U.S. patent application number 12/562613 was filed with the patent office on 2010-01-14 for one-piece dress cover for aircraft seat.
This patent application is currently assigned to B/E Aerospace, Inc.. Invention is credited to Michael Beroth, Catalin Bunea, Sean Hames, Daniel I. Udriste.
Application Number | 20100007185 12/562613 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40135745 |
Filed Date | 2010-01-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100007185 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Beroth; Michael ; et
al. |
January 14, 2010 |
ONE-PIECE DRESS COVER FOR AIRCRAFT SEAT
Abstract
A one-piece upholstery cover that covers all the visible
surfaces of a typical seat such as seatback cushion, seat pan
cushion, seat pan extension cushion, leg rest cushion, and leg rest
extension cushion. A seat covering system is also disclosed. The
seat covering system includes a single elongated piece of
upholstery having a first end and a second end and a loop portion
intermediate the first and second ends. A first attachment portion
is adjacent to the first end of the upholstery, and at least one
spring mechanism attached to the second end. A first and second
pivot member are attached to opposite sides of a seat back of a
reclining chair. These first and second pivot members are also
fixed to a seat pedestal while a connecting member having a first
end attached to the first pivot member and a second end attached to
the second pivot member extends through the loop portion of the
elongated piece of upholstery.
Inventors: |
Beroth; Michael;
(Winston-Salem, NC) ; Hames; Sean; (Weston,
FL) ; Bunea; Catalin; (Fort Lauderdale, FL) ;
Udriste; Daniel I.; (Weston, FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DRINKER BIDDLE & REATH LLP;ATTN: PATENT DOCKET DEPT.
191 N. WACKER DRIVE, SUITE 3700
CHICAGO
IL
60606
US
|
Assignee: |
B/E Aerospace, Inc.
Wellington
FL
|
Family ID: |
40135745 |
Appl. No.: |
12/562613 |
Filed: |
September 18, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11821416 |
Jun 22, 2007 |
7607732 |
|
|
12562613 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/229 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B64D 11/064 20141201;
B64D 11/0641 20141201; B60N 2/6063 20130101; B60N 2/6054 20130101;
B64D 11/0647 20141201 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/229 |
International
Class: |
A47C 31/00 20060101
A47C031/00 |
Claims
1. A single-piece seat cover for covering a reclining chair, the
single-piece seat cover comprised of: a single elongated piece of
upholstery having a first end and a second end; a first attachment
portion adjacent to the first end; an elongated loop portion
intermediate the first end and the second end, the loop portion
adapted to receive a connecting member of the reclining chair; and
at least one spring mechanism attached to the second end.
2. The seat cover of claim 1, wherein the first attachment portion
is a flap of upholstery.
3. The seat cover of claim 2, wherein a second attachment portion
is adjacent the first end.
4. The seat cover of claim 2, wherein the second attachment portion
is a flap of upholstery.
5. The seat cover of claim 1, wherein the spring mechanism has a
first end and a second end; the first end of the spring mechanism
is attached to the second end of the upholstery; and the second end
of the spring is adapted to be attached to an underside of a leg
rest portion of the chair.
6. The seat cover of claim 1, wherein: the single elongated piece
of upholstery has a first side and a second side, said first and
second sides being substantially perpendicular to the first and
second ends; a first side attachment portion extending along
approximately one-half of the length of the first side of the cover
proximal to the first end; and a second side attachment portion
extending along approximately one-half the length of the second
side of the cover proximal to the first end.
7. The seat cover of claim 6, wherein the first and second side
attachment portions are each a flap of upholstery.
8. The seat cover of claim 7, wherein the first and second side
attachment portions are adapted to be secured to the chair with a
hook-and-loop type fastener.
9. The seat cover of claim 1 wherein, the seat cover has a first
section proximal to the first end and a second section proximal to
the second end; the first section has a first width; the second
section has a second width; and the first width is greater than the
second width.
10. The seat cover of claim 1, wherein the loop portion is made of
nylon material.
11. The seat cover of claim 1, wherein the seat cover is made of
leather.
12. The seat cover of claim 1, wherein the seat cover is made of
fabric.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION
[0001] This patent application is a continuation of copending U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 11/821,416, filed Jun. 22, 2007, now
allowed, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference
in its entirety for all purposes.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention pertains to a seat covering in general and,
in particular, to a seat covering for a reclining seat that covers
any gaps that may exist between various sections of the seat when
reclined.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Seat coverings are well known in the art. Historically,
these covers have been made of fabric or leather and are used to
enclose the frame and cushioning components of a seat while
presenting as aesthetically pleasing and durable outward surface
for people to sit on. Known seat coverings have been used for each
major section of a chair (e.g., seat, backrest, headrest, leg rest
and armrest). The covers for each of these components are
traditionally made of the same material for a given chair. For
example, if the seat cushion is covered with a leather seat cover,
the back, arm, leg, and head rests are also covered in the same
color and type of leather.
[0004] A shortcoming of the current seat covers is that they do not
extend over the entire length of the seat. As a result, gaps exist
between the head and back rest, backrest and seat cushion, and seat
cushion and leg rest. This can result in an unsightly appearance,
particularly when the seat is fully reclined, as in an aircraft
sleeping suite, as food, coins, lint and other materials can fall
down into the gaps between the seats. It is for this reason that a
covering that covers the entire seat including the gaps between the
headrest and backrest, backrest and seat cushion, and seat cushion
and leg rest would be an improvement in the art. In particular, a
full-length seat cover that covers the entire seat as well as the
gaps between the sections yet can be quickly installed and removed
for cleaning would be an important improvement in the art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The invention involves a one-piece dress cover that provides
a neat appearance, comfort, and ease of maintainability while
covering the gaps between various sections of a vehicle seat when
in the reclined position. In particular, in an embodiment, the
invention is used in an aircraft seat to cover the gaps between the
head rest/seat back, seat back/seat pan, seat pan/seat pan
extension, seat pan extension/leg rest, and leg rest/leg rest
extension.
[0006] These and other advantages of the invention will be apparent
from the description of the invention provided herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the dress cover
installed on a reclining chair.
[0008] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the one-piece dress
cover.
[0009] FIG. 2B is a side view of the one-piece dress cover.
[0010] FIG. 2C is a top view of the one-piece dress cover.
[0011] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a reclining chair showing a
view of the seat pan stretcher subassembly.
[0012] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the seat pan stretcher
subassembly.
[0013] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a chair covered by the
one-piece dress cover in a berth position.
[0014] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a chair covered by the
one-piece dress cover in a taxi, take-off, and landing ("TTOL")
position.
[0015] FIG. 7 is a cross section view of a portion of the chair in
the TTOL position.
[0016] FIG. 8 is a partial cross section view of the seat and
backrest portions of a chair in the berthing position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] The invention involves a one-piece cover upholstery (e.g.,
leather or fabric) 14 that covers all the visible surfaces of a
typical chair 12, such as a seatback cushion 13, seat pan cushion
15, seat pan extension cushion (not shown), leg rest cushion 17,
and leg rest extension cushion 19. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A-C,
the one-piece cover 10 is comprised of a single elongated piece of
upholstery 14 having a first end 16 and a second end 18, a first
attachment portion 20 adjacent to the first end 16, a loop portion
22 intermediate the first end 16 and the second end 18, and at
least one spring mechanism 26 attached to the second end 18. In one
embodiment, the first attachment portion 20 is a flap of
upholstery, however, a button snap or any other suitable attachment
may be used without departing from the scope of the invention. Two
such attachment portions 20, 26 or flaps may extend from the first
end 16 of the upholstery. The flaps 20 may be attached to the chair
12 through the use of a hook-and-loop type fastener such as
Velcro.RTM..
[0018] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2A, and 7, the spring mechanism 26 has
a first end 28 and a second end 30. The first end 28 of the spring
mechanism 26 is attached to the second end 18 of the upholstery,
and the second end 30 of the spring mechanism 26 is attached to an
underside of a leg rest portion 17 of the chair 12. The spring
mechanism 26 may be a coil spring or any other suitable spring
mechanism.
[0019] As shown in FIGS. 2A-C, the single elongated piece of
upholstery 14 has a first side 36 and a second side 38. These first
and second sides 36, 38 are substantially perpendicular to the
first and second ends 16, 18. A first side attachment portion 40
extends along approximately one-half of the length of the first
side 36 of the cover proximal to the first end 16, and a second
side attachment portion 42 extends along approximately one-half the
length of the second side 38 of the cover proximal to the first end
16. The first and second side attachment portions 40, 42 may each
be a flap of upholstery made of the same material as the other
portions of the dress cover 10. In an embodiment, the first and
second side attachment portions 40, 42 are secured to the chair 12
with a hook-and-loop type fastener. These attachment portions 40,
42 may also be a button snap or any other suitable attachment.
[0020] In still another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2C, the seat
cover has a first section 44 proximal to the first end 16 and a
second section 46 proximal to the second end 18. The first section
44 has a first width, the second section 46 has a second width, and
the first width is greater than the second width.
[0021] In an embodiment, the loop portion 22 of the seat cover 10
is made of a nylon material. The upholstery used for the seat cover
10 may be either leather, fabric, or some other suitable material
without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
[0022] When in use, the dress cover 10 is kept tight through the
spring mechanism 24 mounted rigidly under the leg rest support 17.
The attachment portions 20 of the dress cover 10 (e.g., the flaps)
are wrapped around the seat foam on the seat back cushion 13 and
headrest with a hook-and-loop type attachment such as Velcro.RTM..
The cover 10 between the seat back 13 and seat pan 15 is pulled
tight through a set of fabric attachments from a structural seat
cross member 56.
[0023] The stretching mechanism for the one-piece dress cover 10 is
comprised of two subassemblies. The first subassembly, shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4, is the seat pan stretcher located between the seat
back 13 and the seat pan 15. The second is the leg rest stretcher
located under the leg rest 17, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2A, 2C, and
7.
[0024] As shown in FIG. 4, the seat pan stretcher subassembly is
comprised of an upper link 58, a lower link 64 (one for each side
of the seat) and a connecting member 56. The upper link 58 is
mounted to the seat back 13 through a pivot joint and attached at
the opposite end 68 to the lower link 64 with a free pivot joint.
The lower link 64 is attached to the seat base frame 72 through a
fixed joint and at the free end 70 has a connecting member or cross
tube 56 to hold the one piece dress cover 10 nylon loop 22.
[0025] When in use, the one-piece dress cover 10 is secured over
the top of the seat back 13 through the use of attachment portions
e.g., flaps 20, 26 that are attached to the top of the seat back 13
through the use of a suitable fastening mechanism. The dress cover
10 is then smoothed along the length of the seat back 13 where it
is also secured to side of the seat back 13 using attachment
portions e.g., flaps 40, 42 having a suitable fastening mechanism.
In an embodiment, the dress cover 10 may be fitted over the top and
length of the seat back 13.
[0026] At the base of the seat back 13, the loop portion 22 of the
dress cover 10 is extended between the bottom of the seat back
cushion 13 and the back edge of the seat cushion 15. In an
embodiment, the loop 22 is made of nylon, however, any suitable
elastic-type material may be used without departing from the spirit
and scope of the invention. Once it is extended between the seat
cushion 15 and back cushion 13, the loop portion 22 is attached to
the seat pan stretcher subassembly.
[0027] Once the loop portion 22 is secured to the seat pan
subassembly, the remainder of the dress cover 10 is smoothed along
the length of the seat pan cushion 15 and the leg rest 17. The end
of the dress cover 10 is wrapped around the bottom of the leg rest
19 where it is attached to at least one spring 24 that is connected
at its opposite end 30 to a fixed point on the back of the leg rest
17.
[0028] The invention also includes a seat covering system for a
reclining chair 12. The seat covering system comprised of a single
elongated piece of upholstery 14 having a first end 16 and a second
end 18 and a loop portion 22 intermediate the first and second ends
16, 18. A first attachment portion 20 is adjacent to the first end
16 of the upholstery, and at least one spring mechanism 24 is
attached to the second end 18. A first and second pivot member 48,
50 are attached to opposite sides of a seat back 13 of the
reclining chair 12. These first and second pivot members 48, 50 are
also fixed to a seat pedestal 72 while a connecting member 56
having a first end 59 attached to the first pivot member 48 and a
second end 61 attached to the second pivot member 50 extends
through the loop portion 22 of the elongated piece of upholstery
14. In an embodiment, the connecting member 56 has an elongated
tubular shape.
[0029] In another embodiment, each pivot member 48, 50 is comprised
of an upper link 58 having a first end 60 attached to the seat
back, and a lower link 64 having a first end 66 attached to a
second end 68 of the upper link 58, and a curved section
terminating at a second end 70. In this embodiment, the first end
59 of the connecting member 56 is attached to the second end 70 of
the lower link 64 of the first pivot member 48, and the second end
61 of the connecting member 56 is attached to the second end 70 of
the lower link 64 of the second pivot member 50. The lower link 64
of each pivot member 48, 50 is also fixed to the seat pedestal
72.
[0030] When in operation, as a passenger reclines the seat from the
taxi, take-off or landing ("TTOL") configuration to the berthing
position, the seat back 13 reclines and the leg rest 17 extends
until the seat is in a full flat or berth position, as shown in
FIGS. 5 and 8. As the leg rest 17 extends, the dress cover 10 is
stretched as the top portion 16 of the cover 10 that is affixed to
the top of the seat back 13 attempts to pull the rest of the cover
10 with it as the seat back 13 reclines. At the same time that the
top 16 of the dress cover 10 is pulling the cover 10 up, the bottom
18 of the cover 10 is being restrained by the at least one spring
24 connected to the bottom of the leg rest portion 17 of the seat
while the loop portion 22 is being restrained by the connecting
member 56. This cause the dress cover 10 to be pull taught from
both ends 16, 18, thereby presenting a clean, fitted look to the
seat 12, as shown in FIG. 5.
[0031] When the passenger raises the seat from the berthing to the
TTOL position, the seat pan subassembly causes the loop portion 22
of the dress cover to stretch as the loop 22 attempts to follow the
seat back 13 to the upright position. This stretching of the loop
portion 22 causes the dress cover 10 to be pulled back into the
space between the seat back cushion 13 and the seat pan cushion 15.
This pulling force generated by the loop portion 22 is transmitted
through the dress cover 10 to the top and bottom ends 16, 18 of the
cover 10, thereby exerting tension on each end 16, 18 causing the
dress cover 10 to be pulled taught against the seat 12, as shown in
FIG. 6.
[0032] FIGS. 6 and 7 show an aircraft passenger seat 12 in the TTOL
configuration. In this configuration, the nylon loop 22 is pulled
more than 1.25 inches from its location in the berth position. As
shown in FIG. 2C, the leg rest stretcher subassembly is comprised
of two springs 24, 25 mounted on each side underneath the leg rest
17 that pulls the one-piece dress cover 10 when the set operates
between the TTOL and the berth positions.
[0033] All references, including publications, patent applications,
and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to
the same extent as if each reference were individually and
specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set
forth in its entirety herein.
[0034] The use of the terms "a" and "an" and "the" and similar
referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in
the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover
both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein
or clearly contradicted by context. Recitation of ranges of values
herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of
referring individually to each separate value falling within the
range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value
is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually
recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in
any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise
clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples,
or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided herein, is
intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not
pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise
claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as
indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of
the invention.
[0035] Preferred embodiments of this invention are described
herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying
out the invention. It should be understood that the illustrated
embodiments are exemplary only, and should not be taken as limiting
the scope of the invention.
* * * * *