Aircraft sleeper seat

• US 6,692,069 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2002
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: B/E Aerospace Incorporated (Spirit Realty Capital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: B/E Aerospace Incorporated (Spirit Realty Capital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Beroth, Michael T., Hall, Gregory, Pence, Tracy, Lawson, Bobby, Laming, Ross, Plant, Tommy G., Wenzler, Al, McAnulty, Stacy
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US10/199,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20030080597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 297/118, 297/115, 297/329, 297/330, 297/354.13, 297/411.36, 297/411.3, 244/118.6
• US Class Current: 297/118
• 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: B64D 11/0606 with privacy shells, screens, separators or the like class dividers B64D11/0023
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0644 Adjustable arm rests

Abstract

A reclining passenger seat, including a seat frame for being attached to a supporting deck, a seat bottom carried by the seat frame, and a seat back carried by the seat frame and moveable with the seat bottom from and between the upright and sleep positions. A legrest assembly is mounted adjacent a forward end of the seat bottom for being selectively extended generally downwardly and outwardly from the seat bottom for supporting the legs of the passenger. An armrest assembly is carried by the seat frame and includes an armrest moveable between a horizontal position with an upper support surface supporting a forearm of the seat occupant in the upright seat position and a forwardly-inclined, lowered position wherein the upper support surface is aligned with an upper surface of the seat bottom for providing a wider sleeping surface for the seat occupant when the seat is in the fully-reclined sleep position.

Claims

1. A reclining passenger seat, comprising:

(a) a seat frame for being attached to a supporting deck;

(b) a seat bottom carried by the seat frame;

(c) a seat back carried by the seat frame and moveable with the seat bottom from and between an upright position, a semi-reclined position, and a fully-reclined sleep position;

(d) a legrest assembly mounted adjacent a forward end of the seat bottom for being selectively extended generally downwardly and outwardly from the seat bottom for supporting the legs of the passenger;

(e) an armrest assembly carried by the seat frame and including an armrest moveable between;

(i) a horizontal position with an upper support surface supporting a forearm of the seat occupant in the upright seat position;

(ii) a forwardly-inclined, lowered position wherein the upper support surface is aligned with an upper surface of the seat bottom for providing a wider sleeping surface for the seat occupant when the seat is in the fully-reclined sleep position; and

(iii) a rearwardly-inclined, intermediate position for supporting the forearm of the seat occupant in the semi-reclined seat position.

2. A reclining passenger seat according to claim 1, wherein the support surface of the armrest is parallel to an upper support surface of the seat bottom in the upright, semi-reclined, and sleep positions.

3. A reclining passenger seat according to claim 1, and further comprising:

(a) a pivot for mounting the armrest by an aft portion thereof to a fixed pivotable position on the seat back; and

(b) a linkage pivotally attached by respective upper ends to a forward end of the armrest and by a lower end to an elongate slide rail mounted to the seat frame, the lower end of the linkage attached by a linear slide to the slide rail for sliding movement along the slide rail during transition of the seat between the upright and sleep positions.

4. A reclining passenger seat according to claim 3, wherein:

(a) the slide rail includes rack teeth thereon cooperating with a pinion gear driven by a drive actuator for movement of the seat back and seat bottom; and

(b) the seat frame Includes guide slots in opposing lateral sides thereof in which are mounted guide rollers carried by the seat bottom and the seat back for guiding translational movement of the seat bottom and seat back.

5. A reclining passenger seat according to claim 1, and including a bolster positioned adjacent a forward end of the seat bottom and moveable between:

(a) a retracted position when the seat is in the upright position; and

(b) a deployed position when the seat is in the semi-reclined seat position and in the sleep position for providing support to the back of the leg and knee of the seat occupant.

6. A reclining passenger seat according to claim 1, and including a stationary privacy shell mounted aft of the seat frame for providing lateral privacy to the seat occupant when said seat is in the sleep position.

7. A reclining passenger seat according to claim 6, wherein the privacy shell includes a footwell for accommodating feet of an aft-seated seat occupant.

8. A reclining passenger seat according to claim 7, wherein the privacy shell includes a pivotally-mounted breakaway panel mounted on an aft-facing side of the privacy shell in a predefined head strike path for controlled forward movement about a pivot point in a crash situation wherein the head of an aft-seated seat occupant strikes the breakaway panel.

9. A reclining passenger seat according to claim 6, wherein the privacy shell includes an ingress/egress step formed therein and for permitting one aft-seated seat occupant to step over the legs of an adjacent seat occupant when ingressing or egressing the seat.

10. A reclining passenger seat, comprising:

(a) a seat frame for being attached to a supporting deck;

(b) a seat bottom carried by the seat frame;

(c) a seat back carried by the seat frame and moveable with the seat bottom from and between an upright position, a semi-reclined position, and a fully-reclined sleep position;

(d) a legrest assembly mounted adjacent a forward end of the seat bottom for being selectively extended generally downwardly and outwardly from the seat bottom for supporting the legs of the passenger;

(e) an armrest assembly carried by the seat frame and including an armrest moveable between;

(i) a horizontal position with an upper support surface supporting a forearm of the seat occupant in the upright seat position;

(ii) a forwardly-inclined, lowered position wherein the upper support surface is aligned with an upper surface of the seat bottom for providing a wider sleeping surface for the seat occupant when the seat is in the fully-reclined sleep position;

(iii) a rearwardly-inclined intermediate position for supporting the forearm of the seat occupant in the semi-reclined seat position;

(f) wherein the support surface of the armrest is parallel to an upper support surface of the seat bottom in the upright, semi-reclined, and sleep positions.