Aircraft seat

• US 9,592,914 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2014
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bombardier Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bombardier Incorporated
• Inventors: Erhel, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): MCPARTLIN, SARAH BURNHAM
• Application Number:
  US14/497,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20150008714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 297/340, 297/316, 297/115, 297/118, 297/188.16, 297/344.24
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1828 Slides only
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2222 the back-rest having two or more parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/34 into a bed
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/043 mounted on or under a seat
• 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 11/0627 Seats combined with storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/06395 characterised by the arrangement of electric motors for adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0641 Seats convertible into beds
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

A seat for an aircraft is provided that includes a seat pan, having a seat pan front edge and a seat pan rear edge, a backrest, having a backrest top edge and a backrest bottom edge, where the backrest bottom edge is articulately disposed adjacent to the seat pan rear edge, a headrest, having a headrest top edge and a headrest bottom edge, where the headrest bottom edge is articulately disposed adjacent to the backrest top edge, a tracking device disposed beneath the seat pan and being attachable to a floor of the aircraft, the tracking device permitting the seat pan to translate in at least one of a lateral direction and a longitudinal direction, and a swivel connected between the tracking device and the seat pan, permitting the seat pan to rotate with respect to the tracking device.

Claims

1. A seat for an aircraft, comprising:

a seat pan;

a backrest articulately disposed adjacent to the seat pan;

a tracking device disposed beneath the seat pan and being attachable to a floor of the aircraft, the tracking device comprising a first pair of rails permitting the seat pan to translate in a lateral direction, inboard-and-outboard in relation to the aircraft, and a second pair of rails permitting the seat pan to translate in a longitudinal direction, fore-and-aft in relation to the aircraft, wherein a width between the second pair of rails limits a distance for the seat pan to translate in the lateral direction; and

a swivel connected between the tracking device and the seat pan, permitting the seat pan to rotate with respect to the tracking device.

2. The seat of claim 1, wherein the backrest comprises a lumbar cushion, with a lumbar cushion top edge and a lumbar cushion bottom edge, wherein the lumbar cushion bottom edge is articulately disposed adjacent to the seat pan and the lumbar cushion top edge is articulately disposed adjacent to a backrest bottom edge.

3. The seat of claim 1, wherein the tracking device is lockable in at least one of the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction.

4. The seat of claim 3, wherein the tracking device is lockable in both the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction.

5. The seat of claim 1, wherein the swivel is lockable to fix the seat pan in a selected position.

6. The seat of claim 1, wherein the tracking device comprises:

a longitudinal tracking segment comprising the second pair of rails attachable to the floor of the aircraft; and

a lateral tracking segment comprising the first pair of rails attached to and disposed above the longitudinal tracking segment.

7. The seat of claim 1, wherein the tracking device comprises:

a lateral tracking segment comprising the first pair of rails attachable to the floor of the aircraft; and

a longitudinal tracking segment comprising the second pair of rails attached to and disposed above the lateral tracking segment.

8. The seat of claim 1, wherein the tracking device comprises:

a longitudinal tracking segment comprising the second pair of rails and a lateral tracking segment comprising the first pair of rails, the longitudinal tracking segment and the lateral tracking segment being coplanar and being attachable to the floor of the aircraft.

9. The seat of claim 1, wherein the first pair of rails extends between the second pair of rails, the swivel being slidingly connected to the first pair of rails.

10. The seat of claim 1, further comprising a headrest, having a headrest top edge and a headrest bottom edge, wherein the headrest bottom edge is articulately disposed adjacent to the backrest.

11. The seat of claim 1, wherein the seat is rotatable between 0 and 180°

from a forward-facing direction.

12. The seat of claim 11, wherein movement of the seat pan in the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction is independent of a rotational position of the seat pan.

13. The seat of claim 1, wherein movement of the seat pan in the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction is independent of rotational movement of the seat pan about the swivel.

14. The seat of claim 1, wherein the seat pan and backrest are positionable with respect to one another such that the seat is configurable into a taxi, takeoff and landing position and a sleeping position.

15. The seat of claim 14, wherein the seat pan comprises a seat pan front edge and a seat pan rear edge, the seat pan front edge defining a first pivot axis, wherein the first pivot axis remains in a substantially fixed position for the taxi, takeoff and landing position and the sleeping position.