Seating arrangement and method

• US 9,409,648 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2014
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Eakins, Mark E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Badawi, Medhat
• Application Number:
  US14/278,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20150329208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/01 Arrangement of seats relative to one another
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/34 into a bed
• 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 11/0601 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 11/0606 with privacy shells, screens, separators or the like class dividers B64D11/0023
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0641 Seats convertible into beds
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0643 Adjustable foot or leg rests
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/00 Designing, manufacturing, assembling, cleaning, maintaining or repairing aircraft, not otherwise provided for; Handling, transporting, testing or inspecting aircraft components, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design

Abstract

A seating arrangement for an aircraft may include a plurality of seats that may be convertible into a flat bed configuration. Each seat may have a seat centerline that may be oriented at a seat angle relative to a longitudinal axis of an aircraft cabin. Each seat may include a footrest that may be offset from the seat centerline of the seat.

Claims

1. A seating arrangement for an aircraft, comprising:

a plurality of seats being convertible into a flat bed configuration;

each one of the seats having a seat centerline oriented at a seat angle relative to a longitudinal axis of an aircraft cabin;

each one of the seats having a footrest that is offset from the seat centerline;

the seats being arranged in at least one column set containing at least two columns; and

the seats in one column of the at least one column set facing in a direction opposite the seats of an adjacent column of the at least one column set and the footrest of each seat in the one column of the at least one column set are at substantially the same height and are located immediately adjacent to and are facing the footrest of a seat of the adjacent column of the at least one column set.

2. The seating arrangement of claim 1, wherein:

at least some of the seats have a seat width that is wider at a main portion than at the footrest.

3. The seating arrangement of claim 1, wherein:

the seat centerlines of the seats in the at least one column are substantially parallel to one another.

4. The seating arrangement of claim 1, wherein:

the seats are arranged in an inboard column set and a pair of outboard column sets, each one of the outboard column sets being separated from the inboard column set by an aisle;

the inboard column set including at least two columns having a column set centerline; and

the footrests of each seat in the two columns in the inboard column set being located adjacent to the column set centerline.

5. The seating arrangement of claim 1, wherein:

at least some of the seats are arranged in columns;

the seat centerlines of the seats in at least one column are substantially parallel to one another; and

the footrest of at least one of the seats in one of the columns of the column set is positioned at an approximate midpoint of a nearest one of the seats forward or aft in a same column of the column set.

6. A seating arrangement for an aircraft, comprising:

a plurality of seats arranged in columns in an aircraft cabin, each seat being convertible into a flat bed configuration and being non-symmetrical about a seat centerline oriented parallel to a longitudinal axis of the aircraft cabin and having a main portion and a tapered leg rest and footrest narrower than the main portion, each seat having a concave shape along the tapered leg rest and footrest on one seat side and a convex shape along the opposite seat side;

each seat allowing for direct, unimpeded access to an aisle when adjacent seats are in the bed configuration; and

in at least one of an inboard column set and an outboard column set each having at least three columns respectively including a first column, a second column, and a third column;

the seats in the first column are non-staggered and are reversed in direction relative to the seats in the adjacent second column the main portion and a portion of the tapered lee rest of the seats in the first column of the column set are nested with the concave shape of the tapered lee rest and footrest of the seats in the adjacent second column of the same column set;

the seats in the third column being oriented in the same direction as the seats in the adjacent second column, the main portion of the seats in the third column being staggered relative to the tapered leg rest and footrest of the concave shape of the seats in the second column; and

the arrangement of the first column, the second column, and the third column providing for a reduced column set width allowing for increased seat density in the aircraft cabin and increased seat width.

7. The seating arrangement of claim 6, wherein:

the seats are arranged in at least one of the following;

in an outboard column set containing three or more columns; and

in at least one inboard column set containing five or more columns.

8. The seating arrangement of claim 6, wherein:

the seating arrangement includes at least two aisles.

9. The seating arrangement of claim 6, wherein:

the seats are arranged in at least two columns sets separated by an aisle, each one of the column sets including an aisle column, at least one of the column sets including a non-aisle column;

the seats in aisle columns having direct, unimpeded access to an aisle of the aircraft cabin from a seat side of each one of the seats in the aisle column; and

the seats in non-aisle columns having direct, unimpeded access to an aisle of the aircraft cabin when the seats in the non-aisle column are in a seated configuration.