CRADLE RECLINE MECHANISM FOR FIXED-SHELL AIRCRAFT SEAT

• US 20150284087A1
• Filed: 04/01/2015
• Published: 10/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Henshaw, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,167,083 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/064 Adjustable inclination or position of seats

Abstract

A fixed-shell aircraft passenger seat including a seat bottom pivotably attached to a seatback, a fixed-shell positioned behind the seatback, left and right spreaders guiding the seat bottom forward and lower as the seat bottom moves to a reclined sitting position, a linkage arm linked with movement of the seat bottom, and a locking gas spring arranged between the linkage arm and a fixed seat frame member for counterbalancing passenger weight to return the seat bottom to upright and prevent over acceleration into a cradle recline sitting position.

Claims

1. A fixed-shell aircraft passenger seat, comprising:

a seat bottom;

a seatback pivotably attached to the seat bottom;

a fixed-shell positioned behind the seatback;

left and right spreaders guiding the seat bottom forward and lower as the seat bottom moves from an upright sitting position to a cradle recline sitting position;

a linkage arm linked with movement of the seat bottom; and

a locking gas spring arranged between the linkage arm and a fixed seat frame member for counterbalancing passenger weight to return the seat bottom to the upright sitting position and prevent over acceleration into the cradle recline sitting position.

2. The seat of claim 1, wherein each of the left and right spreaders define an arcuate roller track along which vertically-oriented rollers on opposite sides of the seat bottom travel as the seat bottom moves between the upright and cradle recline sitting positions.

3. The seat of claim 2, wherein the vertically-oriented rollers include a seat bottom attachment roller and an idler roller positioned forward of the seat bottom attachment roller in the arcuate roller track.

4. The seat of claim 3, wherein the seat bottom attachment roller is positioned at a rearwardmost end of the arcuate roller track when the seat bottom is fully upright, and the idler roller is positioned at a forwardmost end of the arcuate roller track when the seat bottom is fully reclined.

5. The seat of claim 1, wherein the seat bottom is horizontal in the upright sitting position and inclined in the direction of a forward end thereof in the cradle recline sitting position.

6. The seat of claim 1, further comprising an arcuate rail that moves with the seat bottom and a geared pinion timing axle meshed with teeth on the arcuate rail to keep opposite sides of the seat bottom running parallel.

7. The seat of claim 6, wherein the linkage arm and the arcuate rail are fixed together.

8. The seat of claim 1, wherein the linkage arm is fixed at one end for movement with the seat bottom and pivotably attached proximate an opposite end thereof to the fixed seat frame member positioned beneath the seat bottom.

9. The seat of claim 1, wherein the locking gas spring is arranged such that maximum force is exerted on the linkage arm when the seat bottom is closest to fully reclined, and when the seat bottom is in the upright sitting position the locking gas spring is fully extended and pushes against the linkage arm with minimum force.

10. The seat of claim 1, further comprising vertically-oriented forward rollers positioned proximate a forward end of each of the left and right spreaders on inboard sides thereof that travel along arcuate tracks on opposite sides of the seat bottom.

11. A fixed-shell aircraft passenger seat configured for cradle recline movement, comprising:

a seatback pivotably connected to a seat bottom such that seat bottom movement drives seatback movement between an upright sitting position and a reclined sitting position;

a fixed-shell positioned behind the seatback;

left and right spreaders guiding the seat bottom forward and lower as the seat bottom moves from the upright sitting position to the reclined sitting position;

a linkage arm linked with movement of the seat bottom; and

a passenger weight counterbalancing mechanism arranged between the linkage arm and a fixed seat frame member for counterbalancing passenger weight to return the seat bottom to the upright sitting position and prevent over acceleration into the reclined sitting position.

12. The seat of claim 11, wherein each of the left and right spreaders have an arcuate roller track along which vertically-oriented rollers of the seat bottom travel as the seat bottom moves between the upright and reclined sitting positions.

13. The seat of claim 12, wherein the vertically-oriented rollers include a seat bottom attachment roller and an idler roller positioned forward of the seat bottom attachment roller in the arcuate roller track.

14. The seat of claim 11, wherein the seat bottom is horizontal in the upright sitting position and inclined in the direction of a forward end thereof in the reclined sitting position.

15. The seat of claim 11, wherein the seatback bears against the fixed-shell as the seatback moves between the upright and reclined sitting positions.

16. The seat of claim 11, further comprising a toothed arcuate rail that moves with the seat bottom and a geared pinion timing axle meshed with teeth on the arcuate rail to keep opposite sides of the seat bottom running parallel.

17. The seat of claim 11, wherein the linkage arm is fixed at one end for movement with the seat bottom and pivotably attached proximate an opposite end thereof to the fixed seat frame member positioned beneath the seat bottom.

18. The seat of claim 11, wherein the passenger weight counterbalancing mechanism is a locking gas spring arranged such that maximum force of the locking gas spring is exerted on the linkage arm when the seat bottom is closest to fully reclined, and when the seat bottom is in the upright sitting position the locking gas spring is fully extended and pushes against the linkage arm with minimum force.

19. The seat of claim 11, further comprising vertically-oriented forward rollers positioned proximate a forward end of each of the left and right spreaders on inboard sides thereof that travel along arcuate tracks on opposite sides of the seat bottom.