FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of the invention relates to separable multiple-piece frame assemblies for passenger seats in aircraft or the like.

BACKGROUND

Passenger seats, and particularly vehicle or aircraft passenger seats, are designed based on numerous factors including, for example, ensuring passenger safety for various loading conditions, minimizing weight, simplifying manufacturing, reducing cost, facilitating installation, simplifying shipping, among other factors. Conventional seats are typically designed for two to four occupants and use a framework arrangement with a frame assembly between adjacent seating positions along the lateral length of the seat and a plurality of support members that extend laterally and connect to each of the plurality of frame assemblies. Based on the cabin width of some vehicles (e.g., aircraft), in some cases, to optimize available space, it may be desirable to utilize a seat with five or more seating positions in the lateral direction of the seat. However, typical seats are designed with a maximum of four seating positions in the lateral direction because increasing the lateral dimension (beyond that of a four seating position seat) yields a seat that is impractical to ship, too large to manipulate into the vehicle, and is otherwise unworkable for varied reasons.

In certain situations, it may be desirable to design seats and related framework for five or more seating positions in the lateral direction where the seat can be separated into multiple pieces and reassembled after being shipped and moved into the cabin of the vehicle. In particular, it may be desirable to design and produce a framework for a seat with a multiple-piece frame assembly that can be disassembled such that the seat can be separated into multiple pieces that are structurally independent and capable of being shipped and manipulated independently.

SUMMARY

The terms “invention,” “the invention,” “this invention” and “the present invention” used in this patent are intended to refer broadly to all of the subject matter of this patent and the patent claims below. Statements containing these terms should be understood not to limit the subject matter described herein or to limit the meaning or scope of the patent claims below. Embodiments of the invention covered by this patent are defined by the claims below, not this summary. This summary is a high-level overview of various aspects of the invention and introduces some of the concepts that are further described in the Detailed Description section below. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by reference to appropriate portions of the entire specification of this patent, any or all drawings and each claim.

According to certain embodiments of the present invention, a separable multiple-piece frame assembly for a passenger seat of a vehicle comprises: a first spreader portion with an inner face; a second spreader portion with an inner face; a plurality of attachments for releasably attaching the first spreader portion and the second spreader portion; and an attached configuration, wherein the inner face of the first spreader portion and the inner face of the second spreader portion are in contact with one another.

In some embodiments, the plurality of attachments comprise at least one of fasteners and clamps.

In certain embodiments, a first portion of a forward lateral member extends from the first spreader portion in a direction opposite from the inner face of the first spreader portion; and a second portion of the forward lateral member extends from the second spreader portion in a direction opposite from the inner face of the second spreader portion.

In some embodiments, a first portion of an aft lateral member extends from the first spreader portion in a direction opposite from the inner face of the first spreader portion; and a second portion of the aft lateral member extends from the second spreader portion in a direction opposite from the inner face of the second spreader portion.

The separable multiple-piece frame assembly, in certain embodiments, comprises a forward coupler, wherein, in the attached configuration, the forward coupler extends between (i) an interface of the first portion of the forward lateral member and the first spreader portion and (ii) an interface of the second portion of the forward lateral member and the second spreader portion; and an aft coupler, wherein, in the attached configuration, the aft coupler extends between (i) an interface of the first portion of the aft lateral member and the first spreader portion and (ii) an interface of the second portion of the aft lateral member and the second spreader portion.

The forward coupler, in certain embodiments, comprises: a hollow cylindrical member that is disposed within the forward lateral member; and a fastener for securing the forward coupler relative to the first spreader portion passes through a full diameter of the forward coupler and a full diameter of the forward lateral member.

In some embodiments, the first spreader portion comprises a seat pan portion and a seat back portion; and the second spreader portion comprises a seat pan portion and a seat back portion.

The plurality of attachments, in some embodiments, comprise: at least two seat pan fasteners attaching the seat pan portion of the first spreader portion to the seat pan portion of the second spreader portion; and at least two seat back fasteners attaching the seat back portion of the first spreader portion to the seat back portion of the second spreader portion.

In certain embodiments, the at least two seat pan fasteners comprise at least one of (i) a fastener located under an interface with a forward lateral member and (ii) a fastener located under an interface with an aft lateral member.

In some embodiments, an armrest assembly comprises a fitting that is sandwiched between the first spreader portion and the second spreader portion in the attached configuration.

According to certain embodiments of the present invention, a passenger seat comprises: a separable multiple-piece frame assembly comprising (i) a first spreader portion with an inner face and (ii) a second spreader portion with an inner face; a forward lateral member comprising: a first portion attached to the first spreader portion and extending away from the first spreader portion in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the inner face of the first spreader portion; and a second portion attached to the second spreader portion and extending away from the second spreader portion in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the inner face of the second spreader portion; an aft lateral member comprising: a first portion attached to the first spreader portion and extending away from the first spreader portion in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the inner face of the first spreader portion; and a second portion attached to the second spreader portion and extending away from the second spreader portion in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the inner face of the second spreader portion, wherein: the separable multiple-piece frame assembly comprises provisions for removably attaching the first spreader portion and the second spreader portion; and the separable multiple-piece frame assembly comprises an attached configuration, wherein the inner face of the first spreader portion and the inner face of the second spreader portion are in contact with one another.

The separable multiple-piece frame assembly of the passenger seat, in certain embodiments, comprises a plurality of attachments for releasably attaching the first spreader portion and the second spreader portion.

The passenger seat, in some embodiments, comprises a forward coupler, wherein, in the attached configuration, the forward coupler extends between (i) an interface of the first portion of the forward lateral member and the first spreader portion and (ii) an interface of the second portion of the forward lateral member and the second spreader portion; and an aft coupler, wherein, in the attached configuration, the aft coupler extends between (i) an interface of the first portion of the aft lateral member and the first spreader portion and (ii) an interface of the second portion of the aft lateral member and the second spreader portion.

In certain embodiments, the forward coupler comprises: a hollow cylindrical member that is disposed within the forward lateral member; and a fastener for securing the forward coupler relative to the first spreader portion passes through a full diameter of the forward coupler and a full diameter of the forward lateral member.

In some embodiments, the first spreader portion comprises a seat pan portion and a seat back portion; and the second spreader portion comprises a seat pan portion and a seat back portion.

The plurality of attachments, in certain embodiments, comprise: at least two seat pan fasteners attaching the seat pan portion of the first spreader portion to the seat pan portion of the second spreader portion; and at least two seat back fasteners attaching the seat back portion of the first spreader portion to the seat back portion of the second spreader portion.

In certain embodiments, the at least two seat pan fasteners comprise at least one of (i) a fastener located under an interface with the forward lateral member and (ii) a fastener located under an interface with the aft lateral member.

In some embodiments, an armrest assembly comprises a fitting that is sandwiched between the first spreader portion and the second spreader portion in the attached configuration.

According to certain embodiments of the present invention, a method of assembling a passenger seat comprises: providing a separable multiple-piece frame assembly comprising a first spreader portion with an inner face and a second spreader portion with an inner face; attaching a first portion of a forward lateral member to the first spreader portion; attaching a second portion of the forward lateral member to the second spreader portion; attaching a first portion of an aft lateral member to the first spreader portion; attaching a second portion of the aft lateral member to the second spreader portion; and attaching the first spreader portion and the second spreader portion such that the inner face of the first spreader portion and the inner face of the second spreader portion are in contact with one another.

In some embodiments, the method comprises: attaching a forward coupler to at least one of the first spreader portion and the second spreader portion such that, in an attached configuration, the forward coupler extends between (i) an interface of the first portion of the forward lateral member and the first spreader portion and (ii) an interface of the second portion of the forward lateral member and the second spreader portion; and attaching an aft coupler to at least one of the first spreader portion and the second spreader portion such that, in the attached configuration, the aft coupler extends between (i) an interface of the first portion of the aft lateral member and the first spreader portion and (ii) an interface of the second portion of the aft lateral member and the second spreader portion.

