GB2630598A - Seat mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

A seat has a backrest 10 connected to a seat pan 20 by a reclining system. The reclining system has a lever (fig.1,80) connected to the backrest at a first end 81 and engages a lever movement actuator 55 at an opposite second end 84. The lever rotates about a pivot 60, received between the two ends, attaching the system to the seat pan, the lever engages a slot 41 in a support (fig.3,40), between the pivot point and the second end, permitting movement of the lever along the slot. Preferably, the seat has an actuator driving motor 50; and a rack and pinion driving linear seat movement. A leg rest 30 may be indirectly connected to the backrest by the lever so they move in tandem; alternatively, the leg rest may be driven to move independently. An electronic controller may control the drives. The lever may have a stop (fig.3,85), preventing over rotation of the backrest. The lever may be connected via the pivot to a rear portion of the seat pan, and the seat pan may also be connected to the support by a V-shaped arm (fig.3,90) enabling angular displacement of the seat pan.

Description

SEAT MECHANISM

The present invention relates to improvements in and relating to a seat mechanism, in particular to a seat mechanism for a first or business class airline seat and comprising a reclining system configured to enable adjustment of the seat between at least an upright position and a lie-flat position and to any position in between.

Background to the Invention

There are many design constraints when manufacturing seating for use in the transport industry that is capable of adjustment between upright and flat seating positions. Typically seat mechanisms are provided on transportation platforms. Of major importance are passenger comfort and complying with industry requirements. Ensuring the safety of passengers in any mode of transportation is essential, be it by air, road, rail or sea, and seating components must be able to withstand certain loads and forces, should there be an accident. Therefore, all seating which is intended for use in transport must adhere to strict regulations. For example, passenger seats for aircraft need to withstand crash environments involving multiple high-G impacts in a taxi/takeoff/landing (TTL) position.

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Due to the ongoing fight against climate change, seat manufacturers are also tasked with reducing the weight of seating whilst maintaining quality and comfort without compromising the strength and durability of the seating components. As a result, the seat must be light, strong and comfortable. It is further preferred that parts of the seat mechanism are not visible to the passenger.

Another design constraint relates to the use of space. Lie-flat seats are typically provided within a furniture surround containing an individual in-flight entertainment screen, stowage space, console, table etc. The passenger seating area and legroom available to each passenger should be optimised, while allowing unimpeded exit from the seat. It is also important for commercial reasons to fit as many passenger seats as possible in the available area with care taken to ensure passengers still have privacy while working, eating or sleeping. Generally, seats are by and large bespoke designs specifically customised to integrate into specific seat geometries.

Many current transport seating mechanisms offer adjustment of the seat position between an upright position and a lie-flat position, as well as additional features such as massage systems, heating pads or a zero-gravity position. Known seat mechanisms typically include a backrest and seat pan, linked in motion, supported by a frame and adjustable to the desired seating position, with mechanical moving parts taking up the majority of the space beneath the seat pan. These known systems are complex and cumbersome resulting in the seats being heavy and bulky, thereby increasing the weight of the transport system, resulting in increased costs and fuel consumption. Furthermore, the complexity of prior art seat mechanisms makes it difficult to maintain these in good condition. For example, WO 98/36967 discloses transport accommodation, in particular an aircraft seat, in which the seat reclining system is installed into the surrounding furniture with the seat mechanism taking over 3 hours to remove.

Other prior art seating units such as for example that described in WO 96/18537 require two parallel guide runners for the back rest and a second set of guide runners for the seat pan, all guide runners being as long as the depth of the seat in the upright position resulting in heavy seats with little room underneath and allowing movement only between two or three fixed positions.

It is a therefore an object of the present invention to provide a seat mechanism which overcomes the drawbacks of known solutions or at least provides a suitable alternative.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention addresses the problems of how to fit more lie-flat seats into a transport system such as a commercial aircraft, how to reduce the weight and complexity of an individual reclining seat that translates from an upright comfortable TTL position to a fully lie-flat bed position, and how to enable the quick replacement of a seat even in the narrowest of transport cabins.

These problems are solved by ensuring that the seat mechanism is a standalone modularised unit with the entire reclining system of the seat mechanism being contained within the vertical footprint of the seat mechanism.

The present invention relates to a seat mechanism for a first or business class airline seat, the seat mechanism comprising a backrest connected to a seat pan and a reclining system configured to enable adjustment of the seat between at least an upright position and a lie-flat position.

The invention is set out in the claims.

Accordingly, a first aspect of the present invention is a simplified seat mechanism as set out in the claims for transport accommodation, such as seats for the travel and transport industry, the seat mechanism incorporating a reclining system for enabling adjustment between a first position and a second position. The reclining system allows the seat mechanism to be more compact than known mechanisms and enables the manufacture of seating that is mechanically efficient, very light weight, passes all technical standards for airworthiness and can be put into any transport seating scenario, i.e., to be fitted into the majority of existing transport accommodation and to be removed for maintenance or replacement in under five minutes, for example even in the narrowest of aircraft cabins.

The reclining system allows a seat to be positioned in at least a sitting and a sleeping position. By between a first position and a second position is meant that the reclining system is configured to enable adjustment of the seat mechanism to and from the first and second position and to and from any intermediate position flanked by the first position and the second position.

The first position is preferably an upright position, for example a TTL position wherein the backrest is almost vertical such that it is very slightly reclined and the seat pan is tilted rearward such that it is at an upward reclined angle to provide a secure and comfortable position, particularly preferably wherein the seat pan is at +5° to the plane of surface to which it is attached, e.g., to the floor of an aircraft. However, this is not considered to be limiting and the first position may be defined as any position the customer wants.

The second position is preferably a fully lie-flat bed position wherein the seat pan and backrest are at 180 degrees with respect to each other and form a substantially continuous and/or flat surface suitable for sleeping on. In an aircraft environment, the seat pan and backrest form a surface that is at an angle in the range of about -2° to -3° to the floor of a commercial aircraft when the seat mechanism is in the second position, e.g., -3° to the horizontal, allowing for the aircraft flight angle as all aircraft fly at an attack angle between 2-3° nose up from the horizontal.

A position intermediate the first and second position may also be herein referred to as a reclined position.

Seats provided with the seat mechanism according to the invention are completely self-contained within their own vertical envelope. In other words, when the seat mechanism is viewed from above, whether in the TTL, lie-flat or other position, no portion of the reclining system is visible. This ensures the seat mechanism may be used within any existing furniture surround and enables easier access to repair or maintain the seat mechanism in comparison to prior art mechanisms having multiple parts located in different areas of the seat.

Advantageously, the seat mechanism may be fitted into existing furniture and used to replace old seat mechanisms. This reduces customer costs and reduces the amount of waste involved with entire seat replacements. This is in comparison to seat mechanisms which cannot be retrofitted into existing furniture and thereby require new furniture or custom furniture.

The seat mechanism is preferably connected to the floor of an aircraft, for example by an existing plinth or spar baseframe, such that the support means projects upwardly from the floor of the aircraft.

The reclining system comprises support means provided with an elongate aperture. The seat pan is connected to the support means, preferably wherein a front portion of the seat pan is connected to a front section of the support means.

The reclining system further comprises a pivot for attachment to the seat pan and a lever rotatable about the pivot and engageable with the elongate aperture of the support means.

The backrest of the seat mechanism is connected to the seat pan by the reclining system. In particular, the backrest is connected to a first end of the lever of the reclining system and a pivot receiving portion of this lever engages with the pivot connected to the seat pan such that pivoting of the lever results in angular displacement of the backrest.

Ideally, the pivot extends in a direction perpendicular to the lever. For example, the pivot may be a shaft.

In a preferred embodiment, the rear end of the seat pan is connected to the pivot such that the lever is connectable to a rear portion of the seat pan via the pivot, preferably wherein a front portion of the seat pan is connected to a front section of the support means.

In a preferred embodiment, the seat pan is pivotally connected to the support means by an arm and to enable angular displacement of the seat pan about the arm, e.g., as the seat is being moved between the first and second positions. Advantageously, this enables the adjustment of the seat pan to a position that corresponds with the adjustment of the backrest.

Preferably, the arm is V-shaped or substantially V-shaped. This shape is advantageous for energy absorption of vertical loads.

The arm is preferably connected to the seat pan at an area between a front edge and a rear edge of the seat pan to enable pivoting of the seat pan during operation of the lever to drive vertical displacement of the rear portion of the seat pan. Advantageously, this means that the actuation of the lever enables simultaneous adjustment of the seat pan and the backrest. Further advantageously, this reduces the number of parts of the seat mechanism. Thereby, this simplifies the seat mechanism.

Preferably, the seat mechanism comprises or is connectable to one or more fixing means for fixing the rear portion of the seat pan to the pivot, particularly preferably wherein the one or more fixing means are arranged to fix the rear portion of the seat pan to the pivot such that vertical displacement of the pivot causes vertical displacement of the rear portion of the seat pan. In some embodiments, the one or more fixing means may comprise an aperture for receiving the pivot and a flange portion extending from the aperture configurable to be fixed to the seat pan via one or more fasteners. Alternatively, or additionally, the seat pan may be connected to the pivot via one or more seat pan supporting members.

The pivot receiving portion of the lever is located between the first and the second ends of the lever to permit rotation of the lever about the pivot. Preferably, the pivot receiving portion of the lever comprises an aperture for receiving the pivot, particularly preferably wherein the aperture surrounds the pivot to enable vertical displacement of the pivot.

The aperture engaging portion of the lever is located between the pivot engaging portion and 35 the second end of the lever to permit movement of the lever along the elongate aperture only.

In other words, the elongate aperture guides the lever and limits the extent of the movement of the lever. The aperture engaging portion of the lever preferably comprises a laterally extending protrusion such as a pin.

In some embodiments, the lever comprises a protruding portion between the first end and the second end of the lever, the pivot engaging portion being located at the protruding portion of the lever.

In some embodiments, the lever comprises a triangular shaped portion, wherein a first edge of the triangular shaped portion extends from the first end of the lever to the pivot receiving portion of the lever and a second edge of the triangular shaped portion extends from the pivot receiving portion of the lever to the aperture engaging portion of the lever, with the third edge extending from the aperture engaging portion of the lever to the first end, the lever further comprising an arm extending from the corner of the triangular shaped portion comprising the aperture engaging portion, the arm terminating at the second end of the lever.

The support means is preferably in the form of an elongate plate, with the elongate aperture located at a rear end of the plate and the seat pan connected to the front end of the plate.

The elongate aperture of the reclining system allows the weight of a passenger in a seat to assist in lifting the backrest from the lie-flat bed position. In a preferred embodiment, resilient means such as one or more springs, e.g., a collapsible conical spring, is provided adjacent the base of the backrest, preferably on a cross member between the support means and the backrest, to further assist with this lifting action.

The lever actuator engages with the second end of the lever and is preferably a linear actuator which drives the lever to lower the backrest. The lever actuator is preferably an electric actuator and may be driven by drive means, e.g., a motor. The drive means is preferably located under the seat pan.

In a preferred embodiment, the backrest comprises a headrest, preferably wherein the headrest is moveable, e.g., vertically adjustable such that it may be moved up and down with respect to the backrest.

Preferably, the seat mechanism comprises or is connectable to one or more drive means for driving one or more parts of the seat mechanism. The or each drive means are preferably electric drive means. However, it will be understood that other drive means may be utilised such as hydraulic, pneumatic or any other suitable means.

Preferably, the seat mechanism is configured to enable linear movement of the seat. In this embodiment, the seat mechanism preferably further comprises linear movement drive means for driving linear movement of the seat, i.e., backwards and forwards. The linear movement drive means preferably comprises a rotary actuator, e.g., located beneath the seat pan, and a rack configured to engage with a rotatable pinion to drive linear movement of the seat mechanism to provide translation of the seat forward or backward.

In some embodiments, the seat mechanism is capable of enabling linear movement of the seat and actuation of the lever, sequentially and/or simultaneously.

In the preferred embodiment, wherein the seat mechanism comprises two independently controlled actuators, a forward rotary actuator provides translation of the seat forward and as the seat moves forward, the lever actuator drives the lever through the pivot to recline the backrest of the seat mechanism. In this embodiment, both actuators are preferably located beneath the seat pan.

Advantageously, in use, this enables the seat to move linearly in one direction to create space for the back rest whilst subsequently or simultaneously driving angular displacement of the backrest towards a reclined or lie-flat position or to move linearly in another direction whilst simultaneously driving angular displacement of the backrest towards an upright position to stow the seat or to create more room for entering or exiting the seating area.

The movements of the or each actuator are preferably controlled by software, e.g., in an electronic control unit (ECU). In some embodiments, the seat mechanism comprises or is connectable to an ECU for controlling the drive means. In this embodiment, the ECU is preferably located beneath the seat pan, particularly preferably protected from liquid spills with a full coverage drip tray. Incorporating the ECU below the mechanism seat pan allows for a single harness definition for the seat mechanism, rather than having to create a new harness for every seat installation. Alternately, or additionally, the movements of the or each actuator may be operated independently depending on the controller and customer requests.

In seats incorporating the seat mechanism according to the invention, all parts of the reclining system, including any actuators, may be located underneath the seat pan, lowering the centre of gravity of the seat. Having a lower centre of gravity on the seat mechanism reduces the moment experienced by the aircraft track to which the seat mechanism is fixed thus reducing the interface loading experienced by the track.

In a preferred embodiment, the seat mechanism further comprises a leg rest, preferably wherein the reclining system is arranged to enable simultaneous adjustment of the seat backrest and the leg rest. In this preferred embodiment, the leg rest may be mechanically connected to the backrest so that it moves in tandem with the backrest, e.g., in a lazy z movement, during recline. Preferably, the lever of the reclining system is connected to the leg rest, e.g., via a rod, and is arranged to enable angular displacement of the leg rest about the front cross member. Advantageously, this simplifies the seat mechanism. Further advantageously, this minimises the number of parts of the seat mechanism, thereby reducing the bulkiness of the seat mechanism. Further advantageously, this ensures that the leg rest moves to the same degree as the backrest and is substantially parallel to or collinear with the backrest.

Alternatively, the seat mechanism may comprise a leg rest actuator to provide independent movement of the leg rest.

In some embodiments, the front of the leg rest is preferably configured to allow the front of the leg rest to be raised to a zero-gravity position where the seat occupant's knees are raised upward to the same level as their heart, i.e., such that the passenger's knee and heart are on same horizontal plane. In this embodiment, the seat mechanism further comprises a rake actuator to independently lift the leg rest.

In a preferred embodiment, the seat mechanism has two support means, one on each side of the seat, and two levers, one on each side of the seat and connectable to each other via the pivot, wherein the support means are configurable for supporting respective side portions of the seat pan, in use. In this embodiment, the support means may be referred to as side support means and each side support means is provided with an elongate aperture for engagement with one of the levers. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the two levers may be actuated by a single lever actuator for simultaneous operation, preferably wherein the lever actuator is connectable to the levers via a crossbar extending between the levers, e.g., by a crossbar extending between the second ends of the levers. Advantageously, this reduces the number of moving parts of the reclining system, thereby reducing the complexity of the system. This is in comparison to a system having an actuator or motor, or both, per lever.

Preferably, the seat mechanism comprises a support structure in the form of a frame having two mutually opposing spaced side elements and one or more cross members extending between the two side elements. In this embodiment, a support means with elongate aperture is preferably attached to each side element.

Ideally, in embodiments wherein the seat mechanism comprises a leg rest, the frame comprises a front cross member for pivotally supporting the leg rest, in use.

Due to the design of the seat mechanism, all actuators may be located below the seat pan as this area is substantially free from complex linkages or other bulky mechanical parts when compared to prior art mechanisms. Thus, the reclining system and all actuators are contained within the vertical envelope of the seat mechanism. Placement of the actuators beneath the seat reduces risk of foreign object damage fouling and keeps the centre of gravity of the seat low. Even with one or more actuators located beneath the seat pan, the seat mechanism still has space to accommodate other mechanisms such as actuators, electronic control unit, massage systems, heating systems or other enhanced feature sets. This thereby reduces the overall size and complexity of the seat in comparison to prior art systems having mechanism scattered throughout different areas of the seat. Further advantageously, this enables the use of any furniture surround for the seat.

The seat mechanism according to the invention provides a minimum weight saving of 20% per seat place compared to a typical equivalent design, for example a Thompson Vantage seat mechanism.

In a preferred embodiment, manual release of the linear movement drive means is possible via a side pedal for sliding the seat forward/back. Additionally, or alternatively, manual release of the lever actuator is possible by pulling a tab located underneath the headrest.

The seat mechanism preferably comprises lightweight material such as aluminium such that the weight of the seat is about 20 kg including actuators, ECU and harnesses but excluding cushions and covers. That is, the structural members of the seat mechanism are preferably made of aluminium.

One or more of the seat pan, backrest, leg rest and/or headrest may comprise one or more openings, apertures, slots, slits, embossing and/or any other suitable means for reducing the 5 weight of the seat mechanism.

The seat mechanism is preferably made using machined braces inside an aluminium sheet metal skin. This allows for micro twisting and bending without fracture during testing. However, this is not considered to be limiting and, the seat mechanism may alternatively be made of other material, for example composite sandwich panels.

In a preferred embodiment, the seat mechanism further comprises stop means for preventing over rotation of the backrest in one or more directions, preferably wherein the stop means is in the form of a lip on the lever.

In another aspect, the invention provides transport accommodation comprising the seat mechanism as described herein, preferably wherein the transport accommodation is an airline seat.

In another aspect, the invention provides an airline seating arrangement comprising a plurality of airline seats comprising the seat mechanism as described herein, wherein the seats are at 45-degree pitch in a reverse herringbone format, facing the window rather than aisle.

The skilled person will understand that where the same feature has been referenced in different aspects of the invention, this feature comprises the same parts and operates in the same way unless otherwise stated.

Brief Description of the drawings

Certain preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an isometric view of a preferred seat mechanism according to the invention in the TTL position with the seat pan removed; Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the preferred seat mechanism shown in Figure 1 with the seat pan attached; Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the mechanism of Figure 2 in a reclined position; Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of the mechanism of Figure 2 in the lie-flat position; and Figure 5 is a plan view of Figure 2.

Detailed Description

In overview, a seat mechanism for a premium airline seat is provided, the seat mechanism comprising a slot-guided seat reclining system infinitely adjustable between upright and flat seating positions.

Various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, where like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views.

It will be appreciated that the invention should not be construed to be limited to the examples, which are now described; rather, the invention is construed to include any and all applications provided herein and all equivalent variations within the skill of the ordinary artisan.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a seat mechanism according to the invention generally referred to herein by reference numeral 100 and comprising backrest 10, seat pan and leg rest 30. The top of backrest 10 is provided with headrest 11. Headrest 11 is preferably a lightweight 4" vertical adjustable headrest made of aluminium sheet metal, optionally with folding side wings.

Seat mechanism 100 is moveable between the TTL position shown in Figures 1 and 2 to the lie-flat position shown in Figure 4 and to any position intermediate these, for example the reclined position shown in Figure 3. As shown in the Figures, all moving parts and actuators are located under seat pan 30 and back rest 20.

Side support plates 40 are provided at either side of the base of the seat mechanism 100.

When seat mechanism 100 is viewed from above in the TTL position, side support plates 40 are not visible as they do not extend past the vertical envelope of seat mechanism 100, i.e., side support plates 40 do not extend past any of the forwardmost point of leg rest 30, the rearmost point of backrest 10 or the sides of seat pan 20 whatever position seat mechanism 100 may be in.

A linear slot 41 runs diagonally upwards from rear end 42 of each side support plate 40. The orientation of slot 41 allows the weight of a passenger in a seat to assist in lifting the backrest from the lie-flat bed position.

Shaft 60 and reactive crossarm 70 each independently extend between levers 80.

Backrest 10 is connected to seat pan 20 by levers 80 which engage with slots 41 of side support plates 40.

Leg rest 30 is pivotally attached to crossmember 31 and leg 32 of leg rest 30 may be mechanically connected to backrest 10 via lever 80 for simultaneous movement with backrest 10 and to ensure backrest 10 and leg rest 30 are always substantially parallel to each other during movement between the upright to lie-flat positions, or, in an alternative embodiment not shown in the drawings, leg rest 30 may be independently actuated via a third actuator.

Seat pan supporting members 21 are connected at one end to front cross member 31 and at the other end to pivot 60. Mid cross arm 51 extends through seat pan supporting members 21 approximately midway between pivot 60 and front cross member 31.

V-link 90 connects seat pan supporting member 21 to front end 43 of side support plate 40 and provides a pivot for seat pan 20. Rotation of V-link 90 relative to seat pan 20 is locked, i.e., V-link 90 and seat pan 20 pivot from the bottom of the V-link.

In the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, V-link 90 is connected to seat pan 20 via two bolts. However, this is not considered to be limiting and V-link 90 could be alternatively connected.

As shown in the Figures, there is a lever 80 on each side of the seat mechanism. A right-hand lever will now be described, i.e., the lever to the right of someone sitting in the seat.

End 81 of lever 80 is directly connected to backrest 10 and opposing end 84 of lever 80 is directly connected to reactive crossarm 70. Actuator shaft 55 driven by motor 50 is connected to crossarm 70. Between ends 81 and 84, lever 80 has an aperture 83 for accepting shaft 60 about which lever 80 is pivotable. Aperture 83 engages with shaft 60 via a bearing (not shown) enabling rotation of lever 80 around shaft 60. Between aperture 83 and end 84 of lever 80 a pin (not shown) extends laterally from lever 80 to the right, i.e., towards the exterior of the seat mechanism, for engagement in aperture 41 of supporting side support plate 40 to permit movement of lever 80 along aperture 41.

The pin provides a translation along the slot and the pin is thus a translating pivot point. Rotation of lever 80 is not constrained by the pin to allow backrest 10 to have angular displacement.

Whilst aperture 41 is shown to be linear, this is not considered to be limiting and aperture 41 may alternatively be curved, provided the start and end points of the aperture are in the same relative positions with respect to each other as shown in the drawings.

Lever 80 comprises a triangular shaped portion, wherein a first edge of the triangular shaped portion extends from end 81 of lever 80 to aperture 83 and a second edge of the triangular shaped portion extends from aperture 83 to the pin, with the third edge extending from the pin to end 81, lever 80 further comprising an arm extending from the corner of the triangular shaped portion comprising the pin, the arm terminating at end 84 of lever 80.

Motor 50 is attached to seat mechanism 100 via mid cross arm 51. On actuation of actuator shaft 55 by motor 50, cross arm 70 is moved forwards and pulls end 84 of lever 80 forwards. As end 84 is pulled forwards, the pin of lever 80 is moved along slot 41 and lever 80 pivots about pivot 60 such that end 81 is moved back and down and hence backrest 10 is reclined.

The pin preferably stops about short at each end of slot 41, with the stopping points being controlled by the motor control positions at the bed and TTL positions.

In the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, lever 80 is provided with lip 85 between aperture 83 and end 81, i.e., on the opposite side to the third edge of the triangular portion.

Lip 85 contributes as a stopping feature for avoiding over rotation of lever 80.

In the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, seat mechanism 100 is attached to side plate structures 160 via side support plates 40 on runners 165 for forward and back movement of the seat mechanism. This forward and back motion of seat mechanism is driven by motor 150.

Seat mechanism 100 is further provided with C-shaped extensions 44 for a 3 point over-theshoulder mechanical safety belt (not shown) which may be right-or left-hand mounted. This is particularly favourable when a seat incorporating the seat mechanism is angled to the flight direction.

An electronic control unit, (not shown) is provided under seat pan 20.

Side support plates 40, shaft 60 and cross members 31 and 51 together form a frame to which all other components are attached. The frame is designed to be only 12" wide to support a 20-24" wide cushion set and can be attached to any existing aircraft plinth or base frame. By removing complex linkages and simplifying the frame design, the seat mechanism is approximately 25% lighter than existing mechanisms. The lever reduces wear and provides a longer, maintenance free, life.

Actuator ECU is preferably mounted underneath the seat pan 20 to accept either logic, matrix, or CAN PCU technology. The ECU is preferably protected from liquid spills with a full coverage drip tray.

As can be seen in the Figures, even with actuators located beneath seat pan 20, seat mechanism 100 still has space to allow for the addition of enhanced feature sets (not shown), e.g., lumber massage systems or heating elements.

In use, seat mechanism 100 is operable to cause movement of a seat from the TTL position of Figure 2 to the lie-flat position of Figure 4 by motor 150 causing the seat mechanism to move forward along runners 165. Simultaneously or after a short lag, lever actuator shaft 55 may be actuated to cause lever 80 to move along slot 41 of side support plate 40 causing simultaneous vertical and horizontal displacement of lever 80 which in turn causes vertical displacement of pivot 60 upwardly and angular displacement of the end 81 of lever 80 rearwardly, which thereby causes angular displacement of backrest 10 rearwardly or towards a lie-flat position. At the same time, upward vertical displacement of pivot 60 causes upward vertical displacement of the rear end of seat pan 20, and pivoting of seat pan 20 about arm 90, thus resulting in angular displacement of seat pan 20.

As lever 80 moves, rod 32 extending between lever 80 and leg rest 30 is driven which in turn drives angular displacement of leg rest 30 about front cross member 31 such that the leading edge of leg rest 30 is driven forward and upward.

Seat mechanism 100 is further operable to cause movement of a seat from the lie-flat position of Figure 4 to the TTL position of Figure 2 by actuation of lever actuator shaft 55 to cause movement of the lever pin along slot 41 causing simultaneous vertical and horizontal displacement of lever 80 which in turn causes vertical displacement of pivot 60 downwardly and angular displacement of the end 81 of lever 80 forwardly, which thereby causes angular displacement of backrest 10 forwardly or towards an upright position. Simultaneously or after a short lag, motor 150 causes seat mechanism 100 to move rearwardly along runners 165.

As lever 80 moves along side support plate 40, downward vertical displacement of pivot 60 causes downward vertical displacement of the rear end of seat pan 20, and pivoting of seat pan 20 about arm 90, thus resulting in angular displacement of seat pan 20. Simultaneously, rod 32 extending between lever 80 and leg rest 30 is driven by the movement of lever 80 to cause vertical displacement of leg rest 30 about front cross member 31 such that the leading edge of leg rest 30 is driven downward and backwards.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details described herein which are given by way of example only and that various modifications and additions are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (15)

1. Claims: 1. A seat mechanism comprising a backrest and a seat pan, wherein the backrest is connected to the seat pan by a reclining system for enabling adjustment of the seat mechanism between a first position and a second position, the reclining system comprising: support means provided with an elongate aperture; a pivot for attachment to the seat pan; a lever rotatable about the pivot and engageable with the elongate aperture; and a lever actuator for effecting movement of the lever; wherein the lever comprises a backrest connecting portion at a first end, a lever actuator engaging portion at a second, opposing end; a pivot receiving portion located between the first and the second ends; and an aperture engaging portion located between the pivot engaging portion and the second end to permit movement of the lever along the elongate aperture.
2. 2. The seat mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seat mechanism further comprises drive means for driving the lever actuator, preferably wherein the drive means comprises a motor.
3. 3. The seat mechanism as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the seat mechanism further comprises a linear movement drive means for driving linear movement of the seat pan, preferably wherein the linear movement drive means comprises a rack engageable with a rotatable pinion.
4. 4. The seat mechanism as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the seat mechanism further comprises a leg rest.
5. 5. The seat mechanism as claimed in claim 4, wherein the leg rest is indirectly connected to the backrest to permit movement of the leg rest in tandem with the backrest, preferably wherein the leg rest is connected to the lever, optionally wherein the leg rest is pivotally supported by a front cross member.
6. 6. The seat mechanism as claimed in claim 4, wherein the seat mechanism further comprises a leg rest drives means for driving independent movement of the leg rest.
7. 7. The seat mechanism as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the seat mechanism comprises one or more of drive means for driving the lever actuator, linear movement drive means for driving linear movement of the seat pan and leg rest drives means for driving independent movement of a leg rest, and further comprises or is connectable to an electronic control unit for controlling the or each drive means
8. 8. The seat mechanism as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the seat mechanism further comprises stop means for preventing over rotation of the backrest in one or more directions, preferably wherein the stop means is part of the lever.
9. 9. The seat mechanism as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the backrest comprises a headrest, preferably wherein the headrest is vertically adjustable.
10. 10. The seat mechanism as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rear end of the seat pan is connected to the pivot such that the lever is connectable to a rear portion of the seat pan via the pivot.
11. 11. The seat mechanism as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the seat pan is pivotally connected to the support means by an arm and to enable angular displacement of the seat pan about the arm, preferably wherein the arm is V-shaped or substantially V-shaped.
12. 12. The seat mechanism as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pivot receiving portion of the lever comprises an aperture for receiving the pivot.
13. 13. The seat mechanism as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the aperture engaging portion of the lever comprises a laterally extending protrusion.
14. 14. Transport accommodation comprising the seat mechanism as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, preferably wherein the transport accommodation is an airline seat.
15. 15. An airline seating arrangement comprising a plurality of airline seats according to claim 14, wherein the seats are at 45-degree pitch in a reverse herringbone format, facing the window rather than aisle.