Quick loading curtain track for an aircraft cabin

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11547233-B2
Application number	US-202016784818-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2020
Priority date	Feb 7, 2020
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

A curtain track for an aircraft cabin enables curtain sliders to be quickly loaded into the curtain track. The curtain track is constructed of an elongate channel with a first end fitting on a first end of the channel and a second end fitting on a second end of the channel. There is a unique cutout in the bottom surface of the first end fitting that forms a curved slot surface that enables curtain sliders to be loaded into the channel of the curtain track through the cutout to quickly load the curtain onto the curtain track without disassembling any of the parts of the curtain track or removing the curtain track from its attachment to the aircraft cabin.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A track that suspends at least one slider and provides sliding movement of the at least one slider on the track, the track comprising:
a bottom surface of the track extending along a length of the track, and the bottom surface of the track defines a slot having a length extending along the length of the track;
a first end fitting having a first slot surface extending through the bottom surface of the track adjacent the slot, the first slot surface extending along the length of the track, wherein the first end fitting has a second slot surface extending through the bottom surface of the track adjacent the slot, the second slot surface extending along the length of the track;
wherein the first slot surface and the second slot surface are disposed on opposite sides of the slot;
wherein the first end fitting has a curved slot surface extending through the bottom surface of the track adjacent the slot, the curved slot surface is an extension of the first slot surface and is on an opposite side of the slot from of the second slot surface;
a channel having a length between a first end of the channel and a second end of the channel, the channel having a bottom surface that extends between the first end of the channel and the second end of the channel;
wherein the first end fitting is disposed on the first end of the channel, the first end fitting is attachable to a separate structure to attach the channel to the separate structure; and,
wherein the first end fitting is configured to telescope on the first end of the channel to adjust the length of the track.

2. The track of claim 1 , wherein:
the second slot surface has an extension;
the extension of the second slot surface is on an opposite side of the slot from the curved slot surface; and,
the extension of the second slot surface is a tapered slot surface that tapers away from the curved slot surface as the tapered slot surface extends from the second slot surface.

3. The track of claim 1 , wherein:
the slot has a first end and a second end at opposite ends of the length of the track; and,
the curved slot surface is at the first end of the slot.

4. The track of claim 1 , wherein:
the first slot surface of the first end fitting merge into the curved slot surface proximal to a slot end surface of the slot such that the curved slot surface is open to the slot.

5. The track of claim 1 , wherein:
the slider has a head, and the head has a perimeter dimension;
the slider has a neck depending from the head, and the neck has a perimeter dimension that is smaller than the perimeter dimension of the head; and,
the neck of the slider is configured to engage against the curved slot surface as the head of the slider passes through the slot between the curved slot surface and the second slot surface.

6. The track of claim 5 , wherein:
the slider is one of a plurality of sliders, and each slider of the plurality of sliders has a head, and the head has a perimeter dimension;
each slider of the plurality of sliders has a neck depending from the head of the respective slider, and the neck of each slider has a perimeter dimension that is smaller than the perimeter dimension of the head of the respective slider; and,
the neck of each slider is configured to engage against the curved slot surface as the head of each slider passes through the slot between the curved slot surface and the second slot surface.

7. The track of claim 1 :
wherein the channel has a rectangular cross-section configuration, the bottom surface of the channel defines an intermediate portion of the bottom surface of the track;
further comprising a second end fitting disposed on the second end of the channel, the second end fitting is attachable to the separate structure to attach the channel to the separate structure; and,
wherein the second end fitting is configured to telescope on the second end of the channel to adjust the length of the track.

8. The track of claim 7 , wherein:
the first end fitting has a bottom surface that defines a first end portion of the bottom surface of the track; and,
the curved slot surface extends through the bottom surface of the first end fitting.

9. The track of claim 1 , wherein:
the curved slot surface and the bottom surface of the track are oriented at an acute angle; and,
the second slot surface and the bottom surface of the track are oriented at a perpendicular angle.

10. A track that suspends at least one slider and provides sliding movement of the at least one slider on the track, the track comprising:
a bottom surface of the track extending along a length of the track, the bottom surface of the track defines a slot having a length extending along the length of the track, the slot separating a first ledge at the bottom surface of the track and a second ledge at the bottom surface of the track;
wherein the first ledge has a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, the top surface of the first ledge and the bottom surface of the first ledge are spaced from each other;
wherein the second ledge has a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, the top surface of the second ledge and the bottom surface of the second ledge are spaced from each other;
a first end fitting having a first slot surface extending between the bottom surface of the first ledge and the top surface of the first ledge adjacent the slot, the first slot surface extending along the length of the track, wherein the first end fitting has a second slot surface extending between the bottom surface of the second ledge and the top surface of the second ledge adjacent the slot, the second slot surface extending along the length of the track;
wherein the first slot surface and the second slot surface are disposed on opposite sides of the slot;
wherein the first end fitting has a curved slot surface extending between the bottom surface of the first ledge and the top surface of the first ledge adjacent the slot, the curved slot surface is an extension of the first slot surface and is on an opposite side of the slot from the second slot surface;
a channel having a length between a first end of the channel and a second end of the channel;
wherein the first end fitting is disposed on the first end of the channel, the first end fitting is attachable to a separate structure to attach the channel to the separate structure; and,
wherein the first slot surface of the first end fitting merge into the curved slot surface proximal to a slot end surface of the slot such that the curved slot surface is open to the slot.

11. The track of claim 10 , wherein:
the second slot surface has an extension extending between the bottom surface of the second ledge and the top surface of the second ledge;
the extension of the second slot surface is on an opposite side of the slot from the curved slot surface; and,
the extension of the second slot surface is a tapered slot surface that tapers away from the curved slot surface as the tapered slot surface extends from the second slot surface.

12. The track of claim 10 , wherein:
the slot has a first end and a second end at opposite ends of the length of the slot and at opposite ends of the length of the track; and,
the curved slot surface is at the first end of the slot.

13. The track of claim 12 , wherein:
the slot has a straight length between the first end of the slot and the second end of the slot.

14. The track of claim 10 , wherein:
the slider has a head, and the head has a circular configuration with a perimeter dimension;
the slider has a neck depending from the head, the neck having a cylindrical configuration with a perim

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Shepherd Rick E
• Piper Ian M
• Lanfear Robert B

Classifications

• A47H13/04

  by hooks, e.g. with additional runners (by hooks specially adapted to pleat belts A47H13/16) · CPC title

• B64D11/0023

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

• A47H2001/006

  End-stops, i.e. devices preventing the curtain falling off the end of the rail or rod · CPC title

• A47H1/06 Primary

  fixed · CPC title

• A47H15/04

  Gliders · CPC title