Aircraft safety seat

• US 7,628,357 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2006
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zodiac Seats France (Safran SA)
• Original Assignee: SOCIETE INDUSTRIELLE ET COMMERCIALE DE MATERIEL AERONAUTIQUE SICMA AERO SEAT
• Inventors: Luneau, Etienne, Mercier, Bertrand
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin P
• Application Number:
  US11/415,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20070029444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 244/118.5, 244/118.6, 244/122.R, 297/216.1, 297/216.11, 297/216.12, 297/216.13, 297/216.14, 297/216.15, 297/216.16, 297/216.17, 297/216.18, 297/216.19, 297/216.2
• US Class Current: 244/122.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42736 of the whole seat
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0619 with energy absorbing means specially adapted for mitigating impact loads for passenger seats, e.g. at a crash
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/062 Belts or other passenger restraint means for passenger seats
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 25/04 Seat modifications

Abstract

An aircraft safety seat that has a supporting structure and a bucket seat supported by the structure, the bucket seat has a seat and a back which are lined together, the back being installed on the structure so as to slide generally downwards, wherein at least one connection rod connected by its first end to the support and by its other end to the seat, the connecting rod being generally horizontal when in normal use, and being suited for pivoting downwards by its first end under the effect of a force exerted downwards on the seat, against the action of a shock absorber.

Claims

1. An aircraft safety seat comprising a supporting structure and a bucket seat supported by said supporting structure, said supporting structure comprises a fixed part and a mobile part, said mobile part being installed in an adjustable fashion so as to slide generally vertically on said fixed part, said bucket seat comprising a seat and a back linked together, said back being installed on said supporting structure so as to slide generally downwards, wherein at least one connecting rod being connected at a first end to said mobile part of said supporting structure and at a second end to said seat, and a shock absorber being coupled to said connecting rod at a connection point on said connecting rod, wherein said connection point is not at either of said first and second ends of said connecting rod, said connecting rod being generally horizontal when in normal use, and being suited for pivoting downwards by its first end under the effect of a force exerted downwards on said seat, against the action of said shock absorber.

2. An aircraft safety seat according to claim 1, in which said shock absorber is a linear absorber in which a first end is fixed to said supporting structure and a second end is fixed to said connecting rod.

3. An aircraft seat according to claim 2, in which said first end of the linear absorber is fixed to said supporting structure above said connection point of said connecting rod.

4. An aircraft safety seat according to claim 1, in which said back is installed so as to slide on said supporting structure by at least one annular linear element.

5. An aircraft safety seat according to claim 1, in which said bucket seat and said mobile part are assembled so as to slide on said fixed part in substantially the same direction.

6. An aircraft safety seat according to claim 1, comprising two lateral connecting rods, each of which is connected to one of the sides of said seat.

7. An aircraft safety seat according to claim 6, comprising an attachment point for a seatbelt on the connection between at least one of said lateral connecting rods and the supporting structure.

8. An aircraft safety seat according to claim 7, further comprising a lap, sash or crotch-strap seatbelt.

9. An aircraft safety seat according to claim 6, comprising an attachment point for a seatbelt on said bucket seat, said attachment point being connected by another connecting rod to the connection between the supporting structure and at least one of said lateral connecting rods, said other connecting rod being designed to deform in the event of a crash.

10. An aircraft safety seat according to claim 1, wherein said connection point is about in the middle of said connecting rod.