Economy Seat Row Bed Conversion With Extendable Seat Pan
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Solution Overview
Problem
Economy class passenger seats in aircraft lack the ability to convert into a bed mode, limiting comfort and privacy during long-haul flights, especially when passengers purchase an entire seat row or redistribute for spacing.
Innovation Solution
A passenger seat row configuration with at least two seats attached to a common frame, featuring a moving frame that extends relative to a fixed frame to create a bed mode, utilizing a locking mechanism and hook-and-loop fasteners for secure conversion between sitting and bed modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If economy class seats maintain fixed configuration with minimal seat pitch, then seating capacity and space efficiency are improved, but passenger comfort and ability to sleep during flight deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The seat pan is designed with a moving frame that can dynamically change position between a retracted state (for normal seating) and an extended state (for bed mode). This dynamic transformation allows the same physical space to serve dual purposes: maximizing seating capacity during flight and providing sleeping capability when needed, without requiring additional space or compromising either function.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate seats with greater seat pitch are provided for maximum adjustability, then passenger comfort and bed mode capability are improved, but seating capacity and space efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The economy class seat is designed as a multi-functional unit that can operate in multiple modes: normal seating mode with restricted recline, and bed mode with extended seat pan. This universal design allows a single seat configuration to provide both standard seating functionality and sleeping capability, eliminating the need for separate premium seats while maintaining space efficiency and seating capacity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the moving frame extends to create bed mode, then sleeping comfort and privacy are improved, but structural complexity and mechanism requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The seat structure is segmented into a fixed frame and a moving frame that can independently extend and retract. This segmentation allows the bed mode functionality to be added as a separate, modular component rather than redesigning the entire seat structure, thereby managing complexity while enabling transformation between seating and sleeping modes.
Data Source
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AI summary
A passenger seat row for a vehicle such as a passenger aircraft. The passenger seat row includes at least two passenger seats (102, 104, 106) attached to a common frame (108). Each of the at least two passenger seats includes a backrest (124) forming a recess (132) on a front of the backrest, a cushion (134) removably disposed in the recess, and a seat pan (126) including a fixed frame (128) and a moving frame (130) movably coupled to the fixed frame. In a taxi, takeoff and landing (TTOL) mode the moving frames are retracted relative to the fixed frames and the cushions are disposed in the recess. In a bed mode the moving frames are extended relative to the fixed frames and the cushions are positioned atop the fixed frames.