Aircraft Seat Bed Conversion via Segmented Backrest and Side Cushion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft passenger seat designs do not provide a comfortable transition from an upright seated position to a horizontal bed position without requiring passengers to vacate the seat, and they often do not offer a wider horizontal bed position or allow egress without disturbing other passengers.
Innovation Solution
A passenger seat system that includes a moving seat and seat shell, allowing conversion from an upright to a bed position with a bed surface formed by the seat pan and bed extensions, where the seat pan can overlap with the backrest and include retractable portions to reduce length, and a side cushion that can form part of the bed surface, enabling passengers to remain seated during conversion and providing a wider bed area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the seat backrest is rotated to provide a bed position, then passenger comfort is improved, but the seat requires more space and may disturb adjacent passengers
Solution Approach 1:
The seat is divided into multiple independent components: the seat pan, backrest, and bed extensions. The backrest can be segmented into upper and lower portions that move independently. This segmentation allows the backrest to rotate into a bed position while the seat pan remains relatively stationary, reducing the space disturbance to adjacent passengers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces bed extensions that protrude laterally from the seat unit, utilizing the lateral dimension to create additional bed surface area. This allows the bed position to be achieved without requiring the entire seat assembly to occupy more longitudinal space, thereby minimizing disturbance to adjacent seats while maximizing passenger comfort.
2Ease of operation
If the seat is converted from upright to bed position, then passenger comfort is improved, but passengers must vacate the seat first
Solution Approach 1:
The seat mechanism is designed with preliminary positioning features that guide the backrest and bed extensions into their final bed position automatically during the rotation process. This preliminary arrangement of components allows the conversion to occur while the passenger remains seated, eliminating the need to vacate the seat and reducing the overall conversion time.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the seat pan is made retractable to reduce length, then space efficiency is improved, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retractable seat pan mechanism is merged with the backrest rotation mechanism. Both functions share common structural elements and actuation systems, allowing the seat pan to retract and the backrest to rotate as an integrated unit. This merging reduces the overall mechanical complexity compared to having separate independent mechanisms for each function.
4Ease of operation
If passengers can egress without disturbing other passengers, then passenger convenience is improved, but the seat arrangement complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seat arrangement incorporates dynamic positioning capabilities where seats can be individually adjusted between upright and bed positions independently of adjacent seats. This dynamic adjustability allows passengers to egress from seats in bed position without disturbing neighboring passengers, as each seat's position is independently controllable. The complexity is managed through standardized control mechanisms that simplify the user interface.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention generally relates to passenger aircraft seats. The disclosure focuses on a seat unit arrangement (10) for a cabin and seat units that provide different comfort positions. In some embodiments, a side cushion (14) forms part of a bed surface when the seats are converted to a bed position. In some embodiments, a bed extension (30) is deployed from a stowed position to form a part of the bed surface. In some embodiments, a seat backrest (22) does not form part of the bed surface when the seat unit is in the bed position. In some embodiments, a lounge position is provided when the seat backrest rotates toward a side cushion. In such an embodiment, the passenger may be positioned toward the side cushion such that the passenger may comfortably rest their legs on the side cushion without converting the seat to a bed position.