Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CA 02614714 2008-01-09
Separation wall in an aircraf cabin
This invention relates to a separation wall in an aircraft cabin.
In an aircraft cabin, there often are seats of different types. These
different seats make it
possible to offer passengers various levels of comfort in the aircraft cabin.
In such cabins, there
then generally are three levels of comfort defining three classes of
increasing comfort: economy
class, business class and first class. Seats of the same class generally are
grouped within one
compartment.
In known manner, the compartments in an aircraft cabin are separated from one
another
by a transverse separation partition. These partitions are to be implemented
in compliance with
the different safety rules. Accordingly, it is advisable, in particular, to be
able to evacuate the
aircraft rapidly in the event of danger. The aisles of the aircraft cabin
therefore are not to
comprise any obstacles. The separation partitions of the prior art thus
generally consist of rigid
walls having the width of two or three seats and arranged behind a transverse
row of seats.
Between these walls, in the aisle (or aisles), a curtain, generally textile,
achieves the separation
between the compartments.
With such a separation partition, the isolation between the compartments is
incomplete.
This is due in part to the use of soft curtains to achieve the separation in
the aisles, but also to
the shape of the rigid walls. In fact, in order to permit the opening of the
baggage bins,
positioned overhead, the upper portion of the rigid walls is cut out. Thus
during a flight, when
the baggage bins are closed, a cut-out appears in the separation wall at each
baggage bin.
The purpose of this invention then is to provide a separation wall (and
partition) making it
possible to achieve good isolation between aircraft cabin compartments, even
at the baggage
bins.
To this end, it proposes a separation wall for an aircraft cabin comprising a
rigid and
fixed vertical panel.
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2
According to the invention, this wall further comprises a section movable
between an
opened out position in which the movable section projects beyond the contours
of the rigid and
fixed panel, and a retracted position in which the projecting portion of the
movable section is
retracted at least partially in relation to the contours of the rigid and
fixed panel.
Such a separation wall may be adapted to "variable" contours such as those
defined by a
baggage bin that may be open or closed. Thus, the opened out position of the
movable section
corresponds, for example, to the closed position of a baggage bin beneath
which the separation
wall is situated, and the retracted position corresponds to the open position
of this baggage bin.
In a first embodiment, the movable section is mounted pivoting around a
horizontal axis.
It is a matter here of a simple movement that generally makes it possible to
follow closely the
movement of opening of a baggage bin.
A preferred embodiment provides that the movable section is a leaf that, in
its retracted
position, is housed at least partially in an accommodation provided for this
purpose in the rigid
and fixed panel. Thus, esthetically, only the projecting portion of the
movable section is visible.
In this preferred form, the rigid and fixed panel comprises, for example, two
lateral surfaces
between which the movable leaf becomes positioned, and guidance of the movable
leaf
between its opened out position and its retracted position, and vice versa, is
provided by the
lateral surfaces of the rigid and fixed panel. In this variation, the movable
leaf is guided like a
glass door pane of a motor vehicle.
In order to control the movement of the movable section, it is proposed, for
example, that
return means pre-stress the movable section toward its opened out position. In
this manner, this
section can follow the "variable" contour. In the case of a wall situated
beneath a baggage bin,
the movable section can follow the openings and closings of this bin.
For a better connection between a movable section and a baggage bin, the
movable
section has an upper edge on which there slides, for example, a stop intended
to make contact
with a baggage-bin door, and set thereon.
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This invention also relates to a separation partition for an aircraft cabin
comprising at least one separation wall and one curtain, in which at least one
separation wall is a wall such as described above. It further relates to an
aircraft
cabin and an aircraft, characterized in that they each comprise at least one
such
separation wall. In one aspect, the present invention provides Separation wall
for an
aircraft cabin comprising: - a rigid and fixed vertical panel, and - a section
movable
between an opened out position in which the movable section projects beyond
the
contours of the rigid and fixed panel and a retracted position in which the
projecting
portion of the movable section is retracted at least partially in relation to
the contours
of the rigid and fixed panel, characterized in that the movable section has an
upper
edge on which there slides a stop intended to provide the connection between a
door
of a baggage bin and the movable section.
In a further aspect, the present invention provides an aircraft cabin
separation
wall comprising: - a vertical panel that is stiff and fixed, and - a member
that is
moveable between an extended position in which the moveable member projects
beyond the contours of the stiff fixed panel and a retracted position in which
the
projecting portion of the moveable member is withdrawn at least partially with
respect to the contours of the stiff fixed panel, characterized in that the
moveable
member has an upper edge on which slides an abutment adapted to provide the
connection between a luggage locker door and the moveable member.
In a still further aspect, the present invention provides a separation wall in
an
aircraft cabin comprising: a rigid and fixed vertical panel, and a movable
section that
is movable between an opened out position in which the movable section
projects
beyond the contours of the rigid and fixed panel and a retracted position in
which the
projecting portion of the movable section is retracted at least partially in
relation to
the contours of the rigid and fixed panel, and a stop connected to a door of a
baggage bin and to an upper edge of the movable section such that said stop
slides
along said upper edge of the movable section and moves said movable section
from
the opened out position to the retracted position in response to the door of
the
baggage bin moving from a closed position to an open position.
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Details and advantages of this invention will emerge more clearly from the
description that follows, presented with reference to the attached schematic
drawings on which:
FIG. 1 represents in perspective a separation partition according to the
invention, and
FIG. 2 is a partial front view of an aircraft cabin equipped with a separation
partition according to the invention.
FIG. 1 represents a separation partition intended to be positioned in an
aircraft cabin. This partition is intended to be arranged transversely in this
cabin. This
separation partition comprises in particular two lateral separation walls 2, a
central
separation wall 4, two curtains 6 and an upper band 8. All these components
are
placed more or less in the same plane, which in the remainder of the
description will
be assumed to be vertical.
As FIG. 2 shows, this separation partition is intended to isolate two
compartments of the aircraft cabin from one another. In the example of FIG. 2,
the
separation partition is arranged between a business class compartment equipped
with convertible seats 10 and an economy class compartment equipped with
reclining-back seats 12. The separation partition extends from the floor 14 of
the
aircraft cabin up to the ceiling thereof and from one lateral wall 16 of this
cabin to the
opposite lateral wall.
The central separation wall 4 is a fixed rigid wall. It corresponds to a
separation
wall such as those known from the prior art. It is arranged between two
successive rows
of seats. In the aircraft cabin considered here by way of example, two aisles
18 (only one
of which is represented on FIG. 2) extend longitudinally in the aircraft cabin
in order to
permit access to the seats of this cabin. The central separation wall 4 is
delimited by
these two aisles 18. The isolation between the two compartments of the
aircraft cabin
separated by the separation
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partition represented is accomplished in the aisles by the curtains 6. Thus
such a curtain 6 is
found on both sides of the central separation wall 4. On Figure 1, a first
curtain 6 is shown in its
drawn position in which it forms a separation between the two compartments and
another curtain
is shown in its folded back position in which the curtain 6 leaves the passage
between the two
compartments clear.
The band 8 is arranged above the central separation wall 4 and the curtains 6.
The
latter, for example, can be held up by the band 8. A slide thus may be
provided at the ends of
this band 8 on the lower surface of the latter.
This band is, for example, an illuminated band on which pictograms (not
represented)
may appear. These pictograms, for example, may indicate to the passengers the
free or
occupied status of a lavatory, possibly serve as a no-smoking reminder, ask
the passengers to
fasten their seat belt, etc....
This invention relates more particularly to the lateral separation walls for
the cabin
configuration represented in the drawings. These lateral separation walls 2
are arranged
against the lateral walls 16 of the aircraft cabin. On the side opposite this
lateral cabin wall 16,
they are delimited by an aisle 18. The lateral separation walls 2 represented
rest on the floor 14
of the aircraft cabin. In the upper portion, these lateral separation walls 2
extend not up to the
ceiling of the aircraft cabin, but up to a baggage bin 20. In the example
represented, the latter is
mounted pivoting around a longitudinal horizontal axis. On the Figures, this
axis is symbolized
by a first pivoting point 22. This point corresponds to the intersection
between the horizontal
pivoting axis and the vertical plane accommodating the separation partition.
The two lateral separation walls 2 of Figure 1 are symmetrical in relation to
a vertical
median plane of the aircraft cabin. Accordingly, only one of these lateral
separation walls 2 will
be described below.
A lateral separation wall 2, in its preferred embodiment, comprises a base 24,
a front
surface 26 and a rear surface 28. The base 24 rests on the floor 14 of the
aircraft cabin. The
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front 26 and rear 28 surfaces are symmetrical in relation to one another and
define between
them a housing 30. The latter accommodates a movable leaf 32 (while the base
24 and the
front 26 and rear 28 surfaces are considered as being fixed).
The shape of the front 26 and rear 28 surfaces is such that when the baggage
bin 20 is
in open position, a space remains between the upper portion of the front 26
and rear 28 surfaces
and the baggage bin 20 in its open position. The movable leaf 32 comes to fill
the opening
remaining between the front 26 and rear 28 surfaces of the lateral separation
wall 2 and the
baggage bin 20, whether the latter is in closed or open position.
In the preferred embodiment represented in the drawings, the movable leaf 32
is
mounted pivoting around a second horizontal axis, parallel to the pivoting
axis of the baggage
bin 20. A second pivoting point 34 which corresponds to the intersection of
the pivoting axis of
the movable leaf 32 with the plane containing the separation partition has
been represented on
Figures 1 and 2. In its pivoting movement, the movable leaf 32 is guided by
the front 26 and
rear 28 surfaces.
Means are provided for pre-stressing the movable leaf 32 in its raised
position, in contact
with the baggage bin 20. In the embodiment represented, these means comprise a
spring 36
attached on the one hand to the movable leaf 32 and on the other hand to a
fixed point, for
example the base 24 of the lateral separation wall 2, as represented on Figure
1.
In the preferred embodiment represented in the drawing, the movable leaf 32
does not
make contact directly with the baggage bin 20. A stop 38 set underneath the
baggage bin
provides the connection between the latter and the movable leaf 32. It is
observed on the
drawings that the movable leaf has an upper edge 40 picking up the contour of
the lower surface
of the baggage bin 20. When the baggage bin 20 is opened, the stop 38 comes to
slide on the
upper edge 40 of the movable leaf 32.
On Figure 2, the movable leaf 32 is represented in its opened out position
corresponding
to the closed position of the baggage bin. This opened out position is
represented with a dotted
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line on Figure 1. On this latter Figure, the movable leaf 32 is represented in
its position retracted
inside the housing 30 with an unbroken line. It is observed that the movable
leaf 32 is only
partially retracted into its housing 30. In another embodiment, it could be
provided that the front
26 and rear 28 surfaces of the lateral separation wall 2 more or less come to
assume the shape
of the lower surface of the baggage bin 20 when the latter is in open
position. In such a
scenario, the movable leaf, in its retracted position, would be housed
entirely in its housing 30.
As can be seen on the drawings, the movable leaf 32 makes it possible to put
the
finishing touches on the isolation between two compartments of an aircraft
cabin. A separation
partition such as described above makes it possible to achieve a good
isolation between two
compartments. It makes it possible, in particular, to have a visual and
phonetic isolation of the
compartments. Different lighting also may be provided in two adjoining
compartments separated
by the separation partition according to the invention.
The separation partition according to the invention makes it possible to
achieve this
isolation just as well when the baggage bins are in their open position as
when they are in
closed position.
In addition, the separation partition according to the invention makes it
possible to
comply with the safety rules and in particular does not hamper the evacuation
of the passengers
in the event of emergency.
This invention is not limited to the preferred embodiment described above by
way of non-
limitative example. It also relates to all the variations of implementation
within the capacity of the
individual skilled in the art within the context of the claims below.
A separation partition according to the invention may be adapted to all types
of aircraft. It
relates just as well to single-aisle aircraft as to aircraft comprising
several aisles. The
description presented relates to the isolation of two compartments of
different comfort classes.
Such a separation partition, of course, may be used to produce two
compartments of one and
the same comfort class or, for example, to isolate a compartment intended to
accommodate
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passengers and another compartment intended, for example, for the flight
personnel (galley,
etc...) or any other type of space (medical space for repatriation on medical
grounds, etc...).
The above description sets forth a preferred embodiment in which the leaf is
mounted
pivoting. In this example of implementation, the movement of the movable leaf
is adapted to the
movement that most often is found in a baggage bin. It is clear that the
movement of the
movable leaf may be different from the one described. For example, a
translation of this leaf
may be provided in particular in the case where the baggage bin is opened by
being translated.
Likewise, the movable leaf described is guided between the front surfaces and
the rear surfaces
of a lateral separation wall. There could be provided a structure in which the
movable leaf would
not come to be housed between two surfaces of a wall but simply would come to
slide or pivot
(or any other movement) along a wall.
