Aircraft seat with moveable armrest

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;
• actuation of the actuatable member exerts a tensile force on the tension member and causes the tension member to pull the trigger into engagement with the gas strut switch to move the gas strut switch from the locked configuration to the unlocked configuration;
• and
• the mechanical linkage further comprises a pivot linkage coupled at a first end to the actuatable member and coupled at a second end to the tension member, wherein the pivot linkage is configured such that actuation of the actuatable member causes the pivot linkage to rotate and exert the tensile force on the tension member.

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;
• actuation of the actuatable member exerts a tensile force on the tension member and causes the tension member to pull the trigger into engagement with the gas strut switch to move the gas strut switch from the locked configuration to the unlocked configuration;
• and
• at a first distal end of the gas strut, a piston rod of the gas strut is coupled to an underside of the armrest surface, and, at a second, opposite distal end of the gas strut, a barrel of the gas strut is coupled to the substructure of the aircraft seat.