Patent ID: 7665693

Claim:
An aircraft seat convertible to a bed which comprises: a seat having: a squab and a backrest, both being movable; a mechanism for moving the movable squab and backrest between respective dispositions in the seat's upright, sitting configuration and a laid-down, bed configuration; and a headrest with a front face normally substantially aligned with a front face of the backrest and an end which is at the top of the headrest when the seat is in its sitting configuration; wherein the convertible seat is improved by provision of: drive means for moving the headrest to foreshorten the combined length of the backrest and the headrest, for movement of the backrest between its dispositions for the sitting configuration and the bed configuration, and to extend the shortened length when the backrest is moved to its disposition for either of these configurations; powered means for the drive means and the squab moving mechanism; and at least two actuators, including an actuator for the headrest drive means and for the backrest, as part of the powered mechanism; and a control system programmed to synchronize the actuators, whereby the said combined length is foreshortened during reclining and extended in the fully reclined position of the backrest.