Transformable Canopy Assembly for Aircraft Seat Privacy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft seat designs for cabin attendants do not adequately meet aviation guidelines for privacy and sound mitigation during rest periods, often requiring large curtains that are cumbersome to install and manage.
Innovation Solution
A transformable canopy assembly for an aircraft seat that can rotate between a stowed position and a deployed position, forming an arcuate-shaped cover over the seatback or seat pan to provide privacy and sound mitigation, while being integrated with the cabin attendant seat to allow for a flat or near-flat sleep position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If large curtains are used to separate cabin attendant rest area from passenger seating area, then privacy and sound mitigation are improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a transformable canopy assembly that can dynamically change between deployed and stowed positions. The canopy includes a rotatable sub-assembly with support members that can be rotated to deploy the canopy over the seatback or seat pan, and a locking mechanism that secures the canopy in the deployed position. This dynamic structure provides privacy and sound mitigation when needed while allowing easy reconfiguration when not needed, resolving the contradiction between maintaining privacy barriers and ease of operation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If large curtains are used to separate cabin attendant rest area from passenger seating area, then privacy is improved, but device complexity and ease of manufacture deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the canopy assembly into multiple segments including a canopy sub-assembly with support members, a locking mechanism, and integration with the seat structure. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and assembled together to form the complete privacy solution, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining effective privacy separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the canopy assembly with the existing aircraft seat structure by integrating the locking mechanism and support members into the seat frame. This merging eliminates the need for separate, standalone curtain systems and reduces device complexity by combining multiple functions (privacy, sound mitigation, and structural support) into a single integrated assembly.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If transformable canopy assembly is deployed to provide privacy and sound mitigation, then privacy and sound mitigation are improved, but device complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the canopy assembly to serve multiple functions: providing privacy, mitigating sound, and integrating with the seat structure for structural support. The locking mechanism and support members are designed to handle multiple operational requirements simultaneously, reducing the need for separate systems and thereby reducing overall device complexity despite the added functionality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The transformable canopy assembly effectively provides the necessary privacy and sound mitigation for cabin attendants during rest periods, while minimizing the effort required to convert crew rest facilities and optimizing space usage in accordance with aviation standards.
Implementation Method 1
a canopy sub-assembly configured to rotate between one of a stowed position and a deployed position
Implementation Method 2
a canopy frame lock configured to couple the canopy sub-assembly to the frame. In embodiments, when in the stowed position, the canopy sub-assembly is secured to the frame via the canopy frame lock, wherein the canopy frame lock prevents the canopy sub-assembly from rotating to the deployed position
Implementation Method 3
the canopy configured to provide one of lighting or sound mitigation when in the deployed position
Data Source
AI summary
A transformable canopy assembly includes one or more canopy mounts configured to couple the transformable canopy to a frame of a seat. The transformable canopy includes a canopy sub-assembly configured to rotate between a stowed and a deployed position. The canopy sub-assembly includes a canopy configured to provide lighting or sound mitigation when in the deployed position. The canopy sub-assembly includes one or more canopy support members coupled to the canopy. The transformable canopy includes a canopy frame lock configured to couple the canopy sub-assembly to the frame. When in the stowed position, the canopy sub-assembly is secured to the frame via the canopy frame lock, where the canopy frame lock prevents the canopy sub-assembly from rotating to the deployed position. When in the deployed position, the canopy sub-assembly forms an arcuate-shaped cover over at least a portion of one of a seatback or a seat pan of the seat.