Movable Fastening Unit For A Seat Frame In An Aircraft

• US 20110042514A1
• Filed: 01/15/2009
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Schmock, Stephan, Ehlers, Bernd, Herzog, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,944,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/122.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/68 Seat frames
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/06 Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats crew seat constructions for emergency purposes B64D25/04
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0696 Means for fastening seats to floors, e.g. to floor rails

Abstract

The invention relates to a movable fastening unit for a seat frame in an aircraft. In said fastening unit, a connecting element can be movably mounted on both a seat structure and a floor fixture by means of bearings, thus allowing the seat frame to be moved relative to the floor fixture without having to detach the fixture from the floor.

Claims

1. A movable fixing unit for a seat frame in an aircraft, with the fixing unit comprising:

a connecting element;

wherein the connecting element comprises a first bearing arrangement by means of which it can be movably attached to the seat frame;

wherein the connecting element comprises a second bearing arrangement by means of which it can be movably attached to a floor affixation device; and

wherein both bearing arrangements interact in such a manner that movement of the seat frame relative to the floor affixation device becomes possible.

2. The fixing unit of claim 1,

wherein movement of the seat frame relative to the floor affixation device from a first seat position to a second seat position takes place;

wherein both seat positions are stable seat positions from which the seat frame can only be moved with the application of external force.

3. The fixing unit of one of the preceding claims,

wherein movement of the seat frame takes place without undoing the floor affixation device from the floor.

4. The fixing unit of any one of the preceding claims,

wherein at least one of the bearing arrangements is designed so as to be rotationally held.

5. The fixing unit of any one of the preceding claims,

wherein the fixing unit comprises a locking mechanism in the region of one of the bearing arrangements;

wherein the mechanism comprises an unlocked and a locked state;

wherein the unlocked state makes it possible for the connecting element to move on the respective bearing arrangement; and

wherein the locked state prevents movement of the connecting element on the respective bearing arrangement.

6. The fixing unit of claim 5,

wherein at least one of the two elements of the seat frame and the floor affixation device in conjunction with the connecting element comprises the locking mechanism.

7. The fixing unit of claim 5 or 6,

wherein the locking mechanism comprises a bore hole in conjunction with a locking pin.

8. The fixing unit of any one of claims 5 to 7,

wherein the mechanism supports locking in two different positions.

9. The fixing unit of any one of the preceding claims,

wherein by means of the movement on the bearing arrangement the fixing unit makes it possible to position the seat frame along a predetermined axis.

10. The fixing unit of any one of the preceding claims,

designed for infinitely adjustable positioning of the seat frame.

11. The fixing unit of any one of the preceding claims, with the fixing unit further comprising:

the floor affixation device;

a fixation unit;

wherein the fixation unit forms part of the seat frame of the aircraft; and

wherein the connecting element can be attached to the seat frame by means of the fixation unit.

12. A seat unit for an aircraft seat, with the seat unit comprising the following elements:

an aircraft seat;

a fixing unit of claim 11.

13. The seat unit of claim 12,

wherein the aircraft seat comprises a foldable backrest;

wherein by means of folding the backrest the aircraft seat can be converted to a table or to a storage unit for a passenger seated behind it.

14. The use of a fixing unit of any one of claims 1 to 11 in an aircraft.

15. An aircraft comprising a fixing unit of any one of claims 1 to 11.

16. A method for changing the spacing of seating in an aircraft by means of a movable fixing unit according to claim 1, with the method comprising the following step:

moving a seat without undoing the seat from an affixation device on the floor;

wherein the act of moving positions the entire seat along a predetermined direction.

17. The method of claim 16,

wherein the act of moving changes the spacing of the seats from surrounding seat.

18. The method of one of claim 16 or 17, further comprising the steps of:

unlocking a locking mechanism of the movable fixing unit; and

locking a locking mechanism of the movable fixing unit.