Bucket seat with changing kinematics

• US 9,421,886 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2014
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Atlantic
• Original Assignee: Stelia Aerospace (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Morais, Christian, Cecinas, Laurent
• Primary Examiner(s): STEPHAN, BETH A
• Application Number:
  US14/553,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20150145295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 297/216.1, 297/216.16, 297/216.17, 297/317, 297/322, 297/325, 297/338, 297341-343, 297/344.13, 297/344.14
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/10 tiltable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2875 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/16 height-adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42709 involving residual deformation or fracture of the structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42718 with anti-submarining systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42736 of the whole seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/68 Seat frames
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2029/043 Seats; Arrangements thereof on vessels
• 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 11/064 Adjustable inclination or position of seats
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0689 specially adapted for pilots
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 25/04 Seat modifications

Abstract

A seat having a bucket and a supporting structure on which the bucket is fixed. The height of the bucket on the supporting structure is adjustable. A lower sub-assembly of the supporting structure forms a seat subframe and of which at least one bucket support is mounted movable in height following at least one lower guide rail. An upper sub-assembly of the supporting structure is assembled movable in rotation relative to the lower sub-assembly around a pivot axis which is situated close to a lower end of the lower guide rails and situated close to a lower end of the upper sub-assembly. The bucket is fixed to the bucket support in an articulated manner at the seat base and has at least one guide element fixed to the backrest and sliding in an upper guide rail of the upper sub-assembly situated above the lower guide rails.

Claims

1. A seat for a vehicle, comprising:

a bucket comprising a seat base and a backrest integral with or rigidly fixed to the seat base;

a supporting structure on which the bucket is fixed;

fixings to fix the supporting structure to a vehicle structure, a height of the bucket on the supporting structure being adjustable;

the supporting structure comprises;

a lower sub-assembly which forms a seat subframe and of which at least one bucket support is mounted movable in height in a substantially vertical direction determined by at least one lower guide rail, fixed in a seat reference system, of a lower structure;

an upper sub-assembly assembled with the lower sub-assembly and movable in rotation relative to the lower sub-assembly around a pivot axis which is substantially perpendicular to a plane of symmetry XZ of a seat assembly, the pivot axis is situated on the lower sub-assembly in a zone close to a lower end of said at least one lower guide rails and the pivot axis is situated on the upper sub-assembly in a zone close to a lower end of the upper sub-assembly;

the upper sub-assembly comprises at least one upper guide rail which is substantially vertical and situated above said at least one lower guide rail;

the bucket is fixed to the bucket support in an articulated manner at the seat base around an axis perpendicular to the plane of symmetry of the seat assembly; and

the bucket comprises at least one guide element fixed to the backrest and sliding in said at least one upper guide rail.

2. Seat according to claim 1, wherein the upper sub-assembly comprises at least two stable angular positions around the pivot axis:

a position inclined towards the rear, and an upright position.

3. Seat according to claim 1, wherein the lower sub-assembly comprises two square brackets, each square bracket comprising a vertical or substantially vertical branch comprising at least one lower guide rail extending over all or part of the length of said vertical branch.

4. Seat according to claim 1, wherein the upper sub-assembly comprises at least two side posts fixed by at least one cross member, each side post comprising at least one upper guide rail.

5. Seat according to claim 1, further comprising a locking device arranged on the upper sub-assembly to immobilise the upper sub-assembly in rotation around the pivot axis relative to the lower sub-assembly.

6. Seat according to claim 1, further comprising a locking device arranged on the lower sub-assembly to immobilise the upper sub-assembly in rotation around the pivot axis relative to the lower sub-assembly.

7. Seat according to claim 1, further comprising a locking device arranged on the upper and lower sub-assemblies to immobilise the upper sub-assembly in rotation around the pivot axis relative to the lower sub-assembly.

8. Seat according to claim 1, wherein the bucket support comprises at least one front arm oriented towards the front of the seat, a front end of which is articulated below the seat base.

9. Seat according to claim 8, wherein the front arm undergoes no substantial permanent deformation when the seat is subjected to limited accelerations in use, and is deformable when the seat is subjected to accelerations in a case of a crash, so as to absorb the energy.

10. Seat according to claim 8, wherein the front arm comprises dynamic energy absorbers to absorb energy by friction or deformation in a case of a crash.

11. Seat according claim 10, wherein the dynamic energy absorbers are connecting rods.

12. Seat according to claim 1, wherein the upper sub-assembly comprises an angular position around the pivot axis in which the upper sub-assembly can be locked relative to the lower sub-assembly, such that on vertical movements of the bucket, a rearmost part of the seat is substantially fixed in relation to the lower sub-assembly in a longitudinal direction of the seat, towards the front or rear of the seat, in a seat reference system.