IP Library Granted Patent US 11,577,838
Granted Patent B2
US 11,577,838 · App. 16/834,175 · Granted Feb 14, 2023

Seat, in particular an aircraft seat

Inventors: Uwe Reichel (Kaiserslautern, DE); Samuel David Pugh (Kaiserslautern, DE); Georg Ruess (Oberarnbach, DE); Jannik Dech (Sippersfeld, DE); Daniel Burgey (Kirchheimbolanden, DE); Stefan Renno (Gossersweiler-Stein, DE)
Assignee: Adient Aerospace LLC
B64D11/064B64D11/0641B64D11/0648B64D11/0643
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,577,838
App. No.
16/834,175
Granted
Feb 14, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A seat, in particular an aircraft seat, having a seat support structure having at least one seat surface with a seat surface frame and a backrest with a backrest frame being pivotable relative to the seat surface, a base support element supporting the seat support structure, and a seat adjustment arrangement, which includes at least one coupling unit movable relative to the base support element, the coupling unit is configured to connect the seat surface frame and the backrest frame to one another and which is provided with at least one bearing element, and which includes at least one guide element in which the bearing element is movably guided. The seat adjustment arrangement being adapted to transfer the seat support structure into a sitting position, a comfort position or lying position by displacing the bearing element along the guide element.

Claims (45)

1. An aircraft seat, comprising:

a seat support structure comprising at least one seat surface with a seat surface frame and a backrest with a backrest frame being pivotable relative to the seat surface;

a base support element supporting the seat support structure; and

a seat adjustment arrangement comprising:

at least one coupling unit movable relative to the base support element, the at least one coupling unit being configured to connect the seat surface frame and the backrest frame to one another, the at least one coupling unit comprising first and second coupling elements;

at least one bearing element; and

at least one guide element in which the at least one bearing element is movably guided, the first and second coupling elements connecting the seat surface frame and the backrest frame, respectively, to the guide element, the first and second coupling elements and the bearing element being connected to one another at the guide element by a connecting element that passes through openings within the first and second coupling elements and the bearing element,

wherein the seat adjustment arrangement is adapted to transfer the seat support structure into a sitting position, a comfort position, and/or a lying position by displacing the bearing element along the guide element, and

wherein the seat surface frame and the backrest frame are pivoted at a same attachment area relative to each other.

2. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein the seat adjustment arrangement is configured to pivot at least the backrest frame relative to the seat surface frame by displacing the bearing element along the guide element.

3. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein the seat adjustment arrangement is configured to lower or raise at least one front region of the seat surface frame in a vertical direction by displacing the bearing element along the guide element.

4. An aircraft seat comprising:

a seat support structure comprising at least one seat surface with a seat surface frame and a backrest with a backrest frame being pivotable relative to the seat surface;

a base support element supporting the seat support structure; and

a seat adjustment arrangement comprising:

at least one coupling unit movable relative to the base support element, the at least one coupling unit being configured to connect the seat surface frame and the backrest frame to one another;

at least one bearing element; and

at least one guide element in which the at least one bearing element is movably guided,

wherein the seat adjustment arrangement is adapted to transfer the seat support structure into a sitting position, a comfort position, and/or a lying position by displacing the bearing element along the guide element,

wherein the seat surface frame and the backrest frame are pivoted at a same attachment area relative to each other, and

wherein the base support element comprises the attachment area in which a rear region of the seat surface frame is pivotably fixed and in which the backrest frame is pivotably fixed relative to the seat surface frame.

5. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein the attachment area is located at a fixed height on the base support element with respect to a vehicle floor.

6. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein the second coupling element is pivotably fixed to a connecting area provided at a bottom side of the backrest frame, wherein the connecting area is located offset from the attachment area.

7. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second coupling elements are hinged together by the bearing element.

8. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing element comprises a rolling bearing or a needle bearing.

9. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein the openings of the first and second coupling elements and the bearing element each have a different diameter, wherein the openings are aligned concentrically to one another and the first and second coupling elements and the bearing element are connected to one another by the connecting element that passes through the openings, and wherein the connecting element has different areas each corresponding to a diameter of the respective opening.

10. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein the first or second coupling elements are articulated to the associated seat surface and backrest frames.

11. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein the guide element is formed as a recess in the base support element.

12. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein the guide element is formed as a separate component and is fixed to the base support element.

13. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein the guide element comprises a linearly extending arcuate or undulating slot aligned in a longitudinal direction of the seat support structure.

14. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein the seat adjustment arrangement comprises at least one motor unit for converting the seat support structure into the sitting position, the comfort position, or the lying position.

15. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein the first coupling element is hingedly coupled to the seat surface frame in the front area that defines a connecting area and connects the seat surface frame to the guide element, the front area located in a front part of the seat surface frame.

16. The seat according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one guide element comprises a slot extending only within the front area.

17. A method comprising installing the seat of claim 1 in an aircraft.

18. A method comprising installing the seat of claim 4 in an aircraft.

19. An aircraft seat comprising:

a seat support structure comprising at least one seat surface with a seat surface frame and a backrest with a backrest frame being pivotable relative to the seat surface;

a base support element supporting the seat support structure; and

a seat adjustment arrangement comprising:

at least one coupling unit movable relative to the base support element, the at least one coupling unit being configured to connect the seat surface frame and the backrest frame to one another;

at least one bearing element; and

at least one guide element in which the at least one bearing element is movably guided, wherein the at least one guide element comprises a wave-shaped slot aligned in a longitudinal direction of the seat support structure,

wherein the seat adjustment arrangement is adapted to transfer the seat support structure into a sitting position, a comfort position, and/or a lying position by displacing the bearing element along the guide element, and

wherein the seat surface frame and the backrest frame are pivoted at a same attachment area relative to each other.

20. The seat according to claim 19 , wherein the wave-shape extends from a lower portion at a front of the wave-shaped slot to an upper portion at a rear of the wave-shaped slot.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 2, 2025
From: ADIENT AEROSPACE, LLC
To: ELEVATE AIRCRAFT SEATING LLC
Reel/Frame 071786/0571 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 20, 2020
From: REICHEL, UWE; PUGH, SAMUEL DAVID; RUESS, GEORG; DECH, JANNIK; BURGEY, DANIEL; RENNO, STEFAN
To: ADIENT AEROSPACE LLC
Reel/Frame 054106/0743 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2019 204 488.3 · Mar 29, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200307801A1 · Oct 1, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,391,387