Aircraft Seat Unit Layout for Shared Lie-Flat Seating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft seating configurations prioritize individual comfort and privacy in business class, leading to reduced passenger density and increased costs, while economy class lacks development in providing communal space and comfort, limiting options for groups or families who cannot afford business class.
Innovation Solution
A reconfigurable passenger vehicle seat unit with moveable leg rests and seat pans that can form a horizontal support surface for shared use by multiple passengers, allowing for various configurations such as T, L, or U shapes, enabling multiple passengers to recline or lie down together, and featuring movable armrests and tray tables for enhanced flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If business class seats provide full lay flat position for individual comfort, then passenger comfort is improved, but passenger density and space efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The seat unit is designed to perform multiple functions: it can provide individual sedentary seating, individual reclining, and communal shared lying surfaces. The same physical structure (seat pan and leg rest) serves both individual comfort needs and communal space needs, eliminating the need for separate business class configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The leg rest is made movable between different positions to dynamically adapt the seat configuration. It can be extended to create a lay-flat surface for individual use or repositioned to enable multiple passengers to share the space, allowing the system to transition between different functional states based on passenger needs.
2Ease of operation
If business class seats provide privacy and personal space, then individual passenger comfort is improved, but communal interaction capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The movable leg rest enables dynamic reconfiguration of the seating space. When extended, it provides privacy and personal space for individual passengers. When repositioned or shared between adjacent seats, it enables communal interaction and shared lying surfaces, allowing the system to adapt between individual and communal modes.
Solution Approach 2:
The seat unit is segmented into movable components (leg rest and seat pan) that can be independently positioned. This segmentation allows the system to create either individual enclosed spaces for privacy or open shared spaces for communal interaction, depending on the configuration of these segments.
3Ease of manufacture
If economy class seats maintain fixed individual configuration, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but adaptability for groups and families deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The leg rest is designed with movable mounting that allows it to be repositioned between different seats. This dynamic capability enables economy class seats to adapt to group travel needs while maintaining a relatively simple manufacturing process, as the movability mechanism is integrated into the existing seat structure.
4Quantity of substance
If airlines charge premium for business class seats with enhanced comfort, then revenue from premium seating is improved, but accessibility for budget-conscious families deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The seat unit provides universal functionality that covers both economy and business class needs. By enabling the same seat to provide individual comfort or communal shared space depending on configuration, airlines can offer diverse seating options within economy class, making enhanced comfort accessible to budget-conscious families without requiring separate premium seating.
Data Source
AI summary
A row of a plurality of adjacent seats supported by a support frame. The seat includes a seat back, a seat pan and a leg rest. The leg rest of each seat includes a leg support surface and is mounted relative to the seat frame in a manner to allow it to move between (a) a stored condition and (b) a fully deployed condition where the seat pan and the leg rest support surface are substantially coplanar. The leg rest and seat pan of each seat in the row can cooperate to define a reconfigurable horizontal support surface for at least one passenger.