# US 2019/0315467 A1 · A passenger seating arrangement with inwardly facing seat units > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0315467 A1 - Document ID: US20190315467A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/344,197 - Filed: 2017-10-26 - Published: 2019-10-17 - Earliest claimed: 2016-10-28 - Assignees: Acumen Design Associates Ltd. - Applicants: Acumen Design Associates Limited - Inventors: Richard Peter John NICHOLAS - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190315467A1 ## CPC - B64D 11/0601: {Arrangement of seats for non-standard seating layouts, e.g. seats staggered horizontally or vertically, arranged in an angled or fishbone layout, or facing in other directions than the direction of flight} - B64D 11/0602: {Seat modules, i.e. seat systems including furniture separate from the seat itself} - B64D 11/0604: {including a bed, e.g. cocoon type passenger seat modules} - B64D 11/0606: {with privacy shells, screens, separators or the like (class dividers B64D11/0023)} - B64D 11/0641: {Seats convertible into beds} - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT ## Abstract A passenger seating arrangement is disclosed including a column having multiplicity of pairs of seat units. Each seat unit is configurable between a seating configuration and a flat-bed configuration. Each pair of seat units comprises two inwardly facing seat units, each seat unit being angled at an acute angle and facing inwardly towards the aisle. Each pair of seat units may be associated with a dedicated entrance way, each entrance way being a shared entrance way for providing access to both of the seat units in that pair. The seat bodies of the seat units may be moveable between a private configuration, and a sharing configuration in which the seat bodies are substantially side-by-side. The seat bodies may be staggered may be such that there is an offset, in a lateral direction, between the seat body of the first seat unit and the seat body of the second seat unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A passenger seating arrangement in an aircraft cabin, the passenger seating arrangement comprising a column of seat units located adjacent an aisle, the column of seat units and the aisle both extending in a longitudinal direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft cabin, and wherein the column comprises a multiplicity of pairs of seat units arranged consecutively along the longitudinal direction, wherein each seat unit is configurable between a seating configuration and a flat-bed configuration, and wherein each pair of seat units comprises two inwardly facing seat units, each seat unit being angled at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and facing inwardly towards the aisle, and wherein each pair of seat units is associated with a dedicated entrance way, each entrance way being a shared entrance way for providing access from the aisle to both of the seat units in that pair. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein in each pair of seat units, a first seat unit comprises an opening through which a passenger may pass to access the first seat unit, and a second seat unit comprises an opening through which a passenger may pass to access the second seat unit, and wherein each opening is accessible from the aisle via the shared entrance way. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein each seat unit comprises a perimeter structure, the opening of each seat unit being defined by an opening in the respective perimeter structure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the first and second seat units are positioned either side of a notional centre-line extending between the two seat units and the openings of the first and second seat units are located on a common adjoining side facing the notional centre-line between the seat units. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein each pair of seat units is separated from an adjacent pair of seat units in the column by an inter-pair privacy screen. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) An arrangement according to claim 5, wherein each pair of seat units comprises an intra-pair privacy screen positioned between the two seat units in a pair, for providing privacy between those two seat units within each pair, and the intra-pair privacy screen extends only part-way between the seat units, thereby leaving the respective opening in each seat unit through which a passenger may pass. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein each seat unit comprises a seat body comprising moveable seating elements arranged such that when the seat unit is in the seating configuration the seating elements form a passenger seat but when the seat unit is in the flat-bed configuration, the seating elements form a substantially flat sleeping surface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) An arrangement according to claim 7, wherein, the moveable seating elements of each seat unit comprise a seat pan having a chamfered corner, the chamfered corner enabling part of the floor area below the seat unit to remain accessible such that it is accessible for a passenger to use when accessing the seat unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) An arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the chamfered corner on each seat pan is on the common adjoining side of the two seat units. ### Claim 10 A passenger seating arrangement in an aircraft cabin, the passenger seating arrangement comprising a column of seat units located adjacent an aisle on one side and adjacent a sidewall on the other side, the column of seat units and the aisle both extending in a longitudinal direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft cabin, and wherein the column comprises a multiplicity of pairs of seat units arranged consecutively along the longitudinal direction, wherein each seat unit is configurable between a seating configuration and a flat-bed configuration, and each seat unit having a seat body comprising moveable seating elements arranged such that when the seat unit is in the seating configuration the seating elements form a passenger seat but when the seating unit is in the flat-bed configuration, the seating elements form a substantially flat sleeping surface, and wherein each pair of seat units comprises a first seat unit and a second seat unit, the first and second seat units both being angled at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and both facing inwardly towards the aisle, and wherein in each pair, when the seat units are in the seating configuration, the seat body of the second seat unit is staggered with respect to the seat body of the first seat unit such that there is an offset, in a lateral direction, between the seat body of the first seat unit and the seat body of the second seat unit, such that the seat body of the second seat unit is located closer to the aisle than the seat body of the first seat unit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A passenger seating arrangement according to claim 10, wherein each of the seat units comprises a rearward space for receiving the passenger's head when the seat unit is in the flat-bed configuration, the rearward space being behind the seat body when the seat unit is in the seating configuration, and wherein when the first and second seat units are in the flat-bed configuration, the length of the flat sleeping surface within the rearward space of the second seat, is greater than the length of the flat sleeping surface within the rearward space of the first seat. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A passenger seating arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the first and second seat units each comprise a respective ancillary bed surface at a height such that it is co-planar with the flat sleeping surface formed by seating elements when the respective seat unit is in the flat-bed configuration, and the length of the flat sleeping surface provided by the rearward ancillary bed surface of the second seat, is greater than the length of the flat sleeping surface provided by the rearward ancillary bed surface of the first seat. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) A passenger seating arrangement according to claim 11, wherein length of the flat sleeping surface provided by the moveable elements of each seat unit, in the flat-bed configuration, is substantially equal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) A passenger seating arrangement according to claim 10, wherein each of the seat units comprises a forward ancillary bed surface in front of the seat body, the forward ancillary bed surface being at a height such that it is co-planar with the flat sleeping surface formed by seating elements when the seat unit is in the flat-bed configuration. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A passenger seating arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the length of the flat sleeping surface provided by the forward ancillary bed surface of the second seat, is less than the length of the flat sleeping surface provided by the forward ancillary bed surface of the first seat. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) A passenger seating arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the total length of the flat sleeping surface of each seat unit, in the flat-bed configuration, is substantially equal. ### Claim 17 A passenger seating arrangement in an aircraft cabin, the passenger seating arrangement comprising a column of seat units located adjacent an aisle, the column of seat units and the aisle both extending in a longitudinal direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft cabin, and wherein the column comprises a multiplicity of pairs of seat units arranged consecutively along the longitudinal direction, wherein each seat unit is configurable between a seating configuration and a flat-bed configuration, and each seat unit having a seat body comprising moveable seating elements arranged such that when the seat unit is in the seating configuration the seating elements form a passenger seat but when the seating unit is in the flat-bed configuration, the seating elements form a substantially flat sleeping surface, and wherein each pair of seat units comprises a first seat unit and a second seat unit, the first and second seat units both being angled at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft cabin and both facing inwardly towards the aisle, and wherein in the seating configuration the seat bodies of the first and second seat units are moveable, relative to one another, in a direction parallel to the axes of the respective seat units, between a private configuration in which the seat body of the second seat unit is staggered rearwards of the seat body of the first seat unit, and a sharing configuration in which the seat bodies are substantially side-by-side to enable passengers in the respective seat units to interact. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A passenger seating arrangement according to claim 17, wherein the seat body of the first seat unit is fixed and the seat body of the second seat unit is moveable along the axis of the second seat unit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) A passenger seating arrangement according to claim 17, wherein the seat body of each seat unit is preferably arranged to maintain the same orientation in both the private and the shared configuration. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) A passenger seating arrangement according to claim 17, wherein each seat unit comprises an armrest on the common adjoining side of the two seat units. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) A passenger seating arrangement according to claim 20, wherein when the seat units are in the sharing configuration the armrests of each seat unit are directly adjacent one another. ### Claim 22 (depends on 10) A passenger seating arrangement according to claim 10, wherein each pair of seat units is associated with a dedicated entrance way, each entrance way being a shared entrance way for providing access from the aisle to both of the seat units in that pair. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) A passenger seating arrangement according to claim 1, wherein in each pair, when the seat units are in the seating configuration, the seat body of the second seat unit is staggered with respect to the seat body of the first seat unit such that there is an offset, in a lateral direction, between the seat body of the first seat unit and the seat body of the second seat unit, such that the seat body of the second seat unit is located closer to the aisle than the seat body of the first seat unit. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) A passenger seating arrangement according to claim 1, wherein in the seating configuration the seat bodies of the first and second seat units are moveable, relative to one another, in a direction parallel to the axes of the respective seat units, between a private configuration in which the seat body of the second seat unit is staggered rearwards of the seat body of the first seat unit, and a sharing configuration in which the seat bodies are substantially side-by-side to enable passengers in the respective seat units to interact. ### Claim 25 A passenger seating arrangement in a single aisle aircraft cabin, the passenger seating arrangement comprising a first column of lie-flat seat units located on one side of the single aisle, and a second column of lie-flat seat units located on the other side of the aisle, wherein: each column comprises a multiplicity of seat units arranged in an inwardly-facing herringbone layout in which the multiplicity of seat units face inwardly towards the aisle, wherein the seat units are arranged in pairs, and wherein: (a) each pair of seat units is associated with a shared entrance way for providing access from the aisle exclusively to both of the seat units in that pair; or (b) the seat body of alternating seat units is staggered with respect to the seat body of the adjacent seat units, such that there is a lateral offset of alternating seat bodies to bring them closer to the aisle than the neighbouring seat units; or (c) the seat bodies of alternating seat units are moveable, along their central axes, between a private configuration in which the seat body of the second seat unit is staggered rearwards of the seat body of an adjacent, forward, seat unit, and a sharing configuration in which the seat bodies are side-by-side. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) A passenger seating arrangement according to claim 25, wherein the seating arrangement comprises at least two of features (a), (b) and (c). ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) A pair of seat units for use as the pair of seat units in claim 1.