Aircraft Passenger Suite Bed with Merged Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Prior art long haul premium aircraft accommodations provide limited sleeping comfort and privacy due to narrow and short beds with exposed hard surfaces, restricting passenger movement and orientation, and inadequate privacy.
Innovation Solution
A premium class aircraft passenger suite with adjustable surfaces, including a second armrest assembly and bed extension, forming a large, continuous bed that occupies the entire living area, along with a privacy screen for enhanced privacy and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If only the seat is used to form the bed, then the device complexity is reduced, but the bed surface area is limited and sleeping comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple suite surfaces (seat back, seat bottom, ottoman, armrests, and bed extension) to form a unified bed structure. This merging of previously separate surfaces creates a large continuous sleeping area that covers substantially the entire floor space of the passenger living area, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and bed surface area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes multiple surfaces within the suite multi-functional. The seat back, seat bottom, ottoman, armrests, and bed extension can function independently as seating or storage elements, but when combined form a comprehensive bed system. This universality allows the same surfaces to serve multiple purposes, increasing bed surface area without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Device complexity
If the bed is formed only from the seat, then the device complexity is minimized, but sleeping comfort deteriorates due to exposed hard surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the seat surfaces with the ottoman and armrest surfaces to create a comprehensive bed covering. This combination ensures that all hard surfaces are connected and covered by bedding, eliminating exposed hard surfaces that would cause discomfort during sleep while maintaining a coordinated structural approach.
3Productivity
If the bed occupies only part of the floor space, then the suite density is improved, but sleeping comfort deteriorates due to restricted passenger movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic, adjustable surfaces that can transition between seating and bed configurations. The seat back, ottoman, and armrests can be positioned at different angles and heights to optimize both suite density during daytime and sleeping comfort during nighttime, allowing the system to adapt to different operational requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the spatial parameters of the suite surfaces by adjusting the seat back angle, ottoman position, and armrest height. These parameter changes enable the same physical surfaces to provide adequate movement space for sleeping comfort while maintaining efficient suite density through optimized geometric arrangements.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If privacy screening is added to enhance sleeping comfort, then passenger privacy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a privacy screen that functions as a flexible partition within the suite. This thin film or panel structure provides effective privacy screening without adding substantial structural complexity, as it can be integrated into the existing suite framework and does not require heavy support infrastructure.
Data Source
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AI summary
An aircraft passenger suite (10) including a seat (12) configured for movement between an upright position and a horizontal bed position, an ottoman (18) positioned apart from the passenger seat, and at least one armrest assembly (20) configured for vertical movement, wherein the seat, ottoman and at least one armrest reside in horizontal alignment to form a bed in the horizontal bed position.