MCKEEVER, John, David, Henry (28 Russell Lodge, 22 Sprugeon Street, London SE1 4YJ, GB)
| CLAIMS: 1. An aircraft seat having: • a seat cushion and a back rest, together adapted to be arranged obliquely with respect to a central axis of an aircraft cabin, • a divider for dividing the seat from another such seat in a line of the seats along the cabin, the divider extending at least beside the seat cushion, • the divider having a turned-in end opposite from the back-rest, the end being adapted to abut an aircraft cabin sidewall or to be contiguous with the divider of another such seat in a row of two such seats; • ancillary furniture arranged adjoining at least the turned-in end of the divider, the ancillary furniture including: • a generally triangular portion abutting the sidewall or another such triangular portion and • a table pivoted at the corner of the triangular portion away from the sidewall or other triangular portion, the table extending above the triangular portion of the ancillary furniture when not deployed with an inner edge at least substantially parallel to the sidewall or the central axis, the arrangement being such that the table can be pivoted away from the triangular portion to extend across in front of a user seated in the seat. 2. An aircraft seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the table includes a table extension hinged to the inner edge of the table to overlay a portion of the table when not deployed, the arrangement being such that the table extension can be pivoted about its hinge to extend the table. 3. An aircraft seat as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the triangular portion of the ancillary furniture is integral with the divider. 4. An aircraft seat as claimed in claim 3, including an ottoman for a seat behind on the opposite side of the in-turned end of the divider from the triangular portion. 5. An aircraft seat as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the triangular piece of ancillary furniture has an extension back alongside the seat cushion. 6. An aircraft seat as claimed in any preceding claim, including a low divider upstanding from the triangular furniture portions two such seats in a row their respective tables. |
The present invention relates to an aircraft seat, in particular but not exclusively an aircraft seat convertible to a bed.
Aircraft seats are normally provided with a table deployable for use, and which is typically stored in the back of the seat in front in the case of economy class seats. Various arrangements are used for business class seats.
Business class seats are usually arranged obliquely to aisles along which they are arrayed. They can face inwards, i.e. with the foot end of the seat when deployed as a bed, spaced further from the aisle than the head end of the bed, or outwards
The object of the present invention is to provide an improved table arrangement for an inwards facing aircraft seat.
According to the invention there is provided an aircraft seat having: • a seat cushion and a back rest, together adapted to be arranged obliquely with respect to a central axis of an aircraft cabin, • a divider for dividing the seat from another such seat in a line of the seats along the cabin, the divider extending at least beside the seat cushion,
• the divider having a turned-in end opposite from the back-rest, the end being adapted to abut an aircraft cabin sidewall or to be contiguous with the divider of another such seat in a row of two such seats; • ancillary furniture arranged adjoining at least the turned-in end of the divider, the ancillary furniture including:
• a generally triangular portion abutting the sidewall or another such triangular portion and
• a table pivoted at the corner of the triangular portion away from the sidewall or other triangular portion, the table extending above the triangular portion of the ancillary furniture when not deployed with an inner edge at least substantially parallel to the sidewall or the central axis, the arrangement being such that the table can be pivoted away from the triangular portion to extend across in front of a user seated in the seat.
Preferably, the table includes a table extension hinged to the inner edge of the table to overlay a portion of the table when not deployed, the arrangement being such that the table extension can be pivoted about its hinge to extend the table. Normally, the triangular portion of the ancillary furniture will be integral with the divider.
The preferred embodiment includes an ottoman for a seat behind on the opposite side of the in-turned end of the divider from the triangular portion.
To help understanding of the invention, a specific embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view from one side of two pairs of seats according to the invention and
Figure 2 is a view from behind of the seats of Figure 1.
Referring to the drawings, two pairs of the seats 1 of the invention are shown. They are arranged to face inwards on either side of a central plane P. Each seat has a seat cushion 2, a back rest 3 and a foot stool or ottoman 4. The latter is for use when the seat is converted from the seat mode shown to a non-shown bed mode. A divider 5 extends behind the back rest of each seat. It curves forwards and in towards the central plane, where it divides the foot rest of a seat behind from a triangular piece 6 of ancillary furniture extending along the plane P towards its seat's foot rest. The triangular piece of ancillary furniture has an extension 7 back alongside the seat cushion.
A table 11 is arranged above the triangular furniture piece, being pivoted to it about an upwards extending axis 12 positioned at the corner of the triangle closest to the seat cushion in its seat mode. Normally the table overlies the triangular furniture piece. Its inner edge 14 is parallel to the plane P. Here a hinge 15 is provided to a table extension 16. In the normal position of the table as shown in the Figures in connection with the left hand seats, the extension provides a cocktail table surface 17. This itself is triangular, though of a different shape to the main portion 11 of the table.
For dining use, the table is swung about its pivot axis 12 to extend across in front of the seat cushion. The extension is hinged to present a surface 18 co-extensive the surface 19 of the main table portion. The cocktail surface 17 becomes the underside of extension. The hinge is adapted to hold the surfaces 18, 19 parallel in a manner that will be known to the skilled man.
A low divider 20 is provided upstanding from the triangular furniture pieces 6 of the respective seats at the central plane, dividing the cocktail surfaces 17 of the respective tables.
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