Herringbone Aircraft Seating With Dynamic Disabled Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft passenger seating arrangements with high herringbone angles and low pitches, particularly in narrow-body aircraft, face challenges in providing adequate access for disabled passengers due to narrow access openings, which may not comply with disability discrimination laws.
Innovation Solution
A passenger seating arrangement with seat units that can be configured between a seating and flat-bed configuration, featuring an access opening that can be temporarily widened to accommodate disabled passengers, utilizing moveable foot-receiving structures to increase the opening width from a first width suitable for able-bodied access to a second width suitable for disabled access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high herringbone angles and low pitches are used in seat arrangement, then space efficiency is improved, but access width for disabled passengers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The foot-receiving structure is made moveable between a first position that defines a narrow access opening for able-bodied passengers and a second position that defines a widened access opening for disabled passengers. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the same seating arrangement to serve both space efficiency requirements and accessibility requirements at different times.
Solution Approach 2:
The foot-receiving structure is reconfigured to a second position in advance of disabled passenger boarding, thereby preliminarily preparing the widened access opening before the disabled passenger arrives. This ensures that when the disabled passenger needs to board, the appropriate access width is already available.
2Quantity of substance
If narrow access openings are used to maintain seating density, then space efficiency is improved, but compliance with disability discrimination laws deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The access opening width is dynamically adjusted based on the passenger type. The foot-receiving structure moves to different positions to provide narrowed access during normal operations (maintaining seating density) and widened access when disabled passengers are present (ensuring legal compliance).
Solution Approach 2:
The foot-receiving structure serves multiple functions: it acts as a space-defining element during normal operations and as an accessibility aid when disabled passengers need to board. This multi-functionality allows the same structure to support both high seating density and disability access compliance.
3Device complexity
If fixed narrow access openings are used in herringbone arrangements, then structural simplicity is maintained, but accessibility for disabled passengers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of a fixed structure, the foot-receiving structure is designed to move between positions. This adds some complexity but enables the structure to provide both narrow access for able-bodied passengers and wide access for disabled passengers, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and accessibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A passenger seating arrangement (101) for use in an aircraft cabin (103), the passenger seating arrangement comprising a column (107) of seat units (109) arranged in an inwardly facing herringbone. Each seat unit (109) is configurable between a seating configuration and a flat-bed configuration Each seat unit has an access opening (133) for accessing the respective seat unit (109). At least one of the seat units is configurable into a disabled-access configuration in which an access opening is temporarily widened by moving part of a foot-receiving structure (123), for enabling a disabled passenger to access the seat unit (109).