Seating arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017369171-A1
Application number	US-201715678520-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 16, 2017
Priority date	May 15, 2014
Publication date	Dec 28, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A seating arrangement for use in a cabin of a vehicle includes a first column set, a second column set, and an aisle between the first and second column sets. The first column set includes a first column of seats, a second column of seats, and a third column of seats. The first column set additionally includes an egress path of a first seat of the first column defined between a first seat and a second seat of the second column and between a first seat and a second seat of the third column. The egress path allows for direct unimpeded access from the first seat of the first column to the aisle, and the egress path is perpendicular to the aisle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A seating arrangement for use in a cabin of a vehicle, the seating arrangement comprising:
a first column set; a second column set; and an aisle defined between the first and second column sets, wherein the first column set comprises:
a first column of seats;
a second column of seats, an aft end of a first seat in the second column being spaced from a forward end of a second seat in the second column;
a third column of seats, an aft end of a first seat in the third column being spaced from a forward end of a second seat in the third column; and
an egress path of the first seat of the first column defined between the first seat and the second seat of the second column and between the first seat and the second seat of the third column, wherein the egress path allows for direct unimpeded access from the first seat of the first column to the aisle, and the egress path is perpendicular to the aisle.

2 . The seating arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the first column set comprises the first seat of the second column being laterally aligned with the first seat of the third column.

3 . The seating arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the egress path of each seat in the first column extends past the second and third columns.

4 . The seating arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the first seat of the third column is aligned laterally with the first seat of the first column.

5 . The seating arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the second column set comprises:
a first column of seats; a second column of seats, an aft end of a first seat in the second column being spaced from a forward end of a second seat in the second column; and an egress path of the first seat of the first column defined between the first seat and the second seat of the second column, wherein the egress path allows for direct unimpeded access from the first seat of the first column to the aisle, and the egress path is perpendicular to the aisle.

6 . The seating arrangement of claim 1 , wherein each seat of the first column includes the at least one egress path that allows a passenger to access the aisle without stepping over seats or disturbing other passengers when the seats of the second column are in a seated configuration or a bed configuration.

7 . The seating arrangement of claim 1 , wherein a path width of the at least one egress path of the seats of the first column is defined between a forward seat and an aft seat of the second column.

8 . The seating arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the seats in one pair of immediately-adjacent columns in each column set face in a same direction and are staggered, and the seats in each pair of across-aisle columns face the same direction and are staggered.

9 . The seating arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the seats in at least one of the first column and the second column have a seat centerline oriented non-parallel to a longitudinal axis of the cabin.

10 . The seating arrangement of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the seats in at least one of the first column and the second column includes a seat back that functions as a privacy shield when the seat is in a bed configuration.

11 . A seating arrangement for use in a cabin of a vehicle, the seating arrangement comprising:
a first column set; a second column set; a third column set; a first aisle defined between the first and second column sets; and a second aisle defined between the second and third column sets, wherein each of the first, second, and third column sets comprises:
a first column of seats, an aft end of a first seat in the first column being spaced from a forward end of a second seat in the first column;
a second column of seats, an aft end of a first seat in the second column being spaced from a forward end of a second seat in the second column; and
an egress path of the first seat of the first column defined between the first seat and the second seat of the second column, the egress path allowing for direct unimpeded access from the respective seat to an aisle and being perpendicular to the aisle.

12 . The seating arrangement of claim 11 , wherein the egress path is associated with only one seat.

13 . The seating arrangement of claim 11 , wherein the egress path allows a passenger in the first seat of the first column to access the aisle without stepping over seats of the second column when footrests of the seats of the second column are deployed.

14 . The seating arrangement of claim 11 , wherein the seats of the first column set are staggered relative to the seats of the second column set by one-half of a seat pitch between the seats.

15 . The seating arrangement of claim 11 , wherein the seats of the first column are staggered from the seats of the second column by one-half of a seat pitch between the seats.

16 . A seating arrangement for use in a cabin of a vehicle, the seating arrangement comprising:
a first column set; a second column set; a third column set; a first aisle defined between the first and second column sets; and a second aisle defined between the second and third column sets, wherein the second column set comprises:
a first column of seats;
a second column of seats directly adjacent to the first column; and
a primary egress path for each seat in the first column, the primary egress path allows for direct, unimpeded access from the associated seat of the first column to the first aisle.

17 . The seating arrangement of claim 16 , wherein the primary egress path allows a passenger to walk on a cabin floor from a seat in the first column to the first aisle without being impeded by any portion of a seat of the second column.

18 . The seating arrangement of claim 16 , further comprising a primary egress path for each seat of the second column.

19 . The seating arrangement of claim 18 , wherein each seat of the second column only has a primary egress path.

20 . The seating arrangement of claim 16 , wherein the seats of the first column and the second column face a same direction and are staggered.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Eakins Mark E

Classifications

• B64D11/0606

  with privacy shells, screens, separators or the like (class dividers B64D11/0023) · CPC title

• B60N2/34

  into a bed · CPC title

• B64D11/0641

  Seats convertible into beds · CPC title

• B60N2/01

  Arrangement of seats relative to one another · CPC title

• G06F30/15

  Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design · CPC title