# US 2021/0276716 A1 · Outboard facing herringbone seating arrangement > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0276716 A1 - Document ID: US20210276716A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/158,680 - Filed: 2021-01-26 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-06 - Assignees: Acumen Design Associates Ltd. - Applicants: Acumen Design Associates Ltd. - Inventors: Richard NICHOLAS; Andrew WILLIAMS; Jonathan FENTON - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210276716A1 ## 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 11/06: {Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats (crew seat constructions for emergency purposes B64D25/04)} - 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 in an aircraft cabin including a column of seat units located adjacent an aisle. A seat unit, or a neighboring seat unit, of the column is configurable into a PRM-access configuration in which the seat module is moved to temporarily widen an access opening from a first width to a second width, greater than the first width, for enabling a disabled passenger to access the 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 seat units, arranged consecutively along the longitudinal direction, and wherein each seat unit comprises a seat module at one end of the seat unit and a foot-receiving structure at the other end of the seat unit, the seat module comprising a seat pan, a seat back and a shroud enclosing the rear of the seat back, wherein each seat unit is configurable between a seating configuration and a flat-bed configuration, wherein each seat unit is orientated at an acute angle to the longitudinal direction and faces outwardly away from the aisle, wherein the spacing between a seat pan of a seat unit in the column and the shroud of a neighboring seat unit in the column defines an access opening for accessing that seat unit from the aisle wherein the access opening has a first width for access by an able-bodied passenger; and wherein the seat unit, or the neighboring seat unit, is configurable into a PRM-access configuration in which the seat module is moved to temporarily widen the access opening from the first width to a second width, greater than the first width, for enabling a disabled passenger to access the seat unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The passenger seating arrangement according to claim 1, wherein each seat unit comprises a longitudinal axis orientated at the acute angle to the longitudinal direction, and wherein in the PRM-access configuration the seat module is moved in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the seat unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The passenger seating arrangement according to claim 2, wherein in the PRM-access configuration the seat module is moved in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the seat unit and into the aisle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The passenger seating arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the neighboring seat unit is configurable into the PRM-access configuration, and wherein the seat module is moved in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the seat unit and away from the aisle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The passenger seating arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the seat unit, and the neighboring seat unit, are configurable into a PRM-access configuration, in which the seat module of the seat unit is moved in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the seat unit and into the aisle, and the seat module of the neighboring seat unit is moved in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the seat unit and away from the aisle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The passenger seating arrangement according to claim 1, wherein in the PRM-access configuration the seat module is moved in the longitudinal direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft cabin. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The passenger seating arrangement according to claim 6, wherein in the PRM-access configuration the seat module is moved in the longitudinal direction towards the aft of the cabin. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The passenger seating arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the neighboring seat unit is configurable into the PRM-access configuration, and wherein the seat module is moved in the longitudinal direction towards the fore of the cabin. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The passenger seating arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the seat unit, and the neighboring seat unit, are configurable into a PRM-access configuration, in which the seat module of the seat unit is moved in the longitudinal direction towards the aft of the cabin, and the seat module of the neighboring seat unit is moved in the longitudinal direction towards the fore of the cabin. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The passenger seating arrangement according to claim 1, wherein in the PRM-access configuration the seat module is moved via a rotational movement about an axis of rotation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The passenger seating arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the seat module is fixedly mounted on a plinth, and the plinth is rotatable about the axis of rotation. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The passenger seating arrangement according to claim 10, wherein in the PRM-access configuration the seat module is rotated in a direction to move the seat module towards the aft of the cabin. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The passenger seating arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the neighboring seat unit is configurable into the PRM-access configuration, and wherein the seat module is rotated in a direction to move the seat module towards the fore of the cabin. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The passenger seating arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the seat unit, and the neighboring seat unit, are configurable into a PRM-access configuration, in which the seat module of the seat unit is rotated in a direction to move the seat module towards the aft of the cabin, and the seat module of the neighboring seat unit is rotated in a direction to move the seat module towards the fore of the cabin. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The passenger seating arrangement according to claim 1, wherein each seat unit comprises a privacy screen for shielding one seat unit from the neighboring seat unit, and wherein the shroud of each seat module adjoins an end of the privacy screen. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The passenger seating arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the shroud is flexibly connected to the end of the privacy screen to allow relative movement between the shroud and the screen during movement to and from the PRM-access configuration. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The passenger seating arrangement according to claim 15 wherein the privacy screen houses an IFE monitor. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The passenger seating arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the seat module comprises an armrest, and wherein the armrest is moveable from a raised position for supporting a passenger's arms, to an access position for facilitating access to the seat unit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The passenger seating arrangement according to claim 18 wherein in the access position, the armrest is lowered such that it is substantially flush with the seat pan of the seat module. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The passenger seating arrangement according to claim 19 wherein when the seat module is in the PRM-access configuration, the armrest is in the access position. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The passenger seating arrangement of claim 1, wherein each seat unit further comprises a fixed armrest on the side of the seat unit furthest from the aisle, the armrest being arranged to overhang a leg-receiving region of the neighboring seat, on the side of the neighboring seat unit closest to the aisle. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The passenger seating arrangement of claim 21, wherein the shroud of the seat module adjoins the outer side of the fixed armrest, and when moved to the PRM-access configuration the shroud is separated from the fixed armrest. ### Claim 23 A method of providing access, for a disabled passenger, to a seat unit in a passenger seating arrangement of an aircraft, the passenger seating arrangement comprising a multiplicity of seat units, wherein each seat unit is configurable between a seating configuration and a flat-bed configuration, and wherein each seat unit is orientated at an acute angle to the longitudinal direction and faces outwardly away from the aisle, and each seat unit having a respective access opening having a first width for access by an able-bodied passenger; and wherein the method comprises: moving a seat module of the seat unit, or of a neighboring seat unit, to temporarily configure the seat unit into a PRM-access configuration in which the access opening is widened from the first width to a second width, greater than the first width, for enabling a disabled passenger to access the seat unit. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method according to claim 23, wherein the step of moving the seat module comprises rotating the seat module about an axis of rotation. ### Claim 25 An outwardly-facing herringbone arrangement of lie-flat seat units for an aircraft, wherein each seat unit comprises a seat module having a seat pan, a backrest and a shroud and wherein the spacing between the seat pan of each seat module and shroud on the seat module of the adjacent seat unit defines an entrance way for accessing the seat unit, the entrance way having a minimum width, wherein the seat module of at least one of the seat units is moveable to temporarily enlarge the minimum width of the entrance way, thereby facilitating PRM-access to the seat unit. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The arrangement according to claim 25, wherein the seat module is fixedly mounted on a rotatable plinth, the plinth being rotatable to rotate the seat module towards the rear of the cabin, thereby temporarily opening up the width of the entrance way. ### Claim 27 A seat unit for use in a passenger seating arrangement, the seat unit comprising a seat module at one end of the seat unit and a foot-receiving structure at the other end of the seat unit, the seat module comprising a seat pan, a seat back and a shroud enclosing the rear of the seat back, wherein the seat unit is configurable between a seating configuration and a flat-bed configuration, wherein the seat unit is configured to be orientated at an acute angle to a longitudinal direction in an aircraft cabin and configured to face outwardly away from a cabin aisle, and wherein the seat unit is configurable into a PRM-access configuration in which the seat module is moved, via either a rotation or a translation, to temporarily widen an access opening from a first width to a second width, greater than the first width, for enabling a disabled passenger to access the seat unit.