Individual module for aircraft passengers

• US 7,025,306 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2003
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Airbus
• Original Assignee: Airbus
• Inventors: Saint Jalmes, Bruno
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Teri Pham
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holzen, Stephen A.
• Application Number:
  US10/441,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20030218095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 244/118.5, 244/118.6, 244/122.R, 244/122.AH, 244/119, 244/117.R, 5/91, 119/771, 297464-488, 114/192
• US Class Current: 244/118.6
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00 Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
• 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 11/0641 Seats convertible into beds
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

A seating module for aircraft passengers including an individual seat which has a seat cushion, a seat back and arm rests and is adapted to be oriented in a longitudinal direction of the aircraft. The seating module further includes an upright vertical wall structure having a fitting or compartment facing and spaced a distance from the individual seat which is narrower than the width of the individual seat. The seating module has a straight lateral wall extending between one side of the individual seat and one side of the fitting, which has a height at least at the level of the seat cushion. The straight lateral wall, the individual seat and the fitting define an elongate space having a wider end occupied by the individual seat and a narrower end occupied by the fitting. An access opening is disposed between the ends and opposite the straight lateral wall.

Claims

1. A seating module for an aircraft passenger, said seating module comprising an individual seat having a seat back, a seat cushion juxtaposed said seat back and a pair of arm rests straddling said seat cushion, said individual seat adapted to be oriented in a longitudinal direction of said aircraft;

said individual seat having an elongate shape with said individual seat defining a wider end and a fitting defining a narrower end, said fitting facing said individual seat and spaced a predetermined distance therefrom, one side of said wider and narrower ends being connected by a lateral wall at least at the level of said seat cushion, the other side of said wider and narrower ends being connected by a side having a substantially straight segment extending from said narrower end toward said wider end and diverging from the opposite lateral wall to define an access opening therebetween and opposite to said lateral wall.

2. A seating module as claimed in claim 1, having the shape of a right-angle trapezium.

3. A seating module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wider end defines a substantially rectilinear first end, said second narrower end defines a substantially rectilinear second end narrower than said rectilinear first end, and further comprising:

a substantially straight side lateral wall connecting said one side of said rectilinear first end and said one side of said rectilinear second end, said straight side lateral wall being substantially perpendicular to said rectilinear first and second ends; and

a side opposite said substantially straight side lateral wall connecting said rectilinear first and second ends, said side opposite said substantially straight side lateral wall having a first substantially straight segment extending from said rectilinear second end toward said rectilinear first end and diverging from said substantially straight side lateral wall and a second segment connecting a free end of said first end to said first substantially straight diverging segment.

4. A seating module as claimed in claim 3 wherein said second segment is substantially parallel to said substantially straight side lateral wall.

5. A seating module as claimed in claim 3 wherein said second segment extends from said rectilinear first end toward said rectilinear second end and diverges from said substantially straight side lateral wall.

6. A seating module as claimed in claim 5 wherein the divergence angle of said first segment is greater than the divergence angle of said second segment.

7. The seating module as claimed in claim 1 having a length from 1.80 m to 2.10 m.

8. The seating module as claimed in claim 1 having a maximum width from 0.50 m to 0.70 m.

9. The seating module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said seating module comprises a pair of seating modules, said pair of seating modules disposed head-to-tail and in contact with each other, said pair of seating modules having identical contours.

10. The pair of seating modules as claimed in claim 9 wherein each seating module has U-shaped ends and is in contact with the other module through at least a portion of one side of said wider end.

11. The pair of seating modules as claimed in claim 10 wherein the sides of said U-shaped ends of each seating module opposite the other end are aligned with each other, parallel to a direction common to said pair of seating modules.

12. The pair of seating modules as claimed in claim 9 wherein each seating module has U-shaped ends and is in contact with the other module through at least a portion of a side disposed between its ends.

13. The pair of seating modules as claimed in claim 9 wherein each seating module has U-shaped ends and is in contact with the other module through at least a portion of one side of said narrower end.

14. The seating module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said seating module comprises a row of seating modules, each said seating module of said row of seating modules defining identical spaces and disposed in alignment with each other with identical orientations.

15. The row of seating modules as claimed in claim 14, wherein two adjacent seating modules have their respective narrow ends opposing the respective wider ends of each adjacent seating module.

16. The seating module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said seating module comprises a group of seating modules formed of seating modules disposed in two rows to form a succession of pairs of seating modules.

17. The group of seating modules as claimed in claim 16 wherein said group of seating modules is arranged to form a plurality of rows of seating modules in an aircraft cabin.

18. The group of seating modules as claimed in claim 17 wherein two rows form a group of seating modules in an aircraft cabin.

19. The group of seating modules as claimed in claim 17 wherein a lateral row of seating modules are disposed along each wall of a cabin section of an aircraft.

20. The group of seating modules as claimed in claim 19 wherein said lateral row is part of a group of seating modules.

21. The group of seating modules as claimed in claim 19 further comprising at least one lateral aisle in said aircraft cabin section whereby a set of lateral rows are separated by said at least one lateral aisle.

22. The group of seating modules as claimed in claim 21 wherein said set of lateral rows consists of groups of seating modules separated in pairs by lateral aisles.

37. The seating module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said seating module comprises a row of seating modules, each said seating module of said row of seating modules defining identical spaces and disposed in alignment with each other with identical orientations, such that said access openings of said seating modules are aligned with each other.

23. A seating module for an aircraft passenger, said seating module comprising an individual seat having a seat cushion, a seat back juxtaposed said seat cushion and arm rests straddling said seat cushion, said individual seat adapted to be oriented in a longitudinal direction of the aircraft;

a fitting facing and spaced at a distance from said individual seat, said fitting being narrower than said individual seat; and

a lateral wall extending between one side of said individual seat and one side of said fitting at least at the level of said seat cushion, the other side of said wider end and narrower end being connected by a side having a substantially straight segment extending from said narrower end toward said wider end and diverging from the opposite lateral wall to define an access opening there between, such that said lateral wall, said individual seat and said fitting define an elongate space having a wider end occupied by said individual seat, a narrower end occupied by said fitting.

24. The seating module as claimed in claim 23 wherein said elongated space has a contour that widens from each end.

25. The seating module as claimed in claim 24 wherein said narrower end widens less than said wider end so that said space has an area of maximum width that is nearer said wider end than said narrower end.

26. The seating module as claimed in claim 23 wherein said wider and narrower ends each have a side that is substantially aligned with a side of the other end.

27. The seating module as claimed in claim 26 wherein said lateral wall is disposed between the sides opposite those that are substantially aligned with each other.

28. The seating module as claimed in claim 23 wherein said wider and narrower ends of said elongate space are each defined by a U-shaped end wall.

29. The seating module as claimed in claim 28 wherein said lateral wall extends from one end of said U-shaped end wall to the other.

30. The seating module as claimed in claim 28 wherein said U-shaped end walls are each provided with fixing means for securely fixing them to longitudinal fixing rails disposed in the floor of the cabin.

31. The seating module as claimed in claim 30 wherein said U-shaped end walls have a height from 0.45 m to 1.50 m.

32. The seating module as claimed in claim 23 wherein said lateral wall is of variable height.

33. The seating module as claimed in claim 23 wherein said fitting has a surface at a height equal to that of said seat cushion to within approximately 10 centimeters.

34. The seating module as claimed in claim 33 wherein said surface is at a height from 0.45 m to 0.60 m.

35. The seating module as claimed in claim 23 wherein said individual seat is a convertible seat and wherein said seat back can be inclined toward the rear.

36. The seating module as claimed in claim 35 wherein said seat back can be inclined as far as a horizontal configuration.

38. The seating module as claimed in claim 23 further comprising an access opening between said fitting and said seat cushion opposite said lateral wall.

39. The seating module as claimed in claim 38 wherein said access opening has a horizontal width equal to the height of said lateral wall.

40. The seating module as claimed in claim 38 wherein said elongated space has a contour that widens from each end.

41. The seating module as claimed in claim 38 wherein said narrower end widens less than said wider end so that said space has an area of maximum width that is nearer said wider end than said narrower end.

42. The seating module as claimed in claim 38 wherein said wider and narrower ends each have a side that is substantially aligned with a side of the other end.

43. The seating module as claimed in claim 38 wherein said access opening has a horizontal dimension equal to the width of said lateral wall.

44. A seating module for an aircraft passenger, said seating module adapted to be oriented in a longitudinal direction of said aircraft, said seating module comprising:

an individual seat having an elongated shape defining a first predetermined wide end and a second predetermined narrower width end, one side of each of said first predetermined wide end and said second predetermined narrower width end being connected by a substantially straight segment extending from said one side of said second predetermined narrower width end towards said one side of said first predetermined wide end, the opposite side of each of said first predetermined wide end and said second predetermined narrower width end being connected by a straight diverging segment extending from said one side of each of said first predetermined wide end and said second predetermined narrower width end to define an apex point at the intersection of said straight diverging segments.

45. A seating module for an aircraft passenger, said seating module adapted to be oriented in a longitudinal direction of said aircraft, said seating module comprising:

an individual seat having an elongated shape defining a first predetermined wide end and a second predetermined narrower width end, one side of each of said first predetermined wide end and said second predetermined narrower width end being connected by a substantially straight segment lateral wall extending from said one side of said second predetermined narrower width end towards said one side of said first predetermined wide end, the opposite side of one of said first predetermined wide end and said second predetermined narrower width end being connected by a side having a substantially straight segment diverging from said one side and extending from said opposite side of said one of said first predetermined wide end and said second predetermined narrower width end towards the opposite side of the other of said first predetermined wide end and said second predetermined narrower width end to define an access opening opposite to said lateral wall.