Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
  • B64D—EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
  • B64D11/00—Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
  • B64D11/06—Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats
  • B64D11/0601—Arrangement of seats for non-standard seating layouts, e.g. seats staggered horizontally or vertically, arranged in an angled or fishbone layout, or facing in other directions than the direction of flight
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
  • A47C19/00—Bedsteads
  • A47C19/22—Combinations of bedsteads with other furniture or with accessories, e.g. with bedside cabinets
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
  • B64D—EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
  • B64D11/00—Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
  • B64D11/06—Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
  • B64D—EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
  • B64D11/00—Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
  • B64D11/06—Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats
  • B64D11/0606—Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats with privacy shells, screens, separators or the like
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
  • B64D—EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
  • B64D11/00—Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
  • B64D11/06—Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats
  • B64D11/0639—Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats with features for adjustment or converting of seats
  • B64D11/0641—Seats convertible into beds
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
  • B64D—EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
  • B64D11/00—Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
  • B64D11/06—Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats
  • B64D11/0639—Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats with features for adjustment or converting of seats
  • B64D11/0643—Adjustable foot or leg rests
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
  • B64D—EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
  • B64D11/00—Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
  • B64D11/06—Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats
  • B64D11/0647—Seats characterised by special upholstery or cushioning features

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an aircraft seat.
• Each recliner 220a-e comprises a rotatable and releasably lockable chair 232a-e with a detached ottoman/footrest 234a-e (which may also be used as a seat), towards which the chair faces after rotation from a first angular position (generally facing the front of the plane), through an angle of greater than 10 degrees, to a second angular position (facing a second stowable table 228).
• chair 232a-e (perpendicular to the first) allows the chair to face a first table 226a-e, window 236 or removable divider/partition (fig IB, 122 & 146, from which a recliner support may also be formed).
• fig 3B When fully reclined (fig 3B), the armrests (314) and upper surface of the seat (312) are generally flush.
• Chair 232a-e (and fig 3A) also comprises an indicator (323 and fig 3D) which indicates when the chair is locked in to the first angular or any other desired position.
• Figure 1 accompanying this specification is illustrative of the possible swivel positions so the American Airlines patent, which can be summarised as: • Facing directly forwards for taxi, taking off and landing, • Facing directly outboard for dining and
• This American Airlines LOPA is not particularly efficient in terms of passenger accommodation, reflecting its first class usage.
• the object of the present invention is to provide an improved LOPA utilising two swivel positions.
• a column of aircraft seats the seats being of the type which are both swivellable and are convertible between a sitting mode and a bed mode, each seat being swivellable between facing in one direction and facing in only one other direction:
• the one direction, for the second or a subsequent seat in the column being a sitting mode direction oblique to an axis of the column with the seat least partially facing a seat in front with the seat facing at an angle with respect to an aircraft central axis such that lap belt restraint for taxi, take off and landing is permitted and
• the other direction being a more oblique bed mode direction, with the seat facing to one side of the seat in front, whereby the seat can be extended to its bed mode with the foot of the bed beside the seat in front.
• the seats being of the type which have a back rest and a seat cushion and which are convertible between a sitting mode and a bed mode, wherein:
• each seat has: • a seat direction in which it faces and which is defined by an axis extending from the middle of the seat back through the middle of the seat cushion and • a seat projection which is defined by a width extending by half the width of the seat cushion on both sides of the seat axis; • each seat is mounted on a swivel for changing the seat's direction in the column;
• each swivel has a swivel axis
• the seat's axis makes an angle with the aircraft central axis such that lap belt restraint for taxi, take off and landing is permitted and • a more oblique bed mode direction, in which the seat faces to one side of the seat in front, without its projection overlapping the seat in front and with its axis making a greater angle with the aircraft central axis, whereby the seat can be extended to its bed mode with the foot of the bed beside the seat in front.
• the column axis is parallel to the aircraft central axis.
• the normal maximum angle of obliqueness for normal lap belt restraint during taxi, take off and landing (TTL) is substantially 17.5°.
• the one direction can be more closely aligned with the column axis than the maximum allowed angle of obliqueness.
• the advantage of the oblique TTL position is that the passenger using the seat has plenty of leg room to the one side of the seat in front without being cramped by the seat in front to an extent unacceptable for business class travel. Further an oblique TTL position allows a much more comfortable viewing of the take off and landing through the aircraft cabin windows.
• the seat includes a telescopic mechanism for extending the seat forwards into the bed mode, the final part of the telescopic extension engaging a leg rest with a fixed support remote from the seat.
• Figure 1 is a reproduction of a typical view from the above mentioned American Airlines patent
• Figure 2 is a LOPA of a column of aircraft seats in accordance with the present invention
• Figure 3 is a diagrammatic side view of a seat for use in the invention, the seat being in sitting mode and Figure 4 is a similar view of the seat in bed mode.
• Figure 2 shows four columns I, II, III, IV of seats 1 , which are in bed mode in columns I & III, sitting mode for dining in column II and sitting mode for taxi, take-off and landing in column IV.
• the seats are swivellable about axes 1 and arranged with their axes in column axes 2. Normally these will be parallel to the central axis of the aircraft 3.
• the seats each have a direction 4 extending from the middle of the seat back through the middle of the seat cushion 22, intersecting the seat's swivel axis. Extending equally on either side of the seat direction is defined a seat projection 5 forwards of the seat cushion and having the same width as the seat cushion.
• the seats have a pallet 12 on which is mounted a lockable swivel 13, such as shown in US Patent No 5,568,960.
• the swivel supports a seat chassis 14 including a telescopic slide 15. This can be as in patent application No 0706775.4. Full details of this will be open to public inspection by the time that this application is published.
• the swivel is set up to allow the seat to be turned through 6° from 17.5° to the longitudinal axis of the column (and the aircraft to be equipped with the seats) to 23.5°. At 17.5°, as in column IV, the seats partially face the seats in front in the column. This is the maximum angle at which the regulatory authorities will allow a lap belt only to be worn by a passenger for TTL. Passengers P in these seats are able to see S out of the side windows of the aircraft, without having to crane sideways and are able to stretch their legs L into the space 6 adjacent the seat in front.
• the seats When the seats are swivelled outwards to 23.5°, they face the space 6 along side the seat in front and can be converted to bed mode.
• the seat includes a backrest 21, a seat cushion or pan 22, a leg rest 24 and a doubled back leg rest extension 25.
• the last part of the conversion is a small advance in the direction A of the extended seat on the slide 15 so that the distal end of the extended leg rest is supported on a support 26 at the distal end of the bed.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
• Seats For Vehicles (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=39048092

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (3)

Families Citing this family (25)

Citations (2)

Family Cites Families (7)

• 2007
  • 2007-12-14 GB GBGB0724397.5A patent/GB0724397D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2008
  • 2008-12-10 GB GB1010139A patent/GB2467716A/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2008-12-10 US US12/747,997 patent/US8882034B2/en active Active
  • 2008-12-10 JP JP2010537506A patent/JP5523335B2/ja active Active
  • 2008-12-10 WO PCT/GB2008/004058 patent/WO2009077717A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2008-12-10 EP EP08861202.3A patent/EP2219944B1/en active Active

Patent Citations (2)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events