Lightweight overhead stowage compartment and method of installing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12441472-B2
Application number	US-202418618307-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2024
Priority date	Mar 29, 2023
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

A lightweight overhead stowage compartment comprising a self-supporting hull having an open cross-section forming a stowage space and an opening to the stowage space, wherein in a longitudinal direction of the self-supporting hull any section of the self-supporting hull has an open end in the front and rear. The stowage compartment includes a vertical connector configured to be placed into the stowage space, wherein the vertical connector is mounted to the self-supporting hull at vertical sides of the vertical connector in a force transferring manner. At least one lid is mounted at an arbitrary section of the self-supporting hull and configured to close the opening to the stowage space.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An overhead stowage compartment, comprising:
a self-supporting hull having an open cross-section forming a stowage space and an opening to the stowage space, wherein in a longitudinal direction of the self-supporting hull any section of the self-supporting hull has an open end in the front and rear;
a vertical connector configured to be placed into the stowage space and mounted to the self-supporting hull at vertical sides of the vertical connector in a force transferring manner; and
at least one lid mounted at a section of the self-supporting hull and configured to close the opening to the stowage space,
wherein one of the self-supporting hull and the at least one lid comprises a plurality of knuckles and the other of the self-supporting hull and the at least one lid comprises a plurality of pins, each pin being configured to be inserted in one of the knuckles.

2. The overhead stowage compartment according to claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one rail running in the longitudinal direction and connected to the self-supporting hull; or
at least one truss connected to the self-supporting hull; or
both.

3. The overhead stowage compartment according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second self-supporting hull having a seating element at a longitudinal end of the second self-supporting hull, wherein the seating element of the second self-supporting hull is configured to receive a longitudinal end of the self-supporting hull to form a continuous stowage space.

4. The overhead stowage compartment according to claim 1 , wherein the self-supporting hull comprises a bottom, a rear wall, and a ceiling, and
wherein at least the bottom and the ceiling have a plurality of notches configured to receive the vertical connector.

5. The overhead stowage compartment according to claim 4 , wherein each notch includes a section overlapping a section of the vertical connector in a vertical direction and allowing a form fit between the notch and the vertical connector.

6. The overhead stowage compartment according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of hinges configured to couple the self-supporting hull and the at least one lid; or
a piano hinge configured to couple the self-supporting hull and the at least one lid; or
both.

7. The overhead stowage compartment according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of knuckles comprises five or more knuckles and the plurality of pins comprises five or more pins.

8. The overhead stowage compartment according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a hinge stop,
wherein the at least one lid is formed to abut against the hinge stop, when the at least one lid is in a closed position or in a fully open position.

9. The overhead stowage compartment according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a latch lever having a plurality of latch bolts,
wherein the at least one lid includes a plurality of locking members, each locking member having an eye, and
wherein each latch bolt is configured to engage an eye of one of the locking members when the latch lever is moved into a locking position.

10. The overhead stowage compartment according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a separating wall separating the stowage space in the longitudinal direction of the self-supporting hull.

11. The overhead stowage compartment according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an end cap coupled to the self-supporting hull and closing the stowage space at a longitudinal end of the self-supporting hull,
wherein the end cap is formed to extend the stowage space of the self-supporting hull in the longitudinal direction.

12. An aircraft comprising:
the overhead stowage compartment according to claim 1 .

13. A method for installing an overhead stowage compartment in an aircraft, the method comprising:
providing a self-supporting hull having an open cross-section forming a stowage space and an opening to the stowage space, wherein in a longitudinal direction of the self-supporting hull any section of the self-supporting hull has an open end in the front and rear;
mounting the self-supporting hull to a primary structure of the aircraft;
placing at least one vertical connector into the stowage space;
mounting the vertical connector to the self-supporting hull at vertical sides of the vertical connector in a load transferring manner; and
mounting at least one lid at a section of the self-supporting hull, wherein the at least one lid is configured to close the opening to the stowage space, wherein mounting the at least one lid comprises positioning the at least one lid, so that a plurality of knuckles is arranged next to a plurality of pins, and moving the at least one lid to engage each of the plurality of knuckles with one of the plurality of pins, and
wherein the plurality of knuckles is arranged at the self-supporting hull and the plurality of pins is arranged at the at least one lid, or the plurality of knuckles is arranged at the at least one lid and the plurality of pins is arranged at the self-supporting hull.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising:
mounting at least one rail, or at least one truss, or both to the self-supporting hull along the longitudinal direction.

15. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising:
mounting an end cap to the self-supporting hull, the end cap closing the stowage space at a longitudinal end of the self-supporting hull.

16. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising:
mounting a separating wall to the self-supporting hull, the separating wall separating the stowage space in the longitudinal direction of the self-supporting hull.

17. An overhead stowage compartment, comprising:
a self-supporting hull having an open cross-section forming a stowage space and an opening to the stowage space, wherein in a longitudinal direction of the self-supporting hull any section of the self-supporting hull has an open end in the front and rear, wherein the self-supporting hull comprises a bottom, a rear wall, and a ceiling;
a vertical connector configured to be placed into the stowage space and mounted to the self-supporting hull at vertical sides of the vertical connector in a force transferring manner; and
at least one lid mounted at a section of the self-supporting hull and configured to close the opening to the stowage space,
wherein at least the bottom and the ceiling have a plurality of notches configured to receive the vertical connector, and
wherein each notch includes a section overlapping a section of the vertical connector in a vertical direction and allowing a form fit between the notch and the vertical connector.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Helfrich Felix
• Kircher Benedikt
• Hoffmeister Thomas

Classifications

• B64D11/003 Primary

  Stowage devices for passengers' personal luggage · CPC title