Aircraft Seat Bench Layout for Dense Cabin Lie-Flat Comfort
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft seats lack sufficient space and comfort, especially when seats are closely packed, and there is a need for improved passenger access to storage and lying surfaces.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a bench unit with a lying surface that forms a cavity for leg accommodation and storage, along with a flexible seating surface, and an inclined seating device installation to maximize space and comfort, including a partition wall for privacy and a pivotable lower leg support unit for adjustable seating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If seats are placed close together in a passenger cabin to increase seat density, then productivity is improved, but the space available for passengers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bench unit is arranged perpendicular to the seat unit longitudinal direction, utilizing the transverse dimension rather than the longitudinal dimension. This allows the bench unit to extend into the transverse space that would otherwise be unused, providing additional seating or storage functionality without increasing the longitudinal footprint of each seat position, thereby maintaining high seat density while improving passenger space utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The bench unit serves multiple functions: it can be used as a deposition surface for hand luggage and clothing, as a seating surface for children, or configured with cavities for leg accommodation. This multi-functionality allows a single structural element to provide multiple benefits, effectively increasing the usable space for passengers without requiring additional separate components that would reduce seat density.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a bench unit is added to provide additional functionality, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bench unit is integrated with the seat unit as a unified assembly, where the bench unit acts as an extension of the seat structure. This merging approach allows the bench unit to share structural support, mounting mechanisms, and overall design philosophy with the seat unit, reducing the need for completely separate structural systems and thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while still providing additional functionality.
3Ease of operation
If the bench unit surface is arranged in the same plane as the seat bottom unit to form a lying surface, then comfort is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The seating system is divided into separate modular components: the seat unit with its seat bottom unit and the bench unit as a distinct but integrated element. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured and adjusted independently, with the bench unit's position and orientation being adjustable relative to the seat unit. This modularity reduces the need for extremely tight manufacturing tolerances, as alignment can be achieved through adjustable mounting mechanisms rather than requiring perfect precision in the manufacturing of each individual part.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle seat, in particular an aircraft seat, has at least one seating device, which has at least one seat unit and at least one bench unit which is arranged at one side of the seat unit in a transverse direction oriented at least substantially perpendicular to a seat unit longitudinal direction and has a bench unit surface which forms a lying surface with at least one seat bottom unit of the seat unit in at least one seat position. The bench unit can have at least one cavity, which is provided in at least one seat position for accommodating the legs of a passenger sitting in a seating device arranged, in relation to the seat unit longitudinal direction, behind said seating device.