Seat arrangement, in particular for an aircraft

The present invention relates essentially to an arrangement of individual seats intended to be installed in an aircraft cabin and characterised in that the first seat faces inwards in the direction of the axis of the aircraft cabin and the second seat faces outwards away from the axis of the aircraft cabin and in that at least a portion of the first seat and of the corresponding first footwell are capable of defining at least a portion of a first bed surface which faces outwards away from the axis of the aircraft cabin and in that at least a portion of the second seat and of the corresponding second footwell are capable of defining at least a portion of a second bed surface which faces inwards in the direction of the axis of the aircraft cabin.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a national stage application of International Patent Application PCT/EP2019/080290, filed on Nov. 5, 2019, which claims priority to France Patent Application No. 1871732, filed on Nov. 23, 2018, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

The present invention relates to a seat assembly, especially for an airplane. The invention can be particularly advantageously applied to aircraft seats of the “business class” type. The invention can also be implemented with seats for other means of transport, such as, for example, seats for buses, trains or boats.

Airplane seats of “Business class” type offer passengers different comfort positions, from the “seating” position to a “lying” position, in which the seat defines a substantially horizontal lying surface for the passenger.

Document WO2015/155687 describes an assembly of individual seats to be installed in an aircraft cabin comprising a first seat and a second seat arranged facing one another. Each seat has a width, which is greater than a width of a conventional seat, so that it allows the passenger to sit in different orientations. For example, a passenger can be seated so as to have his/her body oriented in a direction, which is substantially parallel to the axis of the seat, or the passenger can be seated so as to have his/her body oriented with a non-zero angle up to 90 degrees with respect to the axis of the seat.

A central console is arranged between the first seat and the second seat. The central console comprises a first foot zone and a second foot zone, which are open in two opposite directions. The first foot zone is associated with the first seat facing the opening of the first foot zone. The second foot zone is associated with the second seat facing the opening of the second foot zone.

The invention aims to improve the filling density of the aircraft cabin with such a seat configuration by providing an assembly of individual seats to be installed in an aircraft cabin having a longitudinal axis, said assembly comprising:a first seat and a second seat arranged facing each other, each seat having an axis,a central console arranged between the first seat and the second seat, said central console comprising a first foot zone and a second foot zone,the first foot zone being associated with the first seat facing an opening of the first foot zone,the second foot zone being associated with the second seat facing an opening of the second foot zone,
characterized in that the first seat faces inwardly towards the axis of the aircraft cabin and the second seat faces outwardly away from the axis of the aircraft cabin, so that an axis of the first seat forms a first non-zero angle with respect to a reference straight line parallel to the axis of the aircraft cabin and an axis of the second seat forms a second non-zero angle with respect to the reference straight line,at least part of the first seat and of the corresponding first foot zone being able to define at least part of a first bed surface facing outwardly away from the axis of the aircraft cabin, so that an axis of the first bed surface forms a third non-zero angle with respect to the reference straight line,at least part of the second seat and of the corresponding second foot zone being able to define at least part of a second bed surface facing inwardly towards the axis of the aircraft cabin, so that an axis of the second bed surface forms a fourth non-zero angle with respect to the reference straight line.

According to one embodiment, the first angle and the second angle are opposite one other, when these angles are measured with respect to the reference straight line.

According to one embodiment, the first angle and the second angle are equal to one another in absolute value.

According to one embodiment, an absolute value of the first angle or of the second angle is between 15 and 35 degrees and is preferably of the order of 25 degrees.

According to one embodiment, the third angle and the fourth angle are opposite one other, when these angles are measured with respect to the reference straight line.

According to one embodiment, the third angle and the fourth angle are equal to one another in absolute value.

According to one embodiment, an absolute value of the third angle or of the fourth angle is between 15 and 35 degrees and is preferably of the order of 25 degrees.

According to one embodiment, each seat has lateral sides substantially aligned with lateral sides of the other seat, so that, when viewed from above, the seat assembly has a parallelogram shape.

According to one embodiment, a seat and a corresponding foot zone are separated from one another by a space.

According to one embodiment, the space is intended to be filled at least in part by an attached cushion defining part of a bed surface.

According to one embodiment, the attached cushion is intended to be stored under a seating surface of a corresponding seat.

According to one embodiment, the seat being convertible between a seating position and a lying position, the space is intended to be filled at least in part by a seating surface of the seat, when the latter is in the lying position.

According to one embodiment, the first foot zone and the second foot zone are superimposed at least in part along the axis of the aircraft cabin.

According to one embodiment, the central console comprises a partition wall.

The invention also relates to an aircraft cabin characterized in that it comprises at least one row of seat assembly as defined above.

According to one embodiment, the row is formed by a successive alternation of a block of two seats and a central console, each block comprising two seats facing two opposite directions and arranged back to back.

It should be noted that, in the figures, the structural and/or functional elements common to the different embodiments may have the same references. Thus, unless otherwise stated, such elements have identical structural, dimensional and material properties.

FIGS.1and2show an aircraft cabin10with a longitudinal axis X0, in which are installed several assemblies12of individual seats11.1,11.2. This assembly12comprises a first seat11.1and a second seat11.2facing one another. Each seat11.1,11.2has an axis X1, which is a horizontal axis passing through a median plane of the seating surface and the back of the seat.

As it can be seen inFIG.3, each seat11comprises a seat14and a back15, which can possibly be made in two parts. Each seat11.1,11.2has a width Ls, which is greater than a width of a conventional seat, so that it allows a passenger16to sit in different orientations. For example, the passenger16can be seated so as to have his/her body oriented in a direction, which is substantially parallel to the axis X1of the seat11.1,11.2, or so as to have his/her body oriented with a non-zero angle up to 90 degrees with respect to the axis X1of the seat11.1,11.2.

A central console18is arranged between the first seat11.1and the second seat11.2. The central console18advantageously comprises a partition wall19between the two seats11.1,11.2. The partition wall19advantageously comprises a location for mounting screens, and/or electronic devices, and/or storage compartments.

The central console18comprises a first foot zone20.1and a second foot zone20.2, which are open in two opposite directions. The first foot zone20.1is associated with the first seat11.1facing the opening of the first foot zone20.1. The second foot zone20.2is associated with the second seat11.2facing the opening of the second foot zone20.2. Preferably, the first foot zone20.1and the second foot zone20.2are superimposed at least in part along the axis X0of the aircraft cabin10.

As can it be seen inFIG.2, the foot zones20.1,20.2are each delimited by a bottom21, the bottoms21being interconnected by a common wall22. In addition, the foot zones20.1,20.2each have a flat upper wall23, on which the passenger16of the opposite seat11can notably place objects. The upper wall23can thus be used as a table, a work surface, a dining table, a cocktail table or any other usable surface for a passenger16seated in the opposite seat11(that is to say the seat11, which does not have access to the opening of the foot zone). In other words, part of each foot zone20.1,20.2extends in the space occupied by a passenger16in the opposite seat11.

The first seat11.1faces inwardly towards the axis X0of the aircraft cabin10and the second seat11.2faces outwardly away from the axis X0of the cabin plane10, so that an axis X1of the first seat11.1forms a first non-zero angle A1with respect to a reference straight line Dref and an axis X1of the second seat11.2forms a second non-zero angle A2with respect to the reference straight line Dref. The reference straight line Dref is a straight line parallel to the axis X0of the aircraft cabin10passing through a median plane of the assembly12of two seats11.1,11.2.

At least part of the first seat11.1and of the corresponding first foot zone20.1are able to define at least part of a first bed surface25.1facing outwardly away from the axis X0of the aircraft cabin10, so that an axis X2of the first bed surface25.1forms a third non-zero angle A3with respect to the reference straight line Dref.

At least part of the second seat11.2and of the corresponding second foot zone20.2are able to define at least part of a second bed surface25.2facing inwardly towards the axis X0of the aircraft cabin10, so that an axis X0of the second bed surface25.2forms a fourth non-zero angle A4with respect to the reference straight line Dref.

The first angle A1and the second angle A2faces one another, when these angles A1, A2are measured with respect to the reference straight line Dref as the origin of the angle measurement. Advantageously, the first angle A1and the second angle A2are equal to one another in absolute value. An absolute value of the first angle A1or of the second angle A2is for example between 15 and 35 degrees and is preferably of the order of 25 degrees.

The third angle A3and the fourth angle A4faces one another, when these angles A3, A4are measured with respect to the reference straight line Dref as the origin of the angle measurement. Advantageously, the third angle A3and the fourth angle A4are equal to one another in absolute value. An absolute value of the third angle A3or the fourth angle A4is for example between 15 and 35 degrees and is preferably of the order of 25 degrees.

Each seat11.1,11.2has lateral sides26substantially aligned with lateral sides26of the other seat11.1,11.2, so that, viewed from above, the assembly12of two seats11.1,11.2has a shape of parallelogram with no right angle.

The seats11.1,11.2and their corresponding foot zones20.1,20.2are separated from one another by a space28. According to a first embodiment, the space28is intended to be filled at least in part by an attached cushion30defining part of the bed surface25.1,25.2, as shown inFIG.2. The attached cushion30may be stored under a seating surface14of a corresponding seat11. In this case, the different parts of the seat11(seating surface and back) can be fixed.

According to a second embodiment, the seat11is convertible, via an adapted kinematics, between a “sitting” position, corresponding to the position used in particular during the stopping, take-off and landing phases of the plane, and a “lying” position, in which the seat11defines a substantially horizontal lying surface for the passenger16. In this case, the space28is intended to be filled at least in part by the seating surface14of the seat11, when the latter is a lying position. According to variant embodiments, the seat11can also take intermediate positions, so-called “relax” positions, between the two extreme positions that constitute the sitting position and the lying position.

In the example shown inFIGS.1and2, the aircraft cabin10comprises several rows of seat assembly12. There are two side groups32a,32beach formed respectively by a single row of seat assembly12positioned along a side wall of the fuselage of the aircraft cabin10. In addition, a central group is preferably made up of two rows of seat assemblies12. In such an arrangement, the rows of seats11.1,11.2of the central group are advantageously joined together laterally with respect to one another.

The rows may be formed by a successive alternation of a block34of two seats11and a central console18. Each block34comprises two seats11.1,11.2facing two opposite directions. The two seats11.1,11.2of a block34are arranged back to back. Thus, one of the seats11.1of the block34can face the inside of the axis X0of the aircraft cabin10and the other seat11.2of the block34can face outwardly away from the axis X0of the aircraft cabin10. The seating surfaces14of the seats11.1,11.2of a block34are thus oriented in two opposite directions.

The side groups32a,32bare respectively separated from the central group by an aisle35. According to the configuration shown, two aisles35are therefore provided in the aircraft cabin10, specifically between each side group32a,32band the central group. The passenger of each seat11.1,11.2has direct access to the corresponding aisle35. As a variant, the two side groups32a,32bcould each be formed by more than one row of seat assembly12. The central group may also include more than two rows of assembly of seats11.1,11.2or only one.

Of course the different features, variants and/or embodiments of the present invention can be associated with one another in various combinations insofar as they are not incompatible or exclusive with one another.

Obviously, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and provided by way of example only. It encompasses various modifications, alternative forms and other variants a person skilled in the art may consider in the context of the present invention and in particular any combination of the various operating modes described above, which may be taken separately or in combination.