US 12,134,474 B2
Aircraft passenger accommodation unit
James B. Woodington, Cwmbran (GB); Heather CK Leung, Cwmbran (GB); and Michael Riley, Cwmbran (GB)
Assigned to SAFRAN SEATS GB LIMITED, Cwmbran (GB)
Appl. No. 17/766,878
Filed by Safran Seats GB Limited, Cwmbran (GB)
PCT Filed Oct. 7, 2020, PCT No. PCT/GB2020/052474
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 6, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/069886, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 15, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 1914496 (GB), filed on Oct. 8, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0076041 A1, Mar. 7, 2024
Int. Cl. B64D 11/06 (2006.01); E05C 19/16 (2006.01); E05D 15/16 (2006.01); E05D 15/48 (2006.01)
CPC B64D 11/0606 (2014.12) [E05D 15/165 (2013.01); E05D 15/48 (2013.01); E05C 19/16 (2013.01); E05Y 2900/502 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An aircraft passenger accommodation unit for location in an aircraft cabin adjacent to an aisle, comprising:
(i) a seat;
(ii) a shell at least partially surrounding the seat, wherein the shell defines an opening that allows a passenger to egress between the aisle and the seat; and
(iii) a door for providing variable access through the opening between the aisle and the seat, wherein the door comprises:
a base portion, translatable in a first direction across the opening of the shell, between a retracted position, which allows passenger egress between the seat and the aisle through the opening, and an extended position in which passenger egress between the aisle and the seat through the opening is at least partially blocked by the base portion; and
a second portion, translatable relative to the base portion in a second direction that is transverse to the first direction, the second portion being translatable between a stowed position in which the second portion at least partially overlaps the base portion to define a first overlap area of the base portion and a deployed position in which a second overlap area of the base portion is defined, the second overlap area being smaller than the first overlap area;
wherein, when the second portion is in the deployed position, the base portion is able to translate between the extended position and the retracted position,
the aircraft passenger accommodation unit further comprising a support mechanism, wherein the support mechanism is arranged to support the second portion when the second portion is in the deployed position, wherein the support mechanism comprises a guide mechanism arranged to guide translation of the second portion when the second portion is in the deployed position and the base portion is translated between the extended and retracted positions, and wherein the guide mechanism comprises a guide track and a corresponding guide member, wherein the second portion is provided with one of the guide track and the guide member, and the shell is provided with the other of the guide track and the guide member, and wherein the guide member and guide track are arranged so that the guide member is engageable with and translatable relative to the guide track, so as to guide translation of the second portion when the second portion is in the deployed position and the base portion is translated between the extended and retracted positions; and
wherein the guide member comprises at least two guide jaws, and a biasing member that biases the jaws towards each other to retain the guide track in between the jaws when the second portion is in the deployed position.