Contoured class divider

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10370106-B2
Application number	US-201615153104-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2016
Priority date	Apr 4, 2016
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

A contoured class divider for dividing an aircraft cabin according to a predetermined class arrangement and including a divider panel having a contour closely matching a contour of a forward-positioned seatback, and adapted for being positioned in closely spaced-apart relation to the seatback for providing additional space aft of the divider panel. At least one leg is provided for supporting the panel on an aircraft cabin deck. A viewing window is formed in the panel for providing the ability of a flight attendant to observe areas of the cabin.

First claim

We claim:

1. A contoured class divider for dividing an aircraft cabin according to a predetermined class arrangement, comprising:
(a) a panel having a top end, a lower end, and an aft-facing convex contour between the top end and the lower end;
(b) at least one leg having an upper end attached to a front of the panel at the lower end of the panel for supporting the panel on an aircraft cabin deck, the leg having a convex, aft-facing shape extending between the upper end of the at least one leg at which the at least one leg is attached to the lower end of the panel and a base for attaching the leg to the cabin deck, the base further aft of the lower end of the panel than the upper end of the at least one leg; and (c) at least one connector positioned proximate the top end of the panel for attachment to an overhead structural element of the aircraft cabin for positioning the top end of the panel in a predetermined fixed location.

2. The contoured class divider of claim 1 , wherein the has a curved side edge.

3. The contoured class divider of claim 1 , wherein the class divider includes a viewing window positioned in the panel for providing a flight attendant with the ability to observe areas of the cabin through the viewing window.

4. The contoured class divider of claim 3 , wherein the viewing window is asymmetrically positioned within the perimeter of the panel on a side edge of the panel relative to an opposing outboard side edge of the panel.

5. The contoured class divider of claim 1 , wherein the panel includes a planar section positioned below the convex contour for supporting at least one pocket on the planar section.

6. The contoured class divider of claim 1 , wherein the panel is on an aircraft cabin deck and includes a plurality of laterally-spaced legs including the at least one leg, the plurality of laterally-spaced apart legs supporting the panel on the aircraft cabin deck.

7. A contoured class divider system for dividing an aircraft cabin according to a predetermined class arrangement, comprising:
(a) a first divider, comprising:

(i) a first panel having a top end, a lower end, and an aft-facing convex contour between the top end and the lower end of the first panel;
(ii) at least one first leg having a first upper end attached to a front of the first panel at the lower end of the first panel for supporting the first panel on an aircraft cabin deck, the at least one first leg having a convex, aft-facing shape extending between the first upper end of the at least one first leg at which the first upper end is attached to the lower end of the first panel and a base for attaching the at least one first leg to the aircraft cabin deck, the base of the at least one first leg further aft of the lower end of the first panel than the first upper end of the at least one first leg;
(iii) at least one connector positioned proximate the top end of the first panel for attachment to an overhead structural element of the aircraft cabin for positioning the top end of the panel in a predetermined fixed location; and
(iv) wherein the first panel has a curved side edge;
(b) a second divider, comprising:

(i) a second panel having a top end, a lower end, and an aft-facing convex contour between the top end and the lower end of the second panel;
(ii) at least one second leg having a second upper end attached to a front of the second panel at the lower end of the second panel for supporting the second panel on the aircraft cabin deck, the at least one second leg having a convex, aft-facing shape extending between the second upper end of the at least one second leg at which the second upper end is attached to the lower end of the second panel and a base for attaching the at least one second leg to the aircraft cabin deck, the base of the at least one second leg further aft of the lower end of the second panel than the upper end of the at least one second leg;
(iii) at least one connector positioned proximate the top end of the second panel for attachment to an overhead structural element of the aircraft cabin for positioning the top end of the second panel in a predetermined fixed location; and
(iv) wherein the second panel has a curved side edge; and
(c) a third divider, comprising:

(i) a third panel having a top end, a lower end, and an aft-facing convex contour between the top end and the lower end of the third panel;
(ii) at least one third leg having a third upper end attached to a front of the lower end of the third panel for supporting the third panel on an aircraft cabin deck, the at least one third leg having a convex, aft-facing shape extending between the third upper end of the at least one third leg at which the third upper end is attached to the lower end of the third panel and a base for attaching the at least one third leg to the cabin deck, the base of the at least one third leg further aft of the lower end of the third panel than the upper end of the at least one third leg;
(iii) at least one connector positioned proximate the top end of the third panel for attachment to an overhead structural element of the aircraft cabin for positioning the top end of the third panel in a predetermined fixed location.

8. The contoured class divider system of claim 7 , wherein the first and second dividers are shaped corresponding to adjacent curved respective left and right fuselage walls of the cabin.

9. The contoured class divider system of claim 7 , wherein the first, second and third class dividers each include a viewing window positioned in respective first, second and third panels for providing a flight attendant with the ability to observe areas of the cabin through the viewing windows.

10. The contoured class divider system of claim 9 , wherein the viewing windows of the first and second class dividers are asymmetrically positioned within the perimeter of respective first and second panels on a side edge of the panels and relative to an opposing outboard side edge of the respective first and second panels.

11. The contoured class divider system of claim 7 , wherein the third panel is symmetrical between a left side edge and a right side edge.

12. The contoured class divider system of claim 7 , wherein the first, second and third panels include respective planar sections positioned below the convex contour for supporting at least one pocket thereon.

13. The contoured class divider system of claim 7 , wherein the first, second and third panels each include a plurality of laterally-spaced legs for supporting the first, second and third panels on the aircraft cabin deck.

14. The contoured class divider system of claim 9 , wherein the viewing window of the third divider is centrally positioned in the third panel.

15. The contoured class divider system of claim 9 , wherein the viewing window of the third divider is centrally positioned in the third panel and is rectangular.

16. The contoured class divider of claim 1 , wherein the at least one leg spaces the lower end of the panel from the aircraft cabin deck when the base is attached to the aircraft cabin deck.

Assignees

• Be Aerospace Inc

Inventors

• Papke Robert
• Claflin Shawn
• Mckee Jefferey
• Skelly Trevor

Classifications

• B64D11/0023 Primary

  Movable or removable cabin dividers, e.g. for class separation · CPC title