Flexible rail system for fastening of objects on a floor in a cabin of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11034263-B2
Application number	US-201816160827-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2018
Priority date	May 19, 2016
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

A rail system for a vehicle includes a floor rail integratable into or onto the floor, first elongate movement rail elements, second elongate movement rail elements, holding devices to hold the movement rail elements on the floor rail, and gliders supportable on the movement rail elements in a gliding manner. The movement rail elements have a rail profile cross-section perpendicular to their main extension axis; the cross-section has an undercut that faces laterally outwards. The movement rail elements each have two opposed end faces, which can be brought into contact with end faces of other movement rail elements, such that at least one continuous movement rail with a constant rail profile cross-section is created. The gliders include a recess corresponding to the rail profile cross-section for gliding support.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rail system for fastening objects on a floor in a cabin of a vehicle, comprising:
at least one floor rail integratable into or onto the floor;
a plurality of first elongate movement rail elements;
a plurality of second elongate movement rail elements;
a plurality of holding devices for holding of first and second movement rail elements on the floor rail; and
a plurality of gliders that are supportable on the first and second movement rail elements in a gliding manner;
wherein the first and second movement rail elements comprise a rail profile cross-section perpendicular to their main extension axis, which cross-section comprises at least one undercut that faces laterally outwards;
wherein the first and second movement rail elements each comprise two opposed end faces, which can be brought into a surface contact with end faces of other first or second movement rail elements, such that at least one continuous movement rail with a constant rail profile cross-section is created;
wherein the gliders comprise a recess that corresponds to the rail profile cross-section for a gliding support; and
wherein the sum of lengths of a first elongate movement rail element and of a second movement rail element are in a range of 26 inch (approximately 66 cm) to 100 inch (approximately 254 cm), wherein the length of a second movement rail element is less than the length of a first movement rail element.

2. The rail system of claim 1 , wherein the sum of lengths of a first elongate movement rail element and of a second movement rail element is in a range of 26 inch (about 66 cm) to 40 inch (about 1 m).

3. The rail system of claim 1 , wherein the length of a second movement rail element exceeds the length of the recess of a glider.

4. The rail system of claim 1 , wherein the length of a second movement rail element is 20 cm at a maximum.

5. The rail system of claim 1 , wherein:
the floor rail is a seat rail;
the holding device comprises an elongate adapter rail element, which has a shape corresponding to an opening contour of the floor rail and is insertable into the floor rail and arrestable there; and
the movement rail elements are screwable onto the adapter rail element.

6. The rail system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second movement rail elements comprise end faces that are shaped symmetrically to each other.

7. The rail system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second movement rail elements comprise planar end faces that extend perpendicularly to their extension direction.

8. A method of inserting or removing an object from a rail system according to claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of:
removing at least one second elongate movement rail element from a movement rail, which comprises a sequence of first movement rail elements and second movement rail elements, such that a free end of the movement rail is created;
inserting a glider at the free end and shifting onto the movement rail or moving a glider off from the movement rail over the free end; and
subsequently inserting the second movement rail element.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the object is a passenger seat.

10. A transportation vehicle comprising:
a cabin having a floor; and
a rail system for fastening objects on the floor, the rail system comprising:
at least one floor rail integratable into or onto the floor;
a plurality of first elongate movement rail elements;
a plurality of second elongate movement rail elements;
a plurality of holding devices for holding of first and second movement rail elements on the floor rail; and
a plurality of gliders that are supportable on the first and second movement rail elements in a gliding manner;

wherein the first and second movement rail elements comprise a rail profile cross-section perpendicular to their main extension axis, which cross-section comprises at least one undercut that faces laterally outwards;
wherein the first and second movement rail elements each comprise two opposed end faces, which can be brought into a surface contact with end faces of other first or second movement rail elements, such that at least one continuous movement rail with a constant rail profile cross-section is created;
wherein the gliders comprise a recess that corresponds to the rail profile cross-section for a gliding support; and
wherein the sum of lengths of a first elongate movement rail element and of a second movement rail element are in a range of 26 inch (approximately 66 cm) to 100 inch (approximately 254 cm), wherein the length of a second movement rail element is less than the length of a first movement rail element.

11. The transportation vehicle of claim 10 , which is realized as an aircraft.

12. The transportation vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the objects are realized as passenger seats.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Gross Claus-Peter

Classifications

• B64D11/0696 Primary

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

• B60N2/01516

  with locking mechanisms · CPC title

• B60N2/0732

  Attachment of seat frame to the slide, e.g. eyelets · CPC title

• B60N2/07 Primary

  Slide construction · CPC title