JP2009532158A - Vehicle seat assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

  A seat assembly for a vehicle, such as an aircraft, for arranging the seats in a row has a compact configuration that allows a minimum seat pitch. The seat leg (8) has a low shape to provide the post (16) in front of the seat, the seat has a convex or “shallow” shape, and the reclining operating handle and the storage pocket are in front of the seat The backrest (4) is rotated around the knee height axis for reclining movement, the backrest has a thin cushion (62) only on the passenger side, and ergonomically Molded.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

  The present invention relates to a vehicle seat assembly. More specifically, the present invention relates to a vehicle seat arranged in a row like a seat in a vehicle such as an aircraft, and a support structure thereof.

  The row spacing of seats in an aircraft, or the pitch of the seats, affects the number of passengers that can be accommodated in an aircraft cabin and is therefore very important to the airline. The rows of seats are arranged as close as possible, taking into account passenger comfort. The seat may be required to have an upright position and a reclining position where the passenger can rest.

  Conventional economy class aircraft seats are relatively bulky. It is usually formed of a structural seat member coated with plastic. The structural seat member is covered with a seat cushion having a relatively thick outer shape in order to form a comfortable seat shape. Seats are usually provided with a storage pocket on the back of the backrest, which tends to limit knee space. This situation is further exacerbated by defeating the backrest and tends to affect the passenger's knee space in the back seat.

  In addition, the row of seats is normally supported by a column that traverses the front and rear portions of the seat surface portion below the seat surface portion. The seat legs are slidably attached to the column with upright legs provided below the rear of the seat surface, but the seat legs tend to interfere with the passenger's foot space in the back seat.

  In addition, armrests have traditionally been mounted on a rail that passes laterally through the interior of the backrest, usually between the seats. Such attachment means that the armrest cannot be fully retracted. The reason is that when the armrest is pivoted upward, the bulky armrest is clogged between the backrests and remains somewhat in front of the seat.

  It is an object of the present invention to alleviate these problems by providing a vehicle seat assembly having a vehicle seat and a support structure, wherein the vehicle seats can be arranged in rows at an optimal seat pitch. That is.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a support structure for supporting a plurality of seats side by side in a vehicle, the support structure extending in a lateral direction of the seat; At least one seat leg assembly attached to the strut, the leg assembly for attaching the support structure to the vehicle, a foot disposed close to the vehicle floor, and an attachment to the seat A seat support portion disposed close to the lower surface of the seat, and an intermediate portion extending between the seat support portion and the foot portion, the support column and the leg assembly or each leg assembly The intermediate portion is configured to be disposed only below the front portion of each seat when in use.

  In general, the foot portion is preferably elongated and extends in the front-rear direction so that the foot portion can be attached to a floor rail as provided in an aircraft. You may comprise an intermediate part and a support | pillar so that it may be arrange | positioned under the front half of a seat surface part, for example.

  In this way, the outer shape of the support legs of the seat can be very low (i.e., close to the floor) except at the front of the seat, so that the support structure is an obstacle for passengers sitting in the back seat. Being minimized is possible, and passengers can place their feet under the seat.

  This preferably means that the two struts are both below the front part of the seat surface so that one is close to the foot of the leg assembly and the other is close to the seat support. It can be achieved by providing it. Furthermore, by arranging the lower support column behind the upper support column, it is possible to secure a space on the heel or a storage space for the passenger sitting on the seat.

  The leg assembly can have first and second leg elements, the first element being attached to the foot and the first and second struts and forming an upper part forming an intermediate portion of the leg assembly. And the second element includes a seat support and a downward extension attached to the first and second struts and forming a further portion of the intermediate portion of the leg assembly. . Therefore, the second element may be in the form of a side plate or suspension bracket that extends along the end of each seat and is pivotally supported on the seat surface and at least the lower part of the backrest. May be. The seat and back can be movably connected to the suspension bracket, for example by cooperating sliding parts and guides, so that a reclining movement of the seat is possible. Alternatively, the seat may be fixed in a suitable position with respect to the support structure.

  In this arrangement, each seat is arranged between a pair of second leg elements. These elements are therefore separated by the width of the seat. Since aircraft floor rails are typically in place, the lateral position of the first leg element is determined by the position of the rail. Thus, the first and second elements of the leg assembly may be close to each other or may be spaced laterally depending on the width of the seat.

  The present invention also provides a seat assembly comprising a support structure as described above and at least one seat supported on the support structure. The seat includes a seat surface portion and a backrest, and the rear portion of the seat surface portion and the back portion of the backrest adjacent to the seat surface portion have corresponding convex shapes when viewed from the rear. Such a shape is possible because there is no post at the rear of the seat, as required by prior art structures. For example, the side edge part of the backrest bottom part and the side part of the seat surface part rear end part can be curved in a direction toward the front of the seat. By curving in this way, it is possible to secure a wider space for knees for passengers in the back seat on the side of the backrest.

  Thus, the present invention also provides a seat assembly comprising a support structure and a plurality of seats supported side by side on the support structure. Each seat includes a seat surface and a backrest, and the support structure includes an elongate laterally extending post and at least one leg assembly attached to the post. Further, the rear end portion of the seat surface portion and the lower end portion of the backrest are curved forward at the sides thereof, and the side of each seat is provided to accommodate the knees of passengers seated in the rear seat. The support column is disposed in front of at least a part of the rear end portion of the seating surface portion so that the concave portion is formed in the direction.

  It is preferable that the support column is disposed in front of most or all of the rear end portion of the seat portion at a position corresponding to the upright position of the seat.

  If the columns are arranged as described above, it is not necessary to accommodate the passenger's knees in the back seat behind the backrest and the center of the seat surface, so that the seat pitch can be reduced, and as a result, Passengers can put their knees in the side recesses. In such a configuration, the support column may be disposed slightly in front of the end of the curved portion at the rear end of the seating surface portion where the side end portions of the adjacent seating surface portions contact. This position is preferably a distance of at least about 5 inches from the rearmost part of the backrest to the front, and most preferably a distance of about 7 inches. You may provide the further support | pillar arrange | positioned further near the seat surface part rather than said support | pillar.

  In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a seat assembly for arranging the seat assemblies as described above in rows in a vehicle, the seat assembly comprising a seat surface, a backrest, and a vehicle floor. And a support structure for supporting the seat surface portion and the backrest. The backrest can be tilted with respect to the support structure between an upright first position and a reclining second position about an axial position on the support structure disposed above the bottom of the backrest.

  The axial position is preferably at least approximately equal to the height of the seated passenger's knee. This way, the part of the back that corresponds to the height of the passenger's foot moves forward and further away from the passenger in the back seat, so that when the back is in the reclining position, the back is in the passenger's foot space. Intrusion problems are reduced. Furthermore, if the axial position is high, it is possible to minimize the backrest from entering the passenger space in the back seat, specifically the passenger head space.

  A storage pocket used by the passenger can also be incorporated in the front of the leg assembly, ie behind the passenger's foot. By doing so, it is further reduced that the space of the passenger's knee is obstructed by the backrest of the front seat.

  The seat includes means for fixing the seat surface and the backrest to a selected relative position, and a member disposed below the front of the seat surface for manually operating the fixing means. preferable. For example, the means may be a lever that is actuated by the passenger pulling up in the direction of the seat to release the seat and allow movement. With such a configuration, it is possible to avoid the necessity of providing a reclining actuating device on the armrest as in a conventional aircraft seat. As a result, the armrest can be a simpler and less bulky structure.

  The present invention also provides a seat assembly comprising a plurality of seats arranged side by side, each seat being rotatable between a backrest and a substantially upright storage position and a substantially horizontal use position. The armrest is disposed in front of the backrest or in front of the backrest axis. For example, the armrest may be attached to a flange that extends forward from between the backrests. With this arrangement, the armrest can be stowed and stored substantially flat against the backrest or the adjacent backrest. Since the armrest and the backrest are arranged so that the armrest contacts the backrest at the storage position, it is possible to prevent the armrest from projecting behind the backrest. This eliminates the need to maintain the claws normally provided on the side of the conventional backrest. Furthermore, since the armrest shaft can be accessed without removing the seat, the armrest can be more easily disassembled, eg, for maintenance.

  The armrest is shorter than the conventional armrest, and is preferably, for example, one third to one half of the normal length. The length of the armrest can be shortened because, according to the present invention, it is not necessary to provide the armrest with a control means such as a reclining button. This contributes to reducing the armrests from entering the passenger space and alleviates the problem of large passengers being restricted in leg movement, which can occur with conventional armrests.

  The present invention also includes a seat assembly having a seat surface and a backrest, wherein the seat is movable between an upright position and a reclining position by tilting the seat surface and the backrest. The tilting motion of the seating surface moves the front of the seating surface relatively upward, the tilting motion of the backrest moves the top of the backrest relatively rearward, and the angle of the tilting motion of the backrest is Equivalent to about 3.2 times the angle of tilting of the face. Such a seat assembly provides the passenger with a comfortable “cradle-like” position.

  Since the rear portion of the seat surface portion moves downward relative to the backrest, a flange extending upward can be provided at the rear end portion of the seat surface portion in order to cover any gap generated between the seat surface portion and the backrest.

  The backrest includes a molded rigid frame member and a molded cushion member, and the molded cushion member can be attached only to the front side of the rigid frame member. In this way, the frame member can be shaped to form the required backrest shape and the cushion member can have a simple thin profile. The shape of the rigid frame member is therefore preferably an “S” curve corresponding to the natural curve of the spine. Such a configuration provides a seat with a less bulky structure.

  The seat surface portion can have a movable element, and the thickness of the seat surface portion at the front portion of the seat surface portion can be adjusted relative to the thickness of the seat surface portion at the rear portion of the seat surface portion by movement of the movable element. Therefore, the passenger can effectively adjust the height of the lumbar support portion of the seat in order to improve the sitting comfort. Passengers can also adjust the relative height of the lower thigh or knee bearing surface relative to the lower thigh or knee so that the legs can be optimally positioned. is there. For example, large passengers can reduce the knee height to place their legs in a comfortable position. Conveniently, such adjustment can be achieved by re-shrinking the cushion member of the seat portion with the airbag at the rear and the airbag at the front as needed. Can be implemented.

  In another form, an elastic member, such as a spring-biased rotating plate, that biases the seat upward or pivots downward under the weight of the passenger's legs is provided at the front of the seat. Can be provided.

  In order to make the understanding of the present invention easier, the present invention will be described below by way of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the seat assembly includes a pair of seats, each seat having a seat surface portion 2, a backrest 4, and a support structure 6 for supporting the seat on the vehicle floor, have. Aircraft seats are usually mounted on rails (not shown) that extend in the longitudinal direction of the aircraft cabin floor. The support structure 6 includes a pair of leg assemblies 8. The leg assemblies 8 are substantially “L” shaped and each of the leg assemblies comprises a first element 9. The first element 9 has a foot 10 having an elongated shape for attachment to an aircraft floor rail in a known manner. The foot 10 is elongated and has a substantially flat shape, which reduces the obstacle to the space of the passenger's foot.

  Referring to FIG. 8, various possible external shapes for the foot 10 are shown. Increasing the height of the outer shape of the leg 10 makes it possible to use a material with a thinner cross-section, and therefore involves a weight reduction that is important in the field of aircraft seats. In FIG. 8a, the foot has a depth of about 60 mm. In FIG. 8b, the depth is about 90 mm, and the weight can be reduced by about 0.28 kg compared to the outer shape of FIG. 8a. As shown in FIG. 8c, when the depth is about 150 mm, the weight of the first element can be reduced by about 0.52 kg compared to the weight of the first element of FIG. 8a. The outer shape of the foot preferably has a depth of about 100 mm.

  Referring also to FIG. 3, the upward extension 11 of the first element 9 extends from the front end of the first element 9 and is arranged below the front part of the seat surface part 2. Part of the part is formed.

  The downward extension 14 of the second element 12 forms a further part of the upright intermediate portion of the leg assembly. The second element 12 has the shape of a side plate or a suspension bracket. The bracket 12 is generally a vertically long “S” shape, and includes an intermediate portion 15 extending along the side end portion of the seating surface portion and an upper portion 17 extending along the side end portion of the lower backrest. And has a corner portion 19 between the intermediate portion 15 and the upper portion 17. The intermediate part 15 and the upper part 17 form a seat support part of the bracket 12. The bracket 12 is pivotally supported by the seat surface portion and the backrest, and enables a reclining motion of the seat as will be described later.

  The leg assembly 8 is attached to a lower column 16 and an upper column 18 that extend in the lateral direction. The upper strut 18 extends through the upper mounting hole 20 of each leg element 9 and 12, respectively, and the lower strut 16 extends through the lower mounting hole 22 of each leg element 9 and 12, respectively. The lower attachment hole 22 of the first element 9 is close to the foot portion 10, and the lower attachment hole 22 is close to the end of the downward extending portion 14 in the second element 12. The upper attachment hole 20 is close to the seat support portion of the suspension bracket 12 below the seat surface portion, and close to the uppermost end of the upward extending portion 11 of the first element 9.

  In this arrangement, the lower column 16 may be arranged slightly behind the upper column 18. Such an arrangement has the advantage of ensuring a wider heel space for seated passengers. Alternatively, the space can be used for luggage storage. For example, a storage pocket 50 can be attached to the front of the leg assembly (see FIG. 4). Such a storage pocket 50 has the advantage that it eliminates the need for a pocket on the back of the seat in front of the passenger, which would interfere with the knee space, as is commonly installed in aircraft.

  Referring to FIG. 9, in one embodiment, the mounting hole 22 of the lower support column 16 is disposed about 205 mm below the mounting hole 20 of the upper support column 18, and the foremost part of the lower mounting hole 22 is the upper mounting hole. It is disposed about 19.5 mm rearward of the 20 frontmost parts.

  As is conventional, there is no support below the rear end of the seat surface, so the rear end can be convex, and the lower end of the backrest is the shape of the rear end of the seat surface. It is possible to have a convex shape corresponding to. Therefore, a recess 3 is formed on each side of the back of each seat to accommodate the passenger's knees in the back seat.

  Referring also to FIG. 14, the rear end portion 100 of the seating surface portion extends forward of the seat 102 at the end portions 104 on both sides, so that the distance A between the seat back 106 and the rear end portion 100 of the front seat. Can be seen to increase significantly compared to the conventional flat backrest 108 case.

  Referring also to FIG. 4, the brackets 12 extend along the seat edges, both between the seats and at each end of the row. At the end of each row, the bracket 12 can be covered by a protective panel having a peripheral cushioning band 3. Further, the luggage barrier material 52 extends from the corner portion 19 of the bracket 12 between the seat surface portion and the backrest to the end portion of the downward extending portion 14 and can hold the luggage of all passengers. In another arrangement of luggage rails, the luggage shelves are inclined relative to the upright portion of the bracket 12 toward the corner of the bracket proximate to the upper column 18 as shown in FIG.

  The seat assembly described so far is suitable for both fixed seats and reclining seats. In this embodiment, a reclining mechanism is shown. The upper end of each bracket 12 terminates in the vicinity of the axial position 32. The backrest 4 of each seat is attached between the two brackets 12 so that it can be reclined around the axial position 32. This axial position on the vehicle floor is intended to be substantially equal to or slightly higher than the height of the knee 33 of the passenger 34 seated with the foot on the floor, (See also FIG. 4). For example, the 95% value of the center value of the knee height of the adult population is about 542 mm, so that the axial height can be about 561 mm, but a slight height is acceptable. Although the backrest rotates around the fixed point 32 in this embodiment, it can be tilted with respect to a certain path, as will be described later, as will be described later. When the backrest is tilted with respect to the path, the axial position defined as described above corresponds to a position where the backrest does not move substantially forward or backward.

  Furthermore, it can be understood that the axial position can be arranged forward from the seat having a conventional flat backrest by the convex backrest.

  The seat can be reclined by the operation of a lever 36 attached below the front portion of the seat surface portion 2. Simultaneously with the reclining movement of the backrest 4, the seat surface portion 2 translates forward, the front end portion 38 moves slightly upward, while the rear end portion 40 moves downward so that the seat surface portion 2 tilts. The seat surface portion 2 is attached to the bracket 12. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, such a movement is caused by inserting a guide for a sliding portion (not shown) attached to the end of the seat surface portion 2 into the bracket 12. This can be realized by arranging the sliding portion and the guide by machining or the like. The inclination angle α of the backrest is about 3.2 times the inclination angle β of the seat surface portion. This angle provides the passenger with a comfortable posture “as if they were in the cradle”. In this arrangement, the seat surface portion 2 is further supported forward by a support ring 45 attached to the upper column 18 and bolted to the lower side of the seat surface portion 2.

  Another mechanism embodiment is shown in FIG. When the operation lever 36 is operated, the cable connected to the release member 71 of the gas strut 72 releases this mechanism. When a seated passenger applies a force backward to the backrest, the backrest is inclined, and the rear end portion of the seat surface portion 2 is pushed forward by the lower end portion of the backrest that moves forward. The movement of the seat surface portion 2 is guided by the guide path 41 provided in the bracket 12 as described above with reference to FIG. A further guide member, i.e. cam 78, towards the front of the seat surface 2 helps to guide the front of the seat surface 2 upward during the reclining movement. The cam 78 is fixed to the bracket 80 below the seat surface portion 2. When the seat surface portion 2 moves forward, rotation of the cam 78 on the fixed rod 82 is brought about, and the bracket 80 is pushed upward. When the lever 36 is released, the mechanism is locked in place.

  The seat portion 2 is connected to a pair of levers 74 and 75, and the pair of levers 74 and 75 are further connected to a gas strut 72. When the actuating lever 36 is actuated again, the seat surface portion 2 is returned to the non-reclining position via the cam 74 by the spring 76 on the gas strut 72.

  A table arm 46 extending rearward is also attached to the axial position 32 on each side surface of each seat, and each of the pair of arms 46 is opposite to the axial position 32 of the arm 46 behind the seat. The table 48 is held between them at the end (see FIG. 2). In use, the passenger in the back seat can grab the table and pull it down to a substantially horizontal position. A handset 51 having a screen 49 and a coiled cord 53 may be provided at the top of the back side of each back for use by passengers in the back seat. For example, a thin material pocket made of a flat material can be provided in the lower part 47 on the back side of the backrest. For example, a safety card is stored in the material pocket. The material pocket may be, for example, a single net product that is attached to the backrest at both side edges and bottom. Additional storage pockets 50 for passengers can be attached to the front of the leg assembly. A life jacket is also stored under the seat.

  Referring also to FIG. 6, the upper portion of each bracket 12 is for mounting an armrest 44 and includes a flange 42 angled forward. Whether the backrest is in an upright position or in a reclining position, the armrest can be moved between a substantially horizontal use position and a storage position substantially parallel to the adjacent backrest. It is rotatably mounted on the flange 42. Therefore, the armrest shaft position 43 (see FIG. 9) is arranged in front of the backrest 4. Such an arrangement allows the armrest to be fully retracted and allows the passenger to sit on and off the seat with the armrest lying on the backrest. Since it is not necessary to mount an operation unit such as a reclining button on the armrest, the armrest has a simple structure, and therefore can be reduced in volume. The armrest can be attached by a simple shaft separated from the rest of the seat assembly and can be easily manipulated. Such an armrest structure is suitable both as a reclining seat and as a non-reclining seat.

  The armrest is laid on the backrest, preventing the armrest from overhanging behind the backrest, so that in the case of a reclining seat, the armrest is retracted (i.e. the armrest is parallel to the backrest) ), When the backrest moves from the reclining position to the upright position, the backrest also pushes up the armrest to the upright position. Thus, there is no need for a claw protruding from the backrest to abut against the armrest and prevent the armrest from projecting behind the backrest, as is common in conventional seat assemblies.

  The backrest 4 and the seat surface portion 2 include rigid frame members 58 and 56 (not shown), respectively, and molded cushions 60, 62, and 64 corresponding to the rigid frame members are cushions for the seat, the backrest, and the headrest, respectively. Is mounted on a surface that supports passengers. For example, the cushion may be mounted using hook and loop fasteners or other similar fastening members.

  The backrest member is a rigid body shaped to provide an ergonomic seat backrest. Thus, an “S” curve corresponding to the natural curvature of the spine is formed. Furthermore, the backrest member itself can be thinned to such an extent that it does not substantially exceed a thickness of about 30 mm, for example. Furthermore, the backrest member is visually superior so that no coating is required. Therefore, the backrest cushion 62 and the headrest cushion 64 may be provided only on the front side of the frame member of the backrest, and can have a simple and thin outer shape. sell. For example, the cushion may be substantially no thicker than 30 mm or even 20 mm thick. It is possible to use other mounting means to mitigate the impact, such as a thin woven skirt that wraps around the seat back 4. Alternatively, a thin cushion layer can be extended to the back surface of the backrest member 58. The cushion layer extended to the back surface can be made thinner than the cushion layer on the front surface side.

  The seat cushion 60 can have a pair of airbags 66 and 68 attached to the front part and further to the rear part in the cushion, respectively. Passengers can be provided with a known type of actuator (not shown) for inflating and deflating each airbag. For example, the airbag may be a direct access airbag that can be activated and inflated when the passenger's weight is removed and activated and deflated when the passenger's weight is applied. As another form, a spring plate member may be provided in the front part of the seat so that the seat can be urged upward or the seat can move downward when pushed by the weight of the passenger's leg.

  The passenger can thus adjust the height of the back of the seat relative to the backrest, so that the position of the area supporting the lumbar spine of the backrest can be adjusted to suit the passenger himself. The tilt angle of the seat portion can also be adjusted using the airbags 66,68. As a result, low-height passengers can reduce the pressure under the thigh by reducing the height of the seat by deflating the airbag, while high-height passengers are inclined Nevertheless, the leg can be more easily extended by forming a seating surface portion having a supporting effect. This feature facilitates a reduction in seat pitch, as optimal leg positions can be achieved for both short and tall passengers.

  In another embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the footrest 70 is attached to the lower strut 10 so as to allow rotational movement between the stowed position below the seat 2 and the use position as shown. Installed close together.

  Referring to FIG. 12, another seat support structure is shown. In the present embodiment, the seat support structure includes two support columns 84, 86, one being arranged at the front part of the seat surface part 2 and the other being further rearward on the lower side of the seat surface part 2. ing. The seat leg assembly includes an elongated foot 88 for attachment to an aircraft floor rail. The seat surface portion 2 and the backrest 4 are the same as the seat surface portion and the backrest shown in FIGS. 1 to 9, and the seat support portion, that is, the bracket 90, is slightly modified in shape. The seat is supported in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. The intermediate leg includes a front upright member 92 extending from the front column 84 to the front of the foot 88 and a rear member 94 extending from the rear column 86 to the rear of the foot 88. The rear member 94 is curved inward in the direction of the front strut 84 to mitigate obstruction of passenger foot space. The arm 96 connects the front leg and the rear leg. The headrest cushion 98 in this embodiment also includes auxiliary cushions 99 in order to increase comfort.

  Referring also to FIG. 14, in order to further provide a recess 95 on the side of each seat so that the passenger's knees in the back seat can be accommodated, the rear strut 86 is mostly proximate to the rear end of the seat. In addition, it can be seen that the rear end portion of the seat surface portion is disposed in front of most of the rear end portion. As another example, it is also possible to arrange the rear column 86 in front of the entire rear end portion of the seat surface portion.

  In FIG. 13, the relative position of each part of the seat is shown as an example, and all the relative positions start from the attachment point 100 at the foremost part of the foot. This drawing shows a first support structure 112 corresponding to the support structure of FIG. 1, and a second support structure 114 corresponding to the support structure of FIG. It can be seen that the lumbar support region 102 of the backrest 2 is more forward than the upper back support region 104 (both support regions are two “curves” of the “S” curve) by a distance 108. This distance 108 may be about 5 inches in the upright position. The height 110 of the backrest axis of rotation from the floor is about 22.44 inches. It can be seen that the rear support column 86 of the second support structure 114 is sufficiently forward of the rear end portion 106 of the seat surface portion 2 and forward by the distance 116 so as not to greatly affect the curved end portion of the backrest. . In this embodiment, the spacing is about 6.77 inches, but is preferably at least about 3 inches or 4 inches.

It is the perspective view which looked at the seat assembly provided with a pair of seats concerning one embodiment of the present invention from the front. It is the perspective view which looked at the seat assembly shown by FIG. 1 from back. It is the rear view which looked at the support structure of the seat assembly from the downward direction. FIG. 2 is a side view of the seat assembly of FIG. 1 showing the seat upright and reclining positions. It is a partial side view showing two rows of a seat assembly in the state where a person sat down in the back row. FIG. 6 is a partial side view of a seat assembly showing the armrests in different positions. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional side view of a seat assembly showing an airbag within a seat surface portion. 1 is a series of side views of a first element of a leg assembly, according to various embodiments of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view of a second element of the seat leg assembly of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of a seat assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention. It is another rear view which looked at the support structure which concerns on this invention from the downward direction. FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of a seat assembly including a row of seats according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a schematic side view showing a dimension example of the seat assembly in which the support structures of FIGS. 1 to 9 and 12 are superimposed and displayed. It is the perspective view which looked at the seat assembly of Drawing 12 from back. It is a schematic top view of the seat surface part of the seat which concerns on this invention which also shows the seat surface part of a back seat.

Claims (43)

A vehicle seat assembly,
A support structure;
A plurality of seats supported side by side on the support structure for placement in a row in a vehicle;
With
Each of the seats includes a seat surface portion and a backrest,
The support structure comprises at least one elongate strut extending laterally and at least one leg assembly attached to the strut;
The rear end portion of the seat surface portion and the lower end portion of the backrest extend forward on the side of the seat,
The support structure in the vicinity of the seat surface portion is more forward than the rear end portion of the seat surface portion so that a recess for accommodating a knee of a passenger seated in a rear row is formed on the side of each seat. Seat assembly placed on. The seat assembly according to claim 1, wherein
The post is a seat assembly disposed in front of at least a part of a rear end portion of the seat surface portion and in proximity to the rear end portion of the seat surface portion. The seat assembly according to claim 1 or 2,
A seat assembly in which further struts are arranged proximate to the front end of said seat surface. A seat assembly according to claims 1-3.
The seat assembly wherein the backrest is tiltable relative to the support structure between a first upright position and a reclining second position. A seat assembly according to claim 4,
A seat assembly that is tiltable about an axial position on the support structure, wherein the backrest is positioned to be at least approximately equal to a height of a seated passenger's knee from the floor of the vehicle. A seat assembly,
The seat assembly is for arranging the seat assemblies in a row in a vehicle;
A seat surface,
Backrest,
A support structure for supporting the seat surface portion and the backrest on the floor of the vehicle;
With
The backrest is a reclining first position about an axial position on the support structure arranged to be at least approximately equal to a height of a seated passenger's knee from the vehicle floor; A seat assembly that is tiltable relative to said support structure between said second position. The seat assembly according to claim 5 or 6,
A seat assembly arranged such that said axial position is at a height approximately equal to a value of at least 95 percent of a median knee height for an adult population. A seat assembly according to claim 5, 6 or 7,
The seat assembly is arranged such that the axial position is at a height between about 542 mm and about 591 mm from the floor. A seat assembly according to claim 8,
A seat assembly arranged such that the axial position is at a height between 569 mm and 591 mm. The seat assembly according to claim 9, wherein
The seat assembly is arranged so that the axial position has a height of about 580 mm. The seat assembly according to any one of claims 4 to 10,
The seat portion is movable with the backrest between a first position corresponding to the first position of the backrest and a second position corresponding to the second position of the backrest;
The seat assembly is a seat assembly that is translated forward relative to the support structure in the second position. A seat assembly according to claims 4-11, comprising:
The seat assembly is disposed in front of at least a part of the front surface of the backrest. A seat assembly according to claims 4-12,
The seat portion is movable with the backrest between a first position corresponding to the first position of the backrest and a second position corresponding to the second position of the backrest;
In the second position, the seat surface portion is translated forward with respect to the support structure, and the front portion of the seat surface portion is inclined relatively upward,
The seat assembly wherein the angle of inclination of the backrest is between about 2.5 and 3.9 times the angle of inclination of the seat surface. A seat assembly comprising a seat portion and a backrest,
The seat is movable between an upright position and a reclining position of the seat by an inclination movement of the seat portion and the backrest,
The tilting movement of the seating surface portion moves the front portion of the seating surface portion upward and moves the rear portion of the seating surface portion downward,
The tilting movement of the backrest moves the top of the backrest backwards and moves the bottom of the backrest forwards,
The seat assembly wherein the angle of tilting of the backrest is between 2.5 and 3.9 times the angle of tilting of the seat. A seat assembly according to claim 13 or 14,
The seat assembly wherein the angle of tilting of the backrest is between about 3.0 and 3.4 times the angle of tilting of the seat. The seat assembly according to claim 15, wherein
The seat assembly wherein the angle of the tilting motion of the backrest is equal to about 3.2 times the angle of the tilting motion of the seat surface. The seat assembly according to any one of claims 4 to 16, comprising:
Fixing means for fixing the seat portion and the backrest to a selected relative position;
A member that is disposed below the front portion of the seating surface portion and that manually operates the fixing means;
A seat assembly comprising: A seat assembly according to any one of claims 4 to 17,
A seat provided with a flange that extends upward in the vicinity of a lower end portion of the backrest, so that a rear end portion of the seating surface portion substantially prevents a gap from being formed between the seat surface portion and the backrest. assembly. A seat assembly according to any of claims 1-18,
An armrest that is rotatable between a substantially upright storage position and a use position that is substantially horizontal;
A seat assembly with an axial position located in front of the backrest. A seat assembly comprising a plurality of seats arranged side by side,
Each of the seats includes a backrest and an armrest that is rotatable between a substantially upright storage position and a use position that is substantially horizontal;
A seat assembly in which the armrest is positioned in front of the backrest. A seat assembly according to claim 19 or 20, comprising
A seat assembly wherein the armrest length is less than 12 inches, preferably less than 10 inches. A seat assembly according to claim 19 or 20 or 21,
The seat assembly abuts against the front of the backrest in the upright storage position so that the armrest is prevented from overhanging behind the backrest. A seat assembly according to claims 19-22,
The backrest is rotatable about an axial position of the backrest,
The seat assembly in which the axial position of the armrest is disposed in front of the axial position of the backrest. A seat assembly according to any of claims 1 to 23,
A seat surface and a backrest,
The backrest is movable between an upright position and a reclining position;
The seat member has a movable element;
A seat assembly that adjusts the thickness of the seat member at the front of the seat member relative to the thickness of the seat portion at the rear of the seat member by movement of the movable element. 25. A seat assembly according to claim 24, comprising:
The seat portion includes a cushion,
The movable element comprises an airbag;
A seat assembly wherein movement of the movable element is realized by inflation or deflation of the airbag. 25. A seat assembly according to claim 24, comprising:
The movable element comprises two airbags;
One of the airbags is disposed at a front portion of the seat cushion, and the other one of the airbags is disposed at a rear portion of the seat cushion. 25. A seat assembly according to claim 24, comprising:
The seat assembly is provided with an elastic member attached to a front portion of the seat and arranged to be movable under the weight of a passenger's leg. A seat assembly according to any of claims 1 to 27,
The backrest includes a molded rigid frame member and an elastic cushion member,
The cushion assembly is a seat assembly that is mounted only on the front side of the rigid frame member. 30. A seat assembly according to claim 28, comprising:
A seat assembly wherein the cushion member is covered by a layer of fabric extending from a peripheral edge of the backrest to attach the cushion member to the backrest. A seat assembly according to any of claims 1 to 29,
The backrest includes a molded rigid frame member and an elastic cushion member,
A seat assembly wherein the thickness of the cushion member does not exceed 30 mm in a substantial part thereof. A seat assembly according to any of claims 1 to 30,
The backrest includes a molded rigid frame member and an elastic cushion member,
The seat assembly wherein the thickness of the cushion member is substantially constant over the front surface of the backrest. A seat assembly according to claims 28-31, comprising:
A seat assembly in which a thickness of the backrest member does not exceed 30 mm in a substantial part thereof. The seat assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 32,
The back is provided with a pocket on the back for use by passengers in the back seat,
The seat assembly includes a flexible flat plate. A support structure for a seat assembly according to any of claims 1-33,
An elongated first strut extending laterally of the seat;
At least one seat leg assembly attached to the post;
Comprising at least
The leg assembly is
To attach the support structure to the vehicle, a foot arranged to be close to the vehicle floor;
A seat support portion arranged to be close to a lower surface of the seat for attachment to the seat;
An intermediate portion extending between the seat support portion and the foot portion;
With
A support structure configured such that the support and the leg assembly or the intermediate portion of each leg assembly are disposed only under the front portion of each seat in use. A support structure for supporting a plurality of seats side by side in a vehicle,
The support structure is
An elongated first strut extending laterally of the seat;
At least one seat leg assembly attached to the post;
Comprising at least
The leg assembly is
To attach the support structure to the vehicle, a foot arranged to be close to the vehicle floor;
A seat support portion arranged to be close to a lower surface of the seat for attachment to the seat;
An intermediate portion extending between the seat support portion and the foot portion;
With
A support structure configured such that the support column and the leg assembly or the intermediate portion of each leg assembly are disposed only under the front portion of each seat in use. 36. A support structure according to claim 34 or 35, comprising:
A support structure comprising at least two said leg assemblies. A support structure according to claim 34, 35 or 36,
A support structure comprising the foot or each foot having an elongated shape and mounting means for attaching the leg assembly to an elongated rail corresponding to the foot provided on the floor of the vehicle. . A support structure according to claims 34 to 37, wherein
The first strut;
A second strut;
With
The first strut is attached to the leg assembly or the foot portion of each leg assembly, or in proximity to the foot portion,
The second strut is a support structure that is attached to the seat assembly of the leg assembly or each leg assembly or close to the seat support. A support structure according to claim 38,
The first support column is a support structure disposed behind the second support column. A support structure according to claim 39,
The leg assembly or each leg assembly is
A first element;
A second element;
With
The first element is:
The foot,
An upper extension attached to the first strut and the second strut and forming part of the intermediate portion of the leg assembly;
With
The second element is
The seat support;
A downwardly extending portion attached to the first strut and the second strut and forming a further part of the intermediate portion of the leg assembly;
A support structure comprising: A support structure according to claim 40, wherein
A support structure wherein the first element of the leg assembly or each leg assembly is laterally spaced from the second element of the leg assembly or leg assembly, respectively. A support structure according to claim 39 or 40, wherein
The seat support portion of the second element is a support structure arranged to extend along at least a part of the side surface portion of the seat surface portion and the backrest. A support structure according to any one of claims 34 to 42, wherein
A support structure wherein the leg assembly is provided with a storage pocket for use by a passenger at the front of the leg assembly.

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