Passenger seat for aircraft

A passenger seat 100 for an aircraft, including a seat bottom frame 210, a backrest frame 220 and a headrest frame 230 that constitute a reclining assembly, which are supported by a spreader 170 and pipes 130 and 132 fastened to a floor by seat track fittings 110, the pipes 130 and 132 passing through left and right legs 120. A direct-acting-type damper 300 is attached to the backrest frame 230, and an extension member 400 is attached to the headrest frame 230, whereby a structural design is provided in which the reclining assembly, the direct-acting-type damper and the extension member can be easily replaced.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a passenger seat for an aircraft having an improved maintainability.

BACKGROUND ART

Recently, many passenger seats on an aircraft are movable, and are equipped with functions such as a reclining function. Consumption of components constituting movable portions is inevitable, since the components are moved in sliding motion, and load on the components increases and decreases. In many cases, the seats on the aircraft are used continuously for a few years to even over ten years by subjecting the seats to maintenance operations, and the consumed parts are often replaced. Normal maintenance is performed while an airframe is landed at an airport during flight operation, so that the time that can be used for replacing the components is short, and the replacement operation must be performed within a limited narrow space within a cabin of the aircraft.

A prior art passenger seat of an aircraft proposes providing a movable portion retained in a state sandwiched between spreaders, serving as a pair of frame bodies arranged on both sides of the seat, and that moves within a groove formed on the spreaders, to recline or change positions of the seat (Patent Literature 1).

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

In the case of a seat structure disclosed in Patent Literature 1, the two spreaders must maintain a certain mutual distance, and the spreaders are required to be fixed firmly to the airframe via tubes or fittings, to support the weight of the passenger applied on the movable portion.

Therefore, the operation of removing the spreaders in a short time and the operation of attaching the removed spreaders again at a correct distance and in a correct parallel relationship are difficult. Further, the operation may lead to a large-scale operation, such as having to remove an exterior member in order to remove the spreader.

Especially, the components of the movable portion predicted to be consumed are required to be replaced with a more simple operation.

The object of the present invention is to provide a passenger seat for an aircraft considering maintainability, by configuring a reclining assembly constituting the passenger seat for an aircraft that can be easily removed from and attached to a spreader, predicting consumption of structural members such as a direct-acting-type damper attached to a backrest or a hinge of a headrest extension member, and adopting a structure where the members can easily be replaced.

Solution to Problem

In order to solve the above-described object, the passenger seat for an aircraft according to the present invention provides, as basic means, a pair of legs attached via fittings to a seat track on a floor surface of the aircraft, two pipes respectively fixed to a front and a rear of the legs, and a spreader serving as a frame fixed to the two pipes and supporting a reclining assembly of the seat, wherein the reclining assembly includes a seat bottom frame, a backrest frame and a headrest frame, the spreader having grooves receiving cam followers provided on both sides of the reclining assembly, and a cover covering an opening portion provided on an upper portion of the groove configured to allow attachment and detachment of the cam followers.

Further, the cover adopts a shape that prevents the cover from falling into the groove.

Further, the reclining assembly includes a direct-acting-type damper attached to a side portion of the backrest frame, and the direct-acting-type damper is a gas damper.

A pin attaching the direct-acting-type damper to the backrest frame has a leading end portion having a tapered surface.

Further, the reclining assembly includes an extension member provided at a leading end of a headrest frame, and the extension member is attached pivotably via a pivoting hinge to the headrest frame.

The pivoting hinge includes a ball pressed by a spring, a pipe-shaped bushing into which the spring is inserted, and a cam plate having a dent receiving the ball, wherein the cam plate is attached via a pin, and wherein the ball, the bushing and the cam plate are formed of a metal having a high hardness.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

The passenger seat for an aircraft according to the present invention adopts the above-described configuration, so that maintenance operation can be facilitated, and service life of the product can be extended.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 and 2are explanatory views illustrating an arrangement of a passenger seat for an aircraft according to the present invention. A passenger seat for an aircraft denoted as a whole by reference number100is attached to seat tracks10laid on a floor of the aircraft. Each passenger seat100for an aircraft is surrounded by a back shell20, provided with an ottoman30, and arranged adjacent to a wall5of the aircraft.

A mechanic S must perform maintenance of the passenger seat100for an aircraft within a limited space.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5are explanatory views illustrating an outline of the passenger seat for aircraft according to the present invention.

The passenger seat100for an aircraft is attached via seat track fittings110fixed to the seat tracks10disposed on a floor of the aircraft. The seat track fittings110disposed in front of and behind the passenger seat support legs120, and the left and right legs120are connected by two pipes130and132.

A reclining assembly (assembly)200is composed of a seat bottom frame210on which a passenger is to be seated, a backrest frame220supporting a back of the passenger, and a headrest frame230supporting a head portion of the passenger. The reclining assembly (assembly)200is supported reclinably by a pair of spreaders170that serve as a pair of frame bodies arranged on both sides of the assembly.

The pair of spreaders170are coupled via a pipe134.

The reclining assembly (assembly)200includes cam followers240and242engaged with grooves172and174formed on the spreader170, and moves in reclining motion. The reclining motion is driven by a direct-acting-type actuator260.

The actuator260drives a link plate140, and moves the reclining assembly (assembly)200back and forth. The cam followers240and242move within the grooves172and174on the spreader170, and reclines the reclining assembly (assembly)200. Arms142and144are arranged on left and right sides of the link plate140.

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8illustrate steps for removing the reclining assembly (assembly)200.

The spreader170includes a rear groove172and a front groove174. The rear groove172has an opening portion173opening upward, and the front groove174is opened frontward.

FIGS. 9 through 11illustrate the details of the grooves and a cover.

The opening portion173of the rear groove172is covered by a cover180, and the cover is fixed by a screw190.

In order to remove the reclining assembly (assembly)200, at first, coupling portions between the link plate140and the two arms142and144are disengaged.

Next, the screw190of the cover180covering the opening portion173of the spreader172is disengaged and removed from the cover180.

The whole reclining assembly (assembly)200is held by hand, and the rear cam follower240is passed through the opening portion173of the groove172and removed upward. The front cam follower242is passed through a front opening175of the groove174, and the reclining assembly (assembly)200is removed.

Edge portions173aand173bare provided on an upper surface of the opening portion173of the groove172. The rear edge portion173bis designed so that a mounting surface184for the screw190of the cover180can be placed thereon. A joining portion182of the cover180engaged with the front edge portion173ais formed to have a curved surface opening to the outer side. This configuration prevents the removed cover180from falling into the groove172.

The passenger seat100for an aircraft according to the present invention having the above-described configuration enables the reclining assembly (assembly)200to be attached to and detached from the spreader170easily without having to remove the spreader170. As a result, maintenance operation can be performed efficiently.

The passenger seat100for an aircraft according to the present invention can be converted into a bed mode by tilting the backrest frame220frontward. A direct-acting-type damper is provided to prevent the backrest frame220from tilting suddenly and to support the power to draw the back rest frame220up from the bed mode.

A gas damper is used, for example, as the direct-acting-type damper.

A link frame350is arranged along a side frame222of the backrest frame220. An end portion302of a cylinder of the direct-acting-type damper300is attached to the side frame222via a pin330. An end portion312of a piston310of the direct-acting-type damper300is attached to the link frame350via the pin330. The pin330is retained by a snap ring340. In a state where the backrest frame220is tilted frontward, a link plate350moves toward a direction compressing the direct-acting-type damper300, by which the direct-acting-type damper300stores energy.

FIG. 2illustrates a state where the mechanic S is replacing the direct-acting-type damper300.

Since the seat is surrounded by a back shell20, the mechanic cannot access the damper when the passenger seat100for an aircraft is positioned at an upright position, so the seat must be tilted somewhat frontward to allow access to the damper through the space between the backrest and the back shell. As for the seat placed adjacent to the wall of the aircraft, the damper cannot be visually observed directly, since there is a wall.

Furthermore, in a state where the back rest is tilted somewhat frontward, the direct-acting-type damper300is contracted and exerts resilience. Therefore, during attachment, the direct-acting-type damper300must be retained in the contracted state, so it is difficult to carry out the operation in a narrow space where visual confirmation is not possible.

Therefore, as illustrated inFIG. 14, a tapered portion332is provided at a tip of the pin330fixing the direct-acting-type damper300. According to this structure, even if the mounting portion cannot be visually confirmed, or even if the direct-acting-type damper300is to be attached while maintaining a contracted state, the damper can be attached easily with only one hand. Therefore, the maintenance operation can be facilitated.

The passenger seat100for an aircraft according to the present invention can be used in the bed mode, by tilting the backrest frame220and the headrest frame230frontward.

As illustrated inFIG. 5, an extension member400used during the bed mode is provided on a rear surface of the headrest frame230.

FIGS. 15 and 16illustrate details of the extension member400.

The extension member400is attached pivotably to a rear surface of the headrest frame230by fixing an extension panel405using a fixed hinge410and a pivoting hinge420.

The fixed hinge410is fixed to a rear surface of the headrest frame230, and one end portion of the pivoting hinge420is pivotably connected to the fixed hinge410. The extension panel405is pivotably connected the other end portion of the pivoting hinge420via a bracket402.

The fixed hinge410is formed of an aluminum material, so as to contribute to lighter weight. A groove412is formed at a center of the fixed hinge, and a cam plate470is inserted thereto. The cam plate470is formed of a stainless steel or other material having a high hardness, and has a dent472formed thereto.

The pivoting hinge420is formed of an aluminum material, and a pipe-shaped bushing440is inserted to an inner portion of the pivoting hinge420. A spring450is arranged within the bushing440, and the respective ends of the spring450push a ball460. Each ball460is fit to the dent472of the cam plate470, and maintains a rotation angle of the pivoting hinge420. The bushing440and the spring450are formed of materials such as stainless steel and spring steel.

A bushing480penetrates the cam plate470, and a pin430is inserted to the bushing, which is fixed via a washer432and a retaining ring434.

The cam plate470can be replaced easily by pulling out the pin430.

The coupling portion between the pivoting hinge420and the bracket402of the extension panel can adopt a similar configuration.

The seat according to the present invention realizes lighter weight, by only using heavy material such as steel to form portions, such as balls and springs, where abrasion occurs by action, and mainly using aluminum to form other structural members.

Further, the members that must be replaced when abrasion occurs are downsized, to reduce the amount of consumables. Further, the service life of the seat as a whole can be extended by considering the abrasion caused by the friction between the springs and the surrounding components, and facilitating the replacement of the bushing into which the spring is inserted.

The passenger seat for an aircraft according to the present invention is configured as above, so that the replacement and maintenance of the reclining assembly and the direct-acting-type damper can be facilitated. Moreover, the configuration and the material of components of the pivoting hinge attached to the extension member and maintaining the angle of the extension member are devised, so that the weight of the whole extension member can be reduced, and an effect is realized where maintenance such as the replacement of members can easily be performed.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST