Seat cushion for use by airline passengers
An aircraft seat cushion, combining comfort, durability as well as passenger protection and maneuverability under extreme conditions is provided in accordance with the present invention. The main constituent elements of the subject seat cushion may be effectively combined in a number of configurations. For example, a typical seat cushion configuration may have one or more base or bottom layers of foam or other traditional seat cushion forming materials or alternatively, of a resilient honeycomb material, and have one or more upper layers of resilient energy absorbing honeycomb material which may be considered the main cushioning layer. The cushion may be enclosed in an enveloping cover of fabric or other suitable material.
1. An aircraft seat cushion comprising:
one or more base layers of a first seat cushion material or energy absorbing characteristic forming a supporting base layer, said supporting base layer having a bottom surface configured to conform to a particular type of rigid seat cushion support structure, said supporting base layer further having a generally planer top surface; and
one or more energy absorbing upper layers of a second cushion material or energy absorbing characteristic made of perforated strips or ribbons of flexible, resilient, plastic material bonded together and expanded to form a honeycomb shaped core to which facing sheets of similar material are thermo-compression bonded to form a main cushioning layer having generally planer upper and lower surfaces, the main cushioning layer being bonded or otherwise fastened to the supporting base layer, the combination of said supporting base layer and main cushioning layer being enveloped in a removeable outer fabric cover.
2. An aircraft seat cushion as recited in claim 1 , wherein the supporting base layer is tapered to be thicker in a front portion of the seat cushion than in a back portion of the seat cushion.
3. An aircraft seat cushion as recited in claim 2 wherein the front portion of said supportive base layer is bull-nosed and adapted to wrap about the front edge of a rigid seat cushion support structure.
4. An aircraft seat cushion as recited in claim 3 wherein said main cushioning layer includes a first component part having a first resilient characteristic suitable for supporting the buttocks and upper thighs of a user, and a second component part bonded to said first component part and adapted to having a second resilient characteristic suitable for supporting the lower thighs of the user, said second component part being configured to wrap around said bull-nosed front portion of said base layer.
5. An aircraft seat cushion as recited in claim 1 , wherein the outer fabric cover is made of a fire-blocking material.
6. An aircraft seat cushion as recited in claim 1 , wherein the main cushioning layer includes a centrally positioned honeycomb panel having a first resilient characteristic, and further includes a pair of honeycomb side panels having a second resilient characteristic, said side panels being bonded to said centrally positioned honeycomb panel.
7. An aircraft seat cushion as recited in claim 1 , wherein said main cushioning layer includes a centrally positioned honeycomb panel having a first resilient characteristic, a pair of honeycomb side panels having a second resilient characteristic, and a third honeycomb panel spanning the rear edge of the centrally positioned honeycomb panel and having a third resilient characteristic.
8. An aircraft seat cushion as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the facing sheets of said main cushioning layer is perforated.
9. An aircraft seat cushion as recited in claim 1 , wherein hook and loop fastening strips are affixed to the bottom surface of said base layer and to mating surfaces of one side of said outer fabric cover, said strips being used to fasten said cover to said combination of said supporting base layer and main cushioning layer when it is wrapped thereabout.
10. An aircraft seat cushion comprising:
one or more layers of a first seat cushion material or support characteristic forming a supporting base layer having a bottom surface configured to conform to a particular type of rigid seat cushion support structure, said supporting base layer further having a generally planer top surface;
one or more energy absorbing upper layers of a second cushion material or support characteristic made of perforated strips or ribbons of flexible, resilient, plastic material bonded together and expanded to form a honeycomb shaped core to which facing sheets of similar material are thermo-compression bonded to form a main cushioning layer having generally planer upper and lower surfaces, the main cushioning layer being bonded or otherwise fastened to the supporting base layer; and
a removeable outer fabric cover removably enveloping the combination of said supporting base layer and said main cushioning layer.
11. An aircraft seat cushion as recited in claim 10 , wherein a sheet or layer of foam material is bonded or otherwise affixed to the upper surface of said main cushioning layer and enveloped by said outer fabric cover.
12. An aircraft seat cushion as recited in claim 11 , wherein the supporting base layer is tapered to be thicker in a front portion of the seat cushion than in a back portion of the seat cushion.
13. An aircraft seat cushion as recited in claim 12 , wherein the outer fabric cover is made of a fire-blocking material.
14. An aircraft seat cushion as recited in claim 12 wherein the front portion of said base layer is bull-nosed and adapted to wrap about the front edge of a rigid seat cushion support structure.
15. An aircraft seat cushion as recited in claim 10 , wherein the main cushioning layer includes a centrally positioned honeycomb panel having a first resilient characteristic, and further includes a pair of honeycomb side panels having a second resilient characteristic, said side panels being bonded to said centrally positioned honeycomb panel.
16. An aircraft seat cushion as recited in claim 10 , wherein said main cushioning layer includes a centrally positioned honeycomb panel having a first resilient characteristic, a pair of honeycomb side panels having a second resilient characteristic, and a third honeycomb panel spanning the rear edge of the centrally positioned honeycomb panel and having a third resilient characteristic.
17. An aircraft seat cushion as recited in claim 10 wherein said main cushioning layer includes a first component part having a first resilient characteristic suitable for supporting the buttocks and upper thighs of a user, and a second component part bonded to said first component part and adapted to having a second resilient characteristic suitable for supporting the lower thighs of the user, said second component part being configured to wrap around said bull-nosed front portion of said base layer.
18. An aircraft seat cushion as recited in claim 10 , wherein at least one of the facing sheets of said main cushioning layer is perforated.
19. An aircraft seat cushion as recited in claim 10 , wherein hook and loop fastening strips are affixed to the bottom surface of said base layer and to mating surfaces of one side of said outer fabric cover, said strips being used to fasten said cover to said combination of said supporting base layer and main cushioning layer when said cover is wrapped thereabout.
20. An aircraft seat cushion as recited in claim 10 , wherein hook and loop fastening strips are affixed to the top surface of said base layer and to mating surfaces of said cushioning layer so that at least one of said base layer and said cushioning layer can be separately removed, cleaned and/or replaced.