Improved vehicle seat, for passenger aircraft, has leg- and foot-rests adjustable by electrical actuators operated from electronic controller

摘要

Seat cushion (16), mounted on support frame (14) fixed to cabin floor (12), has hinged backrest (18) and leg-rest (20). Angle of leg-rest can be varied by electrical actuator (24). Foot-rest (22) extends from leg-rest under control of second actuator (26), independent of first. Arm-rest (30) supports key-pad (32) connected, with actuators, to electronic control unit (28); this gives passenger measure of control over leg- and foot-rests. The control unit is powered by the aircraft's electrical services network, typically via an incoming transformer unit (34). An operating supply is available to each actuator through an interface unit (36,38), switched by a processor (40) receiving commands from the passenger's key-pad and monitoring (44,42) the instantaneous actuator currents (i1,i2). The passenger's commands are implemented through processor programs embodying threshold actuator current values determined from type-tests. Current increases during operation, above the threshold, confirm that a limiting position has been reached. The actuator is then briefly reversed to clear the condition. Opt., movement is discontinued and only reverse operation allowed.