Deployable legrest

• US 8,444,225 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2011
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: B/E Aerospace Incorporated (Spirit Realty Capital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: B/E Aerospace Incorporated (Spirit Realty Capital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Behe, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US13/018,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20110240797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 297 68- 91, 297/330, 297/423.26, 297/423.27, 297/423.28, 297/423.3
• US Class Current: 297/423.26
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/063 with adjustment systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/06 Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats crew seat constructions for emergency purposes B64D25/04
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0643 Adjustable foot or leg rests

Abstract

A legrest assembly including a calf support hinged to a forward end of a seat frame and moveable between a stowed configuration generally vertically disposed below the forward end of the frame and a deployed configuration inclined above the stowed configuration, a foot support movable with and telescopically connected to the calf support, and a foot rest pivotally connected to the foot support and pivotable between a stowed configuration substantially parallel to the foot support and a deployed configuration extending outward from the foot support.

Claims

1. A legrest assembly, comprising:

a calf support adapted to be hinged to a forward end of a seat frame and moveable between a stowed configuration generally vertically disposed below the forward end of the frame and a deployed configuration inclined above the stowed configuration;

a foot support movably connected to the calf support and travelling with the calf support between the deployed and stowed configurations, the foot support telescopically extendable from the calf support;

a foot rest pivotally connected to the foot support and pivotable between a stowed configuration substantially parallel to the foot support and a deployed configuration extending outward from the foot support;

a swing arm attached to the calf support and driving movement of the foot support relative to the calf support, the swing arm including upper and lower arm members connected through a rigid elbow joint coordinating movement of the upper and lower arm members in separate parallel planes; and

a roller rotatably attached to the lower arm member and trapped in a lateral slot defined between first and second plate members of the foot support, the roller traveling longitudinally with the foot support and laterally along the slot as the foot support extends and retracts relative to the calf support.

2. A legrest assembly according to claim 1, wherein the calf support comprises a pair of laterally spaced rails interconnected through the plate members that maintain the rails in their relative lateral spacing.

3. A legrest assembly according to claim 2, wherein the calf support further comprises a fabric diaphragm attached at its opposing lateral sides to the rails.

4. A legrest assembly according to claim 3, further comprising integral tabs extending from each of the rails that hold a retaining rod received in a longitudinally extending sleeve of the fabric diaphragm.

5. A legrest assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a lockable gas spring cylinder connected at one end to the seat frame and at another end to the calf support, wherein the cylinder biases the calf support toward the deployed configuration.

6. A legrest assembly according to claim 1, wherein the foot support comprises a pair of laterally spaced rails interconnected through at least one plate member that maintains the rails in their relative lateral spacing, and a fabric diaphragm attached at its opposing lateral sides to the rails.

7. A legrest assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a lockable gas spring cylinder connected at one end to the at least one plate member of the calf support and at another end to the upper arm member between the shoulder joint and the rigid elbow joint, wherein the cylinder is biased in the direction toward the stowed configuration of the foot support.

8. An aircraft passenger seat, comprising:

a seat frame having a forward end; and

a deployable legrest assembly, comprising;

a calf support hinged to the forward end of the seat frame and moveable between a stowed configuration generally vertically disposed below the forward end of the seat frame and a deployed configuration inclined above the stowed configuration;

a foot support movably connected to the calf support and travelling with the calf support between the deployed and stowed configurations, the foot support extendable from the calf support;

a foot rest pivotally connected to the foot support and pivotable between a stowed configuration substantially parallel to the foot support and a deployed configuration extending outward from the foot support;

a swing arm attached to the calf support and driving movement of the foot support relative to the calf support, the swing arm including upper and lower arm members connected through a rigid elbow joint coordinating movement of the upper and lower arm members in separate parallel planes; and

a roller rotatably attached to the lower arm member and trapped in a lateral slot defined between first and second plate members of the foot support, the roller traveling longitudinally with the foot support and laterally along the slot as the foot support extends and retracts relative to the calf support.

9. An aircraft passenger seat according to claim 8, wherein each of the calf support and the foot support comprises a pair of laterally spaced rails interconnected through plate members that maintains the rails in their relative lateral spacing, and a fabric diaphragm attached at its opposing lateral sides to the rails.

10. An aircraft passenger seat according to claim 8, further comprising a lockable gas spring cylinder connected at one end to the seat frame and at another end to the calf support, wherein the cylinder biases the calf support towards the deployed configuration.

11. An aircraft passenger seat according to claim 8, further comprising a lockable gas spring cylinder connected at a first end to the calf support and at second end to the upper arm member, wherein the cylinder is biased in the direction toward the stowed configuration of the foot support.