Overlapping Shell Aircraft Seating Arrangement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft cabin seating arrangements face challenges in optimizing limited space to provide maximum convenience and comfort, particularly in business and first-class compartments, where single aisle layouts often compromise on seating capacity and passenger experience.
Innovation Solution
A passenger seating arrangement with two rows of seat units and one aisle, where the upper and lower shells of adjacent seat units partially overlap vertically, enhancing footwell diameter and storage space, and incorporating features like slide-doors, entertainment units, and optimized seating angles to maximize space utilization and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If traditional single aisle layouts are used, then the aircraft cabin structure is simple, but the seating space and passenger convenience are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies vertical overlapping of shells between adjacent seat units to create additional storage volume and footwell space without increasing the horizontal footprint. This dimensional transition from 2D horizontal arrangement to 3D vertical utilization resolves the contradiction by maximizing seating space within constrained cabin volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper shell of one seat unit is positioned to overlap vertically with the lower shell of the adjacent seat unit, creating a nested configuration. This nesting arrangement enables dual functionality - structural support and storage compartment formation - thereby increasing effective seating space without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
2Quantity of substance
If more seat units are arranged in limited cabin space, then seating capacity increases, but passenger convenience and comfort deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The seat unit is divided into functionally independent modules - upper shell, lower shell, footwell, and storage compartments - that can be independently optimized. This segmentation allows each component to serve multiple functions, enabling increased seat unit quantity while maintaining passenger convenience through dedicated storage spaces and adequate footwell area.
Solution Approach 2:
The overlapping shell structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: structural support, storage compartment formation, and footwell definition. This multi-functionality increases the effective utility of each seat unit without requiring additional space, allowing more seat units to be accommodated while preserving passenger convenience.
3Volume of stationary object
If upper and lower shells are arranged to partially overlap vertically, then storage space and footwell diameter are enhanced, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The upper shell and lower shell are merged in vertical alignment to form an integrated structure that simultaneously creates the storage compartment and defines the footwell boundary. This merging eliminates the need for separate structural elements, reducing overall complexity while enhancing storage volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The design transitions from horizontal separation of structural elements to vertical stacking and overlapping, utilizing the vertical dimension to create storage space and enhance footwell diameter without requiring additional horizontal complexity in the shell arrangement.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If slide-doors are added to close off seat units, then privacy is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The slide-door provides dynamic privacy control, allowing passengers to adjust the level of enclosure based on their needs. This movable element adds privacy functionality without requiring permanent structural modifications, balancing the trade-off between privacy enhancement and manufacturing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
In a passenger seating arrangement in an aircraft cabin, the passenger seating arrangement has exactly two rows of seat units and exactly one aisle. A first row of seat units and a second row of seat units are separated by the aisle. The rows of seat units and the aisle all extend in a longitudinal direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft cabin. Each seat unit includes a seat, an upper shell and a lower shell, the lower shell forming a footwell. The seats are arranged in parallel to each other in a seating direction. An upper shell of a first seat unit and a lower shell of a second seat unit, which, viewed in the longitudinal direction, is arranged behind the first seat unit, partially overlap in a vertical direction.