Coming soon: A 'paperclip' to end mid-air armrest wars

Melbourne, April 8 (ANI): A new design for aircraft armrests could finally end the misery of in-flight elbow hockey.

Called the 'Paperclip Armrest Concept,' it's a double-levelled armrest that allows airline passengers to share a single armrest without touching.

The armrest has been created by Hong Kong-based designer James Lee, a management trainee for airline Cathay Pacific.

Lee's design won the Judge's Commendation Prize at Hamburg's Crystal Cabin Awards, which recognises new ideas for cabin products.

The awards were presented at the Aircraft Interiors Expo.

The design was described as 'a transversely offset, double-level armrest' that allowed 'two adjacent passengers to rest their arms on the armrest simultaneously, without bumping into each other, as if being given a few inches of extra width'.

Many frequent flyers are excited about the design, but it is yet to be patented so it will not be seen on airplanes for some time.

"I have no idea what airline seat designers were thinking when they decided to design the armrest the way it is, but it sucks... the "paperclip armrest design" may finally bring a workable solution to the problem," News.com.au quoted blogger Scott Carmichael, as saying. (ANI)