Angled Aircraft Seat Modules for Full-Flat Cabin Layouts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft seat arrangements do not effectively utilize cabin space for enhanced comfort and variability, particularly in providing a long, flat lying surface for passengers.
Innovation Solution
An aircraft seat arrangement with modules angled away from the central aisle towards the cabin window, featuring identical housing units that delimit the seat area, allowing for a full-flat seat with a substantially flat lying surface and additional functional elements like consoles and tables, adjustable and fixed table elements, and monitor units, designed to be adaptable to different seat pitches without additional certification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If aircraft seat modules are arranged at a high angle (more than 30 degrees) away from the central aisle towards the window, then a long and flat lying surface is formed for enhanced passenger comfort, but the seat area delimitation becomes more complex requiring identical housing units to be positioned precisely
Solution Approach 1:
The seat arrangement is divided into multiple identical seat modules, each with standardized housing units. This segmentation allows the complex high-angle configuration to be replicated through simple modular units, reducing the overall design complexity while maintaining comfort benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
Identical housing units are used across all seat modules to delimit the seat area. These universal components serve multiple functions: structural support, area delimitation, and alignment reference, simplifying the overall system while enabling the angled configuration for comfort.
2Ease of manufacture
If identical housing units are used to delimit the seat area in angled seat modules, then manufacturing and assembly are simplified, but the space utilization in the cabin becomes more constrained
Solution Approach 1:
The housing units are positioned and oriented at high angles (more than 30 degrees) relative to the cabin floor and central aisle. This angular arrangement in three-dimensional space allows the standardized units to efficiently utilize cabin volume while maintaining manufacturing simplicity, rather than simply extending the footprint on the floor plane.
3Ease of operation
If the aircraft seat is mounted at an angle of more than 30 degrees to form a flat lying surface, then passenger comfort is enhanced, but the alignment precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The housing units are pre-configured with built-in alignment features and positioning mechanisms that ensure the correct angular orientation (more than 30 degrees) during assembly. This preliminary preparation of alignment data and mechanical guides reduces the precision requirements during final installation and maintenance.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an aircraft seat assembly comprising a first aircraft seat module (24) which delimits an aircraft seat region (26), said aircraft seat module (24) having an aircraft seat (34) which is designed to be installed at an angle ɑ of more than 30° in the aircraft cabin (12), to be aligned away from a central aisle (20) and towards a window (50) of an aircraft cabin (12), and to form an at least substantially flat lying surface (42), wherein the aircraft seat module (24) has at least one housing unit (52) which at least partly delimits the aircraft seat region (26); and at least one additional aircraft seat module (28) which is arranged directly adjacently to the first aircraft seat module (24) and delimits another aircraft seat region (30). The other aircraft seat module (28) likewise has a housing unit (60) which at least partly delimits the aircraft seat region (30), and the housing unit (60) of the other aircraft seat module (28) has substantially the same design as the housing unit (52) of the first aircraft seat module (24) and separates the aircraft seat region (26) of the first aircraft seat module (24) from the aircraft seat region (30) of the second aircraft seat module (28).