AIRCRAFT PASSENGER SEAT

Abstract

An aircraft passenger seat includes a laterally extending support beam, a seat bottom frame rotatably mounted on the beam, a seat back frame, and a recline bracket carried on the seat bottom frame for attaching the seat back frame to the seat bottom frame. The recline bracket has an arcuate slot for receiving a laterally extending pin carried on the seat back frame and a pivot is spaced from the arcuate slot such that the seat bottom frame rotates on the beam and the seat back frame pivots about the pivot when the pin moves within the arcuate slot. The pin is positioned at the lower end of an elongate extension of the seat back frame and the pivot is positioned at the upper end of the extension. The passenger seat moves between a full upright position and a fully reclined position as the pin moves within the slot.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some of the objects of the invention have been set forth above. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description of the invention proceeds when taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a two-seat group of passenger seats according to a preferred embodiment of the invention shown with seat top parts removed for clarity;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the two-seat group of passenger seats of FIG. 1 shown with seat bottom parts of one of the seats removed for clarity;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the two-seat group of passenger seats of FIG. 1 shown with seat bottom parts of both seats removed for clarity;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of the linkage assembly between the seat bottom and the seat back;

FIG. 5 is a simplified perspective view of the two-seat group of passenger seats in a fully assembled configuration including a dress cover;

FIG. 6 is a simplified side elevation of a passenger seat according to an embodiment of the invention in the full upright position;

FIG. 7 is a simplified side elevation of a passenger seat according to an embodiment of the invention in a slightly reclined position;

FIG. 8 is a simplified side elevation of a passenger seat according to an embodiment of the invention in the almost fully reclined position;

FIG. 9 is a simplified side elevation of a passenger seat according to an embodiment of the invention in the fully reclined position; and

FIG. 10 is a simplified composite side elevation of a passenger seat according to an embodiment of the invention showing overlaid full upright and fully reclined positions.

Claims

1. A passenger seat comprising: (a) a laterally extending support beam;(b) a seat bottom frame rotatably mounted on the beam;(c) a seat back frame; and(d) a recline bracket carried on the seat bottom frame for attaching the seat back frame to the seat bottom frame, the recline bracket having at least one arcuate slot for receiving a laterally extending pin carried on the seat back frame such that the seat bottom frame rotates on the beam when the pin moves within the slot.

2. The passenger seat of claim 1, further comprising a pivot spaced from the arcuate slot and wherein the seat back frame pivots about the pivot when the pin moves within the slot.

3. The passenger seat of claim 2, wherein the seat back frame comprises an elongate extension having a lower end and an upper end and wherein the pin is positioned at the lower end of the extension and the pivot is positioned at the upper end of the extension.

4. The passenger seat of claim 1, wherein the passenger seat is operable to move between a full upright position and a fully reclined position as the pin moves within the arcuate slot.

5. The passenger seat of claim 4, wherein the arcuate slot limits a rearward movement of the seat back frame in the fully reclined position.

6. The passenger seat of claim 5, wherein a forwardmost end of the seat bottom frame is lowered as the passenger seat is moved from the full upright position to the fully reclined position and the seat bottom frame rotates on the beam.

7. The passenger seat of claim 1, wherein at least one of the seat bottom frame and the seat back frame are made of a laminated composite fiber and resin material.

8. The passenger seat of claim 1, further comprising a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly operably attached to the seat bottom frame for selectively positioning the passenger seat between a full upright position and a fully reclined position.

9. A passenger seat comprising: (a) a laterally extending beam;(b) a seat bottom frame rotatably mounted on the beam;(c) a seat back frame; and(d) a recline bracket for movably attaching the seat back frame to the seat bottom frame;wherein the recline bracket permits a rearward movement of the seat back frame from a full upright position to a fully reclined position accompanied by a rotation of the seat bottom frame on the beam without a forward movement of the seat bottom frame.

10. The passenger seat of claim 9, wherein a forwardmost end of the seat bottom frame is lowered as the seat back frame is moved from the full upright position to the fully reclined position and the seat bottom frame rotates on the beam.

11. The passenger seat of claim 9, wherein the seat back frame comprises an elongate extension having a laterally extending pin and wherein the recline bracket has an arcuate slot for receiving the pin such that the pin is constrained to move within the slot.

12. The passenger seat of claim 11, further comprising a pivot spaced from the arcuate slot and wherein the seat back frame pivots about the pivot when the pin moves within the slot.

13. The passenger seat of claim 13, wherein the arcuate slot limits the rearward movement of the seat back frame in the fully reclined position.

14. The passenger seat of claim 9, wherein at least one of the seat bottom frame and the seat back frame are made of a laminated composite fiber and resin material.

15. The passenger seat of claim 9, further comprising a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly operably attached to the seat bottom frame for selectively positioning the passenger seat between the full upright position and the fully reclined position.

16. A passenger seat for an aircraft, the passenger seat comprising: (a) a pair of leg assemblies for securing the passenger seat to a floor of the aircraft;(b) a support beam fixed to and extending laterally between the leg assemblies;(c) a seat bottom frame having a pair of collars for rotatably mounting the seat bottom frame on the beam;(d) a seat back frame;(e) a pair of recline brackets carried on the seat bottom frame for attaching the seat back frame to the seat bottom frame, each recline bracket having a pair of spaced-apart, arcuate slots for receiving a laterally extending pin carried on the seat back frame; and(f) a pair of pivots, each pivot spaced from a corresponding one of the pair of the arcuate slots such that the seat back frame pivots about the pivot when the pin moves within the slot.

17. The passenger seat of claim 16, wherein the pin carried on the seat back frame is constrained to move within the arcuate slots and the seat back frame is constrained to rotate about the pivots as the passenger seat is moved between a full upright position and a fully reclined position.

18. The passenger seat of claim 17, wherein the seat bottom frame rotates on the beam and a forwardmost end of the seat bottom frame is lowered as the passenger is moved from the full upright position to the fully reclined position.

19. The passenger seat of claim 17, wherein the arcuate slots limit the rearward movement of the seat back frame in the fully reclined position.

20. The passenger seat of claim 16, wherein the seat back frame comprises a pair of elongate extensions, each extension having a lower end and an upper end and wherein the pin is positioned at the lower end of the extension and the pivot is positioned at the upper end of the extension.