B/e Aerospace, Inc.

Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Travis K Finlay

Glenn Allen Johnson

Travis J Vaninetti

Mark Brian Dowty

Jefferey M McKee

Charles Martin Hansson

Oscar Ruiz Lara

Brian P Wenger

Alexander Nicholas Pozzi

Stephen A Puglisi

Tracy N Pence

Thomas Martz

Jeremy F Malecha

Jeffrey W Hontz

Christopher Adcock

Nikhil Anthony Saldanha

Randy Penley

Jeff B Thompson

Horng Jaan Lin

Maxime Dempah

Chirag Krishnamurthy

Gururaja Nekkar

Dennis Hedrick

Nicole Sluder Whyte

Brad Barg

Neng Yue

Joshua Miller

Sebastián Aberastury

Pierre J Vignal

James Stephen Kash

Samikshya Parida

Jay Pierson

Joseph M Gutosky

The present disclosure provides a seat layout for business class in an aircraft. The layout includes a first row of seats that are angled toward a centerline, and a second row positioned directly behind the first row of seats, the second row including seats that are laterally adjacent and parallel to the centerline. Each seat includes a console positioned to one side of the respective seat, wherein the consoles of the first row form footwells for the seats of the second row. The seats in the second row are grouped to form a sharable space for passengers traveling together. The disclosure further provides a seat layout for a widebody aircraft including a sharable space positioned at the aft end of the center column.

Business class seating arrangement with companion travel seating group

An aircraft seat may include an integrated controller feedback system. The controller feedback system may include a user interface device at least partially embedded within an armrest console of the aircraft seat. The user interface device may include a control panel, one or more buttons, one or more sensors, and/or a controller. The one or more buttons may indicate a controllable feature of the feedback system. The one or more sensors may be aligned with the one or more buttons and may be able to distinguishably detect a user touch from a user press. The controller may be in communication with the one or more sensors. The controller may generate one or more feedback signals in response to a user touch, and/or generate one or more activation signals in response to a user press.

Controller feedback system

A triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) is described. The TPMS is adjustable and tunable depending on desired breathability, vibration performance, weight reduction, pressure distribution, and the like. The TPMS may be used in a cushion of a passenger seat. The cushion may be used for one or more locations of the passenger seat, including a head rest cushion, a back rest cushion, a seat pan cushion, and the like. the TPMS may include a cylindrical gyroid. Each of the cushions may include multiple of the cylindrical gyroids.

Printed optimized TPMS structure

A tray table assembly and a passenger seat arrangement including a tray table assembly. The tray table assembly includes a tray table coupled to a motion path element determining a motion path of the tray table between stowed and deployed positions. In embodiments, the motion path element may be implemented as at least one of a helical shaft, helical slot, and helical ramp. The motion path combines rotational and vertical motion such that an angular change of the table caused by rotational movement simultaneously causes an elevation change of the tray table. In some embodiments, the tray table may lower when rotated toward the deployed position and raise when rotated toward the stowed position.

Console mounted tray table with helical pivot

An economy class (Y class) private suite includes a continuous seatback and a stowable aisle-side panel. The continuous seatback covers the gaps between seats of a 3-seat or 4-seat PAX and the stowable aisle-side panel slides to close off the PAX from the aisle when desirable. Each seat in the PAX includes an extension element to extend from the anterior surface of the seat cushion and establish a substantially flat surface including the seat cushions and extension elements. A separate padded element may be placed over the substantially flat surface. Each seatback cushion in the PAX is removable and reconfigurable as a reclining support or expanded armrest.

Private suite for economy cabin space in aircraft

A clockable articulation insert for a seat is disclosed. The clockable articulation insert includes a base portion that inserts into a cavity within the frame or spreader bar of the seat. The clockable articulation insert further includes a face that comprises a guide slot that couples to a cross piece of the seat that is itself coupled to a seat pan. Movement of the cross piece within the guide slot changes the tilt, extension, and/or rake of the seat pan. Clocking the clockable articulation insert to a different position alters the articulation profile of the clockable articulation insert, resulting in a different set of ranges of tilt, extension, and/or rake that can be accomplished by sliding the cross piece within the guide slot. The set of articulation profiles may be further changed by replacing the clockable articulation insert with another clockable articulation insert configured with a differently designed guide slot.

Adjustable seat pan articulation mechanism

A seat usage prevention device is disclosed. The seat usage prevention deice includes at least one device component being configured to interact with one or more seat components of a first seat. The device component is configured to prevent usage of at least one of a seat pan or seatback of the first seat. The device component further separates a second seat from at least a third seat, wherein the third seat is proximate to at least one of the first seat or the second seat. The seat usage prevention device may include a device component that further includes a cushion, a base, an amenity console, or a vertical separator, or combination thereof.

Seat usage prevention device

An externally replaceable friction mechanism for a pivoting assembly such as an armrest assembly, the friction mechanism including a first spacer configured to non-rotationally engage a fixed element and frictionally engage a pivoting element pivotable relative to the fixed element, a first friction ring configured to non-rotationally engage the first spacer, the first friction ring including fingers configured to frictionally engage the pivoting element, and wherein the first friction ring is configured to permit pivoting movement of the pivoting element relative to the fixed element and provide friction against the pivoting movement.

Externally replaceable friction mechanism

An aircraft seat may include a support system with a diaphragm, a cushion with at least one surface configured to conform to a corresponding surface of the support system, a dress cover configured to fit over at least a portion of the cushion, and an attachment assembly. The attachment assembly may include a primary attachment feature coupled to the dress cover proximate to at least one edge of the dress cover or coupled to the cushion. The attachment assembly may include an auxiliary attachment feature integrated within the support system. The attachment assembly may be configured to secure the at least one surface of the cushion against the corresponding surface of the support system when the primary attachment feature is coupled to the auxiliary attachment feature at a single attachment interface for the support system, the cushion, and the dress cover.

Attachment assembly for a dress cover and a cushion of an aircraft seat

An aircraft passenger seat with dynamic seat back breakover including a pivotally-attached seat back element and a seat back breakover mechanism including an articulating weighted inertia linkage operable for coupling the seat back element in a first operating condition in which the seat back element is movable between an upright taxi takeoff and landing (TTOL) position and a reclined position, and decoupling the seat back element in a second operating condition to allow the seat back element to move forward past the upright position, the first operating condition corresponding to inertial loading below a predetermined threshold value and the second operating condition corresponding to inertial loading above the predetermined threshold value.

Seat back decoupler mechanism

An articulation mechanism for coupling a pivoting backrest to a traveling seat pan frame includes a first link having a first end section attachable to a pivoting backrest, and a second end section connected to the first end section, the second end section having multiple holes. A second link has a first end section and a second end section connected together, the first end section of the second link having at least one hole aligned with one of the multiple holes of the second section of the first link, the second end section of the second link is pivotally attachable to a seat pan frame. A fastener pivotally attaches the second link to the first link via the at least one hole of the second link and the selected aligned one of the multiple holes of the second end section of the first link based on a hole combination chosen to achieve a predetermined ratio of backrest recline to seat pan travel.

Seat pan articulation mechanism

An aircraft passenger seat having a dynamic breakover assembly includes a seat bottom frame and a seat back pivotally-mounted to the seat bottom frame that allows the angle of the seat back relative to the seat bottom frame to be varied from an upright taxi takeoff and landing (TTOL) position to a reclined position. The seat may include a means for sensing acceleration corresponding to a force indicative of an abnormal event; and a breakover mechanism coupled to the seat bottom frame and the seat back in which the means for sensing acceleration is coupled to the breakover mechanism. The breakover mechanism can prevent movement of the seat back in a forward direction past the TTOL position during normal use, and permit forward movement of at least a portion of the seat back in the forward direction past the TTOL position upon activation by the means for sensing acceleration.

Seat back breakover with dynamically triggered actuator

An aircraft passenger seat that includes a seat frame including a seat back and at least one armrest, a seat bottom that includes a seat pan and a foam seat cushion positioned on the seat bottom above the seat pan, a pneumatic cushion positioned on the seat bottom between the seat pan and the foam seat cushion and adapted to maintain a predetermined level of inflation determined by air pressure within the pneumatic cushion, and a pneumatic inflation device communicating with the pneumatic cushion for permitting the air pressure within the pneumatic cushion to be varied as desired to provide additional comfort to the seat occupant. The pneumatic cushion may include at least first and second laterally-separated cushion chambers providing lateral articulation of the first and second cushion chambers relative to each other.

Passenger seat with articulated pneumatic seat cushion

A solar window shade for a window seat in an airliner for supplying electrical energy to charge a personal electronic device, including a window shade configured to cover a window, a solar panel attached to an outside face of the window shade, the solar panel facing outward to receive light from outside a passenger cabin, and a charging port incorporated into the window shade, the charging port electrically connected to the solar panel.

Growing community of inventors

Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America

Travis K Finlay