Vertically Stowed Tray Table Structure for Seat Privacy and Support

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Solution Overview

Problem

Economy-class passenger seating lacks privacy and adequate head and shoulder support, with grouped seats providing minimal separation and limited headrest functionality beyond integrated headrests.

Innovation Solution

A passenger seat design featuring a vertically stowed tray table with a slide bar mechanism that pivots between stowed and deployed configurations, providing additional privacy and support by extending between adjacent seats and incorporating padding for head and shoulder rest when stowed.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the tray table is stowed vertically against the armrest, then it provides head and shoulder support to the passenger, but it blocks the passenger's view of the aisle and reduces privacy

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehead and shoulder supportVSAvoidview blockage and privacy reduction

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The tray table is designed to be movable between a stowed vertical position (providing head/shoulder support) and a deployed horizontal position (providing dining surface). This dynamic reconfiguration allows the same structure to serve multiple functions at different times, resolving the contradiction between providing support and maintaining visibility/privacy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the tray table extends across adjacent seats when deployed, then it enhances privacy and provides additional support space, but it increases the complexity of the deployment mechanism

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprivacy enhancementVSAvoiddeployment mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Adjacent tray tables are connected to form a continuous surface that spans across multiple seats. This merging of separate tray table units creates enhanced privacy barriers and provides a larger combined support area, while the connection mechanism leverages existing structural elements to minimize added complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Volume of moving object

If the tray table is integrated into the armrest structure, then it saves space when stowed, but it reduces the space available for the passenger's elbow

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestowed spaceVSAvoidelbow space

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The tray table is positioned in the vertical dimension when stowed (against the armrest) rather than occupying horizontal elbow space. This vertical stacking utilizes unused vertical space, allowing the armrest to maintain its horizontal clearance for elbow placement while still accommodating the tray table in a compact form.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP3901041B1Vertically stowed padded tray table for passenger seat

Publication Date: 2023.09.13 BE AEROSPACE INC

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AI summary

A passenger seat or group of seats (102) includes a tray table (118) set into the armrest (110) on either side of the associated seat, the tray table capable of translating lengthwise along the armrest and pivoting between a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. In the stowed configuration, the tray table extends vertically above the armrest and may be stowed between (and partially behind) the associated seat and an adjacent seat, serving as a partial barrier between the two seats. In the deployed configuration, the tray table extends horizontally across the associated seat for use by the occupying passenger. The tray table is padded (122) on its underside to provide the passenger with head and shoulder support when in the stowed configuration.