Abstract:
The present invention is a device which quickly and inexpensively transforms two, face to face aircraft passenger seats into a horizontal bed surface adapted to provide a user with a flat surface upon which a user may lie on their back, side or stomach. A collapsible foundation block is adapted to form a space filling function as to a space between two face to face seats that are secured to a floor structure forming a horizontal surface. The foundation block is preferably inflatable and is supported from a floor surface between the two face to face seats, whereafter a supporting structure of the foundation block rises to a top surface generally parallel to the floor. The elevation of the top surface is approximately a level of a top surface of seat cushions of the two facing seats.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to bed structures having an inflatable or collapsible component. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Aircraft seating for passengers is most efficiently laid out with all passengers seated side by side, with all passenger seats facing forward. A typical aircraft passenger seat comprises a set of supports anchored to a cabin floor, whereupon is secured a seat bottom securing a seat cushion. The seat cushion is a critical aspect of passenger orientation on the seat itself. The top surface of the seat cushion declines rearward from a front edge to a back edge of the seat cushion so that a passenger is urged against a curved seat back when seated. The change in elevation may be slight (such as about one inch change in elevation for coach seats) or may be very accentuated (2-4 inches for executive or first class seats). Seat declination in aircraft passenger seating serves a safety function, in that a passenger is less likely to be ejected from the seat when a safety belt is secured across the passenger&#39;s lap. As such, seat declination from front to rear on the seat cushion is a essential aspect of aircraft passenger seating. 
     A cost of efficiency in aircraft passenger seating layout is that most passengers do find it preferable. Arranging the seats side by side and front to back creates a perception of a space that is cramped and confining. In response, some aircraft manufacturers have created a space-inefficient solution in placing two aircraft passenger seats face to face, one facing to the front of the aircraft and one facing a rear of the aircraft. The two seats are necessarily spaced apart by a substantial distance to prevent stretched legs of two face to face passengers from contacting each other. The very purpose of providing two face to face seats is for luxury and comfort. It would do little good to provide such face to face seats where the occupants were interfering with each other&#39;s leg space. Similarly, the very structure of the seats themselves should provide an above average level of postural and cushioning comfort to complement the luxury appointments of the face to face seating arrangement. As such, the seat cushions of face to face aircraft passenger seats typically provide very substantial cushioning and a rather substantial seat cushion rearward declination to match. 
     Thus, the current state of the art in providing a luxury level of comfort with two aircraft passenger seats facing each other is well known to create a substantial distance between the two facing seats and to provide each seat with a fairly deep rearward declination of the seat cushion surface with relatively soft cushion material. 
     Long flights induce passengers to nap or to sleep for long periods of time. Even the most luxurious of aircraft have generally failed to provide a sleeping surface where a typical adult can stretch out their full length and rest on a horizontal surface. When such a horizontal surface is described herein, it refers to a surface generally horizontal with a cabin floor of the aircraft. The prior art has offered solutions which appear to be impractical or excessively expensive. A simple solution has been to eliminate seats in favor of a space long enough to install a bed structure. The amount of horizontal space required for installation of a bed structure in an aircraft has made this solution impractical. Equally impractical has been adaptation of aircraft passenger seats so that mechanical manipulation results in a bed structure. The high cost of aircraft passenger seats, i.e., usually from $20,000 to $40,000, requires an undue investment in a mechanically convertible passenger seat or seats, an investment which may not be recoverable or which may dissuade the business jet purchaser from making such an investment. 
     An unfortunate feature of mechanically convertible seats in the prior art to form a bed structure has been their lack of comfort. The articulated and segmented nature of aircraft passenger seats into at least two major curved surfaces, i.e., the seat back and the seat cushion, prevents their use in forming a flat bed surface. Moving these two parts of an aircraft passenger seat into a pseudo-flat surface eliminates the ability of a passenger to lay on their side or stomach, in that the surfaces are formed in to conform to a human back and seat. 
     There is a need for a device which quickly and inexpensively transforms aircraft passenger seating into a horizontal bed surface adapted to provide a user with a flat surface upon which a user may lie on their back, side or stomach. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a device which quickly and inexpensively transforms two, face to face aircraft passenger seats into a horizontal bed surface adapted to provide a user with a flat surface upon which a user may lie on their back, side or stomach. A collapsible foundation block is adapted to form a space filling function as to a space between two face to face seats that are secured to a floor structure forming a horizontal surface. The foundation block is preferably inflatable and is supported from a floor surface between the two face to face seats, whereafter a supporting structure of the foundation block rises to a top surface generally parallel to the floor. The elevation of the top surface is approximately a level of a top surface of seat cushions of the two facing seats. 
     In its simplest form, a barely acceptable bed surface is formed by inclusion of the foundation block in a space between two face to face aircraft passenger seats. The bed surface is formed by, starting a head portion, a top surface of a seat cushion of a left seat, the top surface of the foundation block, and a top surface of a seat cushion of a right seat, where the right and left seats face each other and are separated by a space of about two to four feet. However, three features of this simplest example are undesirable. 
     First, the foundation block is not fixed in place relative to the floor and the seats, allowing the foundation block to shift and perhaps become dislodged when a user lies on it. Aircraft travel sometimes includes turbulent conditions or a user may shift their weight from side to side, either of which could cause the foundation block to be ejected from under a user. 
     Second, a user will perceive the breaks in continuity, material and cushioning perception between the top surfaces of the seats and the top surface of the foundation block. These breaks and changes are ultimately a cause of discomfort over a long period of rest upon them. 
     Third, seat declination of the seat cushions will cause a user&#39;s head to be angled downward from a user&#39;s neck, which would typically be supported on a front, elevated edge of the seat cushion. The declination is so severe that a user could not tolerate that position for long. While a small pillow inserted into the rear portion of the seat cushion could tend to provide an effectively more level overall top surface for a user&#39;s head, the pillow introduces yet another discontinuity in the overall resting surface. 
     A bed surface is expected by a user to comprise a generally flat surface from head to feet which is horizontal relative to a floor. 
     In one form of the invention bed device, the above discontinuities and seat declinations are eliminated. A top pad, preferably enclosed in a soft but durable fabric envelope, is attached to the entire top surface of the foundation block, forming a relatively planar first bed surface parallel to the floor. Adjacent edges of the top pad lie substantial adjacent to a upper elevation of the seat cushions of each seat, i.e., at a front edge of the seat cushion. Connected by hinges or flexible hinge-like attachment to the adjacent edges are connection edges of filler pads. Filler pads are adapted to lie on the top surface of a declination type seat and substantially conform, on a underside, to the declination curvature. A second bed surface of the filler pads is a flat topside and substantially co-planar with the first bed surface. The entire bed surface upon which a user may lie on their back, side or stomach consists of a first bed surface of the top pad and two second bed surfaces of the filler pads adjacent to and substantially co-planar with the top pad. The flexible or hinge connection between the top pad and the filler pads eliminates sensed discontinuities in the entire bed surface. 
     In another form of the invention, the foundation block comprises a generally rectangular shape with a top wall, bottom wall, two end walls (abutting or adjacent to the fronts of the seats), and two side walls. Securing means secures the foundation block to the seats. A form of the securing means is one or more generally horizontal flexible belts that extend, first, around lateral sides and a back side of each seat and, second, continue to connections with each side wall of the foundation block. The invention foundation block preferably fills a space between front edges of opposing seat cushions of the passenger seats and is supported by a floor surface between those seats. Adding a securing belt or belts to fix the foundation block to the floor mounted seats provides a very secure base, comprising the two seat cushions and the foundation block, upon which the above top pad and filler pads are supported to provide a flat entire bed surface. 
     A further embodiment of securing means comprises a lateral extension from a side of one or both of the filler pads. The lateral extension is flexibly attached to the side of the filler pad and is adapted to fold down from the side of the filler pad and to be secured to a side of the seat below the level of the top of the seat cushion. Securing the lateral extension to the side of the seat can be accomplished by overlaying it with a flexible belt extending from sidewalls of the foundation block and around the sides and back of the seat structure. Alternately, the lateral extension can be secured to an adjacent surface of a right or left side of the seat by hook and loop fastening means, latches, snaps, or similar devices. It is preferred to arrange placement of the lateral extension on a side of the filler pad so that the lateral extension will lie on a side of the seat without an armrest and/or on a side nearest to a aircraft cabin wall. The lateral extensions, when secured to the right or left side of a seat, dramatically reduces movement of the foundation block relative to the seats. The lateral extension structurally connects a right or left side of the filler pad with the lower frame of the seat, where the filler pad is connected with the top pad and the top pad is fixed to a top surface of the foundation block. Using the lateral extensions in combination with securing means for the foundation block, it is unnecessary to fix the bottom of the foundation block to the floor in order to obtain a structure sufficiently secure to support the weight of a user and thereafter remain in location between the two facing seats. Undue side to side shifting of the foundation block is essentially eliminated. 
     Objects of the invention are:
         1. to provide an inflatable foundation block capable of filling a space between two spaced apart, facing chairs, such as are found on commercial jetliner or business jet aircraft, to form a relatively flat surface, including the seat surfaces of the chairs, to form a bed surface;   2. to provide a pair of filler pads flexibly attached to top end edges of the foundation block that, when the foundation block is in inflated and in place, extend onto the seat surfaces to provide a more uniform bed surface from one end an entire bed surface to the other;   3. to provide securing flanges or lateral extensions that extend from a lateral edge of the filler pads and down against a right or left side of a seat to reduce side to side movement of the entire assembly when in place;   4. to provide two securing straps, each extending from one lateral sidewall of the foundation block, around a backside of a seat or chair and then attaching to the other lateral sidewall of the foundation block to secure the foundation block to a chairs or seats (two straps are provided, one for each chair); and   5. to provide a fabric covered, foam top cushion for the foundation block top surface that is effectively continuous with the tops of the two filler pads so that a user experiences a uniform softness of the bed surface from one end to the other.       

     A user can lie down securely, with or without a straps about their body, for long periods of time on the bed surface. The foundation block can be deflated and other extensions from it folded into a small volume for compact storage. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a prior art aircraft passenger seat, showing a left side curved inward for placing the seat next to an inwardly curved cabin wall. 
         FIG. 2  is an aisle side view of two prior art facing aircraft passenger seats fixed to a cabin floor, defining a space between them. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross section opposite side view of the seats of  FIG. 2  and showing human figure shapes facing each other on said seats. 
         FIGS. 4 ,  5 , and  6  are, respectively, top, side and bottom views of one embodiment of a foundation block with a top pad fixed to its top surface and two filler pads rotatably connected with the assembly of the foundation block and top pad. 
         FIG. 7  is the seats of  FIG. 3  with a cross section view of the device of  FIG. 5  showing a substantially planar bed surface capable of comfortably supporting a user in a lying down position. 
         FIG. 8  is a side cross section view of one embodiment of the foundation block having a flexible fabric exterior and a material filled interior. 
         FIG. 9  is a side view of an inflatable foundation block. 
         FIG. 10  is a side cross section view of the foundation block of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIGS. 11 ,  12  and  13  are, respectively, top, side and end views of a preferred embodiment of the foundation block. 
         FIG. 14  is a partial view of section  61  of  FIG. 12 . 
         FIG. 15  is the view of  FIG. 14  with the addition of a fabric covered top pad. 
         FIG. 16  is the device of  FIG. 4  with the addition to two lateral extensions and two flexible belts for securing the foundation block to the seats. 
         FIG. 17  is a top perspective view of a portion of the foundation block of  FIG. 12  showing an origin and releasable attachment section of a side of the foundation block which is topped with a top pad. 
         FIG. 18  is section  76  of a filler pad of  FIG. 16  including a section of a seat of  FIG. 3  upon which the filler pad is supported. 
         FIG. 19  is the view of  FIG. 18  with the lateral extension folded down against a left side of the seat and secured there by the flexible belt of  FIG. 16 . 
         FIG. 20  shows the view of  FIG. 7  with a reclining human shape on the bed surface. 
         FIG. 21  shows the view of  FIG. 7  with two filler pads rotating about their connections to the top pad. 
         FIG. 22  shows the view of  FIG. 21  with the two filler pads rotated so that their top surfaces lie upon a top of the top pad and the foundation block is deflated, providing a small volume storage size for the invention device. 
         FIG. 23  shows aisle side view of the seats of  FIG. 2  where the device of  FIG. 16  is shown in a secured position with flexible belts extending around sides and a back of the seat structure from an origin attachment to a side wall of the inflated foundation block. 
         FIG. 24  shows cabin wall side view of the seats of  FIG. 2  where the device of  FIG. 16  is shown in a secured position with flexible belts extending around sides and a back of the seat structure to a releasable attachment on a side wall of the inflated foundation block and the lateral extensions are secured against the seat sides by the flexible belts. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is now discussed with reference to the figures. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a prior art aircraft passenger seat  10 , showing a left side  13  a curved inward for placing the seat next to an inwardly curved cabin wall. Seat  10  generally comprises a slightly concave back  11  and seat  12  having a elevated part at a front edge. Seat  10  is adapted to be fixed to a cabin floor by support frame  13  and has an armrest  14  on only one side, a right side. 
       FIG. 2  is an aisle side view of two prior art facing aircraft passenger seats similar the seat of  FIG. 1 , where seats  20   a  and  20   b  face each other and are each fixed to a cabin floor  15  by support frames  13 , defining a space  16  between the seats  20   a  and  20   b.    
       FIG. 3  is a cross section opposite side view of seats  20   a  and  20   b  of  FIG. 2 , showing that seat cushions  12  comprise higher elevation front edge  19  and a lower elevation back part  18 , resulting in a declination from edge  19  to part  18 . Human figures  17  are shown seated on seats  20   a  and  20   b  demonstrating the usefulness of the various curvatures of the seating surfaces of seats  20   a  and  20   b  to a seated human figure. It is apparent that such multiple curved surfaces, if the seat back  11  were reclined into a horizontal position, would be of little use to a user desiring to lay on their side or stomach. 
       FIGS. 4 ,  5 , and  6  are, respectively, top, side and bottom views of one embodiment  21  of center section  22  comprising a foundation block  28  and a top pad  33  attached to cover a top surface  30  of the foundation block  28 . Foundation block  28  comprises a top surface  30 , a bottom surface  31 , end walls  32  and side walls  29 . Filler pads  23  and  24  are connected by a rotatable connection  26  to a top edge zone of center section  22 , where filler pads  23  and  24  are rotatable about an axis formed by connection  26 . Connection  26  preferably comprises a connection of fabric covering filler pads  23  and  24  to fabric covering top pad  33 . Filler pads  23  and  24  each comprise a thickened back section  34  and a thinner front edge section  27 . Filler pads  23  and  24  are about a width of seat cushions upon which they will be supported. Top pad  33  is about the width of the filler pads  23  and  24 . Elevation  10   a  is a height from the bottom surface  31  of foundation block  28  to a substantially co-planar set of three top surfaces, i.e., a top surface of top pad  33  and top surfaces of filler pads  23  and  24 . Elevation  10   a  is equal to or greater than the elevation of the seat cushion front edge  19  of  FIG. 3  from floor  15 . As such, as in  FIG. 7 , the embodiment  21  of  FIG. 5  fills the space  16  shown in  FIG. 3  and fills a space defined by the declination of seat cushion surfaces to form a horizontal bed surface capable of supporting the weight of a reclining human figure. 
       FIG. 7  is the seats  20   a  and  20   b  of  FIG. 3  with a cross section view of the embodiment  21  of  FIG. 5  showing a substantially planar bed surface capable of comfortably supporting a user in a lying down position. Bottom surface  31  of foundation block  28  is supported on floor  15  between seats  20   a  and  20   b . End walls  32  contact or abut seats  20   a  and  20   b  at interfaces  35 , providing resistance to movement of the foundation block  28  in the direction of the seats  20   a  and  20   b . Filler pads  23  and  24  have undersides generally conforming to and supported by a top surface of the seat cushion  12 . It is apparent from inspection of  FIG. 7  that a bed surface comprising a substantially co-planar set of three top surfaces, i.e., a top surface of top pad  33  and top surfaces of filler pads  23  and  24 , is fully supported from floor  15  and seat cushions  12 , which are supported via support frames  13 . The foundation block  28  is adapted to support hundreds of pounds of weight of a human torso with relatively little depression on top surface  30  when a user reclines on the bed surface. Therefore, a user&#39;s head (supported on one filler pad) is maintained at about the same level as a user&#39;s torso and thighs (supported by the top pad  33  and foundation block  28 ) and legs and feet (supported by the other filler pad). It has been found that forming foundation block  28  as an inflatable air mattress with internal structure baffles provides sufficient structural strength to accomplish the objects of the invention. 
       FIG. 8  is a side cross section view of one embodiment of the foundation block  36  having a flexible fabric exterior with sides  37 ,  39  and  40  and a material  38  filled interior. Material  38  may comprise a memory elastomer foam block or similar structure to accomplish the objects of the invention. 
       FIG. 9  is a side view of an inflatable foundation block  41  with end walls  42 , top surface  43 , bottom surface  44 , and side walls  45  with a removable cap  47  which allows for inflation and deflation of block  41 .  FIG. 10  shows baffles  46  extending to connect top surface  43  at connection  48 , side walls  45  at connection  50  and bottom surface  44  at connection  49  to form an inflated structure capable of supporting hundreds of pounds of weight of a human user of the invention devices. 
       FIGS. 11 ,  12  and  13  are, respectively, top, side and end views of a preferred embodiment of the foundation block  53 . Block  53  is generally rectangular and is formed of four sheets of flexible polymer material adapted to be used in air mattresses, such as polyvinyl chloride, where each sheet is joined by thermal or radio wave welding to another sheet along an edge. Block  53  comprises a top surface  54 , end walls  55 , bottom surface  62  and side walls  56 , whose flexible sheets joined at their edges result in excess layers  59 ,  60 ,  64 , and  63 . Baffles  58  separate the internal space of block  53  into seven structural sections  57 .  FIG. 13  shows a broken line, a portion of which indicates floor  15  and an upward sloped portion of which indicates a cabin wall  65 . A portion of block  53  down and to the right of cabin wall  65  is eliminated and the end walls, one side wall, and bottom surface changed in form to allow placing block  53  next to such a curved or sloped cabin wall.  FIG. 1  shows a similar adaptation for seat  10 . The change of block  53  indicated by cabin wall  65  in  FIG. 13  is intended to adapt block  53  for use between such seats  10  as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 14  is a partial view of section  61  of  FIG. 12 , where excess layer  59  is shown formed of joined sheets of top surface  54  and side wall  56  at sections  59   a  and  59   b .  FIG. 15  is the view of  FIG. 14  showing means for attaching a top pad  33  to the foundation block by enclosing a rectangular piece of memory foam  71  with fabric sheets  68  and  70 , both of whose edges are sewn together and to the excess layer  59 . Bed surface layer  69  and sides  73  are drawn sufficiently tightly so that foam  71  will not be dislodged by typical movement of a user reclining upon it. Top pad  33  may also be secured to a top surface of a foundation block by means of adhesive or similar attachment methods. 
       FIG. 16  is the invention embodiment  100  having the center section  22  and filler pads  23  and  24  of  FIG. 4  with the addition to two lateral extensions  74  and two flexible belts  77  for securing a center section  22  to the seats shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . Lateral extensions  74  are connected by flexible, rotatable connection  75  to a side edges of filler pads  23  and  24 . Flexible belts  77  are connected at a connection end  78  to side wall  22   a  of center section  22 . Belts  77  are adapted to extend around right and left sides and back sides of facing seats to which the invention assembly  100  will be engaged to form a bed surface, where a releasable attachment ends  79  are adapted to be fixed to attachment sections  80  shown on side wall  22   a  of center section  22 .  FIG. 17  is a top perspective view of a portion of the foundation block  53  of  FIGS. 11 ,  12  and  13  showing an connection end  78  connected with layers  63  at stitching  82  and with belt  77  at stitching  83  and attachment section  80  on side wall  56 . 
       FIG. 18  is section  76  of  FIG. 16  showing filler pad  24  as comprising a foam pad  93  enclosed in flexible fabric envelope  92 . Lateral extension  74  comprises a rigid plate  89  enclosed in a flexible fabric envelope  87  and having an underside  88  and a rotatable connection  75  by way of a fabric connection between envelopes  92  and  87 . Connection  75  is adapted to allow lateral extension  74  rotate along path  94  so that underside  88  is adjacent to seat side  90 , as shown in  FIG. 19 .  FIG. 19  further shows belt  77  in cross section urging lateral extension  74  against side  90 . 
       FIG. 20  shows the view of  FIG. 7  with a reclining human shape  17  on the bed surface, with a head and shoulders portion  17   a  supported on filler pad  24 , a torso and thighs section supported on top pad  33 , and a legs and feet portion  17   b  supported on filler pad  23 . From this position, a user may lie comfortably on their side or stomach. 
       FIGS. 21 and 22  show collapsing and storage steps for the device of  FIG. 20 .  FIG. 21  shows that pads  23  and  24  fold upward and over toward top pad  33  by connections  26 .  FIG. 22  shows foundation block  28  deflated into a compressed position and pads  23  and  24  folded on top of top pad  33  so that the entire device is stowable into small space. 
       FIG. 23  shows aisle side view of the seats  20   a  and  20   b  of  FIG. 2  with the assembly  100  of  FIG. 16  in a secured position on those seats. Flexible belts  77  are secured at attachment  78  and extend around sides  90  to a back section  77   a  of belt  77  which engages a backside structure of seats  20   a  and  20   b.    
       FIG. 24  shows cabin wall side view of the seats  20   a  and  20   b  of  FIG. 2  where the assembly  100  of  FIG. 16  is shown in a secured position thereon. Flexible belts  77  extend around sides  90  and a back of the seat structure of seats  20   a  and  20   b  to a releasable attachment  80  on a side wall  56 . Releasable attachment  79  is shown in one of belts  77  partially removed from attachment  80  on side wall  56 . Lateral extensions  74  are shown held against sides  90  of seats  20   a  and  20   b  by belts  77  and in the position relative to filler pads  23  and  24  as shown in  FIG. 19 . 
     The above design options will sometimes present the skilled designer with considerable and wide ranges from which to choose appropriate apparatus and method modifications for the above examples. However, the objects of the present invention will still be obtained by that skilled designer applying such design options in an appropriate manner.