Hands-free release system for a passenger seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023219477-A1
Application number	US-202017925655-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 11, 2020
Priority date	May 18, 2020
Publication date	Jul 13, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Described is a passenger seat having a seat member moveable between a stowed position and a deployed position and at least one actuator coupled to at least one portion of the seat member, wherein the at least one actuator is activable without direct contact with a passenger's hand to change a lock state of the seat member, and wherein an unlocked state of the seat member permits movement of the seat member between the stowed position and the deployed position.

First claim

1 . A passenger seat comprising:
a seat back moveable between a stowed position and a deployed position; and a hands-free release system comprising at least one actuator coupled to at least one portion of the seat back, wherein the at least one actuator is activable without direct contact with a passenger's hand to change a lock state of the seat back, and wherein an unlocked state of the seat back permits movement of the seat back between the stowed position and the deployed position.

2 . The passenger seat of claim 1 , wherein the passenger seat further comprises a pedal coupled to the at least one actuator, wherein the pedal is pressable without direct contact with the passenger's hand to activate the at least one actuator to change the lock state of the seat back.

3 . The passenger seat of claim 2 , wherein the pedal is positioned underneath a seat bottom of the passenger seat.

4 . The passenger seat of claim 2 , wherein the at least one actuator comprises at least one cable coupled between the pedal and the at least one portion of the seat back.

5 . The passenger seat of claim 2 , wherein a movement of the pedal controls a movement of the seat back.

6 . The passenger seat of claim 1 , wherein the at least one portion of the seat back comprises a lock that maintains the stowed position of the seat back in a locked state.

7 . The passenger seat of claim 6 , wherein the lock is coupled to the at least one actuator, is engaged with the seat back in the locked state, and is disengaged from the seat back in the unlocked state.

8 . A hands-free release system comprising:
at least one actuator coupled to at least one portion of a seat back of a passenger seat; and a mechanism coupled to the at least one actuator, wherein the mechanism is engageable without direct contact with a passenger's hand to activate the at least one actuator and change a lock state of the seat back, and wherein an unlocked state of the seat back permits movement of the seat back between a stowed position and a deployed position.

9 . The hands-free release system of claim 8 , wherein the mechanism comprises a pedal that is pressable without direct contact with the passenger's hand.

10 . The hands-free release system of claim 9 , wherein the pedal is positioned underneath a seat bottom of the passenger seat.

11 . The hands-free release system of claim 9 , wherein a movement of the pedal controls a movement of the seat back.

12 . The hands-free release system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one actuator comprises at least one cable coupled between the mechanism and the at least one portion of the seat back.

13 . The hands-free release system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one portion of the seat back comprises a lock that maintains the stowed position of the seat back in a locked state.

14 . The hands-free release system of claim 13 , wherein the lock is coupled to the at least one actuator, is engaged with the seat back in the locked state, and is disengaged from the seat back in the unlocked state.

15 . A method comprising:
engaging a mechanism of a passenger seat without direct contact with a passenger's hand to change a lock state of a seat back of the passenger seat; wherein the passenger seat comprises at least one actuator coupled to at least one portion of the seat back and the mechanism; wherein the mechanism is coupled to the at least one actuator; and wherein an unlocked state of the seat back permits movement of the seat back between a stowed position and a deployed position.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the mechanism comprises a pedal that is pressable without direct contact with the passenger's hand, the pedal being positioned underneath a seat bottom of the passenger seat.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one portion of the seat back comprises a lock that maintains the stowed position of the seat back in a locked state.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein engaging the mechanism activates the at least one actuator and causes the lock to disengage from the seat back.

19 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising moving the mechanism to control a movement of the seat back.

20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising engaging the mechanism a second time to activate the at least one actuator and cause the seat back to move from the deployed position to the stowed position.

Assignees

• Safran Seats Usa Llc

Inventors

• Escobar Kristyan Khalil
• Chauland Nicolas
• Mathew Mark Anil

Classifications

• B60N3/004 Primary

  of foldable trays mounted on the back-rest · CPC title

• B60N2/919 Primary

  Positioning and locking mechanisms (B60N2/16, B60N2/18, B60N2/22, B60N2/225 take precedence) · CPC title

• B64D11/0638

  with foldable tables, trays or cup holders · CPC title

• B60N3/002

  of trays · CPC title