A seating system and a passenger seat unit for an aircraft

The present invention relates to a novel seating system for an aircraft. The present invention also relates to a passenger seat unit for an aircraft, which seat unit is adapted to provide individual, self-contained seating and sleeping accommodation for a passenger.

A conventional passenger seat for an aircraft comprises a back-rest and a seat-pan that are supported off the floor of the vehicle by means of a suitable supporting structure that is anchored to a pair of seat tracks in the floor. The seat defines a notional longitudinal seat axis, as viewed from the perspective of a passenger using the seat, and a plurality of such seats are adapted to be arranged in rows in a passenger accommodation cabin within the fuselage of an aircraft, each row extending transversely across the cabin, one behind another, with the notional seat axis of each seat substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the fuselage such that each seat faces forwards. Usually, the back-rest of the seat is capable of reclining from an upright position to a reclined position for the comfort of a passenger using the seat during the course of a flight. Some prior art passenger seats, particularly seats for use in business-class and first-class of sections of aircraft, where the pitch between adjacent rows of seats is greater than in an economy-class cabin, also comprise a leg-rest which is hinged to the front of the seat-pan and is capable of movement between a lowered or stowed position, in which the leg-rest depends from the seat-pan generally vertically towards the floor, and a raised or deployed position in which the leg-rest extends forwardly of the seat-pan to bear the passenger's legs off the floor. Thus, it is possible with conventional aircraft passenger seats to obtain a fair degree of comfort by reclining the back-rest and elevating the leg-rest, when fitted.

Whilst the above-described arrangement of conventional aircraft passenger-seats is generally satisfactory for short-haul flights having a duration of up to three or four hours, it is not satisfactory for use on longer flights during which passengers typically wish to go to sleep. Even in the reclined position described above, a passenger using the seat remains in a general sitting position. Many passengers find it difficult to sleep properly, if at all, when sitting. In recent years there has been a significant increase in the number of passengers who regularly make long-haul flights, and there has been a trend in the art to devise passenger seats which allow passengers to adopt further reclined positions during the course of a flight to facilitate sleeping. This is particularly important for passengers who travel for business purposes for whom it is desirable that they arrive at their destinations feeling refreshed and alert.

One possibility that has been disclosed in the art for increasing the degree to which an aircraft passenger seat can be reclined comprehends simply increasing the extent to which the back-rest can be reclined backwards and the leg-rest elevated. In the extreme, it is possible to form a substantially flat bed using such a technique in which the back-rest is reclined and the leg-rest raised, each to such an extent that they are disposed substantially co-planarly with the seat-pan and each other. A disadvantage of such a system is that the pitch between adjacent rows of seats must be increased substantially to accommodate the full height of a passenger. Whilst this is sometimes possible in the first-class area of an aircraft cabin, it is generally uneconomic for a business-class cabin. Furthermore, whilst it is possible to form a generally flat surface which is disposed substantially horizontally, the surface is still not ideal, because the foam or other padding on the seat is generally sculptured for use as a seat, whereas for a bed, it is desirable to have a substantially flat surface.

<patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="GB2326824A"><text>GB 2326824 A</text></patcit> (which discloses all the features of the pre-characterising part of claim 1 hereof) discloses a seating unit for a first class aircraft cabin comprising a secondary seat positioned to face a primary seat, the secondary seat having a seating portion positioned to cooperate with a leg-rest of the primary seat to form a continuous, flat sleeping surface when the back-rest of the primary seat is reclined to a horizontal position. The seating unit defines a notional, longitudinal seat axis, and a plurality of such seating units may be arranged within the cabin side-by-side in a longitudinally offset relation with respect to the longitudinal axis of each seat, with each seating unit being oriented at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft fuselage, so as to define a generally triangular or trapezoidal space to the front or rear of each seating unit (according to whether the seating units face outwards or inwards relative to the cabin). The space is used to accommodate a counter-top to one side of an adjacent seating unit and optionally a cupboard or other storage space. The seating unit of <patcit id="pcit0002" dnum="GB2326824A"><text>GB 2326824 A</text></patcit> has the advantage that by incorporating an additional, secondary seat in the flat sleeping surface together with back-rest, seating portion and leg-rest of the primary seat, it is possible to form a long sleeping surface which is able to accommodate comfortably passengers having a height of greater than 6ft (1.83m). However, the seating unit of <patcit id="pcit0003" dnum="GB2326824A"><text>GB 2326824 A</text></patcit> represents an even greater overhead in turns of cabin space than the conventional system described above. A disadvantage of the seat of <patcit id="pcit0004" dnum="GB2326824A"><text>GB 2326824 A</text></patcit> is that it occupies a very large floor area within the cabin and, in view of its overall length, the seating unit of <patcit id="pcit0005" dnum="GB2326824A"><text>GB 2326824 A</text></patcit> is wholly unsuitable for use in a business-class section of an aircraft.

<patcit id="pcit0006" dnum="WO0021831A2"><text>WO 00/21831 A2</text></patcit> discloses a seating unit which can be converted into a bed for use principally in a business-class section of aircraft cabin. The seating unit of <patcit id="pcit0007" dnum="WO0021831A2"><text>WO 00/21831 A2</text></patcit> comprises a pair of seats facing in opposite directions, each seat comprising a seating space for the seated body of an occupant and an extension space in which the legs of an occupant may be placed. The seats are positioned each side of a notional dividing axis with the seating space of one extending over the axis into the extension space of the other. When installed in an aircraft cabin, one of the seats faces substantially. Each seat of the seating unit of <patcit id="pcit0008" dnum="WO0021831A2"><text>WO 00/21831 A2</text></patcit> comprises a seat of <patcit id="pcit0009" dnum="GB2326824A"><text>GB 2326824 A</text></patcit> described above, but without a leg-rest, and a secondary unit spaced forwardly of the primary seat. Each seat thus comprises a primary seat having a reclinable back-rest and seat-pan and a secondary unit comprising an elevated pad which serves as a foot-rest. The primary seat can be reclined such that as the back-rest is reclined, the seat-pan moves forwardly to meet the secondary unit to form a continuous surface therewith which serves as a sleeping surface for a passenger. As with <patcit id="pcit0010" dnum="GB2326824A"><text>GB 2326824 A</text></patcit>, the seating unit of <patcit id="pcit0011" dnum="WO0021831A2"><text>WO 00/21831 A2</text></patcit> therefore has the advantage of providing a substantially horizontal sleeping surface for a passenger during long-haul flights. However, the seating unit of <patcit id="pcit0012" dnum="WO0021831A2"><text>WO 00/21831 A2</text></patcit> is still extravagant in terms of the space available within a typical business-class cabin and also suffers from the disadvantage that when configured as a bed, each seat is unable to accommodate comfortably tall passengers.

Another attribute of a passenger seat for use in a first-class aircraft cabin is a generous seat width. A further disadvantage associated with the seating unit of <patcit id="pcit0013" dnum="WO0021831A2"><text>WO 00/21831 A2</text></patcit> is that in order to accommodate a maximal head count within a business class cabin, the seat width is reduced, which many passengers find to be uncomfortable. Whilst the seating unit of <patcit id="pcit0014" dnum="WO00121831A2"><text>WO 00121831 A2</text></patcit> has the undeniable benefit of providing a substantially flat sleeping surface for a passenger in-flight, its overall dimensions are such that passengers of above average height and/or weight find the accommodation somewhat cramped. Furthermore, privacy screens are provided between adjacent seating units which, in combination with the total number of seating units provided in the limited space afforded by a business class cabin, result in the cabin as a whole having a somewhat crowded appearance.

<patcit id="pcit0015" dnum="FR987559A"><text>FR 987559 A</text></patcit> discloses a seating installation for public transport vehicles such as motor cars, auto buses and the like comprising a row of seats, each seat comprising a supporting structure for supporting the seat off the floor of a vehicle, a seat-pan and a back-rest. Said row defines an aisle between two adjacent seats. The seat-pan of one of the seats adjacent the aisle can be removed and slung in an inverted orientation between the supporting structures of the two seats adjoining the aisle to form an additional seat in the aisle. The back-rest of the one seat can then be rocked forwards into the space formerly occupied by the seat-pan to provide a replacement seat-pan for the one seat. The back-rest of the one seat thus has front and rear surfaces which can both serve as part of a seat. Optionally the entire row of seats could support a mattress to form a couchette. However, the installation of <patcit id="pcit0016" dnum="FR987559A"><text>FR 987559 A</text></patcit> is not suitable for use on a passenger aircraft where the aisles must be kept unobstructed at all times and, furthermore, a plurality of adjacent seats are used to provide support for a single couchette. Thus the installation of <patcit id="pcit0017" dnum="FR987559A"><text>FR 987559 A</text></patcit> is not able to provide one couchette per seat.

<patcit id="pcit0018" dnum="FR647809A"><text>FR 647809 A</text></patcit> discloses a seating system for a sleeping car in which a plurality of seats are arranged at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the sleeping car, facing inwardly to define a generally triangular space to the rear of each seat which is used to accommodate a small table for an adjacent seat. <patcit id="pcit0019" dnum="GB2362095A"><text>GB 2362095 A</text></patcit> describes a seat unit whose back reclines to provide a bed. The seat can swivel to different positions within a larger accommodation unit for the passenger.

An object of the present invention therefore is to provide improved passenger accommodation for a business-class section of a passenger aircraft. In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide such accommodation which incorporates a flat sleeping surface of maximal length and preferably also of maximal width.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved passenger seat unit for an aircraft, which seat unit is adapted to provide self-contained, individual seating and sleeping accommodation for a passenger, particularly for use in the business-class section of an aircraft where the pitch between adjacent rows of seats is typically in the range of 50-60 inches (1.27 to 1.52 metres).

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a passenger seat unit which can be converted into a bed having maximal length to accommodate tall passengers, particularly those having height greater than 6ft (1.83 metres).

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a seating system for an aircraft, which optimises the use of space within a passenger cabin.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a seating system for a cabin of an aircraft which has a substantially uncrowded appearance.

The invention provides a seating system for an aircraft, as set out in claim 1.

Further features of preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

Preferably said space to the rear of each seat is generally triangular or trapezoidal..

Said acute angle is typically in the range 30 - 60°, preferably 40 - 50°, e. g. 40°, 45° or 50°. Normally, the seat units are installed in an accommodation cabin of said aircraft, which cabin defines a notional longitudinal cabin axis. Said notional column axis may be substantially parallel to or subtend an acute angle with said cabin axis. Thus, within an aircraft cabin, seat units according to the present invention may be positioned in a "herringbone" arrangement.

At least some of said seat units are disposed adjacent a side wall of the aircraft and face inwardly. Preferably, said accommodation cabin comprises two opposing side walls, and a column of seat units may be positioned contiguously or closely adjacent to each wall such that each seat faces into the cabin, with an extension surface behind the back-rest of the seat disposed adjacent the wall. The seats may thus have their backs to the vehicle wall, giving the cabin as a whole an uncrowded appearance.

Where cabin space permits, one or more additional columns of seat units may be provided towards the centre of the cabin. If it is possible to accommodate two central columns of seats in any given cabin, then preferably those columns are arranged generally back-to-back.

Preferably each seat unit further comprises a foot-rest that is positioned forwardly of the seat. Said foot-rest can thus be used by an occupant of the seat to support his or her feet in-flight in an elevated position and/or by another passenger to sit on whilst visiting the occupant. Provided that such a foot-rest is provided, it has been found that passengers do not require the seat unit to incorporate a movable leg-rest as part of the seat-forming means.

In some embodiments, each seat unit may further comprise a first privacy screen that is positioned forwardly of said foot-rest.

Said seat forming means and said bed forming means comprise one or more movable passenger-bearing elements which are selectively configurable to form, in a seat mode, at least part of the seat for a passenger or, in a bed mode, at least part of said flat bed, and advantageously the flat bed in the bed mode is disposed at substantially the same level as the seat-pan in the seat mode.

Preferably, each seat unit comprises a first, preferably fixed, passenger-supporting element in said space to the rear of the seat, which first passenger-supporting element is disposed substantially coplanarly with said one or more movable elements when said movable elements are configured in the bed mode and is adapted to form part of said flat bed. Said first passenger-supporting element may be generally triangular or trapezoidal. It will be appreciated that the first passenger-supporting element is only used by a passenger when the seat unit is arranged in the bed configuration, and accordingly the seat unit may be arranged such that the first passenger by the concave cabin side wall to maximise the use of space in the cabin.

Advantageously, each seat unit further comprises a second, preferably fixed, passenger-supporting element to one side of the seat, which second passenger-supporting element is disposed substantially coplanarly with said first passenger supporting element and is adapted to form part of said flat bed when the movable elements are configured in said bed mode, thereby to extend said flat bed laterally. Said second passenger-supporting element may be generally triangular or trapezoidal. Said first fixed element of one seat unit may be disposed substantially contiguously to the second fixed element of an adjacent seat unit, and said first and second elements may be divided from one another by a second privacy screen. Said first and second elements may occupy substantially all of the space to the rear of the seat.

The present invention thus provides a seat unit for a seating system which is particularly suited for a business-class cabin of a passenger aircraft. The seating system of the present invention provides individual seat units having back-rests and seat-pans and optional foot-rests to allow passengers to rest their legs in an elevated position during a flight. Each seat unit is provided with self-contained means for forming a substantially flat bed, and the use of space within the cabin is optimised by positioning the flat bed to extend rearwardly behind the seat into a space defined by the arrangement of the seat units. Surprisingly, it has been found that in accordance with the present invention it is possible to provide flat beds within a business-class section of a passenger aircraft having a length of up to 7ft (2.13 metres) without substantially sacrificing head-count. Furthermore, the applicants have found that the seat units of the present invention can be positioned to give the cabin a substantially uncrowded appearance.

Said supporting structure may be manufactured from any suitable, aviation standard, lightweight material that is known to those skilled in the art and may be equipped with suitable anchoring means for anchoring the seat unit to seat tracks in an aircraft passenger cabin. Preferably, the supporting structure comprises a pallette or splinth which is adopted to be attached to said seat tracks.

Advantageously, the seat assembly of the invention may be oriented at an angle of between 35 and 55°, preferably 40 to 50°, relative to the longitudinal axis of an aircraft cabin such that an extension surface behind the back-rest element extends into a recess defined by a typical concave aircraft cabin interior wall. Whilst the area of the cabin juxtaposed the concave cabin wall is not suitable, and has insufficient headroom, to accommodate the back-rest element in the upright position, it can be used in accordance with the present invention to accommodate the rear extension surface which forms part of the bed surface in the bed configuration.

Following is a description by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings of embodiments of the present invention.

In the drawings: <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none"><li><figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref> is a sectional, schematic plan view of a front portion of an aircraft fuselage showing a seating system in accordance with the present invention comprising a plurality of individual seat units.</li><li><figref idref="f0002">FIG. 1A</figref> is an enlarged view of part of <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref> showing three adjacent seat units.</li><li><figref idref="f0003">FIG. 2</figref> is an isometric view of the three adjacent seat units of <figref idref="f0002">FIG. 1A</figref>. In <figref idref="f0003">FIG. 2</figref>, one of the seat units is shown in an upright seating configuration, another is shown in a reclined seating configuration, and the third is shown in a bed configuration.</li><li><figref idref="f0004">FIG. 2A</figref> shows a portion of a supporting structure of an individual seat unit of the kind shown in <figref idref="f0003">FIG. 2</figref>, with the movable seat elements removed.</li></ul>

A passenger aircraft generally comprises a hollow, spindle-shaped fuselage having a front end and a rear end. A front end portion 12 of a typical aircraft fuselage 10, which is disposed towards the front end 11, is shown in <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref> of the accompanying drawings, by way of example. Said fuselage 10 defines a longitudinal aircraft axis indicated by the chain-dot-line A-A in <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref> between the front and rear ends, and the fuselage 10 tapers towards the front end 11 to form a nose portion 15.

The fuselage 10 accommodates many of the functions and facilities of the aircraft, including one or more passenger accommodation cabins 20,21. The number and size of the passenger cabins 20,21 provided on a given aircraft depends on the space available within the fuselage for passenger accommodation and on the desired configuration of the passenger accommodation. The present invention is not limited to the use of any particular shape, size or number of passenger cabins. However, in <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref>, which is given by way of example only, two cabins 20,21 are shown in the front portion of the fuselage 12, a first cabin 20 being located within the nose portion 15 of the aircraft, and a second cabin 21 being disposed behind the first cabin 20, with a utilities area 22 being provided between the two cabins 20,21. Said utilities area 22 may include a galley 23 and one or more passenger toilets 24 as shown in <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref>.

As shown in <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref>, an aircraft passenger cabin 20,21 is generally defined by two opposing surface portions 26, 28 of the interior surface of the fuselage 10. Said opposing surface portions 26,28, in effect, constitute opposing side walls of the cabin 20,21. The cabin 20,21 also comprises a floor or deck 30 which is supported by suitable infra-structure (not shown) within the fuselage and a ceiling (also not shown) that extends between the opposing side walls above the floor 30. Said opposing side walls 26,28 are usually lined with a plurality of pre-fabricated, composite panels to give the interior of the cabin attractive appearance and to provide thermal insulation between the cabin 20,21 and the outside of the aircraft.

Embedded within the floor 30, the infra-structure of the fuselage 10 comprises a plurality of pairs of seat tracks 32,34 of the kind well known to those skilled in the art and indicated in <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref> by dotted lines. Each seat track pair is substantially linear and comprises a pair of substantially parallel tracks for fixedly securing to the aircraft infra-structure a plurality of seats or other fixtures. Generally, an aircraft passenger cabin 20,21 comprises two outer pairs of seat tracks 32, each being disposed adjacent a respective one of the two opposing cabin side walls 26,28. Where space permits, a cabin 20,21 may also include one or more central pairs of seat tracks 34 disposed intermediate the outer seat track pairs 32. As shown in <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref>, the first cabin 20 comprises a single central pair of seat tracks 34, whilst the second cabin 21 comprises two juxtaposed central pairs of seat tracks 34. Typically, a central seat track pair 34 extends substantially parallely to the longitudinal aircraft axis A-A. Where a passenger cabin 21 is positioned towards a central portion of the fuselage 10; away from the front and rear ends of the aircraft, such, for example, as the second cabin 21 in <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref>, the opposing side walls 26,28 of the cabin 21 extend substantially parallely to the longitudinal axis A-A of the aircraft, and the outer seat track pairs 32 follow the line of the side walls 26,28 and thus also extend substantially parallely to the longitudinal aircraft axis A-A. However, towards the nose portion 15 of the aircraft, the opposing side walls 26,28 are arcuate and converge towards the front end 11. Accordingly, in such cases, the outer seat track pairs 32 are angled with respect to the longitudinal aircraft axis A-A to subtend an acute angle therewith.

Each cabin 20,21 accommodates a plurality of seat units 40. As shown in <figref idref="f0001">Fig. 1</figref>, within each cabin 20,21 the seat units 40 are arranged to form a plurality of columns 29 as described in more detail below. Each column 29 is fixedly secured to a respective pair of seat tracks 32,34 and extends substantially parallely thereto to define a notional column axis indicated by the lines B-B in <figref idref="f0001">Fig. 1</figref>. As shown in <figref idref="f0001">Fig. 1</figref>, the first cabin 20 comprises two columns 29 of seat units 40, each of said columns 29 being fixedly secured to a respective one of the outer pairs of seat tracks 32. As the outer pairs of seat tracks 29 in the first cabin 20 are inclined with respective to the longitudinal axis A-A of the aircraft, the notional column axis B-B of each of the columns 29 of seat units 40 in the first cabin also subtends an acute angle with the longitudinal aircraft axis A-A. The second cabin 21 comprises two outer columns 29 of seat units 40 and two mutually juxtaposed central columns 29 of seat units 40. Each of the outer columns 29 is attached to a respective one of the outer pairs of seat tracks 32, and each of the central columns 29 is attached to a respective one of central pairs of seat tracks 34. As described above, the central pair of seat tracks 34 extends substantially parallely to the longitudinal aircraft axis A-A, and accordingly each of the central columns 29 of seat units 40 also extends substantially parallely to the longitudinal aircraft axis A-A. In the second cabin 21, each of the outer pairs of seat tracks 32 also extends substantially parallely to the longitudinal aircraft axis A-A, and accordingly each of the outer columns 29 of the second cabin 21 extends substantially parallely to the aircraft axis A-A.

<figref idref="f0002">FIGS. 1A</figref> and <figref idref="f0003">2</figref> show three adjacent seat units 40 forming part of one of the columns 29 of <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref>. Each seat unit 40 comprises supporting structure 42 for attaching the seat unit to the floor 30. Said supporting structure 42 may be fabricated in any suitable manner known to those skilled in the art, but preferably comprises a load-bearing, aerospace grade steel sub-frame (not shown), clad with one or more shaped composite panels. Each seat unit 40 has a front end 51, a rear end 52 and two opposing sides 53, 54. Juxtaposed the rear end 52, the supporting structure 42 comprises a seat housing 43 as shown in <figref idref="f0004">FIG. 2A</figref> which defines a substantially cuboidal recess 44. To the rear of said recess 44, the supporting structure 42 defines a first, substantially flat, generally triangular surface 47 which, when the seat unit 40 is installed in a cabin 20, 21, extends generally parallely to the floor 30 of the cabin 20, 21, but at a slight incline thereto, as described in more detail below. Juxtaposed a first side 53 of the seat unit 40, the supporting structure 42 defines a second substantially flat, generally triangular surface 48 which is substantially co-planar with the first surface 47 and, in some embodiments, as shown in <figref idref="f0003">FIGS. 2</figref> and <figref idref="f0004">2A</figref>, may be substantially contiguous with the first surface 47. Each of said first and second surfaces 47, 48 is sufficiently strong to support at least part of the weight of a passenger. Said second surface 48 has a first concave lateral edge 45 which extends from a front end of the seat housing 43 outwardly and rearwardly to a point 46 intermediate the front end of the housing 43 and the rear end 52 of the seat unit 40. Said first and second surfaces 47, 48 define a substantially linear second lateral edge 49 which extends rearwardly and inwardly from said point 46 to the rear end 52 of the seat unit. Said first and second surfaces 47, 48 thus extend to the rear and one side of the cuboidal recess 44 and define the upper extent of said recess 44. Said first and second surfaces 47, 48 are supported at a predetermined height off the floor 30 of the cabin 20, 21 by the supporting structure 42.

At the second side 54 of the seat unit 40, the seat housing 43 comprises an upstanding arcuate screen 60 having a convex rear portion 61 which extends from the rear end 52 of the seat unit 40 to a rear end of the cuboidal recess 44 and a generally linear front portion 62 which extends between the front and rear ends of the recess 44. Said rear convex portion 61 has a curvature in plan view as shown in <figref idref="f0002">FIG. 1A</figref> which corresponds to the curvature of the first concave lateral edge 45 of the second surface 48. Said screen 60 extends substantially higher than the first and second surfaces 47, 48 and serves as a privacy screen for a passenger using the seat unit 40, around the rear end 52 and second side 54 of the seat unit 40.

Juxtaposed the front end 51 of the seat unit 40, the supporting structure 42 comprises an ottoman which extends upwardly from the floor 30 and has a substantially flat upper surface 66. Said upper surface 66 is adapted to carry a cushion 67 having a thickness such that the cushion 67 is disposed substantially co-planarly with the first and second surfaces 47, 48. Said ottoman 65 is sufficiently strong to support the weight of a passenger such that the ottoman 67 can be used as an auxiliary seat if desired. Said supporting structure 42 further comprises a relatively small, auxiliary privacy screen 68 around the front end 51 of the seat unit 40.

Said cuboidal recess 44 receives a plurality of moveable passenger-bearing elements which are connected to the supporting structure by a seat movement mechanism described in more detail below. Said moveable passenger-bearing elements comprise a seat-pan 71 and a back-rest 72. The seat movement mechanism allows the passenger-bearing elements to be selectively configured to provide a seat for a passenger, as shown in the centre and right-hand seat units 40 of <figref idref="f0003">FIG. 2</figref>, or a bed as shown in the left-hand seat unit 40 of <figref idref="f0003">FIG. 2</figref>. In the seat configuration, the moveable passenger-bearing elements 71, 72 are selectively movable between an upright or dining position as shown in the right-hand seat unit 40 of <figref idref="f0003">FIG. 2</figref> and a reclined or lounge position as shown in the centre seat unit 40 of <figref idref="f0003">FIG. 2</figref>.

Said moveable passenger-bearing elements 71, 72 are attached to the supporting structure 42 through the seat movement mechanism such that, in the seat configuration, the seat-pan 71 is accommodated within the cuboidal recess 44 of the housing 43, and the back-rest 72 extends upwardly from the recess 44 to the rear of the seat-pan 71 and extends transversely between the first and second sides 53, 54 of the seat unit 40. As perceived by a passenger using the seat unit 40, therefore, the seat unit 40 defines a notional longitudinal seat axis which extends between the front and rear ends 51, 52 of the seat unit 40 and is indicated in <figref idref="f0002">FIG. 1A</figref> by the dashed line C-C.

In the fully upright position, the seat-pan 71 is disposed substantially at the same level as the first and second surfaces 47, 48 of the housing 43 and is spaced rearwardly of the ottoman 65, such that the cushion 67 provides a foot-rest for a passenger using the seat unit 40. In the reclined position, the back-rest 72 is reclined rearwardly relative to its position in the upright position, and the seat-pan 71 is tilted slightly rearwardly to provide an ergonomically comfortable lounge seating position. Again, in the lounge position, the cushion 67 of the ottoman 65 provides a foot-rest for the passenger.

Said back-rest 72 comprises a front surface 73 and a rear surface 74. In the upright and reclined positions the front surface 73 of the back-rest cooperates with the seat-pan 71 to form the seat for the passenger. In the bed configuration, as shown in the left-hand seat unit of <figref idref="f0003">FIG. 2</figref> the back-rest is rocked forwardly relative to the seat unit and is partly accommodated within the cuboidal recess 44 such that the rear surface 74 of the back-rest 72 is substantially co-planar with the first and second surfaces 47, 48 and with the cushion 67 of the ottoman 65. The rear surface 74 of the back-rest 72 is also substantially continuous with the second surface 48 and cushion 67 in the bed configuration. The seat movement mechanism includes a moveable infill element 76, as shown in <figref idref="f0002">FIG. 1A</figref>, which is moved from a stowed position to a deployed position when the seat is converted from the seat configuration to the bed configuration. In the bed configuration, the infill element 76 is disposed intermediate and substantially co-planarly and contiguously with the rear surface 74 of the back-rest 72 and said first surface 74. In the bed configuration, the seat unit 40 thus provides an extended bed surface for the passenger, the bed surface being extended rearwardly of the seat by the first surface 47, laterally of the seat by the second surface 48 and forwardly of the seat by the cushion 67 of the ottoman 65.

With reference to <figref idref="f0001">FIGS. 1</figref> and <figref idref="f0002">1A</figref>, the seat units 40 within each column 29 are attached to the respective pair of seat tracks 32, 34 such that the notional longitudinal seat axis C-C of each seat unit 40 subtends an acute angle with the notional longitudinal column axis B-B, and the seat units 40 are arranged side-by-side in longitudinally off-set relation to each other such that each seat unit 40 defines a generally triangular or trapezoidal space 36 to the rear of each seat 71, 72. Said seat units 40 are arranged within the column 29 such that the convex portion 61 of the privacy screen 60 of one seat unit 40 abuts substantially contiguously on the first concave lateral edge 53 of another adjacent seat unit 40. As best seen in <figref idref="f0002">FIG. 1A</figref>, the space 36 to the rear of the seat 71, 72 of each seat unit 40 is thus occupied by the first surface 47 of one seat and the second surface 48 of the other adjacent seat, said first and second surfaces 47, 48 of the one and other seat units 40 respectively being divided from one another by the privacy screen 60 of the one seat unit 40. The space 36 behind each seat 71, 72 is thus used to extend the length of the bed surface 47, 48, 67, 74, 76 provided by the seat unit 40 in the bed configuration rearwardly of the seat 71, 72 into said space 36.

The acute angle at which the seat units 40 within a column 29 are oriented relative to the notional column axis B-B depends on the desired cabin layout. However, typically, the acute angle subtended by the notional seat axis C-C of each seat unit 40 and the column axis B-B is in the range of 30° to 60°, preferably 40° to 50°, for example about 40° as shown in <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref>. The seat units 40 may be oriented to face inwardly or outwardly with respect to the cabin 20, 21. In the first cabin 20 of <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref>, it can be seen that each of the outer columns 29 is disposed adjacent a respective of one of the opposing side walls 26, 28, and the seat units 40 within each column 29 face inwardly. The second lateral edges 49 of the seat units 40 in each column 29 are substantially co-linear to form an elongate column outer edge which extends juxtaposed the side wall 26, 28 of the cabin 20. As a result of the curvature of the side walls 26, 28 in the first cabin 20, there is a small gap 27 between the outer column edge and each side wall 26, 28, and usually the gap 27 is filled using suitable infill panels of the kind well known to those skilled in the art.

in the second cabin 21, the seat units 40 of each outer column 29 also face inwardly and forwardly relative to the cabin 21. It will be seen from <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref> that as the side walls 26, 28 of the second cabin 21 are substantially less curved than the side walls 26, 28 of the first cabin 20, the second edges 49 of the seat units 40 are disposed closer to the sidewalls 26, 28 than in the first cabin 20 and thus there are no or substantially no gaps between the outer column edges of the seat units and the opposing cabin side walls 26, 28. The seat units 40 of the two central columns 29 of the second cabin 21 also face forwardly, but are oriented to face outwardly with respect to the cabin 21. The two central columns 29 are arranged back-to-back such that the second linear edge 49 of each seat unit 40 in one central column 29 is disposed substantially contiguous a corresponding second linear edge 49 of another seat unit 40 in the other central column 29. As with the columns 29 of the first cabin 20, however, the seat units 40 of the columns 29 of the second cabin 21 are arranged such that to the rear of each seat 71, 72, the seat unit 40 defines a generally triangular or trapezoidal space 36 which is occupied by the first surface 47 of one seat unit 40 and the second surface 48 of another adjacent seat unit 40.

A privacy screen may be provided between the two central columns 29 said screen may comprise a movable portion member intermediate each pair of corresponding seats 40 in the two central columns 29, said position member being selectively movable automatically between a deployed position, in which said position member effectively forms a privacy shield between the two seats 40 of the pair, and a stowed and retraded position, in which the position member is removed, such that passengers using the two corresponding seats do not have any boundaries between them in either the bed mode or the seat mode.

It has been found that the seating system in accordance with the present invention allows each seat unit 40, in the bed configuration, to provide a bed surface for a passenger having a length of at least 80 inches (2.032 metres) with a pitch between adjacent seat units 40 within each column 29 of 50 to 60 inches (1.27 to 1.52 metres). In some cases, it is possible to provide an overall bed length in the bed configuration in excess of 85 inches (2.16 metres) with such a pitch.

It will be appreciated that when the movable passenger-bearing elements 71, 72 of a seat unit 40 in accordance with the present invention are disposed in a dining or lounge seat configuration as shown in <figref idref="f0003">FIG. 2</figref>, the space 36 to the rear of the seat 71, 72 is concealed by the upright or reclined back-rest 72. The space 36 thus provides a useful storage space which, in particular, can be used for storing bedding materials such as pillows, blankets, duvets and the like when the seat unit 40 is being used as a seat. Such bedding materials can be stored within the space 36 behind the seat 71, 72 such that the bedding materials are supported by the first surface 47 to the rear of the seat 71, 72. When a passenger wishes to go to sleep, the moveable passenger-bearing elements 71, 72, 76 can be selectively moved to the bed configuration as shown in <figref idref="f0003">FIG. 2</figref>, thus exposing the space 36 to the rear of the seat 71, 72 allowing easy access to bedding materials stowed therein. With the moveable seat elements 71, 72, 76 in the bed configuration, the extended bed surface provided by the seat unit 40 can be manually made-up with the bedding materials by a passenger or flight attendant to provide a fully made bed for the passenger.

In the seat configuration, a first passenger using the seat unit can sit on the seat formed by the seat-pan 71 and back-rest 72, and a second passenger who might wish to visit the first passenger can sit on the auxiliary seat provided by the ottoman 65.

As shown in <figref idref="f0002">FIG. 1A</figref>, the second surface 48 of the seat unit 40 carries a hinged arm rest 75 which is hinged to the supporting structure 42 for swinging movement in the plane of the second surface 48 between a stowed position as shown in <figref idref="f0002">FIG. 1A</figref> in which the arm rest 75 extends substantially parallely to the second linear edge 49 and a deployed position (not shown) in which the arm rest 75 extends substantially parallely to the notional seat axis C-C between the front and rear ends of the cuboidal recess 44 juxtaposed the seat formed by the seat-pan 71 and back-rest 72, so that a passenger using the seat may rest one of his or her arms on the arm rest 75. Alternatively, the arm rest 75 may be stored within a recess (not shown) formed in said surface 48 and means may be provided for translationally moving the arm-rest vertically between a stored position, in which said arm rest is accommodated within said recess, flush with said head surface 48, and a deployed position in which said arm-rest protrudes from the recess to provide an arm rest for an occupant of the seat. This alternative has the advantage that in the stored position, the armrest does not impinge on the available surface area provided by the head surface 48. Another fixed arm rest (not shown) may be carried by the screen 60.

The seating system in accordance with the present invention thus comprises a plurality of self-contained seat units 40 which each provide individual seating and sleeping accommodation for a passenger. Within each column 29, it will be seen that the screen 60 to the second side 54 of one seat unit 40 and the screen 60 of another adjacent seat unit 40 disposed juxtaposed the first side 53 of the one seat unit 40 define a partially enclosed, private space for a passenger using the one seat unit 40.

Each seat unit 40 in accordance with the present invention comprises a seat housing 43 and an ottoman 65, which ottoman 65 is spaced forwardly of the seat housing 43. However, the seat units 40 of the present invention as described above may be conveniently manufactured by integrating the seat housing 43 of one seat unit 40 with the ottoman 65 of another adjacent seat unit 40. Thus, the supporting structure 42 forming the seat housing 43 of the one seat unit 40 may be integral with the supporting structure 42 forming the ottoman 65 of the other adjacent seat unit 40. Thus, the seating system in accordance with the present invention may be constituted by a plurality of seat modules 80 as shown in <figref idref="f0002">FIG. 1A</figref>, each module 80 comprising the seat housing 43 and moveable seat elements 71, 72, 76 of one seat unit 40 and the ottoman 65 of another adjacent seat unit 40. By attaching a plurality of said seat modules 80 to a pair of seat tracks 32, 34 in a cabin 20, 21, a plurality of seat units 40 can be assembled, each unit 40 comprising the seat housing 43 of one module and the ottoman 65 of another adjacent module 80.

Each seat module 80 is attached to a seat track pair 32, 34 at three points as shown in <figref idref="f0001">FIGS. 1</figref> and <figref idref="f0002">1A</figref>. In particular, each seat module 80 is attached to one seat track of the pair 32, 34 at two spaced points 38 and to the other seat track of the pair 32, 34 at a single point 39. Each seat module 80, may be attached directly to the seat track pair 32, 34 or, alternatively, the supporting structure 42 of each module 80 may comprise a plinth or pallette (not shown), which plinth or pallette is attached to the seat tracks 32, 34. In either case, the supporting structure 42 or plinth or pallette is attached to the seat tracks 32, 34 using foot fixings of the kind well known to those skilled in the art. The use of a three-point fixing 38, 39 for attaching a seat module 80 to a seat track pair 32, 34 has been found to be advantageous over a conventional four-point fixing. In particular, it has been found that a three-point fixing allows a greater degree of flexibility between the two seat tracks of a pair 32, 34, thus allowing the two seat tracks to move or flex relative to one another in the event of an emergency landing or crash with a reduced risk of the seat modules 80 becoming detached from the seat tracks 32, 34.

The configuration of each seat unit 40, and the arrangement of the seat units 40 within a cabin in accordance with the present invention, allows the occupant of each seat unit 40 easily to gain access to the seat unit 40 from the aisle and <i>vice versa</i>.