AIRCRAFT PASSENGER SEAT AND SEAT ROW

Abstract

The invention proposes an aircraft-passenger seat comprising a structural component on which a table top of the aircraft-passenger seat is mounted via an articulation arrangement such that it can be pivoted about a pivot axis of the articulation arrangement, so that the table top can be pivoted from an upright position of the table top, in which the latter has been swung up against the structural component, from a use position of the table top, in which the latter projects from the structural component, and back out of the use position into the upright position. According to the invention, the articulation arrangement comprises a damping device, which is designed to damp the pivoting movement of the table top between the upright position of the table top and the use position of the table top.

Claims

1. An aircraft-passenger seat comprising a structural component on which a table top of the aircraft-passenger seat is mounted via an articulation arrangement such that it can be pivoted about a pivot axis of the articulation arrangement, so that the table top can be pivoted from an upright position of the table top, in which the latter has been swung up against the structural component, from a use position of the table top, in which the latter projects from the structural component, and back out of the use position into the upright position, wherein the articulation arrangement comprises a damping device, which is designed to damp the pivoting movement of the table top between the upright position of the table top and the use position of the table top, wherein the damping device is coordinated such that the damping of the pivoting movement of the table top takes place over a partial pivoting range of a possible overall pivoting range of the pivoting movement of the table top, wherein the overall pivoting range covers the pivoting range over which the table top pivots from the upright position into the use position.

2. The aircraft-passenger seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the state in which the table top has been installed on the aircraft-passenger seat, the damping device is accommodated in an interior region of the articulation arrangement, this interior region being partitioned off from the outside, such that the damping device on the articulation arrangement cannot be seen from the outside.

3. The aircraft-passenger seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the damping device is coordinated such that the damping of the pivoting movement of the table top takes place over a partial pivoting range of the pivoting movement of the table top, wherein the damped partial pivoting range concerns the pivoting movement of the table top prior to the use position of the table top being reached.

4. The aircraft-passenger seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the damping device is coordinated such that the damping of the pivoting movement of the table top takes place over a partial pivoting range of the pivoting movement of the table top, wherein the partial pivoting range covers a pivoting range which is at least 50% of the overall pivoting range of the pivoting movement of the table top and over which the table top pivots from the upright position of the table top into the use position of the table top.

5. The aircraft-passenger seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the damping device is coordinated such that the damping of the pivoting movement of the table top takes place over a partial pivoting range of a possible overall pivoting range of the pivoting movement of the table top, wherein the overall pivoting range covers the pivoting range over which the table top pivots from the upright position into the use position, wherein the damped partial pivoting range the movement of the table top is at least 30 degrees, preferably at least 40 degrees, preferably at least 50 degrees, of the pivoting movement of the table top.

6. The aircraft-passenger seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the table top is connected to a sidepiece of the structural component by the articulation arrangement, preferably is articulated on opposite sidepieces of the structural component by two fittings of the articulation arrangement.

7. The aircraft-passenger seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the region of the pivot axis, the articulation arrangement comprises a first articulation part and a second articulation part, which are connected to one another such that they can be rotated relative to one another, wherein the first articulation part is connected to the table top and the second articulation part is connected to the structural component, wherein a bearing pin on one articulation part engages in a bearing mount on the other articulation part, the bearing mount being coordinated with the bearing pin.

8. The aircraft-passenger seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the damping device has a frictional-damper member, such as a friction element, which is present between a first articulation part of the articulation arrangement and a second articulation part of the articulation arrangement, wherein the frictional-damper member provides for friction during relative movement between the first articulation part and the second articulation part.

9. The aircraft-passenger seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the damping device comprises a fluid-dynamic damper.

10. The aircraft-passenger seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the damping device has an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the damping action which can be provided by the damping device.

11. The aircraft-passenger seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein a panel component of the table top has a panel component connected to it in an articulated manner, wherein the panel component is mounted in an articulated manner on the panel component, wherein there is a further damping device provided for damping the pivoting movement of the panel component relative to the panel component.

12. A seat row comprising a number of aircraft-passenger seats according to claim 1 which are present one beside the other.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] Further features and advantages of the present invention will be explained in more detail hereinbelow with reference to a schematically illustrated exemplary embodiment.

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view, as seen obliquely from the front, of a seat row having two aircraft-passenger seats each comprising a seat bottom, a backrest, including a structural component at the rear, and also a legrest;

[0040] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view, as seen obliquely from the rear, of the seat row according to FIG. 1;

[0041] FIG. 3 shows a detail of a seat row having two aircraft-passenger seats, as seen from behind according to FIG. 2, with two table tops in the use position;

[0042] FIG. 4 shows an illustration solely of the table tops according to FIG. 3 in an upright position along with an articulation arrangement, and comprising an additional panel;

[0043] FIG. 5 shows the arrangement according to FIG. 4 in a use position of the table top;

[0044] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the table top according to FIG. 5 in a swung-open position of the additional panel;

[0045] FIG. 7 shows the sectional illustration taken along line A-A in FIG. 4; and

[0046] FIG. 8 shows the sectional illustration taken along line B-B in FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0047] FIG. 1 shows a seat row 1 with a seating direction 2 and having two aircraft-passenger seats 3 and 4. Any information given hereinbelow in relation to position and direction, such as front, rear, up and down, relates to the seating direction 2 and the use state of the seat row 1.

[0048] The two aircraft-passenger seats 3 and 4 are constructed in a corresponding manner. The aircraft-passenger seat 3 has a seat bottom 5, a backrest 6 and a structural component 7, which is at the rear of the backrest 6 and is designed, for example, in the form of an enclosure. A front end region of the seat bottom 5 is followed by a preferably swing-action legrest 8, which can be swung about a horizontal axis.

[0049] Accordingly, the aircraft-passenger seat 4 comprises a seat bottom 9, a backrest 10, a structural component 11, or an enclosure, and a legrest 12.

[0050] The seat bottoms 5, 9, the backrests 6, 10 and the legrests 8, 12 comprise preferably ergonomically formed upholstery.

[0051] The aircraft-passenger seats 3 and 4 can be installed on a floor of a cabin of an associated aircraft via two supporting legs 13 and 14.

[0052] For this purpose, the supporting leg 13 has one installation location 17 at a lower end region 16 of a front strut 15 and a further installation location 20 at a lower end region 19 of a rear strut 18. A strut-arrangement element 21 is provided between the end regions 16 and 19.

[0053] The supporting leg 14 has one installation location 24 at a lower end region 23 of a front strut 22 and a further installation location 27 at a lower end region 26 of a rear strut 25. A strut-arrangement element 28 is provided between the end regions 23 and 26.

[0054] The seat row 1 also has an outer armrest 29 to the side of the aircraft-passenger seat 3 and an outer armrest 30 to the side of the aircraft-passenger seat 4. The two aircraft-passenger seats 3 and 4 have arranged between them, preferably at the level of the two outer armrests 29, 30, a console 31, which a passenger can likewise use as an armrest.

[0055] The structural components 7 and 11 are provided with further elements, e.g. they are each provided with additional functions at the rear. An upper rear region of the structural components 7, 11 is provided, for example, with a respective multimedia unit 32 for digital media, for example, with an electronic input and output device or with a touchscreen.

[0056] For example, a respective swing-action table top 33 for the respective aircraft-passenger seat 3 and 4, such as a tray table, is formed in a central region or a region which follows beneath the multimedia unit 32.

[0057] In FIG. 2, the table tops 33 are illustrated in a swung-up, vertically oriented and secured, not-in-use position or upright position.

[0058] A stowage compartment 34, for example, for accommodating magazines or brochures or other items is present beneath the respective swing-action table top 33.

[0059] The table top 33 will be explained in more detail hereinbelow with reference to the aircraft-passenger seat 3, wherein the table top 33 on the aircraft-passenger seat 4 is of identical construction.

[0060] The table top 33, which has an exterior surface covering 33a such as, for example, a thin cover element, comprises two panel components, which are connected in an articulated manner and include a first panel component 35 and a second panel component 36, which is in the form of an additional panel. An articulation arrangement 37, which comprises one fitting 38 and a further fitting 39, is provided in order to arrange the table top 33 for swing action on the structural component 7 and/or on opposite sidepieces 45. The articulation arrangement 37 acts between the panel component 35 and the structural component 7.

[0061] FIG. 3 illustrates the table tops 33 with the respective additional panel, or the panel component 36, in a use position, swung down in relation to FIG. 2. The panel component 36 is present in a state in which it has been swung above the panel component 35 and rests thereon.

[0062] FIG. 4 is an illustration solely of the table top 33 with the articulation arrangement 37, or the fittings 38 and 39. FIG. 4 shows the upright position of the table top 33 with the panel components 35 and 36 resting in surface contact against one another. The panel component 35 here is present on the structural component 7 in a state in which it has been articulated thereon via the articulation arrangement 37.

[0063] The articulation arrangement 37 comprises a damping device 40. The damping device 40 is preferably provided in precisely one of the two fittings 38 or 39 or is integrated in both fittings 38 and 39.

[0064] The damping device 40 will be explained with reference to the fitting 38, using the sectional views according to FIGS. 7 and 8.

[0065] A friction element 41 and a damping element 42, which interacts with the friction element 41, are present along an axis of rotation S of a table top, and these elements, when the table top 33 or the panel component 35 rotates about the axis of rotation S of the table top, end up resting against one another with frictional contact, and this results in the pivoting movement of the table top 33 or of the panel component 35 being damped. The damping or braking action preferably begins once the panel component 35 has been pivoted through approximately 45 degrees from the upright position. This corresponds to a first, undamped pivoting range and a subsequent or second, damped pivoting range of approximately 50%, for an overall pivoting range of the table top 33 or of the panel component 35 of approximately 90 degrees.

[0066] The panel component 36 is connected to the panel component 35 in an articulated manner via further articulations 43 and 44. It is preferably the case that a respective damping device is provided in the two articulations 43 and 44 for the purpose of damping the pivoting movement of the panel component 36 in relation to the panel component 35.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0067] 1 Seat row [0068] 2 Seating direction [0069] 3 Aircraft-passenger seat [0070] 4 Aircraft-passenger seat [0071] 5 Seat bottom [0072] 6 Backrest [0073] 7 Structural component [0074] 8 Legrest [0075] 9 Seat bottom [0076] 10 Backrest [0077] 11 Structural component [0078] 12 Legrest [0079] 13 Supporting leg [0080] 14 Supporting leg [0081] 15 Strut [0082] 16 End region [0083] 17 Installation location [0084] 18 Strut [0085] 19 End region [0086] 20 Installation location [0087] 21 Strut-arrangement element [0088] 22 Strut [0089] 23 End region [0090] 24 Installation location [0091] 25 Strut [0092] 26 End region [0093] 27 Installation location [0094] 28 Strut-arrangement element [0095] 20 Armrest [0096] 30 Armrest [0097] 31 Console [0098] 32 Multimedia unit [0099] 33 Table top [0100] 33a Covering [0101] 34 Stowage compartment [0102] 35 Panel component [0103] 36 Panel component [0104] 37 Articulation arrangement [0105] 38 Fitting [0106] 39 Fitting [0107] 40 Damping device [0108] 41 Friction element [0109] 42 Damping element [0110] 43 Articulation [0111] 44 Articulation [0112] 45 Sidepiece