Zero intrusion kinematic and recline mechanism for commercial aircraft seats

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022332422-A1
Application number	US-201917760700-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 30, 2019
Priority date	Sep 30, 2019
Publication date	Oct 20, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Described are aircraft seats having a seat bottom coupled to a seat back and a linkage mechanism for reclining the seat. The reclining mechanism includes an actuator coupled to a recline lock linkage The actuator is movable between positions and moves the recline lock linkage about a pivot point to facilitate movement of the seat between an upright position and a deployed position.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1 . An aircraft seat comprising:
a seat bottom coupled to a seat back; a linkage mechanism coupled to the seat bottom, wherein the linkage mechanism comprises:
an actuator having a retracted position and a deployed position;
a recline lock linkage having a first end and a second end, wherein the second end is coupled to the actuator;
wherein, when the actuator moves from the deployed position to the retracted position, the recline lock linkage pivots between a first position and a second position; wherein, in the first position, the recline lock linkage is positioned at an angle such that the first end is positioned rearward with respect to the second end; wherein, in the second position, the recline lock linkage is positioned at an angle such that the first end is positioned forward with respect to the second end; and wherein movement of the recline lock linkage between the first position and the second position moves the seat between an upright position and a reclined position.

2 . The aircraft seat of claim 1 , wherein the linkage mechanism further comprises a seat pan mount coupled to a bottom surface of the seat bottom and pivotably coupled to the first end of the recline lock linkage.

3 . The aircraft seat of claim 1 , wherein the linkage mechanism further comprises a recline lock mount pivotably coupled to the recline lock linkage at a pivot point between the first end and the second end.

4 . The aircraft seat of claim 3 , wherein the pivot point of the recline lock linkage is movable in an up and down direction when the recline lock linkage moves between the first and second positions.

5 . The aircraft seat of claim 1 , wherein the actuator can be locked in any position between the retracted and deployed positions thereby locking the recline lock linkage in any position between the first and second positions.

6 . The aircraft seat of claim 2 , wherein, when the actuator moves between the retracted and deployed positions, the first end of the recline lock linkage rotates with respect to the seat pan mount.

7 . The aircraft seat of claim 1 , further comprising a pair of walls positioned on opposing sides of the seat bottom; and
wherein each of the walls further comprises at least one track; and wherein movement of the recline lock linkage between the first and second positions causes the seat bottom to translate along the at least one track on each of the sidewalls thereby moving the seat between the upright and reclined positions.

8 . The aircraft seat of claim of claim 7 , wherein a length of the at least one track is less than 8 inches.

9 . An aircraft seat comprising:
a seat bottom; a seat back coupled to the seat bottom; a seat angle formed between the seat bottom and the seat back; a linkage mechanism coupled to the seat bottom and configured to move the seat between an upright position and a reclined position; a vertical axis positioned rearward of the seat back; wherein, when the seat is in the upright position, the seat forms a first angle with respect to the vertical axis; and wherein, when the seat is in the reclined position, the seat forms a second angle with respect to the vertical axis; and wherein the second angle is greater than the first angle; and wherein the seat angle remains approximately constant when the seat is moved between the upright position and the reclined position .

10 . The aircraft seat of claim 9 , wherein the linkage mechanism comprises:
a seat pan mount coupled to a bottom surface of the seat bottom; an actuator; a recline lock linkage having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is coupled to the seat pan mount and the second end is coupled to the actuator; and a recline lock mount coupled to the recline lock linkage between the first end and the second end.

11 . The aircraft seat of claim 10 , wherein the actuator has a retracted position and a deployed position; and
wherein, when the actuator moves between the retracted position and the deployed position, the recline lock linkage pivots between a first position and a second position.

12 . The aircraft seat of claim 11 , wherein, when the seat is in an upright position, the recline lock linkage is in the first position such that the first end of the recline lock linkage is positioned rearward with respect to the second end of the recline lock linkage.

13 . The aircraft seat of claim 11 , wherein, when the seat is in the reclined position, the lock linkage is in the second position such that the first end of the recline lock linkage is positioned forward with respect to the second end of the recline lock linkage.

14 . The aircraft seat of claim 9 , wherein, when the seat moves from the upright position to the reclined position, the seat back moves in a downward direction with respect to the vertical axis such that the seat back does not cross the vertical axis.

15 . An aircraft seat comprising:
a seat back coupled to a seat bottom; wherein the seat bottom comprises:
a linkage assembly to move the seat between an upright position and a reclined position;
a first wall positioned adjacent a first side of the seat bottom;
a second wall positioned adjacent a second side of the seat bottom opposite the first side;
wherein each of the first wall and the second wall comprises a first seat track and a second seat track; and
wherein the seat bottom translates along the first seat track and the second seat track in each wall to move the seat between the upright position and the reclined position.

16 . The aircraft seat of claim 15 , wherein the second track is positioned rearward with respect to the first seat track on each of the first and second walls.

17 . The aircraft seat of claim 15 , wherein the first seat track is positioned so as to be substantially horizontal on each of the first and second walls.

18 . The aircraft seat of claim 15 , wherein the second seat track is positioned at an angle on each of the first and second walls such that a forward portion of the second seat track is positioned lower with respect to a rearward portion of the second seat track.

19 . The aircraft seat of claim 15 , wherein, when the seat moves between the upright and reclined positions, the seat bottom translates simultaneously along the first seat track and the second seat track.

20 . The aircraft seat of claim 15 , wherein a length of each of the first seat track and the second seat track is less than 8 inches.

Assignees

• Safran Seats Usa Llc

Inventors

• Parker Charles Michael
• Tranier Romain
• Mansouri Reza
• Omoragbon Amen
• Ramarathnam Gokul

Classifications

• B64D11/064 Primary

  Adjustable inclination or position of seats · CPC title

• B60N2/12

  slidable and tiltable · CPC title

• B60N2/2209

  by longitudinal displacement of the cushion, e.g. back-rest hinged on the bottom to the cushion and linked on the top to the vehicle frame · CPC title