Seat Spreader Privacy Closeout for Aircraft Passenger Seating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional aircraft seating lacks privacy between passengers in economy class and insufficient stowage opportunities for personal items, with premium economy class being the only tier that offers additional amenities and privacy.
Innovation Solution
An aircraft passenger seat assembly that includes a privacy assembly with a closeout body and privacy panel to fill gaps between seats, providing separation and additional storage structures like cupholder assemblies and storage structures on the rear closeout body surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional economy seating is used, then cost is reduced, but privacy between passengers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The seat assembly is divided into multiple functional components: a base seat structure, an intermediate spreader element, and a privacy panel assembly. This segmentation allows the privacy function to be added as a separate module that can be independently configured and positioned between adjacent seats without redesigning the entire seating system.
Solution Approach 2:
The spreader element acts as an intermediary structure positioned between adjacent seatbacks. It provides a mounting surface for the privacy panel and creates physical separation between passengers, thereby improving privacy without requiring direct modification of the seatbacks or seats themselves.
2Quantity of substance
If traditional economy seating is used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but stowage opportunities for personal items deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The spreader element serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a structural support between seats, provides a mounting surface for privacy panels, and incorporates storage compartments for personal items. This multi-functionality increases stowage capacity without requiring separate dedicated storage structures, thereby managing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage compartments are merged into the spreader element structure itself rather than being separate attachments. The cup holder and item storage spaces are integrated as built-in features of the spreader, allowing passengers to store beverages and personal items in designated locations without additional manufacturing steps.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If privacy panels are added between seats, then privacy between adjacent seats improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The privacy panel is pre-configured and pre-positioned on the spreader element during manufacturing. This preliminary assembly allows the privacy function to be ready for installation without requiring complex on-site assembly procedures, thereby reducing operational complexity while maintaining the privacy barrier between adjacent seats.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A
AI summary
An aircraft passenger seat assembly is disclosed. In embodiments, the aircraft passenger seat assembly includes an aircraft passenger seat (101) including a seatback (103) configured to support an upper body of an aircraft passenger, and a seat frame (105) including at least one seat spreader (107) disposed on a lateral side of the seatback. In embodiments, the aircraft passenger seat assembly may further include at least one privacy assembly (102). The at least one privacy assembly may include a closeout body (104) coupled to the at least one seat spreader, and a privacy panel (106) coupled to the closeout body, the privacy panel extending from the closeout body in order to at least partially separate a seating environment of the aircraft passenger seat from an adjacent seating environment of an adjacent aircraft passenger seat.