Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Aircraft subassembly and aircraft comprising such a subassembly
The invention relates to an aircraft subassembly that comprises a seat or
a sitting space for an aircraft passenger.
On commercial aircraft flights, in particular in the so-called higher classes
(first classes, "business" classes ... ), the passengers receive special
attention from the
aircraft manufacturers.
In particular, the latter provide more space than for passengers in the so-
called "economy" classes, and generally offer more and more services to
enhance the
comfort of the passengers.
The passengers in the higher classes thus may tilt their seat into a more
or less horizontal position, sometimes even convert their armchair into a bed
because the
seats positioned in front and behind are sufficiently far away.
The seats also are set apart from one another laterally in order to provide
more space for the passengers.
Nonetheless, despite all the care devoted to the arrangement of the
personal space for the passengers in these higher classes, these passengers
sometimes
feel the need to have more privacy with regard to the other passengers, who
very often
are strangers.
In order to meet such a need, they must go to the lavatories or into
another place in the aircraft, such as an area specially laid out for
isolating oneself from
the other passengers.
Such a specific area, however, reduces the space available for installing
passenger seats.
Furthermore, passengers also seek a certain privacy when they wish to lie
down in order to sleep and, unfortunately, in current aircraft nothing is
provided for this
purpose.
REPLACEMENT SHEET (RULE 26)
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This invention seeks to remedy at least one of the aforementioned
drawbacks by proposing an aircraft subassembly comprising at least one seat
and/or
sitting space for a passenger, characterized in that it also comprises a
separating panel
that extends along one of the two opposite sides of the said at least one
seat, along a
longitudinal dimension at least equal to that of the said at least one seat
and along a
vertical dimension or height greater than that of the said at least one seat,
so as to wholly
or partially conceal behind the panel a passenger occupying the said at least
one seat,
the separating panel having, perpendicular to its height, along one of the two
opposite
sides of the at least one seat, a so-called transverse curvature.
Such a subassembly provides more privacy to the passengers than the
moving away of the other seats which, when all is said and done, is limited.
The separating panel in fact may conceal the passenger occupying the
seat of the subassembly from the gaze of other passengers occupying other
seats of the
aircraft cabin in which the subassembly is arranged.
The passenger settled in the subassembly according to the invention thus
does not need to get up from his seat in order to be shielded from view.
The positioning of the curved separating panel along the passenger seat,
without extending beyond the front of the seat, does not encroach on the space
situated
in front of the seat or on the front space situated obliquely in relation to
the seat.
For this reason, the addition of the separating panel next to the seat does
not restrict the free space around the seat for accessing same.
Furthermore, the panel only separates the passenger seat physically from
the other passenger seats without, for all that, enclosing the passenger seat
inside a
module.
Such a module would result in completely isolating the passenger from the
rest of the cabin and, in this very way, would give him the feeling of being
confined and
therefore having less free space.
By virtue of the invention, the passenger does not have this feeling of
confinement.
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Moreover, installing modules around the passenger seats would result in
generally reducing the free space throughout the cabin of the aircraft in
which these
modules would be set up. The passengers moving about in the cabin therefore
would
experience a general unpleasant feeling of confinement.
Moreover, the design of the ventilation installations of the cabin would
have to be revised because the walls constituting the modules would disrupt
the air flows
coming from standard installations.
Having a separating panel adjacent to a passenger seat is a simple
solution the implementation of which does not require incidental arrangements,
or the
setting aside of specific areas in the airplane for this purpose.
Furthermore, the addition of a panel does not indiscriminately increase the
load of the aircraft.
In this respect, light materials such as an alveolar (honeycomb) structure
in particular may be used.
The transverse curvature contributes to increasing the rigidity of the panel.
This curvature also imparts to the panel a greater stability than a straight
panel when it is
arranged on the floor of the cabin of an aircraft.
This proves to be useful when a passenger who is standing in an aisle
and talking with another seated passenger leans on the panel, in particular on
the portion
of the panel running along the seat.
It will be noted that the curved panel according to the invention may be
arranged along one of the two opposite sides of an isolated seat or be laid
out along one
of the two opposite sides of a seat-sitting space assembly in which the
sitting space is
positioned behind the seat.
According to one characteristic, the transverse curvature extends along
the entire height of the panel.
According to one characteristic, the curvature has a concavity that is
oriented toward the said at least one seat.
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For this reason, the convex portion of the panel is turned toward the
outside of the subassembly, which makes it possible to facilitate the movement
of
individuals circulating in the cabin and passing along the panel, as well as
of carts and
baggage.
The risk of injuries to these individuals on contact with the panel, which
provides a smooth and cambered surface toward the outside, moreover is
reduced.
Furthermore, the concavity oriented toward the seat provides more lateral
free space for the seated passenger than a straight panel.
The transverse curvature of the panel is defined by the variation in
geometric orientation of a tangent vector at the outer face of the panel and
which moves
on this face between the so-called front end of the panel, situated at the
front of the seat,
and the so-called back end of the panel, situated at least at the back of the
seat, or even
beyond when a sitting space is positioned behind the seat.
According to one characteristic, at least one of the opposite sides of the
seat along which the panel is arranged also is curved, and the curvatures of
the panel
and of the seat are adapted to one another, for example identical or at least
similar.
According to one characteristic, the separating panel is in the overall
shape of a tile.
According to one characteristic, the separating panel comprises, in its
lower portion, a pedestal intended to be fastened to the floor of an aircraft
cabin.
This pedestal makes it possible to provide easily for the fastening of the
panel and also contributes to increasing the rigidity and stability of the
panel.
According to one characteristic, the separating panel has, in its upper
portion, a convex curvature projecting in a plane containing the longitudinal
and vertical
directions of extension of the panel.
Such a form makes it possible, on the one hand, to reduce the risks of
injury in comparison with a straight upper edge with sharp angles and, on the
other hand,
to clear the side vision space of the seated passenger.
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According to one characteristic, the aircraft subassembly furthermore
comprises a sitting space behind the seat for the passenger, aligned along the
longitudinal direction of extension of the separating panel, the said
separating panel also
extending along this direction, along one of the two sides of the sitting
space.
According to one characteristic, the separating panel forms a return
behind the passenger seat or the sitting space in a direction more or less
perpendicular
to the longitudinal direction.
According to one characteristic, the separating panel extends from one of
the two opposite sides of the passenger seat to the other side, passing behind
the said
seat.
According to one characteristic, the aircraft subassembly comprises two
passenger sets arranged parallel to one another, the separating panel
extending from
one of the two opposite sides of the first seat to one of the two opposite
sides of the
second seat, passing behind the two seats, so as to form a kind of open alcove
on the
front of the said seats.
The invention also has as an object an aircraft comprising at least one
aircraft subassembly in accordance with the subassembly briefly set forth
above and
which is laid out on a floor of a cabin of the aircraft.
According to one characteristic, the said at least one aircraft subassembly
is fastened to the floor of the cabin.
According to one characteristic, the separating panel and the said at least
one passenger seat of the said at least one aircraft subassembly are
mechanically
independent of one another.
This makes it possible easily to associate at least one panel with one or
more seats or sitting spaces for passengers without, however, calling into
question the
design of the seat/sitting space or seats/sitting spaces.
In this way the installation of a panel next to a passenger seat is easy, as
is its dismantling.
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As the subassembly is not cast in one piece, its components may be
introduced into the aircraft one after the other, which facilitates handling
and installation
operations.
According to one characteristic, the height of the separating panel is less
than the height of the aircraft cabin and is sufficient to conceal wholly or
partially behind
the panel a passenger occupying the said at least one seat with regard to
another seated
passenger.
On the other hand, the height of the panel is limited in order to ventilate
the cabin as well as to leave the cabin space as open as possible, and thus to
avoid a
feeling of confinement.
According to one characteristic, the aircraft comprises several aircraft
subassemblies laid out on the floor of the cabin.
According to one characteristic, each of the passenger seats of the
subassemblies is arranged along an aisle of the cabin and each of the
separating panels
is positioned between the corresponding aisle and the seat.
According to one characteristic, the aircraft subassemblies arranged on
both sides of an aisle are laid out in staggered rows.
The privacy of the passengers thus is increased by staggering the
subassemblies in relation to each other along an aisle.
According to one characteristic, since each of the separating panels of the
aircraft subassemblies has a large convex face, the convex faces of the
separating
panels arranged on both sides of an aisle are oriented toward the aisle.
Other characteristics and advantages will emerge in the course of the
description that is going to follow, given by way of non-limitative example
and presented
with reference to the attached drawings, on which:
- Figure 1 is a general schematic representation of a cabin of an aircraft in
which subassemblies according to the invention are installed;
- Figure 2 is a general schematic view similar to that of Figure 1 and
showing only the installation of a portion of the subassemblies shown in
Figure 1;
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- Figure 3 illustrates in a front view a portion of a subassembly such as
shown in Figure 2;
- Figure 4 illustrates a side view of the portion of the subassembly shown
in Figure 3;
- Figure 5 is a general view showing a passenger settled in a
subassembly according to the invention;
- Figure 6 is a view of Figure 5 from above;
- Figure 7 is a general view showing the interior of another subassembly in
which a passenger is settled in lying-down position;
- Figure 8 is a general schematic view in perspective, showing, for two
subassemblies, the fastening of a portion of each subassembly to the floor of
the cabin
of the aircraft;
- Figure 9 is a general schematic view from above showing the portions of
the subassembly shown on Figure 8, in association with seats or sitting spaces
for
passengers;
- Figure 10 is a general schematic view in perspective of the
subassemblies shown on Figure 9;
- Figure 11 is a perspective view showing aircraft subassemblies
according to the invention laid out in an aircraft cabin.
As shown partially on Figure 1 and designated with the general reference
marked 10, an aircraft cabin comprises a floor 12, side walls only one of
which 14
provided with windows 16 is shown, as well as a ceiling not shown on this
Figure for the
sake of clarity.
On this Figure, different cabin arrangements have been shown, and in
particular aircraft subassemblies according to the invention which comprise
seats or
sitting spaces for passengers, as well as one or more separating panels.
On this Figure, several different types of aircraft subassemblies according
to the invention are shown and thus offer several possibilities for
implementation of the
invention.
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The different types of subassemblies are indicated with the general
references marked 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26.
In this cabin, different seats and sitting spaces for passengers are
installed, namely seats 28 arranged along walls 14 of the cabin. In the
central portion of
the latter, seats 30 are installed in pairs, two seats 30 of the same pair
being separated
from one another by a longitudinal central compartment 32 that extends between
several
pairs of seats and that serves, for example, to store passengers' baggage.
These seats 30 are used most particularly by passengers traveling as a
couple and seats 28 by individuals alone.
It will be noted that seats 28 and seats 30 are positioned on both sides of
an aisle having a longitudinal direction, two aisles 34 and 36 being provided
in the cabin
for the movement of passengers and flight personnel.
It will be noted that the aircraft layouts or subassemblies according to the
invention are arranged in staggered rows in relation to each other, on both
sides of each
aisle, in order to enhance the concealing effect produced by the separating
panels of
these subassemblies.
It will be noted that each of the aircraft subassemblies according to the
invention is laid out on the floor 12 of the cabin as will be described later
with reference
to Figures 8 and 9.
Each aircraft subassembly according to the invention comprises a seat or
a sitting space, or even a seat and a sitting space or even two seats, as well
as one or
more nontransparent separating panels the dimensions of which are such that
they make
it possible to conceal wholly or partially behind them a passenger occupying
the seat or
the sitting space concerned.
This effect which contributes to a greater privacy for the passengers
occupying such subassemblies is obtained through the presence of the panel or
panels,
their positioning in relation to the seat and/or sitting space and their
dimensions.
The floor 12 of the cabin of the aircraft has been shown on Figure 2,
removing all fittings or facilities other than the separating panels of the
aircraft
subassemblies according to the invention.
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Thus on this Figure the installation of the panels of the different types of
aircraft subassemblies 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26 is discerned.
Such a representation makes it possible to note that the presence of the
panels does not overcrowd the layout of the cabin, does not block the aisles
of the latter
and therefore does not hinder the movement of the passengers and the flight
personnel.
Furthermore, and as may be noted on Figure 1, the arrangement of the
panels does not reduce the free space around the seats or sitting spaces for
passengers and, in particular, does not restrict the passengers' access to
these seats or
sitting spaces.
Two separating panels 38 of the aircraft subassembly 18, shown on
Figures 1 and 2, have been shown on Figures 3 and 4.
The panel 38 is shown in a front view on Figure 3 just as an observer who
might be seated in the aisle would see it, thus concealing from the gaze of
this observer
the seat and/or the sitting space positioned behind the panel, or at least the
back and the
portion thereof occupied by the torso of the passenger.
It will be noted that this panel is interposed between the aisle, along which
the subassembly concerned is laid out, and the seat and/or sitting space for a
passenger
that forms part of the subassembly.
As shown on Figures 3 and 4 that illustrate the panel 38 in a vertical
position, the latter has, perpendicular to its height, a transverse curvature
that here
imparts an overall tile shape thereto.
The transverse curvature of the panel is present at least in the portion of
the panel running along the seat, that is, along one of the two opposite sides
of the seat,
the sides where the armrests are situated. This curvature begins at the front
end of the
panel that is situated at the front of the seat and extends at least to the
seat back (panel
68 along seat 28 on Figure 1), or even farther toward the rear so as to border
a sitting
space 40 for example (Figure 6).
This curvature furthermore extends over the greater portion of the height
of the panel, or even the entirety thereof.
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It will be noted that other forms of cambered or curved panels also may be
adopted to the extent that their dimensions ensure, at least in part, the
concealment of
the seat and the passenger.
The curved panel thus comprises two large opposite faces, a concave
inner face 38a and an opposite convex outer face 38b.
When such a panel is laid out against a passenger seat and/or sitting
space (Figures 1 and 6), the concave inner face 38a is oriented toward the
seat and/or
the sitting space, which conceals the passenger positioned in the seat and/or
the sitting
space more than if the convex face of the panel was turned toward him.
Moreover, as shown on Figures 1 and 2, the large convex faces 38b of the
separating panels are oriented toward the aisle 34 or 36, depending on the
circumstances.
This layout favors the movement of the passengers and the cabin
personnel, since when moving about in the aisles they can come into contact
only with
cambered and smooth surfaces, which limits the risk of injuries.
In fact, in the absence of these panels, individuals moving about in the
aisles can bump into the passenger seats, in particular the armrests.
Moreover, it will be noted that the separating panel 38 has, in its upper
portion, projecting in a vertical plane, such as the one in Figure 3, a convex
curvature
implemented, for example, in the form of a rounded upper edge 38c.
This curvature may be described as a vertical curvature.
As for the opposite lower portion 38d of the panel, it is implemented in the
form of a straight edge that is intended to be fastened onto the floor 12 of
the cabin of the
aircraft.
Figures 5 to 7 illustrate the use of the aircraft subassembly 18 by
passengers in seated and lying-down position.
The separating panel 38 of the subassembly 18 is laid out against a
passenger seat 28 and a sitting space 40.
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This sitting space is arranged aligned with the seat along the longitudinal
direction of the aisle 36 along which the subassembly 18 is positioned.
As shown on Figures 5 to 7, the separating panel 38 extends
longitudinally along one of the two opposite sides 28a and 28b of the
passenger seat 28,
and this extension is continued along one of the two opposite sides 40a, 40b
of the
passenger sitting space 40.
As shown on Figure 6, the panel even may extend slightly beyond the
front end 40a of the sitting space 40, but generally the length or
longitudinal dimension of
the panel is more or less equal to that of the seat and/or the sitting space
to be
concealed.
In this way the panel 38 comes to cover only one of the two sides of the
seat 28 and sitting space 40 assembly (side 28a of the seat and side 40a of
the sitting
space), in order not to encroach on the free space situated around the
passenger seat
and the sitting space and, in particular, on the front free space 42 situated
in front of
each seat and in front of each sitting space (Figures 5 and 6).
The seated passenger therefore has freedom of movement while being
shielded from prying eyes.
Furthermore, his movements are not hampered, when he wishes, for
example, to stretch out his legs or leave or go back to his seat or his
sitting space.
As a matter of fact, no partition is provided between two successive
panels 38 to close off the space existing between them, and the panel 38
adjacent to the
seat 28 does not extend beyond the front end 28c of the seat (Figure 6).
In other words, the separating panel is positioned at a place which, in any
case, does not hinder anyone and particularly not the seated passenger.
It also will be noted that the curvature of the panel follows the curvature of
the sides of the seat and of the sitting space (Figure 6). In this way there
is no wasted
space between the panel and the seat and the sitting space; the available
space in the
cabin therefore is optimized.
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Furthermore, similar or even identical curvatures between the panel and
the seat and the sitting space make the subassembly more compact, more
homogeneous.
In this way the passengers, such as shown on Figures 5 and 7, are
partially concealed behind the panels 38, whether in seated position (Figure 5
and left
portion of Figure 7) or in lying-down position when the seat 28 is converted
into a bed
with the aid of the sitting space 40 (right portion of Figure 7).
It also will be noted that the sitting surface 40 may be occupied by another
passenger coming to sit down facing the passenger seated in the seat 28, in
this way
benefiting from a certain privacy provided by the presence of the panels 38.
As noted above, the longitudinal dimensions of the panel are sufficient to
cover a seat and a sitting space laterally without restricting access thereto
or hindering
the movements of the passengers. The panel moreover is placed sufficiently
close to the
seat or the sitting space and is sufficiently thin so as not to encroach
excessively on the
free space in the aisle in which the passengers and carts pushed by the flight
personnel
move about.
Furthermore, the panel 38 also extends along a vertical direction, over a
height making it possible to conceal at least partially a passenger seated on
the seat 28
or the sitting space 40, with the exception, however, of the upper portion of
the head of
the tallest passengers.
Generally speaking, the height of the panel should be greater than that of
the seat or the sitting space and be sufficient to conceal a passenger
occupying the seat
or the sitting space with regard to other passengers seated at other places in
the cabin
and, in particular, passengers seated on the other side of the aisle.
The height of the panel also should be less than the height of the ceiling
of the cabin of the aircraft (see the height of the panels 38 in relation to
the ceiling 41 on
Figure 11) in order to avoid disrupting the air flow coming from the
ventilation system of
the cabin.
A height of 1.30 meters constitutes a non-limitative example of panel
height that meets these requirements.
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Moreover, it will be noted that the panel is mechanically independent of
the seat and/or the sitting space.
In this manner, a panel may be added next to a seat previously installed in
an aircraft cabin, even if the initial layout of the cabin did not provide for
it.
Furthermore, linking the panel mechanically to the seat and/or to the
sitting space would necessitate revising the design of the seat and/or the
sitting space,
and also obtaining a new 16G certification for the aircraft subassembly so
produced.
On Figures 8 and 9 there has been shown the fastening, onto the floor 12
of the aircraft cabin, of the separating panels and, more generally, of the
aircraft
subassemblies according to the invention.
On Figure 8, two longitudinal rails 50, 52 that usually are intended for
fastening of the passenger seats and other fittings onto the floor of the
cabin are shown.
On this Figure, the separating panels 54 of the aircraft subassemblies
according to the invention have been slightly modified in relation to the
panels 38 of the
preceding Figures by the addition, at their lower portion, of a pedestal 56
facilitating
installation of the said panels.
The pedestal 56 extends from the lower rounded edge 38d of the panel
perpendicular to the height of the said panel.
Projecting into a plane perpendicular to the height of the panel (horizontal
plane of Figure 9), the pedestal 56 closes off the concave space delimited by
the curved
panel 54.
The presence of this pedestal or base reinforces the rigidity of the panel
54 and its vertical stability.
Furthermore, the presence of this pedestal facilitates mounting of the
panel on the rail 50.
As a matter of fact, with such a pedestal, it suffices to provide fastening
mechanisms such as screws that pass through the thickness of the pedestal to
come to
be fastened inside the rail 50.
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Such fastening means 58, 60, 62 are shown on Figures 8 to 10.
The seat 28 and the sitting space 40 are, for their part, fastened in
standard manner to the other rail 52, as shown on Figures 9 and 10.
On Figure 9, the orientation of a tangent vector at the outer face of the
curved separating panel 54 has been shown with the reference marked D.
The successive orientations assumed by this vector, following the outer
face of the panel, define the convexity of the latter which extends from the
front end 54a
of the panel to the back end 54b of the panel.
The direction assumed by this vector at the front end 54a of the panel,
where the vector is formed, creates an angle a approximately equal to +25 in
relation to
the longitudinal direction X of the airplane (longitudinal direction of the
rails and the aisles
of the cabin).
This angle should not take on overly high values too greatly exceeding
those of the curvature of the seat, because the two curvatures (seat and
panel) then
would be too different from one another.
Moreover, the front end 54a should not come around in front of the seat
and thus restrict the front space for the passenger.
An overly high value of the angle a in relation to +25 well might close off
this space.
When the tangent vector runs along the outer convex face, from the back
end 54b of the panel to the front end 54a, the angle a varies between
approximately -10
and +25 in relation to the direction X.
It will be noted that the seats used in the so-called higher classes, such as
the passenger seats 28, are provided with a certain number of fittings that
make the
structure of the seats more complicated and in particular necessitate having
recourse to
motors.
Thus the internal structures of these seats generally are protected by
outer casings in order to conceal the internal mechanisms and electrical
circuits from the
outside.
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In an aircraft subassembly according to the invention, by arranging a
separating panel on the side of the passenger seat, certain internal
components of the
seat thus may be concealed without having recourse to a special casing, which
proves to
be particularly advantageous.
As shown on Figures 1 and 2, a second type of aircraft subassembly or
fitting according to the invention is shown in the form of the unit 20.
This subassembly comprises a passenger seat 28 as well as a separating
panel 68 that extends laterally in relation to the seat, along one of the two
opposite sides
of the latter along a longitudinal direction and a vertical direction.
The longitudinal and vertical dimensions of the panel are sufficient to
conceal the passenger seated on the seat 28 from the gaze of the other
passengers
seated in other seats of the cabin.
Of course, just as for the other aircraft subassemblies according to the
invention, the height of the panel is greater than that of the seats in order
to provide a
protection of the passenger's privacy, and therefore to set aside a private
space for him.
This subassembly, however, does not comprise any sitting space
positioned behind the seat for the passenger and the panel 68 therefore has a
longitudinal dimension less than that of the panel 38.
The shape of the panel 68 also is curved and, in a view from above
(projecting into a plane perpendicular to its height), thus has a semicircular
contour.
The longitudinal dimension of the panel 68 of the subassembly 20
corresponds, for example, to half of that of a separating panel 38.
According to a variant shown in Figure 11, the subassembly 21 comprises
a separating panel 69 that extends along one side of the seat 28 and forms a
return
behind this seat, more or less perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of
extension
along the aisle 34 or 36.
In this variant, the height of the panel is greater than that of the panels 68
and 38 positioned at the front of the cabin.
Another type of aircraft subassembly 24 comprises a sitting space 40 and
a separating panel identical to the aforementioned separating panel 68.
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As shown on Figure 1, the two separating panels 68 of subassembly 24
are associated with other partitions arranged in more or less rounded manner
so as to
link the said panel 68.
Aircraft subassembly 22 also represents another type of subassembly
associating a sitting space 40 for a passenger and a separating panel 70 that
extends
longitudinally along one of the sides of the passenger sitting space, parallel
to the aisle,
then continues more or less perpendicular to this direction behind the sitting
space,
forming a return.
The height of the separating panel 70 is identical to the height of the
panels of the other subassemblies, but it is possible, however, for the panels
of the
different subassemblies to have different heights in relation to each other.
That allows a better circulation of the air coming from the air-conditioning
system as well as a visual clearance for security.
Thus, for example, the panel 70 may have a height less than that of the
other panels.
It will be noted that different panel sizes can change the perception of
space by the passengers. It thus is possible to increase the height of the
panels from the
front toward the rear of the cabin so as to give a feeling of generous space.
The interior of the cabin shown on Figure 11 illustrates this aspect with
panels 69 and 73 situated at the back of the cabin and which have a height
greater than
that of panels 38 and 68 situated in the foreground.
On Figure 1, another type of aircraft subassembly according to the
invention is shown and identified with the general reference 26.
This subassembly comprises two passenger seats, marked 30, arranged
parallel to one another and separated by the central compartment 32.
The passengers occupying these seats arranged side by side, but
nonetheless distanced from one another, generally are occupied by couples, and
usually
by individuals traveling together.
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In this context, the aircraft subassembly 26 comprises a separating panel
shielding these individuals from prying eyes with regard to the outside of the
subassembly.
The separating panel 72 of the subassembly thus extends from one of the
two opposite sides of the first seat 30, namely the side adjoining the aisle
34, to one of
the two opposite sides of the second seat 30, namely the side adjoining the
aisle 3,
through a return that passes behind the two seats.
Such a panel forms a kind of open alcove on the front of the seats 30,
partially surrounding the latter.
In this configuration, the curvature of each lateral portion of the panel 72
extends from a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rails,
where the
tangent vector at the outer face of the panel forms a zero angle with the
latter (behind
seat 30), to the front end of the panel (running along one side of the seat
30), where the
tangent vector at the outer face of the panel forms with the latter an angle
more or less
equal to 1150 in relation to the aforementioned plane.
Beyond this angle, the panel would close off the front space for the
passenger.
In the interest of economy and optimization, the subassembly may be
composed of two parts of the type of panel 68 connected with a straight panel.
It also is conceivable, however, for the subassembly 26 to be made up of
only two panels of type 68, each associated laterally with one of the two
seats 30.
As shown on Figure 11, according to a variant, the separating panel 72 of
the subassembly 26 of Figures 1 and 2 extends vertically well above the seats
30 in its
portion situated behind the seats so as to form the panel 73.
On the other hand, on the sides of these seats, the height of the panel 73
does not exceed that of the panel 72.
CA 02659897 2009-02-03
WO 2008/017763 PCT/FR2007/001364
18
It will be noted that in all the foregoing, for each type of aircraft
subassembly according to the invention it was a matter of a single separating
panel, but
for various reasons this panel may be made up of several panels, without its
affecting the
principle of the invention.
Moreover, the panels of the aircraft subassemblies according to the
invention in a way constitute screens behind which seated passengers are at
least
partially concealed.
