System for receiving cargo or passengers in a vehicle, and a vehicle with such a system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10723462-B2
Application number	US-201715453233-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2017
Priority date	Mar 23, 2016
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention relates to a system for receiving cargo or passengers in a vehicle. The system includes a bottom beam and several functional units, wherein each functional unit includes a floor segment and a seat row with several passenger seats being attached to the floor segment. Each functional unit is assigned to a pivoting device for pivoting the functional unit relatively to bottom beam. Another embodiment of the invention relates to a vehicle having such a system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for receiving cargo or passengers in a vehicle, the system comprising:
a bottom beam; and
a plurality of functional units, wherein each functional unit comprises a floor segment and a seat row being attached to the floor segment and having several passenger seats, and wherein each functional unit is assigned to a pivoting device for pivoting the functional unit relative to the bottom beam.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the seat row of each functional unit is adapted to be foldable between a seating position, in which the passenger seats of the seat row are appropriately usable, and a compact position, in which the seat row comprises a decreased external dimension compared to the seating position.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each pivoting device is adapted for pivoting a respective functional unit around a pivot axis being aligned in parallel to the bottom beam.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each functional unit is pivotable by the corresponding pivoting device between a first pivot position of the functional unit, in which the floor segment of the functional unit bears on the bottom beam in a parallel manner, and a second pivot position of the functional unit, in which the floor segment of the functional unit is arranged inclined or vertical to the bottom beam, respectively.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein in the first pivot position each functional unit is detachably attachable on the bottom beam.

6. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the functional units are arranged one after another in their first pivot position such that the respective floor segments form a flat floor area with their front sides, wherein the flat floor area faces the seat rows.

7. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the functional units are arranged one after another in their second pivot position such that the respective floor segments form a protection wall with their back side for the seat rows.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each functional unit is lockable with the corresponding pivoting device in at least one of the pivot positions.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each pivoting device comprises a pivot mechanism for pivoting the respective functional unit such that each functional unit is pivotable by the respective pivot mechanism between the first pivot position and the second pivot position, and each pivoting device comprises a linear guiding for shifting the respective functional unit along a trajectory transversely to a pivot axis of the pivot mechanism.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the pivot mechanism of each pivoting device is adapted such that the respective corresponding functional unit is pivotable, by the pivot mechanism between the first pivot position and a further, third pivot position and such that the respective corresponding functional unit is pivotable, by the pivot mechanism, between the third pivot position and the second pivot position, and each linear guiding of the pivoting device is adapted such that in the first and/or third pivot position the respective corresponding functional unit is shiftable by the respective linear guiding between a first shifting position and a second shifting position along the trajectory.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein each pivoting device is adapted such that pivoting the respective functional unit from the third pivot position to the second pivot position is locked when the functional unit is in the first shifting position, and/or enabled when the functional unit is in the second shifting position.

12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein a first end section of the floor segment of each functional unit is adapted to be foldable and the corresponding pivoting device is arranged on an opposite end section of the floor segment.

13. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each functional unit comprises a height adjustable carrier device for attaching the respective seat row to the respective floor segment, such that the seat row is adjustable between a first, extended seat support position and a second, retracted seat support position by the carrier device.

14. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom beam comprises a receiving mechanism with several tracks, for receiving, guiding, and/or attaching cargo pallets or cargo containers.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the bottom beam is selected from a plurality of bottom beams, and wherein the plurality of bottom beams are arranged in a grid structure.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the bottom beam is a first bottom beam, wherein the system further includes a second bottom beam and a third bottom beam, and wherein the first bottom beam, second bottom beam, and third bottom beam are parallel to one another.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the bottom beam is a first bottom beam;
the plurality of functional units includes a first functional unit and a second functional unit arranged collinearly;
the first functional unit is assigned to a first pivoting device for pivoting the first functional unit relative to the first bottom beam; and
the second functional unit is assigned to a second pivoting device for pivoting the second functional unit relative to the first bottom beam.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the bottom beam is a first bottom beam;
the plurality of functional units is a plurality of first functional units;
the system further comprises:
a second bottom beam parallel to the first bottom beam; and
a plurality of second functional units, wherein each second functional unit is assigned to a second pivoting device for pivoting the second functional unit relative to the second bottom beam.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the first bottom beam and second bottom beam are formed in a grid structure.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Ehlers Bernd
• Behrens Stefan

Classifications

• B64D11/0696 Primary

  Means for fastening seats to floors, e.g. to floor rails · CPC title

• B64C1/20

  specially adapted for freight · CPC title

• B64D9/003

  Devices for retaining pallets or freight containers · CPC title

• B64D11/064

  Adjustable inclination or position of seats · CPC title