Abstract:
An automatic controlled Three Position Anti-clotting Upright Reclinable Passenger Seat Assembly which will allow the passenger to rest on a sloped reclining position with the extended legs which reduces the risk of blood clotting while providing a reclinable seat for reading as well as a safe seat for take-off and landing.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 4,157,797 
                 June 1979 
                 Fox 
                 244/122R 
               
               
                   
                 4,536,027 
                 August 1985 
                 Brennan 
                 297/124  
               
               
                   
                 5,174,526 
                 December 1992 
                 Kanigowski 
                 244/122R 
               
               
                   
                 5,556,167 
                 September 1996 
                 Johnson 
                 297/423 
               
               
                   
                 5,628,547 
                 August 1997 
                 Matsumiya 
                 297/354 
               
               
                   
                 5,636,898 
                 June 1997 
                 Dixon et al. 
                 297/316 
               
               
                   
                 5,740,989 
                 June 1998 
                 Daines 
                 244/118 
               
               
                   
                 6,227,489 
                 July 2001 
                 Kitamoto et al. 
                 244/118.5 
               
               
                   
                 6,241,188 
                 June 2001 
                 Simpson et al. 
                 244/122 
               
               
                   
                 6,276,635 
                 August 2001 
                 Ferry et al. 
                 244/118.6 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     This invention is not Federally Sponsored.  
       DESCRIPTION OF ATTACHED APPENDIX  
       [0003]     No appendix is attached.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     This invention relates generally to the field of transportation and more specifically to a Three Position Anti-clotting Upright Reclinable Passenger Seat.  
         [0005]     Most airlines passengers seats today only offer two basic positions a) take-off and landing and b) reading reclined position. Both seat positions are very tiring on long trips, especially for people fifty years old and older. For older people long flights become a deadly medical liability as the prolonged seating position causes a fatal clinical condition called “Deep Vein Thrombosis” (DVT) caused by blood clotting in the legs.  
         [0006]     According to E. Library, an expert on DVT, “Blood clots may affect one in ten passengers”. With long flights, extending over two hours or intercontinental flights, there is an increase of DVT lawsuits from the flying population which clearly puts pressure on the airline industry to find an effective solution to promote a better passenger seat and or to eliminate, decrease or find a solution to the increasing amount of lawsuits brought to their steps because of this fatal affliction.  
         [0007]     The deficiency on the current art of passenger seating is the fact that either seating position choice offered today is too tiring and crunched for long flights, and there is a need to stretch the legs for medical reasons as well as the idea of increasing comfort for passengers wanting to sleep and relax in a more reclinable position.  
         [0008]     Most experts on the subject of Deep Vein Thrombosis agree that such blood clots seem to be on the rise affecting people of all ages and primarily affecting older (which is growing in number with the baby boomers) and high-risk people. So the advise from the experts to prevent this condition is to move around as much as possible as well as flex and stretch the legs during the flight.  
         [0009]     This new invention promotes the reduction of DVT by allowing the passenger to adopt a more sloped and reclinable position and stretch out their legs during long flights, especially intercontinental flights.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     The primary objective of the invention is to meet the safety transportation requirements for passenger seat regulations especially during take-off and landing while allowing the passengers have a less risk from the Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) point of view by providing a reclinable position.  
         [0011]     Secondary objective of the invention is to provide a more comfortable method for naturally extending the legs on long trips to reduce the risk of DVT as well as to providing more restful sleeping and a comfortable alternative than the present two positions seating available today on long flights.  
         [0012]     Another object of the invention is the better utilization of the regular or same amount of space available today for the regular two position seat in a more efficient manner and to use of the space available for today&#39;s long national or international flights, which, in turn, allows for the airlines to try to capture as much profit as possible.  
         [0013]     Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic sequencing positioning mechanism that can be controlled via electric automatic controls or manually thru a manual crank  505 . This crank is used primarily as a back up mechanism.  
         [0014]     Other objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed in  FIG. 1   a ,  1   b  and  1   c.    
         [0015]     According to the new invention, the new passenger seat is an apparatus which allows the passenger to chose any of the three positions for take-off and landing, for reading or rest seating and an upright reclinable stretched position for allowing the legs to be in a more natural position. The passenger thru the electrical controls or others and the positioning mechanisms is able to choose the position of the seat to his preference during the flight and during take-off and landing as per the applicable transportation regulations.  
         [0016]     In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is a disclosed a Three Position Anti-clotting Upright Reclinable Passenger Seat apparatus comprising of several members, those elements being the main seat base  100 , the backrest  200 , the sub-back seat  201 , the seat pan  300 , the foot rest  400  and the positioning mechanism of elements group  500 . This three position seat will allow a person to rest and or sleep on a more natural sloped reclining position with the extended legs while providing a regular reclinable seat for reading as well as a up right safe seat position for take-off and landing.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]     The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 1   a  is a schematic view of the seat shown in the regular and known landing and take-off position.  
         [0019]      FIG. 1   b  is a schematic view of the seat shown in the regular and known reading position.  
         [0020]      FIG. 1   c  is a schematic view of the newly invented seat in the reclining stretch position.  
         [0021]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view showing the main elements of the invention, the main seat base element  100 , the seat back element  200 , the sub seat back element  201 , the seat pan element  300 , and the leg rest element  400 . It also shows elements  302 ,  304 ,  402  and  207  which are the main forces acting out the positioning of the sub back seat  201  and the pan seat element  300  to attain the herein three seat positions. Sub back seat elements  201  attached at the lower end and the seat pan element  300  attached at the upper end are anchored to a horizontal longitudinal hinged  206  of the length of the elements to provide union and hinged action when transitioning from reading to upright reclinable position and back.  
         [0022]     The sub back seat element  201  is anchored at the upper end by a horizontal longitudinal bar element  205  and seat pan element  300  is anchored at the bottom by element  302 .  
         [0023]     Element  302  hinged at position  303  and moved by element  510  provides the upward and downward vector force to move and position seat pan element  300  as desired. Element  207  is a spring which compresses during the take-off and landing position and expands and helps the sub back element  201  to go to the upright reclinable positioning by expanding.  
         [0024]     Seat pan element  300  is connected at the lower end to a horizontal longitudinal bar element  301  which is supported at the bottom by element  304 . Element  304  hinged at position  301  and moved by element  305  provides the upward and downward vector force to move the seat pan element  300  as desired to obtain the desired position.  
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is a schematic detailed view showing the main components of the invention in the upright reclinable position. Please notice that spring element  207  is in the relaxed expanded position during the upright reclinable position.  
         [0026]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the seat in the landing and take-off position. Please notice a spring element  207  in the compressed mode.  
         [0027]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of the seat in the reading position. Please notice that spring element  207  is still in the compressed mode.  
         [0028]      FIG. 5  is a front and top view schematic of main seat frame  100  with a motorized as well as manual positioning multi element mechanism  500 . The manual crank element  505  is a manual backup system to rotate shaft element  500 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0029]     In accordance with the invention,  FIGS. 1   a ,  1   b , and  1   c  shows schematically the relative position of a row of seats and particularly the new upright reclining position in  FIG. 1   c . The upright reclining position ( FIG. 1   c ) demonstrates the legs in a more naturally stretched position which promotes the anti-clotting feature desired for the elimination of the fatal risk of a deadly malady called Deep Vein Thrombosis or also known as DVT.  
         [0030]      FIG. 1  shows a dynamic schematic view of the acting forces which position the seat pan  300 , the sub seat back  201  and the footrest  400  in an upright reclining position. The operative forces provided by elements  302 ,  304 ,  402  and the compressed force of the spring element  207  are the acting forces which provide easy transition from the reading position to the upright reclinable position. These actuation elements are shown controlled electrically or manual thru a multi element mechanism shown in  FIG. 5  as element  500  and others. These forces, actions and positioning can be obtained by a multitude of combinations of electromechanical devices.  
         [0031]     Similarly and relative to the position force, the sub back seat element,  FIGS. 3 and 4  shows the spring element in a compressed position holding compressed energy ready to be release to help for the upright reclining positioning.  
         [0032]     Limiting the positioning of the back seat element  200  for the take-off landing position and the reading reclined position,  FIG. 4  shows rubber or plastic or other material stop elements  101  and  102 . These elements provide the limits for the take-off landing and reading position of back seat element  300 .  
         [0033]     The multiple device mechanism required or a sample of the mechanism required  
         [0034]     The multiple device mechanism required or a sample of the mechanism required for the positioning of the back seat element  200 , the sub seat back element  201  and the seat pan element  300  is shown in  FIG. 5 .  
         [0035]     The threaded shaft element  500  is threaded in two sections in such manner that when rotated clockwise by the electrical motor  502  or the manual crank  505  will force element  509  first to move in a horizontal to the right and stop and then upon further rotation move elements  506 ,  510 ,  501  to travel right in a horizontal manner and stop, the same threaded shaft element  500  can be rotated counter-clockwise to provide a reverse action sequencing.  
         [0036]     By rotating element  500  clockwise will force element  509  to move the seat back element  200  and  201  left to right by pushing on element  204  until limited by stop limit  102 , this will transition element  200  and  201  from a take-off to a reading position. Further clockwise rotation of the element  500  will force to continue to move element  510  right and  506  to move rightward. The motion of element  510  right produces an upward forced motion on element  302  which creates a horizontal vector force to move element  303  which positions the seat pan  300  and sub back seat  201  in an upright reclinable position as shown on  FIG. 1   c . Element  207  which is a compressed spring will provide an upward force motion also to pull element  201  into position. Similarly element  305  will force element  304  to lift seat pan  300  to a higher position and to provide a laying down alignment between the sub back seat  201  and the seat pan element  300  to provide the resting surface to the passenger.  
         [0037]     For obtaining a reverse lower position of the seat assembly, the counter clock rotation of the threaded shaft  500  will reverse the sequencing in a perfect right to left order such as upright reclinable position to reading to landing position. Starting at the upright reclinable and initiating the counter clockwise rotation of the element  500  position will force to move element  510  and  506  to move leftward. The motion of element  510  left will produce a forced motion on element  302  which decreases the horizontal vector force to move element  303  downward as shown on  FIG. 1   b  which positions the seat to go to a reading position. This counter clock rotation will also lower the seat pan element  300  thru element  304  to a reading position.  
         [0038]     Continuing to rotate element  500  counter clockwise, from the reading position, will force element  506  to the left which will push on element  203  leftward forcing element  200  leftward until limited by stop limit  101 , this will transition the back seat element  200  and the seat pan element  300  assembly to a take-off position.  
         [0039]     Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms particularly the electro mechanical mechanisms which can be obtained using a multiple of other electrical or mechanical or hydraulic or other means of providing the desired forces and positioning of the different assemblies and subassemblies. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner.  
         [0040]     While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.  
         [0041]     Although the invention is particularly applicable to aircraft passenger seats, it may also be applied to other seats used in general transportation for land or sea.