This invention relates to luggage compartments for aircraft. In particular, this invention relates to a luggage compartment for an aircraft, an aircraft comprising such a luggage compartment, the use of a luggage compartment in an aircraft, and a method for loading baggage in a luggage compartment.
Luggage compartments in aircraft are used for stowing and keeping carryon baggage, clothing and the like. The luggage compartments are located to the left and right of the aisle at or slightly above passenger head level. Since the luggage compartments cannot be suspended so high as to make smaller individuals no longer able to stow baggage in the luggage compartment, larger individuals most often find it impossible to stand up straight under such a luggage compartment.
It is an object of the present invention is to provide for improved baggage stowage in aircraft.
According to an exemplary embodiment of this invention, a luggage compartment for aircraft is provided, the luggage compartment comprising a tilting floor, a flap and a pivoted suspension device, wherein the flap has an open and closed position, and wherein the tilting floor is adapted to rotate around the suspension device from an initial position into a loading position with the flap in the open position.
This configuration of the luggage compartment may ensure that the luggage compartment can be suspended high enough that even large individuals can stand up straight underneath it on the one hand, while also providing for a lower stowing edge height on the other hand, so that smaller individuals can load the luggage compartment without exertion. This is enabled by a tilting mechanism that enables the luggage compartment to be fixed high enough horizontally in its initial position, and tilt in its loading position, so that the front edge of the tilting floor is tilted down, also enabling smaller people to conveniently stow items away. The tilting floor and suspension device may only be turned if the flap is in the open position. This means that the tilting floor cannot tilt with the flam closed. As a result, the tilting floor is fixed securely in its initial position during normal flight operation, and can only be tilted down accordingly after the flap has been opened.
According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the luggage compartment comprises a first locking device, wherein the first locking device can be used to prevent the tilting floor from turning around the suspension device, and wherein the first locking device can be released to allow the tilting floor to turn around the suspension device.
This may make it possible to ensure that a tilting motion of the floor only takes place once the user has actuated the first locking device.
In another exemplary embodiment of this invention, the first locking device can be locked into the initial position automatically by turning the tilting floor.
This may ensure that, once the tilting floor has been turned into its initial position, it is automatically locked there, so that it can no longer be moved unless the user manually releases it. As a result, undesired tilting of the tilting floor can be prevented.
In another exemplary embodiment of this invention, the luggage compartment has a second locking device, wherein the flap can beheld in the closed position by the second locking device, and wherein the second locking device can be released, making it possible to open the flap.
This advantageous makes it impossible to unintentionally open the flap.
In another exemplary embodiment of this invention, the luggage compartment also comprises a coupling device for coupling the first locking device with the second locking device, wherein the coupling device is adapted in such a way that the first locking device can only be released once the second locking device has been released, and wherein the coupling device is further designed in such a way that the second locking device can only be closed once the first locking device has been closed.
This may ensure that the tilting floor can only be tilted for loading or unloading the luggage compartment after the flap has been opened. The tilting floor cannot be tilted before the flap is opened, thereby preventing the tilting floor from tilting and the flap then opening, for example, which can cause the carryon baggage to accidentally fall out of the luggage compartment. In addition, the coupling means makes it possible to lock the flap only once the tilting floor has been flipped back into its initial position. This ensures that users always first flip back the tilting floor before closing the flap. This can also help avoid the risk of an accident owing to falling carryon baggage.
In another exemplary embodiment of this invention, the coupling device comprises a handle, wherein the handle has a first position, a second position and a third position, which can be assumed one after the other. The first position here corresponds to the handle in the resting position. The second position involves releasing the second locking device of the flap, so that the flap can be opened, and the third position involves releasing the first locking device, so that the luggage compartment can be turned around the suspension device.
Therefore, the first and second locking devices may be released one after the other using the same handle in the correct sequence. The user pulls on the handle, and as soon as the handle is in the second position, the flap is unlocked. As soon as the handle has then moved from the second position into the third position, the tilting floor is released, and can turn around its suspension axis.
In another exemplary embodiment of this invention, the suspension device is situated near a line that runs vertically through the center of gravity of the luggage compartment in the initial position, so that only a slight torque is required for turning the tilting floor.
This represents a very significant advantage, in that only slight forces must be exerted in order to turn the tilting floor (with any carryon baggage therein). Force enhancing means or elevated exertion by the user are not required.
In another exemplary embodiment of this invention, the suspension device encompasses a rotational axis, wherein the tilting floor has a first lateral wall and a second lateral wall, and wherein the rotational axis rigidly joins the first and second lateral wall, so that the forward and reverse forces, e.g., those produced by aircraft accelerations, can be absorbed by the combination of first lateral wall, second lateral wall and rotational axis.
Coupling both lateral walls via the rotational axis may provide for a stable combination, which can also absorb strong acceleration forces, e.g., of the kind that may arise during a crash.
In another exemplary embodiment of this invention, the luggage compartment also has a spring arrangement, wherein a minimum threshold force, which is necessary for turning the tilting floor, can be set via the spring arrangement.
The spring arrangement may make it possible to set a force that the user must exert to move the tilting floor out of its initial position, for example. In this case, the spring arrangement can dampen or provide support.
Another exemplary embodiment of this invention provides for a simple and reliable method with which the luggage compartment may be actuated on board an aircraft. The method here comprises the release of a second locking device for opening a flap of the luggage compartment, the release of a first locking device for turning a tilting floor of the luggage compartment from an initial position into a loading position, the loading of baggage into the luggage compartment, the application of a threshold force to turn the tilting floor back into the initial position, the closing of the first locking device for locking the tilting floor, the closing of the flap, and the closing of the second locking device for locking the flap.
Therefore, the method according to the invention may make it possible to load or even unload the luggage compartment while the floor still remains horizontally locked upon actuation of the second locking device for opening the flap. Only when a second locking device is additional actuated can the tilting floor be turned into the desired loading/unloading position. The corresponding loading/unloading position of the front edge of the tilting floor is here located under the initial position owing to the rotation. This simplifies the loading process. The tilting floor can then be turned back, whereupon the flap can only be closed and locked after the initial position has been reached.
Additional exemplary embodiments of this invention are described in the claims and subclaims.
Preferred exemplary embodiments of this invention will be described below, drawing reference to the figures.
a-4b show diagrammatic cross sectional views of a luggage compartment according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
The same reference numbers for identical or similar elements are used in the following figure description.
Furthermore, the luggage compartment according to the invention encompasses a flap 2, which, as shown on
The tilting floor 1 also comprises a rear wall 3, which limits the luggage compartment from below.
A luggage rack in a wide-bodied aircraft is determined by three criteria, specifically a defined stowage volume, an installation height (headroom/standing height) and a loading edge height.
As may be seen from
In addition, the loading edge height 12 of the tilting floor luggage compartment arrangement 10 according to the invention is reduced in the invention relative to the loading edge height 11 of the conventional luggage compartment 200. The reduction can here measure several centimeters depending on the position of the bearing arrangement 8 the installation height of the luggage compartment 100 and the maximum tilting angle α.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the loading edge height 12 does not wander upward regardless of the elevated suspension of the luggage compartment, but rather (as compared with the conventional solution 200) even migrates downward, as denoted by reference number 13. This further enables a comfortable loading.
Actuating the lock 7 initially opens the flap 2, while the floor still remains horizontally locked. Only when the lock 7 is again actuated and given a downward pulling motion does the floor tilt into the desired loading/unloading position.
After loading is complete, the floor is manually pressed up over a dead center (threshold force). This threshold force can be generated, for example, by having a portion of the loading weight lie behind the fulcrum, but can also be provided by means of a dampening spring. For example, a spring arrangement (not shown on
The flap can only be closed once the tilting floor has returned to the automatically locked initial position. This can simultaneously serve as a safety check, since a closed flap tells the flight personnel that the tilting floor is correctly locked.
Provided as an example is a coupling means that couples a first locking device for locking the tilting floor with a second locking device for locking the flap. The coupling means can involve a toothed belt linkage between the two locking mechanisms, so that the first locking device can only be released once the second locking device has been released. In addition, the coupling means can be designed in such a way that the second locking device can only be closed once the first locking device has been closed.
It should be noted, that the locking device for locking the floor and the locking device for locking the flap may not be coupled. For example, the locking device for locking the flap may be adapted as a normal locking mechanism for the flap. When the locking mechanism has been released and the flap is opened, the other locking device (for the tilting floor) may be laid open, since the flap has moved away from the other locking device. Then, the other locking device (for the tilting floor) may be released in order to allow the tilting floor to turn around the suspension device.
In an exemplary embodiment according to this invention, the first locking device can be locked automatically by turning the tilting floor into the initial position. For example, this can be done using a snapping mechanism or the like, which automatically snaps into a corresponding counterpart once the initial position has been reached, thereby locking the tilting floor. If the tilting floor is then locked, the coupling means release the second locking device (for the flap 2).
The coupling means here encompass a handle or tongue 7, for example, which can assume three different sequential positions. The first position is here the resting position. Actuating the handle makes it possible to bring the handle into a second position, which releases the second locking device of the flap 2. Further moving the handle 7 then brings the handle into a third position, which releases the first locking device of the tilting floor, so that the tilting floor can now be tuned into its loading position.
The turning motion of the tilting floor can be supported or dampened via corresponding pneumatic springs, for example. Naturally, however, other spring mechanisms may be used, such as rubber springs or spiral springs. Also possible are friction mechanisms, which dampen the turning motion. The pneumatic springs (or another corresponding spring or dampening means) can be used to support the rotational process of the tilting element, but also for dampening it. Further, the spring means can be adjustable, so that the threshold force can be set correspondingly, and hence is independent of the loaded status of the luggage compartment, for example.
As evident from
a-4b show diagrammatic cross sectional views of a luggage compartment arrangement according to an exemplary embodiment of this invention. As evident from
As may be seen from
In order to load or unload the luggage compartment according to the invention, a locking device is first released to disengage the flap 2 of the luggage compartment. This makes it possible to open the flap 2. After the flap has been opened, a second locking device is released, allowing the tilting floor 1 of the luggage compartment to be tilted from an initial position into a loading position. The first and second locking device are here joined with a handle 7 via a coupling means, wherein the coupling means is designed in such a way that the first locking device can only be released once the second locking device has been released, and that the second locking device can only be locked once the first locking device has been closed. After the tilting floor has arrived at the loading or unloading position, the baggage can be pushed into or taken out of the luggage compartment. A threshold force must then be exerted to turn the tilting floor back to the initial position. When the initial position has been assumed, the first locking device automatically latches to lock the tilting floor, and the flap can be closed. After the flap 2 is closed, the flap 2 is automatically locked by a second locking mechanism.
According to an exemplary embodiment of this invention, there are two stable states in which no restoring force acts. The first state is shown on
Torsion dampeners can also be used as the spring arrangement.
Gaps between the inner lateral walls can be covered by a profile. A gap on the rear side of the luggage compartment can be covered by a movable panel (e.g., see 15 on
The invention is not limited in its implementation to the preferred embodiments shown on the figures. Rather, a plurality of variants is conceivable, which make use of the described solution and principle according to the invention, even given embodiments with a fundamentally different configuration.
In addition, it must be noted that “comprising” does not exclude any other elements or steps, and “one” or “a” do not exclude a plurality. Further, let it be noted that features or steps that have been described with reference to one of the above exemplary embodiments can also be used in combination with other features or steps of other exemplary embodiments described above. Reference numbers in the claims are not to be regarded as limiting.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2005 006 887.1 | Feb 2005 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP2006/001370 | 2/15/2006 | WO | 00 | 8/7/2007 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60653075 | Feb 2005 | US |