Seating unit

• US 7,178,871 B1
• Filed: 10/15/1999
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: British Airways PLC (International Consolidated Airlines Group SA)
• Original Assignee: British Airways PLC (International Consolidated Airlines Group SA)
• Inventors: Darbyshire, Martin, Round, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo; Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCPARTLIN, SARAH BURNHAM
• Application Number:
  US09/807,624
• Time in Patent Office: 2,685 Days
• Field of Search: 297/245, 297/244, 297/354.13, 297/217.13, 244/122.R, 244/118.6
• US Class Current: 297/244
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/242 Bus seats
• 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 11/0605 including tables or desks
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0606 with privacy shells, screens, separators or the like class dividers B64D11/0023
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0624 Arrangements of electrical connectors, e.g. for earphone, internet or electric supply
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/064 Adjustable inclination or position of seats
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0641 Seats convertible into beds

Abstract

A seating unit for a vehicle has a pair of seats facing in opposite directions with each seat having a seating space for receiving the seated body of an occupant and an extension space in which the legs of the occupant may be placed. The seats are positioned on each side of a notional dividing axis with the seating space of one extending over the axis at the extension space of the other. The pair of seats is suitable for use in an aircraft cabin with one of the seats facing substantially forward in the cabin and the other of the seats facing substantially aft.

Claims

1. An aircraft seating unit, the seating unit comprising a pair of seats facing in opposite directions with each seat comprising a seating space for receiving a seated body of a human occupant and an extension space in which legs of the occupant may be placed, the seats being positioned each side of a longitudinal axis of the seating unit with the seating space of one extending over the longitudinal axis at the extension space of the other;

wherein either of said seats has a seat axis substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis and each seat comprises a back portion and a seating portion, said seating portion being movable with said back portion to allow said back portion to move between an upright position that is substantially perpendicular to a floor of an aircraft and a fully reclined position, wherein when said back portion is moved to said fully reclined position, said seating portion and said back portion extend substantially along a horizontal plane such that said seating portion and said back portion together form a substantially flat surface.

2. A seating unit according to claim 1, wherein the pair of seats is arranged so that one of the seats will face substantially forward when fitted in a vehicle and the other of the seats will face substantially aft.

3. A seating unit according to claim 1, wherein each of the seats includes an arm rest, with the arm rest of one of the seats arranged along a common axis with the arm rest of the other seat.

4. A seating unit according to claim 3, wherein the common axis is substantially coincident with the longitudinal axis of the seating unit.

5. A seating unit according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the pair of seats are contained within a housing or each seat is contained within a respective housing, the housing or housings bounding the seating spaces and the extension spaces, and forming a wall between the seats, which wall is offset with respect to the longitudinal axis of the seating unit.

6. A seating unit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the seats are positioned adjacent to each other such that the seating space in one of the seats is larger than the extension space in the other of the seats.

7. A seating unit according to any of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a secondary unit in each of the extension spaces, said secondary units being spaced from and positioned to face the respective seats.

8. A seating unit according to claim 7, wherein when said back portion is in said fully reclined position, said seating portion is in a fully extended position, in which together the secondary unit, the seating portion and the back portion form a flat surface.

9. A seating unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the back portion and seating portion are movable together to a plurality of different positions including a take-off position at which the seating portion is inclined to the floor of the cabin to compensate for the take off angle of the aircraft.

10. A seating unit according to claim 9, wherein the seat is for facing aft when fitted in an aircraft cabin.

11. A seating unit as claimed in claim 9, wherein the seating unit is drivable between a plurality of different positions, including said take-off position in which the seating portion is inclined to the floor of the cabin to compensate for the take-off angle of the aircraft and in which the back portion is partially reclined, the take off position being between a fully reclined mode in which the back portion is fully reclined and a fully upright mode in which the back portion is fully upright.

12. A seating unit according to claim 11, wherein the seating portion is less inclined to the horizontal when the seating unit is in the fully upright mode than when the seating unit is in the take-off position.

13. A seating unit as claimed in claim 9, further comprising latching means for latching the seating unit in the take off position during take-off.

14. A seating unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a secondary unit, the secondary unit comprising:

a pad mounted on an elongate support, the support being of variable height, whereby the elevation of the pad above a floor of the aircraft can be altered.

15. A seating unit according to claim 14, wherein the pad is supported for rotation in a plane substantially parallel to that of the floor of the aircraft.

16. A seating unit according to claim 14, wherein the pad is mounted to the support for pivotable movement about an axis substantially perpendicular to the support between a deployed position and a latched position.

17. A seating unit according to claim 16, wherein the pad in the deployed position is substantially parallel to the aircraft floor and in the latched position is substantially perpendicular to the aircraft floor.

18. A seating unit as claimed in claim 14, wherein the support comprises means arranged to lower the pad when a load in excess of a predetermined maximum is applied to the secondary unit.

19. A seating unit as claimed in claim 14, wherein the secondary unit faces one of the seats.

20. A seating unit as claimed in claim 19, wherein the seat is reclinable to a position in which the seat and secondary unit cooperate to form a flat surface.

21. A seating unit as claimed in claim 19, wherein the seat is movable between a retracted position and an extended position and the secondary unit is movable into and out of alignment with the seat and further comprising a secondary unit actuator arranged to move the secondary unit into alignment with the seat, when the seat is moved towards the extended position.

22. A seating unit according to claim 21, wherein the secondary unit actuator comprises a projection that extends forwardly from the seat which projection contacts the secondary unit when the seat is moved towards the extended position.

23. A seating unit according to claim 22, wherein the seating unit comprises a carriage for moving the seat and where the projection extends forwardly from the carriage.

24. A seating unit according to claim 23, wherein the seating unit comprises tracks mountable to an aircraft floor for the carriage to move along to move the seat, with the projection extending from the carriage along one of the tracks.

25. A seating unit according to claim 21, wherein the secondary unit comprises a base mountable to an aircraft floor for rotation in the plane of the aircraft floor and wherein the secondary unit actuator is arranged to contact the base to rotate the secondary unit into alignment when the seat is moving towards the extended position.

26. A seating unit according to claim 21, wherein the seat comprises a reclinable back portion and a seat portion and when the seat is in the extended position the back portion, seat portion and the secondary unit together form a substantially flat surface.

27. A seating unit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the seats are each provided with an in-flight entertainment unit comprising:

a housing; and

a monitor supported on the housing by a support arm, the support arm being rotatable about the housing to move the monitor between a stored position and a viewing position and the monitor being rotatable about the support arm to vary a viewing angle when in the viewing position.

28. A seating unit according to claim 27, further comprising a cocktail table mounted on the housing and movable between deployed and undeployed positions.

29. A seating unit according to claim 27, further comprising one or more of a computer power point, an audio output jack and a condition indicator.

30. A seating unit as claimed in claim 27, wherein the entertainment unit for one seat is mounted in a housing associated with the other seat.

31. A seating unit as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the back portion and seating portion are movable together to a plurality of different positions including a take-off position at which the seating portion is inclined to a floor of a cabin to compensate for the take-off angle of the aircraft.

32. A seating unit as claimed in claim 31, wherein the seating unit is drivable between a plurality of different positions, including said take-off position in which the seating portion is inclined to the floor of the cabin to compensate for the take-off angle of the aircraft and in which the back portion is partially reclined, the take-off position being between said fully reclined position in which the back portion is fully reclined and a fully upright position in which the back portion is fully upright.

33. A seating unit according to claim 32, wherein the seating portion is less inclined to the horizontal when the seating unit is in the fully upright position than when the seating unit is in the take-off position.

34. A seating unit as claimed in claim 33, further comprising latching means for latching the seating unit in position in the take-off position during take-off.

35. A seating unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a secondary unit, the secondary unit comprising:

a pad mounted on an elongate support, the support being of variable height, whereby the elevation of the pad above a floor of the aircraft can be altered.

36. A seating unit according to claim 35, wherein the pad is supported for rotation in a plane substantially parallel to that of a floor of the aircraft.

37. A seating unit according to claim 35, wherein the pad is mounted to the support for pivotable movement about an axis substantially perpendicular to the support between a deployed position and a latched position.

38. A seating unit according to claim 37, wherein the pad in the deployed position is substantially parallel to a aircraft floor and in the latched position is substantially perpendicular to the aircraft floor.

39. A seating unit as claimed in claim 35, wherein the support comprises means arranged to lower the pad when a load in excess of a predetermined maximum is applied to the secondary unit.

40. A seating unit as claimed in claim 35, wherein the secondary unit faces one of the seats.

41. A seating unit as claimed in claim 40, wherein when said back portion is in said fully reclined position, said secondary unit cooperates with said back portion and said seating portion to form said flat surface.

42. A seating unit as claimed in claim 40 or 41, wherein the secondary unit is movable into and out of alignment with the seat and further comprising a secondary unit actuator arranged to move the secondary unit into alignment with the seat, when the seating portion is moved towards said fully reclined position.

43. A seating unit according to claim 42, wherein the secondary unit actuator comprises a projection that extends forwardly from the seat which projection contacts the secondary unit when the seating portion is moved towards said fully reclined position.

44. A seating unit according to claim 43, wherein the seating unit comprises a carriage for moving the seating portion and where the projection extends forwardly from the carriage.

45. A seating unit according to claim 44, wherein the seating unit comprises tracks mountable to an aircraft floor for the carriage to move along to move the seating portion, with the projection extending from the carriage along one of the tracks.

46. A seating unit according to claim 42, wherein the secondary unit comprises a base mountable to an aircraft floor for rotation in the plane of the aircraft floor and wherein the secondary unit actuator is arranged to contact the base to rotate the secondary unit into alignment when the seating portion is moved towards said fully reclined position.

47. An aircraft seating unit, the seating unit comprising a pair of seats facing in opposite directions with each seat comprising a seating space for receiving a seated body of a human occupant and an extension space in which legs of the occupant may be placed, the seats being positioned each side of a longitudinal axis of the seating unit with the seating space of one extending over the longitudinal axis at the extension space of the other;

wherein either of said seats has a seat axis substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis and each seat comprises a back portion and a seating portion, said seating portion being movable with said back portion to allow said back portion to move between an upright position and a fully reclined position in which said seating portion and said back portion form a flat surface; and

said seating unit further comprising a secondary unit comprising;

a pad mounted on an elongate support, the support being of variable height, whereby the elevation of the pad above a floor of the aircraft can be altered.

48. A seating unit according to claim 47, wherein the pad is supported for rotation in a plane substantially parallel to that of a floor of the aircraft.

49. A seating unit according to claim 47, wherein the pad is mounted to the support for pivotable movement about an axis substantially perpendicular to the support between a deployed position and a latched position.

50. A seating unit according to claim 49, wherein the pad in the deployed position is substantially parallel to a floor of the aircraft and in the latched position is substantially perpendicular to a floor of the aircraft.

51. A seating unit as claimed in claim 47, wherein the support comprises means arranged to lower the pad when a load in excess of a predetermined maximum is applied to the secondary unit.

52. A seating unit as claimed in claim 47, wherein the secondary unit faces one of the seats.

53. A seating unit as claimed in claim 52, wherein when said back portion is in said fully reclined position, said secondary unit cooperates with said back portion and said seating portion to form said flat surface.

54. A seating unit as claimed in claim 52 or 53, wherein the secondary unit is movable into and out of alignment with the seat and further comprising a secondary unit actuator arranged to move the secondary unit into alignment with the seat, when the seating portion is moved towards said fully reclined position.

55. A seating unit according to claim 54, wherein the secondary unit actuator comprises a projection that extends forwardly from the seat which projection contacts the secondary unit when the seating portion is moved towards said fully reclined position.

56. A seating unit according to claim 55, wherein the seating unit comprises a carriage for moving the seating portion and where the projection extends forwardly from the carriage.

57. A seating unit according to claim 56, wherein the seating unit comprises tracks mountable to an aircraft floor for the carriage to move along to move the seating portion, with the projection extending from the carriage along one of the tracks.

58. A seating unit according to claim 54, wherein the secondary unit comprises a base mountable to an aircraft floor for rotation in the plane of the aircraft floor and wherein the secondary unit actuator is arranged to contact the base to rotate the secondary unit into alignment when the seating portion is moved towards said fully reclined position.

59. An aircraft seating unit, the seating unit comprising a pair of seats directly mounted to a floor of an aircraft cabin and facing in opposite directions with each seat comprising a seating space for receiving a seated body of a human occupant and an extension space in which legs of the occupant may be placed, the seats being positioned each side of a longitudinal axis of the seating unit with the seating space of one extending over the longitudinal axis at the extension space of the other;

wherein either of said seats has a seat axis substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis and each seat comprises a back portion and a seating portion, said seating portion being movable with said back portion to allow said back portion to move between an upright position and a fully reclined position, wherein when said back portion is moved to said fully reclined position, said seating portion and said back portion extend substantially along a horizontal plane such that said seating portion and said back portion together form a substantially flat surface.

60. An aircraft seating unit, the seating unit comprising a pair of seats facing in opposite directions with each seat comprising a side wall having a side wall axis, a seating space for receiving a seated body of a human occupant and an extension space in which legs of the occupant may be placed, the seats being positioned each side of a longitudinal axis of the seating unit with the seating space of one extending over the longitudinal axis at the extension space of the other;

wherein either of said seats has a seat axis substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis and said side wall axis, and each seat comprises a back portion and a seating portion, said seating portion being movable with said back portion to allow said back portion to move between an upright position and a fully reclined position, wherein when said back portion is moved to said fully reclined position, said seating portion and said back portion extend substantially along a horizontal plane such that said seating portion and said back portion together form a substantially flat surface.