Flight attendant seat arrangement

Abstract

A flight attendant seat arrangement comprises a monument which is suitable for installation in an aircraft cabin, a first receiving recess being constructed in a wall of said monument. A flight attendant seat has a backrest element and also a seat element. The backrest element and seat element are at least partially received within the first receiving recess constructed in the wall of the monument. The wall of the monument is of a double-walled design comprising a support wall which forms the rear wall of the first receiving recess and extends from said first receiving recess as far as an end of the monument on a floor side, and an outer wall which is oriented substantially parallel to the support wall, and wherein the backrest element and the seat element of the flight attendant seat are fastened to the support wall.

Claims

1. A flight attendant seat arrangement comprising: a monument suitable for installation in an aircraft cabin having a floor and a ceiling, wherein a first receiving recess is constructed in a wall of said monument; and a flight attendant seat which has a backrest element and a seat element, wherein said backrest element is fixedly attached to a rear wall of the first receiving recess such that the backrest element extends substantially parallel to the rear wall of the first receiving recess and a portion of the wall of said monument which borders the first receiving recess, wherein the wall of the monument is of a double-walled design comprising: a support wall which forms the rear wall of the first receiving recess and extends from said first receiving recess as far as an end of the monument on a floor side, wherein the backrest element and the seat element of the flight attendant seat are fastened to the support wall; and an outer wall which is oriented substantially parallel to the support wall wherein the seat element is pivotable, relative to the backrest element, between an inoperative position in which a seating surface of said seat element faces towards and is substantially parallel to the rear wall of the first receiving recess, and a usable position in which the seating surface of said seat element forms an angle of at least 80 and no more than 100 with said rear wall of the first receiving recess, wherein the backrest element is completely received within a first section of the first receiving recess constructed in the wall of the monument, wherein the seat element is completely received within a second section of the first receiving recess constructed in the wall of the monument, at least when said seat element is located in its inoperative position, the second section borders on the first section in a direction of an end of the monument on a floor side, wherein the flight attendant seat is constructed as a stand-up seat, and wherein the height of the seat element in its inoperative position is chosen in such a way that a person who is standing up can be supported by their buttocks on the seating surface of the seat element when in its usable position.

2. The flight attendant seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the angle which the seating surface of the seat element forms with the rear wall of the first receiving recess is greater than 90 when said seat element is located in its usable position.

3. The flight attendant seat arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a headrest which is at least partially received within a third section of the first receiving recess constructed in the wall of the monument, said third section of the first receiving recess bordering on the first section of the first receiving recess.

4. The flight attendant seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the support wall is designed and dimensioned in such a way that the support wall is capable of dissipating a predetermined maximum force which may be introduced into the flight attendant seat in the course of the normal operation of an aircraft during flight.

5. The flight attendant seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the support wall is designed and dimensioned in such a way that the support wall is capable of dissipating a predetermined maximum force which may be introduced into the flight attendant seat in the event of a crash.

6. The flight attendant seat arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the wall of the monument further comprises: a first side wall which extends substantially perpendicularly to the support wall and the outer wall, between said support wall and said outer wall, and defines a first lateral boundary of the first receiving recess; and a second side wall which extends between said support wall and said outer wall substantially perpendicularly to the support wall and the outer wall and substantially parallel to the first side wall, and defines a second lateral boundary of the first receiving recess; a first connecting wall which extends between said support wall and said outer wall substantially perpendicularly to the support wall, the outer wall, the first side wall and the second side wall, and defines a lower boundary of the first receiving recess on a floor side; and a second connecting wall which extends between said support wall and said outer wall substantially perpendicularly to the support wall, the outer wall, the first side wall and the second side wall and substantially parallel to the first connecting wall, and defines an upper boundary of the first receiving recess on a ceiling side.

7. The flight attendant seat arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the wall of the monument further comprises: an inner wall which extends substantially coplanar with the support wall and substantially parallel to the outer wall, starting from the second connecting wall, in the direction of a ceiling of the monument, to said ceiling of the monument and, starting from the second side wall, in a direction that faces away from the first receiving recess, from the end of the monument on the floor side to the ceiling of said monument.

8. The flight attendant seat arrangement according to claim 1, including a second receiving recess constructed in the wall of the monument which is dimensioned in such a way that the second receiving recess is suitable for receiving items of emergency equipment.

9. The flight attendant seat arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a communication system which is arranged in such a way that the communication system is accessible to a person positioned on the flight attendant seat, and cables integrated into the monument, said cables intended for connecting the communication system to a line network of an aircraft.

10. The flight attendant seat arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a belt arrangement which is fastened to the support wall.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) A preferred form of embodiment of the invention will now be explained in greater detail with the aid of the appended diagrammatic drawings, in which

(2) FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional view of a flight attendant seat arrangement, wherein a seat element belonging to a flight attendant seat is located in an inoperative position;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a flight attendant seat arrangement according to FIG. 1, wherein the seat element of the flight attendant seat is located in a usable position;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a front view of the flight attendant seat arrangement according to FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a side view of the flight attendant seat arrangement according to FIG. 1;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a side view of the flight attendant seat arrangement according to FIG. 2;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of the flight attendant seat arrangement according to FIG. 2, along a line A-A; and

(8) FIG. 7 shows a sectional view of the flight attendant seat arrangement according to FIG. 2 and FIG. 6, along a line B-B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(9) A flight attendant seat arrangement 10 which is illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 7 comprises a monument 12 which is intended for installation in an aircraft cabin. In the embodiment of a flight attendant seat arrangement 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 7, the monument 12 in question is a toilet module. As an alternative to this, however, the monument 12 may also be a galley, a partition or any other monument. In the condition of the monument 12 when installed in an aircraft cabin, which condition is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, one wall 14 of said monument 12 faces towards a door aisle 16 which connects a main aisle of the passenger cabin (not shown in the drawings) of the aircraft to a door (likewise not shown in the drawings). The wall 14 of the monument 12 consequently directly borders on an area of the aircraft cabin which is used as an evacuation route in an emergency. A first receiving recess 18 is constructed in the wall 14 of the monument 12, i.e., is formed integral with the wall 14 of the monument 12.

(10) The flight attendant seat arrangement 10 also comprises a flight attendant seat 20 which has a backrest element 22, a seat element 24 and also a headrest 26. As emerges most clearly from a comparison of FIGS. 1 and 2 and also of FIGS. 4 and 5, the seat element 24 can be tilted, relative to the backrest element 22, between an inoperative position (see FIGS. 1, 3 and 4) and a usable position (see FIGS. 2, 5 and 6). When the seat element 24 is located in its inoperative position, a seating surface 28 of said seat element 24 faces towards a rear wall 30 of the first receiving recess 18, i.e., the seating surface 28 rests against said rear wall 30 of the first receiving recess 18. When, on the other hand, the seat element 24 is in its usable position, the seating surface 28 of said seat element 24 forms an angle greater than 90 with the rear wall 30 of the first receiving recess 18 (see particularly FIG. 5).

(11) The backrest element 22 and the headrest 26 are each completely received within the first receiving recess 18 constructed in the wall 14 of the monument 12. The backrest element 22 and the headrest 26 are fixedly attached to the rear wall 30 of the first receiving recess 18 such that the backrest element 22 and the headrest 26 extend substantially parallel to the rear wall 30 of the first receiving recess 18 and a portion of the wall 14 of the monument 12 which borders the first receiving recess 18. When it is in its inoperative position, the seat element 24 is also completely received within the first receiving recess 18. In particular, the backrest element 22 is located in a first section 18a of the receiving recess 18, whereas the seat element 24 is arranged, when in its inoperative position, within a second section 18b of the receiving recess 18, which second section borders on the first section 18a in the direction of an end 32 of the monument 12 on a floor side. Finally, the headrest 26 is arranged within a third section 18c of the receiving recess 18 which adjoins, in the direction of a ceiling 34 of the monument 12, the first section 18a that receives the backrest element 22.

(12) The flight attendant seat 20 is constructed as a stand-up seat, i.e., is designed in such a way that a person can sit on said flight attendant seat 20 in a standing-up position. For this purpose, the receiving recess 18 and also the components of the flight attendant seat 20 are positioned at a suitable height, i.e., the backrest element 22 is positioned in such a way that it is located at approximately the height of the back of a person who is standing up. Similarly, the headrest 26 is positioned in such a way that it is located at approximately the height of the head of a person who is standing up. Finally, the height of the seat element 24 is chosen in such a way that a person who is standing up can be supported by their buttocks on the seating surface 28 of the seat element 24.

(13) Since the flight attendant seat 20 is constructed in the form of a stand-up seat, the seating surface 28 of the seat element 24 is substantially smaller than a seating surface of a seat element belonging to a conventional flight attendant seat which is intended for use by a flight attendant in a sitting position. In particular, the distance D (see FIG. 5) by which the seat element 24 protrudes from the receiving recess 18 in its usable position is very small and merely amounts, for example, to about 120 to 125 mm.

(14) Also constructed in the wall 14 of the monument 12 is a second receiving recess 36. Said second receiving recess 36 is dimensioned in such a way that there is space within it for items of emergency equipment, such as a flashlight 38, a first aid pack 40, a fire-extinguisher 42 and also an oxygen bottle 44 for the crew. In addition, the second receiving recess 36 is intended for receiving equipment 46 for demonstration purposes, which may comprise, for example, an oxygen mask and also a seat belt. The second receiving recess 36 is located in a manner adjacent to the flight attendant seat 20, so that the items received in said second receiving recess 36 are quickly and easily accessible, if necessary, to a flight attendant located on the flight attendant seat 20.

(15) As emerges most clearly from FIGS. 6 and 7, the wall 14 of the monument 12 is of double-walled design and comprises a support wall 48 which forms the rear wall 30 of the first receiving recess 18 and also extends from said first receiving recess 18, across the width of said first receiving recess 18, as far as the end 21 of the monument 12 on a floor side. The area occupied by the support wall 48 is represented in shaded form in FIG. 3. The backrest element 22, the seat element 24 and the headrest 26 of the flight attendant seat 20 are fastened to the support wall 48. The fastening of the backrest element 22, the seat element 24 and the headrest 26 takes place in the area of that rear wall 30 of the receiving recess 18 which is formed by a section of the support wall 48.

(16) The support wall 48 is dimensioned and designed in such a way that it is capable of dissipating a predetermined maximum force which may be introduced into the flight attendant seat 20 in an emergency and which occurs, for example, if said flight attendant seat 20 is exposed to an acceleration of 9 G or 16 G. As a result, the flight attendant seat 20 may be designed without a separate framework. The dissipation of force from the support wall 48 takes place via an attachment of said support wall 48, in the area of its end on a floor side, to a floor of the aircraft cabin, in particular to a load-bearing structural element of said aircraft cabin floor.

(17) The wall 14 of the monument 12 also comprises an outer wall 50 which is oriented substantially parallel to the support wall 48 and extends over the entire area of said wall 14, although the first receiving recess 18 and also the second receiving recess 36 are left cut out. The wall 14 of the monument 12 also comprises a first side wall 52 which extends substantially perpendicularly to the support wall 48 and the outer wall 50, between said support wall 48 and said outer wall, and defines a first lateral boundary of the first receiving recess 18 (see particularly FIG. 7). There is also provided a second side wall 54 which, like the first side wall 52, extends perpendicularly to the support wall 48 and the outer wall 50 and also substantially parallel to the first side wall 52, between said support wall 48 and said outer wall 50, and defines a second lateral boundary of the first receiving recess 18 (see particularly FIG. 7).

(18) There is also a first connecting wall 56 which extends substantially perpendicularly to the support wall 48, the outer wall 50, the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 54, between said support wall 48 and said outer wall 50, and defines a boundary of the first receiving recess 18 on a floor side (see particularly FIG. 6). In addition, there is a second connecting wall 58 which extends substantially perpendicularly to the support wall 48, the outer wall 50, the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 54 and also substantially parallel to the first connecting wall 56, between said support wall 48 and said outer wall 50, and defines a boundary of the first receiving recess 18 on a ceiling side (see particularly FIG. 6).

(19) Finally, the wall 14 of the monument 12 comprises an inner wall 60. Said inner wall 60 is of thinner and less stable construction than the support wall 48 and extends in a manner coplanar with the support wall 48 and also substantially parallel to the outer wall 50. The inner wall 60 extends, starting from the second connecting wall 58, in the direction of the ceiling 34 of the monument 12 and, starting from the second side wall 54, in a direction that faces away from the first receiving recess 18, from the end 32 of the monument 12 on a floor side as far as the ceiling 34 of said monument 12. In particular, the inner wall 60 extends over that area of the wall 14 which is not represented in shaded form in FIG. 3, i.e., a rear wall 62 of the second receiving recess 36 is formed by a section of said inner wall 60.

(20) The flight attendant seat arrangement 10 also comprises a communication system 64. Said communication system 64 is fastened to the outer wall 50 in a manner adjacent to the first receiving recess 18 and is consequently conveniently accessible to a person located on the flight attendant seat 20. Cables (not shown in the drawings) which are intended for connecting the communication system 64 to a line network belonging to an aircraft are integrated into the monument 12. For example, it is conceivably possible to lay the cables in a cavity between the inner wall 60 and the outer wall 50.

(21) Finally, the flight attendant seat arrangement 10 comprises a belt arrangement 66. Said belt arrangement 66 is designed as a four-point belt arrangement and is fastened, in the area of the receiving recess 18, to the support wall 48, i.e., to that rear wall 30 of the first receiving recess 18 which is defined by a section of the support wall 48.

(22) While at least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention(s) is disclosed herein, it should be understood that modifications, substitutions and alternatives may be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the exemplary embodiment(s). In addition, in this disclosure, the terms comprise or comprising do not exclude other elements or steps, the terms a or one do not exclude a plural number, and the term or means either or both. Furthermore, characteristics or steps which have been described may also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps and in any order unless the disclosure or context suggests otherwise. This disclosure hereby incorporates by reference the complete disclosure of any patent or application from which it claims benefit or priority.