Vehicle seating adapted for sleeping posture

• US 7,055,904 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2004
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: B/E Aerospace Incorporated (Spirit Realty Capital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: B/E Aerospace Incorporated (Spirit Realty Capital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Heidmann, Kurt R., Dowty, Mark Brian, Yurchenco, James R., Skelly, Trevor B., Penley, James Randy
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Peter R.
• Application Number:
  US10/984,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20050140193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 297/284.3, 297/284.9, 297/284.11, 297/312, 297/404, 297/405, 297/408
• US Class Current: 297/284.9
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/503 with double foot-rests or leg-rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/62 Thigh-rests B60N2/914 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/986 Side-rests B60N2/2872, B60N2/885 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/99 adjustable
• 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 11/0642 Adjustable headrests
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0696 Means for fastening seats to floors, e.g. to floor rails
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

A passenger seat for a vehicle includes a seat back; and a seat bottom, which may be mounted to a fixed backshell. The seat bottom is selectively configurable such that at least a portion of one side thereof is higher than at least a portion of the opposite side thereof, relative to a floor of said vehicle, so as to support a passenger who is seated on said seat bottom in a rotated position wherein one of said passenger'"'"'s hips is higher than the other hip relative to said floor.

Claims

1. A passenger seat for a vehicle, comprising:

a seat back; and

a seat bottom, wherein said seat bottom is selectively moveable from a conventional seating configuration to a sleeping configuration in which;

a forward end thereof is lowered relative to an aft end thereof;

at least a portion of one side of said seat bottom is higher than at least a portion of the opposite side thereof, relative to a floor of said vehicle, so as to support a passenger who is seated on said seat bottom in a rotated position wherein one of said passenger'"'"'s hips is higher than the other hip relative to said floor; and

at least one support wing protrudes upward at said forward end to prevent a passenger seated on said seat bottom from slipping forward, wherein said support wing is generally triangular and two sides of said support wing form portions of a front edge and a side edge of said seat bottom, respectively.

2. The passenger seat of claim 1 wherein said seat back and said seat frame are attached to a frame which is adapted to be mounted to a floor of said vehicle.

3. The passenger seat of claim 1 wherein said support wing is pivotally connected to the remainder of said seat bottom.

4. The passenger seat of claim 3 further including at least one support lever disposed underneath said support wing, said support lever selectively pivotable between a lowered position and a raised position.

5. The passenger seat of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said seat back may be selectively rotated about a line generally parallel to said passenger'"'"'s spine so as to create a recessed niche for accommodating one of said passengers shoulders.

6. The passenger seat of claim 1 further including a head rest disposed at an upper end of said seat back, said head rest having two laterally spaced-apart side portions, wherein said head rest is rotatable such that one side portion is lower than the other relative to a floor of said vehicle.

7. The passenger seat of claim 1 wherein said support wing is substantially rigid in said raised position.

8. A passenger seat for a vehicle, comprising:

a frame for being attached to a floor of said vehicle

a backshell attached to said frame;

a seat back inserted into said backshell; and

a seat bottom attached to said frame, and including at least one support wing disposed at a front corner thereof and delineated from the remainder of said seat bottom by a line oblique to a forward edge of said seat bottom, said support wing being selectively moveable between a lowered position and an effectively raised position, so as to support a passenger who is seated on said seat bottom in a rotated position wherein one of said passenger'"'"'s hips is higher than the other relative to said floor, and to block said passenger from slipping forward relative to said seat bottom.

9. The passenger seat of claim 8 wherein said backshell is fixed.

10. The passenger seat of claim 8, wherein said support wing is pivotally connected to the remainder of said seat bottom.

11. The passenger seat of claim 10 further including at least one support lever disposed underneath said support wing, said support lever selectively pivotable between a lowered position and a raised position.

12. The passenger seat of claim 8 wherein at least a portion of said seat back may be selectively rotated about a line generally parallel to said passenger'"'"'s spine so as to create a recessed niche for accommodating one of said passenger'"'"'s shoulders.

13. The passenger seat of claim 8 further including a head rest disposed at an upper end of said seat back, said having two laterally spaced-apart side portions, wherein said head rest is rotatable such that one side portion is lower than the other relative to a floor of said vehicle.

14. The passenger seat of claim 8 wherein said support wing is generally triangular and two sides of said support wing form portions of a front edge and a side edge of said seat bottom, respectively.

15. The passenger seat of claim 8 wherein said support wing is substantially rigid in said raised position.