SUPPORT ELEMENT FOR AN AIRCRAFT SEAT FACILITATING THE INSTALLATION OF A PERSON WITH REDUCED MOBILITY

Abstract

The invention relates to a seat (11) for an aircraft comprising: - a seat (13) comprising an upper face (14) on which a passenger can sit, - a backrest (15) movable between a raised position and a lowered position in which the backrest (15) forms with the seat (13) a sleeping surface, - a support element (30) mounted so as to be able to rotate on a structural element about an axis of rotation (X3) between a stored position in which the support element (30) is located below the upper face of the seat (13) and a deployed position in which the support element (30) is located at least partially above the upper face of the seat (13), so that a person with reduced mobility can lean on the support element (30) to facilitate their installation on the seat (11). Figure 1c

Description

Title of the invention: SUPPORT ELEMENT FOR AN AIRCRAFT SEAT FACILITATING THE INSTALLATION OF A PERSON WITH REDUCED MOBILITY

[0001] The present invention relates to a support element for an aircraft seat facilitating the installation of a person with reduced mobility. The invention finds a particularly advantageous application in the field of aeronautics, in particular with seat units intended to be installed in first class or business class aircraft cabins.

[0002] In a manner known per se, such a seat unit comprises a seat associated with a side console and a privacy shell extending at least partly around the seat. Such a configuration makes it possible to guarantee the privacy of the passenger by creating a partially enclosed space around the seat unit to isolate the passenger from the external environment.

[0003] The seat offers the passenger different comfort positions, from a "sitting" position to a "bed" position, in which the seat defines a substantially horizontal sleeping surface for the passenger to lie down. Intermediate comfort positions are also provided, such as the "relax" position in which a seat back is strongly inclined. Generally, these intermediate positions are obtained by tilting the pivoting back about a horizontal axis and perpendicular to an extension axis of the seat.

[0004] As part of the support, transfer and installation of a person with reduced mobility known as "PRM" from their wheelchair to their aircraft seat, a wheelchair on which the PRM is seated is placed near the aircraft seat in bed position. The PRM is then transferred from the wheelchair to the aircraft seat, possibly with the assistance of the flight crew.

[0005] However, in order to be able to transfer completely freely, the person with reduced mobility needs to be able to support themselves around the seat, which is made very difficult on the configurations of existing seat units without a dedicated attachment device for PRMs.

[0006] The invention aims to effectively remedy this drawback by proposing a seat for an aircraft comprising: - a seat comprising an upper surface on which a passenger can sit, - a backrest movable between a raised position and a lowered position in which the backrest forms a sleeping surface with the seat, - said seat comprises a support element mounted to rotate on an element structural around an axis of rotation between a stored position in which the support element is located below the upper face of the seat and a deployed position in which the support element is located at least partially above the upper face of the seat, so that a person with reduced mobility can lean on the support element to facilitate their installation on the seat.

[0007] The invention thus makes it easier to transfer a passenger with reduced mobility from a wheelchair to their airplane seat by providing them with supports and hooks within easy reach. Furthermore, the support element according to the invention has the advantage of being discreetly integrated into the seat without causing any discomfort to the passenger when the latter is in a seated or lying position.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the invention, the structural element is a seating structure.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the invention, the support element is a handle.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the invention, the handle comprises a wall delimiting a closed circumference defining an opening facilitating gripping by the person with reduced mobility.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the invention, the support element comprises at least one rectilinear gripping portion extending in a horizontal direction when the support element is in the deployed position.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, said seat comprises an angular stop against which a fixing arm of the support element bears when said support element is respectively in the stored position and in the deployed position.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the invention, the angular stop has a rounded shape comprising an internal face in contact with an external periphery of one end of the fixing arm of the support element having the shape of a portion of a cylinder.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the invention, the fixing arm of the support element comprises a first stop face bearing against a first end of the angular stop when the support element is in the stored position and a second stop face bearing against a second end of the angular stop when the support element is in the deployed position, the angular stop being arranged between the first stop face and the second stop face.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the invention, the seat comprises a comfort cushion provided with a through groove allowing access to the support element in the stored position.

[0016] The invention further relates to a seat unit comprising a seat as previously defined, and a side console arranged along one side of the seat, the support element being arranged on the side of the side console.

[0017] The invention also relates to a method for installing a person with reduced mobility on an aircraft seat as previously defined, comprising: - a step of moving the seat from the sitting position to the bed position, - a step of moving the support element from the stored position to the deployed position, - a step of moving a wheelchair in which a person with reduced mobility is seated near the edge of the seat, - a step of support, by the person with reduced mobility, on the one hand on the support element and on the other hand on the wheelchair, and - a step of transferring the person with reduced mobility from the wheelchair to the aircraft seat.

[0018] The present invention will be better understood and other characteristics and advantages will become apparent upon reading the detailed description which follows, comprising embodiments given for illustrative purposes with reference to the appended figures, presented as non-limiting examples, which may serve to complete the understanding of the present invention and the description of its embodiment and, where appropriate, contribute to its definition, in which:

[0019] [Fig.1a][Fig.1b][Fig.1c] Figures 1a, 1b and 1c are perspective views illustrating a deployment kinematics of a support element belonging to a seat unit according to the invention;

[0020] [Fig.2a][Fig.2b] Figures 2a and 2b are perspective views of a support element according to the invention integrated on a seat structure when said support element is respectively in the stored position and in the deployed position;

[0021] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a perspective view of a seat structure according to the invention covered by a comfort cushion provided with a groove for access to the support element according to the invention;

[0022] [Fig.4a][Fig.4b][Fig.4c] Figures 4a, 4b and 4c are perspective views illustrating a method of installing a person with reduced mobility on a seat using a support element according to the invention.

[0023] It should be noted that the structural and / or functional elements common to the different embodiments may have the same references. Thus, unless otherwise stated, such elements have identical structural, dimensional and material properties.

[0024] Figures 1a, 1b and 1c show a seat unit 10 comprising a seat 11 convertible into a berth comprising a frame 12 on which a seat 13 and a backrest 15 are mounted. The seat 13 has an upper face 14 on which a passenger can sit.

[0025] The seat 13 may comprise a seat structure 16 covered by a comfort cushion 17. The seat structure 16 is made of a material, in particular metal and / or rigid plastic and / or composite material, capable of withstanding the mechanical stresses imposed on the seat 13, in particular the weight of the passenger and stresses mechanical stresses undergone during a crash certification test. The seat structure 16 may comprise uprights, crosspieces and a support plate. The backrest 15 may comprise a backrest structure 18 covered by a comfort cushion 19. The comfort cushions 17, 19 of the seat and the backrest 15 may be made of a foam material, for example polyurethane foam, polyethylene foam, fiber foam, cellular foam, inflatable foam or any other material for producing a comfort foam. The upper face 14 of the seat corresponds to the upper face of the comfort cushion 17.

[0026] The seat 11 is associated with a side console 22 extending along one side of the seat. 11. The side console 22 may include a table surface 23 on which a passenger can place personal items or their meal tray in particular. The side console 22 may also include a vertical storage space 24 comprising one or more elements from among a literature pocket, a bottle holder, or a minibar. The choice of storage is configurable according to the wishes of the airline.

[0027] Furthermore, a privacy shell 27 extends at least partly around the seat 11 so as to delimit a semi-enclosed space around the passenger. Such a configuration makes it possible to guarantee the privacy of the passenger seated on the seat 11.

[0028] The seat 11 is advantageously provided with kinematics allowing it to be movable between a "seated" position, in which the seat 11 is configured to define a seated position for a passenger, and a "bed" position, in which the seat 11 is configured to define a substantially horizontal sleeping surface for the passenger.

[0029] For this purpose, the backrest 15 is able to pivot around a horizontal axis XI and perpendicular to an extension axis X2 of the seat 11. The axis X2 corresponds to the intersection between a horizontal plane and a median vertical plane of the seat 11.

[0030] The backrest 15 is thus movable between a raised position and a lowered position in which the backrest 15 extends in the same plane as the seat 13 to form with the seat 13 the sleeping surface. In order to ensure the movement of the different elements of the seat 11 passing from the sitting position to the bed position, the seat 11 comprises one or more actuators ensuring a rotational movement of the backrest 15 towards the rear and, if necessary, a translational movement of the seat 13 towards the front.

[0031] A housing 28 in which a footrest is arranged is provided in the side console 22. The housing 28 is open towards the rear seat, so that the passenger seated on the rear seat can place his feet on the footrest, in particular when the rear seat is in the bed position.

[0032] The seat 11 further comprises a support element 30 mounted to rotate on a structural element around an axis of rotation X3 between a stored position in in which the support element 30 is located below the upper face of the seat 13 (see [Fig. lb]) and a deployed position in which the support element 30 is located at least partially above the upper face of the seat 13 (see [Fig. le]). A person with reduced mobility can then lean on the support element 30 to facilitate their installation on the seat 11.

[0033] Advantageously, as can be seen in Figures 1b and 1c, the support element 30 is arranged on one side of the seat 11 opposite to that where an armrest 21 is arranged. In this case, the support element 30 is arranged on the side of the side console 22. The axis of rotation X3 preferably extends perpendicularly to the axis of extension X2 of the seat 11.

[0034] Preferably, the structural element on which the support element 30 is mounted is the seat structure 16. Alternatively, the structural element is the frame 12 or the backrest structure 15. As can be seen in [Fig.2a], a pivot connection between the support element 30 and the structural element may be constituted by an axis 31 inserted inside an opening made in one end of a fixing arm 38 of the support element 30. The axis 31 may be constituted by a rod or a fixing member capable of ensuring a mechanical connection between the fixing arm 38 and the structural element 16. A rotational guide element of the fixing arm 38, such as a ball bearing or a bushing, may be arranged around the axis 31.

[0035] Advantageously, the support element 30 is a handle. The handle 30 comprises a wall 33 delimiting a closed circumference defining an opening 34 facilitating gripping of the handle by a person with reduced mobility. The handle 30 may comprise an elongated shape having a longitudinal elongation direction extending horizontally when the handle 30 is in the deployed position.

[0036] The gripping element 30 comprises at least one rectilinear gripping portion 35.1 extending in a horizontal direction when the support element 30 is in the deployed position. Thus, a person can grasp the gripping portion 35.1 by passing his hand through the opening 34. Preferably, the hand of the person with reduced mobility can at least partially, preferably completely, surround the gripping portion 35.1, such that at least a portion of his fingers come into contact with a lower face of the gripping portion 35.1. The gripping portion 35.1 may have prints having a complementary shape of fingers of a hand on its lower face and / or its lateral faces. The gripping portion 35.1 is extended at one end by a rounded lower portion 35.2 and at another end by a rectilinear portion 35.3 forming a non-zero angle relative to a vertical direction.

[0037] As illustrated in Figures 2a and 2b, the seat 11 comprises an angular stop 39 against which the fixing arm 38 of the support element bears. 30 when said support element 30 is respectively in the stored position (see [Fig.2a]) and in the deployed position (see [Fig.2b]).

[0038] The angular stop 39 has a rounded shape comprising an internal face, that is to say radially internal relative to the axis X3, in contact with an external periphery of one end of the fixing arm 38 having the shape of a cylinder portion 40. The internal face of the angular stop 39 thus has a rounded shape complementary to the cylinder portion 40. The angular stop 39 thus makes it possible to ensure rotational guidance of the fixing arm 38 of the support element 30. An axis of the cylinder portion 40 coincides with the axis of rotation X3 of the support element 30.

[0039] The fixing arm 38 comprises a first stop face 41 bearing against a first end of the angular stop 39 when the support element 30 is in the stored position, as shown in [Fig. 2a]. The fixing arm 48 comprises a second stop face 42 bearing against a second end of the angular stop 39 when the support element 30 is in the deployed position as shown in [Fig. 2b]. The cylinder portion 40 of the fixing arm 38 extends circumferentially between the first stop face 41 and the second stop face 42 of the fixing arm 38. The angular stop 39 is disposed between the first stop face 41 and the second stop face 42.

[0040] As illustrated in [Fig. 3], the comfort cushion 17 of the seat 13 is provided with a through groove 45 allowing access to the support element 30 in the stored position. The groove 45 extends along a lateral edge of the comfort cushion 17. The groove 45 may comprise a wider portion 48 located at a rear end of the seat 13. The portion 48 of the groove 45 is intended to receive the fixing arm 38 when the support element 30 is in the deployed position.

[0041] The method for installing a person with reduced mobility on the aircraft seat 11 is described below, with reference to FIGS. 4a, 4b and 4c. As shown in [Fig. 4a], the method comprises a step of moving the seat 11 from the seated position to the bed position and a step of moving the support element 30 from the stored position to the deployed position.

[0042] A wheelchair 46 in which a person with reduced mobility is seated is moved close to an edge of the seat 11.

[0043] As illustrated in [Fig.4b], the person with reduced mobility 47 can then lean on the support element 30 on the one hand and on the wheelchair 46 on the other hand.

[0044] As illustrated in [Fig.4c], the person with reduced mobility 47 then transfers from the wheelchair to the aircraft seat 11.

[0045] Of course, the various features, variants and / or embodiments of the present invention may be combined with each other in various ways. combinations to the extent that they are not incompatible or mutually exclusive.

[0046] Furthermore, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and provided solely by way of example. It encompasses various modifications, alternative forms and other variants that may be envisaged by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present invention and in particular all combinations of the different operating modes described above, which may be taken separately or in association.

Claims

Claims

1. Seat (11) for an aircraft comprising: - a seat (13) having an upper face (14) on which a passenger can sit, - a backrest (15) movable between a raised position and a lowered position in which the backrest (15) forms with the seat (13) a sleeping surface, characterized in that said seat (11) comprises a support element (30) mounted so as to be able to rotate on a structural element about an axis of rotation (X3) between a stored position in which the support element (30) is located below the upper face of the seat (13) and a deployed position in which the support element (30) is located at least partially above the upper face of the seat (13), so that a person with reduced mobility can lean on the support element (30) to facilitate their installation on the seat (11).

2. Seat according to claim 1, characterized in that the structural element is a seat structure (16).

3. Seat according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support element (30) is a handle.

4. Seat according to claim 3, characterized in that the handle (30) comprises a wall (33) delimiting a closed circumference defining an opening (34) facilitating gripping by the person with reduced mobility.

5. Seat according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the support element (30) comprises at least one rectilinear gripping portion (35.1) extending in a horizontal direction when the support element (30) is in the deployed position.

6. Seat according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises an angular stop (39) against which a fixing arm (38) of the support element (30) bears when said support element (30) is respectively in the stored position and in the deployed position.

7. Seat according to claim 6, characterized in that the fixing arm (38) of the support element (30) comprises a first stop face (41) coming to bear against a first end of the angular stop (39) when the support element (30) is in the stored position and a second stop face (42) coming to bear against a second end of the angular stop (39) when the support element (30) is in the deployed position, the angular stop (39) being arranged between the first stop face (41) and the second stop face (42).

8. Seat according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the seat (13) comprises a comfort cushion (17) provided with a through groove (45) allowing access to the support element (30) in the stored position.

9. Seat unit (10) comprising a seat (11) defined according to any one of the preceding claims, and a side console (22) arranged along one side of the seat (11) characterized in that the support element (30) is arranged on the side of the side console (22).

10. Method for installing a person with reduced mobility on an aircraft seat (11) defined according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said method comprises: - a step of moving the seat (11) from the sitting position to the bed position, - a step of moving the support element (30) from the stored position to the deployed position, - a step of moving a wheelchair (46) on which a person with reduced mobility is installed near an edge of the seat (H), - a step of taking support, by the person with reduced mobility (47), on the one hand on the support element (30) and on the other hand on the wheelchair (46), and - a step of transferring the person with reduced mobility (47) from the wheelchair (46) to the aircraft seat (11).

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