SEATING SYSTEM FOR A PASSENGER AIRCRAFT AND METHOD

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a seating system for a passenger aircraft and a method for operating a seating system.

[0002] Passenger aircraft are typically chosen as the means of transport for long distances. Despite the high speeds typically experienced, passengers often spend several hours in the aircraft. Accordingly, there is a strong desire to spend this time in comfort. Airlines that offer a particularly comfortable travel experience are therefore typically preferred by passengers.

[0003] At the same time, however, it is necessary to keep flight costs low. This can be achieved, on the one hand, by having a large number of passengers, but this results in very little individual space per passenger on the aircraft. Another important cost driver is the weight of the aircraft. Accordingly, airlines strive to install particularly light and small seats on their aircraft in order to operate cost-efficiently. However, this often means that such seats are perceived as uncomfortable for extended periods of sitting. As a result, traveling on such a passenger aircraft, or sitting in such seats for extended periods, can be perceived as uncomfortable by the passengers.

[0004] It should be noted that the human body is not designed for prolonged sitting. Therefore, long flights can pose a significant health risk. For example, sitting in a largely unchanged position for extended periods can, at least temporarily, increase the risk of thrombosis. Furthermore, each passenger may have different sitting habits, with certain behaviors posing a greater health risk and / or being more uncomfortable than others in certain seats.

[0005] DE 10 2006 042 299 A1 describes a seat occupancy sensor in a seat cushion of a passenger aircraft seat element, which detects the seat occupancy status. This seat occupancy sensor can increase safety, for example, by allowing a faster check to determine whether a passenger is wearing their seat belt. However, it cannot increase travel comfort for individual passengers.

[0006] US 2015 / 351692 A1, DE 10 2014 223 629 A1, US 2004 / 122575 A1, and US 2017 / 283086 A1 also describe various seating systems. Document US 2015 / 351692 A1 provides a seating arrangement with a seat cushion, a backrest, and a headrest. To detect the seating position of an occupant, a plurality of sensors are operatively connected to the seat cushion and / or the backrest. A media device is provided. A controller is in electrical communication with the plurality of sensors and the media device and is configured to receive data from the plurality of sensors, compare the data to determine whether the occupant is sitting evenly, and operate the media device to inform the occupant of a seating position with uneven posture.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to improve travel comfort in a passenger aircraft.

[0008] This object is achieved according to the invention by the subject matter of the independent patent claims. Advantageous embodiments with expedient refinements of the invention are specified in the respective subclaims, wherein advantageous embodiments of one aspect are to be regarded as advantageous embodiments of the respective other aspects, and vice versa.

[0009] A first aspect of the disclosure relates to a seating system for a passenger aircraft according to claim 1.

[0010] A second aspect of the disclosure relates to a method for operating a seating system for a passenger aircraft according to claim 3.

[0011] In a further advantageous embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, it is provided that the storage device is designed to store the detected seat load, the determined seat posture, the course of the detected seat load and / or the course of the determined seat posture assigned to a passenger and / or a respective aircraft seat type.

[0012] Further advantages, features, and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment and from the drawings. The features and combinations of features mentioned above in the description, as well as the features and combinations of features mentioned below in the description of the figures and / or shown alone in the figures, can be used not only in the respective combinations specified, but also in other combinations or on their own, as long as they do not exceed the scope of the appended claims. FIGURE DESCRIPTION

[0013] Fig. 1 illustrates a schematic view of a seating system for a passenger aircraft. Fig. 2 illustrates in a schematic flow diagram the functionality of the seating system according to Fig. 1 . Fig. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of an aircraft seat. Fig. 4 shows in a schematic sectional view a cushion of the aircraft seat according to Fig. 3 .

[0014] Fig. 1 illustrates, in a schematic view, a seating system 10 for a passenger aircraft, which has an aircraft seat 12. The aircraft seat 12 can also be referred to as a seat 12 and comprises a back part 14, which can also be referred to as a backrest, a seat part 16, and respective armrests 18. The back part 14 integrates a headrest, which can also be considered part of the backrest here. The aircraft seat 12 is detachably attached to a floor of the passenger cabin of the passenger aircraft by means of a frame 20.

[0015] A passenger 22 is sitting on the aircraft seat 12 in a specific sitting position. In the present case, for example, the passenger 22 is shown leaning against the backrest and at least the elbow of one of his arms is supported on the illustrated armrest 18. The head of the passenger 22 is also leaning against the back part 14. In addition, the passenger 22 is sitting on the seat part 16, with a seat center of gravity far back towards the back part 14. However, the passenger 22 could also sit differently on the aircraft seat 12. For example, the passenger 22 could be leaning forward so that his back and head no longer touch the back part 14 and a seat center of gravity is shifted on the seat part 16 near an end facing away from the back part 14.

[0016] The seating system 10 comprises a sensor device 24, which is designed to detect a seating load on the aircraft seat 12 by the passenger 22 sitting thereon. The respective seating load results from a respective sitting posture and corresponds, for example, to a pressure load, broken down by area, on a back surface of the back part 14, a seat surface of the seat part 16, and a support surface of the respective armrests 18. In the present case, the sensor device 24 can therefore, for example, detect where the seat's center of gravity is on the seat part 16 and what force acts on the seat part 16. The same can be detected for the back part 14 and the respective armrests 18.

[0017] For this detection, the sensor device 26 has, for example, a plurality of spaced-apart sensors 26. The sensors 26 can, for example, be designed as flat textile sensors, which can detect the force acting on them through a change in capacitance or resistance. Such textile sensors can also themselves be designed to detect a force distribution acting on them in order to be able to determine the seat load particularly precisely. Optionally, for example, one sensor 26 can then be provided per seat part 16, back part 14, and armrest 18, and extend, for example, over substantially the entire seat surface, backrest surface, and support surface. This allows the seat load to be detected with particularly high resolution and precision. By - as shown here - several spaced-apart sensors 26 per seat surface, backrest surface, and support surface, the sensor device 24 can be particularly lightweight.Respective values ​​or loads between the sensors 26 can, for example, be averaged.

[0018] The sensors 26 can be supplied with power, for example, by an energy storage device, such as a battery, which is arranged in or on the aircraft seat 12. Alternatively or additionally, the respective sensors 26 can also be connected to an on-board power supply, for example a power supply for parts of an infotainment system of the passenger aircraft, and supplied with power via this. Alternatively, respective sensors 26 can be used that do not require power to generate a sensor signal. For example, piezo sensors can be used, which can generate an electrical voltage when subjected to pressure without a power source. Such a sensor device 24 can be particularly low-maintenance.

[0019] The sensors 26 are connected by respective lines to a central transmitting device 28, which, for example, comprises a transmitter 30 configured to transmit sensor signals using the Bluetooth Low Energy standard. The transmitting device 28 can convert the respective analog sensor signals into digital signals using an integrated A / D converter.

[0020] By means of the transmitting device 28, respective sensor signals and thus the detected seat load can be sent to an evaluation device 32, which in this case is designed as a smartphone 34 of the passenger 22. The smartphone 34 also includes a display device 36 in the form of a screen, a receiver 38 for receiving the sensor signals transmitted by the transmitting device 28, and a mass storage device (not shown).

[0021] The smartphone 34 or the evaluation device 32 is designed to determine a recommendation for changing the seating position of the passenger 22 based on the detected seat load. For this purpose, the smartphone 34 can, for example, run a program, which can also be referred to as an app, by means of which the sensor signals are evaluated using a tabular comparison to determine whether a change in the seating position is beneficial for the passenger 22 in terms of comfort or health effects. This can also determine which seating position the passenger 22 should advantageously change to.

[0022] The recommendation thus determined can be displayed on the display device 36 via the smartphone 34, for example in the form of a pictogram or an animation. This can guide the passenger 22 on how, when, and which sitting positions they should adopt during a flight in order to increase seating comfort and minimize the health risks associated with prolonged sitting. This can also help the passenger 22 improve their sitting behavior.

[0023] Using the detected seat load, the evaluation device 32 can also determine a current seating posture and display it to the passenger 22 on the display device 36. This can facilitate understanding of the seating behavior and, if necessary, better illustrate to the passenger 22 how their seating behavior should be during the flight.

[0024] The seating system 10 can also record a temporal progression of the seat load and / or sitting posture and store it, for example, in the mass storage of the smartphone 34. This allows temporal factors, such as the length of time the passenger 22 remains in a sitting position, to be taken into account when determining the recommendation. By storing the recorded data, the respective data can also be used for later, more comprehensive analyses and / or analyses accumulated for multiple passengers.

[0025] The aircraft seat 12 can also include a mechanism for adjusting individual parts. For example, the backrest 14 can be attached to the frame 20 by means of a joint 40 to allow the inclination of the backrest to be adjusted. Likewise, respective armrests 18 can be attached to the backrest 14 by means of a further joint 42. Respective cables for transmitting respective sensor data from the sensors 26 can be routed through these joints 40, 42, as shown, for example, at joint 42.

[0026] The sensor device 24 can be designed to detect the position of respective movable or adjustable parts of the aircraft seat 12. For example, the sensor device 24 can comprise a position sensor by means of which the positions of the respective joints 40, 42 are detected. The detected position of respective movable or adjustable parts of the aircraft seat 12 can be taken into account by the evaluation device 32 when detecting the seat load and / or determining the current sitting posture. This can improve accuracy. In addition, the recommendation to change the sitting posture can also be determined by the evaluation device 32 depending on the detected position of respective movable or adjustable parts of the aircraft seat 12. The recommendation can then also be a recommendation to adjust respective movable oradjustable parts of the aircraft seat 12 or, for example, only recommend adopting such sitting positions which do not require adjustment of these parts.

[0027] The smartphone 34 can optionally also be configured to send the respective recorded data and / or recommendations to a central server for storage there. This stored information is then available to the airline for further use and / or can be viewed centrally, for example, by the respective flight attendants in a cabin control system. This also allows seat occupancy to be recorded. The seating system 10 can also comprise a plurality of aircraft seats 12, each with associated sensor devices 24, wherein the respective data and / or recommendations of an individual passenger can be made accessible only to that passenger on their smartphone.

[0028] Fig. 2 illustrates in a schematic flow diagram 50 the functioning of the seating system 10 according to Fig. 1 Block 52 illustrates the transmission of recorded sensor data—i.e., signals which allow conclusions to be drawn about the seat load or which record this load—as electrical signals from the sensors to the A / D converter of the data transmission module or the transmitting device 28. Block 54 illustrates the conversion of these analog electrical signals into digital signals, and block 56 illustrates their transmission to the evaluation device 32, wherein the transmission preferably takes place wirelessly. The evaluation of the transmitted data is illustrated in block 58, wherein in this step, a recommendation for a change in the seating posture of the passenger 22 is determined by means of the evaluation device 32 based on the recorded seat load and, optionally, also its temporal progression, which is also referred to as the seating history.This recommendation may also include a type of prognosis, for example that the passenger 22 is recommended to change to another, in particular predetermined, position after remaining in a current seating position for a further predetermined period of time.

[0029] Block 60 then illustrates that the recommendation is issued to the passenger 22, for example in the form of an animation on the screen of his smartphone 34. Block 62 illustrates that respective issued recommendations and / or recorded seat loads and / or seat postures, in particular their temporal progression, are stored, for example on a central server and / or on the smartphone 34 of the respective passenger.

[0030] Fig. 3 shows in a schematic perspective view two of the Fig. 1 schematically illustrated aircraft seat 12 as a row of seats. It is clearly visible that the back part 14 has a back cushion 70 and the seat part 16 has a seat cushion 72. In the Fig. 3 In the aircraft seat 12 shown on the left, the seat cushion 72 is detached from the frame 20. Likewise, the back cushion 70 can also be detachably connected to another part of the frame 20.

[0031] The seat cushion normally rests on a seating area 74 of the frame 20, which can be seen in the aircraft seat 12 shown on the left. Respective sensors 26 can, for example, be arranged between the seat cushion 72 and the seating area 74 of the frame 20. For example, the seating area 74 can also be designed as a seat trampoline, which can preferably also provide a certain degree of damping through elasticity at least in some areas. In the area of ​​a seat trampoline, the frame 20 can therefore also have a textile surface instead of a plastic or aluminum plate. This allows a corresponding seat to be particularly light and space-saving. Advantageously, to further save weight, the textile area of ​​the seat trampoline can be formed by a textile sensor, so that the aircraft seat 12 of the seating system 10 is hardly or only slightly heavier than conventional seats.

[0032] Due to the detachable attachment of the respective cushions of the aircraft seat 12, the respective sensors 26 and thus the seating system 10 can be easily retrofitted to the existing interior and, in particular, seat equipment of the passenger aircraft. Maintenance is also simplified.

[0033] Fig. 4shows a schematic sectional view of an exemplary layer structure of the seat cushion 72 of the aircraft seat 12. The seat cushion 72 has a cover layer 80 and several foam layers 82 as the core. The foam layers 82 primarily provide seat cushioning, while the cover layer 80 encapsulates the core and protects it from environmental influences. Respective sensors 26 and their connecting cables to the transmitting device 28 can be arranged in a recess in the core and / or between the respective layers of the core of the seat cushion 72. This easily enables simple retrofitting and / or modification of existing seat cushion constructions. Alternatively, a flat sensor can also be provided as a respective additional layer between the foam layers 82 and / or the cover layer 80. Alternatively, the cover layer 80 itself can also be formed entirely or partially by a sensor 26.A textile sensor is particularly suitable for this purpose. In this case, the seat load can be measured particularly precisely, since individual cushioning layers cannot dampen, distribute, and / or otherwise distort pressure loads.

[0034] Aircraft seats 12 are among the most important comfort-relevant elements of any passenger aircraft because they are in direct contact with the passenger 22, and the passenger 22 spends most of their flight in the seat. Modern long-haul aircraft now allow non-stop flights of up to 18 hours, during which the passenger 22 spends most of their time in the seated position.

[0035] The seating system 10 enables the passenger 22 to receive feedback on their sitting behavior, particularly whether their sitting behavior is poor and / or unhealthy. The passenger 22 can be encouraged to sit more healthily, eliminating the need for the passenger 22 to laboriously monitor their sitting posture.

[0036] Due to constant cost pressure, airlines strive to continually reduce fuel consumption, with weight savings in aircraft being a decisive criterion for lowering fuel costs. In recent years, significant savings have been made in both weight and material on seats and seat foams. This has led to today's aircraft seats having a very thin layer of seat foam, placing greater strain on the spine and muscles of the passenger. An intelligent, self-monitoring seat posture monitoring system, such as that implemented by seat system 10, can relieve strain on the passenger's spine and muscles, promote greater well-being for the passenger, and create a lastingly better impression of the airline. Further material and weight savings may also be possible through adapted seating behavior.Respective recommendations of the seating system 10 can therefore be adapted to the specific design of the aircraft seat 12, which may be more comfortable and / or wear more slowly in certain seating positions than in others. The seating positions that are therefore advantageous can be preferred or exclusively recommended.

[0037] A lasting bond between passenger 22 and the airline can be achieved by showing passenger 22 their entire seating behavior during their recent flights in the airline app, providing tips and suggestions for strengthening their back muscles, and highlighting any improvements or deteriorations in their seating posture over time. This can also be easily achieved with the seating system 10, since the evaluation of seating behavior can already be carried out using passenger 22's smartphone 34.

[0038] Furthermore, the seating system 10 can be used to monitor seat occupancy. During turbulent flight phases, such as turbulence, takeoff, and / or landing, flight attendants can remotely detect, for example, via a special app and / or a cabin control system, if a seat is vacated despite instructions. In particular, when the seating system 10 is combined with the so-called "Smart Belt" from Aircraft Cabin Modification GmbH, reliable monitoring and tracking of a passenger's 22 seat belt fastening is possible throughout the entire flight. For this purpose, the respective data regarding when an aircraft seat 12 was occupied can be compared with the respective data regarding when a seat belt was fastened.

[0039] The seating system 10 can be installed and / or retrofitted in a modular manner for individual aircraft seats of a passenger aircraft. The seating system 10 can provide a seat information system that records an overview of the seating posture of individual passengers, can display this information graphically, and / or can display the seat occupancy to the respective flight attendants. The seating system 10 is therefore advantageous for health and safety reasons. It can reduce the health risks of long-haul flights and the workload for flight attendants, as well as increase safety on board.

[0040] For this purpose, a clear signal can be generated in the seating system 10, for example in the form of the electrical resistance of respective sensors 26, which allows conclusions to be drawn about the force transmission between the passenger 22 and respective surfaces of the aircraft seat 12, in particular its seat foam. From this, the seating system 10 can deduce whether the passenger has assumed a correct and / or healthy sitting posture. For this purpose, one or more sensors 26 can be provided, which function, for example, mechanically or as inductive proximity switches and are integrated in the seat foam. By measuring, for example, the electrical resistance in the sensor 26, it is then possible to determine, for example, at which point on the aircraft seat 12 the passenger 22 currently has his or her center of gravity. For example, the resistance is low in an unloaded area of ​​the seat foam, but high in a loaded area.The seating system 10 and in particular individual components can be coupled to an in-flight entertainment system, which is particularly integrated into the seat and can also be referred to as an infotainment system, for example, for data transmission and / or power supply. Parts of the in-flight entertainment system can also represent parts of the seating system 10; for example, respective screens can function as display devices 32. Alternatively or additionally, the seating system 10 and in particular individual components can also have an autonomous power supply, for example in the form of a button cell.

[0041] The seating system 10 or the evaluation device 32 is designed to determine how comfortable the passenger 22 feels in the aircraft seat 12 based on the detected seat load, the specific seating posture, the course of the detected seat load, and / or the course of the specific seating posture. This data can be used to further increase travel comfort. The data can be stored and individually assigned to the passenger 22 and / or the aircraft seat 12. This allows targeted improvements in the passenger's 22 comfort to be initiated, and respective seats can be optimized or further developed, or replaced with more comfortable seats.The comfort of passenger 22 on the aircraft seat 12 can be determined, for example, depending on how often passenger 22 moves, how much passenger 22 moves, how often and / or how long passenger 22 sleeps, and / or how often passenger 22 gets up. This data can also be stored for evaluation. LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0042] 10 Seating system 12 Aircraft seat 14 Backrest 16 Seat section 18 Armrest 20 Frame 22 Passenger 24 Sensor device 26 Sensor 28 Transmitter 30 Transmitter 32 Evaluation device 34 Smartphone 36 Display device 38 Receiver 40 Joint 42 Joint 50 Flow diagram 52 Block 54 Block 56 Block 58 Block 60 Block 62 Block 70 Back cushion 72 Seat cushion 74 Seating area 80 Top layer 82 Foam layers

Claims

1. A seating system (10) for a passenger aircraft, comprising - at least one aircraft seat (12) having at least one sensor device (24) which is configured to detect a seat load on the aircraft seat (12) by a passenger (22) sitting thereon, - a storage device which is configured to store the detected seat load, a determined sitting posture, a history of the detected seat load and / or a history of the determined sitting posture, and - an evaluation device (32) which is configured to ascertain how well the passenger (22) feels on the aircraft seat (12) depending on the detected seat load, the determined sitting posture, the history of the detected seat load and / or the history of the determined sitting posture, wherein the sense of well-being of the passenger (22) on the aircraft seat (12) is determined depending on how often the passenger (22) moves, how intensely the passenger (22) moves, in which way the passenger (22) moves, how often and / or how long the passenger (22) sleeps and / or how often the passenger (22) stands up.

2. A seating system (10) for a passenger aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the storing device is configured to store the detected seat load, the determined sitting posture, the history of the detected seat load and / or the history of the determined sitting posture in a manner assigned to an individual passenger and / or a respective aircraft seat type.

3. A method for operating a seating system (10) for a passenger aircraft, comprising at least the steps of: - detecting a seat load of an aircraft seat (12) in a passenger aircraft by a passenger (22) sitting thereon by means of a sensor device (24), - storing the detected seat load, a determined sitting posture, a history of the detected seat load and / or a history of the determined sitting posture, in particular in a manner assigned to an individual passenger and / or a respective aircraft seat type, and - ascertaining how well the passenger feels on the aircraft seat depending on the detected seat load, the determined sitting posture, the history of the detected seat load and / or the history of the determined sitting posture, wherein the sense of well-being of the passenger on the aircraft seat is determined depending on how often the passenger moves, how intensely the passenger moves, in which way the passenger moves, how often and / or how long the passenger sleeps and / or how often the passenger stands up.