Overhead bin modular panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10875651-B2
Application number	US-201815948178-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2018
Priority date	Apr 9, 2018
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A modular panel system for attachment to an overhead stowage bin including an elongate bracket, a plurality of spacers, and at least one panel removably attached to the plurality of spacers without requiring tools to facilitate panel interchangeability independent of stowage bin structure. The at least one panel can be marked with, for example, branding, cabin class designation, advertising or wayfinding.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft overhead bin modular panel system, comprising:
an elongate bracket adapted to be affixed to an exterior surface of an overhead stowage bin above a door of the overhead stowage bin;
a plurality of spacers affixed to the elongate bracket at spaced apart locations along a length of the elongate bracket, each of the plurality of spacers extending perpendicularly away from the elongate bracket and comprising an angled front face and a fastener and an alignment feature disposed on the angled front face; and
a panel removably attached to the plurality of spacers, the panel comprising a front face and a rear face, the rear face comprising a plurality of receivers for receiving the alignment features of the plurality of spacers.

2. The aircraft overhead bin modular panel system of claim 1 , wherein the elongate bracket comprises a first elongate portion adapted to be affixed to the exterior surface of the overhead bin, a second elongate portion at an angle to the first elongate portion and adapted to be free of attachment to the overhead bin, and a third elongate portion at an angle to the second elongate portion, wherein the third elongate portion and the angled front face of each of the plurality of spacers are coplanar and cooperate to align the panel removably attached to the plurality of spacers.

3. The aircraft overhead bin modular panel system of claim 1 , wherein the fastener of each of the plurality of spacers is a permanent magnet, and wherein at least a portion of the rear face of the panel comprises a ferromagnetic material such that the ferromagnetic material is attracted to the permanent magnet to removably attach the panel to the plurality of spacers.

4. The aircraft overhead bin modular panel system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of spacers comprises a base plate affixed to the elongate bracket.

5. The aircraft overhead bin modular panel system of claim 1 , wherein a length of the panel is less than a length of the elongate bracket.

6. The aircraft overhead bin modular panel system of claim 1 , wherein the front face of the panel is branded with an aircraft passenger cabin class designation.

7. The aircraft overhead bin modular panel system of claim 1 , wherein the front face of the panel is marked with advertising.

8. The aircraft overhead bin modular panel system of claim 1 , wherein the front face of the panel is marked with wayfinding indicia.

9. The aircraft overhead bin modular panel system of claim 1 , wherein the panel houses a lighting component.

10. An aircraft overhead bin modular panel system, comprising:
an overhead stowage bin comprising a door and a static structure located above the door;
an elongate bracket affixed to the static structure located above the door;
a plurality of spacers affixed to the elongate bracket at spaced apart locations along a length of the elongate bracket, each of the plurality of spacers extending perpendicularly away from the elongate bracket and comprising an angled front face and a fastener and an alignment feature disposed on the angled front face; and
a panel removably attached to the plurality of spacers, the panel comprising a front face and a rear face, the rear face comprising a plurality of receivers for receiving the alignment features of the plurality of spacers.

11. The aircraft overhead bin modular panel system of claim 10 , wherein the elongate bracket comprises a first elongate portion affixed to the static structure, a second elongate portion at an angle to the first elongate portion and free of attachment to the overhead stowage bin, and a third elongate portion at an angle to the second elongate portion and free of attachment to the overhead stowage bin, wherein the third elongate portion and the angled front face of each of the plurality of spacers are coplanar and cooperatively align the panel removably attached to the plurality of spacers.

12. The aircraft overhead bin modular panel system of claim 10 , wherein the fastener of each of the plurality of spacers is a permanent magnet, and wherein at least a portion of the rear face of the panel comprises a ferromagnetic material such that the ferromagnetic material is attracted to the permanent magnet to toolessly removably attach the panel to the plurality of spacers.

13. The aircraft overhead bin modular panel system of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of spacers comprises a base plate affixed to the elongate bracket.

14. The aircraft overhead bin modular panel system of claim 10 , wherein a length of the panel is less than a length of the elongate bracket.

15. The aircraft overhead bin modular panel system of claim 10 , wherein the front face of the panel is branded with an aircraft passenger cabin class designation.

16. The aircraft overhead bin modular panel system of claim 10 , wherein the front face of the panel is marked with advertising.

17. The aircraft overhead bin modular panel system of claim 10 , wherein the front face of the panel is marked with wayfinding indicia.

18. The aircraft overhead bin modular panel system of claim 10 , wherein the panel houses a lighting component.

19. An aircraft overhead bin modular panel system, comprising:
a plurality of spacers adapted to be affixed to a static structure of an overhead stowage bin above a door of the overhead stowage bin, each of the plurality of spacers adapted to extend from the static structure and comprising a front face and an alignment feature disposed on the front face; and
a panel removably attached to the plurality of spacers such that the panel is spaced apart from the static structure, the panel comprising a front face and a rear face, the rear face comprising a plurality of receivers for receiving the alignment features of the plurality of spacers.

20. The aircraft overhead bin modular panel system of claim 19 , wherein the alignment feature is a permanent magnet and the plurality of receivers comprise ferromagnetic material such that the ferromagnetic material is attracted to the permanent magnet to removably attach the panel to the plurality of spacers.

Assignees

• Be Aerospace Inc

Inventors

• Pozzi Alexander N
• Garing Francis Xavier L
• Gu Jae Hun
• Mellett Alyssa G
• Brooks Julia M

Classifications

• B64D11/00

  Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64D11/003 Primary

  Stowage devices for passengers' personal luggage · CPC title

• B64D2011/0038

  Illumination systems for cabins as a whole · CPC title

• G09F23/00

  Advertising on or in specific articles, e.g. ashtrays, letter-boxes (on or in vehicles G09F21/00) · CPC title