Individual module for aircraft passengers

• US 20030218095A1
• Filed: 05/20/2003
• Published: 11/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus
• Original Assignee: Airbus
• Inventors: Saint Jalmes, Bruno
• Granted Patent: US 7,025,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/118.5
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00 Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
• 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 11/0604 including a bed, e.g. cocoon type passenger seat modules
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0641 Seats convertible into beds
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

An individual module for aircraft passengers includes a seat which has a seat cushion, a seat back and arm rests and can be oriented in a longitudinal direction of the aircraft. The module further includes a fitting facing and at a distance from the seat and narrower than the seat. The module has a lateral wall extending between one side of the seat and one side of the fitting, at least at the level of the seat cushion. The lateral wall, the seat and the fitting define an elongate space having a wider end occupied by the seat and a narrower end occupied by the fitting. An access opening is disposed between the ends and opposite the lateral wall.

Claims

1. An individual module for an aircraft passenger, said module including a seat adapted to be oriented in a longitudinal direction of said aircraft and having an elongate shape with a wider end and a narrower end, said two ends being connected by a substantially straight side and by a side having a substantially straight segment extending from said narrower end toward said wider end and diverging from the opposite substantially straight side.

2. The individual module claimed in claim 1, having the shape of a right-angle trapezium.

3. The individual module claimed in claim 1, further including a substantially rectilinear first end, a substantially rectilinear second end narrower than and substantially parallel to said first end, a substantially straight side connecting said two ends and substantially perpendicular to said two ends, and a side opposite said substantially straight side, also connecting said two ends, and having a first substantially straight segment extending from said second end toward said first end and diverging from the opposite substantially straight side and a second segment connecting a free end of said first segment to said first end.

4. The individual module claimed in claim 3 wherein said second segment is substantially parallel to the opposite straight side.

5. The individual module claimed in claim 3 wherein said second segment extends from said first end toward said second end and diverges from the opposite straight side.

6. The individual module claimed in claim 5 wherein the divergence angle of said first segment is greater than the divergence angle of said second segment.

22. The module claimed in claim 1 having a length from 1.80 m to 2.10 m.

23. The module claimed in claim 1 having a maximum width from 0.50 m to 0.70 m.

24. A pair of modules of the kind claimed in claim 1 disposed head-to-tail and in contact with each other and having identical contours.

25. The pair of modules claimed in claim 24 wherein each module has U-shaped ends and is in contact with the other module through at least a portion of one side of said wider end.

26. The pair of modules claimed in claim 24 wherein each module has U-shaped ends and is in contact with the other module through at least a portion of a side disposed between its ends.

27. The pair of modules claimed in claim 24 wherein each module has U-shaped ends and is in contact with the other module through at least a portion of one side of said narrower end.

28. The pair of modules claimed in claim 25 wherein the branches of said U-shaped ends of each module opposite the other end are aligned with each other, parallel to a direction common to said two modules.

29. A row of modules of the kind claimed in claim 1 wherein said modules define identical spaces and are disposed in alignment with each other with identical orientations.

31. The row of modules claimed in claim 29 wherein two successive modules have their respective narrower ends in the immediate vicinity of their wider ends.

32. A group of modules formed of modules disposed in two rows as claimed in claim 29 to form a succession of pairs of modules as claimed in claim 24.

33. A section of aircraft cabin comprising a plurality of modules as claimed in claim 1.

34. The aircraft cabin section claimed in claim 33 wherein said plurality of modules is arranged to form a plurality of rows of modules as claimed in claim 29.

35. The aircraft cabin section claimed in claim 34 wherein two rows form a group as claimed in claim 32.

36. The aircraft cabin section claimed in claim 34 wherein a lateral row is disposed along each wall of the section.

37. The aircraft cabin section claimed in claim 36 wherein said lateral row is part of a group as claimed in claim 32.

38. The aircraft cabin section claimed in claim 36 further including, between said lateral rows, a set of rows separated from said lateral rows by lateral aisles.

39. The aircraft cabin section claimed in claim 38 wherein said set of rows consists of groups of modules as claimed in claim 31 separated in pairs by aisles.

7. An individual module for an aircraft passenger, said module including a seat comprising a seat cushion, a seat back and arm rests and adapted to be oriented in a longitudinal direction of the aircraft, a fitting facing and at a distance from said seat and narrower than said seat, a lateral wall extending between one side of said seat and one side of said fitting at least at the level of said seat cushion, and said lateral wall, said seat and said fitting defining an elongate space having a wider end occupied by said seat, a narrower end occupied by said fitting, and an access opening between said ends and opposite said lateral wall.

8. The module claimed in claim 7 wherein said space has a contour that widens from each end.

9. The module claimed in claim 8 wherein said narrower end widens less than said wider end so that said space has an area of maximum width that is nearer said wider end than said narrower end.

10. The module claimed in claim 7 wherein said ends each have a branch that is substantially aligned with a branch of the other end.

11. The module claimed in claim 10 wherein said lateral wall is disposed between the branches opposite those that are substantially aligned with each other.

12. The individual module claimed in claim 7 wherein said ends of said elongate space are each defined by a U-shaped end wall.

13. The module claimed in claim 12 wherein said lateral wall extends from one end wall to the other.

14. The module claimed in claim 12 wherein said U-shaped end walls are each provided with fixing means for fixing them to longitudinal fixing rails disposed in the floor of the cabin.

15. The module claimed in claim 7 wherein said lateral wall is of varying height.

16. The module claimed in claim 7 wherein said opening has a horizontal dimension equal to the width of said lateral wall.

17. The module claimed in claim 7 wherein said fitting has a surface at a height equal to that of said seat cushion to within approximately 10 centimeters.

18. The module claimed in claim 17 wherein said surface is at a height from 0.45 m to 0.60 m.

19. The module claimed in claim 7 wherein said end walls have a height from 0.45 m to 1.50 m.

20. The module claimed in claim 7 wherein said seat is a convertible seat whose seat back can be inclined toward the rear.

21. The module claimed in claim 20 wherein said seat back can be inclined as far as a horizontal configuration.

30. A row of modules of the kind claimed in claim 7 wherein said modules define identical spaces and are disposed in alignment with each other with identical orientations and said openings of said modules are aligned with each other.