Aircraft Seat Diagonal Bed Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft seating designs face challenges in providing comfortable bed configurations on long-haul flights while minimizing space and weight, with existing solutions either compromising on comfort or increasing cabin occupancy density, particularly in first and business classes.
Innovation Solution
The seat design features a recessed configuration where the seat back folds forward and an extension surface deploys to create a bed, allowing passengers to lie diagonally, reducing the overall bed length while maintaining comfort and legroom, and can be manually or motorized for efficient reconfiguration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If seats are arranged in chevron or overlapping configuration to reduce space, then cabin occupancy density is improved, but passenger comfort and ease of operation deteriorate due to sloped bed angles and increased seat width
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from horizontal overlapping (chevron arrangement) to vertical stacking arrangement. Seats are stacked one above another in the vertical dimension, allowing passengers to lie horizontally in the vertical space rather than diagonally in horizontal space. This maintains full bed length (1.95m) while achieving high cabin occupancy density, resolving the contradiction between space efficiency and passenger comfort.
2Area of stationary object
If seats are arranged vertically overlapping to reduce width, then area occupied is reduced, but passenger comfort deteriorates due to sloped bed angles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the vertical dimension for seat stacking while maintaining horizontal bed surface for passenger comfort. The bed surface remains substantially horizontal by using the vertical space above/below adjacent seats, eliminating the sloped angle problem of traditional vertical overlapping while still reducing the horizontal footprint.
3Quantity of substance
If bunk bed arrangement is implemented to save space, then cabin occupancy density is improved, but device complexity increases and passenger comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs movable and adjustable seat components that can dynamically reconfigure between seat and bed modes. The seat back, base, and leg rest are independently adjustable to create a flat bed surface at optimal angles, providing adaptability while maintaining relatively simple mechanical structures compared to fixed bunk bed arrangements.
4Ease of operation
If seat components are moved in line to convert to bed configuration, then ease of operation is improved, but bed length is insufficient for full passenger stretch
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves full bed length (1.95m) by utilizing vertical stacking space. The bed extends in the vertical dimension by stacking seats one above another, allowing the full horizontal length to be available for passenger stretching while maintaining simple in-line conversion mechanics through adjustable seat components.
Data Source
AI summary
A seat (20) for a commercial aircraft capable of conversion to a sleeping configuration, comprises a seat back (26), a seat base (22) and a leg rest mounted within a seat shell, comprising side members (12, 14) and a back shell part (10) the rear surface of the back shell (10) defining a recess (34) for the head, and a moulding (32) defining a second recess for the feet of the passenger behind. The seat back (26) is foldable over the seat base (22) to form the main supporting surface (31) of the bed configuration. The second recess in the seat (20) requires the passenger to lie in a diagonal sleeping position, maximising the available bed length within a minimum seat pitch.