EP-3919389-B1 - PRIVATE SUITE FOR ECONOMY CABIN SPACE IN AIRCRAFT

Inventors

• LIN, HORNG
• Finlay, Travis
• JOHNSON, GLENN A.

Dates

Publication Date

20260506

Application Date

20210607

Claims (10)

1. An aircraft suite comprising: a continuous seatback panel (104); one or more reconfigurable seatback cushions (520), at least one of the reconfigurable seatback cushions being removable and reconfigurable into a reclining seatback cushion, and at least one reconfigurable seatback cushion being configured to be folded down from the corresponding seatback and reconfigured to form an armrest (526); a fixed aisle-side panel (112); and a stowable aisle-side panel (110) wherein: the continuous seatback panel is configured to be affixed to a back surface of each aircraft seat in a PAX having at least three individual seats, and comprises a vertical extension configured to protrude upward, proximal to an overhead bin associated with the PAX, the vertical extension comprising: a frame; a sound muffling material disposed within the frame; and a plurality of light emitting diodes, LEDs; the fixed aisle-side panel is configured to be affixed to an aisle-side aircraft seat and at least partially obscure the PAX from the aisle; and the stowable aisle-side panel is configured to slide from an open configuration, where the PAX is accessible from the aisle, to a closed configuration, where the PAX is obscured from the aisle, the stowable aisle-side panel having an anterior edge shaped to conform to the shape of a continuous seatback panel in front of the aircraft suite; and the seatback cushion being configured to be folded down from the corresponding seatback and reconfigured to form the armrest, the seatback cushion comprising a solid tray disposed on a posterior surface such that the solid tray is useable when configured as an armrest.
2. The aircraft suite of Claim 1, further comprising a seat cushion extension (318) disposed in each seat cushion of the PAX, each seat cushion extension configured to change from a stowed configuration, where the seat cushion extension is stowed beneath the seat cushion, to a deployed configuration, where the seat cushion extension extends to form a substantially flat surface with the corresponding seat cushion.
3. The aircraft suite of any preceding Claim, wherein the continuous seatback panel comprises a deployable tray table (108) disposed on a rear surface.
4. The aircraft suite of Claim 3, wherein the deployable tray table comprises a plurality of tray table components, each of the plurality of tray table components configured to deploy separately and interlock when deployed together.
5. The aircraft suite of Claim 4, wherein the one or more reconfigurable seatback cushions comprise an inflatable element.
6. An aircraft suite kit comprising: a continuous seatback panel (204) configured to be affixed to a back surface of each aircraft seat in a PAX of at least three individual seats and comprising a vertical extension configured to protrude upward, proximal to an overhead bin associated with the PAX, the vertical extension comprising: a frame; a sound muffling material disposed within the frame; and a plurality of light emitting diodes, LEDs; one or more reconfigurable seatback cushions (520), at least one of the reconfigurable seatback cushions being removable and reconfigurable into a reclining seatback cushion, and at least one reconfigurable seatback cushion being configured to be folded down from the corresponding seatback and reconfigured to form an armrest (526); a fixed aisle-side panel configured to be affixed to an aisle side of the PAX; and a stowable aisle-side panel (210) configured to be affixed to the aisle side of the PAX and slide with respect to the fixed aisle-side panel from an open configuration, where the PAX is accessible from an aisle, to a closed configuration, where the PAX is obscured from the aisle, the stowable aisle-side panel having an anterior edge shaped to conform to the shape of the seatback panel (104) in front of the aircraft suite; and the seatback cushion (520) being configured to be folded down from the corresponding seatback and reconfigured to form the armrest, the seatback cushion comprising a solid tray disposed on a posterior surface such that the solid tray is useable when configured as an armrest.
7. The kit comprising Claim 6, further comprising a plurality of seat cushion extensions (318), each configured to be affixed to a bottom portion of an aircraft seat, each seat cushion extension configured to change from a stowed configuration, where the seat cushion extension is stowed beneath a seat cushion, to a deployed configuration, where the seat cushion extension is configured to extend and form a substantially flat surface with the corresponding seat cushion.
8. The kit comprising Claim 6, wherein the continuous seatback panel comprises a vertical extension configured to protrude upward, proximal to an overhead bin associated with the PAX, wherein the vertical extension comprises a woven material including a plurality of LEDs.
9. The kit comprising Claim 6, wherein the continuous seatback panel comprises a deployable tray table (108) disposed on a rear surface.
10. The kit comprising Claim 9, wherein the deployable tray table comprises a plurality of tray table components, each of the plurality of tray table components configured to deploy separately and interlock when deployed together.

Description

PRIORITY The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional App. No. 63/035,442 (filed June 5, 2020). BACKGROUND In state-of-the-art aircraft, there is often little or no privacy for passengers in economy-class seats, nor any option for increased privacy. Families, especially those traveling with small children, may be under increased stress from limited space and social pressure not to disturb surrounding passengers. Furthermore, during periods of increased risk of communicable infections, it may be desirable for certain economy class passengers to segregate their family units from other economy class passengers. Aircraft suites are described in US 2015/166183 A and WO 2019/239204 A1. SUMMARY In one aspect, an aircraft suite is provided as defined by claim 1. In a further aspect, an aircraft suite kit is provided as defined by claim 6. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and should not restrict the scope of the claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein and together with the general description, serve to explain the principles. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The numerous advantages of the embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein may be better understood by those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying figures in which: FIG. 1Ashows a perspective view of an aircraft suite according to an exemplary embodiment;FIG. 1Bshows a perspective view of an aircraft suite according to an exemplary embodiment;FIG. 2Ashows a side view of an aircraft suite according to an exemplary embodiment;FIG. 2Bshows a perspective view of an aircraft suite according to an exemplary embodiment;FIG. 3Ashows a perspective view of an aircraft suite according to an exemplary embodiment;FIG. 3Bshows a perspective view of an aircraft suite according to an exemplary embodiment;FIG. 4Ashows a front view of an aircraft suite according to an exemplary embodiment;FIG. 4Bshows a perspective view of an aircraft suite according to an exemplary embodiment;FIG. 5shows a perspective view of an aircraft suite according to an exemplary embodiment;FIG. 6shows a perspective environmental view of aircraft suites according to an exemplary embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION Before explaining at least one embodiment of the inventive concepts disclosed herein in detail, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts are not limited in their application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components or steps or methodologies set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. In the following detailed description of embodiments of the instant inventive concepts, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the inventive concepts. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the instant disclosure that the inventive concepts disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features may not be described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the instant disclosure. The inventive concepts disclosed herein are capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways, within the scope of the appended claims. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As used herein a letter following a reference numeral is intended to reference an embodiment of the feature or element that may be similar, but not necessarily identical, to a previously described element or feature bearing the same reference numeral (e.g., 1, 1a, 1b). Such shorthand notations are used for purposes of convenience only, and should not be construed to limit the inventive concepts disclosed herein in any way unless expressly stated to the contrary. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, "or" refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by anyone of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present). In addition, use of the "a" or "an" are employed to describe elements and components of embodiments of the instant inventive concepts. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the inventive concepts, and "a" and "an" are intended to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise. Finally, as used herein any reference to "one embodiment," or "some embodiments" means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in