US 11,999,487 B2
Aircraft seat with moveable armrest
Naval Chandra, Cwmbran (GB); and Daniel Haikney, Cwmbran (GB)
Assigned to SAFRAN SEATS GB LIMITED, Cwmbran (GB)
Appl. No. 17/617,299
Filed by Safran Seats GB Limited, Cwmbran (GB)
PCT Filed Jun. 9, 2020, PCT No. PCT/GB2020/051393
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 7, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/249938, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 17, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 1908294 (GB), filed on Jun. 11, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0250752 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
Int. Cl. B64D 11/06 (2006.01); A47C 1/03 (2006.01); A47C 1/032 (2006.01)
CPC B64D 11/0644 (2014.12) [A47C 1/03 (2013.01); A47C 1/0303 (2018.08)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An aircraft seat comprising a seating surface, an armrest comprising an armrest surface, a mechanical linkage, and a gas strut, wherein:
the gas strut is coupled at a first end of the gas strut to the armrest and is coupled at a second end of the gas strut to a substructure of the aircraft seat such that the armrest can be moved between a raised position with respect to the seating surface and a lowered position in which the armrest surface is substantially level with the seating surface by extending and retracting the stroke of the gas strut;
the gas strut comprises a switch with an unlocked configuration in which the stroke of the gas strut can be adjusted, thereby allowing movement of the armrest to any position between the raised position and lowered position, and with a locked configuration for locking the stroke of the gas strut so that the armrest can be held at any position between the raised position and the lowered position;
the mechanical linkage comprises an actuatable member located on a surface of the aircraft seat, a trigger configured to move the switch between the locked configuration and the unlocked configuration, and a tension member coupled at a first end to the actuatable member and coupled at a second end to the trigger;
the tension member is coupled to and runs along an underside of the armrest surface;
the trigger is rotatably mounted to a bracket, and the bracket is mounted to the armrest; and
actuation of the actuatable member exerts a tensile force on the tension member and causes the tension member to pull and rotate the trigger into engagement with the gas strut switch to move the gas strut switch from the locked configuration to the unlocked configuration.