Extendable Armrest Divider for Fair Passenger Arm Space
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing armrest designs for passenger seats, particularly in aircraft, fail to provide a non-intrusive physical barrier between passengers' arms during all phases of flight, including taxi, take-off, and landing, and do not offer sufficient arm support or equitable space distribution.
Innovation Solution
An armrest design featuring a base component with a divider and adjustable components that can move between retracted and extended positions, providing a non-intrusive barrier and additional support surface, with concave configurations to contour to the passenger's arm shape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single shared armrest is used between two passenger seats, then the device complexity is reduced and manufacturing is simplified, but the armrest space distribution becomes unfair and passenger contact increases leading to germ transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The armrest is divided into two separate adjustable components, each assigned to one passenger. These components can be independently adjusted and positioned, providing dedicated armrest space for each passenger while maintaining a simplified overall structure. The segmentation eliminates the need for a complex fixed divided armrest while preventing germ transmission through shared surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The armrest components are made dynamically adjustable by passengers during flight. Each component can be moved between different positions and orientations, allowing passengers to optimize their armrest space and prevent contact with adjacent passengers. This dynamic adjustment capability resolves the contradiction by providing fair space distribution without requiring a permanently complex divided structure.
2Ease of operation
If the armrest provides extended support surface for passenger comfort, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases and space intrusion occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The armrest component includes an extendable support surface that can be dynamically adjusted by the passenger. When extended, it provides additional comfort; when retracted, it maintains a compact profile. This dynamic capability allows the armrest to provide enhanced comfort without permanently increasing device complexity or intruding into adjacent passenger space.
Solution Approach 2:
The extended support surface is designed to provide localized comfort enhancement only where needed for the passenger's arm. The extension can be adjusted to match the passenger's arm contour, providing ergonomic support without adding unnecessary complexity to the overall armrest structure or encroaching on adjacent passenger territory.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the armrest components are made adjustable and extendable, then the adaptability is improved for different passengers and flight phases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The armrest components incorporate simple dynamic adjustment mechanisms that allow passengers to easily reconfigure the armrest for different flight phases and personal preferences. The adjustability is achieved through straightforward mechanical movements rather than complex systems, providing high adaptability with minimal added complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Each armrest component is designed to perform multiple functions: providing arm support during taxi and landing, creating physical barriers during flight, and offering extended comfort surfaces when needed. This multi-functionality is achieved through a single adjustable component design rather than multiple specialized mechanisms, thereby improving adaptability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Described are armrests for positioning between passenger seats having a base component with a divider extending upward from an upper surface of the base component and at least one adjustable component movably coupled to the base component. In a retracted position, the adjustable component and divider are arranged to form a non-intrusive barrier between passengers' arms. In an extended position, the divider is arranged to form the non-intrusive barrier between passengers' arms, while the adjustable component is arranged to extend a width of the armrest.