Multi-piece bulkhead assembly for high-walled cabin suite

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023234695-A1
Application number	US-202217582478-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 24, 2022
Priority date	Jan 24, 2022
Publication date	Jul 27, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A bulkhead assembly for an aircraft passenger cabin having a floor and a secondary support member includes upper and lower bulkhead panels and a bulkhead coupling member. The upper bulkhead panel defines an elongated tower portion that protrudes through a slot opening in an overhead closeout panel, and directly or indirectly connects to the secondary support member. The lower bulkhead panel connects to the upper bulkhead panel and to the floor via the bulkhead coupling member. A method for installing the bulkhead assembly in the passenger cabin includes connecting the lower bulkhead panel to the floor, joining the lower bulkhead panel to the base of the upper bulkhead panel using a bulkhead coupling member, inserting the terminal end through the slot opening, and connecting the terminal end to the secondary support member behind the overhead closeout panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A bulkhead assembly for a passenger cabin of an aircraft having a floor and a secondary support member, the bulkhead assembly comprising:
an upper bulkhead panel defining an elongated tower portion, wherein the elongated tower portion is configured to protrude through a slot opening in an overhead closeout panel of the passenger cabin and directly or indirectly connect to the secondary support member; a lower bulkhead panel configured to connect to the upper bulkhead panel and to the floor of the passenger cabin to thereby form the bulkhead assembly; and a bulkhead coupling member configured to connect the upper bulkhead panel to the lower bulkhead panel.

2 . The bulkhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bulkhead coupling member includes an elongated groove and a mating tongue, such that the upper bulkhead panel and the lower bulkhead panel are interconnected via a tongue-and-groove connection.

3 . The bulkhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bulkhead coupling member includes a pair of splice plates and a plurality of fasteners, wherein the upper bulkhead panel and the lower bulkhead panel are joined together via the pair of splice plates and the plurality of fasteners.

4 . The bulkhead assembly of claim 3 , further comprising a trim panel operatively connected to the upper bulkhead panel and the lower bulkhead panel and configured to cover the pair of splice plates and the plurality of fasteners.

5 . The bulkhead assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a tie rod configured to connect the elongated tower portion to the secondary support member.

6 . The bulkhead assembly of claim 5 , wherein the elongated tower portion includes a terminal end configured to engage with a distal end of the tie rod.

7 . The bulkhead assembly of claim 6 , wherein the terminal end of the elongated tower portion includes parallel mounting plates defining a groove therebetween, and wherein the groove is configured to receive the distal end of the tie rod therein.

8 . The bulkhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lower bulkhead panel defines a pocket, and wherein the upper bulkhead panel is positioned at least partially within the pocket of the lower bulkhead panel.

9 . The bulkhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein a width of the elongated tower portion is less than half of a width of a base of the upper bulkhead panel.

10 . The bulkhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein a perimeter edge of the upper bulkhead panel is contoured to match a surface profile of the overhead closeout panel.

11 . The bulkhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the passenger cabin includes adjacent cabin suites, and wherein the bulkhead assembly is configured to separate the adjacent cabin suites from each other as a shared bulkhead.

12 . A method for installing a bulkhead assembly in a passenger cabin of an aircraft, the passenger cabin having a floor, an overhead closeout panel, and a secondary support member, the method comprising:
connecting a lower bulkhead panel to the floor of the passenger cabin; joining the lower bulkhead panel to a base of an upper bulkhead panel using a bulkhead coupling member; inserting a terminal end of an elongated tower portion of the upper bulkhead panel through a slot opening in the overhead closeout panel, such that the terminal end of the elongated tower portion protrudes through the slot opening, wherein the base tapers into the elongated tower portion such that a width of the base is more than twice a width of the elongated tower portion; and connecting the terminal end of the elongated tower portion to the secondary support member behind the overhead closeout panel, such that the upper bulkhead panel is suspended from the secondary support member.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the terminal end of the elongated tower portion comprises parallel end plates defining a groove therebetween, and wherein connecting the terminal end of the elongated tower portion of the upper bulkhead panel to the secondary support member includes positioning a distal end of a tie rod within the groove and thereafter connecting the distal end of the tie rod to the terminal end of the upper bulkhead panel through the parallel end plates.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the lower bulkhead panel defines a pocket, and wherein joining the lower bulkhead panel to the base of the upper bulkhead panel includes positioning the base of the upper bulkhead panel at least partially within the pocket.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein joining the lower bulkhead panel to the base includes sliding a mating tongue of the lower bulkhead panel into an elongated groove of the upper bulkhead panel to interconnect the upper bulkhead panel and the lower bulkhead panel via a tongue-and-groove connection, and wherein the bulkhead coupling member includes the mating tongue and the elongated groove.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein joining the lower bulkhead panel to the base of the upper bulkhead panel includes joining the lower bulkhead panel to the upper bulkhead panel via a pair of splice plates using a plurality of fasteners, and wherein the bulkhead coupling member includes the pair of splice plates and the plurality of fasteners.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising attaching a trim panel to the upper bulkhead panel and the lower bulkhead panel to cover the pair of splice plates and the plurality of fasteners.

18 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising engaging a lateral edge of the lower bulkhead panel with a doorframe within the passenger cabin to form a wall of a cabin suite.

19 . A cabin suite for a cabin of an aircraft, the aircraft having an overhead closeout panel connected to a secondary support member, the cabin suite comprising:
a floor; a doorframe connected to the floor; a door connected to the doorframe; and a bulkhead assembly connected to the secondary support member and to the floor, the bulkhead assembly comprising:
a tie rod;
an upper bulkhead panel having a base and an elongated tower portion, wherein the base tapers into the tower portion, a perimeter edge of the upper bulkhead panel is contoured to match a profile of the overhead closeout panel, and a terminal end of the elongated tower portion protrudes through an opening in the overhead closeout panel and connects to the secondary support member via the tie rod, and wherein a width of the elongated tower portion is less than half of a width of the base;
a bulkhead coupling member; and
a lower bulkhead panel connected to the floor, and to the upper bulkhead panel via the bulkhead coupling member, to thereby form the bulkhead assembly.

20 . The cabin suite of claim 19 , wherein the bulkhead coupling member includes a pair of splice plates, a plurality of fasteners, and a trim panel operatively connected to the upper bulkhead panel and the lower bulkhead panel to cover the pair of splice plates and the plurality of fasteners.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Rhynard Steven Ellis
• Files Joe

Classifications

• B64C1/10 Primary

  Bulkheads · CPC title

• B64D11/0023 Primary

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

• B64D11/0602

  Seat modules, i.e. seat systems including furniture separate from the seat itself · CPC title

• Y02T50/40

  Weight reduction · CPC title