Convertible Passenger Seat Row With Linked Flat-Bed Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Passengers in economy class seats face discomfort during long haul flights due to the steep angle of reclined backrests, fixed seat pans, and lack of leg rests, making it difficult to assume a comfortable sleeping position.
Innovation Solution
A row of passenger seats convertible to a bed, featuring a frame assembly with movable backrest portions and seat pans that transition between seating and sleeping positions, guided by tracks and links, allowing the backrest to reside in the plane of the seat pan during sleeping, and equipped with a release mechanism for easy conversion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If economy class seats use fixed seat pans and steep backrest angles to maximize seating density, then seating capacity is improved, but sleeping comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The seat pan is made movable between a first position (for seating) and a second position (for sleeping) through a tracking mechanism. The backrest is divided into movable portions that can change orientation relative to the seat pan, transitioning from a steep recline angle to a horizontal plane when the seat pan moves forward. This dynamic transformation allows the same seat structure to serve both high-density seating and comfortable sleeping functions.
2Ease of operation
If premium class seats are configured with highly adjustable backrests and leg rests to enable comfortable sleeping, then sleeping comfort is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the functions of the seat pan and backrest into an integrated convertible unit. The backrest is divided into portions that are directly coupled to the seat pan through links, creating a unified mechanism where movement of the seat pan automatically positions the backrest. This merging eliminates the need for separate, complex adjustment mechanisms for the backrest and leg rest that would otherwise be required in premium seats.
Solution Approach 2:
The economy class seat is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a high-density seating unit and a comfortable sleeping unit. The same structural components (seat pan, backrest portions, links, guide tracks) perform dual functions: maintaining seating density in upright position and creating a flat bed surface when converted. This universality eliminates the need for separate premium class seating with complex adjustments.
3Ease of operation
If the backrest is made fully movable to enable bed conversion, then sleeping comfort is improved, but structural stability during seating deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The backrest is segmented into multiple portions: a first portion that remains relatively stable and provides upper support, and a second portion that is movable and forms the lower support. This segmentation allows the movable second portion to transition with the seat pan while the first portion maintains structural stability and provides continuous back support during both seating and sleeping modes.
Data Source
AI summary
A row of passenger seats convertible to a bed. The row includes a frame assembly supporting a plurality of laterally adjacent passenger seats. In embodiments, each seat includes a backrest having a first portion and a second portion movable relative to the first portion, a seat pan movable between a first position for seating and a second position for sleeping, and at least one link connecting the second portion of the backrest to the seat pan such that the second portion of the backrest tracks with the seat pan. In use, the second portion of the backrest resides in a plane of the backrest when the seat pan is in the first position, and resides in a plane of the seat pan when the seat pan is in the second position. In embodiments, the row provides a provision for sleeping in an economy class cabin of an airliner when occupancy permits seat row conversion.