Extendable armrest assemblies for passenger vehicle seating

A passenger vehicle chair structure, comprising;

• a frame for the chair structure;
• a first passenger seat, a second passenger seat, and a third passenger seat each coupled to the frame and disposed adjacent one another;
• a first armrest assembly disposed between the first and second passenger seats and a second armrest assembly disposed between the second and third passenger seats, each armrest assembly being pivotably coupled to the frame such that the armrest assembly is pivotable between a substantially horizontal deployed position and a substantially vertical retracted position;
• wherein each armrest assembly includes a primary armrest and a secondary armrest;
• the primary armrest of the first armrest assembly including a primary armrest surface that, when the first armrest assembly is in the deployed position, is accessible for use by a first passenger;
• the secondary armrest of the first armrest assembly including a secondary armrest surface and being coupled to the primary armrest of the first armrest assembly to enable movement from a first stowed position in which the secondary armrest is aligned with and at least substantially beneath the primary armrest and a second extended position in which at least a portion of the secondary armrest surface is exposed and accessible for use by a second passenger;
• the primary armrest of the second armrest assembly including a primary armrest surface that, when the second armrest assembly is in its deployed position, is accessible for use by a passenger seated in one of the second and third passenger seats;
• the secondary armrest of the second armrest assembly including a secondary armrest surface and being coupled to the primary armrest of the second armrest assembly to enable movement from a first stowed position in which the secondary armrest is aligned with and at least substantially beneath the primary armrest and a second extended position in which at least a portion of the secondary armrest surface is exposed and accessible for use by a passenger seated in the other of the second and third passenger seats;
• and
• each secondary armrest further including a distal extension that is configured to be slidably extended outwardly along a longitudinal axis of the secondary armrest when it is not in its first stowed position.

A passenger vehicle chair structure, comprising:

• a frame;
• a first passenger seat and a second passenger seat each coupled to the frame and disposed adjacent one another;
• an armrest assembly disposed between the first passenger seat and the second passenger seat and pivotably coupled to the frame such that the armrest assembly is pivotable between a substantially horizontal deployed position and a substantially vertical retracted position, the armrest assembly including an elongate primary armrest and an elongate secondary armrest;
• wherein
• the primary armrest has an upper surface including a primary armrest surface that, when the armrest assembly is in the deployed position, is accessible for use by a passenger seated in either of the passenger seats;
• the secondary armrest has an upper surface including a secondary armrest surface;
• the secondary armrest is coupled to the primary armrest so that the secondary armrest is movable from a first stowed position in which the secondary armrest is aligned with and at least substantially beneath the primary armrest and a second extended position in which a portion of the secondary armrest surface is exposed and accessible for use by a passenger seated in one of the passenger seats;
• and
• the secondary armrest in the first stowed position provides a bottom surface of the armrest assembly.