Patent ID: 7578551

Claim:
An aircraft seat assembly, wherein the assembly comprises a continuous row of a plurality of aircraft seats configured for installation in an aircraft, including a foldable seat at one end of the row and one or more other seats, and wherein the seats are moveable between (i) a first configuration in which all of the seats are positioned in a useable position and (ii) a second configuration in which (a) the foldable seat is folded into a collapsed position in the row so that the foldable seat is unusable, (b) said one or more other seats are positioned in a useable position, and (c) the row of seats has a length, along the row, that is less than the length of the row in the first configuration by a distance more than half the width of the foldable seat in the first configuration, the width of said one or more other seats remaining unchanged as between the first and second configurations, wherein the foldable seat includes a foldable seat base comprising a front foldable portion and a rear foldable portion, the front portion being foldable about a substantially horizontal axis such that in the second configuration the folded front portion extends above the vertical position of the front portion in the first configuration and such that in the second configuration the folded rear portion extends below the vertical position of the rear portion in the first configuration.