Seat

• US 6,916,069 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2002
• Issued: 07/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Recaro Aircraft Seating GmbH & Company
• Original Assignee: Recaro Aircraft Seating GmbH & Company
• Inventors: Bauer, Jurgen, Lischka, Heribert
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCPARTLIN, SARAH BURNHAM
• Application Number:
  US10/139,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20030209924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 297/83, 297/423.3, 297/423.36, 297/217.3, 297/61
• US Class Current: 297/423.3
• 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 31/008 Use of remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0228 Hand-activated mechanical switches B60N2/0229 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/34 into a bed
• 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 11/0643 Adjustable foot or leg rests

Abstract

A seat, in particular a vehicle seat, preferably an aircraft passenger seat, has seating components such as a sitting part (20), a back rest (22), and a leg rest (24). The positions of these components, particularly their inclination relative to each other, is adjustable by at least one operating device (32), and by a control device (40) with at least one control component, preferably manually actuatable. The control device (40) is provided with at least one function element (48, 50) which makes certain that the control device and/or control component cannot be activated unintentionally. In addition to the control device, such as one in the form of an operating component or operating key, another structural component (function element) is present as a switching component. Operation of the function element in the form of a connection process is necessary to cause activation of the control device for initiation of an operating process. A high degree of safety is attained and inadvertent operating processes cannot occur.

Claims

1. A seat, comprising:

a sitting seat part;

a back rest seat part adjustably coupled to said sitting seat part to vary relative positions thereof;

a leg rest seat part adjustably coupled to said sitting seat part to vary relative positions thereof;

an operating device coupled to at least one of said back rest seat part and said leg rest seat part for moving said one of said back rest seat part and said leg rest seat part to different positions relative to said sitting seat part;

a control device with at least one manually operable control component for initiating operation of said operating device; and

first and second function elements connected to said control device each of which must be actuated for said control component to initiate operation of said operating device.

2. A seat according to claim 1 wherein

each of said function elements are manually actuable, said first function element being mounted to said control device, said second function element being spaced from said control device.

3. A seat according to claim 1 wherein

said first and second function elements are located at different and spaced locations.

4. A seat according to claim 1 wherein

said first and second function elements are electrical switches.

5. A seat according to claim 1 wherein

a monitoring device is coupled to said operating device to monitor collision justifying boundaries of said seat parts with prescribed spatial limitations, said monitoring device ensuring collision-free movement of said seat parts within the spatial limitations by actuating said operating device at any point in time.

6. A seat according to claim 5 wherein

each seat part has an independent operating device with positions thereof registered by said monitoring device.

7. A seat according to claim 6 wherein

said back rest seat part and said leg rest seat part are angularly adjustable relative to said sitting seat part;

and

inclination angles of said seat parts relative to a reference angle is registered from regulatory distances of the respective operating device.

8. A seat according to claim 1 wherein

said back rest seat part comprises a retractable and extendible head rest;

and

said leg rest comprises a retractable and extensible extension.

9. A seat according to claim 1 wherein

an upper edge of said back rest seat part and a lower edge of said leg rest seat part are employed as collision justifying boundary geometrics.

10. A seat according to claim 5 wherein

said monitoring device performs plausibly testing of different portions of said seat parts to prevent operating and positioning errors.

11. A seat according to claim 1 wherein

said first function element determines presence of a seat occupant.

12. A seat according to claim 1 which

said first function element is an operating switch mounted on a central operating component.

13. A seat according to claim 1 wherein

said second function element is mounted on an arm rest of the seat.

14. A seat according to claim 13 wherein

said control component comprises a plurality of push buttons with each of said push buttons being associated with a seat adjustment of said seat parts in a prescribable sequence.

15. A seat according to claim 3 wherein

said control component comprises a plurality of push buttons with each of said push buttons being associated with a seat adjustment of said seat parts in a prescribable sequence.