OVERHEAD LUGGAGE BIN FOR AIRCRAFT INTERIOR

• US 20080251640A1
• Filed: 04/11/2008
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: B/E Aerospace Incorporated (Spirit Realty Capital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: B/E Aerospace Incorporated (Spirit Realty Capital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Glenn A., Arnold, Geraldine, Hontz, Jeffrey W., Peurifoy, Mark W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,038,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/118.1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/003 Stowage devices for passengers' personal luggage

Abstract

An overhead luggage bin for an aircraft interior includes a stowage compartment, an upper door movably attached to the stowage compartment and a lower door movably attached to the aircraft interior, the upper door and the lower door being moveable between a closed position and an opened position. A floor of the stowage compartment includes a first portion and a second portion movably attached to the first portion that defines a ramp surface with the lower door in the opened position for improved accessibility. An overhead luggage bin is provided with handles at opposed ends of the stowage compartment and includes one or more non-linear ridgelines and/or increased reflectance on an exterior surface for a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. An overhead luggage bin includes an RFID reader for providing increased RFID functionality. An overhead luggage bin includes a stowage compartment having an integrated handrail.

Claims

1. An overhead luggage bin for an aircraft interior comprising:

a generally hollow stowage compartment defining an interior cavity;

an upper door attached to the stowage compartment and movable between a closed position and an opened position; and

a lower door attached to the aircraft interior and movable between the closed position and the opened position;

wherein the stowage compartment comprises a floor having a first portion and a second portion adjacent the lower door that is movably attached to the first portion; and

wherein the second portion rotates downwardly relative to the first portion to define a ramp surface extending from the first portion in the direction of the lower door in the opened position.

2. An overhead luggage bin according to claim 1, wherein the upper door is rotatably attached to the stowage compartment and wherein the lower door is rotatably attached to the aircraft interior.

3. An overhead luggage bin according to claim 1, wherein the second portion of the floor of the stowage compartment is rotatably attached to the first portion.

4. An overhead luggage bin according to claim 1, wherein the second portion of the floor defines an angle of at least about five degrees (5°

) and no more than about forty-five degrees (45°

) with the first portion.

5. An overhead luggage bin according to claim 1, wherein the first portion of the floor is fixed at a predetermined height and wherein a vertical distance required to access the interior cavity of the stowage compartment is as much as about seven inches (7″

) less than the predetermined height.

6. An overhead luggage bin according to claim 1, further comprising biasing means for assisting movement of the upper door and the lower door between the closed position and the opened position.

7. An overhead luggage bin for an aircraft interior comprising:

a generally hollow stowage compartment having opposed ends and defining an interior cavity;

at least one door mounted on the stowage compartment for movement between a closed position and an opened position to provide access to the interior cavity of the stowage compartment; and

at least one handle operable to effect movement of the door from the closed position to the opened position, the handle positioned adjacent one of the opposed ends of the stowage compartment.

8. An overhead luggage bin according to claim 7, wherein a recess is formed in the door so that the handle is essentially flush with an exterior surface of the door in the closed position.

9. An overhead luggage bin according to claim 7, wherein the handle comprises a spring-loaded retaining latch configured to retain the door in the closed position and to release the door for movement from the closed position to the opened position.

10. An overhead luggage bin according to claim 7, wherein the at least one door comprises an upper door and a lower door and wherein the handle is attached to the lower door and configured for a pull-down operation.

11. An overhead luggage bin for an aircraft interior comprising:

a generally hollow stowage compartment defining an interior cavity and having an exterior surface;

at least one door mounted on the stowage compartment for movement between a closed position and an opened position to provide access to the interior cavity of the stowage compartment; and

at least one non-linear ridgeline disposed on the exterior surface of the stowage compartment.

12. An overhead luggage bin according to claim 11, wherein the non-linear ridgeline is curvilinear and extends in a longitudinal direction.

13. An overhead luggage bin according to claim 11, further comprising a handle positioned on the exterior surface of the stowage compartment and wherein the non-linear ridgeline is provided around a periphery of the handle.

14. An overhead luggage bin according to claim 11, wherein the non-linear ridgeline defines a complex curvature.

15. An overhead luggage bin for an aircraft interior comprising:

a generally hollow stowage compartment defining an interior cavity and having an exterior surface, the exterior surface having a reflectance of an illumination within the aircraft interior greater than at least about 0.50 as measured on the albedo scale.

16. An overhead luggage bin for an aircraft interior comprising:

a generally hollow stowage compartment defining an interior cavity and having an exterior surface; and

an RFID reader disposed on the exterior surface, the RFID reader comprising an RFID logic circuit operable for indicating when the RFID reader identifies a predetermined condition.

17. An overhead luggage bin according to claim 16, wherein the RFID reader is operable for receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal and indicating that a corresponding item is located within the interior cavity of the stowage compartment.

18. An overhead luggage bin according to claim 16, wherein the RFID reader is operable for receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal and indicating when an electronic device located within the interior cavity of the stowage compartment is in a “

power on”

state.

19. An overhead luggage bin for an aircraft interior comprising:

a generally hollow stowage compartment defining an interior cavity; and

at least one door moveably mounted on the stowage compartment and having an integrated handrail.

20. An overhead luggage bin according to claim 19, wherein the at least one door comprises an upper door movably mounted on the stowage compartment and a lower door movably mounted on the aircraft interior, each of the upper door and the lower door movable between a closed position and an opened position to provide access to the interior cavity of the stowage compartment.