Aircraft Seat With Extendable Rear Section to Preserve Floor Space
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft seats requiring a minimum seat back height often necessitate increased passenger compartment dimensions, leading to a loss of floor space in the aircraft cabin.
Innovation Solution
An aircraft seat with an auxiliary rear section that is extendable and retractable, allowing it to meet minimum seat back height requirements without enlarging the passenger compartment by transitioning between extended and retracted positions in conjunction with the seat pan and seat back cushions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the seat back height is increased to meet minimum requirements, then the seat back height is improved, but the passenger compartment size must be increased leading to loss of floor space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the auxiliary rear section movable between extended and retracted positions. This allows the seat back height to be dynamically adjusted: extended when minimum height is required, and retracted when floor space is prioritized. The movable design resolves the contradiction by enabling the seat back height to change based on operational requirements without permanently increasing the passenger compartment size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the nesting principle by placing the auxiliary rear section within a cavity defined by the primary rear section. When retracted, the auxiliary section is nested inside the primary section, minimizing the overall footprint. This nested configuration allows the seat to meet height requirements when needed while maintaining a compact form factor that preserves floor space during normal operations.
2Length of moving object
If the passenger compartment size is increased to accommodate the aircraft seat, then the seat back height requirement is met, but the floor space in the aircraft cabin is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The movable auxiliary rear section enables dynamic adjustment of seat back height without requiring a larger passenger compartment. The section can be extended to meet height requirements and retracted to minimize space occupation, allowing the same compartment to serve both purposes at different times.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the vertical dimension by extending the auxiliary rear section upward within the existing compartment boundaries. This vertical expansion allows the seat back height to increase without increasing the horizontal footprint, thereby preserving floor space while meeting height requirements.
3Length of moving object
If the auxiliary rear section is extended to meet height requirements, then the seat back height is improved, but the seat occupies more space within the passenger compartment
Solution Approach 1:
The auxiliary rear section is nested within a cavity in the primary rear section when retracted, minimizing the seat's overall volume. This nested design allows the seat to achieve greater height when needed while maintaining a compact volume during normal operations, resolving the contradiction between height and volume occupancy.
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary rear section transitions between extended and retracted positions dynamically. When extended, it provides the necessary height; when retracted, it minimizes the seat's volume occupancy. This dynamic behavior allows the seat to adapt its volume based on operational requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
An aircraft seat may include a seat pan cushion (200) coupled to a seat base. The aircraft seat may include a seat back cushion (104). The aircraft seat may include an auxiliary rear section (110). The auxiliary rear section may be configured to transition between an extended position and a retracted position. The seat pan cushion and the seat back cushion may be configured to transition between a first position and a second position. The auxiliary rear section may be configured to be in the extended position when the seat pan cushion and the seat back cushion are in the first position. The auxiliary rear section may be configured to be in the retracted position when the seat pan cushion and the seat back cushion are in the second position.