Patent ID: 7578470

Claim:
An aircraft passenger seat assembly, comprising: (a) first and second seats positioned in fixed lateral alignment and at inwardly-facing angles relative to each other, including first and second seat bottoms, and respective first and second seat backs that are selectively movable between upright and rearwardly-extended lie-flat positions; (b) first and second stationary privacy shells positioned aft of respective first and second seat backs, the privacy shells being rearwardly spaced-apart from the first and second seat backs to accommodate the first and second seat backs in the lie-flat position, and defining an intermediate space therebetween; (c) a center convenience unit having a wide aft end and a narrow forward end positioned in the intermediate space between the the first and second privacy shells, the narrow forward end defining a terminus that is at all times spaced-apart from a like privacy shell of like first and second seats positioned forwardly of the first and second seats for providing passage space between the first and second seats and like privacy shells of forwardly-positioned like first and second seats; (d) the wide aft end of the center convenience unit positioned between the first and second privacy shells and forward of a rearwardmost extent of the first and second privacy shells, and including first and second foot wells therein adapted to permit the feet of a passenger seated in an aft-positioned like first or second seat physically separated from the first and second seats to extend therein when the aft-positioned first or second seat is in the lie-flat position; and (e) first and second leg rests mounted on respective ones of the first and second seats, and selectively-moveable between a retracted position beneath the seat bottoms, and an extended position forward of the seat bottoms bridging the passage space between the first and second seat bottoms and the respective first and second foot wells to provide a continuous lie-flat seat surface from the foot wells to the seat backs when in the lie-flat position.