Passenger seat with drop-down armrest assembly

1. A seat, comprising

(a) a seat base;

(b) a seat bottom and seat back operatively associated with the base;

(c) an endbay assembly defining an armrest housing positioned to one side of the seat bottom; and

(d) an armrest assembly having an upper arm support surface positioned in the armrest assembly of the endbay assembly and selectively moveable between a raised position extended from the armrest housing and a lowered position within the armrest housing with the upper arm support surface aligned with a seating surface of the seat bottom for facilitating lateral ingress and egress of a seat occupant from a position to and from one side of the seat, wherein:

(i) the endbay assembly includes a structural plate on which is mounted a lock assembly that maintains the armrest in its lowered position in the endbay assembly when stowed;

(ii) the structural plate includes a tray table spring reel connected by cabling to the armrest to provide a spring assist in lifting the tray able into its upper, deployed position; and

(iii) the aircraft passenger seat further includes a vertically-extending stationary tray table rack cooperating with a tray table rack gear carried by the armrest to guide the tray table during movement.

2. A seat according to claim 1 , wherein the seat includes a head rest mounted on a top end of the seat back and a leg rest and foot rest mounted forward of the seat bottom and adapted to move between a stowed position and a deployed, extended position to support the legs and feet of the seat occupant in an elevated condition.

3. A seat according to claim 1 , wherein the armrest assembly includes a tray table carried by the armrest assembly and moveable between a lowered, stowed position against a major vertical surface of the armrest assembly and a raised, deployed position perpendicular to the major vertical surface of the armrest assembly and extending at least partially laterally across and above the seat bottom.

4. A seat according to claim 3 , wherein the tray table includes a cantilevered support arm connecting the tray table to the armrest assembly and supporting the tray table in its deployed position.

5. A seat according to claim 1 , wherein the upper arm support surface comprises a padded armcap.

6. A seat according to claim 5 , wherein the padded armcap is mounted by one side to the armrest assembly and comprises a top-opening cover for covering and enclosing the endbay assembly.

7. A seat according to claim 1 , and including an armrest spring reel and an armrest rack cooperating with an armrest rack gear for providing a spring assist when being moved to its upper position extended from the armrest housing.

8. An aircraft passenger seat, comprising:

(a) a seat base;

(b) a seat bottom and seat back operatively associated with the base, a head rest mounted on a top end of the seat back and a leg rest and foot rest mounted forward of the seat bottom and adapted to move between a stowed position and a deployed, extended position to support the legs and feet of a seat occupant in an elevated condition;

(c) an endbay assembly defining an armrest housing positioned to one side of the seat bottom and including a structural plate on which is mounted a lock assembly that maintains the armrest in its lowered position in the endbay assembly when stowed;

(d) an armrest assembly, including an upper arm support surface defined by an armcap, positioned on the endbay assembly and selectively moveable between a raised position extended from the armrest housing, and a lowered position within the armrest housing with the upper arm support surface aligned with a seating surface of the seat bottom for facilitating lateral ingress and egress to the seat of a seat occupant from a position to one side of the seat; and

(e) a tray table carried by the armrest assembly and moveable between a lowered, stowed position against a major vertical surface of the armrest assembly and a raised, deployed position perpendicular to the major vertical surface of the armrest assembly and extending at least partially laterally across and above the seat bottom, and a tray table spring reel connected by cabling to the armrest to provide a spring assist in lifting the tray table into its upper, deployed position, wherein:

(i) the armcap is mounted by one side to the endbay assembly and comprises a top-opening cover for covering the endbay assembly; and

(ii) the aircraft passenger seat further comprises a vertically-extending stationary tray table rack cooperating with a tray table rack gear carried by the armrest to guide the tray table during movement.

9. An aircraft passenger seat according to claim 8 , wherein the tray table includes a cantilevered support arm that connects the tray table to the armrest assembly and supports the tray table in its deployed position.

10. An aircraft passenger seat according to claim 8 , and including an armrest spring reel and an armrest rack cooperating with an armrest rack gear for providing a spring assist when being moved to its upper position extended from the armrest housing.

11. An aircraft passenger seat, comprising:

(a) a seat base;

(b) a seat bottom and seat back operatively associated with the base, a head rest mounted on a top end of the seat back and a leg rest and foot rest mounted forward of the seat bottom and adapted to move between a stowed position and a deployed, extended position to support the legs and feet of a seat occupant in an elevated condition;

(c) an endbay assembly defining an armrest housing positioned to one side of the seat bottom and including a structural plate on which is mounted a lock assembly that maintains the armrest in its lowered position in the endbay assembly when stowed;

(d) an armrest assembly, including an upper arm support surface defined by an armcap, positioned on the endbay assembly and selectively moveable between a raised position extended from the armrest housing, and a lowered position within the armrest housing with the upper arm support surface aligned with a seating surface of the seat bottom for facilitating lateral ingress and egress to the seat of a seat occupant from a position to one side of the seat; and

(e) a tray table carried by the armrest assembly and moveable between a lowered, stowed position against a major vertical surface of the armrest assembly and a raised, deployed position perpendicular to the major vertical surface of the armrest assembly and extending at least partially laterally across and above the seat bottom, and a tray table spring reel connected by cabling to the armrest to provide a spring assist in lifting the tray table into its upper, deployed position; and an armrest spring reel and an armrest rack cooperating with an armrest rack gear for providing a spring assist when being moved to its upper position extended from the armrest housing.

12. An aircraft passenger seat according to claim 11 , wherein the tray table includes a cantilevered support arm that connects the tray table to the armrest assembly and supports the tray table in its deployed position.

13. An aircraft passenger seat according to claim 11 , wherein the armcap is mounted by one side to the endbay assembly and comprises a top-opening cover for covering the endbay assembly.

14. An aircraft passenger seat according to claim 13 , and including a vertically-extending stationary tray table rack cooperating with a tray table rack gear carried by the armrest to guide the tray table during movement.