GB1558600A

GB1558600A - Articulated seating for trasnprot vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB1558600A
Application number: GB27523/76A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Air France SA
Current assignee: Air France SA
Priority date: 1975-07-22
Filing date: 1976-07-01
Publication date: 1980-01-09
Also published as: JPS6056482B2; DE2632354A1; FR2318759B1; IT1057841B; DE2632354B2; NL7602389A; DE2632354C3; JPS5213223A; FR2318759A1

Description

(54) ARTICULATED SEATING FOR TRANSPORT VEHICLES (71) We, COMPAGNIE NATIONAL AIR FRANCE, a French Societe Anonyme, of 1 Square Max Hymans, 75741-Paris Cedex 15, France, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to articulated seating useful for transport vehicles, and more particularly for aircraft.

Seats are already known in which the inclination of the back member is adjustable with respect to a fixed seat member. The position of the back member of the seat, either upward or inclined, is chosen by the occupant to ensure maximum confort.

The use of such seats, however, is no longer compatible with the modern concept of transportation, which requires that the space between two seats placed one behind the other is more and more limited with less free space for the passenger. When a passenger reclines too far backward in his seat, he unavoidably bothers the passenger seated behind him.

In order to eliminate such disadvantages, the back member of the seat which reclines can be combined with a seat member which is movable from either front to rear while remaining in its horizontal plane, or moving from front to rear while simultaneously moving up and down and remaining in the horizontal plane, or, while reclining with respect to the horizontal, moving the front part upward and the rear part downward as the back becomes more and more slanted.

Such seats have been described in French patent 823,912 and in U.S. Patents 2,102,979, 2,271,925 2,516,712 and 2,925,122.

When using any one of these seats and especially when putting a back member of the seat in a slanted position each passenger necessarily reduces the free space allocated to him and/or the space alloted to the passenger behind him, because either the seat member has moved forward or backward or has tipped downward in the rear, a situation which creates an unpleasant consequence of reducing the height of the free space in the rear of the seat, i.e., the free height for the passage of the legs of the occupant of the seat to the rear, and therefore the comfort of said occupant.

As a result, there has been a move toward a new generation of articulated seats made in a manner such that, for one thing, the back member constantly remains with the seat member, and for another thing, the back member is in a reclined or slanted position, the respective displacements of the seat and the back members will be as small as possible in order not to affect the comfort of the passengers. French patents 1,369,343, 1,473,282 and U.K. Patent 1,278,501 disclose examples of such articulated seats.

The previously mentioned articulated seats, however, still present a few drawbacks which can be summarized as follows.

The seat in French patent 1,473,282 is made with three supports for the user, two of the supports (the seat member and the bottom part of the back member) being movable with respect to the frame of the whole seat, and the third support (the top of the back member) being fixed. Such an arrangement creates two drawbacks in the extent to which in the first place the lower part of the passenger can be reclined when the seat member and the bottom part of the back member are moved forward, a situation which is uncomfortable, and secondly, in the manner in which the body of the passenger each time is in motion with respect to the back member of the seat when the position of the seat is modified, since in reality, the fact that two supports are movable and the third support remains fixed necessarily requires the body of the occupant of the seat to be slightly displaced with respect to the fixed back member.

The articulated seat according to U.K.

Patent 1,278,501 made with two movable supports (seat and back members) by sliding three grooves of the seat frame eliminates the two aforementioned drawbacks by offering at the time of each of its changes of position, a movement such that the seat always perfectly surrounds the body of its occupant. However, such a seat is very intricate to make because only a perfect formation of the three sliding grooves on the internal face of the sides of the frame makes it possible for the two supports of the seat to slide with respect to the fixed frame while maintaining approximately constant the angle of the dihedron formed between the seat and back members.

The present invention provides an articulated seat for transport vehicles, especially aircraft, the seat having a generally horizontal seat member, a normally generally upright back member and an intermediate member articulated both to the seat and to the back member for pivotal movement between them, the intermediate member being normally disposed in a generally upright position as a continuation of the back member, a frame for supporting the seat member, intermediate member and back member through means permitting a forward movement of the seat member together with a simultaneous pivoting reclining movement of the back and intermediate members about a bearing pivot on the intermediate member the bearing pivot being supported by the frame for generally vertical movements, the location of the bearing pivot relative to the back and intermediate members being such that the back member is free to be folded by pivoting about its articulation with the intermediate member.

Thus, since the three support members (seat, intermediate and back members) of the seat are movable with respect to the frame, it is possible to displace with one motion, the whole complex formed by the three support members relative to the frame.

The body of the occupant of the seat also follows the same motion as said complex in each of its points so that the discomfort resulting from the use of some of the seats described in the prior art is eliminated.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the seat member and the intermediate member are mounted in a sliding manner with respect to the frame. The disposition of the guide members on the seat member and their rolling supports on the frame makes it possible at the time of reclining the back member to have a small displacement with respect to the fixed frame so that the dihedron they form will be practically invariable and the body of the occupant will maintain the same position relative to the seat.

The seat member preferably has on each of its two lateral edges two straight guides forming an open V which includes an obtuse angle, preferably 165 -170 , each guide offering a planar rolling surface for a roller fixed on a side of the frame and directly facing the said guide. The guides are part of the seat member and therefore are movable while the axes of rollers are affixed to the frame, an arrangement which provides an appreciable improvement in the sliding of the seat with respect to the frame.

The V-conformation of the guides makes it possible for the seat member to move upward very slightly in front at the time the back member is reclined. The angle which the seat members originally formed with the back member undergoes practically no alteration and the body of the occupant always keeps the same position at the time the back is reclined.

In a preferred embodiment each said roller for the seat is a truncated cone, the axis of which is horizontal, the minor end of which is presented towards the median plane of the seat. Then the rolling surface of each guide is inclined relative to the horizontal in a transverse plane, the angle of inclination being identical with the half angle of the aforementioned cone. Such an arrangement ensures a constant centring of the movable seat member in the axis of the seat between the two sides of the frame.

The pivot axis of the said articulation may be either identical with the horizontal transverse axis about which the intermediate member pivots with respect to the frame or distinct from said transverse axis.

This makes it possible to fold down forwardly the back of the seat over the seat member itself. This makes it possible to install a stretcher or to fasten freight to the rear face of the back member which has been brought down forwardly, to store the seats in piles more easily after their fabrication or during transportation before taking them to the vehicle on which they will later be installed increase the free space in case of emergency evacuation, and to offer additional comfort to the adjacent passenger who can place or spread objects on it, or to the passenger in the rear who can put his legs on it or stretch them more easily.

The articulation between the intermediate member and the back member is preferably completely free from the frame. In this way, the members provided for sliding the seat with respect to the frame and the means provided for articulation of a support on another support guarantees better dependability for the mechanical elements of the seat and ensures the occupant of the seat greater comfort since the sliding between the two sides of the frame occurs without jerks and with a minimum of friction.

The invention will be further illustrated but is not limited by the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a seat embodying the invention without upholstery and without the right side of the frame so that the structure of the three support members of the seating is clearly shown FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II, II of Fig. 1 of one of the two articulation zones of the back and the intermediate element; FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III, III of Fig 1 of the seat member in which the rolling surfaces of the guides are each supported on a small roller mounted on the frame the Figure showing additionally straps mounted in the rear end of the member;; FIGURE 4 is a side sectional view showing schematically the three support members which comprise the seat in its upright position and illustrating by dot-dash lines the reclining position of the seat as well as the position of the back member when it is pivoted forwardly around the top of the intermediate member; FIGURE 5 is a schematic side view of the three support members when the back member is lowered from the upright position which is shown in dot-dash lines and; FIGURE 6 is a side view of the seat after it has been upholstered and completely mounted on the frame, with various positions in dot-dash lines.

Refering to the drawings, the seat generally indicated at I includes a fixed frame formed by two sides 2 affixed to a base 3 resting on the floor 4 (see Fig. 6). The base is cast or moulded of a light alloy or made of stamped metal sheet. It is generally locked on a rail in the floor 4.

The sides 2 which are cast or moulded are affixed to the lower part 3 with the desired spacing from one another and have in their upper parts a transverse shaft 5 around which an armrest 6 can freely rotate.

The seat elements which the body of the passenger rests on and which are supported by the frame, are a generally horizontal seat member 7, a normally generally upright back member 8, and a normally generally upright intermediate element 9 placed between the seat member and the back member and articulated on the rear part of the seat member around shaft 10 and on the lower part of the back member around shaft 11.

Seat member 7 includes a frame or support, symmetrical to the right and to the left comprising an internal profiled stringer 12, the cross section of which is U-shaped which is welded on the ends of the internal faces of the wings of an external profiled stringer 13, the cross section of which is Shaped. Part 14 of the lower wing of stringer 13 is slanted by a few degrees with respect to the horizontal. The two parts of the U-shaped stringer 12, 13 are joined at their rear and forward ends by means of cross pieces 15 which also consist of a pair of U-shaped elements, the wings of the outer element being welded at their internal faces on the wings of the inner element and by their external faces to the faces of the wings of stringers 13.

A strap 16, the cross section of which is U-shaped is engaged between stringers 12 and 13 at the rear end of each pair of stringers. The wings of said strap are in contact with the outer face of the web of internal stringer 12, the other with the inner face of the web of external stringer 13. The centre part of said strap is riveted on the upper wing of stringer 13. The strap 16 is at the rear part of each pair of stringers 12, 13 and its web is cut back so only its wings 17 protrude from the end of the pair of stringers 12, 13.

Optionally, the bottom metal sheet 18 is riveted on the upper wings of the stringers 12, 13 and the cross pieces 15.

Finally, an L-shaped angle iron 19 is supported on the end of the lower wing of the U-shaped profile of the external stringer 13 and the vertical wing of said angle iron is placed at approximately right angles with the edge formed at the intersection of the slanted part 14 and the horizontal part of the same wing, facing toward ground 4.

A right angle member 20 is also welded on said angle iron, the vertical wing of said right angle member being supported by and on the outside of the vertical arm or wing of angle iron 19, the horizontal wing of the right angle member being turned toward the outside of the seat to form a channel 21 with the slanted part of wing 14 of the external stringer.

Back 8 includes a frame comprising a right stringer 22 and a left stringer 23, both of them being U-shaped profiles with the wings of the U being turned to the front toward the seat. A right angle member 24 is welded over the whole length of each stringer 22, 23 over the web of said stringer.

Arm 25 of member 24 projects beyond each stringer 22, 23 toward the median plane 26 of seat 7 to form a supporting surface on which are welded cross member 27 intermediate cross piece 28 and lower cross piece 29 on the exterior surface of which there is welded a metal sheet 30 having openings 31. Metal sheet 30 is affixed to cross pieces 27, 28 and 29 and to the arms 25 of members 24. Straps 32 and 33 extend beyond the lower parts of stringers 22 and 23, respectively, each strap having a Ushaped horizontal section, the centre part of which rests on the web of the corresponding stringer and the wings of which are affixed to the wings of the same stringer.The centre part of each strap 32, 33 is cut back to terminate with the stringer (as in strap 16) and the projecting wings 34 of these straps extend forwardly and downwardly at an angle of approximately 60". Stop lug pieces 35 are riveted at intervals along the lower cross member 29.

It will be apparent that the structure of back member 8 is very similar to that of seat member 7.

The intermediate member 9 is a connecting element between the seat and the back and its structure, therefore, is very different from the structures of the latter, especially with respect to the articulation axes of the intermediate member on the seat and on the back.

The intermediate member 9 consists of two pairs of stringers right and left, symmetrical with respect to plane 26. Each pair of stringers includes an external stringer 36, the cross section of which is U-shaped and an internal stringer 37 which also has a U-shaped cross section. The wings of the internal stringer 37 are anchored and rivited on the wings of the external stringer 36.

The wings of the internal stringers are substantially shorter than those of the external stringers in order to leave a space between the webs of stringers 36 and 37. The wings of the assembled stringers are directed toward the front of the seat. The stringers are placed parallel to one another and they are joined first by means of a lower cross piece 38 and an upper cross piece 39 welded onto the stringers, then by means of a metal sheet 40 welded to the exterior of the webs of external stringers 36. In the upper part of the intermediate element 9 stop lug pieces 41 are provided which face stop lug pieces 35 of back part 8.The wings of stringers 36 and 37 are cut out to butt against the ends of stringers of the seat member and the stringers of the back so that they appear to be continuations of one another At the lower part each pair of stringers 36, 37 receives between its wings, the wings 17 of the strap 16. These are slightly less spaced than those of the stringers of the intermediate member, consequently are engaged between the latter, and the assembly of the seat part 7 and of the intermediate member 9 is obtained by means of two shafts 10 which first run through the wings 17 of strap 16, then through the wings of internal stringer 37 and then through those of the external stringer 36.

In the same manner, the wings of stringers 36 and 37 have lobes of projections 43 with apertures, the diameter of which corresponds to that of apertures in wings 34 of straps 32, 33. Two shafts 11 inserted in said openings connect the back member 8 to the intermediate element 9 and provide articulation or pivotal movement of the back member 8 with respect to intermediate member 9.

In the upper third of the pairs of stringers 36, 37, intermediate member 9 has on the wings of each one of said stringers a projection 44 provided with an opening for the passage of a bearing shaft 45 which extends beyond stringers 36, 37 toward the outside of the seat. Each side 2 of the frame is provided, at right angles with the axis of the shaft 45 which directly faces it, with a groove 46 internally formed in the frame (see Figs.

4, 5 and 6).

At the lower part of each side 2, two small rollers 47 are provided which can rotate freely around their axis 48. The arrangement of the small rollers on each side is such that they at least - partially enter channel 21 formed between right angle member 20 and external stringer 13 on each lateral edge of said member 7. Advantageously, the small rollers 47 are made in the form of a truncated cone, the axis of which is horizontal and of which the half angle at the minor end is identical with the angle made by the slanted wing 14 of external stringer 13 to the horizontal, in a transverse plane.

It is apparent that under these conditions each channel 21 offers a rolling surface for the small rollers 47, the rolling plane on each side being provided by the wing 14 of external stringer 13 which permanently rests on small rollers 47.

In the preferred embodiment the stringers 12, 13 of the seat member are shaped in a manner such that the wing 14 will be in the form of a rolling plane consisting of two guides approximately equal in length which form between them an angle a of 165 -170 .

The angle formed by the groove 46 in the frame with the vertical is approximately supplementary in value with the aforementioned value i.e.

groove 46 is slanted by approximately 10 with respect to the vertical, the slant from the rear toward the front of the seat in the downward direction. When the seat is assembled each projecting shaft 45 is engaged in its groove 46.

On the frame of the seat member (known per se and not shown) for locking and unlocking the seat is connected by a system of rods, or preferably of cables, with a control knob 48 which is placed at the end of each armrest 6. Thus, by operating said control knob 48 any occupant of the seat can release the members of the seat relative to the fixed frame and progressively slant the back member 8 as schematically represented in Fig.

6 by arrow 49. In the reclining of the back member, all three members pivot, the intermediate member 9 slants more and dips slightly toward the floor, while the seat member moves forward while moving upward a few degrees in its forward part.

In the course of this motion, the movable shafts 45 move along grooves 46 as schematically represented by arrow 50 while the rolling planes 14 of the lateral guides of the seat member move on the small rollers 47 that are supported by the frame as schematically represented by the arrow 51 in Fig. 6.

The seat member 7 and the intermediate member 9 are mounted slidably with respect to the parts 47 and 46 which are associated with the sides of the frame to support them.

Back member 8, on the other hand, is completely free from the frame since it is simply articulated on the intermediate element 9 around shafts 11.

It is, therefore, possible to bring the back member down over the seat member, as schematically represented by arrow 52, by a simple rotation around shafts 11 without the necessity to release the lock. As illustrated in Figs. 1, 4 and 5, the articulation shafts 11 are distinct from the horizontal transverse bearing shafts 45 of the intermediate member. However, a variation articulation shafts 11 may be identical with bearing shafts 45, such a conception also making it possible to have the back member brought down forward to the seat member around the common shafts 11-45.

It will be noted that in all cases each articulation shaft 10 of the intermediate member 9 with the seat member is never connected with the sides of the frame of the seat. The relative mobility of the seat member and of the intermediate member, therefore, is not a function of the position occupied by these shafts relative to the frame, or even of the wear on these same shafts.

Thus seating as specifically described above can remedy the drawbacks of prior constructions and provide an articulated seat made with three support members for the passenger, all three of them being movable with respect to the frame, so that the adjusting motion of the whole seat complex will cause no discomfort to the passenger and on the contrary, will envelop his body in an substantially invariable position.

By making the seat in three relatively articulated members, the manufacturing operations are easier, less intricate and require less accuracy. Finally, the back member of the seat being freely pivotable relative to the frame, can very easily be brought down forwardly to make it fit between any two arm rests and be forced against the upper face of the seat.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. Articulated seat for transport vehicles, especially aircraft, the seat having a generally horizontal seat member, a normally generally upright back member and an intermediate member articulated both to the seat and to the back member for pivotal movement between them, the intermediate member being normally disposed in a generally upright position as a continuation of the back member, a frame for supporting the seat member, intermediate member and back member through means permitting a forward movement of the seat member together with a simultaneous pivoting reclining movement of the back and intermediate members about a bearing pivot on the intermediate member, the bearing pivot being supported by the frame for generally vertical movements, the location of the bearing pivot relative to the back and intermediate members being such that the back member is free to be folded by pivoting about its articulation with the intermediate member.

2. Seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate member carries on each of its lateral edges as the bearing pivot a shaft which slides in a groove in a side of the frame directly facing said shaft.

3. Seat as claimed in claim 2, wherein said groove is inclined by approximately 10 relative to the vertical, the direction of inclination being towards the front of the seat from top to bottom of the groove.

4. Seat as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the seat member has on each of its two lateral edges two straight guide members which join in an open V to include an obtuse angle between them, each guide offering a planar rolling surface for a roller affixed to a side of the frame which directly faces said guide.

5. Seat as claimed in claim 4 wherein the obtuse angle between the guides is a 165 - 1700.

6. Seat as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5 wherein each said roller is a truncated cone with its axis horizontal, the minor end of which is presented toward the median plane of the seat member, and the planar rolling surface of each guide is inclined relative to the horizontal in a transverse plane, its

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Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

the members of the seat relative to the fixed frame and progressively slant the back member 8 as schematically represented in Fig.

6 by arrow 49. In the reclining of the back member, all three members pivot, the intermediate member 9 slants more and dips slightly toward the floor, while the seat member moves forward while moving upward a few degrees in its forward part.

In the course of this motion, the movable shafts 45 move along grooves 46 as schematically represented by arrow 50 while the rolling planes 14 of the lateral guides of the seat member move on the small rollers 47 that are supported by the frame as schematically represented by the arrow 51 in Fig. 6.

The seat member 7 and the intermediate member 9 are mounted slidably with respect to the parts 47 and 46 which are associated with the sides of the frame to support them.

Back member 8, on the other hand, is completely free from the frame since it is simply articulated on the intermediate element 9 around shafts 11.

It is, therefore, possible to bring the back member down over the seat member, as schematically represented by arrow 52, by a simple rotation around shafts 11 without the necessity to release the lock. As illustrated in Figs. 1, 4 and 5, the articulation shafts 11 are distinct from the horizontal transverse bearing shafts 45 of the intermediate member. However, a variation articulation shafts 11 may be identical with bearing shafts 45, such a conception also making it possible to have the back member brought down forward to the seat member around the common shafts 11-45.

It will be noted that in all cases each articulation shaft 10 of the intermediate member 9 with the seat member is never connected with the sides of the frame of the seat. The relative mobility of the seat member and of the intermediate member, therefore, is not a function of the position occupied by these shafts relative to the frame, or even of the wear on these same shafts.

Thus seating as specifically described above can remedy the drawbacks of prior constructions and provide an articulated seat made with three support members for the passenger, all three of them being movable with respect to the frame, so that the adjusting motion of the whole seat complex will cause no discomfort to the passenger and on the contrary, will envelop his body in an substantially invariable position.

By making the seat in three relatively articulated members, the manufacturing operations are easier, less intricate and require less accuracy. Finally, the back member of the seat being freely pivotable relative to the frame, can very easily be brought down forwardly to make it fit between any two arm rests and be forced against the upper face of the seat.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. Articulated seat for transport vehicles, especially aircraft, the seat having a generally horizontal seat member, a normally generally upright back member and an intermediate member articulated both to the seat and to the back member for pivotal movement between them, the intermediate member being normally disposed in a generally upright position as a continuation of the back member, a frame for supporting the seat member, intermediate member and back member through means permitting a forward movement of the seat member together with a simultaneous pivoting reclining movement of the back and intermediate members about a bearing pivot on the intermediate member, the bearing pivot being supported by the frame for generally vertical movements, the location of the bearing pivot relative to the back and intermediate members being such that the back member is free to be folded by pivoting about its articulation with the intermediate member.
2. Seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate member carries on each of its lateral edges as the bearing pivot a shaft which slides in a groove in a side of the frame directly facing said shaft.
3. Seat as claimed in claim 2, wherein said groove is inclined by approximately 10 relative to the vertical, the direction of inclination being towards the front of the seat from top to bottom of the groove.
4. Seat as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the seat member has on each of its two lateral edges two straight guide members which join in an open V to include an obtuse angle between them, each guide offering a planar rolling surface for a roller affixed to a side of the frame which directly faces said guide.
5. Seat as claimed in claim 4 wherein the obtuse angle between the guides is a 165 - 1700.
6. Seat as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5 wherein each said roller is a truncated cone with its axis horizontal, the minor end of which is presented toward the median plane of the seat member, and the planar rolling surface of each guide is inclined relative to the horizontal in a transverse plane, its

angle of inclination being identical with the half angle of said truncated cone.
7. Seat as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the articulation means between the back member and the intermediate member are completely free from the frame.
8. Seat as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the articulation means on the intermediate member about which the back member can be pivotally folded comprises horizontal shafts running from the intermediate member to grooves in the frame to act also as the bearing pivot.
9. Articulated seat substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.