Aircraft Passenger Seat

Abstract

An aircraft passenger seat comprises a primary seat ( 1 ) having a seat back ( 3 ) and a seat pan ( 4 ), and a secondary support surface ( 5 ) located or locatable opposite the primary seat ( 1 ), the passenger seat being able to adopt each of an upright configuration, a reclined configuration and a substantially flat configuration, such that in the reclined configuration, the primary seat ( 1 ) is reclined relative to the upright configuration and the secondary support surface ( 5 ) is angled upwardly towards the primary seat ( 1 ) so as to support the lower leg(s) of a passenger seated in the primary seat ( 1 ); and in the substantially flat configuration, the secondary support surface ( 5 ) is substantially horizontal and the seat back ( 3 ), the seat pan ( 4 ) and the secondary support surface ( 5 ) form a substantially flat and continuous surface wherein the secondary support surface ( 5 ) is rotatable about an axis between the reclined and substantially flat configurations, said axis being translated between the reclined and substantially flat configurations.

1 . An aircraft passenger seat comprising a primary seat having a seat back and a seat pan, and a secondary support surface located or locatable opposite the primary seat, the passenger seat being able to adopt each of an upright configuration, a reclined configuration and a substantially flat configuration, such that:
 a. in the reclined configuration, the primary seat is reclined relative to the upright configuration and the secondary support surface is angled upwardly towards the primary seat so as to support the lower leg(s) of a passenger seated in the primary seat; and   b. in the substantially flat configuration, the secondary support surface is substantially horizontal and the seat back, the seat pan and the secondary support surface form a substantially flat and continuous surface;   wherein the secondary support surface is rotatable and translatable between the reclined and substantially flat configurations.   
     
     
         2 . The seat of  claim 1 , wherein in the substantially flat configuration, the seat provides a sleeping surface for the passenger consisting substantially of the seat back, seat pan and the secondary support surface. 
     
     
         3 . An aircraft passenger seat comprising a primary seat having a seat back and a seat pan, and a secondary, substantially flat support surface located or locatable opposite the primary seat, the passenger seat being able to adopt each of an upright configuration, a reclined configuration and a substantially flat configuration, such that:
 a. in the reclined configuration, the primary seat is reclined relative to the upright configuration and the secondary support surface is angled upwardly towards the primary seat so as to support the lower leg(s) of a passenger seated in the primary seat; and   b. in the substantially flat configuration, the secondary support surface is substantially horizontal and the seat provides a substantially flat and continuous sleeping, surface consisting essentially of the seat back, the seat pan and the secondary support surface   
     
     
         4 . The seat of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary support surface is rotatable about an axis translatable in a direction substantially offset from the horizontal and the vertical. 
     
     
         5 . The seat of  claim 4 , wherein said direction is offset by an angle in the range of 20° to 40° from the vertical. 
     
     
         6 . The seat of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary support surface is translated in a vertical direction between the reclined and substantially flat configurations. 
     
     
         7 . The seat of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary support surface is raised from the reclined configuration to the substantially flat configuration. 
     
     
         8 . The seat of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary support surface is translated in a horizontal direction between the reclined and substantially flat configurations. 
     
     
         9 . The seat of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary support surface is translated away from the primary seat from the reclined configuration to the substantially flat configuration. 
     
     
         10 . The seat of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary support surface is able to adopt a substantially horizontal configuration lower than that of the substantially flat configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The seat of  claim 10 , wherein the secondary support surface in said lower position is displaced towards the primary seat relative to said substantially flat configuration, so as to act as a footrest for a passenger seated in the primary seat in said upright configuration. 
     
     
         12 . The seat of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary support surface is able to adopt a substantially vertical position. 
     
     
         13 . The seat of  claim 12 , wherein the secondary support surface is rotatable upwardly into the substantially vertical position. 
     
     
         14 . The seat of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary support surface comprises a single substantially planar support surface. 
     
     
         15 . An aircraft passenger seat comprising a primary seat having a seat back and a seat pan, and a secondary support surface located or locatable opposite the primary seat, the passenger seat being able to adopt each of an upright configuration, a reclined configuration and a substantially flat configuration, such that:
 a. in the reclined configuration, the primary seat is reclined relative to the upright configuration and the secondary support surface is angled upwardly towards the primary seat so as to support the lower leg(s) of a passenger seated in the primary seat; and   b. in the substantially flat configuration, the secondary support surface is substantially horizontal and the seat back, the seat pan and the secondary support surface form a substantially flat and continuous surface;   wherein the secondary support surface is rotatable upwardly so as to be secured in a substantially vertical stowed position.   
     
     
         16 . A foot/legrest for an aircraft passenger seat, comprising a support surface for supporting the foot or leg of a passenger, and an adjustable support for positioning the support surface in each of a substantially horizontal position and an inclined position, such that the support surface is both rotated and translated between the substantially horizontal and inclined positions. 
     
     
         17 . The foot/legrest of  claim 16 , wherein the support is adjustable to translate the support surface in a horizontal direction. 
     
     
         18 . The foot/legrest of  claim 16 , wherein the support is adjustable to translate the support surface in a vertical direction. 
     
     
         19 . The foot/legrest of  claim 18 , wherein the support is adjustable to position the support surface in a second substantially horizontal position displaced in a vertical direction from said substantially horizontal position. 
     
     
         20 . The foot/legrest of any one of  claim 16 , wherein the support is adjustable to position the support surface is a substantially vertical position. 
     
     
         21 . The foot/legrest of any one of  claim 16 , wherein the support is adjustable to rotate the support surface upwardly to said substantially vertical position. 
     
     
         22 . The foot/legrest of any one of  claim 16 , wherein the support surface is rotatable about an axis translatable in a direction substantially offset from the horizontal and the vertical. 
     
     
         23 . The seat of  claim 22 , wherein said direction is offset at an angle in the range 20° to 40° from the vertical. 
     
     
         24 . The foot/legrest of  claim 16 , wherein the support includes an inclined track along which the support surface is movable. 
     
     
         25 . The foot/legrest of  claim 22 , wherein the support is substantially continuously adjustable along the track. 
     
     
         26 . The foot/legrest of  claim 16  wherein the support includes a pivot able to support the support surface in each of said horizontal and inclined positions. 
     
     
         27 . The foot/legrest of  claim 16 , wherein the support is arranged to release the support surface when subjected to more than a predetermined load, such that the support surface can be subsequently returned to any of said positions. 
     
     
         28 . The foot/legrest of  claim 16 , wherein the support surface comprises a single, substantially planar support surface. 
     
     
         29 . An aircraft passenger seat comprising a seat back, a seat pan and a frame, the seat being positionable in each of an upright configuration, a reclined configuration in which the seat back is reclined relative to the upright configuration and a substantially flat configuration in which the seat back and the seat pan form a substantially flat and continuous surface, wherein the seat back is guided so as to recline as the seat back moves forward relative to the frame, the seat back being connected to the seat pan by:
 a. a pivotal connection between the seat back and the seat pan; and   b. a mechanism for governing the angle between the seat back and the seat pan as the seat back reclines.   
     
     
         30 . The seat of  claim 29 , wherein the mechanism comprises a cam mechanism. 
     
     
         31 . The seat of  claim 30 , wherein the cam mechanism includes a torque member pivotally connected to both the seat back and the seat pan at respective second and third pivotal connections spatially separated from said pivotal connection, the torque member having a camming arrangement for governing the angle of the torque member relative to the seat back and the scat pan. 
     
     
         32 . The seat  claim 29 , wherein the seat pan is pivotally connected to a carriage reciprocally moveable in a substantially horizontal direction relative to the frame. 
     
     
         33 . The seat of  claim 32 , including means for driving the carriage reciprocally in said substantially horizontal direction relative to the frame. 
     
     
         34 . The seat  claim 32 , wherein the carriage is supported by the frame. 
     
     
         35 . An aircraft passenger seat comprising a seat back and a seat pan, the seat being positionable in each of an upright configuration and a substantially flat configuration in which the seat back and the seat pan form, a substantially flat and continuous surface, the seat having a retractable armrest having a raised position in which the retractable armrest overhangs the seat pan in the upright configuration and a lowered position in which the armrest is located on or above the seat back in the substantially flat configuration. 
     
     
         36 . The seat of  claim 35 , in which the upper surface of the armrest is located above the upper surface of the seat back in the substantially flat configuration. 
     
     
         37 . The seat  claim 35 , in which the armrest is arranged to adopt the lowered position when the seat is in the substantially flat configuration. 
     
     
         38 . An aircraft passenger seat reclinable from an upright configuration to a reclined configuration by means of a reclining mechanism, the seat having a retractable armrest connected to the reclining mechanism so as to adopt a raised position when the seat is in the upright configuration and a lowered position when the seat is in the substantially flat configuration, wherein the armrest is movable out of its lowered position independently of the reclining mechanism. 
     
     
         39 . The seat of  claim 38 , wherein the connection between the armrest and the reclining mechanism is by means of a biased abutment, the armrest being moveable out of its lowered position against the bias. 
     
     
         40 . The seat  claim 38 , wherein the armrest is supported on a member arranged to move downwardly as the seat ( 1 ) reclines, such that the armrest can be lifted upwardly away from the member, out of the lowered position. 
     
     
         41 . The seat  claim 38 , wherein the member is connected by a linkage member to a pivot that moves in a substantially horizontal direction from a position supporting the member when the seat is in the upright configuration to a position displaced substantially horizontally from the member when the seat moves to the substantially flat configuration such that the member moves downwardly. 
     
     
         42 . The seat  claim 40 , wherein the armrest is arranged initially to engage the member as it moves downwardly, so as to drive the armrest from the raised position, and finally to disengage from the member such that the armrest can be lifted upwardly away from the member as the armrest approaches the lowered position. 
     
     
         43 . An aircraft passenger seat having a privacy screen arranged to refract automatically in response to a remote signal. 
     
     
         44 . An aircraft passenger seat having a retractable privacy screen biased towards a retracted position thereof; and a latch for latching the privacy screen in a deployed position thereof. 
     
     
         45 . The seat of  claim 44 , wherein the latch is electrically energised and arranged to release the screen when electrical power to the latch is disconnected or reduced. 
     
     
         46 . The seat of  claim 45 , wherein the screen is biased towards said retracted position. 
     
     
         47 . A privacy screen for an aircraft passenger seat, the screen comprising a plurality of substantially horizontal slats slidable in a substantially vertical direction between a deployed position and a retracted position. 
     
     
         48 . The screen of  claim 47 , wherein each said slat directly or indirectly engages an adjacent one of said slats, such that the screen is moveable from the retracted position to the deployed position by raising an upper one of the slats. 
     
     
         49 . The screen of  claim 47 , wherein the screen is moveable from the deployed position to the retracted position by releasing an upper one of the slats. 
     
     
         50 . An aircraft passenger seat having a screen between the seat and an adjacent aircraft passenger seat, the screen having a transparency dependent on vertical viewing angle, such that the screen is not transparent at a low vertical viewing angle but is transparent at a high vertical viewing angle. 
     
     
         51 . The seat of  claim 47 , wherein the screen is translucent or opaque at said low viewing angle. 
     
     
         52 . The seat of  claim 47 , wherein said high vertical viewing angle is in the range of 20° to 70° to the horizontal. 
     
     
         53 . The seat of  claim 52 , wherein said high vertical viewing angle is in the range of 25° to 55° to the horizontal.