Repacking the Aircraft Cabin: 8 Airbus Patents That Make Space Do Double Duty

What is it?

"Seating device comprising a forward-foldable backrest" changes an aircraft seat between use and reduced-bulk configurations. The specification explicitly describes a motorcycle-type saddle with a narrower, raised front section, allowing the seating position to be raised without making the passenger stand.

The backrest also moves forward and upward rather than merely reclining. The goal is to reduce how far an unused seat projects into the space needed to reach seats farther along the row.

What is it?

"Headrest for a passenger seat for an aircraft" combines a conventional support with a helmet that at least partially houses the passenger's head. The helmet can move vertically and fore-aft so it can be positioned around the passenger and moved away when not wanted.

The patent also describes image glasses, earphones, airflow and sections whose transparency can change. Rather than asking a passenger to look toward a screen in the cabin, it turns the immediate space around the head into the entertainment and isolation device.

What is it?

"Module for an aircraft cabin with a seat fastened to a door" attaches a seat directly to the door of a cabin module. Rather than reserving one wall area for the door and another for an attendant seat, both functions are combined on a single movable surface.

Cabin monuments, aisles and attendant seats all compete for tightly controlled floor and wall space. The invention challenges the assumption that the area occupied by a door can serve only the door.

What is it?

"Sleeping box, sleeping box arrangement and aircraft area" describes elongated enclosures sized for a person to lie down and arrangements that combine multiple boxes. Instead of asking a passenger seat to recline farther, it creates a dedicated small volume for sleeping.

Stacking the boxes uses height as well as floor area. A portion of the aircraft can therefore be planned less like a two-dimensional seating chart and more like a three-dimensional rack of occupied spaces.

What is it?

"Stairway for an aircraft" connects a lower and higher level while making the steps nearest the lower level movable as a group. The patent specifically discusses connecting day and night spaces in an aircraft.

Raising the lower steps returns the occupied floor to another use. The idea is to deploy a circulation path only when it is useful instead of permanently assigning cabin area to the stairway.

What is it?

"Functional unit in a passenger cabin" splits a passenger seat into upper and lower constructional units. The backrest is attached to a support such as a cabin monument wall, while the seat frame, seat element and restraint are attached separately at the floor.

Wall and seat are normally independent objects placed next to each other. Here the wall supports the upper half of the seat, and the lower seat element may also be foldable to clear space when it is not being used.

What is it?

"Modular lavatory assembly" treats the aircraft lavatory as a configurable assembly rather than one fixed box. A base lavatory and additional service modules can be arranged to suit the available cabin envelope and the functions the operator needs.

At the rear of an aircraft, lavatories, galleys, aisles and passenger seats compete for the same cabin length. Breaking the lavatory into configurable elements creates another way to redistribute that space.

What is it?

"Aircraft flight deck comprising a folding seat" places a folding auxiliary seat in the constrained corridor around the flight deck. The patent describes configurations in which the seat can also help close off the corridor.

Other embodiments describe a reinforced rear face and a ladder mounted on the back. The auxiliary seat can therefore support protection and access functions as well as provide a place to sit.