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Aircraft seat cover assembly

Aircraft seat cover assembly description/claims

The invention described in this patent application was not the subject of federally sponsored research or development.

The present invention pertains to an accessory for an aircraft; more particularly, the present invention pertains to a seat cover assembly for providing enhanced seating comfort and safety for the pilot of an aircraft.

Small private aircraft and restricted category aircraft, typically single seat aircraft such as agricultural aircraft built for spraying, are characterized by their light weight and low cost. And, since the anticipated duration of most flights by such small private aircraft and restricted category aircraft, including agricultural aircraft, may not be for an extended period of time, manufacturers of small private aircraft and restricted category aircraft, including agricultural aircraft, have not endeavored to develop a seating system for pilots that provides long-term comfort. For example, some small private aircraft and restricted category aircraft, including agricultural aircraft, include low-cost simple “cool” seats. Cool seats are basically a piece of open-weave fabric stretched over a frame made from rigid metal tubes. Such cool seats are light weight and have been approved by the FAA. Accordingly, manufacturers of small private aircraft and restricted category aircraft use FAA approved cool seats. In addition, such cool seats are often found on military helicopters.

While low-cost, simple seating systems, such as cool seats, are adequate for many aircraft applications where the operators of the aircraft spend only an hour or two at the controls, there are some pilots who make such one or two hour flights repeatedly over long periods of time, to include both day and night. Such pilots may be those who fly small private aircraft or restricted category aircraft, including agricultural aircraft, to spray crops, or those pilots who are flight instructors who often teach multiple student pilots in one day. Still other pilots who often sit on cool seats are those who drop fire retardant chemicals.

For those pilots who spend extended times in a small private aircraft or a restricted category aircraft, including agricultural and firefighting aircraft, there is a need to provide a seating system which is more comfortable than the cool seat offered by most manufacturers of small private aircraft or restricted category aircraft, including agricultural aircraft. This need is demonstrated by the large number of professional pilots who carry some type of seat cushion along with the gear carried into an aircraft. It is also not unusual to find pilots who fold up a flight jacket and use their folded flight jacket as a cushion on a cool seat.

From a safety viewpoint, it is well known that pilot discomfort leads to both an accelerated state of pilot fatigue and distraction of the pilot's attention away from the many activities associated with flying the aircraft. When flying an aircraft, pilot fatigue and attention distraction become significant safety issues. Specifically, a fatigued or distracted pilot is not able to devote the needed attention to the physical activity of flying the aircraft and maintaining proper communication with ground control—particularly in IFR conditions. If weather conditions deteriorate to IFR or hazardous flying conditions occur, fatigue or distraction can actually lead to unanticipated dangerous situations.

Yet another problem is that some pilots who fly for extended periods of time have reported experiencing a loss of feeling in their lower legs when using a cool seat. Since much of flying is responding to control feedback, loss of feeling directly impacts the ability of a pilot to control the aircraft. Other pilots have reported experiencing either leg pain or leg cramps even when outside of the aircraft from long exposure to cool seats.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a seating system usable in small private aircraft that increases the comfort level of the seat for the pilot, particularly the cool seat, installed by the aircraft manufacturer.

The disclosed aircraft seat cover assembly is usable in small private aircraft and restricted category aircraft, including agricultural and firefighting aircraft, to increase the comfort level of the seat for the pilot, particularly the cool seat installed by aircraft manufacturers.

The aircraft seat cover assembly of the present invention is formed in two parts—a first part to cover the seat portion of a cool seat of the type typically found in small private aircraft, restricted category aircraft and military helicopters, and a second part to cover the back portion of the cool seat.

The first part of the aircraft seat cover assembly which covers the seat portion includes a pocket portion formed from a burn certified material acceptable for use in aircraft. Under the outer layer of fabric forming the pocket portion is a first cushion layer to fit under the back of the upper portion of the pilot's legs and under the pilot's buttocks. Under the first cushion layer is a second cushion layer which is firmer than the first cushion layer. Then, under the second cushion layer is a shortened foam piece to go over the front tubular piece in a cool seat. This shortened foam piece is firmer than the second cushion layer. All of the three cushion layers are made from a foam which conforms to the shape of the back of the upper portion of the pilot's legs and the pilot's buttocks by exposure to the pilot's body heat and weight. The shortened foam piece also provides the additional function of lifting the pilot's knees to a position where the pilot's feet are in a more comfortable position when placed on the trim pedals.

The second part of the aircraft seat cover assembly is formed to have a pocket portion which covers the back portion of the cool seat and is formed from a burn certified material. Within that portion of the back portion of the disclosed aircraft seat cover assembly which is in contact with the lower portion of the pilot's back is a positionable air bladder. The positionable air bladder may be adjusted to a desired level of hardness or softness according to the preference of the pilot by the use of a squeezable ball and air release valve.

A still better understanding of the aircraft seating system of the present invention may be had by reference to the drawing figures as follows:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front of the present invention mounted to a cool seat;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the bottom of the present invention mounted to a cool seat;

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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