AIRCRAFT BENCH COMPRISING BUCKET SEATS INDIVIDUALLY MOUNTED TO TILT DOWNWARDS AND AT THE REAR OF THE BENCH IN THE EVENT OF THE AIRCRAFT BEING SUBJECTED TO A HIGH LEVEL OF DECELERATION

摘要

An aircraft bench comprising a support structure having hinged thereto one or more frameworks for mounting at least one bucket. The framework(s) is/are hinged at the front of the bench to a pair of longitudinally-extending bars of the support structure arranged spaced apart in vertical superposition. The framework(s) is/are carried in suspension by the support structure by being held against tilting individually downwards and at the rear of the bench by at least one energy absorber means interposed between the support structure and a framework with which it is associated. Deformation of the energy absorber means, as caused by the aircraft crashing and/or being subjected to a high level of deceleration, allows the frameworks to tilt individually downwards and at the rear of the bench in order to protect the passengers installed in the bucket(s).

主权项

1. An aircraft bench having a support structure with at least one framework hinged thereto for mounting at least one bucket, said at least one bucket comprising a seat with a back extending upwards therefrom and respectively defining a seat plane and a back plane forming a dihedral angle relative to each other, the bench being fitted with at least one energy absorber means that is deformable under as a result of the bench being subjected to forces that are greater than a predefined force threshold;
the support structure comprising longitudinally-extending bars and being provided with anchor members suitable for fastening the bench in position for use on board the aircraft on an installation plane extending substantially parallel to said seat plane; and the framework comprising at least one upright-member for holding the back and at least one top transverse-member for holding the seat, the top transverse-member being engaged with the upright-member and being hinged to the support structure via one of said longitudinally-extending bars that extends in a high portion at a front of the support structure, and that is referred to as the “top” bar; wherein:
another one of said longitudinally-extending bars of the support structure, referred to as a “bottom” bar, extends in a low portion at a front of the support structure below the seat plane, the bottom bar and the top bar being spaced apart substantially in vertical superposition;said at least one upright-member includes an extension extending towards a base of the support structure below the seat plane from a hinged connection between the top transverse-member and the upright-member;the framework includes at least one bottom transverse-member extending under the seat plane and being hinged to pivot firstly relative to the extension of the upright-member and secondly to the support structure via the bottom bar so that the assembly formed in a transverse plane by the top transverse-member, the extension of the upright-member, the bottom transverse-member, and the support structure as considered between the bars, is arranged as a deformable quadrilateral; andthe energy absorber means are interposed via secure engagements with the support structure and the framework, so as to retain the framework against tilting downwards and at the rear of the bench, with deformation of the energy absorber means allowing said deformable quadrilateral to deform so as to cause the framework to tilt and consequently to cause the bucket to tilt downwards and at the rear of the bench, by the top transverse-member and the bottom transverse-member pivoting relative to the support structure and to the upright-member.