Occupant support
A seat for an occupant in a vehicle with limited space in the axial direction of the vehicle, configured to support the occupant in a sitting position and a recline position including a recline position with a downward sloping seat bottom to allow a greater level of recline of the seat and baggage storage in drawer.
1. A seat for an occupant in a vehicle with two seat elements: a seat back; and a seat bottom, pivotally attached to each other for the support of said occupant, configured to enable a sitting position for the occupant and at least one recline position for the occupant, wherein the at least one recline position for the occupant comprises a forward tilt seat recline position wherein the seat bottom is tilted forward such that a front edge of the seat bottom is at a lower elevation than a rear end of the seat bottom, and wherein said seat comprising a plurality of pivoted elements each with a proximal end attached to the seat bottom and a distal end with a crest configured to support the occupant, and an occupant contact surface, that are arranged on at least a part of a space between the front edge of the seat bottom to the rear edge of the seat bottom, wherein each of said pivoted elements has an initial position, a flat position and an elevated position, wherein in a seated position of the occupant at least one of said pivoted elements provides support to the occupant along the occupant contact surface in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to a direction between the proximal and distal ends of the pivoted elements, and wherein in the elevated position each of said pivoted elements engage the occupant contact surface and provide a reaction force substantially in a direction from the distal end to the proximal end of said pivoted elements if there is a parallel relative motion between the occupant contact surface and the occupant, and wherein the initial position of each of the pivoted elements may be either the flat position or a partially elevated or a fully elevated position, and wherein each of said pivoted elements pivot to an elevated position, in response to relative parallel motion between a section of said occupant contact surface on each of said pivoted elements and the occupant wherein said relative motion is of the occupant moving towards the front edge of the seat bottom from the rear end of the seat bottom, and wherein said pivoted elements in said elevated position create a ridged surface on an outer surface of said seat bottom, wherein the ridged surface is formed by said crests of the pivoted elements, thereby limiting the motion of the occupant with support from said ridges, wherein said pivoted elements are configured to support the occupant with said crests by resisting sliding of the occupant under gravity, down the downward tilted seat bottom configured to support the gluteus and upper legs of the occupant.
2. A seat as in claim 1 , wherein the seat bottom and seat back are configured to incline to a substantially flat and inclined surface, thereby enabling the occupant to lie flat but at an inclination with vertical support by the ridges provided by the pivoted elements.
3. A seat as in claim 1 , wherein said plurality of pivoted elements lie across a width of the seat bottom.
4. A seat as in claim 1 , wherein the crests of the pivotal elements are flexible and configured to conform to the occupant and configured to limit a load on individual pivotal elements by distributing the load across the plurality of pivoted elements.
5. A seat as in claim 1 , wherein pivots of said pivotal elements are spring loaded in a direction parallel to a seating surface of one or both of the seat back and the seat bottom.
6. A seat as in claim 1 , wherein the seat back comprises a spine and lateral ribs thereon for support of the occupant and wherein pivoted elements are located on the lateral ribs to prevent occupant from sliding down when the seat is in the forward tilt seat recline position.
7. A seat as in claim 6 , wherein rib widths are adjustable to provide additional support for the occupant.
8. A seat as in claim 6 , wherein one of the ribs is configured to support the occupant across the back below the arms.
9. The seat as in claim 8 , wherein at least one of said ribs is configured to be positioned below the arms and across the chest of an occupant and is laterally adjustable to ensconce a rear of the chest and below the arms to provide vertical support for the occupant when the seat is in a sleeping or extended position.
10. A seat as in claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of pivoted elements, each with a proximal end attached to the seat back and a distal end with a crest configured to support the occupant, and an occupant contact surface, that are arranged for at least a part of a space between a lower end of the seat back to an upper edge of the seat back wherein said pivoted elements on the seat back have an initial position, a flat position and an elevated position, wherein in the seated position said pivoted elements provide support to the occupant that is along said occupant contact surface substantially orthogonal to the attached seat element, and wherein in the at least one recline position each of said pivoted elements engage the occupant contact surface and provide a reaction force in a direction from the distal end to the proximal end of said pivoted elements if there is a parallel relative motion between the seat element and the occupant wherein said relative motion is of the occupant moving towards the lower end of the seat back from the upper edge of the seat back when occupant is in said at least one recline position.
11. A seat as in claim 1 , wherein the pivots of the pivotal elements are angled to a lateral and thereby are configured to swing away laterally from the occupant while swinging up when engaging the gluteus and upper legs of the occupant.
12. A seat as in claim 1 , wherein the crests of the pivotal elements are fluid filled with connections between crests of said pivotal elements to equalize pressure between elements, configured to limiting the load of the individual pivotal elements thereby distributing the load across the plurality of pivoted elements.
13. A seat as in claim 1 , wherein said forward tilt seat recline position is configured to increase a packing density of occupants in said vehicle in direction of motion of said vehicle.
14. A method for a user for storing baggage utilizing inaccessible spaces below a seating surface of occupants in a cabin of a vehicle, with a drawer assembly, comprising a belt within a drawer having a closed position, and an open position, and located below the seating surface of occupants in a vehicle cabin, wherein said drawer is configured to face an aisle of the cabin with its bottom substantially at floor level and a length substantially longer than a width of said aisle, thereby said aisle limiting an extent of opening of said drawer to its open position into the aisle and wherein a part of the length of the drawer is an inaccessible part of the drawer, and said drawer being actuated by an external energy source and has a latch that locks and unlocks the drawer at its closed position,
wherein said method is configured to accommodate the storage of a carry-on bag with a height, a width and a depth, and a top and a bottom, wherein said height is substantially greater than said width and said depth, and wherein said carry-on bag comprises a carry handle on its top, and wherein a difference in height of the handle of the carry-on bag when placed on the floor with regard to a position of said handle from a floor when said carry-on bag is carried by said carry handle, is a drop-height,
comprising:
Disengaging the latch and actuating the drawer to an open position in the aisle, utilizing said external energy source;
raising said carry-on bag from a resting position on said floor by substantially said drop height to a carry position in which said carry-on bag is suspended from a user's hand;
Lowering the carry-on bag into the open drawer;
Using the top handle of the carry-on baggage for manipulating and positioning of the carry-on bag on the belt within the drawer by moving other items on the belt to inaccessible space within the drawer;
Using said external energy source to shut the drawer and latch the drawer.
15. A method for a user for storing baggage as in claim 14 , wherein:
the external energy source for actuating the closing of the drawer is a kick action on the drawer;
a dis-engagement of the latch on the drawer is achieved with a kicking action;
said external energy source for actuating the opening of said drawer comprises energy stored in a spring that is compressed with a kicking action for closing the drawer.
16. A method for a user for storing baggage as in claim 14 , wherein supporting rollers are deployed along the length of the belt for support of an upper stretch of the belt.
17. A method for a user for storing baggage as in claim 14 , wherein moving the belt is by an actuator.
18. A method of using a storage drawer assembly with a drawer attached below seating in a vehicle wherein said vehicle is an aircraft with a cabin, wherein a drawer is configured to face an aisle of the aircraft cabin with its bottom substantially at floor level, and a length of said drawer is substantially longer than a width of said aisle, thereby said aisle limiting an extent of opening of said drawer to its open state into the aisle and wherein a part of the length of the drawer is an inaccessible part of the drawer, and wherein the drawer assembly comprises a belt with a ratchet arrangement with a first position and a second position wherein said ratchet limits relative motion of the belt with regard to the drawer to one of two opposing directions determined by the ratchet position, and wherein said belt is configured to move in the directions of motion of the drawer, such that upon placing a piece of baggage by the user on the belt in the drawer, a bag can move with the belt to the inaccessible part of the drawer, said drawer having a closed position and an open position, comprising:
placing a piece of baggage on a belt located within the drawer;
closing the drawer;
maintaining a substantially constant position on the belt of the baggage with an engaged ratchet in a first position preventing motion of the belt in a direction opposite the direction of closing of the drawer;
translating with an inertial loading the piece of baggage towards the back of the drawer along a length of the drawer when the drawer reaches a substantially closed position;
actuating a ratchet switch arrangement to a second position;
reopening the drawer;
maintaining a substantially constant position on the belt of the baggage with an engaged ratchet in a second position preventing motion of the belt in a direction opposite the direction of opening of the drawer;
translating with the inertial loading the piece of baggage towards the front of the drawer along the length of the drawer.
19. A method of using a storage drawer as in claim 18 , further comprising:
a spring loading of the drawer and a latch attached to the drawer that locks and unlocks upon successive pushes of the drawer to the closed position,
wherein an operation of loading the drawer with baggage does not require occupant to bend down and comprises:
kicking said drawer with a foot to release said drawer;
upon release of said drawer from said locked state to said unlocked state allowing said drawer to slide to an open position;
positioning baggage on said belt within said drawer;
kicking said drawer a subsequent time to slide said drawer from said open position to a closed position against spring action and engaging said drawer in said locked state.
20. A method as in claim 18 , wherein actuating a ratchet switch arrangement, comprises a user setting the ratchet switch.
21. A storage drawer assembly with a drawer attached below seating in a vehicle wherein said vehicle is an aircraft with a cabin, wherein said drawer is configured to face an aisle of the aircraft cabin with its bottom substantially at floor level, and a length of said drawer is configured to be substantially longer than the width of said aisle, thereby said aisle limiting an extent of opening of said drawer to its open state into the aisle and wherein a part of the length of the drawer is an inaccessible part of the drawer further comprising:
a belt extending along the length of the drawer and configured to move in the directions of the drawer;
a ratchet arrangement on the belt with a first position and a second position wherein said ratchet arrangement limits relative motion of the belt with regard to the drawer to one of two opposing directions determined by the ratchet position being in a first position or a second position,
thereby, when a piece of baggage is placed by the user on the belt in the open drawer with the ratchet arrangement in the first position, in which position said ratchet engagement constrains the belt from movement relative to the moving drawer caused by an inertial loading of said piece of baggage as the drawer is closed towards the inaccessible part of the drawer, and thereafter when the drawer becomes stationary as it reaches the closed position, said belt is unconstrained by the ratchet arrangement to move with the inertial loading of the bag relative to the drawer towards the inaccessible part of the drawer and conversely,
when the drawer is opened, with said piece of baggage on the belt in the closed drawer with the ratchet arrangement in the second position, in which position said ratchet engagement constrains the belt from movement relative to the moving drawer caused by an inertial loading of said piece of baggage as the drawer is opened towards the open state, and thereafter when the drawer becomes stationary as it reaches the open position, said belt is unconstrained by the ratchet arrangement to move with the inertial loading of the bag relative to the drawer towards an accessible front of the drawer.