US 4,589,612 AGranted

High-density accommodations system utilizing convertibility from parallel bedding to vertically staggered seating

OwnerWibara Haliminventor

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

The present invention first provides a high-density accommodations module which is vertically convertible from parallel bedding to staggered-seating configurations. The respective configurations are more specifically established by at least one set of vertically-paired, reconfigurable accommodations compartments, each having in each of its associated configurations an upper-torso section and a lower-torso section. In the bedding configuration, prone postures are accommodated by a mutually-horizontal disposition of associated upper and lower-torso sections. In the seating configuration, upright postures are accommodated by a mutually-vertical disposition of the associated sections. For the conversion from bedding to seating, the module is arranged such that the lower-torso section of the upper compartment's bedding configuration becomes an upper-torso section for the lower compartment's seating configuration. In a companion manner the upper-torso section for each compartment's bedding configuration becomes a lower-torso section for the convertibly-associated seating configuration. Given this modular, high-density convertibility, the invention then further provides a high-load-factor transportation system in which a transportation vehicle carries a multitude of the subject accommodations modules so that both upright-seating and prone-bedding postures are available to each module-accommodated passenger.

Claims7

Dependent claims

An accommodations module comprising:

(A) means defining at least one paired set of reconfigurable accommodations compartments, the members of each such set being mutually disposed as a superjacent compartment and a subjacent compartment;
(B) said means convertibly establishing, in relation to each of said compartments, a bedding configuration and a seating configuration, said respective configurations being adapted to receive and support an accommodations subject in respective generally-prone and generally upright-seated postures;
(C) each of said compartments having, for each associated configuration, a means-defined upper-torso section and a means-defined lower-torso section, where:
(1) the two sections of each compartment are generally horizontally-disposed in said bedding configuration and generally vertically disposed in said seating configuration;
and,
(2) said means is constructed such that:
(a) the lower-torso section of said superjacent compartment in its bedding configuration becomes an upper-torso section for said subjacent compartment in its seating configuration;
and,
(b) the respective upper-torso sections for said bedding configurations become lower-torso sections for said seating configurations;
said means including an alterable support-member selectively positionable between:
(1) a lower-torso support disposition for said superjacent compartment in its bedding configuration;
and,
(2) an upper-torso clearance disposition for said subjacent compartment in its seating configuration;
said means being constructed such that said compartments in their seating configurations define back-to-back seating positions for accommodations subjects;
said alterable support-member including a first segment which, in said member's subjacent clearance disposition, becomes both a lower-back support member for said superjacent compartment and an upper-back support member for said subjacent compartment.

12 more elements

An accommodations module comprising:

(A) means defining at least one paired set of reconfigurable accommodations compartments, the members of each such set being mutually disposed as a superjacent compartment and a subjacent compartment;
(B) said means convertibly establishing, in relation to each of said compartments, a bedding configuration and a seating configuration, said respective configurations being adapted to receive and support an accommodations subject in respective generally-prone and generally upright-seated postures;
(C) each of said compartments having, for each associated configuration, a means-defined upper-torso section and a means defined lower-torso section, where:
(1) the two sections of each compartment are generally horizontally-disposed in said bedding configuration and generally vertically disposed in said seating configuration, and
(2) said means is constructed such that:
(a) the lower-torso section of said superjacent compartment in its bedding configuration becomes an upper-torso section for said subjacent compartment in its seating configuration;
and,
(b) the respective upper-torso sections for said bedding configurations become lower-torso sections for said seating configurations;
said means including an alterable support-member selectively positionable between:
(1) a lower-torso support disposition for said superjacent compartment in its bedding configuration, and
(2) an upper torso clearance disposition for said subjacent compartment in its seating configuration;
said means being constructed so that said compartments in their seating configurations define back-to-back seating positions for accommodations subjects;
said alterable support-member including a second segment which, in said member's subjacent clearance disposition, becomes an available utility-surface member disposed to be facing an accommodations subject seated in said subjacent compartment.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.