The present invention concerns aircraft passenger accommodation. More particularly, but not exclusively, this invention concerns an aircraft passenger accommodation unit with a moveable ottoman.
First class seating generally aims to provide aircraft passengers with maximum comfort and privacy. However, the design of aircraft passenger accommodation units for first class seating is of course constrained by the limited availability of space within an aircraft cabin. The limited availability of space means that some aircraft passenger accommodation unit arrangements provide restricted access to the aircraft seats contained therein, which can pose a problem for persons with reduced mobility, especially wheelchair users.
Furthermore, United States Department of Transportation rules require that at least fifty percent of all aisle-seats within an aircraft cabin are able accommodate persons with reduced mobility. The cabin of an aircraft must satisfy this requirement if the aircraft is to operate from, or transit through the USA.
The present invention seeks to mitigate the above-mentioned problems. Alternatively or additionally, the present invention seeks to provide an improved aircraft passenger accommodation unit.
The present invention provides, according to a first aspect, an aircraft passenger accommodation unit comprising a seat, a wall, an ottoman, and a console. An access path comprising a width is defined between the wall and the ottoman, the access path providing passenger access to the seat. The ottoman is moveably mounted with respect to the console and moveable between an extended position and a retracted position to change the width of the access path. The ottoman is at least partially received within the console when the ottoman is in the retracted position.
A wall is provided to enclose the aircraft passenger accommodation unit and to provide a passenger of the aircraft passenger accommodation unit with privacy. To make the space within the aircraft passenger accommodation unit feel as private as possible, the length of the wall must be maximised to enclose the aircraft passenger accommodation unit as much as possible whilst leaving adequate space for an access path for passengers to gain access to the seat within the aircraft passenger accommodation unit. However, as mentioned above, it is desirable to provide passengers with reduced mobility, including wheelchair users, with access to the aircraft passenger accommodation unit. In an arrangement where the distance between the wall and an ottoman of the aircraft passenger accommodation unit defines the width of the passenger access path, the present invention provides a moveable ottoman to increase the width of the passenger access path and thereby provide access to the passenger accommodation unit for people with reduced mobility. Furthermore, the invention takes advantage of unused space within the console to partially store the ottoman when it is in the retracted position.
The console may comprise a table surface and/or may provide stowage for a meal table. When the accommodation unit is configured to be positioned adjacent another accommodation unit, for example in a central column between two aisles in an aircraft cabin, the console may comprise a privacy screen that serves as a dividing wall between the two accommodation units. The privacy screen may be retractable and the console may provide stowage for the retracted privacy screen.
With the ottoman in the extended position the width of the passenger access path may be a minimum. With the ottoman in the retracted position the width of the passenger access path may be a maximum. The ottoman may be slidably mounted in relation to the console and slidable between an extended position and a retracted position to change the width of the access path. In the extended position, the width of the passenger access path may be less than 408 millimetres, and more preferably less than 360 millimetres. In the retracted position, the width of the passenger access path may be greater than 408 millimetres. The aircraft passenger accommodation unit may be a business class aircraft passenger accommodation unit or a first class aircraft passenger accommodation unit.
In the extended position, substantially none of the ottoman may be received within the console. The console may have a main body. The main body of the console may have a width of at least 6 cm. Preferably the main body of the console has a width of at least 8 cm. The ottoman may be movable by at least 6 cm. Preferably the ottoman is moveable by at least 8 cm. The ottoman may be movable into the main body of the console by at least 6 cm. Preferably the ottoman is moveable into the main body of the console by at least 8 cm.
The wall may extend along an aisle-side of the seat. The wall may be an aisle-side privacy wall. The wall may be formed by a shell. The shell my comprise a rear privacy wall. The ottoman may be positioned in front of and spaced apart from the seat.
The console may define an aperture that is shaped to receive the ottoman. Preferably a main body of the console defines an aperture that is shaped to receive the ottoman.
Preferably the seat faces in a direction defining a longitudinal axis. The ottoman is preferably moveable between the extended position and the retracted position along an axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The ottoman may be restricted to movement along the axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The ottoman may be restricted to movement along the axis substantially perpendicular to the wall. The ottoman may be restricted to movement along the axis substantially perpendicular to the console. The aircraft passenger accommodation unit may comprise a transverse axis that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The ottoman and wall may be spaced apart along the transverse axis. When the ottoman is in the extended position, the ottoman and wall may be spaced apart along the transverse axis by 39 centimetres or less, preferably by 37 centimetres or less. When the ottoman is in the retracted position, the ottoman and wall may be spaced apart along the transverse axis by at least 40 centimetres, preferably by at least 42 centimetres.
The ottoman may be lockable in the extended and/or retracted position. Providing a locking function ensures that inertial loads do not move the ottoman between the extended and retracted positions during flight. The locking function may be an automatic locking function configured such that the ottoman is locked in either of the extended or retracted positions when moved into those respective positions. The lock may be releasable via a handle mounted upon a surface of the ottoman.
Preferably the ottoman is moveably mounted upon a base. The ottoman may comprise a track that runs along an underside of the ottoman, wherein the track slidingly engages with one or more projecting members that project from an upper surface of the base. Alternatively the base may comprise a track that runs along an upper surface of the base, wherein the track slidingly engages with one or more projecting members that project from an underside of the ottoman. The ottoman may thereby be configured to be slidable along the base between the extended position and the retracted position to change the width of the access path. The projecting members may be bosses that are spaced apart along an upper surface of the base. There may be a plurality of bosses. Preferably there are two bosses. Preferably the ottoman comprises a lock mechanism configured to engage with one or more of the bosses to lock the ottoman in the extended and/or retracted position. Preferably the lock mechanism is configured such that the ottoman becomes automatically locked in the extended position when the ottoman is moved into the extended position. Preferably the lock mechanism is configured such that the ottoman becomes automatically locked in the retracted position when the ottoman is moved into the retracted position. Preferably the ottoman comprises a release handle configured to operate the lock mechanism to release the ottoman from being locked in the extended position and/or retracted position.
Preferably the base forms part of the console. The base may also be referred to as a base plate. The base plate may define an angle of approximately 90 degrees with the console. The main body of the console may define an aperture that is shaped to receive the ottoman. The aperture may be located in the region where the base plate meets the main body of the console. The console may comprise a main body and a base. The base may project away from the main body, and the ottoman may be at least partially received in the main body when in the retracted position.
Preferably the wall is positioned on a first side of the aircraft seat and the console is positioned on a second, opposite side of the aircraft seat. The console may be positioned at the same end of the aircraft passenger accommodation unit as the ottoman. The ottoman may be positioned at a front end of the accommodation unit. The accommodation unit may comprise a rear end. The rear end may be behind the seat, at the opposite end of the accommodation unit to the ottoman. The main body of the console may be positioned on the second, opposite side of the aircraft seat. The main body of the console may be oriented substantially parallel to the wall. The aircraft passenger accommodation unit may have a width of 130 centimetres or less, preferably 120 centimetres or less, even more preferably 115 centimetres or less. The width of the aircraft passenger accommodation unit may be defined by the distance between an outer surface of the main body of the console and an outer surface of the wall.
The ottoman may be oriented at substantially 90 degrees to the wall. The ottoman may be oriented at substantially 90 degrees to the console. The ottoman may be oriented at substantially 90 degrees to the main body of the console. The ottoman may have a width of at least 60 centimetres, preferably at least 65 centimetres.
According to a second aspect, the present invention provides an ottoman and base, wherein the ottoman comprises a track that runs along an underside of the ottoman and wherein the track slidingly engages with one or more projecting members that project from an upper surface of the base, or wherein the base comprises a track that runs along an upper surface of the base and wherein the track slidingly engages with one or more projecting members that project from an underside of the ottoman, the ottoman thereby being configured to be slidably moveable with respect to the base. Preferably the ottoman comprises a lock mechanism configured to engage with one or more of the bosses to lock the ottoman in the extended and/or retracted position. Preferably the lock mechanism is configured such that the ottoman becomes automatically locked in the extended position when the ottoman is moved into the extended position. Preferably the lock mechanism is configured such that the ottoman becomes automatically locked in the retracted position when the ottoman is moved into the retracted position.
According to a third aspect, the present invention provides a kit of parts configured such that when assembled, the kit of parts forms the aircraft passenger accommodation unit of the first aspect of the invention.
It will of course be appreciated that features described in relation to one aspect of the present invention may be incorporated into other aspects of the present invention. For example, the base and/or ottoman of the second aspect of the invention may incorporate any of the features described with reference to the base and/or ottoman of aircraft passenger accommodation unit according to the first aspect of the invention of the invention and vice versa.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of which:
An aircraft cabin 1 comprising an aircraft passenger accommodation unit 3 according to a first embodiment of the invention is shown in
The aircraft passenger accommodation unit 3, which is shown in more detail in
The console 11 comprises a base plate 112, which is shown in more detail in
The main body 111 of the console 11 has a width of approximately 8 centimetres. The ottoman 15 is thereby moveable between an extended position in which the ottoman 15 is located fully outside the main body 111 and a retracted position in which approximately 8 centimetres of the length of the ottoman 15 is received within the main body 111. When the ottoman 15 is in the extended position the aisle-end 155 of the ottoman 15 and the aisle-side privacy wall 91 are spaced apart along the transverse Y axis by approximately 37 centimetres. When the ottoman 15 is in the retracted position the aisle-end 155 of the ottoman 15 and the aisle-side privacy wall 91 are spaced apart along the transverse Y axis by approximately 45 centimetres.
The ottoman 15 comprises a locking mechanism 40 that is configured to engage with the guide bosses and automatically lock the ottoman 15 in either the extended position or the retracted position when the ottoman 15 is moved into either of those respective positions, as will now be described with reference to
In
Similarly, the ottoman 15 becomes locked in the extended position when the non-aisle-side guide boss 113B is positioned between the non-aisle-side latch 41B and the non-aisle-side end of the track 1532. The non-aisle-side latch 41B is not movable by the non-aisle-side guide boss 113B from the position in which the non-aisle-side latch 41B spans the track 153 when the non-aisle-side guide boss 113B abuts the non-aisle-side latch 41B as the ottoman 15 is moved from extended position towards the retracted position. Because the non-aisle-side latch 41B is spaced apart from the non-aisle-side end 1532 of the track 153 by a distance approximately equal to the diameter of the non-aisle-side guide boss 113B, the ottoman 15 is effectively locked in the extended position when the non-aisle-side guide boss 113B is positioned between the non-aisle-side latch 41B and non-aisle-side end 1532 of the track 153.
To release the ottoman 15 from the retracted position, the release handle 157 must be pulled. The release handle operates a linkage 43 that is connected to both the aisle-side latch 41A and the non-aisle-side latch 41B. When the release handle 157 is pulled, the linkage 43 rotates both the aisle-side latch 41A and the non-aisle-side latch 41B simultaneously. The aisle-side latch 41A is rotated in a direction away from the aisle-side end 1531 of the track 153 (anti-clockwise as shown in
Once the ottoman 15 is no longer locked in position, the release handle 157 can be released and the guide bosses 113A, 113B are free to slide along the track 153 as the ottoman 15 is moved. The ottoman 15 becomes automatically locked in position only when moved into the extended or retracted positions. Automatic locking is achieved by the latches 41A, 41B being configured to be rotatable out of the track 153 by the bosses 113A, 113B when the bosses 113A, 113B abut the respective latches 41A, 41B upon being moved into the respective extended or retracted positions.
As can be seen in
Whilst the present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to particular embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention lends itself to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein. For example, in a further, different, embodiment of the invention, the ottoman is moveable along an axis that is substantially parallel with the axis defined by the passenger seat such that the ottoman is moveable towards and away from the passenger seat to change the width of the passenger access path. In this embodiment of the invention the ottoman is moveable away from the seat to a retracted position in which the ottoman is partially received within a console positioned in front of the seat.
In another embodiment of the invention, the ottoman and base plate are arranged in substantially the same way as the ottoman and base plate of the first embodiment of the invention. However, the base plate is independent of a console.
In a further, different embodiment of the invention, the aircraft accommodation unit is substantially identical to the accommodation unit of the first embodiment of the invention. However, the two guide bosses project downwardly from underside of the ottoman and a track configured to receive the bosses runs along the upper surface of the base plate, with the high friction pads being fixed either side of the track. Similarly to the first embodiment of the invention, the bosses are contained within the track such that the ottoman is slidable towards or away from the aisle.
Where in the foregoing description, integers or elements are mentioned which have known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed so as to encompass any such equivalents. It will also be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that such optional integers or features, whilst of possible benefit in some embodiments of the invention, may not be desirable, and may therefore be absent, in other embodiments.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1910807.5 | Jul 2019 | GB | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/GB2020/051756 | 7/23/2020 | WO |