Aircraft Seat Pan With Adjustable Second Portion for Wider Seating Surface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft seat pans in commercial aircraft are limited in width, compromising passenger comfort and accommodating larger passengers without reducing seating density or affecting lay-flat capability.
Innovation Solution
A seat pan design with a first portion and an adjustable second portion that forms a wider seating surface or allows the first portion to be inserted into a footwell, enabling increased comfort and accommodating larger passengers without decreasing seating density or affecting lay-flat capability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the seat pan width is increased to improve passenger comfort and accommodate larger passengers, then the seating comfort is improved, but the seat pan cannot be inserted into the footwell and lay-flat capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The seat pan is divided into a first portion and a second portion that can move relative to each other. The second portion can be positioned in different locations to either extend the seating surface width or allow the first portion to be inserted into the footwell, thus resolving the contradiction between width and lay-flat capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The second portion of the seat pan is made adjustable and movable between different positions. This dynamic configuration allows the seat pan to adapt between providing maximum width for comfort and enabling insertion into the footwell for lay-flat function, eliminating the fixed-width limitation.
2Productivity
If seating density is increased by reducing seat dimensions or spacing to increase revenue, then the number of seats is increased, but passenger comfort is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable second portion allows the seat pan to provide a wider seating surface when needed, improving comfort without requiring a permanent increase in seat dimensions that would reduce seating density. The dynamic configuration enables the seat to optimize between comfort and density based on operational needs.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the seat pan is designed with limited width to maintain insertability into footwell, then lay-flat capability is maintained, but passenger comfort and ability to accommodate larger passengers is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the seat pan into two portions with the second portion being adjustable, the design allows the first portion to be inserted into the footwell while the second portion can extend outward to provide additional width. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by separating the insertion function from the width-providing function.
Solution Approach 2:
The second portion of the seat pan is positioned in a different spatial configuration - it can extend laterally beyond the first portion to provide width, or be repositioned to allow insertion. This dimensional flexibility resolves the contradiction between width and insertability.
Data Source
AI summary
An example seat pan for an aircraft includes a first portion having a first end and a second portion that is adjacent to the first portion and is adjustable to be in a first position in which the second portion forms a seating surface together with the first portion, the seating surface having a width that is wider than a width of the first end of the first portion. The second portion is adjustable to alternatively be in a second position in which the first end of the first portion extends beyond the second portion to be insertable into a footwell.