FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a seating arrangement and seating configurations in or for a passenger vehicle. In particular but not solely the present invention relates to seating arrangement and/ or seating configurations for a passenger aircraft.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Different passengers or groups of passengers may see a need for a different environment to be made available within an aircraft. Traditionally aircraft seating, and in particular in economy class, seating configurations have largely been in a row formation where all of the seats face generally in the same direction.

This may not be conducive to groups of people travelling together who wish to have the convenience of a greater ease of interaction with each other.

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to address the above mentioned desiderata and/ or to at least provide the public with a useful choice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly in a first aspect the present invention may be said to be a seating arrangement in a passenger vehicle said arrangement comprising:

a first row and second row of seats, each row of seats having at least three juxtaposed seats and each seat including a seat pan and a seat back,

wherein all seats in the first row of seats are facing in substantially a first direction and configured such that the outermost seats at each end of the first row are angled to face at least in part toward each other,

and wherein all seats in the second row of seats are facing in substantially a second direction opposite to the first direction and configured such that the outermost seats at each end of the second row are angled to face at least in part toward each other, wherein the first and second rows of seats face each other and are spaced apart from each other.

Preferably the angles of the outermost seats of the first and/ or the second row of seats is such that the angle of intersect of the facing direction of the two outermost seats in a row is between 5 and 35 degrees. Preferably the intermediate seat or seats in a row are facing parallel or perpendicular to the direction of travel of the vehicle.

Preferably an arm rest is provided positioned intermediate of each seat.

Preferably the arm rest can be moved between a stowed condition and a deployed condition.

Preferably the arm rest can move in a rectilinear manner between the stowed condition and the deployed condition.

Preferably outward of at least one of the two outermost seats of a row is a side panel.

Preferably the side panel includes an arm rest for the occupier of the outermost seat next to the side panel to use.

Preferably a partition wall is held by the side panel that can move relative the side panel between a stowed condition and an extended condition, the extended condition positioning the panel at least in part to extend beyond the front end of the seat pan of the seat immediately adjacent.

Preferably the partition wall in the extended condition, bridges the gap between the first and second row of seats thereby creating a barrier that at least in part restricts ingress or egress of a passenger into the seats from the side of the seats where the partition wall is positioned.

Preferably the partition wall includes a table that can be moved from a stowed condition to be presented for use by at least one person occupying the seat immediately adjacent the side panel.

Preferably the table is configured to allow it to be used by any person occupying a seat in the seating arrangement.

Preferably the table can be extended to be presented for use by any person occupying a seat in the seating arrangement.

Preferably the table can be configured to in combination with the seat pan of at least one seat, form a substantially horizontal surface suitable for supporting a person.

Preferably the table is configured to at least in part occupy the space between the first and second row of seats such that the table surface in combination with the surface of the seat pan's of at least one seat from each of the first and second row of seats forms a support surface for a substantially prostrate person.

Preferably the vehicle is a passenger aircraft. Preferably between at least two opposed seats of the two rows of seats a platform can be established that together with the seat pans of the two opposed seats can form a bed or recliner.

In another aspect the present invention may be said to be a seating arrangement for a passenger vehicle said arrangement comprising:

at least two juxtaposed seats that face in the same general direction, each seat comprising a seat pan and a seat back,

wherein outward of at least one of the two distal end seats is a side panel, and wherein a partition wall is held by the side panel that can move relative the side panel between a stored condition and an extended condition, the extended condition positioning the panel to extend beyond the front end of the seat pan of the seat immediately adjacent.

Preferably an arm rest is provided positioned intermediate of each seat.

Preferably the arm rest can be moved between a stowed condition and a deployed condition.

Preferably the arm rest can move in a rectilinear manner between the stowed condition and the deployed condition.

Preferably the side panel includes an arm rest for the occupier of a distal end seat to use.

Preferably the partition wall includes a table that can be moved from a stowed condition to be presented for use by at least one person occupying the seat immediately adjacent the side panel.

Preferably the table is configured to allow it to be used by any person occupying a seat in the seating arrangement.

Preferably the table can be extended to be presented for use by any person occupying a seat in the seating arrangement.

Preferably the vehicle is a passenger aircraft.

Preferably a first of said seating arrangements as claimed in claim 18 and a second of said seating arrangements as claimed in claim 18, together form a seating configuration for a passenger vehicle, wherein the first and second seating arrangements face each other and are spaced apart from each other.

Preferably for one of both the arrangements, outward of at least one of the two distal end seats is a side panel. Preferably a partition wall is held by the side panel that can move relative the side panel between a stored condition and an extended condition, the extended condition positioning the panel to extend beyond the front end of the seat pan of the seat immediately adjacent and past the front end of the seat pan of the seat of the opposite arrangement.

Preferably the partition wall may include a table that can be moved from a stowed condition to be presented for use by at least one person occupying the seat immediately adjacent the side panel and at least one person occupying corresponding opposite seat of the other seat arrangement.

Preferably the table is configured to allow it to be used by any person occupying a seat in either of the seating arrangement.

Preferably the table can be extended to be presented for use by any person occupying a seat in either of the seating arrangements.

Preferably the seating configuration creates an alcove.

Preferably one side of the alcove is accessible from an aisle of the vehicle.

Preferably the other side of the alcove is accessible from an aisle of the vehicle.

Preferably the other side is positioned adjacent a side of the vehicle.

Preferably between at least two opposed seats of the opposed first and second seating arrangements a platform can be established that together with the seat pans of the two opposed seats can form a bed or recliner.

In another aspect the present invention may be said to be an aircraft that includes a seating arrangement or configuration as herein previously described.

In a further aspect the present invention may be said to be a seating arrangement for a passenger vehicle said arrangement comprising:

a table,

a first row and second row of seats, each row of seats having at least two juxtaposed seats and each seat including a seat pan and a seat back,

wherein all seats in the first row of seats are facing in substantially a first direction and configured such that the outermost seats at each end of the first row are angled to face at least in part toward each other,

and wherein all seats in the second row of seats are facing in substantially a second direction opposite to the first direction and configured such that the outermost seats at each end of the second row are angled to face at least in part toward each other, wherein the first and second rows of seats face each other and are spaced apart from each other,

and wherein the table can be configured to in combination with the seat pan of at least one seat, form a substantially horizontal surface suitable for supporting a person.

Preferably the table is configured to at least in part occupy the space between the first and second row of seats such that the table surface in combination with the surface of the seat pan's of at least one seat from each of the first and second row of seats forms a support surface for a substantially prostrate person.

In another aspect the present invention may be said to be a seating arrangement as claimed herein with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.

This invention may also be said to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more of said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.

As used herein the term "and/ or" means "and" or "or", or both.

As used herein "(s)" following a noun means the plural and/ or singular forms of the noun.

The term "comprising" as used in this specification means "consisting at least in part of. When interpreting statements in this specification which include that term, the features, prefaced by that term in each statement, all need to be present but other features can also be present. Related terms such as "comprise" and "comprised" are to be interpreted in the same manner.

In a further aspect the present invention consists in an aircraft that includes a seating configuration as herein described.

In a further aspect the present invention consists in an aircraft that includes a plurality of seating configurations as herein described positioned in a row formation wherein the back rests of two adjacent configurations are positioned back to back.

In a further aspect the present invention consist in a seating arrangement as herein described and with reference to the accompanying drawings. In a further aspect the present invention consist in a seating arrangement as shown in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 illustrates a seating configuration consisting of two seat arrangements each comprising of 3 seats;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the seating configuration of Figure 1 ,

Figure 3 is a front view of one of the seating arrangements of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a side view of Figure 1 ,

Figure 5 is a side view of a seating arrangement,

Figure 6 is a cutaway perspective view illustrating a plurality of seating arrangements in pairs defining a preferred seating configuration within the body of an aircraft,

Figure 7 is a front view of that of Figure 6,

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a seating configuration consisting of two seating arrangements,

Figure 9 is an alternative perspective view of a seating configuration consisting of two seating arrangements, and

Figure 10 is a perspective view of an aircraft.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to Figure 1 there is shown a perspective view of a seating configuration 1 that includes 2 seating arrangements 2, 3. In the example shown each seating arrangement includes 3 seats, 4, 5, 6, as shown with reference to the seating arrangement 3. Each seat is of a size and shape to allow for a passenger to be sedentary in at least an upright condition and preferably also in a partially reclined condition. Figure 5 shows a side view of a seat wherein the seat is shown in profile, in both an upright condition and a partially reclined condition.

In a preferred embodiment the seating arrangement is mounted within an aircraft 999 to provide a variety of seating and accommodation for passengers. It will be appreciated that whilst the preferred embodiment of the seating arrangement is mounted within an aircraft, the seating arrangement could be mounted in any other vehicle such as a cruise ship, train or bus. Intermediate of each of the seats is preferably an arm rest 7, 8. Each arm rest can preferably be held in a stored condition wherein it does not substantially interfere with a cross seat direction of the seating arrangement 3. In the most preferred form each arm rest 7, 8 moves rectilinear between the stored condition as shown in Figure 1, 2 and in used condition where an arm rest surface is more elevated than in the stored condition.

Each of the seats 4, 5, 6 are in close juxtaposition relative to each other. They preferably form a seat unit. When the arm rests are in their stored condition each seat effectively defines part of a single bench seat of the seating arrangement 3. This can allow for a passenger to recline across at least 2 of the seats of the arrangement as shown in Figure 1. Alternatively the arm rest may move in a rotational manner between its stored condition where it may be located within a space between the seat backs of each of the seats and in use condition extending substantially horizontally.

In the example shown in Figure 1, each seating arrangement 2, 3 of a seating configuration consists of 3 seats. However alternatively as shown in Figures 8 and 9 each seating arrangement may only include 2 seats.

However regardless of the number of seats of the seating arrangement, each seating arrangement will have two distal end most seats. In the example shown in Figure 1, the seating arrangement 3 has distal end most seats 4, 6 with a seat 5 intermediate thereof.

In order to facilitate the encouragement of passengers to feel they are in an interactive environment with each other the design of the seat arrangement (whether it is in a configuration as shown in Figure 1 or whether the seating arrangement does not have a corresponding seating arrangement facing it and providing an alcove like arrangement) has the distal end most seats designed, with a bias inwardly. The bias may be as a result of a slight flaring forward of the back rest at the peripheral edges of the distal end most seats. For example, the wings 10, 11 may project in a forward direction (relative to the seating arrangement 3) so as to create a feeling of enclosure encouraging those passengers sitting in the distal end most seats to have a bias towards facing each other. Where the seating arrangement 3 consists of 3 seats, the intermediate seat 5 has a face direction that is non- parallel to the slight biased faced direction of the distal end most seats. This bias induced on passengers by the distal end most seats may also be encouraged as a result of the free end 20 of the seat pans of the distal end most seats being generally non- perpendicular or non-symmetrical and effectively non-perpendicular to the facing direction of the intermediate seat 5 as shown in Figure 2. In the preferred form each seating arrangement 2 or 3 is positioned proximate another seating arrangement. The pair of seating arrangements are position to define a seating configuration 1 where in the seating arrangements face each other. That is, the seat directions are substantially parallel and in opposing directions to each other.

Preferably the space between the facing seating arrangement of a seating configuration is sufficient to allow for a person to walk between the 2 seating

arrangements. Additional space may be provided for further leg room. Another consideration in respect of the spacing between the seating arrangements is the provision of a platform 35 that may span between the 2 seating arrangements 2, 3 to cooperate with one or each of the seats in a seating arrangement and the corresponding opposite seats of the opposite seating arrangement to define a bed or recline surface. In the preferred form the platform 35 can be positioned at a level commensurate with the height of the seat pans of the seats of the seating arrangements. The platform 35 may be supported by part of the seating arrangements or by an alternative structure.

Adjacent 1 or both of the distal end most seats of a seating arrangement is a side wall 40. With reference to Figure 1, the side wall 40 includes an arm rest surface 41. The side wall 40 defines a side wall to the seating arrangement or partial side wall to the seating arrangement and also encourages passengers in a manner to facilitate their interaction.

The side wall 40 may include a cavity 42. The cavity 42 may include a partition 43. The partition may be movably located in the cavity 42 to move between a stored condition where it is substantially concealed within the cavity and an extended position where it extends across at least part of the entrance to the alcove defined between the 2 seating arrangements.

In the preferred form the partition 43 when in the extended position extends beyond the free end of the seat pan of the seat adjacent the end wall 40 is in a forward direction therefrom. In the most preferred form the partition 43 can extend all the way to an opposite end wall of an opposite seating arrangement of the seating configuration. That way the alcove, at that end of the seating configuration can be closed. A like partition wall 43 may be provided at the opposite end of the seating configuration to also enclose that entrance to the alcove. However in certain configurations, and as for example shown in Figure 6, the opposite end of the alcove may sit against the side of the aircraft body and therefore be closed by the aircraft body. Carried by the partition 43 may also be a tray table as shown in Figure 8. The tray table 44 may be movably configured in a manner so as to extend in a substantially horizontal condition as shown in Figure 8 for use at least by those passengers in the distal end seat proximate most the partition wall 43 but preferably also by the other passengers sitting in the other seats. The tray table 44 may be hingeably engaged so as to fold between a horizontal condition and a vertical condition. In the vertical condition it may also end up being capable of storage within the cavity 42 of a side wall of a seating arrangement.

Alternatively the tray table 44 may be stored in the side wall of 1 of the seating

arrangements whereas the partition wall 43 may be stored in a side wall of the opposite seating arrangement.

The tray table 44 may also be configured and positioned for use as the platform

35.