Removable seat divider for placement in a seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9586687-B2
Application number	US-201514722951-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2015
Priority date	May 27, 2015
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed is a removable seat divider for placement in a seat. The removable seat divider includes a vertical structure configured to be placed on the seat along an approximate center of the seat. The vertical structure includes a first outer surface, second outer surface, top, and back portion, where the back portion of the vertical structure is configured to be placed adjacent to a back portion of the seat. The removable seat divider also includes a cavity located adjacent to the back portion, where the cavity connects the first outer surface to the second outer surface, and the cavity is configured to pass a seat belt through the cavity. The base back portion is configured to produce a restraining force against the seat that is proportional to a tension on the seat belt that passes through the cavity. The removable seat divider further includes two opposing planar members that are rotationally coupled to the top of the vertical structure, where the two opposing planar members are configured to fold outward from the vertical structure to form a T-type structure, when fully folded out, having two work surfaces.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A removable seat divider for placement in a seat, the removable seat divider comprising:
a vertical structure configured to be placed on the seat along an approximate center of the seat, wherein the vertical structure includes a first outer surface, second outer surface, a top, and a back portion, and wherein the back portion of the vertical structure is configured to be placed adjacent to a back portion of the seat;
a cavity located adjacent to the back portion, wherein the cavity connects the first outer surface to the second outer surface, and the cavity is configured to pass a seat belt through the cavity, and wherein the back portion is configured to produce a restraining force against the seat that is proportional to a tension on the seat belt that passes through the cavity; and
two opposing planar members that are rotationally coupled to the top of the vertical structure, wherein the two opposing planar members are configured to fold outward from the vertical structure to form a T-type structure, when fully folded out, having two work surfaces.

2. The removable seat divider of claim 1 ,
wherein a first planar member of the two opposing planar members has a first length that is approximately equal to a second length of a second planar member of the two opposing planar members,
wherein the first length allows the first planar member to rest on a first armrest of the seat, and
wherein the second length allows the second planar member to rest on a second armrest of the seat opposite the first armrest.

3. The removable seat divider of claim 2 , further including a first armrest support flap on the first planar member configured to engage the first armrest of the seat, and a second armrest support flap on the first planar member configured to engage the second armrest of the seat.

4. The removable seat divider of claim 3 , further including a privacy block member that is configured to extend vertically upward from a center of the vertical structure.

5. A removable seat divider for placement along an approximate center of a seat, the removable seat divider comprising:
a first vertical member having a first vertical member top, a first vertical member back portion, wherein the first vertical member back portion is configured to be placed adjacent to a back portion of the seat, a first vertical member bottom portion, a first vertical member upper portion, a first outer surface, a first inner surface, and a first cavity located within the first vertical member bottom portion and adjacent to the first vertical member back portion, wherein the first cavity connects the first outer surface to the first inner surface and is configured to pass a seat belt through the first cavity;
a second vertical member having a second vertical member top, a second vertical member back portion, wherein the second vertical member back portion is configured to be placed adjacent to the back portion of the seat, a second vertical member bottom portion, a second vertical member upper portion, a second outer surface, a second inner surface, and a second cavity located within the second vertical member bottom portion and adjacent to the second vertical member back portion, wherein the second cavity connects the second outer surface to the second inner surface and is configured to pass the seat belt through the second cavity;
a top hinge rotationally coupling the first vertical member top to the second vertical member top such that the first inner surface is adjacent to the second inner surface;
a first planar member that folds outward from the first outer surface to form a first work surface; and
a second planar member that folds outward from the second outer surface to form a second work surface, wherein the first vertical member back portion and the second vertical member back portion are configured to produce a restraining force against the seat that is proportional to a tension on the seat belt that passes through the first and second cavities.

6. The removable seat divider of claim 5 , wherein the first planar member has a first length that is approximately equal to a second length of the second planar member, wherein the first length is approximately equal to a length of the first vertical member upper portion, wherein the second length is approximately equal to a length of the second vertical member upper portion, wherein the first length allows the first planar member to rest on a first armrest of the seat, and wherein the second length allows the second planar member to rest on a second armrest of the seat opposite the first armrest.

7. The removable seat divider of claim 6 , further including a first armrest support flap on the first planar member configured to engage the first armrest of the seat,
a second armrest support flap on the first planar member configured to engage the second armrest of the seat,
a bottom horizontal member attaching a bottom of the first vertical member to a bottom of the second vertical member, a folding rigid member that connects the first inner surface to the second inner surface and extends between the first cavity and the second cavity,
wherein the folding rigid member, in combination with the first cavity and the second cavity, is configured to produce a restraining force against the seat that is proportional to a tension on the seat belt that passes through the combination of the first and second cavities and rests along a surface of the folding rigid member.

8. The removable seat divider of claim 7 , wherein the bottom horizontal member is a flexible strap.

9. A removable seat divider for placement in a seat, the removable seat divider comprising:
a vertical structure configured to be placed on the seat along an approximate center of the seat, wherein the vertical structure includes a first outer surface, a second outer surface, and a base, wherein the base includes a first outer surface lower portion of the first outer surface, a second outer surface lower portion of the second outer surface, and a base back portion that is configured to be placed adjacent to a back portion of the seat;
a base cavity located in the base and adjacent to the base back portion, wherein the base cavity connects the first outer surface lower portion to the second outer surface lower portion, wherein the base cavity is configured to pass a seat belt through the base cavity, and wherein the base back portion is configured to produce a restraining force against the seat that is proportional to a tension on the seat belt that passes through the base cavity; and
two opposing planar members that fold outward from the vertical structure to form two work surfaces.

10. The removable seat divider of claim 9 , wherein a first opposing planar member of the two opposing planar members folds outward from the first outer surface and
a second opposing planar member of the two opposing planar members folds outward from the second outer surface.

11. The removable seat divider of claim 10 , further including a first hinge between the first opposing planar member and the first outer surface and a second hinge between the second opposing planar member and the second outer surface.

12. The removable seat divider of claim 11 , wherein the first opposing planar member has a first length and the second opposing planar member has a second length and
wherein the first length and the second length of the first and the second opposing planar members, respectively, are approximately equal to a length of an outer surface upper portion.

13. The removable seat divider of claim 12 , wherein the first length allows the first opposing planar member to rest on a f

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Abreu Julio E
• Mills Christopher John

Classifications

• B64D11/0606 Primary

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

• B60N3/002

  of trays · CPC title

• B64D11/0638

  with foldable tables, trays or cup holders · CPC title