CONVERTIBLE SEATING SYSTEM

Designed for long haul flights, the award-winning Caterpillar concept is a seating that is instantly convertible between premium economy class and business class flatbed suite, giving operators the flexibility to adjust cabin configuration in response to real-time demand, hence maximizing profit. Paperclip Design is seeking partners to co-develop this concept with. This information pack contains details regarding the patent-pending concept.

www.paperclipdesign.hk

CATERPILLAR CONVERTIBLE SEATING SYSTEM

http://www.crystal-cabin-award.com/

http://www.paperclipdesign.hk

I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 3

Background ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4Basic Concept ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5Dimensions .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6Why Would Airlines Want Convertible Seating? ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7

II. PRODUCT FEATURES ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9

Personal Space .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 10Storage Space ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 11Social Options .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12Sleeping Comfort ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13Harmony ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 14

III. DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 15

IV. TECHNICAL DRAWINGS................................................................................................................................................................................................. 25

Caterpillar Wide Seat .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 26Caterpillar Wide Console .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 27Caterpillar Narrow............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 28

V. SEATING LAYOUT ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 29

Business Class Seat Density .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 30Premium Economy Seat Density ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 31Airbus A330-300 Layout .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 32Airbus A330-200 Layout .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 33Airbus A350-900 Layout .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 34Airbus A380-800 Layout .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 35Boeing 777 Layout ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 36Boeing 787-8 Layout .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 37

VI. ABOUT US ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 38

CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTIONThis section outlines the background of this project, the basic idea

of the concept, as well as its potential value to airlines

BACKGROUND

Business Needs

The Caterpillar is a concept developed in response to the business needs of airlines: the need for flexible seating configuration, and the emerging trend for the introduction of premium economy class.

The benefit of flexible seating configuration is well established, which is why convertible seats are widely used, particularly in Europe. However, such seating has yet to be seen on long-haul flights probably due to the lack of a suitable product that addresses the demanding needs of modern day intercontinental business class- specifically the flatbed capability.

Caterpillar is a concept that answers those needs. It is a seat that is readily interchangeable between premium economy and flatbed suite via a simple mechanism, with seat densities on par with current industry standards. This allows airlines to make efficient use of cabin space without compromising passenger experience.

Award

The Caterpillar concept has won the prestigious Crystal Cabin Award at Hamburg in the category "Premium Class & VIP" in 2014.

Intellectual Property

The core concept of the Caterpillar is patent-pending, having priority claimed through the State Intellectual Property Office of the People’s Republic of China, and international patent application filed under the PCT in 2013*. Patent documentation is available on request.

Paperclip Design is currently seeking industry partners to co-develop this concept with.

I. INTRODUCTIO

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*Application Number: PCT/CN2013/088432 Title of Invention: Convertible Seating Unit

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Background

BASIC CONCEPT

Business Class

In business class mode, the inboard seat converts into a flat surface filling the entire inboard half, forming a spacious private suite with a side couch for one passenger seated in the aisle seat.

Premium Economy

Each Caterpillar unit is made up of two premium economy class seats, with the inboard seat staggered forward relative to the aisle seat. The seats are surrounded by a fixed partition behind their back.

Sleeping Mode

In sleeping mode, the aisle seat is also converted into a flat surface continuous with the side couch, which together forms a large sleeping surface long enough for a passenger to lie flat diagonally across.

Conversion Mechanism

The simplest mechanism for transforming each seat into a flat surface is by manually flipping the seatback over to expose its back side. The more common slide-forward recline mechanism may also be used for this operation, but would not be as light-weight or as quick. The operation is simple enough to be performed by the passengers themselves or by cabin crew.

inboard seat

aisle seat flat bed

side couch

I. INTRODUCTIO

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Basic Concept

46” Width• Airbus A380 Lower Deck• Boeing 747• Boeing 767• Boeing 777

46” with Large Console• Airbus A380 Upper Deck• Boeing 747• Boeing 767• Boeing 777

44” Width• Airbus A350• Boeing 787

42” Width• Airbus A330• Airbus A340• Airbus A380 Upper Deck

77”

64”

44”

64”

44”

66”

45”

68.5”

47”

46” 46” 44”

21” 21” 19” 19” 20” 20”

42”

19” 19”

8”

77”

8”

78”

8”

79”

9”

DIMENSIONS

The exact dimensions of Caterpillar can adapted for different cabin widths. The wider the suite, the less pitch it requires for providing an acceptable bed length. There is however a limit to how small the pitch can go- the bottleneck being the egress space for the inboard seat. This is because a longer bed length is achieved by greater offset between adjacent seats, which on the other hand closes the gap for inboard egress. Currently the gap is set at a minimum of 8”.

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Dimensions

WHY WOULD AIRLINES WANT CONVERTIBLE SEATING?

Although some may argue that, in a purely passenger experience point of view, convertible seats can never be better than dedicated seats due to extra trade-offs necessary, they do have a wide range of benefits to airline operations that leads to better profitability:

Revenue Management

Convertible seating increases the revenue potential of an aircraft.Being able to shift the capacity of the cabins releases a major constraint in revenue management, which enables more of the fluctuating demand to be captured. Although not directly comparable, an academic study on flexible seating configurations using regional aircraft as a test case predicts a 3.3% increase in total revenue generated compared with optimal fixed configuration*.

Aircraft Capacity

Convertible seating adds capacity for free without new aircraft purchases.Certain routes have lower demand for flatbeds. Convertible seating puts the cabin space into better use by converting flatbeds into premium economy, allowing operators to gain market share by selling more seats cheaply. As an example, a 777-300ER with a 4 class configuration F6/J53/P34/Y182 can have its total capacity increased by a maximum of 19% when used for a low-yielding flight, such as holiday destinations or regional flights.

Fleet Assignment

Convertible seating simplifies fleet assignment and improves utilization. Many airlines set up multiple configurations for the same aircraft type to suit different routes. Flexible seating makes an aircraft much more versatile, permitting airlines to satisfy different markets using a single configuration, which in turn streamlines the fleet assignment problem and makes aircraft substitutions during irregular operations much easier, potentially increasing aircraft utilization rate.

*Pak, K., Dekker, R. and Kindervater, G. (2003) Airline Revenue Management with Shifting Capacity Econometric Institute Report EI 2003-46, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands

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Why Would Airlines Want Convertible Seating?

http://www.econbiz.de/Record/airline-revenue-management-with-shifting-capacity-pak-kevin/10001844725

Engineering Cost

Convertible seating saves engineering cost and reduces down time.Airlines are sometimes forced to reconfigure their aircraft when market conditions changes to a point that makes certain cabin configuration unsustainable. This is a costly procedure which takes an aircraft out of service for days. A flexible seating configuration is much more resilient to changing market conditions and thus eliminates the need for reconfiguration.

Customer Loyalty vs Revenue Dilution

Convertible seating can strengthen customer loyalty, or protect against revenue dilution.Depending on management philosophy, some airlines give out as many upgrades as possible to attract frequent flyers, while others stay away from upgrades to avoid elite customers intentionally buying-down. In either case, convertible seating gives airlines better control of their inventory- they can either make use of unoccupied seats to maximize upgrades, or minimize unnecessary upgrades by reducing business class capacity.

New Product Introduction

Convertible seating minimizes the risk of introducing new cabin class.Many airlines are hesitant about introducing premium economy for fear of cannibalizing their business class revenue. Convertible seating minimizes that risk as airlines will have the option to simply “switch off” those seats if such condition arises. Similarly, low-cost carriers may capture incremental revenue using convertible seats by offering flatbeds at a surcharge when there are seats unsold.

WHY WOULD AIRLINES WANT CONVERTIBLE SEATING? (CONT’D)

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PRODUCT FEATURESThe following pages present some of the unique selling propositions

of the Caterpillar in terms of passenger experience

II. PRODUCT FEATURES

PERSONAL SPACE


Forward Facing All seats faces the direction of travel.

Aisle AccessDirect aisle access for all business class passengers.

Wide Living SpacePractically unlimited elbow width on both sides of the seat in business class mode.

Private SuiteIn business class, each passenger gets an extra wide private suite with a side couch that creates a unique living room-like ambience.

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Personal Space

STORAGE SPACE

Second Screen Extra PTV can be used to display useful information, or as a digital picture frame for decoration.


Baggage SpaceGenerous under seat storage space for carry-ons, reducing the need for lifting heavy bags into overhead bins.

Working Space The side couch is a convenient space for passengers to spread their belongings around as they work.

Uncluttered Space Storage rack for small items and oversized cocktail tray provides convenience within arm reach.

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Storage Space

SOCIAL OPTIONS


SolitudeBusiness class seats are positioned far away from each other, so passengers who prefer some isolation can simply remain in their cozy retreat.

Intimacy In business class, by reactivating the inboard seats, couples are still able to sit close to each other even during take-off and landing.

Guest Couch The side couch can be used for inviting guests over.

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Social Options

Hip Room The bed shape is wide where it needs to be, with a width of more than 40” at waist level to support a wide range of sleeping postures.

Maximal Bed Space Caterpillar’s layout maximizes bed space, with the sleeping surface utilizing nearly every inch of available floor area.

Secure Locker The middle armrest cabinet is naturally “locked” under the seatback in bed mode, giving passengers a peace of mind while resting.


SLEEPING COMFORT

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Sleeping Comfort


HARMONY Elbow Room In premium economy, adjacent seats are staggered which results in greater effective shoulder and elbow width.

Protected SpaceFixed shell ensures passenger’s living space is not encroached when the seat in front reclines, even in premium economy.

Family FriendlyIn premium economy, airlines may choose to convert seats into couches for small children to sleep comfortably and thus reduce parental stress.

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Harmony

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONSThe following pages describe some of the other factors to take

into consideration in the design of the final product

III. DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

III. DESIGN CONSIDERATIO

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Asymmetrical Seatback The seatback is asymmetrical in shape, with a rounded top corner at the aisle side and a sharp one on the opposite end. This is to minimize gaps on the bed surface without resorting to separate components.

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NS

Privacy Screen Business class seats have natural privacy even without privacy screens as passengers are positioned far apart. But sliding partitions can be added between middle seats for additional privacy.

Area of Flexibility The upper shell is an area of flexibility that can be customized for individual airline needs, whether it is PCUs, an open rack, a cabinet with doors, or a magazine pocket.

Feature Decoration Eye catching feature lighting or decoration hidden behind the inboard seatback instantly transforms the cabin ambience in business class mode.

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NS

Screen Size The inboard seat has smaller space for PTV. For product consistency, airlines may reduce the aisle seat screen display size via software in premium economy.

Fixed OttomanThe inboard ottoman, which forms part of the bed, can potentially be fixed considering the inboard seat is only used for premium economy, and that it has more knee room to start with.

Lower OttomanAlternatively, a lower ottoman can be added for consistency with aisle seat.

Baggage SpaceHuge under seat space for carry-ons without lower ottoman, potentially allowing the removal of some overhead bins to reduce weight.

Adjustable OttomanIn the current design, the aisle seat has an adjustable ottoman considering that it may be occupied as business class.

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NS

Front DistanceThe PTV is closer to the occupant on the inboard seat compared to the aisle seat, due to the depth of the storage rack.

Knee Room On the other hand, the inboard seat has greater knee space compared with the aisle seat due to the footwell.

Egress SpaceThe bottleneck that limits offset distance, hence the bed length, is the gap for inboard seat egress. This gap is 8” in the current design, but has room for enlargement by increasing the fillet radius of the seat cushion and the seat shell.

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NS

Black Shroud A black upper shroud was chosen for this design to camouflage the inboard PTV when not in use in the business class mode.

Passenger Control Unit PCU for the inboard seat passenger in premium economy class can be placed on the backshell of the row in front.

Seat Shell The horizontally sectioned seat shell visually extends the personal space of the business class passenger into the inboard seat.

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NS

Parts CommonalityOn wider caterpillar units used on the 777, 787 and A350, one of the options is to utilize the smaller A330/A340 sized 19” wide seats, paired with a wider side console. This increases parts commonality across different versions, potentially improving manufacturing efficiency.

Wide Console OptionA wider side console results in a gigantic centre console between the middle seats on the 777,787 and A350, making the otherwise unpopular seats more attractive.

Product ConsistencyUsing the 19” seats also maximizes product consistency across the fleet for airlines that uses the product on multiple aircraft types. Although seat width is not maximized, it is less of an issue as the passengers’ shoulders are offset anyways.

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NS

Backward InclinationThe back shell can be inclined towards the back to increase the maximum seat recline achievable within the limited pitch. In this design, the shell is inclined by 7 degrees, which adds 4” to the recline, but also adds the same amount to the overall cabin length required for each cabin section.

7°

4”

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NS

Bed Gap In the current design there is a small gap between the bed surface and the seat shell. If necessary, this gap can be further reduced by increasing seatback height, or by adding an extension piece.

Bed Seat Belt Possible seatbelt attachment points for the seat belt in bed mode.

Guest Seat Belt An extra seatbelt segment for guests seated on side couch.

Airbag Recess Slot for holding the thick seat belt airbag in the bed mode, assuming it is needed for HIC requirements.

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NS

Tray Tables In arm tray tables can be installed in the side armrests.

Seat Pan Width In the current design, the actual width of the seat pan cushion is reduced by 2” to make way for the middle armrest, although the actual hip space is not affected. Cushion width may be increased by modifying the middle armrest design.

Armrest Direction Due to the shape of the bed, one of the armrest for the aisle seat is angled away. Comfort-wise, this is probably acceptable as some business class products in the market already have a similar geometry. A retractable armrest can be installed if a symmetrical experience is desired.

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TECHNICAL DRAWINGSThe following pages are technical drawings of Caterpillar’s

proof of concept CAD model in three different sizes

IV. TECHNICAL DRAWINGS


Scale 1:20

CATERPILLAR WIDE SEAT

Wide Seat Version

• Tailored for the Boeing 777 cabin width

• Overall width: 46”

• Seat width: 21”

• Suggested seat pitch: 44”

• Diagonal bed length: 77”

47”

46”

25”

18”

21”

21”

44” 58.5”

12”

83°

2”2”

17.3”2.5°

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Caterpillar Wide Seat


CATERPILLAR WIDE CONSOLE

Scale 1:20

Wide Console Version

• Tailored for increased commonality with narrow version



• Side console width: 6”



47”

46”

25”

18”

19”

19”

44” 58.5”

12”

83°

6”2”

17.3”2.5°

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Caterpillar Wide Console


CATERPILLAR NARROW

Scale 1:20

Narrow Version

• Tailored for the A330 cabin width





47”

42”

25”

18”

19”

19”

47” 59.5”

12.7”

83°

2”2”

17.3”2.5°

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Caterpillar Narrow

SEATING LAYOUTThis section compares Caterpillar’s seat density with other products

and also shows sample LOPAs on various aircraft types

V. SEATING LAYOUT

V. SEATING LAYOUT

BUSINESS CLASS SEAT DENSITY

Note: Data collected from public sources and may not be accurate * Pitch÷Abreast: Normalized ‘steady state’ space per seat ignoring front row wastage

LX Thompson Vantage 45 4.5 10.0

LH B/E Diamond 65 6 10.8

EY Sogerma Solstys 43.5 4 10.9

CZ Zodiac Skylounge 43.5 4 10.9

SK Thompson Vantage XL 45 4 11.3

Caterpillar Narrow 47 4 11.8

CX Zodiac Cirrus 48 4 12.0

AC Contour Solar Eclipse 36 3 12.0

QF B/E Minipod Full Flat 80 6 13.3

SQ Long Haul Business 55 4 13.8

Airbus A330 / A340 / A380 Upper Deck

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In business class, at 44” pitch on the 777 and 47“ on the A330, Caterpillar’s seat density compares well with the major types of full flat products in the market, coming in mid-range amongst the spectrum. The graphs below shows comparisons on the theoretical seat density on 777 and A330 sized cabins respectively.

Airline Seat Model Pitch Abreast Space* OS Thompson Vantage 44 5 8.8

UA B/E Diamond 60 6 10.0

NZ Upper Class Suite 40 4 10.0

CX Zodiac Cirrus 43 4 10.8

EY Sogerma Solstys 43.5 4 10.9

Caterpillar Wide 44 4 11.0

TK Contour Aura 78 7 11.1

JL B/E Staggered Suite 86 7 12.3

SQ Long Haul Business 51 4 12.8

QR B/E Minipod Full Flat 78 6 13.0

Boeing 777

Airline Seat Model Pitch Abreast Space*

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Business Class Seat Density

V. SEATING LAYOUT

PREMIUM ECONOMY SEAT DENSITY

Note: Data collected from public sources and may not be accurate * Pitch÷Abreast: Normalized ‘steady state’ space per seat ignoring front row wastage

In premium economy, Caterpillar is at the larger end, taking 8% or 16% more space on the A330 & 777 respectively compared with 38” pitch industry standard. However, its “seamless” transition between business and premium economy saves space, and in some cases may even lead to a higher overall seat count.

NZTKJLBRACNHCXAFBATGQFSKBAAZAFCXLHVS

VS Reynard Aviation 38 7 5.4

LH ZIM BC-01 38 7 5.4

CX Zodiac 5810 38 7 5.4

AF B/E Icon Seat 38 7 5.4

AZ Recaro PL3510 38 7 5.4

BA Recaro PL3510 38 7 5.4

SK Zodiac 5810 38 7 5.4

Caterpillar Narrow 47 8 5.9

QF Recaro PL3510 42 7 6.0

TG Koito Sky Comfort 42 7 6.0

Airbus A330 / A340 / A380 Upper Deck

Airline Seat Model Pitch Abreast Space* BA Recaro PL3510 38 8 4.8

AF B/E Icon 38 8 4.8

CX Zodiac 5810 38 8 4.8

NH Zodiac 5810 38 8 4.8

AC Recaro PL3510 38 8 4.8

BR Koito Sky Comfort 40 8 5.0

JL Zodiac Airgo FX Premium 42 8 5.3

Caterpillar Wide 44 8 5.5

TK Recaro CL4420 46 7 6.6

NZ Contour Zenith 42 6 7.0

Boeing 777

Airline Seat Model Pitch Abreast Space*

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Premium Economy Seat Density

V. SEATING LAYOUT

Airbus A330-300 Sample Layout

• LOPA of Caterpillar on the Airbus A330-300 front cabin section between Doors 1 and 2.

• Narrow version of 42” width used, giving a seat pitch of 47” with 18” wide aisles.

• Total 7 rows of seats with 28 business class suites or maximum 56 premium economy class seats, as well as 2 lavatories.

AIRBUS A330-300

S

Scale 1:60

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Airbus A330-300 Layout

V. SEATING LAYOUT



• Narrow version of 42” width used, giving a seat pitch of 47” with 18” wide aisles.

• Total 5 rows of seats with 20 business class suites or maximum 40 premium economy class seats, as well as 1 lavatory.

AIRBUS A330-200

Scale 1:60

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V. SEATING LAYOUT

AIRBUS A350-900

S



• A mixture of seat versions utilized to maximize seat count, with narrow version used for windows, and wide version for central column.

• Total 8 rows of seats with 32 business class suites or maximum 64 premium economy class seats, as well as 2 lavatories. Scale 1:60

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V. SEATING LAYOUT

AIRBUS A380-800

S


• LOPA of Caterpillar on the Airbus A380-800 upper deck cabin section in front of Doors 1.

• Wide console version used, making use of the typically wasted space next to the windows due to the curvature of cabin wall.

• A total of 26 business class suites or maximum 52 premium economy class seats. Scale 1:60

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V. SEATING LAYOUT

BOEING 777

S

S

Boeing 777 Sample Layout

• LOPA of Caterpillar on the Boeing 777-200 or 777-300 front cabin section between Doors 1 and 2.

• Wide seat version used, giving a seat pitch of 44”.

• Total 7 rows of seats with 28 business class suites or maximum 56 premium economy class seats, as well as 2 lavatories. Scale 1:60

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Boeing 777 Layout

V. SEATING LAYOUT

BOEING 787-8

Boeing 787-8 Sample Layout

• LOPA of Caterpillar on the Boeing 787-8 front cabin section between Doors 1 and 2.

• A mixture of versions utilized to maximize seat count, with wide console used for windows, and narrow version for central column.

• A total of 22 business class suites or maximum 44 premium economy class seats, as well as 2 lavatories. Scale 1:60

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Boeing 787-8 Layout

ABOUT USA bit on our background, our design philosophy

as well as our contact information

VI. ABOUT US

ABOUT US

Our Company

Paperclip Design is Hong Kong-based industrial design studio that seeks solutions to everyday problems with a focus on aviation and seating-related issues. Our expertise is the optimization of space in highly constrained environments, and the excellence of our designs is proven by high-profile awards around the world, including two Crystal Cabin Awards, Red Dot Award, Good Design Award, Spark Award, IDEA Award, as well as the A’ Design Award.

Design Philosphy

A paperclip is a very simple but useful tool used in everyday life and as such represents our design motto: innovation, simplicity, elegance. Our ambition is to add value to businesses with creative ideas.

Contact

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding our company or our work. CAD models of our design concepts are also available on request.

Paperclip Design Limited

T +852 9030 3810

F +852 2696 2968

E [email protected]

A Unit H, 16/F, Fu Cheung Centre, 5-7 Wong Chuk Yeung Street, Fotan, Hong Kong

VI. ABOUT US

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paperclipdesign

http://www.paperclipdesign.hk

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CONVERTIBLE SEATING SYSTEM