High strength low mass seat mounting system for row seating

Abstract

A seat mounting system for row seating is a means to support a plurality of adjacent backrest and seat assemblies, fixedly arranged in rows in a seating facility. Rows of seats may be arranged in a straight line or curved line. The mounting system consists of support columns or brackets affixed to a floor or riser surface, with cross members linking the supports. The support columns or brackets may include devices for mounting armrests, backrests, and seats. The seat portion of the assembly is commonly mounted on an axle or pivot rod cross member to allow the seat to be rotated from a horizontal to a vertical position when not in use. Strength is critical to safety of the occupant, while reduced mass is critical to conservation of materials and energy.

1 . A support column (often referred to as a “standard” or “upright”) for row seating which includes a chair with a projecting wing for adjustably mounting a seat back rest, said support column constructed from a single piece of sheet metal in a tapered tubular form with a rectangular cross section and said projecting wing, wherein the taper is wide at the base and narrows toward the top of the support column, the support column including a mounting foot, or feet, affixed to the bottom of the column, a mount for a seat assembly, and optionally, a mount for an armrest or other devices, wherein the support column may support adjacent seats, or a single seat as on a row end. 
     
     
         2 . The support column according to  claim 1 , wherein said foot comprises two components, permanently affixed to the base of the support column, which may be mounted to the front and back of the column, and which may be affixed at different angles to the support column to accommodate differing slopes of the mounting surface, without alteration of the foot components, the foot including one or more holes for affixing the foot to a floor or riser stud, wherein the construction of the foot permits a constant spacing between holes regardless of angle of attachment. 
     
     
         3 . A system of row seating including a chair comprising support columns (often referred to as a “standard” or “upright”) at opposite sides of a seat which includes a pivot rod support for the seat, which said pivot rod is rigidly mounted between two pivot rod column brackets supported on the support columns, a single fastener being provided at each end of the pivot rod, wherein the ends of the pivot rod are formed such that the ends utilize a common construction for the support column and the ends may be stacked on top of each other, and affixed with the single fastener at shared mounting points while keeping the seat portion of the seat assembly level and at common height with adjacent seats, the pivot rod being directly attached to the column brackets without a plate or bracket mounted to the end to directly transfer lateral forces of movement to the support columns. 
     
     
         4 . The row seating according to  claim 3 , which includes a spacer for the pivot rod which is interchangeably affixed above or below the pivot rod end on a row end seat which defines the end of a row of seats to compensate for height differences when only one pivot rod is attached to the support column bracket at the row end. 
     
     
         5 . A system of row seating including a chair comprising support columns at opposite sides of a seat, a support column being provided with a rigid mounting bracket for an armrest pad which consists of a plurality mounting tabs projecting from the surface of the bracket at a common angle, with a single threaded fastener which is installed through the bracket and draws the armrest pad tight to the mounting tabs, said mounting bracket being combined with an armrest pad with recesses cut or molded to mate with said mounting tabs, wherein the armrest attachment directs lateral forces away from the threaded fastener and toward the mounting tabs.