Flight attendant seat, system comprising flight attendant seat as well as arrangement and aircraft area comprising system

Abstract

A flight attendant seat comprises a carrier having a guide with opposed first and second ends, and a storage compartment receiving the guide first end. The guide provides guidance along its length between its first and second ends. The seat comprises a plurality of segments, each slidingly mounted to the guide to allow a sliding movement of the segments along the guide and relative to the carrier device between a stored position of the segments within the storage compartment, and an exposed position of the segments. A seat element is pivotally mounted to a first of the segments pivotable between an inoperative and operative seat forming position. At least one backrest is mounted to at least a second of the segments. With the segments in their exposed position, the seat element, when pivoted to its operative position, together with the backrest(s), can be used as a flight attendant seat.

Claims

1. A flight attendant seat comprising: a carrier device having guiding means with opposed first and second ends, and a storage compartment within which the first end of the guiding means is disposed, the guiding means adapted to provide guidance along their longitudinal extension between their first and second ends, a plurality of segments each of which slidingly mounted to the guiding means so as to allow a sliding movement of said plurality of segments along the guiding means and relative to the carrier device between a stored position of the plurality of segments, in which the plurality of segments is received within the storage compartment of the carrier device, and an exposed position of the plurality of segments, a seat element pivotally mounted to a first segment of said plurality of segments so as to be pivotable between an inoperative position and an operative position in which a flight attendant may sit down on the seat element, and at least one backrest element respectively mounted to at least one second segment of said plurality of segments, wherein, with the plurality of segments being in its exposed position, the seat element, when pivoted to its operative position, and the at least one backrest element together, are adapted to be used by a flight attendant as a flight attendant seat.

2. The flight attendant seat of claim 1, further comprising a headrest element mounted to a third segment of said plurality of segments.

3. The flight attendant seat of claim 2, wherein the headrest element is pivotally mounted to the third segment of said plurality of segments so as to be pivotable between an inoperative position and an operative position in which a flight attendant, when using the flight attendant seat, may rest a head on the headrest element.

4. The flight attendant seat of claim 1, wherein adjacent segments of the plurality of segments are interconnected so as to allow movement of said adjacent segments relative to one another.

5. The flight attendant seat of claim 4, wherein said relative movement is at least one of: pivotal movement or movement to selectively increase or decrease the relative distance of said adjacent segments.

6. The flight attendant seat of claim 1, wherein the guiding means of the carrier device comprise a pair of slide rails extending in parallel to one another.

7. The flight attendant seat of claim 6, wherein each segment of the plurality of segments is disposed in between said pair of slide rails so as to be movably mounted thereto with opposed ends thereof to slide along said slide rails between the rails' opposed first and second ends.

8. The flight attendant seat of claim 1, further comprising a seatbelt structure for securing a flight attendant when sitting on the flight attendant seat, the seatbelt structure mounted to at least one of the carrier device and at least one segment of the plurality of segments.

9. A system comprising: a flight attendant seat according to claim 1, and an aircraft monument, wherein the aircraft monument forms the carrier device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the aircraft monument is at least part of a galley.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein a receiving space for standard units of the aircraft monument forms the storage compartment.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the guiding means are arranged on the aircraft monument such that, when the plurality of segments is moved out of its storage compartment, said plurality of segments is located in front of at least a section of an access side of the aircraft monument, the access side being a side of the aircraft monument from which components received in the aircraft monument are accessible.

13. An arrangement comprising: a system according to claim 9, and at least one further aircraft monument spaced apart thereto, wherein at least the access side of the system aircraft monument forming the carrier device faces the at least one further aircraft monument.

14. An aircraft area having: a passageway between two opposite doors of the aircraft, and a system according to claim 9, wherein at least the access side of the system aircraft monument forming the carrier device laterally limits the passageway.

15. The aircraft area according to claim 14, further having at least one further aircraft monument arranged in spaced apart relationship to the system aircraft monument forming the carrier device, wherein one side of the at least one further aircraft monument laterally limits the passageway on the side opposite the system aircraft monument forming the carrier device, so that the relative arrangement of the system aircraft monument forming the carrier device and the at least one further aircraft monument is such that the access side of the system aircraft monument forming the carrier device faces the at least one further aircraft monument.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Preferred embodiments of the present application are now described in more detail with reference to the appended schematic drawings, of which

[0027] FIG. 1A shows a flight attendant seat of the present application in its exposed and operative position,

[0028] FIG. 1B shows the flight attendant seat of FIG. 1A in its exposed but inoperative position,

[0029] FIG. 1C shows the flight attendant seat of FIGS. 1A and 1B in its stored position, and

[0030] FIG. 2 shows an aircraft cabin area of the present application with the flight attendant seat in its exposed and operative position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] In FIGS. 1A to 1C, a flight attendant seat 10 of the present application is shown. The flight attendant seat 10 comprises a carrier device 12 having guiding means 14 with opposed first (not visible throughout the drawings) and second ends 18, and a storage compartment 20 within which the first end of the guiding means 14 is disposed. The guiding means 14 are adapted to provide guidance along their longitudinal extension between their first and second ends 18. A plurality of segments 22, each of which slidingly mounted to the guiding means 14 so as to allow a sliding movement of the plurality of segments 22 along the guiding means 14 and relative to the carrier device 12 between a stored position of the plurality of segments 22, in which the plurality of segments 22 is received within the storage compartment 20 of the carrier device 12 (see FIG. 1C), and an exposed position of the plurality of segments 22 (see FIGS. 1A and 1B). A seat element 24 is pivotally mounted to a first segment 26 of the plurality of segments 22 so as to be pivotable between an inoperative position (see FIG. 1B) and an operative position in which a flight attendant may sit down on the seat element 24 (see FIG. 1A). At least one backrest element 28 is respectively mounted to at least one second segment 30 of the plurality of segments 22. When the plurality of segments 22 is in its exposed position, the seat element 24 when pivoted to its operative position and the at least one backrest element 28 together are adapted to be used by a flight attendant as a flight attendant seat (see FIG. 1A).

[0032] As is visible from FIG. 1A, the plurality of segments 22 when exposed is locked against sliding movement along the guiding means 14 in an exposure position. Any kind of suitable locking mechanism may be used. In the exposure position as shown in FIG. 1A, the first segment 26 has a predetermined distance to a floor 32 on which the feet of a flight attendant when using the flight attendant seat 10 rest.

[0033] In accordance with FIGS. 1A to 1C, the carrier device 12 of the flight attendant seat 10 is a galley monument. The storage compartment 16 is located in an upper portion of the galley monument carrier device 12, the upper portion being a galley insert and/or non-electrical insert receiving space. The galley monument comprises further storage space, for example for trolleys and, in between the storage compartment 16 and the trolley storage space, for any kind of galley inserts and/or non-electrical inserts.

[0034] The segments 22 of the flight attendant seat 10 are guided in the guiding means 14 like a roller shutter or sectional door. At least the seat element 24 is moveably connected to the first segment 26, the first segment 26 is moveably connected to the guiding means 14, the guiding means 14 are mounted to the carrier device 12 and the carrier device 12 is mounted to a primary structure of an aircraft, such that the requirements as to resistance to and dissipation of the load which may act on the flight attendant seat 10 when used by a flight attendant during taxi, take-off and landing or an emergency situation are met. Also the locking mechanism for locking the first segment 26 in a floor-to-seat distance is designed so as to meet the load resistance and dissipation requirements.

[0035] The flight attendant seat 10 further comprises a headrest element 34 mounted to a third segment 36 of the plurality of segments 22. The headrest element 34 is pivotally mounted to the third segment 36 of the plurality of segments 22 so as to be pivotable between an inoperative position (see FIG. 1B) and an operative position in which a flight attendant when using the flight attendant seat 10 may rest a head on the headrest element 34 (see FIG. 1A). The headrest element 34 is releaseably fixed in its operative position against pivotal movement relative to the third segment 36. The third segment 36 is provided with a further backrest element 28 towards which the headrest element 36 is pivotable.

[0036] When in the inoperative position, the seat element 24 and the headrest element 34 are respectively pivoted or folded towards the segments 22. With the seat element 24 and the headrest element 34 in inoperative position, the plurality of segments 22 can be moved between its exposed and stored positions. FIG. 1B shows the plurality of segments in exposed position and FIG. 1C shows the plurality of segments in stored position within storage compartment 20. The guiding direction in which the segments 22 are guided by the guiding means 14 from their exposed position shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B to their stored position shown in FIG. 1C and vice versa changes along the guiding path defined by the guiding means 14 by substantially 90°.

[0037] Adjacent segments 26, 30; 30, 30 and 30, 36 of the plurality of segments 22 are interconnected so as to allow movement of the adjacent segments 26, 30; 30, 30 and 30, 36 relative to one another. The relative movement is a pivotal movement. The pivotal connection of adjacent segments 26, 30; 30, 30 and 30, 36 relative to one another easily allows a non-linear sliding movement of the connected segments 26, 30; 30, 30 and 30, 36 along the guiding means.

[0038] For moving the plurality of segments 22 between its stored and exposed positions, a flight attendant simply grasps the first segment 26 and pulls the first segment out of the storage compartment 20 or pushes same into the storage compartment 20 along the guiding means 14.

[0039] The guiding means 14 as shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C are a pair of slide rails 14a, 14b extending in parallel to one another. Each segment 26, 30, 36 of the plurality of segments 22 is disposed in between the pair of slide rails 14a, 14b so as to be movably mounted thereto with opposed lateral ends thereof to slide along the slide rails 14a, 14b between the rails' opposed first and second ends 18a, 18b.

[0040] When the plurality of segments 22 is moved out of its storage compartment 20 along the guiding means 14, the plurality of segments 22 is located in front of at least a section of an access side 38 of the aircraft monument carrying the flight attendant seat 10. In general, the access side 38 is a side of the aircraft monument from which components received in the aircraft monument are accessible. In other words, when the flight attendant seat 10 is in its exposed or operative position (see FIGS. 1A showing the operative position and FIG. 1B showing the exposed position), a trolley, galley insert and/or non-electrical insert received in the aircraft monument, and, thus, positioned behind the exposed plurality of segments 22 (see FIGS. 1A, 1B), may not be accessed or even pulled out. When the flight attendant seat 10 is, however, in its inoperative and stored position (see FIG. 1C), all inserts and trolleys received in the aircraft monument are freely accessible to the cabin crew.

[0041] The flight attendant seat 10 comprises a seatbelt structure (not shown throughout the drawings) for securing a flight attendant when sitting on the flight attendant seat 10.

[0042] FIG. 2 shows the galley monument carrying the flight attendant seat 10 of FIGS. 1A to 1C in an arrangement with further galley monuments 40, 50 within an aircraft cabin. The aircraft cabin area within which the arrangement is located comprises a passageway 60 between two opposite doors of the cabin the doors especially being Type A doors. The galley monument carrying the flight attendant seat 10 is positioned such that its access side 38 laterally limits the passageway 60. One of the further galley monuments 50 is provided in spaced apart relationship to the galley monument carrying the flight attendant seat 10 such that at least the access side 38 of the galley monument carrying the flight attendant seat 10 faces the further aircraft monument 50. Thereby, the further aircraft monument 50 is positioned such that one side thereof laterally limits the passageway 60 on the side opposite the galley monument carrying the flight attendant seat 10.

[0043] 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.