Partition element for an aircraft cabin and cabin arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9738385-B2
Application number	US-201514677414-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2015
Priority date	Apr 4, 2014
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A aircraft cabin partition element and aircraft cabin arrangement, with a wall member having a lower edge and extending upwards from the lower edge provided with a coupling, capable of slidingly engaging a guide rail arrangement, an upper panel member pivotably mounted on the wall member with respect to a horizontal axis which is spaced from the lower edge, the upper panel member pivotable between a first position where the upper panel member extends from the horizontal axis towards the lower edge parallel to the wall member, and a second position where the upper panel member extends away from the wall member, and a support member movably mounted on the wall member and movable between a support position supporting the upper panel member when in the second position to prevent pivoting towards the wall member to the first position, and a storage position extending parallel to the wall member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A partition element for an aircraft cabin, comprising:
a wall member having a lower edge and extending upwards from the lower edge, wherein the lower edge is provided with a coupling arrangement that is configured for slidingly engaging a guide rail arrangement in a floor;
an upper panel member pivotably mounted on the wall member with respect to a horizontal axis which is spaced from the lower edge;
wherein the upper panel member is pivotable between a first position in which the upper panel member extends from the horizontal axis towards the lower edge parallel to the wall member, and a second position in which the upper panel member extends away from the wall member; and
a support member movably mounted on the wall member such that the support member is movable between a support position in which the support member supports the upper panel member when being in the second position to prevent the upper panel member from pivoting towards the wall member to the first position, and a storage position in which the support member extends parallel to the wall member.

2. The partition element according to claim 1 , wherein the wall member comprises an upper edge opposite to the lower edge, and
wherein the upper edge comprises a fixing device capable of being fixed to a support element above the wall member.

3. The partition element according to claim 1 , wherein the support member is formed as a first lateral panel member pivotably mounted on the wall member with respect to a first pivot axis extending perpendicularly to the horizontal axis, the first lateral panel member being arranged between the horizontal axis and the lower edge.

4. The partition element according to claim 3 , wherein the first pivot axis is aligned with a first lateral edge of the upper panel member.

5. The partition element according to claim 3 , wherein a second lateral panel member is provided which is pivotably mounted on the wall member with respect to a second pivot axis,
wherein the second pivot axis is aligned with a second lateral edge of the upper panel member opposite to the first lateral edge.

6. The partition element according to claim 3 , wherein a length of the first and/or second lateral panel members perpendicular to the pivot axis of the respective lateral panel member corresponds to a length of the upper panel member perpendicular the horizontal axis.

7. The partition element according to claim 3 , wherein the lower edges of first and/or second lateral panel members are parallel to the lower edge of the wall member.

8. The partition element according to claim 3 , wherein the first and/or the second lateral panel members are provided with engagement devices which are adapted to be releasably coupled with engagement elements in the floor.

9. The partition element according to claim 3 , wherein a frame comprising an upper frame member is attached to the wall member,
wherein the upper panel member is pivotably coupled with the upper frame member so that the horizontal axis is spaced from the wall member.

10. The partition element according to claim 9 , wherein the frame comprises a first lateral frame member which extends perpendicularly to the upper frame member and is aligned with a lateral edge of the upper panel member,
wherein the first lateral panel member is pivotably coupled with the first lateral frame member so that the pivot axis of the first lateral panel member is spaced from the wall member by a distance different from the distance between the horizontal axis and the wall member.

11. The partition element according to claim 10 , wherein the frame comprises a second lateral frame member which extends parallel to the first lateral frame member and is aligned with a second lateral edge of the upper panel member opposite to the first lateral edge.

12. An aircraft cabin arrangement comprising:
a floor with a guide rail arrangement extending along a longitudinal axis defined by the cabin arrangement;
a plurality of seat rows, each row comprising at least one seat and being arranged on the floor perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis, wherein the seat rows are arranged one after another;
a partition element according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling arrangement slidingly engages the guide rail arrangement and the horizontal axis is arranged parallel to the floor;
at least one row of foldable seats comprising at least one foldable seat and being arranged on the floor perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis,
wherein the foldable seats comprise a seating area and a back rest,
wherein the foldable seats are adapted such that they can be folded and unfolded between a collapsed state in which the seating area extends parallel to the back rest, and an unfolded state in which the seating area ex-tends in a plane parallel to the floor,
wherein the at least one row of foldable seats is arranged between the plurality of seat rows and the partition element.

13. The aircraft cabin arrangement according to claim 12 , wherein the partition element is slidable along the guide rail arrangement between a first axial position and a second axial position and wherein the cabin arrangement may assume first and second configurations;
wherein in the first axial position the partition element is spaced from the plurality of seat rows by a first distance and in the second axial position by a second distance, the second distance being smaller than the first distance,
wherein in the first configuration the partition element is in the first axial position and the foldable seats of the at least one row of foldable seats are in the unfolded state, and
wherein in the second configuration the partition element is in the second axial position and the foldable seats of the at least one row of foldable seats are in the collapsed state.

14. The aircraft cabin arrangement according to claim 13 , wherein a difference between the first and the second distances is equal or greater than the length of the upper panel member perpendicular to the horizontal axis.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Mayer Tobias
• Edwards Paul

Classifications

• B64D11/0023 Primary

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

• B64D11/0693

  Width modification of seat assemblies, e.g. for class modification · CPC title

• B64D11/04

  Galleys · CPC title

• B64D11/0639

  with features for adjustment or converting of seats · CPC title