Modular Airplane Seat Layout With In-Flight Pitch Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current airplane seats in Economy Class lack sufficient seat pitch, leading to passenger discomfort, and existing solutions for adjusting seat arrangements are impractical and costly, often requiring ground-based rearrangements that result in operational inefficiencies and commercial losses.
Innovation Solution
A modular airplane seat unit that can slide forward and backward, fold into a Coffee Table or Leg Rest, and fully hide under the floor, utilizing a combination of servo motors, hydraulic pumps, and sensors to allow passengers to adjust their seat pitch independently during flights and convert to different modes based on occupancy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If airlines reduce seat pitch to carry more passengers, then productivity increases, but passenger comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic seat pitch adjustment by enabling seats to move independently along rails during flight. This allows the system to adapt seat spacing based on real-time occupancy patterns, resolving the contradiction between maintaining fixed high-density configuration and providing comfortable variable spacing when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the fixed seat arrangement into independently movable seats that can adjust their positions relative to each other. Each seat operates autonomously on its own rail system, allowing localized adjustments without affecting the entire cabin layout, thus maintaining overall density while providing individual comfort.
2Adaptability or versatility
If airlines rearrange seats on the ground to optimize layout, then adaptability improves, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-installing rails and power systems during aircraft manufacturing, enabling rapid seat repositioning without ground-based mechanical rearrangement. Seats can be electronically commanded to move to new positions, eliminating time-consuming manual reconfiguration while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces ground-based mechanical seat rearrangement systems with an in-flight electronic control system. Seats move via powered rails controlled by onboard computers, substituting complex ground machinery with simpler in-flight electronic actuation, thereby reducing turnaround time while maintaining layout flexibility.
3Length of moving object
If unoccupied seats are removed and stored in airport warehouses, then seat pitch increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the third dimension (vertical space under the cabin floor) to store unoccupied seats during flight. Instead of removing seats to external warehouses, seats are retracted into overhead compartments or floor compartments, effectively using unused vertical volume within the aircraft structure to achieve pitch adjustment without external infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nesting by placing unoccupied seats within compartments formed by the aircraft structure itself. Seats are stored in overhead bins or floor compartments, effectively nesting one functional element (seats) within another (cabin structure), eliminating the need for separate warehouse facilities while maintaining pitch flexibility.
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 modular seat unit provides adjustable seat pitch and additional space options, enhancing passenger comfort and reducing operational costs by allowing seat adjustments during flights and compact storage, thereby addressing the limitations of traditional seat arrangements and existing solutions.
Implementation Method 1
a Hydraulic Pump (10) placed at the bottom end of the Rod (16)
Implementation Method 2
two Servo Motors, Forward (7.2) and Backward (7.3) on the Sliding Covers (12), one Servo Motor (back) (7.1) on the Upper Part (2.1) of the Back Part of the Seat (2), one Servo Motor (bottom) (7.4) located on the Rail (5)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention is a Modular Airplane Seat Unit to be utilized in passenger airplanes providing a more comfortable and healthy flight to the passengers, and more than one additional options like Coffee Table and Leg Rest.