U.S. patent application number 11/008684 was filed with the patent office on 2006-01-12 for vehicle seating with storage feature.
This patent application is currently assigned to BE AEROSPACE, INC.. Invention is credited to Alexander Filip Grauls, Glenn A. Johnson, Edgar Owen III Kinnier, Gary William McKelvey, James Randy Penley, Michael Princip, Trevor B. Skelly.
Application Number | 20060006704 11/008684 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34704282 |
Filed Date | 2006-01-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060006704 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Skelly; Trevor B. ; et
al. |
January 12, 2006 |
Vehicle seating with storage feature
Abstract
A passenger seat for a vehicle includes a seat bottom and a seat
back mounted to a frame. The passenger seat includes at least one
storage feature. One of the storage features may be a storage unit
positioned underneath the seat bottom which is moveable between a
first position in which the unit is readily accessible by a seated
passenger, and a second position in which the unit is held upright
or against the said seat bottom to reduce the intrusion of the unit
into the under-seat space. Another storage feature may be a recess
formed in the upper part of the seat bottom. The recess is covered
by a moveable lid which forms part of the seating surface when
closed.
Inventors: |
Skelly; Trevor B.;
(Winston-Salem, NC) ; Penley; James Randy;
(Pfafftown, NC) ; Grauls; Alexander Filip;
(Couffouloeux, FR) ; Kinnier; Edgar Owen III;
(Winston-Salem, NC) ; Johnson; Glenn A.; (King,
NC) ; Princip; Michael; (Winston-Salem, NC) ;
McKelvey; Gary William; (Dallas, TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ADAMS EVANS P.A.
2180 TWO WACHOVIA CENTER
CHARLOTTE
NC
28282
US
|
Assignee: |
BE AEROSPACE, INC.
Wellington
FL
|
Family ID: |
34704282 |
Appl. No.: |
11/008684 |
Filed: |
December 9, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60529686 |
Dec 15, 2003 |
|
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60589297 |
Jul 20, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
297/188.08 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N 2/643 20130101;
B60N 2/62 20130101; B64D 11/064 20141201; B60N 2/7005 20130101;
B64D 11/0624 20141201; B64D 11/0643 20141201; B60N 2/646 20130101;
B60R 22/26 20130101; B60N 3/06 20130101; B64D 11/0647 20141201;
B60N 3/063 20130101; B64D 11/0636 20141201 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/188.08 |
International
Class: |
A47C 7/62 20060101
A47C007/62 |
Claims
1. A passenger seat comprising: a frame for being attached to a
floor of a vehicle; a seat bottom carried by said frame for
supporting a passenger; an upwardly-extending seat back carried by
said frame; and a storage unit disposed underneath said seat
bottom, said storage unit having an access opening disposed at a
front end thereof and being mounted so as to be moveable between: a
first position in which said access opening is readily accessible
by a passenger seated on said seat bottom, and a second position in
which said storage unit is held against said a lower surface of
said seat bottom so as to reduce the intrusion of said storage unit
into a space defined by said seat bottom and said frame.
2. The passenger seat of claim 1 wherein said storage unit is
generally rectangular and includes opposed top and bottom walls,
opposed side walls, and a rear wall disposed opposite said access
opening.
3. The passenger seat of claim 2 wherein the front end of said
storage unit is pivotally mounted to said seat bottom.
4. The passenger seat of claim 3 further including a releasable
latch operable to selectively retain said storage unit in said
first position.
5. The passenger seat of claim 4 wherein includes a release handle
disposed so as to be reachable by a passenger seated on said seat
bottom and operably connected to said latch so as to release said
latch in response to movement of said handle.
6. The passenger seat of claim 1 further including means for
selectively retaining said storage unit in said first position.
7. A passenger seat for a vehicle, comprising: a frame for being
attached to a floor of a vehicle; an upwardly-extending seat back
carried by said frame; a seat bottom carried by said frame for
supporting a passenger, said seat bottom having a recess formed
therein which is accessible from an upper surface of said seat
bottom; and a lid disposed over said recess which is moveable
between: a closed position in which an upper surface of said lid
forms a seating surface; and an open position in which said recess
is accessible.
8. The passenger seat of claim 7, in which a rear end of said lid
is pivotally attached to said seat bottom.
9. The passenger seat of claim 8 wherein said recess extends
downward into a front face of said seat bottom to improve access
thereto.
10. The passenger seat of claim 9 wherein said lid includes a
downwardly-extending front panel.
11. The passenger seat of claim 8 wherein said lid includes at
least one finger slot formed therein.
12. The passenger seat of claim 7 wherein said upper surface of
said lid has upholstery material or padding disposed thereon.
13. A passenger seat comprising: a frame for being attached to a
floor of a vehicle; a seat bottom carried by said frame for
supporting a passenger; an upwardly-extending seat back carried by
said frame; and a storage unit disposed underneath said seat
bottom, said storage unit having an access opening disposed at an
upper end thereof and being mounted so as to be moveable between: a
first position in which said access opening is readily accessible
by a passenger seated on said seat bottom, and a second position in
which said storage unit is held in an upright orientation
underneath said seat bottom with said front wall substantially
flush with a front edge of said seat bottom.
14. The passenger seat of claim 13 wherein said storage unit is
generally rectangular and includes opposed front and rear walls,
opposed side walls, and a bottom wall disposed opposite said access
opening.
15. The passenger seat of claim 4 wherein the bottom end of said
storage unit is pivotally mounted adjacent said floor.
16. The passenger seat of claim 15 further including means for
selectively retaining said storage unit in said first position.
17. The passenger seat of claim 16 further including a handle
disposed so as to be reachable by a passenger seated on said seat
bottom.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/529,686 filed Dec. 15, 2003, and Provisional
Application No. 60/589,297, filed Jul. 20, 2004.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates generally to vehicle seating and more
particularly to tourist or coach class aircraft seating. Aircraft
seating is typically divided into various classes, for example
first class, business class, and coach or tourist class. For each
class of seating, an individual passenger is allotted a preselected
amount of space (both area and volume). First-class seats provide
the most individual space, and also may include features to improve
comfort, such as fully reclining sleeper functions. In contrast,
the tourist/coach class is provided with a relatively small amount
of space, in order to provide the most efficient transportation and
lowest cost.
[0003] Passengers also typically bring carry-on baggage or other
personal items on to airline flights. These items must be stored in
available spaces, such as underneath the seat in front of the
passenger's seat. However, given the already limited space, storage
of items in these areas decreases the room available for the
passenger to achieve different seating positions.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a
vehicle passenger seat which allows a passenger to store and
retrieve various items underneath his or her seat.
[0005] It is another object the invention to provide a seat bottom
for a passenger seat having a built-in storage compartment.
[0006] These and other objects are met by the present invention,
which in one embodiment provides a passenger seat including a frame
for being attached to a floor of a vehicle; a seat bottom carried
by the frame for supporting a passenger; an upwardly-extending seat
back carried by the frame; and a storage unit disposed underneath
the seat bottom, the storage unit having an access opening disposed
at a front end thereof. The storage unit is mounted so as to be
moveable between a first position in which the access opening is
readily accessible by a passenger seated on the seat bottom, and a
second position in which the container is held against the a lower
surface of the seat bottom so as to reduce the intrusion of the
container into a space defined by the seat bottom and the
frame.
[0007] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the storage unit is generally rectangular and includes opposed top
and bottom walls, opposed side walls, and a rear wall disposed
opposite the access opening.
[0008] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the front end of the storage unit is pivotally mounted to the seat
bottom.
[0009] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the passenger seat further includes a releasable latch operable to
selectively retain the storage unit in the first position.
[0010] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the passenger seat further includes wherein includes a release
handle disposed so as to be reachable by a passenger seated on the
seat bottom and operably connected to the latch so as to release
the latch in response to movement of the handle.
[0011] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the passenger seat further includes means for selectively retaining
the storage unit in the first position.
[0012] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a
passenger seat for a vehicle includes a frame for being attached to
a floor of a vehicle; an upwardly-extending seat back carried by
the frame; a seat bottom disposed on the frame for supporting a
passenger, the seat bottom having a recess formed therein which is
accessible from an upper surface of the seat bottom; and a lid
disposed over the recess. The lid is moveable between a closed
position in which an upper surface of the lid forms a seating
surface; and an open position in which the recess is
accessible.
[0013] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a
rear end of the lid is pivotally attached to the seat bottom.
[0014] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the recess extends downward into a front face of the seat bottom to
improve access thereto.
[0015] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the lid includes a downwardly-extending front panel.
[0016] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the lid includes at least one finger slot formed therein.
[0017] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the upper surface of the lid has upholstery material or padding
disposed thereon.
[0018] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a
passenger seat includes a frame for being attached to a floor of a
vehicle; a seat bottom carried by the frame for supporting a
passenger; an upwardly-extending seat back carried by the frame;
and a storage unit disposed underneath the seat bottom. The storage
unit has an access opening disposed at an upper end thereof. The
storage unit is moveable between a first position in which the
access opening is readily accessible by a passenger seated on the
seat bottom, and a second position in which the storage unit is
held in an upright orientation underneath the seat bottom with the
front wall substantially flush with a front edge of the seat
bottom.
[0019] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the storage unit is generally rectangular and includes opposed
front and rear walls, opposed side walls, and a bottom wall
disposed opposite the access opening.
[0020] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the bottom end of the storage unit is pivotally mounted adjacent
the floor.
[0021] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the passenger seat further including means for selectively
retaining the storage unit in the first position.
[0022] According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the passenger seat includes a handle disposed so as to be reachable
by a passenger seated on the seat bottom.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] The subject matter that is regarded as the invention may be
best understood by reference to the following description taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures in which:
[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a passenger seat set having
an under-seat storage unit;
[0025] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the passenger
seat set of FIG. 1, showing a storage unit thereof in a lowered
position;
[0026] FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of passenger seat
incorporating a storage unit in a raised position;
[0027] FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view the storage unit of
FIG. 4 in a lowered position;
[0028] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a passenger seat set having
an in-seat storage compartment; and
[0029] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the passenger seat set of
FIG. 5 showing a storage compartment lid in an open position;
and
[0030] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a passenger seat set
including an alternative under-seat storage unit.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0031] Referring to the drawings wherein identical reference
numerals denote the same elements throughout the various views,
FIGS. 1-4 illustrate a passenger seat set 10 including an
under-seat storage unit. The seat set 10 includes two seats 12 and
14 which are collectively provided with three arm rests 16, 18, and
20, each shown in the lowered passenger use position. The seats
include seat backs 22 and 22' and seat bottoms 24 and 24'. The
seats 12 and 14 are supported by a frame 26. The frame 26 is
mounted on legs 28 and 30 that are in turn mounted to the deck of
the aircraft by track fittings of a known type. For illustrative
purposes, the under-seat storage unit feature is only shown in
detail with respect to the seat 12, however it will be understood
that another storage unit may also be implemented on the other seat
14.
[0032] The storage unit 32 comprises a container having an access
opening 34 at its front end 36, opposed top and bottom walls 38 and
40, opposed side walls 42 and 44, and a rear wall 46 at its aft end
48. The storage unit 32 is mounted under the seat bottom 24 and is
accessible by a seated passenger by reaching under the seat cushion
for storage of small items, indicated generally at 50. In order to
improve the accessibility of the storage unit 32 for loading and
unloading, it may be tilted downward as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. In
the illustrated example, this motion is facilitated by mounting the
storage unit 32 to the seat bottom 24 by a laterally-extending
hinge 52 attached to the top wall 38 near the front end 36.
[0033] The illustrated storage unit 32 includes a latching
mechanism comprising a pivotally mounted release handle 54, a
connecting rod 56, a latch 58 including a hook 60, and a return
spring 62. As shown in FIG. 3, the hook 62 engages a slot 64 in the
seat bottom 24 to hold the storage unit 32 in a position parallel
to the seat bottom 24, which minimizes the intrusion of the storage
unit 32 into the space below the seat bottom 24. The latch 58 is
held in this latched position by the return spring 62. The storage
unit 32 may be pivoted downward to improve access for loading and
unloading as shown in FIG. 4 by pivoting the release handle 54
forward, in turn causing the connecting rod 56 to pull the latch 58
to a released position, disengaging the hook 60 from the slot 64.
It will be understood that the method of mounting the storage unit
32 as well as securing it may be varied to suit a particular
application, so long as the unit can be selectively held in a
position in which it is disposed out of the way of the space
underneath the seat bottom 24, to minimize its intrusion into that
space and leave room for a passenger's feet or storage of other
objects.
[0034] FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a passenger seat set 110 including
an in-seat storage compartment. The seat set 110 includes two seats
112 and 114 which are collectively provided with three arm rests
116, 118, and 120, each shown in the lowered passenger use
position. The seats include seat backs 122 and 122' and seat
bottoms 124 and 124'. The seats 112 and 114 are supported by a
frame 126. The frame 126 is mounted on legs 128 and 130 which are
in turn mounted to the deck of the aircraft by track fittings of a
known type.
[0035] The storage compartment, denoted 132, comprises a recess 134
built into the upper surface of the seat bottom 124. The recess 134
is defined by one more side panels 136 and a bottom panel 138. The
front edge 140 of the recess 134 may extend downward into the front
face 142 of the seat bottom 124 to improve access. The storage
compartment 132 may be used for storage of small items, indicated
generally at 144. A lid 146 is provided which is hinged to the seat
bottom 124, in this case near the back of the seat bottom 124. The
lid 146 covers and encloses the recess 134 in the closed position
as shown in FIG. 15 and provides access to the recess 134 when it
is pivoted upward to the open position as shown in FIG. 16. The lid
146 comprises a top panel 148 which conforms to the profile of the
seat bottom 124. The upper surface of the top panel 148 may be
covered in padding and/or upholstery as desired. An optional front
panel 150 is connected to the top panel 148 and serves to cover the
front face 142 of the seat bottom 124. The top panel 148 may
include means for opening the lid 146, such as the finger slot 152
illustrated. Other means for opening the lid 146, such as a handle
attached thereto (not shown), may also be provided. If desired
means of a known type (not shown) may be provided for latching
and/or locking the lid 146 in the open or closed positions.
[0036] FIG. 7 illustrates a passenger seat set 210 including an
alternative under-seat storage unit. The seat set 210 is identical
to the seat set 10 and includes two seats 212 and 214 which are
collectively provided with three arm rests 216, 218, and 220. The
seats 212 and 214 include seat backs 222 and 222' and seat bottoms
224 and 224'. The seats 212 and 214 are supported by a frame 226
which is mounted on legs 228 and 230 that are in turn mounted to
the deck of the aircraft by track fittings of a known type. Storage
units 232 and 232' are mounted underneath seats 212 and 214,
respectively. The storage units 232 and 232' are substantially
identical in construction.
[0037] Each storage unit 232 and 232' comprises a container having
an access opening 234 at its upper end, opposed back and front
walls 238 and 240, opposed side walls 242 and 244, and a bottom
wall 246. The storage units 232 and 232' are pivotally mounted to
the seat set 210, for example using a shaft 248, a portion of which
is visible in FIG. 7. The storage units 232 and 232' are disposed
in a generally upright position under the seat bottom 224, aligned
with the front edge thereof so that the front wall 240 is
substantially flush with the front edge of the seat bottoms 224 and
224', respectively. In this position, small items contained in the
storage units 232 and 232', indicated generally at 250, are
prevented from falling out In this upright position, the storage
unit 232 itself does not interfere with the leg room of a passenger
seated in seat 212, and only minimally impacts the storage and foot
area underneath the seat bottom 224.
[0038] The storage unit is loaded or unloaded by first tilting it
forward about the shaft 248. A small tab or handle 252 may be
provided for this purpose. In FIG. 7, storage unit 232' is shown
tilted forward. In this position, the access opening 234 is
accessible by the passenger. Means (not shown) may be provided both
for keeping the storage unit 232 in an upright position when not
being loaded or unloaded, and for preventing it from pivoting too
far forward when opened.
[0039] The foregoing has described a seating arrangement having one
or more storage features. While specific embodiments of the present
invention have been described, it will be apparent to those skilled
in the art that various modifications thereto can be made without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly,
the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the
invention and the best mode for practicing the invention are
provided for the purpose of illustration only and not for the
purpose of limitation, the invention being defined by the
claims.
* * * * *