The present invention relates to transport seating.
Seating in a transport vehicle is a compromise between space which is equivalent to comfort for the passenger and accommodation of the maximum number of passengers in the interest of economy for the transport organisation.
Conventionally, seats are arranged in rows. In a row, the tightest lateral pitch of the seats is dictated by passenger shoulder width. This is because passengers sit shoulder to shoulder. In practice, this dictates that the minimum lateral pitch is of the order of 22 inches.
This invention has its basis in the realisation that if passengers are seat facing alternate directions, with their torsos and shoulders longitudinally spaced from each other in rows, then their comparatively wide shoulders are adjacent their neighbours' comparatively narrow legs. This enables their lateral pitch in the row to be reduced.
The object of the present invention is to provide improved seating on this basis.
According to the invention there is provided a row of transport seats, each seat having a seat cushion and a seat back, the row comprising:
at least one seat facing in one direction and
at least one adjacent seat facing in the other direction,
Preferably, the seat cushions are at least partially interdigitated and define a row axis at the median axis of their interdigitated parts and the seat backs, at least when not reclined, are arranged on two lines spaced from the row axis.
Again, preferably, the alternately facing seats are arranged at a pitch along the row axis less than conventional shoulder width, whereby the shoulders of a passenger in one of the seats facing one direction extend over the leg space of the passenger(s) in the oppositely facing adjacent seat(s).
Conventional shoulder width for these purposes is defined as 22 inches or 560 mm.
Whilst it is envisaged that the seats may be of equal width, the one with another, and that the row axis may be straight, as explained below in respect of a variant of the first embodiment the row axis can be curved and end ones of the seats can be narrower than the other seat(s) in the row. Such arrangement takes advantage of end passengers' ability to lean sideways in their seats away from the middle of the row.
Further, preferably and in accordance with an important feature, each seat has arm rests and alternately facing seats are arranged at such pitch along the row axis that the arm rests of seats facing in one direction extend partially over the seat cushion(s) of the oppositely facing adjacent seat(s). Additionally or alternatively, alternately facing ones of the seats are arranged at such pitch along the row axis that the arm rests of seats facing in one direction extend partially over space provided for the said seat cushion(s) to extend into on inclination of the respective back-rest. Again, additionally or alternatively, alternately facing ones of the seats are arranged at such pitch along the row axis that the arm rests of seats facing in one direction extend partially over space left free by the one direction facing seat for the leg(s) of passenger(s) using the opposite facing seat(s).
These arrangements allow the arms and elbows of a passenger facing one direction to overly the thighs or knees of his neighbour. Preferably, the arm rests of adjacent seats are aligned with each other. They may be continuous and/or shaped for use by respective passengers. A central dividing rib may be provided.
In certain embodiments the row of transport seats will include a divider extending or extensible between each pair of adjacent seats at least at head height in the seats.
The divider may be provided simply as a screen extending forwards from one side edge at the top of the back of one seat to the nearest side edge at the top of the back of the adjacent seat. It may be rigid or it may be flexible, preferably it is sufficiently robust to act as a head rest. Whilst the major purpose of the screen is to provide privacy between adjacent passengers, the screen may be drawable to allow conversation.
Alternatively the screen may be a rigid serpentine divider. In this case, at seat cushion level, the divider can have portions on opposite sides of each seat cushion; whilst at shoulder level or at the levels of the tops of the seat backs, the divider is of re-entrant shape, providing greater shoulder width than the inter-digitated seat cushion width.
The greater shoulder width may not extend down as far as elbow level. However, the divider preferably extends down at the wider width to just below the level of arm rests and curves in at this level, whereby it partially overlies the seat cushion of the adjacent seat.
In accordance with another important feature, the individual seats each define a shoulder width, which overlaps with the shoulder width of the oppositely facing adjacent seat or seats.
The arrangement of the seats in the row enables the length of the row to be less than the sum of the shoulder widths of the seats in the row. Typically, this enables a two inch reduction in the seat pitch. In a wide bodied aircraft, typically with eight/nine seats per row, this enables an increase in one in the number of seats across the aircraft. By the same token, this enables an increase in the pitch of the rows of seats longitudinally in the aircraft, with a concomitant increase in passenger legroom, for the same number of passengers accommodated.
Normally the seats will have reclining backs. Conveniently this provision is by fixed back seats having seat pans (carrying the seat cushions) which slide forwards on inclination of the seat backs within the fixed backs. This has the advantage of the inclination of seats in successive rows not combining to obstruct passenger access with the rows.
It should be noted that the invention is not restricted to rows where the seats alternately face opposite directions. For instance, in a four seat row, the outer seats can face one direction and the inner two, adjacent seats face the other direction. Such arrangement still benefits from the invention at the abutment of the two pairs of opposite facing seats.
In accordance with a further important feature of the invention there is provided a transport seating row of our Earlier Patent Application provided with:
Usually the bottom ends of the seat-front legs will be secured to floor-level beams extending at least substantially in the direction of the row, the floor level beams being secured in use to the floor of the aircraft on or immediately above the floor.
Where the seats have individual structures, the structurally unifying means can be a beam extending in the direction of the row with the seat structures connected to it. The legs can extend down from the beam. Again, the legs can be part of the seats' individual structures.
However, in the preferred embodiment, structural components of the seats and the row-wise beam are formed as a single framework, including the legs.
Alternatively the seat structures can be unified, for instance by manufacturing them as a single moulding, with the legs being unified with the seat structures.
In accordance with a yet further important feature, each seat has:
Preferably the inner back frame rests against the seat back portion at a central position whereby the upper part of the inner back frame twists to accommodate a user twisting to one side in the seat.
Conveniently the back frame and the cushion member are moulded of composite material.
To help understanding of the invention, a specific embodiment thereof with variations will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring to the drawings,
Turning to
The arrangement is such that, as shown in
Also shown in
Comparing
Referring now to
Turning on to
The final
In a variant, it is envisaged that the back rest could recline within the screen 23 with the seat cushion sliding forwards as the back reclines. Further, the back rest need not be restricted to the width of the seat cushion, consistent with it fitting within the screen. The latter need not extend as a single unit below the level of the seats' arm rests.
Referring first to
The framework is comprised of four types of panel:
a transverse, i.e. row direction, elongate beam 12,
three seat forms 14, of lazy Z shape
a sinuous armrest support 16,
two triangulation struts 18.
The framework is secured to a pair of floor beams 51,52 fixed in conventional manner to the floor rails (not shown) of an aircraft floor or deck, not shown.
Middle, seat pan portions 141 of the seat forms 14 are bonded crosswise to the top surface of the transverse beam. The forms have seat back portions 142, of which two are arranged on one side of the beam 12 for the forward facing seats and one on the other side for the rear facing seat. The forms also have leg portions 143, which extend down from the seat front edges 144 of the seat portions 141 to respective ones of the floor beams, which extend transversely of the aircraft and are spaced longitudinally of it. Thus the leg portions of the outer two, forwards facing seats extend to the forward floor beam 51 and the leg portion of the rearwards facing seat extends to the aft floor beam 52. The distal ends of the leg portions are shaped 145 to partially encompass the floor beams, whereby they positively locate with the beams and can be readily fixed to them with non-shown fixtures.
To triangulate the framework, not only laterally, but principally fore and aft, the struts 18 extend down from the forwards edge of the underside of the transverse beam, to which they are secured midway between the respective outer seat forms and the central seat form, to the aft floor beam at respective sides of the leg of the rear facing seat. The struts are secured to the floor beam in like manner to the leg portions 143.
Thus the transverse beam and the seat pan portions 141 are rigidly located with respect to the floor beams and able to accommodate test loads applied to seat belts, not shown, attached directly or indirectly to them.
The back portions 142 of the seats have the arm rest support 16 attached to their back faces. The support is deep to give it bending strength in its end parts 161, which extend forwards from the back portions and are otherwise unsupported. Central parts 162, which extend from the back portion of the rear facing seat to that of the forwards facing seat, are supported at both ends as arm rest supports, but perform the additional function of reinforcing the back of the rear facing seat against collapse under a passenger's inertia in crash conditions.
Turning on to
arm rests 20 as such,
seat pans 22,
seat cushions 24,
back frames 26.
Please note that coverings and upholstery 28 are shown partially only in
The arm rests 20 are secured to the arm rest supports 16 in any convenient manner. The rests can be of the same composite material as the supports, the two being bonded to each other.
The seat pans 22 also can be of the composite material, although typically of thinner construction, possibly laminated without a cellular core. The pans have a central pan section 221 of greater width than the seat pan portions 141 of the seat forms 14, such that the seat pan of the rear facing central seat abuts the seat pan of the outer forwards facing seats. The abutment is at up-turned-edges 222 of the pans. The abutted edges are bonded together to enhance the stiffness of the row of seats. At the edges, the pans carry runners 223 for solid bases 241 of the seat cushions. Again, the bases can be of composite material, with conventional seat padding and upholstery over the bases. Latches 224 are provided for setting the fore-and-aft position of the seat cushion on the runners with respect to seat pan.
The rear edges of the bases 241 are provided with hinges 242, by means of which the bases are connected to the back frames 26. These latter are hoops of composite material, formed with a concave curvature of an upper cross-member 261, when viewing the seat back from the opposite end of the seat cushion. A central part 262 of the cross-member rests against the top of the back portion 142 of the seat form. The arrangement is such that when a user of the seat leans with one shoulder more heavily against the upholstery of the back frame, the side of the frame deflects backwards, allowing the user to turn partially and lean into the corner of the seat. Hinge connection of the back frame allows the latter to be partially reclined as the seat base is moved forwards on the runners 223.
Shown in
A further variant is shown in
In the alternative embodiment of
a seat pan 201,
a front leg 202,
a back 203,
support arms 204.
The left and right forwards facing seats 210,211 are identical. The rear facing seat 213 is similar to the forwards facing seat, with its arm supports 2043 set further apart to overlap, outwards of the row, the arms 2041 of the other seats. The seat pans are of deep construction, to provide a beam structure at their level along the length of the row.
In another alternative shown by reference to dashed lines 301 in
Whilst the invention has been described with reference to aircraft seats, it has equal application to trains and other transport vehicles.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
0513307.9 | Jul 2005 | GB | national |
60/702054 | Jul 2005 | US | national |
0603136.3 | Feb 2006 | GB | national |
60/744440 | Feb 2006 | US | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/GB06/02360 | 6/27/2006 | WO | 00 | 1/2/2008 |