Passenger Seat Spreader and Leg Assembly Knee Space
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Passenger seats in common carriers often lack sufficient personal space for knees, feet, and baggage due to reclining seatbacks and leg assemblies that occupy excessive space, compromising comfort and usability.
Innovation Solution
A passenger seat assembly design featuring spreaders with a transitional region, a base structure with angled leg assemblies, and a seat pan with a deep contour, which increases knee space and footroom while allowing reclining comfort through a pivotally coupled seat back and load-limiting struts, and includes features like armrests and a door for In-Flight Entertainment access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the seat back is allowed to recline traditionally (pivoting near the bottom seat cushion), then the passenger can achieve reclining comfort, but the passenger's knee space is impeded and personal space is diminished
Solution Approach 1:
The patent relocates the seat back pivot point from the traditional low position near the seat cushion to a higher position on the seat back structure. This vertical displacement in the third dimension allows the seat back to recline without its lower portions intruding into the passenger's knee space, thereby maintaining both reclining comfort and adequate knee space.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a knee rest structure as an intermediary element between the seat back and the passenger's knees. This knee rest acts as a mediator that supports the passenger's knees and prevents the reclining seat back from impeding knee space, allowing both functions to coexist.
2Strength
If leg assemblies are designed with substantial space requirements below the seat, then structural support is ensured, but the amount of space available for passenger's feet and baggage is minimized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the leg assembly into multiple components including forward and rear leg portions, and divides the space below the seat into functional zones. This segmentation allows the structural elements to be positioned optimally to provide necessary support while minimizing intrusion into foot space and baggage area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetric positioning of the leg assemblies, with the forward leg portion positioned at an angle relative to the rear leg portion. This asymmetric configuration optimizes structural support efficiency while reducing the overall space requirement below the seat, thereby increasing foot space and baggage area.
3Ease of manufacture
If the seat back pivot point is located at the bottom seat cushion, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but the passenger's personal space between knees and forward seat is significantly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the pivot point vertically upward from the bottom seat cushion to a higher position on the seat back. This dimensional change in the vertical axis resolves the space intrusion problem while the pivot mechanism itself remains a straightforward mechanical joint, maintaining relative manufacturing simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
Described are passenger seat assemblies including spreaders with a transitional region having a forward surface with a radius of curvature of about 3.5 to 3.7 inches and an aft surface with an angular profile configured so that the aft surface is located forward of a plane formed by a surface of the at least one seat back in a fully upright position. The passenger seat assemblies also include leg assemblies with a forward leg portion having a forward surface that is substantially aligned with a forward base frame tube, and an aft surface with an angular profile having a shape of an “r.”