AIRCRAFT CABIN

Abstract

An aircraft cabin is provided. The aircraft cabin comprises a first seat unit and a second seat unit, the first and second seat units being in a first row of seat units and being separated by an aisle. The cabin comprises a partition movable between a stowed position and a deployed position in which the partition is positioned at least partially in the aisle between the first and second seat units thereby at least partially blocking the aisle. The cabin further comprises an item of furniture movable between a stowed position and a deployed position in which the item of furniture is positioned in the aisle between the first and second seat units.

Claims

1. An aircraft cabin comprising a first seat unit and a second seat unit, the first and second seat units being in a first row of seat units and being separated from each other by an aisle, wherein the cabin comprises a partition movable between a stowed position and a deployed position in which the partition is positioned at least partially in the aisle between the first and second seat units thereby at least partially blocking the aisle, and wherein the cabin further comprises an item of furniture movable between a stowed position and a deployed position in which the item of furniture is positioned in the aisle between the first and second seat units.

2. The aircraft cabin according to claim 1, wherein, in the deployed position, the partition blocks the aisle between the first and second seat units such that a person cannot pass through the aisle space between the first and second seat units without moving the partition from the deployed position.

3. The aircraft cabin according to claim 1, wherein the cabin further comprises a floor, the first seat unit comprises a first seat and the second seat unit comprises a second seat, and wherein at least one of the first and second seats is rotatably mounted upon the cabin floor.

4. The aircraft cabin according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the first and second seats is rotatable to face the aisle.

5. The aircraft cabin according to claim 4, wherein both the first and second seats are rotatably mounted upon the cabin floor and are rotatable to face across the aisle to the other seat.

6. The aircraft cabin according to claim 1, wherein the aisle comprises a floor and the item of furniture, in its deployed position, is mounted to the floor or one of the first and second seat units.

7. The aircraft cabin according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the aisle floor, first seat unit, and second seat unit is provided with a mounting attachment for mounting the item of furniture.

8. The aircraft cabin according to claim 1, wherein the item of furniture is a table, a further seat, a display monitor, or a piece of exercise equipment.

9. The aircraft cabin according to claim 1, wherein one of the first and second seat units comprises a seat that is at least partially enclosed by one or more privacy walls.

10. The aircraft cabin according to claim 9, wherein, in the deployed position, the partition is positioned adjacent a privacy wall.

11. The aircraft cabin according to claim 10, wherein the aircraft cabin comprises a second partition movable between a stowed position and a deployed position in which the second partition is positioned at least partially in the aisle between the first and second seats units thereby at least partially blocking the aisle, and wherein, in the deployed position, the first partition is positioned adjacent a first privacy wall and the second partition is positioned adjacent a second privacy wall, the first and second privacy walls being located adjacent different regions of the aisle.

12. The aircraft cabin according to claim 1, comprising a third seat unit in the first row of seat units, positioned adjacent one of the first or second seat units, the third seat unit being separated from the one of the first or second seat unit by a privacy screen.

13. The aircraft cabin according to claim 12, wherein the aircraft cabin further comprises a fourth seat unit in the first row of seat units, the third and fourth seat units being separated from each other by a second aisle, wherein the cabin comprises a further partition movable between a stowed position and a deployed position in which the further partition is positioned at least partially in the second aisle between the third and fourth seat units thereby at least partially blocking the second aisle, and wherein the cabin further comprises a further item of furniture movable between a stowed position and a deployed position in which the further item of furniture is positioned in the aisle between the third and fourth seat units.

14. The aircraft cabin according to claim 1, wherein the aircraft cabin further comprises a third seat unit in the first row of seat units, the third seat unit being separated from one of the first or second seat units by a second aisle, wherein the cabin comprises a further partition movable between a stowed position and a deployed position in which the further partition is positioned at least partially in the second aisle between the second and third seat units thereby at least partially blocking the second aisle, and wherein the cabin further comprises a further item of furniture movable between a stowed position and a deployed position in which the further item of furniture is positioned in the aisle between the second and third seat units.

15. The aircraft cabin according to claim 1, wherein the first row of seat units is the only row of seat units in the cabin provided with the moveable partition and the moveable item of furniture.

16. The aircraft cabin according to claim 1, comprising a first further seat unit and a second further seat unit, the first further seat unit and second further seat unit being in a second row of seat units, the second row of seat units being positioned adjacent the first row of seat units, the first further seat unit and second further seat unit being separated from each other by the aisle, wherein the cabin comprises an additional partition movable between a stowed position and a deployed position in which the additional partition is positioned at least partially in the aisle between the first further seat unit and the second further seat unit thereby at least partially blocking the second aisle, and wherein the cabin optionally further comprises an additional item of furniture movable between a stowed position and a deployed position in which the additional item of furniture is positioned in the aisle between the first further seat unit and the second further seat unit.

17. An aircraft cabin comprising: a first seat unit and a second seat unit, the first and second seat units being in a first row of seat units and being separated from each other by an aisle, and a first further seat unit and a second further seat unit, the first further seat unit and second further seat unit being in a second row of seat units, the second row of seat units being positioned adjacent the first row of seat units, the first further seat unit and second further seat unit being separated from each other by the aisle, wherein each of the first seat unit, second seat unit, first further seat unit, and second further seat unit comprises a seat and a privacy wall positioned between the seat and the aisle, the privacy wall being movable between a stowed position and a deployed position in which the seat is at least partially enclosed by the privacy wall, and wherein the cabin comprises a partition movable between a stowed position and a deployed position in which the partition is positioned at least partially in the aisle between the first and second seat units thereby at least partially blocking the aisle.

18. The aircraft cabin according to claim 17, wherein the cabin further comprises an item of furniture movable between a stowed position and a deployed position in which the item of furniture is positioned in the aisle between the first and second seat units and/or between the first further seat unit and second further seat unit.

19. A kit of parts for installation in an aircraft to provide the aircraft cabin of claim 1, the kit of parts comprising a plurality of seat units, a partition, and an item of furniture.

20. An aircraft comprising the aircraft cabin of claim 1.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of which:

[0032] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an aircraft cabin according to a first embodiment of the invention;

[0033] FIG. 2 is an overhead view of the first and second seat units of the aircraft cabin of FIG. 1 arranged with a shared table;

[0034] FIG. 3 is an overhead view of first and second seat units belonging to an aircraft cabin comprising an alternative shared table arrangement to that shown in FIG. 2;

[0035] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the second and third seat units of the aircraft cabin of FIG. 1;

[0036] FIG. 5 is a plan view of an aircraft cabin according to an embodiment of the invention that comprises a first and second row of seat units;

[0037] FIG. 6 is an overhead view of an aircraft cabin according to a second embodiment of the invention shown with seat unit privacy walls in a deployed position; and

[0038] FIG. 7 corresponds to the view shown in FIG. 6 but with the seat unit privacy walls in the stowed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] A plan view of an aircraft cabin 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention is shown FIG. 1. The cabin 1 comprises four seat units 3, 5, 7, 9 arranged in a first row 10. A first seat unit 3 and a second seat unit 5 are separated by a first aisle 11 and a third seat unit 7 and a fourth seat unit 9 are separated by a second aisle 13. The first seat unit 3 and fourth seat unit 9 are positioned at the port and starboard sides of the aircraft, respectively, and the second seat unit 5 and third seat unit 7 are positioned adjacent one another between the first and second aisles 11, 13.

[0040] Each seat unit 3, 5, 7, 9 comprises a seat 301, 501, 701, 901. Each of the seats 301, 501, 701, 901 is rotatably mounted upon the cabin floor and rotatable by 180 degrees between a position in which the seat 301, 501, 701, 901 faces into the aisle and a position in which the seat 301, 501, 701, 901 faces away from the aisle 10. During taxi, take-off, and landing the seats 301, 501, 701, 901 face in a direction parallel with the longitudinal axis X (the third seat 701 is shown in this position in FIG. 1).

[0041] A front privacy wall 302, 502, 702, 902 is located in front of each seat 301, 501, 701, 901 and a rear privacy wall 303, 503, 703, 903 is located behind each seat, the front privacy walls 302, 502, 702, 902 and rear privacy walls 303, 503, 703, 903 extend to a height of 1520 millimetres (60 inches), as measured from the cabin floor, thereby enclosing the seats 301, 501, 701, 901 from the front and the rear, in relation to the longitudinal axis X.

[0042] During boarding of the aircraft, for example, access through the first aisle 11 and second aisle 13 is needed for the aircraft crew and passengers (in FIG. 1, the second aisle 13 allows such access). However, when such access is not needed, for example during flight, it is possible to block one or both aisles 11, 13 to convert the aisles 11, 13 into a space which is shared between the seat units 3, 5, 7, 9 either side of the aisles 11, 13. In FIG. 1, first aisle 11 provides such a shared space (in FIG. 1, the first aisle 11 is shown in this configuration).

[0043] The cabin also comprises tables 15 that are deployable to between the first and second seats 301, 501 and/or the third and fourth seats 701, 901 to provide furniture that is shareable between the passengers sitting in those seats. A table 15 is shown in its deployed position between the first and second seats 301, 501 in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. In order to deploy the table 15, the table 15 is mounted to a mounting attachment located in the cabin floor (not shown).

[0044] FIG. 3 shows an alternative arrangement where first and second seat units 3′, 5′ comprise first and second seats 301′, 501′. The first and second seats 301′, 501′ comprise deployable tray tables 305′, 505′ mounted upon the rear privacy wall 303′, 503′, of the respective seat units 3′, 5′. As can be seen in FIG. 3, when the first and second seats 301′, 501′ are rotated such that they face one another across the first aisle 11′, the tray tables 305′, 505′ can be deployed and together form a shared table that can be used, for example, for face-to-face dining. In an aircraft cabin comprising an arrangement as shown in FIG. 3 therefore, there may be no need for the deployable table 15 arrangement shown in FIG. 2.

[0045] As can be seen in both FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a front partition 111 is moveable to a deployed position in which it is positioned adjacent and in between the front privacy walls 302, 502 of the first and second seat units 3, 5 to fully block the first aisle 11 from a front direction. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 also show that a rear partition 112 is moveable to a deployed position in which it is positioned adjacent and in between the rear privacy walls 303, 503 of the first and second seat units 3, 5 to fully block the first aisle 11 from a rear direction. The partitions 111, 112 are configured to slide into place to block the first aisle 11. Deploying both the front and rear partitions 111, 112 creates a substantially enclosed private space that is shared between passengers sat in the seats 301, 501 of the first and second seat units 3, 5. Further front and rear partitions are deployable to block the second aisle 13 in a similar manner, to form an enclosed private space that is shared between passengers sat in the seats 701, 901 of the third and fourth seat units 7, 9.

[0046] As can be seen, because the seats 301, 501, 701, 901 are rotatably mounted it is possible for the passengers sat in the first and second seats 301, 501 to rotate their seats 301, 501 to face one another and share the table 15 to, for example, dine or work together. Should the passengers not want to share the table 15, the seats 301, 501 can be rotated to a position which faces away from the first aisle 11 so that secondary tables 304, 504 positioned at the sides of the seat units 3, 5 opposite the first aisle 11 can be used separately. In FIG. 1 the seat 901 belonging to the fourth seat unit 9 is shown as facing away from the second aisle 13 so that a secondary table 904 can be used.

[0047] The adjacent second and third seat units 5, 7 are separated by a privacy screen 17 that is shown in FIG. 2 in its deployed position. The privacy screen 17 is stowable should the passengers located in the second and third seat units 5, 7 wish to create a shared space during flight. The privacy screen 17 is shown in its stowed position in FIG. 4. There, the screen 17 has been lowered to be underneath secondary tables 504, 704 so that a top edge of the screen 17 is flush with the tables 504, 704. As can be seen, the second and third seats 501, 701 are able to rotate away from the aisles 11, 13 to face one another so that the passengers sitting in the second and third seats 501, 701 can, for example, dine or work together at a shared table that is formed by the secondary tables 504, 704 belonging to each seat unit 5, 7.

[0048] As can be seen from FIG. 5, the aircraft cabin may comprise a fifth seat unit 3″ and a sixth seat unit 5″ in a second row 10″ of seat units, positioned behind the first row 10 of seat units, the fifth and sixth seat units 3″, 5″ also being separated by the first aisle 11. The first and second row 10, 10″ of seat units share privacy walls such that the rear privacy walls 303, 503 belonging to the first and second seat units 3, 5 also provide the front privacy walls 303, 503 belonging to the fifth and sixth seat units 3″, 5″ respectively. The fifth and sixth seat units 3″, 5″ comprise a rear partition 112″, which is shown in its deployed position in FIG. 5, substantially identical to the rear partition 112 that belongs to the first and second seat units 3, 5. It is therefore possible to deploy the front partition 111 belonging to the first and second seat units 3, 5 and the rear partition 112″ belonging to the fifth and sixth seat units 3″, 5″ in order to convert the first aisle 11 between the first, second, fifth, and sixth seat units 3, 5, 3″, 5″ into a space that is shared between the first, second, fifth and sixth seat units 3, 5, 3″, 5″ such that four companion travellers located in those seat units can share the space between the seat units. Furthermore, the second row may also comprise a seventh and eighth seat unit, 7″, 9″ which are positioned either side of the second aisle 13, behind the third and fourth seat units 7, 9 respectively as shown in FIG. 5. Front and rear partitions (not shown) may be deployable in substantially the same way as described above in relation to the front and rear partitions 111, 112″ to create a shared space between the third, fourth, seventh, and eighth seat units 7, 9, 7″, 9″.

[0049] A section of an aircraft cabin 100 according to another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The aircraft cabin 100 comprises a first seat unit 73 and a second seat unit 75 separated by an aisle 900 in a first row 700 of seat units, and comprises a second seat unit 83 and a third seat unit 85 separated by the aisle 900 in a second row 800 of seat units, wherein each seat unit 73, 75, 83, 85 comprises a seat 731, 751, 831, 851. Each of the seats comprises a privacy wall 736, 756, 836, 856 positioned between its seat 731, 751, 831, 851 and the aisle 900, thereby enclosing the seat 731, 751, 831, 851 and acting as a barrier between the seat 731, 751, 831, 851 and the aisle 900. Each of the privacy walls 736, 756, 836, 856 is shown in a deployed position in FIG. 6 in which the seats 731, 751, 831, 851 are enclosed by the privacy walls 736, 756, 836, 856. However, the privacy walls 736, 756, 836, 856 are movable to a stowed position, as shown in FIG. 7, in which the privacy walls 736, 756, 836, 856 are lowerable to a position in which they no longer enclose the seats 731, 751, 831, 851, thereby removing the barrier between the seats 731, 751, 831, 851 and the aisle 900. As can be seen FIG. 7, when the privacy walls 736, 756, 836, 856 are lowered, a shared space can be created in the aisle 900 between the first, second, third, and fourth seat units 73, 75, 83, 85. Furthermore, partitions (not shown) are moveable to deployed positions within the aisle 900, in substantially the same way as described with respect to the first embodiment of the invention, so that a substantially enclosed private space that is shared between passengers sat in the seats 731, 751, 831, 851 of the first second, third and fourth seat units 73, 75, 83, 85. Furthermore, tables (not shown) are also moveable to deployed positions within the aisle 900, in substantially the same way as described with respect to the first embodiment of the invention.

[0050] Whilst the present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to particular embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention lends itself to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein. By way of example only, certain possible variations will now be described.

[0051] In certain embodiments of the invention the partitions may be hinged, or alternatively, may be completely detachable and stowed within, for example, a compartment somewhere within the aircraft cabin. Alternatively, the partitions could be curtains.

[0052] The aircraft cabin may comprise only three seat units arranged in the first row (and second row, if present). A first seat unit and a second seat unit are separated by a first aisle, as before, and the second seat unit and a third seat unit are separated by a second aisle. Partitions are deployable between the first and second seat units to provide a shared spaced between the first and second seat units. Partitions are also deployable between the second and third seat units to provide a shared space between the second and third seat units.

[0053] Where in the foregoing description, integers or elements are mentioned which have known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed so as to encompass any such equivalents. It will also be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that such optional integers or features, whilst of possible benefit in some embodiments of the invention, may not be desirable, and may therefore be absent, in other embodiments.