Seat group arrangement for a passenger cabin of an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10988260-B2
Application number	US-201916542445-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2019
Priority date	Aug 17, 2018
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

For a seat group arrangement for a passenger cabin of an aircraft it is proposed to realize a temporary enlargement of the circulation area by widening the longitudinal aisle of the aircraft for the entry and exit period. For this purpose, a passenger seat group has a supporting frame which is provided with seat legs for fastening to the aircraft floor. At least one first fixedly secured seat having in each case a seat part and in each case a backrest and a further seat which is movable in the transverse direction and has a seat part and a backrest is provided on the supporting frame. The further seat is connected to the supporting frame via a folding device, and the folding device is configured to realize a change in width of the further seat in relation to the seat legs of the supporting frame.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A seat group arrangement for a passenger cabin of an aircraft, the seat group arrangement having one or more passenger seat groups, each of the one or more passenger seat groups comprising:
a supporting frame comprising seat legs for fastening the supporting frame to a floor of the aircraft;
one or more fixed seats, each of which comprises a seat part and a backrest, wherein each of the one or more fixed seats is fixedly secured on the supporting frame;
a further seat, which is movable in a transverse direction relative to the supporting frame and has a seat part and a backrest; and
a folding device, by which the seat part of the further seat is connected to the supporting frame, wherein the folding device is configured to move the seat part of the further seat to and between a first position, in which the seat part of the further seat is in a first plane, and a second position, in which the seat part of the further seat is in a second plane, to change a width of a corresponding one of the one or more passenger seat groups on which the folding device is installed, the change in the width being in relation to the seat legs of the supporting frame;
wherein the first plane is above the second plane.

2. The seat group arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the seat part of the one or more fixed seats is in the second plane, such that the seat part of the further seat is substantially coplanar with the seat part of the one or more fixed seats when the seat part of the further seat is in the second position.

3. The seat group arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the supporting frame comprises an upper part, which has one or more supporting struts and, in a region of the further seat, one or more telescopic rods, each of the one or more telescopic rods being movable relative to a corresponding one of the one or more supporting struts to change a width of the supporting frame in a manner corresponding to the change in the width of the corresponding one of the one or more passenger seat groups on which the folding device is installed.

4. The seat group arrangement according to claim 3 , wherein:
the folding device has one or more spring elements, each of which is associated with a corresponding one of the one or more telescopic rods;
when the one or more spring elements are in an unloaded state, the one or more spring elements are configured to retract the one or more telescopic rods within the corresponding one of the one or more supporting struts, such that the seat part of the further seat is in the first position and the corresponding one of the one or more passenger seat groups on which the folding device is installed has a first width;
when the one or more spring elements are in a loaded state, the one or more spring elements are configured to allow an extension of the one or more telescopic rods relative to the corresponding one of the one or more struts as the seat part of the further seat moves to the second position and the corresponding one of the one or more passenger seat groups on which the folding device is installed has a second width; and
the second width is greater than the first width.

5. The seat group arrangement according to claim 4 , wherein:
the folding device has a lever system and a sliding element; and
as the one or more telescopic rods are retracted within the corresponding one of the one or more supporting struts when the seat part of the further seat moves toward the first position, the lever system and the sliding element are configured to simultaneously move the seat part of the further seat vertically towards the first plane and move the seat part of the further seat laterally towards the one or more fixed seats to decrease the width of the corresponding one of the one or more passenger seat groups on which the folding device is installed.

6. The seat group arrangement according to claim 5 , wherein, as the one or more telescopic rods extend from the corresponding one of the one or more supporting struts when the seat part of the further seat moves toward the second position, the lever system and the sliding element are configured to simultaneously move the seat part of the further seat vertically towards the second plane and move the seat part of the further seat laterally away from the one or more fixed seats to increase the width of the corresponding one of the one or more passenger seat groups on which the folding device is installed.

7. The seat group arrangement according to claim 3 , comprising:
an outer armrest support attached at a first end of the supporting frame, adjacent a longitudinal aisle of the aircraft; and
an armrest element connected to the outer armrest support;
wherein the outer armrest support is connected to the one or more telescopic rods via at least one rod receptacle associated with the outer armrest support.

8. The seat group arrangement according to claim 1 , comprising, for each of the one or more passenger seats, displacement spindles configured for displacement of the backrest of the further seat for changing the width of a corresponding one of the one or more passenger seat groups with which the displacement spindles as associated.

9. A passenger seat group comprising:
a supporting frame comprising seat legs for fastening the supporting frame to a floor;
one or more fixed seats, each of which comprises a seat part and a backrest, wherein each of the one or more fixed seats is fixedly secured on the supporting frame;
a further seat, which is movable in a transverse direction relative to the supporting frame and has a seat part and a backrest; and
a folding device, by which the seat part of the further seat is connected to the supporting frame, wherein the folding device is configured to move the seat part of the further seat to and between a first position, in which the seat part of the further seat is in a first plane, and a second position, in which the seat part of the further seat is in a second plane, to change a width of the passenger seat group, the change in the width being in relation to seat legs of the supporting frame;
wherein the first plane is above the second plane.

10. A passenger cabin for an aircraft, the passenger cabin comprising:
at least one longitudinal aisle;
at least one first region, in which seat rows with fixedly secured passenger seat groups are arranged; and
at least one second region, in which a seat group arrangement is arranged, the seat group arrangement having one or more passenger seat groups, each of the one or more passenger seat groups comprising:
a supporting frame comprising seat legs for fastening the supporting frame to a floor of the aircraft;
one or more fixedly seats, each of which comprises a seat part and a backrest, wherein each of the one or more fixed seats is fixedly secured on the supporting frame;
a further seat which is movable in a transverse direction relative to the supporting frame and has a seat part and a backrest; and
a folding device, by which the seat part of the further seat is connected to the supporting frame, wherein the folding device is configured to move the seat part of the further seat to and between a first position, in which the seat part of the further seat is in a first plane, and a second position, in which the seat part of the further seat is in a second plane, to a change a width of a corresponding one of the one or more passenger seat groups on which the folding device is installed, the change in the width being in relation to the seat legs of the supporting frame;
wherein the first plane is above the second plane.

11. The passenger cabin according to claim 10 , wherein the supporting frame compri

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Gross Claus-Peter

Classifications

• B64D11/0696

  Means for fastening seats to floors, e.g. to floor rails · CPC title

• B64D11/0693 Primary

  Width modification of seat assemblies, e.g. for class modification · CPC title

• B64D11/0601

  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 title

• B64D11/06 Primary

  Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats (crew seat constructions for emergency purposes B64D25/04) · CPC title