Aircraft Seating Access Opening Width Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Narrow-body aircraft seating arrangements with high herringbone angles and low pitches face challenges in providing adequate access width for disabled passengers, making it difficult to comply with disability access regulations, particularly in herringbone layouts where the access opening becomes too narrow.
Innovation Solution
A passenger seating arrangement with seat units that can be configured to widen the access opening from a narrow able-bodied width to a wider disabled-access width, allowing disabled passengers to access the seat units comfortably, while maintaining space efficiency and allowing all seat units to be identical and easily convertible between configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If herringbone seating arrangement with high angles and low pitches is used to efficiently use cabin space, then space utilization is improved, but the access opening width becomes too narrow for disabled passengers
Solution Approach 1:
The footrest is made movable rather than fixed, allowing it to be repositioned to widen the access opening. The footrest can be moved along the longitudinal axis of the seat unit, enabling dynamic adjustment of the access opening width between narrow (for able-bodied passengers) and wide (for disabled passengers) configurations, thus resolving the contradiction between space efficiency and accessibility
Solution Approach 2:
The physical parameter of the access opening width is changed by altering the position of the footrest. By moving the footrest from a forward position (narrow access) to a rearward position (wide access), the opening width parameter is dynamically adjusted to accommodate different passenger needs while maintaining the compact herringbone layout
2Ease of operation
If access opening is widened for disabled passengers, then accessibility is improved, but the space efficiency and compact arrangement are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The footrest's movable design allows the access opening width to be dynamically adjusted only when needed for disabled passenger access. During normal operation with able-bodied passengers, the footrest remains in its forward position maintaining narrow access and optimal space efficiency. When a disabled passenger needs access, the footrest is moved rearward to widen the opening, thus achieving accessibility without permanently compromising space efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The footrest position is periodically adjusted between forward (narrow access) and rearward (wide access) positions based on passenger needs. This periodic repositioning allows the system to alternate between space-efficient configuration and accessibility-enhanced configuration, resolving the contradiction between maintaining compact arrangement and providing wide access when required
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 1c
AI summary
A passenger seating arrangement (701) for use in an aircraft cabin, the passenger seating arrangement comprising a column of seat units (709) arranged in an inwardly facing herringbone. Each seat unit (709) is configurable between a seating configuration and a flatbed configuration. Each seat unit has an access opening (733) for accessing the respective seat unit (709). At least one of the seat units is configurable into a disabled-access configuration in which an access opening (733) is temporarily widened by moving part (725) of a foot-receiving structure, for enabling a disabled passenger to access the seat unit (709).