AIRCRAFT PASSENGER SEAT UNIT WITH MOVABLE PANEL

Abstract

An aircraft passenger seat unit configured for use adjacent an aisle of an aircraft cabin is disclosed. The seat unit comprises a seat, a footrest, and a movable panel. The movable panel is movable with respect to the footrest between a closed position in which the movable panel at least partially encloses a side of the footrest and an open position in which the movable panel at least partially exposes the side of the footrest such that, in use, when the panel is in the open position, a passenger can access the seat from an aisle through the partially exposed side of the footrest.

Claims

1. An aircraft passenger seat unit, configured for use adjacent an aisle of an aircraft cabin, wherein the seat unit comprises: a seat, a footrest, and a movable panel, movable with respect to the footrest between a closed position in which the movable panel at least partially encloses a side of the footrest and an open position in which the movable panel at least partially exposes the side of the footrest such that, in use, when the panel is in the open position, a passenger can access the seat from an aisle through the partially exposed side of the footrest.

2. An aircraft passenger seat unit according to claim 1, wherein the seat comprises a seat pan and backrest, the seat having an upright sitting configuration in which the backrest is substantially upright, and wherein the seat is movable in the upright sitting configuration between a first position in which the seat pan is spaced apart from the footrest by a first distance, and a second position in which the seat pan is spaced apart from the footrest by a second distance, the second distance being less than the first distance.

3. An aircraft passenger seat unit according to claim 2, wherein the second distance is no more than 15 centimetres.

4. An aircraft passenger seat unit according to claim 2, wherein the seat faces in a direction defining a seat axis, and wherein the seat is movable along the seat axis towards or away from the footrest when the seat is moved between the first and second positions.

5. An aircraft passenger seat unit according to claim 1, wherein the seat unit has an aisle side that is configured to be adjacent an aisle in use, and wherein the movable panel is positioned along the aisle side of the seat unit when in the closed position such that movable panel at least partially encloses the side of the footrest to block access to the side of the footrest from the aisle, and such that when the panel is in the open position a passenger can access the at least partially exposed side of the footrest from the aisle.

6. An aircraft passenger seat unit according to claim 1, further comprising a wall, wherein the wall at least partially encloses a side of the seat when the seat is in the first position, the wall thereby blocking access to the seat from an aisle when in the first position, and wherein the wall does not enclose the side of the seat when the seat is in the second position so that a passenger can access the seat from an aisle when the seat is in the second position.

7. An aircraft passenger seat unit according to claim 6, wherein the movable panel and wall are spaced apart along a first side of the seat unit and the space between the movable panel and wall defines an access path that provides passenger access into the seat unit from the first side of the seat unit, and wherein the seat is adjacent to the access path when in the second position so that a passenger can access the seat from a first side of the seat unit via the access path when the seat is in the second position.

8. An aircraft passenger seat unit according to claim 6, wherein the seat unit comprises a console comprising a table surface for use by a passenger of the seat unit and wherein the console is at least partially formed by the wall.

9. An aircraft passenger seat unit according to claim 8, wherein the aircraft passenger seat unit is configured to be positioned directly adjacent to and in front of a further, substantially identical aircraft seat unit, and wherein the console is at least partially formed by the movable panel of the further seat unit.

10. An aircraft passenger seat unit according to claim 9, further comprising a shell, wherein the shell forms the console of the seat unit and the movable panel of the further seat unit.

11. An aircraft passenger seat unit according to claim 1, wherein the movable panel is movably mounted via a hinge.

12. An aircraft passenger seat unit according to claim 11, wherein the movable panel is mounted via a hinge and configured to be moved between the closed position and open position about a horizontal axis located towards a bottom of the panel.

13. An aircraft passenger seat unit according to claim 11, wherein the movable panel is mounted via a hinge and configured to be moved between the closed position and open position about a vertical axis located towards a side of the panel.

14. An aircraft passenger seat unit according to claim 1, wherein the seat unit comprises a locking system configured to lock the movable panel in the closed position, the lock system comprising: a plurality of latches positioned on the movable panel and configured to engage with a structure of the seat unit to lock the movable panel in the closed position, or a plurality of latches positioned on the structure of the seat unit and configured to engage with the movable panel to lock the movable panel in the closed position.

15. An aircraft passenger seat unit according to claim 14, wherein the lock system comprises an actuatable member operable to disengage the latches so that the movable panel can be moved from the closed position to the open position.

16. An aircraft passenger seat unit according to claim 15, wherein the actuatable member is positioned on a surface of the movable panel that is adjacent the footrest when the panel is in the closed position.

17. A shell suitable for use as the shell of claim 10, wherein the shell comprises a movable panel, a footrest, and a console, wherein the movable panel and footrest are suitable for forming the movable panel and footrest of a first seat unit, the movable panel being movable with respect to the footrest between a closed position in which the movable panel at least partially encloses a side of the footrest at a first side of the shell and an open position in which the panel at least partially exposes the side of the footrest at the first side of the shell, and wherein the console is suitable for forming the console of a second, directly adjacent seat unit, and wherein the movable panel at least partially forms the console.

18. A kit of parts configured such that when assembled, the kit of parts forms an aircraft passenger seat unit as defined in claim 1.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of which:

[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aircraft cabin comprising a first aircraft passenger seat unit according to an embodiment of the invention positioned directly adjacent to and in front of a second, substantially identical aircraft passenger seat unit;

[0027] FIG. 2 is an alternative perspective view of the aircraft cabin arrangement of FIG. 1;

[0028] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the aircraft cabin of FIG. 1;

[0029] FIG. 4 is a detailed view of a movable panel of the second aircraft passenger seat unit; and

[0030] FIG. 5 is a detailed view of the movable panel of a fourth aircraft passenger seat unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] A first aircraft passenger seat unit 100 according to an embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 1 positioned directly adjacent to and in front of a second, substantially identical seat unit 200. The seat units 100, 200 are arranged in a column adjacent an aisle 600 in an aircraft cabin 1. Because the seat units 100, 200 are substantially identical only the first seat unit 100 will be described. However, in FIGS. 1 to 4 features of the second seat unit 200 that are in common with the first seat unit 100 have been labelled with the same reference numeral but with the prefix “2” instead of “1”. For example, the second seat unit 200 comprises a seat 210 whereas the first seat unit 100 comprises a seat 110. A third substantially identical seat unit 300 and a fourth substantially identical seat unit 400 are also partially shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, where the third seat unit 300 and fourth seat unit 400 have features that are in common with the first seat unit 100, those features have been labelled with the same reference numerals but with the respective prefixes “3” and “4” instead of “1”.

[0032] In the following description the term “aisle-side” is used to refer to the side of a feature of a seat unit that is closest to the aisle 600 and, similarly, “non-aisle-side” is used to refer to the side of a feature that is furthest away from the aisle 600. For example, the seat 110 of the seat unit 100 comprises an aisle side 110A that is closest the aisle 600 and a non-aisle-side 110B, on the opposite side of the seat 110 that is furthest away from the aisle 600.

[0033] The first seat unit 100 comprises a seat 110 that is enclosed at a front of the seat unit 100 by a first shell 900A and enclosed at a rear of the seat unit 100 by a second shell 900B. The first and second shells 900A, 900B are substantially identical and each comprise features that form part of the seat units positioned on either side of the respective shells 900A, 900B. For example, the second shell 900B comprises a partition that forms a rear privacy wall 105 of the first seat unit 100 and that also forms a front privacy wall 206 of the second seat unit 200.

[0034] The second shell 900B comprises a rear privacy wall 105 that is positioned between the first seat unit 100 and the second seat unit 200 to enclose the seat 110 of the first seat unit 100 at the rear of the first seat unit 100, and a console 103 that provides a table surface 107 positioned on an aisle-side 110A of the seat 110. The first shell 900A comprises a front privacy wall 106 that is positioned in front of the seat 110, between the first seat unit 100 and a third seat unit 300, the third seat unit 300 being positioned directly adjacent to and in front of the first seat unit 100 and being only partially shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. The first shell 900A also comprises a footrest 109 positioned within a foot well 111, the footrest 109 being positioned in front of the seat 110 and thereby being usable by a passenger of the seat 110. As can be seen from FIGS. 1 to 3, the foot well 111 of the first seat unit 100 forms the console 303 of the third seat unit 300. Similarly, the foot well 211 of the second seat unit 200 forms the console 103 of the first seat unit 100.

[0035] The foot well 111 is defined on an aisle-side by a movable panel 113 that encloses the footrest 109 on an aisle-side and which blocks access to the footrest 109 from the aisle 600, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. The panel 113 is spaced-apart from the console along the aisle-side of the seat unit 100 to define an access path 115 between the panel 113 and console 103, the access path 115 providing passenger access into the seat unit from the aisle 600.

[0036] The seat 100 comprises an upright sitting configuration in which the back rest 117 is positioned substantially upright, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, and a lie-flat bed-mode configuration, which is not shown in the figures, in which the back rest 117 is reclined to a position in which it is substantially level with the seat pan 119.

[0037] With reference to FIG. 3, the aisle 600 defines a longitudinal axis X along the aircraft cabin 1 and the seat 110 faces towards the aisle 600 in a direction defining a seat axis Y, the seat axis Y being angled by approximately 22 degrees to the longitudinal axis X. To provide improved access to the seat 110 for passengers with reduced mobility, the seat 110 is moveable along the seat axis Y between a first position in which the seat is located towards the rear of the seat unit and a second position in which the seat is located towards the front of the seat unit. In FIGS. 1 to 3 the seat 110 of the first seat unit 100 is shown as in the first position, and the console 103 is positioned between the aisle-side 110A of the seat 110 and the aisle 600, thereby blocking direct access to the seat 110 from the aisle 600. In FIGS. 1 to 3 the seat 210 of the second seat unit 200 is shown as in the second position. The seat 210 has been moved forwards within the seat unit 200 so that the seat pan 219 of the seat 210 is positioned adjacent to the passenger access path 215 and so that the console 203 no longer blocks access to the seat 210 from the aisle 600.

[0038] With reference still to the second seat unit 200, which is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 with the seat 210 in the second position, the seat pan 219 of the seat 210 is directly adjacent to and in contact with the footrest 209 when the seat 210 is in the second position. Therefore, with the seat 210 in the second position, the seat pan 219 and footrest 109 form a contiguous surface. In this configuration a passenger cannot sit upon the seat pan 219 facing in a direction along the seat axis Y with their feet resting upon the cabin floor because there is no room for the legs of the passenger between the seat pan 219 and the footrest 209. For this reason, the panel 213 that encloses the aisle-side of the footrest 209 is configured to be movable between a closed position in which the panel 213 encloses the aisle-side of the footrest 209 and an open position in which the panel 213 is moved to expose the aisle-side of the footrest 209 such that the aisle-side of the footrest 209 is accessible directly from the aisle 600. In FIGS. 1 to 3 the panel 113 of the first seat unit 100 is shown in the closed position and the panel 213 of the second seat unit 200 is shown in the open position.

[0039] Being configured as described with movable panels adjacent the respective footrests, the seat units are arranged to provide passengers with reduced mobility, for example wheelchair users, with easy access to their seats from the aisle 600. With continued reference to the second seat unit 200, to access the seat 210 directly from the aisle 600, the seat 210 must be moved from the first position into the second position and then the panel 213 must be moved from the closed position to the open position. A wheelchair 700 can then be positioned alongside the seat 210, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, so that a user of the wheelchair 700 can be transferred onto the seat 210 directly from aisle 600 and so that the legs of the wheelchair user can be transferred onto the footrest 209 directly from the aisle 600. The panel 213 can then be moved back to the closed position and the seat 210 can be moved back to the first position so that the wheelchair user is seated within the seat unit 200.

[0040] The panel 213 of the second seat unit 200 is shown in more detail in FIG. 4. The panel 213 is mounted via a hinge positioned at a side edge of the panel 213 such that the panel 213 is openable and closable like a door. When the panel 213 is in the closed position the panel 213 is locked in place by a lock system comprising a plurality of latches 221 that are positioned on the panel 213 and that are configured to be received within and engage with corresponding apertures 223 located in upper and lower walls 225, 227 of the foot well 211 that are positioned respectively above and below the panel 213 when the panel 213 is in the closed position. Two latches 221 are spaced apart along an upper edge 213A of the panel, and two latches 221 are spaced apart along an opposite lower edge 213B of the panel. The lock system is operable via a handle 229 positioned on the non-aisle-side 213C of the panel 213 i.e. the side of the panel 213 that is within the foot well 211 and not adjacent the aisle 600 when the panel 213 is in the closed position. When the handle 229 is pulled, each of the four latches 221 retract into the panel 213. Therefore, to release the panel 213 and move the panel 213 from the closed position to the open position, the handle 229 must be pulled to retract and thereby disengage the latches 221. Similarly, when moving the panel 213 from the open position to the closed position, the handle 229 must be pulled to move the latches 221 into the panel so that the latches do not abut the walls 225, 227 positioned above and below the panel 213 and prevent the panel 213 from being moved to the closed position.

[0041] As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, a third shell 900C provides the console 203 of the second seat unit 200, said console 200 also forming the foot well 411 of a fourth seat unit 400, the fourth seat unit 400 being positioned directly adjacent to and behind the second seat unit 200 and being only partially shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. In FIG. 5, where the fourth seat unit 400 has features in common with the second seat unit 200 as depicted in FIG. 4, those features have been labelled with the same reference numerals but with the prefix “4” instead of “2”. The fourth seat unit 400 comprises a moveable panel 413 comprising a locking system that is substantially identical to the locking system as already described with respect to the second seat unit 200. However, the panel 413 is mounted along its lower edge 413B to the lower wall 427 via a hinge 431 so that the panel 413 is folded into the aisle 600 and downwardly when moving the panel 413 from the closed position to the open position. The panel 413 is then folded upwardly and out of the aisle 600 to move the panel from the open position to the closed position.

[0042] 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.