Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02627696 2008-05-15
Pivoting luggage rack intended for an aircraft cabin
This invention relates to a luggage rack intended for an aircraft cabin.
The sphere of this invention is the transport of passengers in an aircraft.
During a trip, the travelers' luggage is placed in the holds of the aircraft,
while
lighter luggage can accompany the travelers in the aircraft cabin. In this
cabin,
storage spaces are provided for this luggage, also referred to as hand
luggage.
More often than not, these storage spaces are arranged in the upper portion of
the aircraft cabin, beneath the ceiling of this cabin and above the seats
intended
to accommodate the passengers.
There are two major types of storage space for luggage such as
described previously. On the one hand there are luggage bins and on the other
hand luggage racks. A luggage bin is a compartment fixed in relation to the
aircraft cabin, and a door, generally pivoting, allows the opening and closing
of
access to the luggage compartment. A luggage rack, for its part, also has a
compartment intended to accommodate luggage and comprising an access.
Here this compartment is a compartment movable between a first extended
position in which access to the compartment is open, allowing the insertion
and
removal of luggage, and a position retracted inside the ceiling of the
aircraft
cabin, in which access to the compartment is closed.
The current trend, dictated by the airline companies, is to increase the
volume of storage space for hand luggage inside aircraft cabins. However, the
volume inside an aircraft cabin is limited. It therefore is advisable to make
the
most of the available space inside a given cabin. Moreover, as regards the
luggage racks and bins, their dimensions are limited inasmuch as the standards
provide that these storage spaces, in open or dosed position, must not hinder
the
movement of passengers in the aisles of the aircraft cabin.
This invention then has as a purpose to provide a luggage rack that, for a
given length (measured longitudinally in the aircraft cabin), makes possible a
greater volume of storage space for luggage than the known racks of the prior
art.
To this end, it proposes a rack for luggage, intended in particular for an
aircraft cabin, comprising a compartment having a lower outer face, an upper
face, an open face, arranged between the lower outer face and the upper face,
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and allowing access to the compartment for the depositing and removal of
luggage or similar items inside same, as well as a back, opposite the open
face of
the compartment, this rack being mounted pivoting around an axis of pivoting
and
being movable around this axis between an open position in which the open face
of the compartment is accessible from the cabin and in which a rear portion of
the
lower outer face is concealed, and a closed position in which the open face of
the
compartment is retracted and in which the said rear portion of the lower outer
face is visible.
According to the invention, the said rear portion, concealed when the rack
is open, has a cylindrical form comprising generatrices substantially parallel
to the
axis of pivoting of the rack, and the distance from the axis of pivoting to
the
generatrices increases from the back of the compartment toward the open face
of
the latter.
By cylindrical surface there is to be understood here a surface that can be
generated by the movement of a straight line always retaining the same
orientation. Such a surface therefore is the juxtaposition of parallel lines,
referred
to as generatrices, and arranged one next to the other.
A rack according to the invention therefore does not have circular
cylindrical form near the back thereof, but a form reminiscent of a spiral.
This
new form makes it possible to enlarge the interior volume of the luggage rack
without having to encroach on the space set aside for the movement of
passengers in the aircraft cabin.
In a rack for luggage according to the invention, an appreciable gain in
volume is obtained when the distance from the axis of pivoting to the
generatrices
varies from one end to the other of the said rear portion by a value ranging
from 5
to 20 cm, preferably from 10 to 15 cm.
For the interior layout of a rack for luggage according to the invention, the
compartment advantageously comprises a lower inner face forming a floor in
this
compartment; the lower inner face of the compartment is substantially plane
adjacent the open face; the lower inner face of the compartment rises up near
the
back, and a groove, the concavity of which is directed toward the upper face
of
the compartment, is formed in the junction zone between the raised portion of
the
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lower face and the back. This interior layout of the luggage rack makes it
possible in
particular to accommodate a suitcase not down flat on the lower inner face of
the
compartment intended to accommodate luggage, but diagonally in this
compartment.
In such a rack, for a better retention of a suitcase, or of another piece of
luggage, it
can be provided that the free edge of the lower inner face of the compartment
situated adjacent the open face for access to the compartment has a rim
projecting
from the lower inner face of the compartment toward the upper face of the
latter.
Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention provides a baggage rack for
an aircraft cabin, the rack comprising: a compartment having a lower outer
face, an
upper face, an open face arranged between the lower outer face and the upper
face
and allowing access to the compartment for depositing and removal of at least
a
baggage, and a back positioned opposite to the open face of the compartment,
wherein said rack is pivotably mounted around an axis of pivoting and pivots
around
said axis between an open position in which the open face of the compartment
is
accessible from the aircraft cabin and in which a rear portion of the lower
outer face
is concealed by a wall of the aircraft cabin, and a closed position in which
the open
face of the compartment is inaccessible from the aircraft cabin and in which
the rear
portion of the lower outer face is not concealed by the wall of the aircraft
cabin,
wherein said rear portion of the lower outer face has a cylindrical form
comprising
generatrices substantially parallel to the axis of pivoting of the rack, and
wherein a
distance from the axis of pivoting to the generatrices continuously increases
from an
intersection of the lower outer face and the back of the compartment to the
open
face of the compartment.
In a further aspect, the present invention provides a baggage rack for an
aircraft cabin, the rack comprising: a compartment having a lower outer face,
an
upper face, an open face arranged between the lower outer face and the upper
face,
and allowing access to the compartment for depositing and removal of at least
a
baggage, and a back positioned opposite to the open face of the compartment,
wherein said rack is pivotably mounted around an axis of pivoting and pivots
around
said axis between an open position in which the open face of the compartment
is
accessible from the aircraft cabin and in which a rear portion of the lower
outer face
is concealed by a wall of the aircraft cabin, and a closed position in which
the open
face of the compartment is inaccessible from the aircraft cabin and in which
the rear
portion of the lower outer face is not concealed by the wall of the aircraft
cabin,
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3a
wherein said axis of pivoting is fixed relative to said compartment as said
compartment pivots from said open position to said closed position, wherein
said rear
portion has a cylindrical form comprising generatrices substantially parallel
to the axis
of pivoting of the rack, and wherein a distance from the axis of pivoting to
the
generatrices continuously increases from an intersection of the lower outer
face and
the back of the compartment to the open face of the compartment.
This invention also relates to an aircraft cabin, characterized in that it
comprises
at least one rack for luggage such as described above.
In such an aircraft cabin, an air vent extending along the rear portion of the
lower outer face of a luggage rack can be provided, and this air vent has a
movable
flap at its outlet, for example. In this way, the outlet surface of the air
vent can
remain constant by making the position of the flap dependent on that of the
luggage
rack. In an advantageous embodiment, for it is quite simple to implement, the
movable flap has a pivoting strip, extending under the junction between the
rear
portion of the lower outer face and the back of the compartment, when the rack
is
closed, and the pivoting strip is mounted, for example, pivoting around a
longitudinal
axis substantially parallel to the axis of pivoting of the corresponding
luggage rack
A movable flap such as described above can have spacing shims adjacent the
luggage rack, and prestressing means then can be provided in order to keep the
spacing shims bearing against the rear portion of the lower outer face of the
luggage
rack. It thus is possible, in simple manner, to ensure a constant air slit
width. When
the pivoting strip is mounted pivoting around a longitudinal axis
substantially parallel
to the axis of pivoting of the corresponding luggage rack, the prestressing
means
comprise, for example, a spring integrated into the pivoting shaft of the
pivoting
strip. For example, a spring can be provided at each bearing of the axis of
pivoting of
the pivoting strip.
Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention provides an aircraft cabin,
comprising: at least one baggage rack, each baggage rack including a
compartment
having a lower outer face, an upper face, an open face arranged between the
lower
outer face and the upper face and allowing access to the compartment for
depositing
and removal of at least a baggage, and a back positioned opposite to the open
face
of the compartment; and a movable flap including a pivoting strip extending
under a
joining portion between the rear portion of the lower outer face and the back
of the
compartment when the at least one baggage rack is closed, wherein said rack is
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pivotably mounted around an axis of pivoting and pivots around said axis
between an
open position in which the open face of the compartment is accessible from the
aircraft cabin and in which a rear portion of the lower outer face is
concealed by a
wall of the aircraft cabin, and a closed position in which the open face of
the
compartment is inaccessible from the aircraft cabin and in which the rear
portion of
the lower outer face is not concealed by the wall of the aircraft cabin,
wherein said
rear portion of the lower outer face has a cylindrical form comprising
generatrices
substantially parallel to the axis of pivoting of the rack, wherein a distance
from the
axis of pivoting to the generatrices increases from the back of the
compartment
toward the open face of the compartment, and wherein the pivoting strip is
pivotably
mounted around a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the axis of
pivoting of the
at least one baggage rack.
This invention also relates to an aircraft, characterized in that it comprises
a
cabin such as described above.
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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:
Figure us a schematic view of a rack according to the invention in closed
position, while
Figure 2 shows this rack schematically in open position.
The luggage rack 2 depicted in the drawings is a rack mounted pivoting
around an axis of pivoting 4. Here it is a luggage rack 2 mounted in an
aircraft
cabin. This rack is mounted in the upper portion of this cabin, above the
passenger seats, not depicted. The axis of pivoting 4 is a longitudinal axis
in
relation to the aircraft cabin. The ceiling 6 of this cabin is recognizable on
the
drawings.
The luggage rack 2 comprises a lower outer face 8, a back 10, an upper
face 12 and lateral walls 14. The overall shape of this rack is substantially
parallelepipedal with a rounded lower face. The face opposite the back 10 is a
completely open face.
On Figure 1, the luggage rack 2 is depicted in its closed position. It then
is retracted in the ceiling 6 of the aircraft cabin. Inside this ceiling, a
fixed flap 16
comes to close the open face of the luggage rack, opposite the back 10 of the
luggage rack. This fixed flap 16 takes, for example, as depicted in the
drawings,
the form of a circular cylindrical section, the axis of which corresponds to
the axis
of pivoting 4.
For esthetic reasons, streamlining 18 is provided at the connection
between the ceiling and the luggage rack. In closed position of the latter,
the
streamlining completely conceals the fixed flap 16 from the sight of the
passengers occupying the aircraft cabin. This streamlining 18, in the closed
position of the luggage rack, extends the lower outer face 8 of this luggage
rack 2
toward the ceiling.
Beneath the luggage rack 2, the outer lower face 8 is extended by a
lateral wall 20 of the aircraft cabin. Usually, at the junction between the
luggage
rack and the lateral wall 20 of the cabin there is an air vent through which
air
CA 02627696 2008-05-15
generally is sent into the cabin. In this embodiment according to the
invention,
this air vent comprises a movable flap 22 at its outlet.
Figure 2 depicts the luggage rack in its open position. In order to go from
the closed position depicted on Figure 1 to the open position of Figure 2, the
luggage rack 2 pivots downward around its axis of pivoting 4. In this
position, the
fixed flap 16 no longer covers the open face of the rack and this open face is
completely clear. A passenger then can place a suitcase 24 inside the rack or
remove it therefrom.
The lower outer face 8 of the luggage rack 2 has an area situated
adjacent the back 10, referred to as rear portion 26, that is visible from the
inside
of the aircraft cabin when the luggage rack 2 is in its closed position
(Figure 1)
and that is concealed by the movable flap 22 and the lateral wall 20 of the
cabin
when the luggage rack 2 is in its open position.
The rear portion 26 of the lower outer face 8 has a cylindrical form. Such
a surface is a surface that can be generated by the movement of a straight
line,
also referred to as generatrix, always retaining the same direction. Such a
surface therefore is a succession of straight lines, referred to as
generatrices, all
parallel and arranged one next to the other. The rear portion 26 has the form
of a
cylindrical surface the generatrices of which are parallel to the axis of
pivoting 4
and such that the distance from a generatrix to the axis of pivoting 4
increases
from the back 10 of the luggage rack 2 toward the open front face of the
latter.
When the luggage rack opens and closes, the movable flap 22 remains
bearing against the lower outer face 8 of the luggage rack. This movable flap
22
comprises a profiled strip 28 extending parallel to the axis of pivoting 4, as
well as
spacing shims 30 that make it possible to ensure a constant air outlet slit
width is
kept for the air vent, thus maintaining the same flow of air whether the
luggage
rack 2 is in open or closed (or intermediate) position.
The profiled strip 28 (and therefore also the movable flap 22) is mounted
pivoting around a second axis of pivoting 32 parallel to the axis of pivoting
4 of
the luggage rack 2. This second axis of pivoting 32 is borne by the lateral
wall 20
of the aircraft cabin. It comprises prestressing means, not depicted, keeping
the
movable flap 22 always supported by way of spacing shims 30 on the rear
portion
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26 of the lower outer face 8 of the luggage rack 2. These prestressing means
can comprise, for example, a spring associated with each bearing of the second
axis of pivoting 32 so as to exert a return couple on the movable flap 22.
By way of example, there are considered on the one hand, a first
generatrix 34 of the rear portion 26 corresponding to the generatrix on which
the
spacing shims 30 rest when the luggage rack 2 is in its open position, and on
the
other hand, a second generatrix 36 of the rear portion 26 corresponding to the
generatrix on which the spacing shims 30 rest when the luggage rack is in its
closed position. The first generatrix 34 is apart from the axis of pivoting 4
of the
luggage rack 2 by a distance R1, while the second generatrix is apart from
this
axis of pivoting 4 by a distance R2. According to the invention, R2> R1. The
value R2-R1 ranges, for example, between 5 and 20 cm, preferably between 10
and 15 cm.
With such a luggage rack, it is clearly evident that the volume of the
luggage rack 2 is increased by maintaining the same depth, that is, the
distance
separating the back 10 from the open face of the luggage compartment.
In order to better take advantage of the increased inside volume of the
luggage rack 2, a layout of the interior of the compartment accommodating a
suitcase 24 is proposed.
A floor is arranged in the compartment intended to accommodate the
luggage. This floor forms the lower inner face 38 of the luggage rack 2. This
lower inner face 38 has a plane portion 40 adjacent the open face of the rack.
This plane portion 40 extends, for example, over 60 to 85% of the surface of
the
lower inner face 38. In the embodiment depicted in the drawings, it extends
over
approximately 70% of the depth of the luggage rack. Then, on approaching the
back 10 of the luggage rack 2, the lower inner face 38 has a raised portion 42
directed toward the upper face 12. Thus, on the attached Figures corresponding
substantially to a cross section, the lower inner face 38 of the luggage rack
2 has
an angulate form.
The free end of the raised portion 42 has a groove 44. The latter
therefore is in the immediate vicinity of the back 10. This groove 44 is of
circular
cylindrical form. Its concavity is directed toward the upper face 12 of the
luggage
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rack 2. This groove 44 is of a size suitable for accommodating a wheel 46 of a
suitcase 24. Thus the radius of curvature of the groove 44 is, for example, on
the
order of 3 to 10 cm.
At the present time, a very great majority of suitcases have wheels 46.
The placement of a suitcase 24 with wheels 46 then is performed in the
following
manner. The luggage rack 2 is set in its open position depicted on Figure 2.
The
suitcase 24 then is positioned so that these wheels 46 are introduced first
inside
the luggage rack 2 and come to roll over the plane portion 40 of the lower
inner
face 38 of the luggage rack 2. On approaching the back 10 of the luggage rack,
the raised portion 42 of the lower inner face 38 guides the wheels 46 toward
the
groove 44. The suitcase 24 then is in place in the luggage rack 2. For the
comfort of the passenger, the raised portion 40 rises up gradually from the
plane
portion 40 to the groove 44, so that the suitcase 24 reaches the groove 44
smoothly and without jolts. This loading process is natural for the passenger
who
prefers to position the handle of his item of luggage (generally opposite the
wheels thereof) on the accessible side of the rack.
Once in place in the respective compartment, the wheels 46 of the
suitcase 24 are approximately 5 to 30 cm above the level of the plane portion
40
of the lower inner face 38. The suitcase 24 then is held in this rack thanks
to the
cooperation of the wheels 46 and the groove 44.
The plane portion 40 of the lower inner face 38 of the luggage rack 2
preferably is substantially horizontal when the luggage rack 2 is in its open
position. The aircraft here is considered to be down on the ground. In this
case,
the floor of the aircraft cabin is itself substantially horizontal. Thus, in
relation to
the aircraft cabin, it may be considered that the plane portion 40 of the
lower inner
face 38 of the luggage rack 2 is substantially parallel to the floor (and/or
to the
ceiling) of the aircraft cabin when the luggage rack is in open position.
In order to better hold the suitcase 24 inside the luggage rack 2, it also is
provided to equip the free edge of the lower inner face 38 situated adjacent
the
open face of the luggage rack 2 with a profiled rail 48 forming a slight
projection
above the plane portion 40 of the lower inner face 38 of the luggage rack 2.
This
profiled rail 48 thus forms a barrier for any object situated on the lower
inner face
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38 of the luggage rack 2. In order to avoid damaging the luggage or other
objects
in place in the luggage rack 2, and especially in order to avoid any injury to
the
passengers using the luggage rack 2, the profiled rail has a somewhat rounded
form.
An embodiment of a luggage rack in which only one profiled rail would be
used to hold a suitcase diagonally in the compartment without having a lower
inner face having a plane portion and a raised portion is conceivable here. Of
course, a rack according to the invention also possibly does not comprise a
profiled retaining rail.
Such an embodiment of a luggage rack makes it possible to
accommodate luggage of a larger size. In relation to a luggage rack of the
state
of the art, the fact of arranging in the luggage rack 2 a floor such as
described
above makes possible a saving of the order of 3" (or approximately 7 to 8 cm)
in
space occupied crosswise. It should be mentioned here that the luggage racks
in
an aircraft cabin, even in open position, must not hinder the movement of
passengers passing along the aisles provided for this purpose. The luggage
racks therefore must not project beyond the cabin seats, above the passage
aisles.
Thanks to the space saving achieved, on the one hand through the
special shape of the lower outer face of the rack and on the other hand
through
means making it possible to position a suitcase not down flat but diagonally
in the
storage compartment, it becomes possible to place a suitcase 24 of a size
greater than that of a suitcase corresponding to the maximum size generally
accepted by the airline companies in the aircraft cabin (usually referred to
as
"traveler pro") crosswise in the luggage rack 2, while in the racks of the
prior art,
storage for such suitcases had to be implemented longitudinally. The space
saving is very appreciable. With a rack of the prior art, the space sufficing
to
accommodate four suitcases of traveler pro size, or even larger, in a rack
according to the invention, can scarcely accommodate two suitcases of traveler
pro size.
The volume 50 existing between the lower inner face 38 of the luggage
rack 2 according to the invention and the suitcase 24 is not a wasted
space¨quite
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the reverse. A passenger could take advantage of this volume to store therein,
in
complete safety, various small-sized objects and in particular a jacket or
similar
item. Since this volume 50 is well defined, the objects that are placed there
also
are held there.
This invention is not restricted to the preferred embodiment described
above by way of non-limitative example. It also relates to all the variations
within
the capability of the individual skilled in the art, in the context of the
claims below.
