Re-designed economy seat

Hello,
I am a student at The nottingham Trent University studying Product Design. It is my final year and as one of my major projects i was asked to redesign the economy seat for a Virgin Atlantic aircraft. After many months i have done it. I redesigned the headrests to extend further and adjust up and down much further than they do currently. I incorporated an inflatable lumbar support, added under seat storage and designed a bottle/cup holder to fox onto the tray when it is folded away. The armrests were made more padded using a gel-filled cushion and the remote control pops out of the front of the armrest arther than at the side, where it is often difficuult to get at.
I would like to ask your opinions on my new design and ask what you would expect from an economy seat? What would you change?
Please reply asap, as this project is in next week,

Links to pictures further down the page!

Many thanks
Suzanne

[Nottingham Nick]

Welcome to V-Flyer, Suzanne.

Do you have any pictures of the design that you could link to?

Whilst I am sure everyone on the site is pleased that VS are looking at new designs, the main complaint here is that lack of seat pitch in Y.

Does your project have any input into this, or is it purely to do with the shape of the seat. I say this because a seat may be very comfortable in isolation, but when it is packed onto a plane with lots of others around it, the comfort factor is diminished somewhat.

I like the ideas you have already incorporated, especially moving the IFE controller, and adding lumbar support.

Nick

I like the cup holder idea... prevents accidents... [:w]

One thing which I think would be great is a memory-gel filled seat cushion edge, as long as it could stand up to the day in, day out hammering it will get from being on an aircraft.

When I'm trying to sleep in a plane seat, the thing I really miss is the lack of support under my knees. Often, the seat pan itself is too short, too.

I know that on most Business class seats, when you recline, the angle of the seat pan changes, so you are "cradled" in the seat. If only there were a way to make economy seats to do that without having to take up more space!

I think the main thing for anything you will be sat in for 13 hours at a time is that you do "sit in" it, and not "sit on" it.

The new Recaro economy seats that Swiss are fitting to their A32X fleet have some clever tricks to improve (or increase the illusion of) space. The seat back is made of composites to save space, covered with some advanced cushioning, making for a thinner seat back. There is also a smart trick at the bottom of the seat back in front - it curves away as it comes level with the knees of the person behind, making it easier for the person to stretch their legs, or use the storage underneath the seat in front.

Maybe there is some way to make a bottle/cup holder "fold-out" from the end of the armrest, rather than from the seatback? I've found the cup holders in the seatbacks aren't very good when the person in front is reclined - the holder doesn't stay horizontal!

Cheers,
Mike

Wow, who's gonna need to pay extra for UCS with all those great ideas?! Good luck, and hope to see your ideas come to fruition soon.

Jacq x

Armrests and seats that fold up... to make is easier to get in and out of your row.

Somewhere to put a drink without having to the fold out tray.

And finally... A recline inhibit button...To stop that annoying passenger in front trying to convert his seat into a lay flat bed especially when I am eating my Dinner.

[preiffer]

Hi Suzanne,

In order for us to give accurate opinions, I'm afraid you'll need to give us some visual clues (a picture) so that we can provide you with some quality feedback.

ie: this "under-seat storage" - does that reduce foot/leg room? The v:port boxes take enough of that up already [:0]


(Tim - I take it you'd be happy to sit bolt-upright for 11 hours if I choose to activate my "recline inhibit" button then? [ii] - Can't have it both ways... [:p])

[mcmbenjamin]

The new VS Econ seat have a 'meal tray' that folds in half so you can read a book while resting your hands. Good idea if you ask me.

Thankyou all for replying....all your opinions will be very useful. I will put an image on, but i dont know how to? can anyone point me in the right direection?!

Thankyou
suzanne

[Nottingham Nick]

Originally posted by suzhilditch
Thankyou all for replying....all your opinions will be very useful. I will put an image on, but i dont know how to? can anyone point me in the right direection?!

Thankyou
suzanne

Suzanne

You can upload a photo to the site through this link or, if you have a web page with the designs already on, then you can post a link in your reply. Details of how to do this are in the FAQs.

Nick

http://www.brokenminds.pwp.blueyonder.c ... Bottle.jpg
http://www.brokenminds.pwp.blueyonder.c ... adrest.jpg
http://www.brokenminds.pwp.blueyonder.c ... /Final.jpg
http://www.brokenminds.pwp.blueyonder.c ... rmrest.jpg

Ok, heres some images....i think! Any feedback will be much appreciated?!

Suzanne

Hi Suzanne

I changed your post to just be urls that point to the images - the width and size of the images inserted in the post caused the page display to be disrupted.

Cheers

Michael

Originally posted by suzhilditch
http://www.brokenminds.pwp.blueyonder.c ... Bottle.jpg
http://www.brokenminds.pwp.blueyonder.c ... adrest.jpg
http://www.brokenminds.pwp.blueyonder.c ... /Final.jpg
http://www.brokenminds.pwp.blueyonder.c ... rmrest.jpg

Ok, heres some images....i think! Any feedback will be much appreciated?!

Suzanne

Hmmm, theyre hosted on the same server as the image of the LCD screen in this thread-http://www.v-flyer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11067. Do you know Dan?[:?]

i suggested this forum to suz..

Nice![y]

I hope you do well[8D]:D

Cheers,
VS045

It looks like an electric chair IMHO gets coat and readys himself for a stoning

Originally posted by BrokenZ
i suggested this forum to suz..

Thanks. I hope you guys are getting some useful information.

Suzanne, the only thing I would say is that we had cup holders on the gatwick 747 fleet when they were first introduced ... and they kept breaking ( I believe someone reclined a seat and water went over person) so they were removed? shame but thought you may be interested.