Aircraft seating module

1. An aircraft seating module ( 20 ) configured for supporting an aircraft passenger seat ( 22 ) and furniture ( 24 ) solely on a seat track ( 18 ) in a floor ( 12 ) of an aircraft cabin ( 10 a ) without attachment to a cabin sidewall ( 14 ) surrounding the floor ( 12 ), and comprising:

a seating mount ( 26 ) including a horizontal mounting rail ( 28 ) integrally joined to a freestanding vertical mounting post ( 30 ) at an adjoining elbow ( 32 );

said rail ( 28 ) including a mounting boss ( 34 ) longitudinally spaced from said post ( 30 ) for attachment to said seat track ( 18 ); and

both said rail ( 28 ) and post ( 30 ) include a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart mounting holes ( 38 ) for attaching said seat ( 22 ) and furniture ( 24 ) directly to said seating mount ( 26 ) and in turn indirectly to said seat track ( 18 ) in said cabin floor ( 12 ) for supporting said seating module in total solely by said seat track in said cabin floor without attachment to said surrounding cabin sidewall ( 14 ).

2. A seating module according to claim 1 wherein said cabin sidewall ( 14 ) extends vertically above said cabin floor ( 12 ), and said seat track ( 18 ) extends parallel with said cabin sidewall ( 14 ), and wherein:

said mounting post ( 30 ) is configured to extend freestanding vertically from said mounting rail ( 28 ) and vertically along said cabin sidewall ( 14 ) without attachment thereto; and

said mounting rail ( 28 ) is configured to extend transversely from said cabin sidewall ( 14 ) to align said mounting boss ( 34 ) with said seat track ( 18 ) for attachment thereto.

3. A seating module according to claim 2 wherein said aircraft cabin includes a pair of said seat tracks ( 18 ) affixed to said cabin floor ( 12 ), and wherein said mounting rail ( 28 ) includes a pair of said mounting bosses ( 34 ) spaced apart for corresponding alignment with said pair of seat tracks ( 18 ) for corresponding attachment thereto.

4. A seating module according to claim 3 wherein said mounting rail ( 28 ) is configured to extend transversely from said cabin sidewall ( 14 ) with a rail angle (A) ranging from perpendicular to said sidewall ( 14 ) to an acute angle therewith, and includes corresponding positions and spacing of said mounting bosses ( 34 ) for corresponding alignment with said pair of seat tracks ( 18 ).

5. A seating module according to claim 2 wherein both said mounting post ( 30 ) and mounting rail ( 28 ) vary in cross-sectional configuration adjacent to said adjoining elbow ( 32 ) for increasing torsional strength of said seating mount ( 26 ) for carrying applied loads from said vertical post ( 30 ) into said horizontal rail ( 28 ) and in turn into said seat track ( 18 ).

6. A seating module according to claim 2 wherein:

said mounting post ( 30 ) increases in thickness from a distal top end to a proximal bottom end at said elbow ( 32 ); and

said mounting rail ( 28 ) has a greater structural strength at a proximal end portion adjacent said elbow ( 32 ) than at an opposite distal end portion.

7. A seating module according to claim 2 wherein:

said mounting post ( 30 ) comprises a vertical plate having a pair of adjoining sidewall flanges ( 30 a ) increasing in height downwardly between opposite distal and proximal ends thereof to form a U-shaped channel adjacent said elbow ( 32 ); and

said mounting rail ( 28 ) comprises a horizontal plate having a pair of adjoining sidewall flanges ( 28 a ) extending between opposite proximal and distal ends thereof to form a U-shaped channel.

8. A seating module according to claim 7 wherein:

said plurality of mounting holes ( 38 ) are spaced apart longitudinally along said vertical plate mounting post ( 30 ) and along said horizontal plate mounting rail ( 28 ); and

said mounting boss ( 34 ) is integrally joined to said horizontal plate mounting rail ( 28 ) inside said U-shaped channel and integral with said adjoining sidewall flanges ( 28 a ).

9. A seating module according to claim 8 wherein said mounting boss ( 34 ) includes a threaded hole ( 36 ) facing downwardly for receiving a threaded fastener ( 42 ) for affixing said mounting rail ( 28 ) to said seat track ( 18 ).

10. A seating module according to claim 7 wherein said seating mount ( 26 ) further comprises a cover plate ( 40 ) having a pair of sidewall flanges ( 40 a ) to form a U-shaped channel affixed to said mounting rail ( 28 ) adjacent said elbow ( 32 ) to collectively form a box-shaped cross section thereat.

11. A seating module according to claim 3 further comprising:

said aircraft passenger seat ( 22 ) being fixedly joined to said seating mount ( 26 ) at said mounting rail ( 28 ); and

said furniture ( 24 ) being fixedly joined to said seating mount ( 26 ) at both said mounting post ( 30 ) and said mounting rail ( 28 ).

12. A seating module according to claim 11 wherein:

said seat ( 22 ) is affixed to said seating mount ( 26 ) by a seat fastener ( 44 ) extending through one of said mounting holes ( 38 ) in said mounting rail ( 28 );

said furniture ( 24 ) is affixed to said seating mount ( 26 ) by corresponding furniture fasteners ( 46 ) extending through different ones of said mounting holes ( 38 ); and

said seat ( 22 ) and furniture ( 24 ) affixed to said seating mount ( 26 ) define a freestanding collective seating pod mountable to said cabin floor ( 12 ) by floor fasteners ( 42 ) joining said mounting bosses ( 34 ) to said seat tracks ( 18 ).

13. A seating module according to claim 12 wherein:

said seating mount ( 26 ) is configured in size, strength, and weight to support said seat ( 22 ) and furniture ( 24 ) and withstand operational loads experienced by said seating module ( 20 ) during operation in an aircraft; and

said furniture ( 24 ) is configured for correspondingly reduced weight for being supported by said seating mount ( 26 ) instead of being supported directly by said cabin floor ( 12 ) for said operational loads experienced by said seating module ( 20 ) during operation in said aircraft.

14. A seating module according to claim 12 wherein said furniture ( 24 ) includes a partition wall bounding said seat ( 22 ) and affixed to said mounting post ( 30 ) for freestanding said furniture ( 24 ) atop said seating mount ( 26 ) without attachment to said cabin sidewall ( 14 ).

15. A seating module according to claim 3 further comprising:

a pair of said seating mounts ( 26 ) each including respective ones of said mounting rails ( 28 ) with respective pairs of said mounting bosses ( 34 );

said aircraft seat ( 22 ) being fixedly joined to said pair of mounting rails ( 28 ); and

said furniture ( 24 ) being fixedly joined to said pair of mounting posts ( 30 ) and to said pair of mounting rails ( 28 ).

16. A seating module according to claim 15 wherein:

said seat ( 22 ) is affixed to said pair of seating mounts ( 26 ) by corresponding seat fasteners ( 44 ) extending through said mounting holes ( 38 ) in said mounting rails ( 28 );

said furniture ( 24 ) is affixed to said pair of seating mounts ( 26 ) by corresponding furniture fasteners ( 46 ) extending through different ones of said mounting holes ( 38 ); and

said seat ( 22 ) and furniture ( 24 ) affixed to said seating mounts ( 26 ) define a freestanding collective seating pod mountable to said cabin floor ( 12 ) by floor fasteners ( 42 ) joining said mounting bosses ( 34 ) to said seat tracks ( 18 ).

17. A seating module according to claim 16 wherein:

said seating mounts ( 26 ) are parallel to each other and spaced apart at front and back ends of said seat ( 22 );

said seat ( 22 ) includes a pair of legs ( 22 a ) spaced apart across the width thereof; and

said seat legs ( 22 a ) are affixed to said mounting rails ( 28 ) by said seat fasteners ( 44 ) at both said front and back ends of said seat ( 22 ).

18. A seating module according to claim 16 wherein:

said seat ( 22 ) is affixed obliquely upon said pair of seating mounts ( 26 ); and

said seating mounts ( 26 ) have different configurations to differently support correspondingly different portions of said seat ( 22 ) and furniture ( 24 ) affixed thereto.

19. A seating module according to claim 18 wherein:

said furniture ( 24 ) is disposed on both sides of said seat ( 22 ); and

said mounting rails ( 28 ) extend laterally across said seat ( 22 ), with said furniture ( 24 ) affixed to said mounting rails ( 28 ) at both sides of said seat ( 22 ).

20. A method of making said aircraft seating module ( 20 ) according to claim 2 comprising:

mounting both said aircraft seat ( 22 ) and said furniture ( 24 ) to said seating mount ( 26 ); and

mounting said seat ( 22 ), furniture ( 24 ), and seating mount ( 26 ) collectively to said seat track ( 18 ) in said aircraft cabin floor ( 12 ) without attachment to said aircraft cabin sidewall ( 14 ).