Divider screen assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11225327-B2
Application number	US-201916279332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2019
Priority date	Apr 9, 2018
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

The present invention provides a divider screen assembly for an aircraft seating arrangement, the divider screen assembly comprising a divider screen moveable between a lower height in a stowed configuration, and an upper height in a deployed configuration, a first actuation mechanism being actuable to allow movement of the divider screen between the upper height and an intermediate height in between the upper height and the lower height, a second actuation mechanism being actuable to allow movement of the divider screen between the intermediate height and the lower height, wherein the second actuation mechanism is actuable only when the screen has been lowered to the intermediate height. The present invention also provides an aircraft accommodation arrangement, a method of stowing a divider screen and a method of deploying a divider screen.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A divider screen assembly for an aircraft seating arrangement, the divider screen assembly comprising:
a divider screen moveable between a lower height in a stowed configuration, and an upper height in a deployed configuration,
a first actuation mechanism being actuable to allow movement of the divider screen between the upper height and an intermediate height in between the upper height and the lower height,
a second actuation mechanism being actuable to allow movement of the divider screen between the intermediate height and the lower height,
wherein the divider screen comprises an upper panel and a lower section and wherein movement of the divider screen between the upper and intermediate heights involves raising and lowering of the upper panel in relation to the lower section,
wherein the second actuation mechanism is actuable only when the screen has been lowered to the intermediate height, and
wherein the first actuation mechanism comprises an upper panel release mechanism to release movement of the upper panel in relation to the lower section, when the divider screen is at the intermediate height, and wherein the upper panel release mechanism comprises an upper panel mechanical locking mechanism to mechanically lock and unlock the upper panel to and from the lower section.

2. A divider screen assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first actuation mechanism is actuable only when the divider screen has been raised to the intermediate height.

3. A divider screen assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein only one of the first and second actuation mechanisms can be actuated at any one time.

4. A divider screen assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the divider screen assembly further comprises a third actuation mechanism, the third actuation mechanism being actuable to allow movement of the divider screen between the intermediate height and the lower height.

5. A divider screen assembly as claimed in claim 4 , wherein both the second and third actuation mechanism have to have been actuated to allow the divider screen to move between the intermediate height and the lower height.

6. A divider screen assembly as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the third actuation mechanism comprises a second middle panel release mechanism to release movement of the middle panel in relation to a base section, when the divider screen is at the lower height.

7. A divider screen assembly as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the second middle panel release mechanism comprises a second middle panel mechanical locking mechanism to mechanically lock and unlock the middle panel to and from the base section.

8. A divider screen assembly as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the second middle panel release mechanism comprises a second middle panel electrical connection mechanism to connect and disconnect electrical power to and from the middle panel to effect movement of the middle panel in relation to the base section.

9. A divider screen assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the lower section comprises a middle panel and a base section and wherein movement of the divider screen between the intermediate and lower heights involves raising and lowering of the middle panel in relation to the base section.

10. A divider screen assembly as claimed in claim 9 , wherein movement of the divider screen between the intermediate and lower heights also involves corresponding raising and lowering movement of the upper panel with the middle panel.

11. A divider screen assembly as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the second actuation mechanism comprises a middle panel release mechanism to release movement of the middle panel in relation to the base section, when the divider screen is at the intermediate height.

12. A divider screen assembly as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the middle panel release mechanism comprises a middle panel mechanical locking mechanism to mechanically lock and unlock the middle panel to and from the base section.

13. A divider screen assembly as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the assembly comprises a mechanical latch that provides the upper panel mechanical locking mechanism and the middle panel mechanical locking mechanism, wherein the latch has two configurations; a first configuration in which the latch unlocks the upper panel from the middle panel and locks the middle panel to the base section, and a second configuration in which the latch unlocks the middle panel from the base section and locks the upper panel to the middle panel.

14. A divider screen assembly as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the assembly comprises an electrical switch arrangement that provides the upper panel electrical connection mechanism and the middle panel electrical connection mechanism, wherein the switch arrangement has two configurations; a first configuration in which the switch arrangement connects electrical power to the upper panel and disconnects electrical power from the middle panel, and a second configuration in which the switch arrangement connects electrical power to the middle panel and disconnects electrical power from the upper panel.

15. A divider screen assembly as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the mechanical latch and electrical switch arrangement are connected such that the latch and switch arrangement are either both in their first configurations or both in their second configurations.

16. A divider screen assembly as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the middle panel release mechanism comprises a middle panel electrical connection mechanism to connect and disconnect electrical power to and from the middle panel to effect movement of the middle panel in relation to the base section.

17. A divider screen assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least some of the panels and sections telescope in relation to each other during movement of the divider screen.

18. A divider screen assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the upper panel release mechanism is able to release movement of the upper panel in relation to the middle panel, when the divider screen is at the intermediate height.

19. A divider screen assembly as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the upper panel mechanical locking mechanism is able to mechanically lock and unlock the upper panel to and from the middle panel of the lower section.

20. A divider screen assembly as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the upper panel release mechanism comprises an upper panel electrical connection mechanism to connect and disconnect electrical power to and from the upper panel to effect movement of the upper panel in relation to the lower section.

21. An aircraft accommodation arrangement comprising two seats, convertible to beds and the divider screen of claim 1 disposed between the two seats.

22. A method of stowing a divider screen in an aircraft seating arrangement, from a deployed configuration, at an upper height, to a stowed configuration, at a lower height, wherein the divider screen comprises an upper panel and a lower section and wherein movement of the divider screen between the upper and intermediate heights involves raising and lowering of the upper panel in relation to the lower section, the method comprising the steps of:
having a first actuation mechanism actuated to allow movement of the divider screen from the upper height to an intermediate height in between the upper height and the lower height, and,
when at the intermediate height, actuating an upper panel mechanical locking mechanism to mechanically lock the upper panel to the lo

Assignees

• Safran Seats Gb Ltd

Inventors

• Perera Bethmage Kalpa Nadeeshan
• Smith Patrick James
• Wijewickrama Piumal Shayanga
• Wills Paul John

Classifications

• B64D11/0606 Primary

  with privacy shells, screens, separators or the like (class dividers B64D11/0023) · CPC title

• B64D11/0023

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

• B64D11/0641

  Seats convertible into beds · CPC title