Deployable Infill Assembly for Continuous Aircraft Bed
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional aircraft seat constructions, particularly in premium classes, face challenges in providing a continuous and comfortable bed configuration due to ottoman placement, which limits legroom and complicates seat ingress and egress, and often result in discontinuous beds when trying to maintain legroom in upright positions.
Innovation Solution
A deployable infill assembly that includes a cushion assembly configured to stow between the seat and ottoman, deploying laterally to expand the seat length and create a continuous bed surface, utilizing guide tracks and a spring-loaded lever for smooth transition, allowing the seat to recline freely without mechanical assistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the ottoman is positioned close to the seat, then the bed configuration is continuous, but legroom is limited and seat ingress/egress is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The bed surface is divided into multiple segments: the seat, the deployable infill assembly, and the ottoman. The infill assembly acts as a separate, movable segment that can be deployed only when needed for bed configuration, leaving the space clear during seat configuration for legroom and safe ingress/egress.
Solution Approach 2:
The infill assembly transitions from a static, fixed position to a dynamic, deployable component. It moves between a stowed position (clearing the path for ingress/egress) and a deployed position (filling the gap for bed continuity), allowing the system to adapt to different operational requirements.
2Ease of operation
If the ottoman is spaced far from the seat to provide legroom, then legroom is improved, but a gap is created resulting in a discontinuous bed
Solution Approach 1:
The deployable infill assembly serves as an intermediary element between the seat and the ottoman. When deployed, it fills the gap created by spacing the ottoman away from the seat, providing a continuous bed surface while maintaining the spacing benefits for legroom and safe ingress/egress.
3Length of moving object
If a mechanical recline mechanism is used to translate seat elements, then the seat can reach the ottoman, but the mechanism is complex and requires maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The recline mechanism is extracted from the seat structure and relocated to the infill assembly. The infill assembly's guide tracks and lever mechanism handle the deployment and positioning, allowing the seat to recline freely without a complex mechanical recline mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The infill assembly's lever mechanism uses spring force to automatically return the assembly to its stowed position after deployment, reducing the need for complex control systems and manual intervention.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The deployable infill assembly enhances bed length, provides larger living spaces, simplifies seat recline mechanisms, and ensures a continuous bed surface while maintaining minimal stowed volume, allowing for comfortable sleeping and efficient seat use without compromising legroom or safety.
Implementation Method 1
the assembly may further include a spring-loaded lever pivotally attached at one end to the frame, the spring-loaded lever having a free end intersecting one of the guide tracks to contact the at least one guide at a predetermined position along a length of the respective one of the guide tracks to slow movement of the cushion assembly as the guide moves toward the stowed position, and the spring-loaded lever providing an initial lifting force acting on the at least one guide during initial movement of the cushion assembly away from the stowed position
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A deployable infill assembly and passenger seat construction. The infill assembly (40) includes a cushion element (46) deployable laterally along a low trajectory from a stowed position to a deployed position. The cushion assembly is coupled to a frame (50) carrying guide tracks (54) for guiding movement of the cushion assembly between the stowed and deployed positions. The cushion assembly is selectively deployable for use as a leg support, table or to complete a continuous bed. The infill assembly is packaged in a compact footprint well-suited for aircraft applications.