Cradling passenger seat assembly

An articulating seat bottom assembly for a passenger seat, the assembly comprising:

• a seat bottom;
• an aft articulating mechanism connected with an aft end of the seat bottom and configured to attach to a passenger seat frame, the aft articulating mechanism comprising a first path that declines in an aft-to-forward direction and that, when attached to the seat bottom and the passenger seat frame, is shaped to constrain motion of the aft end of the seat bottom with respect to the passenger seat frame such that the aft end of the seat bottom moves down by a first distance when the seat bottom is pushed forward from a first seat position to a second seat position;
• a forward articulating mechanism connected with a forward end of the seat bottom and configured to attach to the passenger seat frame, the forward articulating mechanism comprising a second path shaped to cause the forward end of the seat bottom to move upward by a second distance when the seat bottom articulates forward, the second distance being different from the first distance, such that the seat bottom tilts aft in response to articulating forward when the seat bottom is connected with the passenger seat and the passenger seat is reclined;
• and
• a release mechanism operably connectable with the seat bottom and with the passenger seat frame, the release mechanism actuatable to free the seat bottom to move with respect to the passenger seat frame from the first seat position to the second seat position, the release mechanism disengageable to lock the seat bottom in the second seat position, wherein:
• the aft articulating mechanism comprises an arcuate track configured to connect with the passenger seat frame and a roller connected with the seat bottom and configured to engage with the arcuate track to constrain movement of the aft end of the seat bottom according to the first path when the seat bottom is connected with the passenger seat frame;
• and
• the forward articulating mechanism comprises an arcuate ramp connected with the seat bottom and configured to engage with a bearing element connected to the passenger seat frame when the seat bottom is connected with the passenger seat frame, the aft articulating mechanism and forward articulating mechanism operable, together, to cause the seat bottom to tilt aft in response to being pushed forward when the seat bottom is connected with the passenger seat frame.

A passenger seat, comprising:

• a seat frame;
• and
• a seat bottom slidingly and pivotally attached to the seat frame, and configured to articulate forward from a first seat position corresponding to an upright configuration of the passenger seat to a second seat position corresponding to a reclined configuration of the passenger seat when the passenger seat is reclined by a user, wherein the seat bottom is configured to articulate forward beyond the second seat position to an extended recline position whereby the seat bottom tilts forward;
• an aft articulating mechanism connected with the seat bottom near an aft end of the seat bottom and connected with seat frame, the aft articulating mechanism defining a first path that declines in an aft-to-forward direction to cause the aft end of the seat bottom to drop by a first distance when the seat bottom articulates forward;
• a forward articulating mechanism connected with the seat bottom near a forward end of the seat bottom and connected with the seat frame, the forward articulating mechanism defining a second path shaped to cause the forward end of the seat bottom to move upward by a second distance when the seat bottom articulates forward, the second distance being different from the first distance, such that the seat bottom tilts aft in response to articulating forward when the passenger seat is reclined, wherein the second path defined by the forward articulating mechanism is shaped to cause the forward end of the seat bottom to revert downward in response to the seat bottom moving forward when the passenger seat is reclined from the second seat position to the extended recline position;
• and
• a release mechanism operably connected with the seat bottom and with the seat frame, the release mechanism actuatable to free the seat bottom to move with respect to the seat frame from the first seat position to the second seat position, the release mechanism disengageable to lock the seat bottom in the second seat position.