This invention relates to seating devices for passenger transport vehicles and, more specifically, to apparatus and methods that provide privacy between seats for passengers utilizing transport vehicles such as aircraft, trains, and buses.
Fans often in the shape of a long triangle or of a semicircle, for waving lightly in the hand to create a cooling current of air about a person have been used for a long time. A special kind of folding fan known as Chinese fan, or brise fan is used by Chinese, French, and others. It consists of a set of blades or sticks connected by rivets or other fasteners, through which the blades hinge and space apart. The result is that a semi-circle or arc is spanned by the set of blades or sticks and moved for cooling purposes. Alternatively, a screen may be applied on top of the sticks.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,046,754, entitled Display Shutter Device for View Protection on a Portable Computer, teaches a display shutter device for view protection on a portable computer. The shutter device is disposed integrally within the bezel of a portable computer. The shutter device can be disposed proximate the two sides of a display within the bezel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,018, entitled Passenger Service Terminal Particularly in Passenger Cabin of an Aircraft, teaches a passenger service terminal, for example in an aircraft, includes comfort and service components such as a reading lamp, a flight attendant call button, a loudspeaker, an air nozzle, an oxygen mask, an oxygen generator, and an optical display element incorporated in a separate support bail or support rod that cooperates with but remains separate from a passenger seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,183, entitled Privacy Shroud for Aircraft Seats, teaches a privacy shroud assembly specifically designed to increase the privacy of an occupant of a chair structure when the chair structure is in a reclined position for extended periods of rest or sleep.
However, none of the above patents disclose the use of a Chinese fan, or brise fan as a divider. Neither do the above patents teach storing the divider for any type of seat to create privacy for passengers of aircraft, busses, trains, and other similar passenger conveyance means in the extended position.
As can be seen, there is a need for folding type privacy divide that can maintain some level of privacy for a group of passengers sitting in close proximity. Ease of use and storage of the privacy divide is desirable. Accordingly, the above folding type divide structure fits the purpose. As can be appreciated, a folding type divider has a relatively simple structure as compare with the above cited prior art patents. Further, a folding type divider can be folded and stored at a convenient location occupying a minimum of space. Therefore, it is desirable to have a folding fan-type divider that may be stored at a location occupying less space when not in use.
In one aspect of the present invention, there is disclosed a device for sub-dividing a space, which comprises a plurality of elongated dividing members each having, a first end rotably connected with the rest of the plurality of elongated dividing members by a connecting portion, wherein the connecting portion comprises a relatively non-moving point in relation to other connecting portions of the plurality of elongated first members, thereby forming a collective connecting portion, and a second end capable of moving apart from the plurality of second ends of the other members in a uniform manner, thereby using the length of the elongated dividing member as a radius spanning an area wherein the area forms part of a circle for subdividing a space; and a mounting member coupled to the collective connecting portion disposed to be coupled to a mounting object having at least one stable location for spanning the area for subdivision. In another aspect of the present invention, there is disclosed a seat having a device for sub-dividing a space, which comprises a seating portion having a substantially flat surface for seating; a back member coupled to the substantially flat surface, the back member comprises an inner back surface and two side surfaces, each side surface having a breadth that is substantially the thickness of the back member; a sliding member integrally attached to at least one side surface. And a privacy fan-type for sub-dividing a space, which comprises a plurality of elongated dividing members each having, a first end rotably connected with the rest of the plurality of elongated dividing members by a connecting portion, wherein the connecting portion comprises a relatively non-moving point in relation to other connecting portions of the plurality of elongated first members, thereby forming a collective connecting portion, and a second end capable of moving apart from the a plurality of second ends of the other members in a uniformly manner, thereby using the length of the elongated dividing member as a radius spanning an area wherein the area forms part of a circle for subdividing a space; and a mounting member coupled to the collective connecting portion disposed to be coupled to the sliding member having at least one stable location for spanning the area for subdivision.
In a further aspect of the present invention, a seating arrangement, which comprises at least two rows of seats, each row includes a plurality of seats. Each seat comprises a seating portion having a substantially flat surface for seating; a back member coupled to the substantially flat surface, the back member comprises an inner back surface and two side surfaces, each side surfaces having a breadth that is substantially the thickness of the back member; a sliding member integrally attached to at least one side surface; and a privacy fan-type for sub-dividing a space. The privacy fan-type comprises a plurality of elongated dividing members each having, a first end rotably connected with the rest of the plurality of elongated dividing members by a connecting portion, wherein the connecting portion comprises a relatively non-moving point in relation to other connecting portions of the plurality of elongated first members, thereby forming a collective connecting portion, and a second end capable of moving apart from the a plurality of second ends of the other members in a uniformly manner, thereby using the length of the elongated dividing member as a radius spanning an area wherein the area forms part of a circle for subdividing a space; and a mounting member coupled to the collective connecting portion disposed to be coupled to the sliding having at least one stable location for spanning the area for subdivision.
In yet a further aspect of the present invention, a method for dividing a space between two seats, comprising the steps of providing a fan-type; attach the fan-type to one of the two seats; and opening the fan-type.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.