This application claims the priority of the German Patent Application No. 10 2014 101 895.8, filed Feb. 14, 2014; which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The subject matter described herein generally relates to an interior component for an aircraft and to an aircraft comprising such an interior component and more specifically relates to an interior component for an aircraft that comprises a recess in which a multitude of functional modules for supplying one or several passengers are arranged.
In vehicles designed for passenger transport, in particular for the transport of a plurality of passengers, for example in an aircraft passenger compartment, functional modules are arranged above the passenger seats; i.e., in the overhead region above the passengers, which functional modules supply passengers with, for example, light, air, emergency oxygen, or information.
The functional modules form what is known as a passenger service unit (PSU). The position of the individual functional modules of the PSU depends on, among other things, the seat configuration in the passenger compartment. For example, illumination elements must be arranged so that an emitted light cone illuminates the region between two seats arranged one behind another, rather than illuminating the seat. Furthermore, control elements that are arranged in the overhead region must be conveniently accessible to the passengers.
The functional modules are, for example, supplied with air, electrical energy and control signals by way of a passenger service channel. To this end, the functional modules are coupled to the passenger service channel; i.e., to lines in the passenger service channel, by way of connection interfaces.
Usually, during assembly of an aircraft, the passenger service channel is routed in a first step before the seat configuration of the respective aircraft is established. In order to adapt the functional modules of the PSU to the seat configuration, the connection lines of the connection interface of the functional modules on the passenger service channel usually include overlength in order to reach any possible installation position of a functional module in the vehicle.
Moreover, because of component tolerances of the functional modules, slight variations in the final installation position of the functional modules in the aircraft can occur, and for this reason also, overlengths in the connection lines on the passenger service channel may be required in order to compensate for these tolerance-related variations in the installation position. It may be necessary for the overlengths in the connection lines to be attached to the fuselage structure merely at a specified maximum distance from a functional module to avoid overlengths that are not attached.
WO 2011/079906 A2 and US 2012/312921 A1 describe a system component module for installation in an aircraft passenger cabin having a carrying device to which a PSU channel and an individual air supply system are attached. A fastening device is designed to fasten the system component module to a base plate of a stowage bin provided in the aircraft passenger cabin.
It would therefore be desirable to provide an interior component with functional modules of a passenger service unit that enables simpler installation in a vehicle as well as providing shorter overlengths of connection lines of the functional modules.
In addition, other objects, desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.
This summary is provided according to a first embodiment, an interior component for an interior room of an aircraft is provided. The interior component comprises a body having a first surface and a second surface. Furthermore, the interior component comprises a multitude of functional modules that form a passenger service unit. The second surface is arranged opposite the first surface and comprises a recess. The multitude of functional modules are arranged one after another in the recess in the longitudinal direction of the interior component, such that a first front surface of the functional module arranged frontally in the longitudinal direction closes flush with a first front surface of the body. In this manner the interior component described herein and below makes it possible for the functional modules to be installed or fastened with reference to the interior component or its front surface, rather than with reference to the entire passenger compartment.
If the functional modules are installed with reference to the entire passenger compartment, because of cumulative component tolerances of the functional modules, over the entire length of the passenger compartment of an aircraft this can result in very considerable fluctuation of the positions of the functional modules. These fluctuations can be prevented or reduced in that the functional modules are installed with reference to an interior component. Equipment tolerances thus have an effect only in the region of an interior component.
If two interior components that are essentially identical are installed one after another in a passenger compartment, component tolerances of the functional modules in an interior component do not have an effect on the position of the functional modules in the second interior component, because the functional modules are arranged such that the front functional module in each case closes flush with a front surface of the interior component.
A functional module can, in particular, be provided for supplying an entire seat row; in other words seats arranged side by side, so that a functional module can comprise several functional units of the same type that are arranged side by side. Various functions for a seat row are made possible in that various functional modules are arranged one after another and are associated with a seat row. Depending on the manner in which the interior component is arranged in the longitudinal direction with reference to the seats or the seat rows, the position or the order of the functional modules in the longitudinal direction of the interior component can vary. If the seat configuration is changed to the effect that the seat pitch of seats arranged one after another is increased, the functional modules associated with a seat can also be displaced, and any resulting gaps can be covered by so-called blank modules. The blank modules can be flat elements, for example flat panels without any further function, for merely covering up the resulting gaps.
The term recess refers to an indentation in the second surface that makes it possible to spatially accommodate the functional modules.
The notion of closing flush refers to the front functional module in the longitudinal direction of the interior component starting or ending essentially at the same height as the front surface of the interior component without in the longitudinal direction projecting beyond the front surface of the interior component.
According to one embodiment, a second front surface of the rear functional module, when viewed in the longitudinal direction, closes flush with a second front surface of the body. Thus, the functional modules arranged in the recess of the interior component extend over the entire length of the interior component. If such interior components are installed one after another in the longitudinal direction and if they adjoin, it is possible to provide any desired functional module at any desired position.
According to a further embodiment, the multitude of functional modules comprise an identical extension in the longitudinal direction.
In this manner any two functional modules can be positionally changed without this necessitating a change in the position of the other functional modules. Thus, in the case of a change in the seat configuration in the passenger compartment, the adaptation expenditure relating to the functional modules of the passenger service unit is reduced.
According to a further embodiment, a functional module extends in a direction across the longitudinal direction over the entire extension of the recess, in other words over the entire width of the recess. The recess can, in particular, comprise a constant width so that the functional modules also comprise an identical width.
According to a further embodiment, the length of the body corresponds to an integral multiple of the length of a functional module. In this arrangement the length of the functional module corresponds to its extension in the longitudinal direction of the interior component.
According to a still further embodiment, the interior component comprises a fastening element by means of which each functional module of the multitude of functional modules is reversibly mechanically coupled.
In this arrangement the fastening element is used for positioning the functional module with reference to the interior component. Attachment of the functional modules can take place with non-positive fit or with positive fit as well as with or without the use of a tool. According to a further embodiment the fastening element is arranged in the recess.
According to a further embodiment the fastening element is a fastening rail that extends in the longitudinal direction of the interior component. In this embodiment, the functional modules can be displaced along the fastening rail in the longitudinal direction of the interior component, provided fastening of the functional modules to the fastening rail allows such movement. The functional modules can be attached to the fastening rail in such a manner that the functional modules are held in the recess of the interior component while movement along the fastening rail is still possible. If a functional module is in its intended position, affixation in the longitudinal direction of the fastening rail can also take place.
According to a further embodiment, the interior component comprises a first interface for connecting the interior component to a passenger service channel. Thus, the connection lines of the passenger service channel are no longer coupled to the functional modules but instead to the interior component. In this manner hitherto existing overlengths of these connection lines can be reduced in that the first interface is arranged on the interior component at a constant position. In terms of connection to the passenger service channel, the actual position of the functional modules is immaterial. By reducing overlengths in the connection lines of the passenger service channel, the overall weight of a vehicle and the installation space required for cabling and the passenger service channel can be reduced.
According to another embodiment, the interior component comprises a second interface for connecting the multitude of functional modules to the interior component. The functional modules are functionally connected directly to the interior component, i.e., for example, a functional module comprising an air outlet is connected to an air duct; an illumination element is connected to an electrical line; and a display element is connected to a data transfer line.
According to a further embodiment, the second interface is coupled to the first interface so that the functional modules can be coupled indirectly to the passenger service channel. The second interface can comprise the different connection lines described above and is connected by way of interconnection lines to the corresponding connection lines of the first interface so that the functional modules can, by way of the interconnection lines, be coupled directly to the passenger service channel. Because the functional modules are not directly coupled to the passenger service channel, there is no longer any need to provide an overlength in the connection lines of the passenger service channel on account of unforeseeable positions of the functional modules because the passenger service channel is coupled to the first interface of the interior component, whose position is independent of the position of the functional modules.
According to a further embodiment, the multitude of functional modules comprise at least one functional module selected from the group comprising a display element, an illumination element, a ventilation element, an emergency oxygen supply unit, an extendable projection surface, and a projector.
According to a still further embodiment, the interior component is a hatrack; i.e., a stowage shelf or a stowage compartment. In the body of the interior component, there is an interior room for accommodating baggage, and on the underside of the baggage compartment the functional modules are arranged in a recess.
According to a further embodiment, an aircraft comprising an interior component as described above and below is provided. The aircraft comprises a passenger compartment with a multitude of seats arranged one after another. The interior component is arranged in the passenger compartment above the multitude of seats. The interior component is mechanically coupled to a fuselage structure of the aircraft by means of a fastening device. The interior component as described above and below makes it possible to pre-install the functional modules on the interior components that can then be installed in the aircraft together with the functional modules. The position of the first connection interface of the interior component for connection to the passenger service channel is known, and thus it is also possible to affix the connection line of the passenger service channel with reference to the fuselage structure, rather than having to be adjusted depending on the position of a functional module, which position is determined only at a later stage. Because of the design of the interior component, it is possible to subsequently alter the position of the functional modules without this requiring the connection line to be positioned anew on the passenger service channel and to be affixed thereto. Thus, the required overlength of this connection line can be shorter. Likewise the interior component can be used for retrofitting existing aircraft.
These and other objects, features, and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The various embodiments will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and:
The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the disclosed embodiments or the application and uses thereof. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background detailed description.
The illustrations shown and described herein are diagrammatic and not to scale. If in the following description of the figures the same reference characters are used, they relate to identical or similar elements.
By way of a first connection interface 102, which is arranged on a first surface 106 of the body 103 of the interior component 100, the interior component 100 is connected to a passenger service channel 304A and 304B. The interconnection lines are not shown in
The interior component 100 comprises a second surface 108, which is arranged opposite the first surface 102 and which extends in the direction of the passenger compartment. The second surface 108 comprises a recess 110 that extends in the longitudinal direction of the interior component and is designed to accommodate the functional modules. A recess 110 a second connection interface 104 is arranged in recess 110, by means of which the functional modules are coupled. It is also possible for several connection interfaces to be arranged in the recess 110.
The first connection interface 102, which can also be referred to as the connection interface on the aircraft side, and the second connection interface 104, which can also be referred to as the connection interface on the functional module side, are interconnected in such a manner that electrical energy, electrical signals or an air flow can be transmitted from the passenger service channel by way of the first connection interface to the second connection interface, and the functional modules can be connected to the second connection interface.
In the recess 110, fastening elements 112A and 112B in the form of fastening rails are arranged that extend in the longitudinal direction of the interior component. The fastening rails are arranged on the sidewalls opposite the recess. It should be pointed out that in the longitudinal direction of the passenger compartment, which direction extends into the drawing plane, several interior components can be arranged one after another in particular so that the front surfaces of adjacent interior components adjoin, and in particular rest one against another. For the sake of clarity, the functional modules are not shown in
The length 131 of a functional module is dimensioned such that the length 101 corresponds to an integral multiple of the length 131 so that the functional modules cover the entire length of the recess 110. Since the functional modules are identical in length, their order can be selected at will in the longitudinal direction 301. For example, in the interior component 100A, the functional modules are arranged in the order 130A, 130B, and 130C, whereas in the interior component 100B the functional modules are arranged in the order 130B, 130A, and 130C.
The interior component as described above and below also makes possible local adaptation of the position of the functional modules without the need for adaptation of the positions of the functional modules in the entire passenger cabin. For example, if the order of the functional modules on the interior component 100A is altered, the order and the position of the functional modules on the interior component 100B are not influenced because in each case the functional modules have been installed with reference to an interior component rather than with reference to the passenger compartment or to the fuselage structure.
It should be pointed out that “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and “a” or “one” does not exclude a plural number. Furthermore, it should be pointed out that characteristics or steps which have been described with reference to one of the above exemplary embodiments can also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps of other exemplary embodiments described above. Reference characters in the claims are not to be interpreted as limitations.
While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the embodiment in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the embodiment as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
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