Staggered Bunk Assembly with Cutouts for Weight Reduction

Solution Overview

Problem

Long-range subsonic airliners face space constraints in aircraft fuselages, requiring crew rest accommodations that often increase aircraft weight and protrude into passenger cabins, reducing comfort and amenities.

Innovation Solution

A bunk assembly with a staggered arrangement of bunks, where each bunk has a cutout forming an L-shape, allowing a third bunk to be stacked on top, reducing the assembly's length and weight while maintaining accommodation capacity, and reconfiguring lower sections to accommodate occupants' lower bodies without compromising comfort.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If bunks are arranged end-to-end or stacked in conventional configurations, then crew rest accommodation capacity is provided, but aircraft weight increases and passenger cabin space is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecrew rest accommodation capacityVSAvoidaircraft weight

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The bunk assembly nests a third bunk within the structure formed by first and second bunks. The third bunk is positioned in the bunk slot created by the cutouts of the first and second bunks, allowing it to be supported by and integrated into their structure. This nesting arrangement provides additional crew rest accommodation while minimizing the overall volume and weight of the bunk assembly compared to conventional configurations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Quantity of substance

If bunks are stacked on top of each other, then crew rest accommodation capacity is provided, but the assembly protrudes into the passenger cabin reducing comfort and amenities

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecrew rest accommodation capacityVSAvoidbunk assembly volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention transitions from conventional linear or simple stacked bunk arrangements to a three-dimensional staggered configuration. The third bunk is stacked on top of the first and second bunks in a different dimensional arrangement, creating a compact structure that reduces the overall length and protrusion into the passenger cabin while maintaining crew rest accommodation capacity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The bunk assembly nests a third bunk within the structure formed by first and second bunks. The third bunk is positioned in the bunk slot created by the cutouts of the first and second bunks, allowing it to be supported by and integrated into their structure. This nesting arrangement provides additional crew rest accommodation while minimizing the overall volume and weight of the bunk assembly compared to conventional configurations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Quantity of substance

If conventional bunk configurations are used, then crew rest accommodations are provided, but support structure length increases adding weight

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecrew rest accommodation capacityVSAvoidsupport structure length

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The bunk assembly nests a third bunk within the structure formed by first and second bunks. The third bunk is positioned in the bunk slot created by the cutouts of the first and second bunks, allowing it to be supported by and integrated into their structure. This nesting arrangement provides additional crew rest accommodation while minimizing the overall volume and weight of the bunk assembly compared to conventional configurations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentUS9545998B2Bunk assembly and method of manufacturing thereof

Publication Date: 2017.01.17 THE BOEING CO

AI summary

A bunk assembly is provided. The bunk assembly includes a first plurality of bunks including a first bunk and a second bunk coupled end-to-end with the first bunk. The first and second bunks each include a cutout that substantially align forming a bunk slot between the first and second bunks when coupled end-to-end. The first plurality of bunks also includes a third bunk stacked on top of the first and second bunks when positioned in the bunk slot.