluid distribution system, which is connected to the tank and controlled by the controller.
The weight of the passenger can be received from either a user device or a central computing device. Additionally, the system includes a verification process to ensure the accuracy of the weight measurement. If the weight of the passenger changes, an updated weight can be received and the amount of fluid ballast in the tank can be adjusted accordingly.
The patent also describes an energy absorbing seat system that consists of multiple seats, each with its own ballast tank and controller. The ballast tanks are connected to a ballast reservoir through a ballast fluid distribution system. Similar to the previous system, the weight of each passenger is received and used to determine the amount of fluid ballast to be added or removed from the corresponding seat's ballast tank. The weight verification process and adjustment based on updated weight are also applicable to this system.
Furthermore, the patent extends the application of the energy absorbing seat system to a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. In this case, the aircraft includes multiple seats, each with a seat frame, a load cell, and a ballast tank. The load cell is used to measure the weight of the passenger assigned to each seat, and the ballast tank holds the fluid ballast. The controller performs actions similar to the previous systems, including verifying the weight, adjusting the amount of fluid ballast, and transferring the fluid to or from the ballast reservoir.
Overall, this patent presents an energy absorbing seat system that can adjust the fluid ballast based on the weight of the passenger, ensuring optimal comfort and safety. The system can be applied to individual seats or multiple seats in various settings, including aircraft.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
