Deployable Backrest Frames Convert Economy Rows to Full-Flat Beds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Passengers in economy class seats face discomfort and inability to assume a comfortable sleeping position due to steep backrest angles, fixed seat pans, lack of leg rests, and close proximity to others, despite the high cost of premium class seats.
Innovation Solution
A seat row convertible to a bed with movable backrest frames that rotate to overlay seat pans, incorporating a reconfigurable diaphragm and a mattress that can be stowed and unfolded to create a horizontal sleeping surface, along with adjustable passenger restraints and fasteners for securement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If economy class seats use fixed backrest angles and integrated seat rows, then seating density is maximized, but passenger comfort for sleeping is severely limited
Solution Approach 1:
The backrest frame is made movable between a stowed position (providing steep backrest support for sitting) and a deployed position (overlaying the seat pan to create a flat surface). This dynamic transformation allows the same structure to serve both high-density seating and comfortable sleeping functions, resolving the contradiction between seating density and sleeping comfort.
2Ease of operation
If premium class seats provide highly adjustable configurations for sleeping, then sleeping comfort is maximized, but cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The backrest assembly is segmented into the backrest itself and the separate movable backrest frame. This segmentation allows the frame to be independently manipulated between stowed and deployed positions, creating a flat sleeping surface without requiring complex adjustments of the entire seat structure. The simplified mechanism reduces device complexity while maintaining sleeping comfort.
3Ease of operation
If the backrest frame is made movable to create a flat surface, then sleeping comfort improves, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The backrest frame is designed to surround the backrest and merge with it during recline motion. When deployed, the frame overlays the seat pan to create a unified flat surface. This merging approach consolidates multiple functions (backrest support, frame structure, and flat surface creation) into a single integrated assembly, reducing overall structural complexity while improving sleeping comfort.
Data Source
AI summary
A seat row including a plurality of seats supported by a seat frame. Each seat includes a seat pan, a backrest, and a backrest frame positioned in surrounding relation to the backrest. The backrest frame reclines with the backrest and deploys away from the backrest to a position overlaying the seat pan to provide a substantially horizontal surface for overlaying a mattress on the deployed backrest frames. In embodiments, the mattress stows in a folded condition in one of the seats and is retrieved from, fills, and expands to cover the deployed backrest frames to form a flat bed. In some embodiments, the seat row provides a provision for sleeping in an economy class cabin of an airliner.