Aircraft passenger seat with forward arm rest pivot

1. A passenger seat with increased knee space for an aft-seated passenger, comprising:

(a) a seat base for being attached to a supporting deck;

(b) at least one stationary seat frame including a seal back and seat bottom carried by the seat base, wherein said seat back includes first and second spaced-apart aft-facing concave, inwardly-dished areas for accommodating the knees of an aft-seated passenger;

(c) a unitary seating element, comprising:

(i) a pair of laterally spaced-apart seat frames carried by the seat base, each of said seat frames defining a curved shape corresponding to a profile of an anatomically-appropriate seat bottom and seat back;

(ii) a curved, semi-rigid diaphragm support carried by respective seat frames in alignment with the curved shape of the seat frames and mounted for movement relative to the seat frames between a first upright position and a second, reclined position; and

(iii) a diaphragm positioned under tension on the diaphragm support for providing a continuous seat bottom and seat back support surface for a seat occupant;

(d) at least one arm rest pivotally-mounted to the seat frame for pivotal movement between:

(i) a use position with an upper support surface in a horizontal position for supporting a forearm of a passenger seated in the seat; and

(ii) a stowed position wherein the upper support surface of the arm rest is perpendicular to the use position;

(e) the arm rest being mounted on the seat frame at a point forward of said inwardly-dished areas and above a point defined by the seat bottom such that the knees of an aft-seated passenger can occupy space behind the arm rest and within respective ones of said inwardly-dished areas.

2. A passenger seat according to claim 1 , wherein said seat frame includes an arm rest frame member extending diagonally between the seat back and the seat bottom and on which the arm rest is pivotally-mounted.

3. A passenger seat according to claim 1 , and including stretchers attached to and extending between opposed sides of the diaphragm support for maintaining the diaphragm support in a spaced-apart condition with the diaphragm in tension.

4. A passenger seat according to claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm support is carried in alignment with the curved shape of the seat frames and mounted for movement relative to the seat frames by a plurality of spaced-apart pairs of opposed rollers carried by the seat frames and between which the diaphragm support is captured for movement.

5. A passenger seat according to claim 4 , wherein said diaphragm comprises a fabric.

6. A passenger seat according to claim 4 , wherein said diaphragm support comprises carbon fiber material.

7. A passenger seat with increased knee space for an aft-seated passenger, comprising:

(a) a seat base for being attached to a supporting deck;

(b) at least one stationary seat frame including a seat back and seat bottom carried by the seat base, wherein said seat back includes first and second spaced-apart aft-facing concave, inwardly-dished areas for accommodating the knees of an aft-seated passenger;

(c) at least one arm rest pivotally-mounted to the seat frame for pivotal movement between:

(i) a use position with an upper support surface in a horizontal position for supporting a forearm of a passenger seated in the seat; and

(ii) a stowed position wherein the upper support surface of the arm rest is perpendicular to the use position;

(d) the arm rest being mounted on the seat frame at a point forward of said inwardly-dished areas and above a point defined by the seat bottom such that the knees of an aft-seated passenger can occupy space behind the arm rest and within respective ones of said inwardly-dished areas; and

(e) a leg rest assembly mounted proximate a front edge of the seat bottom and movable between a stowed position perpendicular to the seat bottom and a support position extending outwardly from the seat bottom and forming an extension thereof for supporting legs of the passenger when the seat is in the reclining position.