HK1016850A - Improvements in transport accomodation - Google Patents

Description

Improved vehicle seat

The present invention relates to an improved vehicle seat, particularly for aircraft seats.

In general, to maintain a reclining seat, a typical aircraft seat includes a seat body, a backrest, a legrest, and a pair of armrests. The seat back is movable between a vertical position and a reclined position that meets in a horizontal position. The legs move between a lowered position retracted against the front of the seat and a raised position that provides effective elongation of the seat.

A more elaborate aircraft seat, which is generally in the shape of a bed, is particularly beneficial for remote aircraft. Such an arrangement is typically found in first class passenger cabins where the largest seats are available for each passenger. Although maximum space is provided for each seat in a first class passenger cabin, space and weight are still limited and consideration must be given to the design and arrangement of the seats in the passenger cabin.

When the backrest is in the reclining position and the leg rests are raised, the passenger in the seat can rest in the reclining posture and comfortably fall asleep. Although a first class seat is wider than an economy and business class seat, it is limited to only one bed. The armrest, which is part of the seat and in which the seat member is mounted, occupies a certain width. Generally, the armrest has the advantages of storing folding tables and chairs and entertainment control equipment. However, if there are other uses for widening the armrest, the width of the seat body is reduced to maintain the overall width.

The invention aims to provide a seat device which is more suitable for falling asleep than the existing recumbent type seat.

In one aspect, the invention provides an aircraft seat comprising a seat body, at least one side arm and a side member adjacent the or each side arm, the at least one side arm being movable between an extended condition in which an upper surface of the side arm is arranged to form an armrest for the seat and a retracted condition in which the side arm widens the seat.

In another aspect, the invention provides an aircraft cabin seat comprising a seat body, a backrest body movable between an upright position and a reclined position, the seat body being movable forwardly to accommodate the backrest body in the reclined position, and at least one side arm movable forwardly with the seat body.

Another aspect of a reclinable aircraft passenger seat is the action of moving the seat back into the space behind the passenger. The seat constitutes an area from the seat back surface of the front seat to the seat back of the seat. When the seat back of the seat in front of the passenger leans back from the front, the passenger feels this area encroachment and may feel uncomfortable even in a loose first class. Passengers pay additional fees to obtain first-class travel conditions, in an effort to minimize their area of intrusion.

For this purpose, it is proposed to form the area of the passenger's possession by a stationary housing in which the seat can be adjusted. The occupant can adjust the seat within the confines of the housing without requiring any adjustment at the occupant's back. The seat has a fixed space formed by the housing, which is not changed by the action of the occupant at any time. However, the structure of the seat within the stationary housing may be delicate, complex and expensive, and may also add weight due to the additional cladding required. In the case of ensuring that the housing is not too large, fixing the housing should also compromise the versatility of the seat adjustment.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a versatile adjustment of the seat without taking up space provided for the passenger.

According to another aspect of the invention, the inboard rows of seats in the aircraft include a plurality of rows of seats arranged in a converging configuration.

Furthermore, to date, auxiliary devices such as television monitors, table tops, storage chambers, etc. have generally been used in the same manner, such as television monitors or table tops stored in chairs, which require a series of operations to place them in the use position, and are therefore often inconvenient to use. Since space is required to minimize the width of the seat, it can also be installed on the body side of the seat.

The invention also provides an aircraft passenger seat comprising a seat and a support in front of the seat, the support comprising an aid for use by a passenger in the seat.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an auxiliary device and convenient arrangement in the available space of an aircraft seat.

Thus, according to the present invention there is also provided a storable table comprising a wall supporting a table, the upper end of the table being pivotally connected to the wall between a use position and a storage position in a recess in the wall, the wall having a recess therein, the upper end of the table being inserted into the recess and held horizontally to place the table in the use position.

The invention also provides an aircraft seat comprising a seat, an auxiliary device support located in front of the seat, a side device extending from one edge of the seat to the support and having a guide body, and a table top movable along the guide body between a stored position and a position projecting beyond the support.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a display screen support for an aircraft cabin, comprising a display screen, a display screen storage cavity and a storage cavity cover, the storage cavity cover being movable to an open position to move the display screen between a display position and a storage position, and the storage cavity cover being movable to a closed position covering the storage cavity whether the display screen is in the display position or in the storage position.

One problem with reclining seats that form the shape of a bed is that the back, seat and leg rests are subject to significant undulations in different orientations. The common bed is flat, so that the buffering function of the cushion layer is adapted to the body shape change of a human body. In contrast to conventional beds, reclining aircraft seats are more complex in construction and are designed to allow the seat assembly to be adapted for lying flat. The complicated structure causes disadvantages of increased occupied space and increased weight.

If the undulations of the seat are seen to have peaks and valleys, leaning against the hip bone of the occupant rests on the peaks of the leg rest at the ends of the seat, which are incompressible ends that should be cushioned by the cushion of the seat but not yet cushioned. Similarly, the waist above the buttocks of the human body is recessed and leans against the trough at the junction of the back and the seat body, and if the passenger lies on one side for too long, the passenger feels aching spine.

More complicated, the seat must be able to be placed in a transitional position between the fully upright position and the bed position. To this end, the seat assembly should be configured to conform to the body of a reclining position rather than a supine position.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a chair which can be changed to the shape of a bed and which gives a comfortable feeling to a reclining person.

The invention also provides an aircraft seat comprising a seat body and a backrest body, the backrest body being movable relative to the seat body between an upright position and a reclined position, the seat body being movable forwardly to accommodate the reclined backrest body, the seat further comprising a first assembly mounted on a forward portion of the seat body, the support of the assembly being adjustable to compensate for the rolling of the seat when the backrest body is reclined.

The attachment associated with aircraft seating typically includes a table that is foldable when not in use. Foldable tables are typically stored in the area of the seating, but it is now recognized that storing the table without being an integral part of the seating allows greater flexibility in the seating structure.

It is therefore also an object of the present invention to provide a storable table for an aircraft cabin, the placement of which does not affect the structure of the seats.

Although sitting in a passenger cabin such as an aircraft feels much less comfortable than in a business or economy class, the arrangement of seats in rows does not facilitate the passengers to be able to interact with each other. A small partition may be installed between the seats and either passenger may raise or lower the partition at will. However, the act of raising the diaphragm may be seen as a polite act, making some silent on the use of the diaphragm. It is desirable to provide the necessary concealment when placing the seat, and a concealment device that can be stood up by the occupant is also desirable.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a seat alignment method to achieve a greater degree of concealment than the seat alignments commonly employed in aircraft cabins.

The use of existing brackets can be cumbersome in supporting, restoring, installing and moving the seating unit. To ensure that the landing time of the aircraft is as short as possible, it is desirable to complete these operational steps as quickly as possible. To facilitate quick attachment of each seating unit, particularly the unit behind the unit, it is preferable to have a 3 inch (7.5 cm) spacing between the back of a bracket and the front bracket of the unit behind it, which allows easy access to bolts or other fasteners and provides working space for tools. The known complete device, in which a stationary housing is arranged behind the backrest of the seat, has the problem that the available space in the device is reduced, in particular when a certain number of seat arrangements is exceeded.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an aircraft seat that is quick and easy to move or maintain.

The invention provides an aircraft seat comprising a seat body, a backrest body movable between upright and reclined conditions and a backrest shell disposed behind the backrest body, at least the lower part of the shell being movable rearwardly to accommodate the backrest body in the reclined condition.

Thus, in the upright position, a certain movable space is maintained behind the backrest housing, but when the seat is moved to the reclining position, the space is filled, with the result that the rear of the seat is easily fixed without reducing the cabin space for accommodating passengers.

The invention is defined by the independent claims and preferred embodiments of the invention are characterized by what is described in the dependent claims.

The invention, applied in various ways, is described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of an aircraft passenger cabin;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a seat of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a reclined position of the seat shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the seat shown in FIG. 2 with cladding and facing;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of the seat frame structure of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are detailed views of the seat mechanism of the frame structure of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the seat shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of the bulkhead of the passenger compartment shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are plan views of a seat arrangement for the passenger compartment shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 12a) and b) are side and plan views of a further embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 13a) and b) are views of the chair of FIGS. 12a) and b) having a bed-like outer shape;

FIGS. 14a) and b) are views of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 15a) to e) are external views of the bed of FIG. 14;

figures 16a) and b) are views of the seat of figure 14 in use;

FIGS. 17a) to f) are motion views of the seat portion structure of FIG. 14;

fig. 18a) to c) are views of the seat mechanism;

FIG. 19 is a detailed view of the table bracket;

FIGS. 20a) to d) are views showing the use states of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 21 is a detailed view of the table and the bracket;

figure 22 is a view of the table of figure 21 mounted in the chair of figure 14;

figures 23a) and b) are variant views of the seat shown in figure 14;

FIG. 24 is a modified view of the seat of FIG. 14;

FIGS. 25-27 are plan views of aircraft cabin mounted seats;

FIG. 28 is a side view of the display screen mounted thereto;

figures 29a to 29d are plan schematic views of the hinge mechanism of the seat in the sitting position;

FIG. 30 is a schematic view of the seat of FIGS. 29 a-29 d in a semi-reclined position;

FIG. 31 is a schematic view of the seat of FIGS. 29 a-29 d in a reclined position;

fig. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an first class cabin bay within an aircraft housing 10, including two outboard rows of seats 12/14 moving forward and rearward, and two inboard rows of seats 16. The space between the seats forms a passageway 18 for the aircraft to walk along. Fig. 1 shows two variant cabin arrangements, the outer row of seats on the left of the break line I-I being constituted by a single seat 12 and the outer row of seats on the right being constituted by a double seat 14. The housing is formed by an outer surface 17 and an inner surface 19.

Fig. 2 shows a seat, namely the single-row seat 12, which is composed of a seat body 20, a backrest 22, a headrest 24, a pair of armrests 26 and a leg rest 28. The seat assembly is arranged in a seat frame 30, a dedicated partition 32 is provided on one or both sides of the frame 30 depending on the position of each seat relative to the other seats, a side accessory 35 is provided in the space between the seats and the aircraft shell, and a storage cabinet, table and combined seat and entertainment control means are provided in the side accessory 35.

The auxiliary equipment 35 of the middle double seat 16 extends between the sides of the seats remote from the respective channels 18.

For a remote aircraft universal seat, it is equally important as a function of both a seat and a couch. When the seat is placed in a bed, the aircraft requirements for space, weight and damage loads must be balanced. In general, seats cannot be placed on a flat surface suitable for comfortable sleep in order to meet the above requirements.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the pillow 24 at the upper end of the backrest 22 extends out of the top of the rear end of the frame 30 of the seat structure, other components of the seat extend out of the open front of the frame to form a bed, the seat body 20 slides forward supported by the slide 34, the leg rest 28 rotates upward around the connection with the seat body 20, the folded footrest 31 is unfolded by the extended leg rest 28, the seat body 20 moves forward, and the backrest 22 and the pillow 24 are inclined at the rear thereof to be in a substantially horizontal state.

Previous aircraft seats have lost width in order to achieve a comfortable bed. The chair of the present invention has an armrest 26 movable in correspondence with the frame 30, which armrest moves forward with the seat body 20 when the chair is placed in a bed. To increase the effective width of the bed, the armrests 26 may also be folded substantially flush with the upper plane of the sitting body. A person in a lying position will see his or her buttons right next to the armrests 26 as the seat body is advanced. Thus, to retract or extend the armrest, the effective width of the bed is preferably within the area of the usual width.

To allow each armrest to be moved out when the seat is placed in a bed, the armrests may be moved down to be level with or below the bed, as shown in fig. 3 and 5. On the other hand, the armrest may be laterally retracted into the housing, and furthermore, the armrest may be arranged to move with the seat between the seat and the bed, or may be retracted to the same position without moving with the seat. In these several variations, the effective width of the seat is increased by retracting one or both of the armrests.

FIG. 4 shows the components of the outboard seat frame 30 and its adjacent auxiliary equipment 35. The frame is formed by a main channel 36 extending around the seat assembly, with respective trim pieces 38, 40 and containment pieces 42, 44 packed outside the channel. A dedicated baffle 32 is received between one side of the tank 36 and one side of the enclosure 42 and is controlled by a motor 46 mounted on the tank, one side of the tank 36 and the enclosure 42 forming a slot through which the baffle 32 extends to the point of use. The inner surface 19 of the housing 10 and a sidewall 48 define a storage chamber therebetween, and the sidewall 48 may also serve as a boundary shell for covering the slot 36.

The common facility of the pairs of center seats 16 extends between the seat sides away from the respective channels.

A mechanism for moving the seat to the bed will be described with reference to fig. 5. The seat cushion is mounted on a hinged frame structure and the seat frame 60 is mounted on a seat support 62 which carries a pair of wheels 64 (one shown) on one lateral side and a drive mechanism 66 on the other lateral side. The actuator 66 includes a longitudinally elongated retaining channel 68 into which a downwardly curved lip 70 of the bracket 62 is inserted. The end of the lip has a set of ball tracks (not shown) in the groove 68. A threaded screw (not shown) attached to the rear end of the lip 70 is connected by a worm screw 72 to a drive motor 74 mounted on a plate 76, the screw 72 being rotated by the motor 74 to move the seat forward or backward.

Fig. 6 and 7 show the drive of the seat support 62. The bracket holder 78 supports a pair of spaced balls 79 and has an internally threaded bore 75 which engages a worm screw 72 driven by a motor 74. When the screw 72 is rotated by the motor, the seat bracket coupled to the bracket holder 78 is pulled along the support groove 68 by the ball raceway 79.

A leg rest frame 80 is secured to the front of the seat frame 60 by a laterally elongated front brace 82. The leg rest frame 80 is formed by a pair of spaced rods 84, each rod 84 having an elongated frame 86 on which the foot rest 31 slides, the elongated frames 86 being driven by a rack and pinion 88/90 controlled by a motor 92. When the leg rest 28 is to be deployed, the elongate frame 86 extends out of the rod 84 until it can no longer be moved. The rack 88 drives the leg rest upward so that it lies substantially flat in the plane of the seat frame 60, with the footrest 31 being deployed.

The backrest frame 94 is pivotally secured to the rear of the seat frame 60. The motor 96 drives the gear 102 via the drive shaft 98, causing the sector gear 100 to rotate, thereby driving the backrest frame 94 to pivot.

Each of a pair of side arms 103 includes a hinge member having ends pivotally secured to the backrest frame 94 and the seat frame 60, respectively. When the back leans against, the distance between the two pivots of each side arm support 103 increases, so that the components of the side arm support are leveled. When the backrest frame 94 is placed flush with the seat frame 60, the side arm frames are also placed flat in the plane of the seat frame 60. When the backrest is raised, each side arm 103 is hinged by the hinge joint to a deployed position above the seat frame 60.

One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the side arms could also be raised and lowered in other ways, such as by vertical movement independent of the seat back rest movement. Also, other ways of moving the side arms may increase the effective width of the seat as a bed, for example, each side arm folding laterally about a pivot axis that is elongated in the fore-aft direction of the seat, such that the side arms roll into the seat shell to present a side that is flush with the seat surface.

Instead of side arms formed by a mechanical frame, an inflatable soft arm shell may be used which can collapse the arm rests by deflating to facilitate sleep. The soft arm housing is inflated by an air pump and exhausted by an electrically controlled valve arrangement, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

FIG. 8 shows a half cross-sectional view of a half reclining seat with a filler visible. The seat assembly can be adjusted to place it in a flat bed, and thus it is more suitable to use a seat frame member whose profile is undulating in the reclined position. However, this does not provide a fully satisfactory bed because the protruding parts of the body rest against the raised parts of the undulating seat surface and the recessed parts of the body rest against the recesses in the seat surface. To overcome the above disadvantages, a forward expanding bladder 104 is placed in the seat padding 106 and a lumbar support bladder 108 is placed in the bottom of the back padding 110, both bladders being inflated to compensate for the seat padding undulations to support the body and buttocks. Similarly, a head rest bladder 114 is provided within the pillow cushion 112 and is inflated to provide a pillow effect of a height that is comfortable to the occupant.

The soft shell is inflated by an electric air pump and exhausted by an electric exhaust valve. The skilled person will be aware of suitable air pumps and air release valves which will not be described further herein, it being noted that the most suitable means are located in the seat or mounted in side equipment adjacent the seat.

Referring to fig. 9a) -c), the assembly of the auxiliary device 35 at the side of the housing comprises a foldable table. A recess 120 is cast into the bin and a tabletop 122 is hingedly supported on a shaft 124 at the upper end of the recess, the shaft 124 extending along a slot 126 in the bin (see figures 2 and 3). Pivoting tabletop 122 about its pivot axis to a horizontal position, the end closest to the axis is inserted into slot 126 and may slide along the slot toward the seat for use by a passenger in the seat. Tabletop 122 is inserted into slot 126 and held horizontally. When the table is not needed, it may be pushed back into the recess 120, folded down and placed in a position substantially flush with the bin.

Fig. 10 shows the arrangement of the cabin seats 12, 16 in a wide-bodied aircraft, such as boeing 747, all of which are arranged parallel to the axis of the housing 10. To ensure comfort in first class passenger travel, it is important to consider that the seats in each row are staggered. The outboard single seat 12 and the inboard double seat 16 are not aligned in longitudinal section, and the staggered arrangement allows more room for movement for the channel 18 because the widest portion between the seats, i.e., the width between the sides of the seat shell, is not aligned in the same line. The seat in the figures is given in the shape of a seat, it being understood that the seat of the present aspect may take the shape of a bed.

Fig. 11 shows a first class of passenger compartments having 16 seats arranged therein, with each row of seats staggered and maintained parallel to the axis of the housing. It can be seen that the three columns of rear seats in this embodiment are arranged in line according to space requirements. As with the chair shown in fig. 10, although the chair is shown in a bed configuration in fig. 11, it should be understood that they also take on a chair configuration.

Fig. 12a) and b) and fig. 13a) and b) are views of another embodiment of the present invention. The chair of this embodiment comprises a seat body 200, a back (including a pillow) 202 and a leg rest 206 mounted between a pair of side plates 208. The seat back 202 in this seat configuration extends upwardly beyond the side plate 208. An orientable pillow 204 is mounted to the upper end of the chair back 202.

A back shell 210 is suspended from the pivot between the side plates 208, the back shell including a backrest 212 and a pair of side wings 214, the side wings 214 surrounding the backrest 202 to form a concealed space over the head of the occupant of the seat. When the seat is to be reclined, the seat back housing 210 is driven by a control motor (not shown) as shown in fig. 13a), and the seat back housing 210 tips forward to accommodate the lowered bolster 204.

A front bracket 215, which is an auxiliary device, is located at the front of the seat and includes a pair of side walls supporting a lower case 216, the lower case 216 defining a lower space 218 for storing small pieces of luggage, such as a knock-down box or a suitcase. The upper end of the front bracket 215 forms an inclined upper surface 220, the upper surface 220 being inclined to prevent a seat occupant from having a drink placed thereon.

Retractable table 222 is stowed in the area beneath surface 220 and table 222 is mounted on a tray, one side of which is inserted into a slot 224 in a wall form 226 of the ancillary equipment. The table 222 may be slid along the slot 224 to a position on the passenger's deck without having to be repositioned from another retracted position (e.g., a vertical position).

In the first class passenger compartments of commercial aircraft, the passenger accessories and controls are typically located along the wall mold 226 adjacent the seats. The mold 226 is secured adjacent the side plate 208 and the front bracket 215 by screws. Typical accessories include a magazine rack 230, a collapsible cocktail table 232, a combination telephone headset and a seat control 234, an ashtray 236, and a television monitor 238.

The seat is placed as a bed in a similar manner as described above. The seat body 200 is driven by the motor to slide forward, and the chair back 202 and the pillow 204 follow forward and lean against the space vacated by the seat body 200.

The ends of the pillows 204 as shown in fig. 13a) protrude rearwardly beyond the side plates 208. The back shell 210 is flipped forward about the pivot 240, and the pivot 240 allows the bottom of the back shell 210 to receive the fully reclined pillow 204. The pivot 240 passes through the wing 214 (shown in figure 12) which engages the seat body 200 above the base of the seat back 202. Thus, when the seat back is reclined, the base of the back shell moves outwardly into a recess 242 in the front of the rear seat by the receiving pillow 204 of the reclined back shell 212. In contrast to previously known reclining seats, it can be seen that the backrest reclines with the seat back angled forward away from the space of the rear passenger.

The front leg 215 of the rear seat is spaced from the front seat, leaving a recess 242 into which the back shell 202 extends. Because the structure is moving forward, the aft passenger does not see the forward movement of the back rest housing 202. When the seat back reclines, the aft occupant can only see the back shell pivoted forward or pivoted back to an upright position to form the seat shape. When configured in the shape of a seat, the back shell 202 moves only toward the notch 242 and does not intrude into the rear passenger area defined by the forward end of the bracket 215.

When the seat back 202 is reclined and the seat body 200 is moved forward, the leg rest 206 is raised and the foot rest 244 is moved out. In the bed configuration, the leg rest and foot rest are substantially parallel to the sitting body and extend into recesses formed in the brackets 215 between the shelf 216 and the retractable table 222. To support the extended leg rest 206 and foot rest 244, the pin(s) at the end of the leg rest are mounted in sockets in the wall of the front device, or alternatively, the leg rest and/or foot rest may rest on the shelf 216.

The seat body is either moved on the support base or by a slide as shown in figure 5.

Figure 5 shows how the components making up the seat are articulated, the articulation of the back rest housing with respect to the side housing being able to produce an effect similar to that of a car transmission, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The mechanical movement of the seat as described above is controlled and regulated by a controller which has been programmed accordingly. To configure it in a bed or seat shape, the passenger simply presses the corresponding button on the seat control panel. The software control of the coordinated movement of the seat assemblies in the embodiments described herein is not part of the present invention and will not be described in further detail. When changing the seat to a bed or vice versa, it is necessary to automatically adjust the movement of the seat assembly, the movements of the leg rest, the foot rest and the backrest in respective intermediate positions with respect to the seat body being controlled individually by the passenger.

Fig. 14 to 24 are views of other embodiments of the present invention. In fig. 14a) and b), the seating arrangement for the outboard single-row seat 12 includes a seat 300, a side storage device 302, and a front floor bracket 304, the front floor bracket 304 being connected to one end of the side storage device 302, the seat 300 being at the other end of the side storage device 302.

Referring to figures 14, 15, 16 and 17, the seat includes a seat side 306 and a back shell 308, the back shell 308 having two side wings 309 and being movable relative to the seat side 306. In the case of a movable shell assembly, the seat back 310, seat body 312 and leg rest 313 may be configured in a seat or bed configuration as in previous seats.

As the seat assembly is converted between the upright and bed configurations, the back shell 308 first moves rearward and downward and tips forward about a low pivot point P to accommodate the bolster on the movable seat back 310. The seat is then moved further forward into the bed shape and the back rest housing is tilted further rearwardly offset and lowered to a position where the full length of the bed is available.

It is sometimes desirable for the seat to be in a position between upright and bed-like. For example, when the seat body 312 is in the sitting position by moving on the sliding device, the seat body 312 is required to be in the middle position and the front part is tilted so as to support the hip of the seated passenger, and such a seat body state is generally felt more comfortable than a state in which the seat body is only horizontal, because the horizontal seat body tends to make the passenger slide forward all the time.

In this and the previously described embodiments, the feet of the passenger are placed in the foot compartment 346, and the front unit 304 constituting the foot compartment in this embodiment is further formed with a recess in which the television monitor 348 is housed. The foot wells 346 also serve to receive the hidden table 350. The table is supported at one end by a support 324, shown in detail in figure 19, which has a rubber brake 326 which is secured to the table by braking the link and hand lever against one side of the channel 352. Thus, the table may also be in the extended position in the stowed position. In order to bring the table closer to the body of the seated passenger, the through slots for mounting the table should extend to the armrests of the seat (as shown in fig. 17 b).

Fig. 20a) to d) show views of a further variant of the invention in which the seat is supported by a single wheel 342 extending downwardly from the underside of the seat body 312.

In this embodiment, the orientation of the seat back housing 308 in the upright, reclined, and bed positions is as shown in fig. 20 c). It can be seen that the housing is lowered when the seat is reclined, and the housing is tilted forward to accommodate the full length of the bed when the rest is in the bed position. The seat back housing does not extend to the front bracket 304 of the rear seating unit.

Figure 17 illustrates the movement of the back rest housing 308 as the seat is adjusted between the seat configuration and the bed configuration. A is the upright seat position and to move to the neutral position, back shell 308 is first lowered through position B, causing lateral wings 309 of shell 308 to move with the pillow, keeping the occupant's head hidden. Thus, when the pillow is lowered to enable the bed to be formed, the back rest shell is tilted forwardly to position C about pivot point P, which is located from the bottom of the back rest shell to about one third of the length of the back rest shell. The wider (upper) portions of the side wings 309 of the back shell 308 are adjacent to the seat side, keeping the occupant in a hidden feel when lying down. It is clear from fig. 17 that pivot point P is located corresponding to back rest housing 308.

The mechanism for converting the seat assembly into an upright, neutral and bed shape is given in figures 18a) to c). The mechanism includes a pair of side members 320 (one shown) supporting a seat frame 322 that is movable on slides (not shown) and a back frame 324 that is hinged as the seat frame 322 moves forward. The path of movement of the back frame 324 is defined by a slotted member 326 along which a bearing 328 secured to the back frame 324 moves. The independently movable leg rest 330 is hinged to the front end of the seat frame 322. A first hydraulic actuator 332 is connected between the or each side member 320 and the seat frame 322 and a second hydraulic actuator 334 is connected between the frame 322 and the leg rest 330.

The lower seat frame 336 is hinged to the front of the seat frame 322. The lower frame 336 supports the seat body 312 of the seat. It should be noted that the upper edge 338 of the side member 320 is of undulating profile, with the support 340 attached to the rear end of the lower frame 336 riding on this edge 338. The hinge link 344 is hinged between a point of the lower front end of the back frame 324 and the rear end of the lower frame 336. A single wheel 342 is secured to the front of lower frame 336. in the previously described embodiment, a footrest (not shown) is telescopically received within legrest 330.

As can be seen in the upright position shown in fig. 18a), the link 344 is fully extended, pulling the rear end of the lower frame above the edge 338. The seat frame 322 moves forward out of the member 320, bringing the lower frame 336 and pulling the lower back frame 324. The slotted member is free to move and changes position as the bottom of the back frame 324 is pulled forward by the seat frame. When the back reclines, it gradually lowers the lower frame against the edge 338 and the rear of the seat body 312 lowers in a neutral position to support the hips of the occupant. Thus, the rear portion of the lower frame 336 rises in profile so that the seat is substantially horizontal with the back 310 to form a complete bed.

The single wheel 342 supports the cantilevered seat frame 322 when the bed is formed. The leg rest and foot rest are driven separately, however, to change the chair to a bed, the movement of the leg rest 330 and foot rest is automatically coordinated with the movement of the seat frame 322. Although a hydraulic drive is shown, other means of drive may be used, such as by the aforementioned dc motor.

Referring to fig. 22 and the above-described embodiment, the leg rest and the foot rest of the present embodiment are inserted into the foot chamber 346 of the front frame 304, and the television monitor 348 is incorporated in the front frame 304. The television monitor 348 is hingedly mounted on the slide for either swinging the monitor mounted on the slide flat and sliding it back into the storage slot on the stand 304 or sliding it out of the storage slot and standing upright with the screen facing the passenger. The stand normally carries a utility table 350 supported on one side of the channel 352 by a support 354 as shown in figures 21a) and b) having a friction brake 356 biased towards and contacting a surface of the channel 352, the table being held down by a linkage 358 and manual lever 360. Thus, the table in the storage position is already in the unfolded state, and the passenger can release the table or pull the table for use by simply pulling the lever 360. The through slots 352 for the table extend into the armrest portion of the upper end of the chair side 306, which allows the table to be drawn closer to the seated occupant (see fig. 22).

Fig. 23 shows the seat of fig. 14b), the side unit 302 comprising a heat release opening 362, which is located close to the front of the seat and slightly above the ground. The rear and front of the side unit 302 each have a heat vent 362 and similar openings 364 which provide a pressure relief for the enclosed space of the side unit 302 and the reinforcing panel 366 inside the side unit 302 is provided with openings to allow free flow of air from the space inside the side unit.

Fig. 24 shows a variant of the seat described above in a double row arrangement. A diaphragm 370 is hinged to the side assembly 302 and is driven by a telescoping pneumatic strut 372 to be raised along the channel by the side assembly 302, either by motor or manually. The seats in columns 16 and 14 may be provided with a pair of partitions for individual use by each occupant, as opposed to a single partition as shown in fig. 24.

FIG. 25 is a view of an arrangement of 16 seats in an extended first class passenger compartment, which arrangement approximates the seat arrangement shown in FIG. 11. The seats of adjacent rows are staggered so that each seat is shielded as much as possible from the seats opposite the channel. However, the seats in the outer row are placed along the shape of the cabinet, and the seats in the inner row are directed toward each other, and since the space in the neck of the cabin is narrowed, the seats can be combined into one seat in order to make the passage wide enough.

FIG. 26 is a view similar to FIG. 10 showing the 12 seats arranged, unlike FIG. 10, with the inner row of seats in a converging configuration and the outer row of seats arranged against the housing.

To reduce the elongation of the elongated first-class passenger compartment shown in fig. 25, the aft outboard seat may be changed to the forward-moved aft outboard seat 376 of fig. 27. However, this would allow a standard length seating arrangement to take up the space that the front hatch would allow for take-off and landing. To this end, the front support 380 of the rear seat should be modified to have an extendable bulkhead 382 that is extendable into the cabin door active space during flight and retractable during take-off and landing.

Fig. 28 shows a structural view including a display screen such as a television monitor 400. The display screen 400 is mounted on the front bracket 304 at a suitable height for viewing by the occupant of the seat 300. The monitor 400 in this embodiment is placed on the upper end of the stand 304, and the upper end of the stand 304 has a suitable height. The monitor 400 is hinged to a horizontal axis perpendicular to the overall longitudinal axis of the seating unit, which is located on the bracket 304 near the edge of the seat. Thus, monitor 400 may pivot between display position 402a and storage position 402 b. Monitor 400 is hinged to shaft 401 by bracket 403, and monitor 400 is hinged to the upper end of bracket 403 with pivot 405. When monitor 400 is in the display position, the passenger may adjust it about pivot 405 to an angle suitable for viewing, as shown at position 402 c.

In addition, a stand cover 406 covers the area of the stand when in the storage position 402b, so that when the monitor 400 is retracted, the cover 406 serves to protect the monitor, and when the monitor 400 is in the display position, the cover 406 also prevents other items from being placed in the storage area to prevent interference with subsequent operations. In any state, the cover 406 maintains the overall aesthetics of the seating unit. The cover 406 pivots about an axis parallel to the pivot 401 at the other upper end of the stand, and when the cover 406 is pivoted up, the monitor 400 is pivoted from the storage position to the display position, and when it is pivoted down, the cover is placed over the upper end of the stand 304.

Movement of monitor 400 between the storage position and the display position, while movement of cover 406 may be controlled by a manual or automatic drive mechanism. In addition to the pivot structure, a telescopic or sliding structure may be used to connect the monitor 400 and the cover 406. The pivotal positions of the monitor 400 and the cover 406 may be interchanged.

Referring to fig. 29 to 31, there is shown an articulated structure of the seat which moves the seat between a seat state and a bed state.

Fig. 29a to d show basic constituent members of the structure in highlighted black lines. The chair includes a back 420, a seat 422 and a leg rest 424, and the chair further includes a movable back shell 426.

Referring to fig. 29b, the seat includes a first stationary guide 428 having a guide channel 430. The back 420 includes a corner support 432 and a guide post 434 inserted into the guide groove 430, and the back 420 is guided to move forward by the guide post 434 moving along the guide groove 430 and a hinge catch 436 hinged to the seat body 422.

An arm 438 is pivotally connected at an upper end to the stationary housing 426 and at a lower end to an upper end of the first stationary guide 428. The stationary housing 426 is also hinged to the upper end of a crank 440, the elbow of the crank 440 being hinged to a hinge point 442 of the first stationary guide 428, and its lower end 446 being hinged to and raised by a hydraulic ram or other suitable linear actuator 444. The actuator 444 moves upward and the backrest housing 426 moves downward under the action of the arms 438 and 440.

Referring to fig. 29c, the second stationary guide 448 includes a second guide slot 450. The upper end of the support 452 is fixed to the seat 422, and the second guide post 454 of the support 452 is inserted into the second guide groove 450. Also shown in figure 29c is a linear actuator 456 which raises the leg rest 424 relative to the seat body 422.

The seat body 422 is guided by a support arm 458 shown in fig. 29 d. The support arm 458 is driven forward in linear motion by a linear actuator 460, as shown in figures 30 and 31, and is formed of two linearly telescoping segments 462 and 464.

The movement of the mechanism is described below with reference to fig. 29 to 31. In the chair position shown in fig. 29, the seat back 420 is upright and the leg rest 424 is fully retracted, the first and second guide posts 434, 450 are positioned at the rearmost portions of the respective guide slots 430, 454, the support arm 458 is fully retracted and the back rest housing 426 is in the forward most and uppermost position.

The seat shown in fig. 30 is in a reclined state. The back rest housing 426 is moved to a rearmost, lowermost position by the combined action of the arms 438 and 440, urged by the actuator 444. The support arm 458 is driven forward by the linear actuator 460 to an intermediate retracted position, which pulls the seat body forward and adjusts the orientation of the seat defined by the cooperation of the second guide channel 450 and the second guide post 454. Under the guiding of the first guiding groove 430 and the first guiding post 434, the chair back 420 is pulled forward by the seat body 422 through the hinge 436. Leg rest 424 is raised by linear actuator 456 (not shown); an actuator (not shown) pulls the footrest 466, which is slidably mounted in the leg rest 424, to an extended position.

Figure 31 shows the final configuration of the seat back 420, seat body 422 and leg rest body 424 with the support arms 458 fully extended. The support arms 458 disposed on the support surface 459 should be capable of supporting excessive weight at the end of the seating structure.

To move the seat back to the seating position, the above steps are reversed.

While various embodiments are described above, it should be noted that features relating to one embodiment may be equally applicable to other embodiments. For example, the moving retractor arms of fig. 2, 3, 4 and 5 may be used in the forward seat of fig. 12. Similarly, tables, seat control panels and other accessories in front of the seat in fig. 12 may employ the relevant components of fig. 2, 3, 4 and 5. Having thus described embodiments of the present invention by way of example, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the invention, which is intended to be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims (59)

1. An aircraft seat comprising a seat body, at least one side arm and a side member adjacent the or each side arm, the at least one side arm being movable between an extended condition in which an upper surface of the side arm is arranged to form an armrest for the seat and a retracted condition in which the side arm widens the seat when retracted from the extended condition.

2. A seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper surfaces of the side arms in the retracted condition are substantially flush with the plane of the seat body.

3. The seat of claim 1, wherein the upper surfaces of the side arms in the retracted state are below the seat body plane.

4. A seat as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, comprising a backrest body movable between upright and reclined conditions relative to the seat body, the assembly of the side arms connected to the seat body and the backrest body moving from the extended condition to the retracted condition when the backrest body is moved from the upright condition to the reclined condition.

5. A seat as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the side arms are hingedly connected to the seat body and the backrest body such that the side arms pivot about the hinge points when the backrest body is moved relative to the seat body.

6. A seat as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the seat body is movable forwardly to accommodate a recumbent backrest.

7. The seat of claim 6, wherein the side arms are movable forward with the seat body.

8. A seat as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said side arms include an inflatable member.

9. An aircraft cabin seat comprising a seat body, a backrest body movable between an upright position and a reclined position, the seat body being movable forwardly to accommodate the backrest body in the reclined position, and at least one side arm movable forwardly with the seat body.

10. A seat as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one side arm is movable between an extended condition in which the upper surface of the side arm is configured as an armrest of the seat and a retracted condition in which the side arm is retractable from the extended condition.

11. A seat as claimed in claim 10, wherein the upper surfaces of the side arms in the retracted condition are substantially flush with the plane of the seat body.

12. The seat of claim 10, wherein the upper surfaces of the side arms in the retracted state are below the seat body plane.

13. A seat as claimed in claim 9, 10, 11 or 12, the side arms being rotatable between extended and retracted conditions.

14. A seat as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 13, comprising a housing enclosing the seat body and the backrest in the upright position, the housing having an open front through which the seat body extends in the reclined position of the seat back.

15. An aircraft seat comprising a seat body, a backrest body movable relative to the seat body between an upright position and a reclined position, the seat body being movable forwardly to accommodate the reclined backrest body, the seat further comprising a first assembly mounted on the front of the seat body, the support of which assembly can be adjusted to compensate for the rolling of the seat when the backrest body is reclined.

16. The seat of claim 15 including a second component disposed toward the base of the backrest, the support of the second component being adjustable to compensate for the undulation of the seat when the backrest is reclined.

17. A seat according to claim 15 or 16, the first and/or second components being inflatable.

18. A stowable table for an aircraft passenger cabin comprises a wall plate supporting the table, the upper end of the table being hinged to the wall plate so that the table can rotate about the hinge point between an extended position and a retracted position in a recess in the wall plate, the wall plate having a guide slot therein and a recess therein, the upper end of the table being inserted into the recess to maintain the table in a horizontal position so that the table is in a use position.

19. A passenger aircraft having a passenger cabin, comprising a plurality of rows of seats arranged facing forward, which form a passage extending along a main axis of the aircraft elongated in the fore-and-aft direction, the seats on one side of the passage being staggered with respect to the seats closest to the other side of the passage, such that the seats are not aligned with respect to the main axis.

20. The passenger aircraft of claim 19, the seat facing forward and parallel to the main axis.

21. The passenger aircraft of claim 19, wherein the plurality of rows of seats includes outer rows of seats aligned adjacent to the aircraft shell and inner rows of seats aligned along the primary axis between the outer rows of seats.

22. The passenger aircraft of claim 21, wherein the interior rows of seats comprise rows of seats disposed in a converging relationship.

23. An aircraft seat includes a seat body, a backrest body movable between upright and reclined positions, and a backrest shell disposed behind the backrest body, at least a lower portion of the shell being rearwardly movable to accommodate the backrest body in the reclined position.

24. A seat as claimed in claim 23 in which at least the lower part of the backrest body is pivotally connected to a shaft passing through the seat, said shaft being located between the upper and lower ends of the backrest housing.

25. A seat as set forth in claim 24 wherein an upper portion of said back housing above said axle tips forward as a lower portion thereof moves rearward.

26. An aircraft seat includes a seat body, a backrest body movable between upright and reclined positions, and a back rest housing disposed behind the backrest body, the housing being lowered when the backrest body is lowered from the upright position.

27. A seat as set forth in claim 26 wherein said backrest housing initially moves with said backrest body and then tilts about an axis between said upper and lower ends of said backrest housing to accommodate said reclining backrest body.

28. An aircraft seating arrangement comprising at least one row of seats as claimed in any one of claims 23 to 27, and an accessory holder disposed in front of each seat, the holder and seat defining a region between them in which the backrest housing moves.

29. An aircraft seat includes a seat, an auxiliary device support positioned in front of the seat, a side device extending from one side of the seat to the support and having a guide body, and a table top movable along the guide body between a stowed position and a position extending beyond the support.

30. The chair of claim 29, wherein the tabletop maintains the same orientation in the stowed position and the extended position.

31. A seat as claimed in claim 29 or 30, wherein the guide body comprises a through slot, the table top being supported for movement between the stowed position and the extended position by a bracket secured within the through slot.

32. A seat as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 31 including arms on either side of the seat into which the guide extends to allow the table to be drawn into position in the seat.

33. A seat as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 32, the table including a detent by which the side means can hold the table down.

34. The seat of claim 33 wherein said brake is biased to an engaged position and is disengageable.

35. An aircraft seat comprising a seat, a support located in front of the seat, the support containing an auxiliary device for use by a passenger in the seat.

36. The chair of claim 35 wherein the auxiliary device comprises a television monitor.

37. A seat as claimed in claim 35 or 36, wherein the auxiliary device comprises a stowed table for use by a passenger in the seat.

38. A seat as claimed in any one of claims 35 to 37 which is reconfigurable to a sleeping surface, the frame defining a foot chamber into which the front of the seat extends when the seat is to be a sleeping surface.

39. The seat of claim 38, comprising a leg rest and a foot rest, the foot rest extending into the foot well when forming the sleeping surface.

40. A display screen support for an aircraft cabin includes a display screen, a display screen storage cavity, and a storage cavity cover movable to an open position to move the display screen between a display position and a storage position, and movable to a closed position to cover the storage cavity whether the display screen is in the display position or the storage position.

41. The display screen support of claim 40, wherein said display screen comprises a TV-type monitor.

42. A monitor support according to claim 40 or 41, wherein the monitor and the cover are pivotally secured.

43. The monitor support stand of claim 42, wherein the monitor and the storage compartment cover are pivotally secured to opposite sides of the storage compartment.

44. An aircraft seat includes a seat body, a backrest body movable between upright and reclined positions, and a housing disposed behind the upright backrest body, the housing having at least a lower portion movable outwardly from the seat body to accommodate the backrest body in the reclined position.

45. A seat as claimed in claim 44 in which the lower part of the housing is pivotable about a pivot axis through the seat, the pivot axis being intermediate the upper and lower ends of the housing.

46. A seat as claimed in claim 45, wherein the upper portion of the housing is above said pivot axis, such that the upper portion of the housing can tip forward as the lower portion of the housing moves outwardly of the seat.

47. A method of arranging seats in an aircraft, comprising at least one row of seats as claimed in any of claims 44 to 46, and an auxiliary device located in front of each seat, the auxiliary device being spaced from the seat to allow movement of the housing therein.

48. An aircraft seat includes a seat body, a front unit located in front of the seat, a side unit extending from one side of the seat and having a guide body, and a table top secured to and movable along the guide body from a storage position within the front unit to a use position outside the front unit.

49. The chair of claim 48, wherein the tabletop has the same orientation in the storage position and the use position.

50. A seat as claimed in claim 48 or 49, wherein the guide body comprises a through slot, the tray of the table top being secured within the through slot for movement between the storage position and the in-use position.

51. A chair as claimed in claim 48 or 49, comprising side arms on either side of the seat body, the guide body extending into one of the side arms to allow the chair to be drawn into the in-use position over the seat.

52. A seat as claimed in any one of claims 48 to 51 in which the table includes a detent to enable the side means to secure the table.

53. The seat of claim 52 wherein said brake is manually actuatable and deactivatable.

54. An aircraft seat comprising a movable seat body and a backrest body, the backrest body being movable between upright and reclined conditions, the seat body being tiltable rearwardly when the seat is to be reclined to rest the buttocks of a passenger at the junction of the seat body and the backrest body.

55. A seat as claimed in claim 54, in which the seat body is movable to accommodate movement of the backrest between upright and reclined conditions.

56. A seat as claimed in claim 54 or 55, wherein the seat body and the backrest are arranged to form a bed, the seat body being folded forwardly to a position substantially parallel to the backrest to form the bed.

57. An aircraft seat comprising a seat and a seat front arrangement defining a cavity into which the legs of a seated occupant can extend, at least a portion of the front arrangement being movable forwardly to provide space into which the feet of the seated occupant can extend.

58. An aircraft seat as claimed in claim 57, wherein said forward means comprises a forward partition movable forwardly to provide a projecting space.

59. An aircraft seat comprising a seat body and a backrest body, the backrest body being movable between upright and reclined conditions relative to the seat body, the seat body being movable forwardly to accommodate the reclined backrest body, the seat body including a support wheel projecting from a lower surface thereof.