AIRCRAFT SEAT WITH TAXI, TAKEOFF AND LANDING LIE FLAT CAPABILITY

• US 20150130244A1
• Filed: 11/10/2014
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Wyss, Alen
• Granted Patent: US 9,828,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/354.13
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0601 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
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0604 including a bed, e.g. cocoon type passenger seat modules
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0605 including tables or desks
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/06205 Arrangements of airbags

Abstract

A side-facing aircraft passenger seat having a head rest, seat back, seat bottom and leg rest moveable between an upright seating position and a lie flat sleeping position, and including a plurality of air bags positioned in at least partially surrounding orientation in relation to the seat and inflatable to provide comfort and protection to a seat occupant while in the lie flat sleeping position. The seat may be oriented obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

Claims

1. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat having a head rest, seat back, seat bottom and leg rest moveable between an upright seating position and a lie flat sleeping position, and including a plurality of air bags positioned in at least partially surrounding orientation in relation to the seat and inflatable to provide comfort and protection to a seat occupant while in the lie flat sleeping position.

2. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 1, wherein the air bags are selectively inflatable and deflatable as the seat occupant moves between the lie flat position and the upright seating position.

3. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 1, wherein the air bags are single use air bags that include a sensor and trigger that instantaneously inflates the air bags in the event of an abrupt deceleration sufficient to cause the sensor to deliver a signal to the trigger.

4. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 1, wherein the head rest, seat back, seat bottom and leg rest are positioned within a fixed position shell having at least one major aisle-adjacent wall oriented in alignment with a longitudinal axis of the aircraft, and further wherein the head rest, seat back, seat bottom and leg rest are oriented at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

5. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 4, wherein the head rest, seat back, seat bottom and leg rest are arranged whereby a passenger occupying the seat faces forward generally in the direction of forward travel of the aircraft.

6. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of seats are positioned in an arrangement whereby the seats are oriented at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and are positioned in a staggered array with the head rest, seat back, seat bottom and leg rest of a first seat angularly offset to an adjacent second seat.

7. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the air bags is a long, narrow air bag positioned in an inflated condition adjacent the seat bottom and leg rest to cushion the seat occupant against forward movement along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

8. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the air bags is a long, narrow air bag positioned in an inflated condition adjacent the head rest and seat back to cushion the seat occupant against forward movement along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

9. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the air bags is a long, narrow air bag positioned adjacent the seat bottom and leg rest to cushion the seat occupant against forward movement along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, the air bag being selectively inflatable by the seat occupant to provide a desired degree of comfort while in the reclined position.

10. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the air bags is a long, narrow air bag positioned in a deflated condition adjacent the seat bottom and leg rest and adapted to inflate upon an abrupt deceleration of the aircraft cushion the seat occupant against injury resulting from forward movement along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and then deflate to enable the seat occupant to exit the seat.

11. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 1, and including a plurality of air bags positioned in an inflated condition adjacent the seat bottom and leg rest to cushion the seat occupant against forward movement along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

12. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 1, and including a plurality of air bags positioned in an inflated condition adjacent the head rest, seat back, seat bottom and leg rest to cushion the seat occupant against forward movement along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

13. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 1, and including a plurality of air bags positioned in the seat and positioned in an inflated condition adjacent the seat bottom and leg rest to cushion the seat occupant against forward movement along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

14. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 1, and including a plurality of air bags positioned in the seat wherein at least one of the air bags is a long, narrow air bag positioned in a deflated condition adjacent the seat bottom and leg rest and adapted to inflate upon an abrupt deceleration of the aircraft cushion the seat occupant against injury resulting from forward movement along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and then deflate to enable the seat occupant to exit the seat.

15. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 1, and including a plurality of air bags positioned in the seat wherein at least one of the air bags is a long, narrow air bag positioned in a deflated condition adjacent the seat bottom and leg rest and adapted to inflate upon an abrupt deceleration of the aircraft cushion the seat occupant against injury resulting from forward movement along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and then deflate to enable the seat occupant to exit the seat.

16. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 1, and including a plurality of air bags positioned in the seat wherein at least one of the air bags is a long, narrow air bag positioned in a deflated condition adjacent the seat bottom and leg rest, the air bag being selectively inflatable by the seat occupant to provide a desired degree of comfort while in the reclined position.

17. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat having a head rest, seat back, seat bottom and leg rest moveable between an upright seating position and a lie flat sleeping position, and including a plurality of air bags positioned in at least partially surrounding orientation in relation to the seat and inflatable to provide comfort and protection to a seat occupant while in the lie flat sleeping position, wherein the head rest, seat back, seat bottom and leg rest are positioned within a fixed position shell having at least one major aisle-adjacent wall oriented in alignment with a longitudinal axis of the aircraft, and further wherein the head rest, seat back, seat bottom and leg rest are oriented at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, the head rest, seat back, seat bottom and leg rest are arranged whereby a passenger occupying the seat faces forward generally in the direction of forward travel of the aircraft.

18. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 17, wherein a plurality of seats are positioned in an arrangement whereby the seats are oriented at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and are positioned in a staggered array with the head rest, seat back, seat bottom and leg rest of a first seat angularly offset to an adjacent second seat.

19. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 17, wherein at least one of the air bags is a long, narrow air bag positioned adjacent the seat bottom and leg rest to cushion the seat occupant against forward movement along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, the air bag being selectively inflatable by the seat occupant to provide a desired degree of comfort while in the reclined position.

20. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 17, wherein at least one of the air bags is a long, narrow air bag positioned in a deflated condition adjacent the seat bottom and leg rest and adapted to inflate upon an abrupt deceleration of the aircraft cushion the seat occupant against injury resulting from forward movement along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and then deflate to enable the seat occupant to exit the seat.

21. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 17, and including a plurality of air bags positioned in an inflated condition adjacent the seat bottom and leg rest to cushion the seat occupant against forward movement along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

22. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 17, and including a plurality of air bags positioned in an inflated condition adjacent the head rest, seat back, seat bottom and leg rest to cushion the seat occupant against forward movement along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

23. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 17, and including a plurality of air bags positioned in the seat and positioned in an inflated condition adjacent the seat bottom and leg rest to cushion the seat occupant against forward movement along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

24. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 17, and including a plurality of air bags positioned in the seat wherein at least one of the air bags is a long, narrow air bag positioned in a deflated condition adjacent the seat bottom and leg rest and adapted to inflate upon an abrupt deceleration of the aircraft cushion the seat occupant against injury resulting from forward movement along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and then deflate to enable the seat occupant to exit the seat.

25. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 17, and including a plurality of air bags positioned in the seat wherein at least one of the air bags is a long, narrow air bag positioned in a deflated condition adjacent the seat bottom and leg rest and adapted to inflate upon an abrupt deceleration of the aircraft cushion the seat occupant against injury resulting from forward movement along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and then deflate to enable the seat occupant to exit the seat.

26. A side-facing aircraft passenger seat according to claim 17, and including a plurality of air bags positioned in the seat wherein at least one of the air bags is a long, narrow air bag positioned in a deflated condition adjacent the seat bottom and leg rest, the air bag being selectively inflatable by the seat occupant to provide a desired degree of comfort while in the reclined position.