Portable Armrest Divider with Locking Wedge for Shared Seating
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Solution Overview
Problem
The reduction in seat width and pitch on public transportation, such as airplanes, trains, and buses, leads to discomfort and conflicts between passengers over the use of armrests, as existing armrests are too narrow to be shared comfortably.
Innovation Solution
A portable, lightweight armrest divider that can be easily carried and fitted onto existing armrests, providing a vertical barrier to divide the armrest space equally between adjacent passengers, ensuring comfort and preventing physical contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If airlines reduce seat width and pitch to increase passenger capacity, then productivity increases, but passenger comfort and armrest sharing capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The armrest divider divides the shared armrest space into two separate zones, allowing each passenger to have their own designated area. This segmentation resolves the conflict over armrest usage while maintaining the reduced seat configuration, enabling both high passenger capacity and comfortable armrest sharing.
2Productivity
If airlines reduce seat width and pitch to increase passenger capacity, then productivity increases, but passenger comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The armrest divider acts as an intermediary element between adjacent passengers, creating physical separation and reducing direct contact. This mediator structure eliminates the harmful factor of discomfort and conflict while allowing the airline to maintain reduced seat dimensions for increased capacity.
3Ease of operation
If a portable armrest divider is added to divide armrest space, then armrest sharing capability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The armrest divider employs a dynamic locking mechanism that allows the structure to adapt between locked and unlocked states. This dynamic design enables easy installation and removal while maintaining structural integrity when in use, resolving the contradiction between improved armrest sharing and reduced device complexity.
4Reliability
If a locking mechanism is added to secure the armrest divider, then reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is designed to be self-actuating through simple user actions such as pushing or sliding, without requiring complex controls or multiple components. This self-service approach achieves reliable securing of the armrest divider while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An armrest divider which is removably mountable on a shared armrest of a seat in which a person may sit includes a planar main body which acts as a vertical divider or barrier between persons sitting in adjacent seats who share a common armrest when the armrest divider is in use, an arm supporting ledge that extends perpendicularly outwardly from one side of the planar main body, the bottom side of which is adapted to rest on and be supported by an existing shared armrest between adjacent seats, and a locking wedge section that may be inserted between and held in place by the passenger's backrest and the armrest. The armrest divider may also include a stop member preferably formed as an outwardly extending protrusion from one side of the planar main body to limit the distance the locking wedge section may be inserted between the armrest and the passenger's seat backrest.