Convertible seating unit and seating arrangement

Abstract

A seating unit (202, 204) includes a first seat (206, 210) and an adjacent second seat (208, 212), the seating unit being convertible between a first configuration in which each of the first seat (206, 210) and second seat (208, 212) can receive an occupant sitting thereon and a second configuration in which the first seat (206, 210) and second seat (208, 212) can collectively support an occupant lying thereon, and access to a space (215) in a back portion of the first seat (206, 210) being denied when the seating unit (202, 204) is in the first configuration and access to the space (215) being allowed when the seating unit (202, 204) is in the second configuration, the seating unit (202, 204) gives the passenger in the first seat (206, 210) a perception of increased spaciousness, and provides sufficient differentiation between the economy-class configuration and the business-class configuration.

Claims

1. A seating unit (202, 204) including: a first seat (206, 210) and an adjacent second seat (208, 212), wherein said seating unit is convertible between a first configuration in which each of said first seat and said second seat is adapted to receive an occupant sitting thereon and a second configuration in which said first seat and said second seat are adapted to collectively support an occupant lying thereon, and wherein access to a space (215) in a back portion of said first seat is denied when said seating unit is in said first configuration and access to said space is allowed when said seating unit is in said second configuration.

2. A seating unit according to claim 1, wherein said first seat includes a seat back (206b, 210b) which, when said seating unit is said first configuration, extends generally upwardly from said first seat at a back of said first seat to prevent access to said space.

3. A seating unit according to claim 2, wherein when said seating unit is in said second configuration, said seat back is away from said back of said first seat to allow access to said space.

4. A seating unit according to claim 1, wherein said space is of a generally triangular horizontal cross-section.

5. A seating unit according to claim 1, wherein said space is defined in part by an upper cover (216).

6. A seating unit according to claim 5, wherein an outer surface (218) of said upper cover is upwardly facing and is generally horizontal.

7. A seating unit according to claim 5, wherein an outer surface of said upper cover is generally flat.

8. A seating unit according to claim 2, wherein when said seating unit is in said second configuration, a first back surface of said seat back of said first seat and a second back surface of said seat back of said second seat are adapted to collectively form a substantially co-planar surface to support an occupant lying thereon.

9. A seating unit according to claim 1, wherein when said seating unit is in said second configuration, a support (214) is positionable on said first seat and said second seat to support an occupant lying thereon.

10. A seating unit arrangement (200) including at least a first seating unit (202) and a second seating unit (204), wherein each of said first and second seating units includes at least two seats (206, 208, 210, 212), and wherein at least said first seating unit is a seating unit according to claim 1.

11. A seating unit arrangement according to claim 10, wherein one of said first and second seating units is in front of the other of said first and second seating units, and wherein said seats of said first and second seating units face a same direction (G).

12. A seating unit arrangement (200) inducting at feast a first seating unit (202) and a second seating unit (204). wherein each of said first and second seating units includes at least two seats (206, 203, 210, 212). wherein each of said first seating unit and said second seating unit is a seating unit according to claim 1, wherein said first seating unit is in front of said second seating unit, wherein said seats of said first and second seating units face a same direction, wherein said space of said first seating unit is defined in part by at least a first side wall (215) and said space of said second seating unit is defined in part by at least a second side wall (217), and wherein the direction faced by said seats of said first and second seating units is inclined relative to a line (E-E) joining a first edge (216a) of said first side wall and a second edge (220a) of said second side wall.

13. A seating unit arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the direction faced by said seats of said first and second seating units is inclined relative to said line joining said first edge of said first side wall and said second edge of said second side wall by an acute angle.

14. A transportation vehicle including a seating arrangement according to claim 10, wherein said seats of said at least first and second seating units face a direction which is inclined relative to the direction of travel of said transportation vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0012] FIG. 1 is a top view of a prior art seating arrangement;

[0013] FIG. 2 is a top view of a seating arrangement according to an embodiment of the present invention in a first configuration;

[0014] FIG. 3 is a top view of the seating arrangement of FIG. 2 in a second configuration; and

[0015] FIG. 4 is a side view of the seating arrangement of FIG. 3, not showing the occupants.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] FIG. 1 shows a prior art seating arrangement, generally designated as 100, with two seating units 102, 104, one in front of the other. The seating unit 102 includes two seats 102a, 102b side by side with each other but with the seat 102b slightly forward of the seat 102a; and the seating 104 includes two seats 104a, 104b side by side with each other but with the seat 104b slightly forward relative to the seat 104a. All the seats 102a, 102b, 104a, 104b face a same direction, namely the direction of travel (indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 1) of the transportation vehicle (e.g. aircraft) to which the seating arrangement 100 is installed. In addition, all the seats 102a, 102b, 104a, 104b face a same direction which is parallel to a line D-D which joins a component or part of the seating unit 102 and a corresponding same component or part of the seating unit 104.

[0017] FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 show a seating arrangement according to an embodiment of the present invention, generally designated as 200. The seating arrangement 200 shown in FIG. 2 includes two identically structured seating units 202, 204, with the seating unit 204 positioned in front of and parallel to the seating unit 202. The seating unit 202 includes two seats 206, 208 adjacent to each other, with the seat 208 slightly forward relative to the seat 206. The seat 206 has a seat pan 206a and a seat back 206b pivotally engaged with each other. In the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the seat back 206b is at the back of the seat 206 and extends upwardly from the seat pan 206a. Similarly, the seat 208 has a seat pan 208a and a seat back 208b pivotally engaged with each other. In the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the seat back 208b is at the back of the seat 208 and extends upwardly from the seat pan 208a. The seating unit 204 includes two seats 210, 212 adjacent to each other, with the seat 212 slightly forward relative to the seat 210. The seat 210 has a seat pan 210a and a seat back 210b pivotally engaged with each other. In the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the seat back 210b is at the back of the seat 210 and extends upwardly from the seat pan 210a. Similarly, the seat 212 has a seat pan 212a and a seat back 212b pivotally engaged with each other. In the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the seat back 212b is at the back of the seat 212 and extends upwardly from the seat pan 212a.

[0018] When the seating arrangement 200 is installed on a transportation vehicle (e.g. an aircraft), the seats 206, 208 of the seating unit 202 and the seats 210, 212 of the seating unit 204 all face a direction inclined relative to the direction of travel (as indicated by the arrow B) of the transportation vehicle. It can be seen that in the case of a passenger on the seat 104a of the prior art seating unit 104 of the prior art seating arrangement 100, the furthest that he/she can see is the back of the seat 102a of the seating unit 102 immediately in front of him/her. On the other hand, in the case of a passenger on the seat 206 of the seating unit 202 of the seating arrangement 200 according to the present invention, the passenger can easily see the back of the seat 212 of the seating unit 204 immediately in front of him/her (i.e. the seat adjacent the seat immediately in front of the passenger). By comparing FIGS. 1 and 2, it can be easily seen that the line of sight L.sub.2 of a passenger in the seat 206 of the seating unit 202 of the seating arrangement 200 according to the present invention is longer than the line of sight L.sub.1 of a passenger in the seat 104a of the prior art seating unit 104 of the prior art seating arrangement 100, thus giving the passenger in the seat 206 a perception of increased spaciousness.

[0019] The seat backs 206b, 208b, 210b, 212b are pivotally engaged with the respective seat pans 206a, 208a, 210a, 212a of the respective seats 206, 208, 210, 212. As shown more clearly in FIG. 3, and using the seating unit 204 as an example, when the seat back 212b is pivoted relative to the seat pan 212a of the seat 212 away from the upwardly extending position shown in FIG. 2 to the generally horizontally extending position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and the seat back 210b is pivoted relative to the seat pan 210a of the seat 210 away from the upwardly extending position shown in FIG. 2 to the generally horizontally extending position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, back surfaces of the seat backs 206b, 210b are co-planar and conjoined with each other to collectively form a flat horizontal surface to support a passenger to lie thereon. Alternatively, a flat board or mattress 214 may be placed horizontally on and across the back surfaces of the seats 210, 212 to serve as a support on which a passenger may lie.

[0020] The seat 210 has a space at a back portion of the seat 210. When the seat back 210b is at the position shown in FIG. 2 in which it is at the back of the seat 210 and extends upward from the seat pan 210a, it covers the space and thus denies access to the space.

[0021] When the seat back 210b is moved away from the position shown in FIG. 2 (e.g. to the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4), the space is accessible from the side of the seat 210. The space is defined by a lower support, side walls 215 and an upper cover 216 with a horizontal, flat and upwardly facing outer surface 218. The space is of a generally triangular horizontal cross-section. By way of such an arrangement, when the seating unit 204 is converted from the configuration shown in FIG. 2 to that shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the space of the seat 210 is accessible to and may be occupied by a part (e.g. feet) of an occupant (P.sub.1) of the seating unit 204 lying on the support 214. In the seating arrangement 200, the seats 206, 208 of the seating unit 202 and the seats 210, 212 of the seating unit 204 all face a direction (indicated by the arrow G in FIG. 3) which is inclined by an acute angle relative to a line which joins a component or part of the seating unit 202 and a corresponding same component or part of the seating unit 204, such as a line E-E (as shown in FIG. 3) which joins an edge 216a of the side walls 215 of the space at the back portion of the seating unit 204 and an edge 220a of side walls 217 of a space at a back portion of the seat 206 of the seating unit 202.

[0022] By way of such an arrangement, the space at the back portion of the seat 210 effectively increases the length of a flat bed formed by the flat board or mattress 214 on which the occupant P.sub.1 of the seating unit 204 may lie, without encroaching into the legroom of a passenger P.sub.2 sitting on the seat 206 immediately behind the seat 210. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the side walls 215 do not extend to the full height of the cabin of the aircraft, but that the upper cover 216 is at a level at which the outer surface 218 may serve as a small table on which the passenger P.sub.2 may put drinks or personal items. Of course, it is also possible to arrange the side walls 215 to extend to full height or close to full height of the cabin of the aircraft so as to create more privacy.

[0023] It should be understood that the above only illustrates and describes an example whereby the present invention may be carried out, and that modifications and/or alterations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention. It should also be understood that various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described here in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination.