Aircraft Seating Shared Entrance Way Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft passenger seating arrangements with convertible seat units face challenges in balancing packing efficiency and passenger privacy, particularly in herringbone configurations where passengers must 'step-over' neighboring seats to access non-adjacent seats, compromising privacy and personal space.
Innovation Solution
A seating arrangement featuring pairs of seat units with inwardly and outwardly facing seats angled at 47.31 degrees, separated by a shared entrance way and inter-pair privacy screens that can be lowered for interaction, allowing obstacle-free access to both seats while maintaining privacy through selective screening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If seat units are arranged in herringbone configuration with alternating directions, then packing efficiency is improved, but passengers must step-over neighboring seats to access non-adjacent seats, compromising privacy and personal space
Solution Approach 1:
The seating arrangement is segmented into pairs of seat units (first and second seat units) that face the same direction, rather than having all seats alternate directions. This segmentation allows non-aisle seats in each pair to share a common access path, eliminating the need to step over neighboring seats while maintaining efficient space utilization through the herringbone configuration.
2Area of stationary object
If seat units are arranged with pairs facing opposite directions, then space efficiency across cabin width is improved, but passengers must step-over neighboring passenger space to access their seat, affecting privacy and personal space
Solution Approach 1:
Access paths to non-aisle seat units are merged into a shared entrance way located at the foot end of the seat units. Instead of providing separate access paths that require stepping over neighboring seats, the invention combines access to both seat units in a pair through a common entrance, thereby maintaining privacy and personal space while achieving space-efficient layout.
3Ease of operation
If window seat passenger accesses seat through traditional arrangement, then access path is provided, but passenger must step-over neighboring passenger space, compromising privacy
Solution Approach 1:
A shared entrance way acts as an intermediary access point for non-aisle seat units. Instead of requiring direct access that would necessitate stepping over neighboring seats, the shared entrance way provides an intermediate access location at the foot end of the seat units, allowing passengers to access their seats without encroaching on neighboring passengers' personal space.
Data Source
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AI summary
A passenger seating arrangement comprises a column of seat units, the column comprises a multiplicity of pairs of seat units, each pair of seat units comprising an inwardly-facing seat unit and an adjacent outwardly-facing seat unit. The inwardly-and outwardly-facing seat units are angled at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. Each seat unit is configurable between a seating configuration and a flat-bed configuration. The passenger seating arrangement further comprises a plurality of entrance ways, each entrance way being located between a neighbouring pair of seat units, and each entrance way being a shared entrance way to provide access from the aisle to two seat units, the two seat units being an inwardly-facing seat unit of one pair and the neighbouring outwardly-facing seat unit of the neighbouring pair.