Handrail apparatus for use with vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9573685-B2
Application number	US-201313797060-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2013
Priority date	Mar 12, 2013
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

A handrail apparatus and method for use with vehicles are disclosed. An apparatus in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure includes a first coupling plate to be coupled to a monument of a vehicle, a second coupling plate to be coupled to the monument of the vehicle. The apparatus includes a handrail coupled to the first coupling plate and a support coupled to the second coupling plate and the handrail. The handrail is movable between a stowed position and a deployed position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A handrail apparatus couplable to a monument of an aircraft, comprising:
a handrail providing a thin profile when in a stowed position, the handrail being movable about a pivot between the stowed position and a deployed position, the pivot disposed at an end of the handrail, the pivot to be coupled to the monument;
first and second latching mechanisms coupled to the handrail, as the handrail is moved from the stowed position to the deployed position, ends of the respective latching mechanisms are to move along a contoured path within the handrail, the contoured path extending relative to a plane that extends along a longitudinal axis of the handrail, the contoured path being spaced apart from the pivot, wherein the handrail comprises first and second opposing slots to receive projections of the first and second latching mechanisms, an interaction between the projections and the first and second opposing slots enables the projections to be retained within the slots and for the latching mechanisms to be coupled to the handrail; and
a biasing element being disposed at a distal end of the respective latching mechanisms to urge the handrail toward at least one of the stowed position or the deployed position, the distal end and the biasing element to be immediately adjacent the moment, the distal end being spaced apart from the projections.

2. The handrail apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the latching mechanisms are at least one of pivotably or slidably coupled to the handrail.

3. The handrail apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the handrail or the latching mechanisms comprise a lock to secure the handrail in at least one of the stowed position or the deployed position.

4. The handrail apparatus of claim 1 , further including a biased lock to receive the end of at least one of the latching mechanisms when the handrail is in the deployed position, as the handrail is moved from the stowed position to the deployed position, the end of the at least one of the latching mechanisms moves the lock from a locked position to an unlocked position to enable the handrail to be positioned in the deployed position and for the end of the at least one of the latching mechanisms to be received by the lock to secure the handrail in the deployed position.

5. The handrail apparatus of claim 1 , further including posts having a first end affixed to the handrail and a second end affixed to the latching mechanisms, the posts are to be coupled to the monument of the aircraft.

6. The handrail apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the handrail is pivotably coupled to the posts, the latching mechanisms being at least one of pivotably or slidably coupled to the posts.

7. The handrail apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plane bifurcates the pivot to define a first portion of the handrail and a second portion of the handrail, a first width of the first portion at an end of the handrail being greater than a second width of the second portion at the end of the handrail to enable the first portion to be received within a recess of the monument to which the handrail apparatus is to be coupled.

8. The handrail apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the projections include a synthetic polymer to reduce resistance between the latching mechanisms and the handrail as the handrail is moved from the stowed position to the deployed position.

9. The handrail apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the projections extend substantially perpendicularly relative to longitudinal axes of the respective latching mechanisms to enable the projections to be retained within the slots.

10. The handrail apparatus of claim 1 , further including a bracket to be coupled to the monument, the handrail and the bracket forming the pivot.

11. A handrail; comprising:
a first coupling plate to be coupled to a monument of a vehicle;
a second coupling plate to be coupled to the monument of the vehicle;
a gripping portion coupled to the first coupling plate;
a support coupled to the second coupling plate, a first end of the support being positionable within a slot of the gripping portion between a first position and a second position, the slot to receive projections of the support, an interaction between the projections and the slot enables the projections to be retained within the slot and for the support to be coupled to the gripping portion, the first position being adjacent a second end of the slot, the second position being adjacent a third end of the slot, the gripping portion being movable between a stowed position and a deployed position, when the gripping portion is in the stowed position, the first end of the support is disposed at the second end of the slot, when the gripping portion is in the deployed position, the first end of the support is disposed at the third end of the slot; and
a biasing element being disposed at a distal end of the support to urge the gripping portion toward at least one of the stowed position or the deployed position, the distal end and the biasing element to be immediately adjacent the moment, the distal end being spaced apart from the projections.

12. The handrail of claim 11 , further comprising the vehicle, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft.

13. The handrail of claim 11 , further including a lock at the second end of the slot or the third end of the slot, the lock to receive the first end of the support to secure the support in at least one of the stowed position or the deployed position.

14. The handrail of claim 13 , further including a lock release disposed at an end of the gripping portion, the lock release being actuatable to enable the support to be released from being secured in the deployed position.

15. The handrail of claim 13 , wherein the lock is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position via a button.

16. The handrail of claim 11 , further including a rotatably biased catch to catch the first end of the support as the support moves from the deployed position to the stowed position, when the gripping portion is in the stowed position, the catch abuts against a step of the support to deter the support and the gripping portion from moving from the stowed position.

17. The handrail of claim 11 , further including a catch disposed within the gripping portion, the catch being movable relative to a longitudinal axis of the gripping portion between a locked position and an unlocked position, in the locked position, the catch to catch the first end of the support to secure the support and the gripping portion in the stowed position, in the unlocked position, the catch to enable the support and the gripping portion to move from the stowed position to the deployed position.

18. The handrail of claim 11 , wherein, in the stowed position, a bulbous portion of the gripping portion is received in a recess of the first coupling plate.

19. The handrail of claim 11 , wherein the first coupling plate and the second coupling plate are integral.

20. The handrail of claim 11 , further comprising the monument, wherein a longitudinal axis of the gripping portion is to be substantially parallel to a surface of the monument.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Boren Kelly L

Classifications

• B60N3/026

  characterised by the fixing means (B60N3/023 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E04F11/1804

  Details of anchoring to the wall · CPC title

• B64D11/00 Primary

  Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for · CPC title