Seating unit

• US 6,059,364 A
• Filed: 06/12/1998
• Issued: 05/09/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Faulkner Interstices LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: British Airways PLC (International Consolidated Airlines Group SA)
• Inventors: Dryburgh, Ian, Lunn, Simon, Mulchansingh, Russel
• Primary Examiner(s): BARFIELD, ANTHONY DERRELL
• Application Number:
  US09/097,149
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 297/342, 297/343, 297/354.13, 297/63, 297/64, 297/65, 297/67, 297/69, 297/188.04, 297/147, 297/233, 297/245, 105/316, 105/315, 105/323, 105/327, 244/118.6, 244/118.5, 5/18.1, 5/9.1
• US Class Current: 297/354.13
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/034 the parts including a leg-rest or foot-rest A47C1/037 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/0352 characterised by coupled seat and back-rest slidingly movable in the base frame, e.g. by rollers
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 17/163 and a foot-rest
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/34 into a bed
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/79 Adaptations for additional use of the arm-rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/995 Lower-leg-rests, e.g. calf-rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/001 of tables or trays
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/002 of trays
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00 Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00153 Monitors mounted on or in the seat other than the seat back
• 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 11/0606 with privacy shells, screens, separators or the like class dividers B64D11/0023
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0636 Personal storage means or waste disposal bags
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0638 with foldable tables, trays or cup holders
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/06395 characterised by the arrangement of electric motors for adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/064 Adjustable inclination or position of seats
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0641 Seats convertible into beds
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0643 Adjustable foot or leg rests

Abstract

A seating unit (1) comprises a fixed housing (10) containing a primary seat with a reclinable back arranged to recline in such a manner that it remains within the housing. The seating unit is suitable for a aircraft cabin and may further comprise a leg-rest arranged to cooperate with the seating portion to form part of a substantially flat surface when the back is reclined in a substantially horizontal position. The seating unit may further comprise a secondary seat (3) positioned to face the primary seat, the secondary seat having a seating portion positioned to cooperate with the leg-rest of the primary seat to form a portion of the substantially flat surface when the back of the primary seat is reclined in the substantially horizontal position. Privacy between seats and use of available space within an aircraft cabin may be optimised by arranging at least some of the seats in an echelon.

Claims

1. A seating unit for an aircraft cabin, the seating unit comprising:

a fixed housing;

a seat with a back portion supported by and contained within the fixed housing, and a separate seating portion; and

a trolley associated with the seating portion of the seat, the trolley comprising a member extending away from the seating portion to contact a supporting surface on which in use the seating unit is placed and thereby to support the seating portion, and driving means for driving the trolley to move the seating portion between a retracted position and an extended position, the seating portion and the back portion pivotally coupled such that as the seating portion is moved between the retracted and extended positions the back portion is caused to move between substantially upright and reclined positions while remaining substantially within the housing;

wherein a substantially flat surface is formed by the back and seating portions when the back portion is in the reclined position and the seating portion is in the extended position.

2. A seating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the back portion is connected at one end thereof to the seating portion.

3. A seating unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising back guiding means for guiding the back portion between said substantially upright and reclined positions.

4. A seating unit as claimed in claim 3, further comprising seat guiding means for guiding the seating portion to vary the orientation thereof as the seating portion is moved between the retracted and extended positions.

5. A seating unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein said back and seat guiding means are secured to said fixed housing.

6. A seating unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein the fixed housing comprises a back, and the back guiding means are formed such that movement of the back portion is forward of the back of the fixed housing.

7. A seating unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a leg rest portion connected to moving means for moving the leg rest portion between a retracted position and a supporting position.

8. A seating unit as claimed in claim 7, wherein the moving means comprises an electric motor for driving the leg rest portion.

9. A seating unit as claimed in claim 8, further comprising user operable control means for controlling the electric motor.

10. A seating unit as claimed in claim 7, wherein the leg rest portion is drivable between the retracted and supporting positions independently of the driving of the trolley.

11. A seating unit as claimed in claim 7, wherein a substantially flat sleeping surface is formed by said back, seating and leg rest portions when said back portion is in said reclined position, said seating portion is in said extended position and said leg rest portion is in said supporting position.

12. A seating unit as claimed in claim 11, further comprising an extension surface separate from the seat, the extension surface co-operating with the leg rest portion when the leg rest portion is in said supporting position to extend said sleeping surface.

13. A seating unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the extension surface is provided to be secured to a back of another seat.

14. A seating unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the extension surface comprises a secondary seat.

15. A seating unit as claimed in claim 14, wherein the secondary seat comprises a fixed portion and a pivotable portion pivotable to avoid trapping of an object between the extension surface and the leg rest portion as the leg rest portion is moved between the retracted and supporting positions.

16. A seating unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the extension surface is pivotable to avoid trapping of an object between the extension surface and the leg rest portion as the leg rest portion is moved between the retracted and supporting positions.

17. A seating unit as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a utilities unit adjacent to and structurally separate from the seat for housing utilities for individual use by an occupant of the seat, the utilities unit is positioned to one side of the seat and the extension surface and extending between the seat and the extension surface.

18. A seating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driving means comprises an electric motor for driving the trolley.

19. A seating unit as claimed in claim 17, further comprising user operable control means for controlling the electric motor.

20. A seating unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a utilities unit adjacent to and structurally separate from the seat for housing utilities for individual use by an occupant of the seat.

21. A seating unit as claimed in claim 20, wherein utilities unit provides storage space for personal effects of the occupant.

22. A seating unit as claimed in claim 20, wherein the utilities unit contains a television-type monitor.

23. A seating unit as claimed in claim 20, wherein the utilities unit contains a table extendible in front of the seat.

24. A seating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of said seating units are disposed in a cabin of an aircraft.

25. A seating unit as claimed in claim 24, wherein said plurality of seating units are arranged in an outboard facing configuration.

26. A seating unit as claimed in claim 24, wherein said plurality of seating units are arranged in an inboard facing configuration.

27. A seating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of said seating units are disposed in a cabin of an aircraft and wherein at least some of said plurality of seating units are arranged in an echelon.

28. A seating unit as claimed in claim 27, wherein a series of said plurality of seating units arranged in said echelon are disposed along each side of said cabin of said aircraft.

29. A seating unit as claimed in claim 28, wherein said series of said plurality of seating units arranged along each side of said cabin are oriented to face outwardly of said cabin.

30. A seating unit as claimed in claim 28, wherein said series of said plurality of seating units arranged along each side of said cabin are oriented to face inwardly of said cabin.

31. A seating unit as claimed in claim 27, wherein a series of said plurality of seating units is disposed in a central section of said cabin of said aircraft.

32. A seating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driving means is connected to the trolley and is for driving the trolley to move the seating portion.