CABIN SERVICE ARRANGEMENT, FUSELAGE OF AN AIRCRAFT, A METHOD OF EFFECTING A CABIN ATTENDANT CALL

• US 20140002279A1
• Filed: 05/17/2013
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zodiac Aerotechnics
• Original Assignee: Intertechnique SA (Safran SA)
• Inventors: Rittner, Wolfgang, Hollm, Marco
• Granted Patent: US 9,327,146 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/945
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/20 Valves specially adapted to medical respiratory devices
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 18/02 Masks gas-masks for animals A62B18/06; masks for welders A61F9/06
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 21/00 Devices for producing oxygen from chemical substances for respiratory apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 25/005 for high altitude
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 7/00 Respiratory apparatus for medical purposes A61M16/00
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 7/02 with compressed oxygen or air
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 7/08 containing chemicals producing oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 7/14 for high-altitude aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 9/02 Valves non-return valves mounted in breathing masks or helmets A62B18/10
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 10/00 Flight suits helmets in general A42B3/00; breathing helmets A62B18/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0015 Arrangements for entertainment or communications, e.g. radio, television
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00155 Individual entertainment or communication system remote controls therefor, located in or connected to seat components, e.g. to seat back or arm rest
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 13/00 Arrangements or adaptations of air-treatment apparatus for aircraft crew or passengers, or freight space , or structural parts of the aircraft treatment rooms with artificial climate for medical purposes A61G10/02; respiratory apparatus in general A62B; for vehicles in general B60H
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2231/00 Emergency oxygen systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2231/02 Supply or distribution systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2231/025 Oxygen masks; Mask storages; Features related to mask deployment
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 13/02 Preparation of oxygen by liquefying F25J
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 13/0296 Generators releasing in a self-sustaining way pure oxygen from a solid charge, without interaction of it with a fluid nor external heating, e.g. chlorate candles or canisters containing them charges per se C01B13/02
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/00 Visible signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems, remote indication of seats occupied
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/224 Paging receivers with visible signalling details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 : using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 : Weight reduction

Abstract

This invention relates to cabin service arrangement assigned to at least one passenger seat in a seat row of an aircraft, comprising:

• a lighting unit for providing a light projection and at least one man machine interface for operating the lighting unit, wherein
• the at least one man machine interface is associated with
  • an initiating unit for providing an activation of the lighting unit and
  • a deactivation unit for receiving an indication for deactivation of the light projection,
  • wherein the deactivation is initialisable by an external signal, and wherein
• the light projection from the lighting unit comprises an illumination, the illumination being adapted to effect a cabin attendant call. According to the invention
• the illumination is adapted to be projected to a projection spot outside of the seat row, and
• the deactivation of the illumination is effectable from outside of the seat row.

Claims

1. A cabin service arrangement assigned to at least one passenger seat in a seat row of an aircraft, comprising:

a lighting unit for providing a light projection and at least one man machine interface for operating the lighting unit, wherein

the at least one man machine interface is associated with

an initiating unit for providing an activation of the lighting unit and

a deactivation unit for receiving an indication for deactivation of the light projection, wherein the deactivation is initialisable by an external signal, and wherein

the light projection from the lighting unit comprises an illumination, the illumination being adapted to effect a cabin attendant call,

characterized in that

the illumination is adapted to be projected to a projection spot outside of the seat row, and

the deactivation of the illumination is effectable from outside of the seat row.

2. A cabin service arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the illumination is projectable outside of the seat row'"'"'s occupation area and the deactivation of the illumination is effectable outside of the seat row'"'"'s occupation area.

3. A cabin service arrangement according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the initiating unit and deactivation unit has a sensor unit adapted to receive a touch free user input to the man machine interface.

4. A cabin service arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the illumination provides stored information of the passenger seat to the projection spot outside of the seat row, in particular wherein the illumination comprises one or more lighting effects selected from the group consisting of:

a light sign, a highlighter, a light pattern, in particular, flashing, varying in color, intensity and/or place of spot as a function of time.

5. A cabin service arrangement according to claim 1 wherein a control unit is adapted to process a incoming data of at least one of the initiating unit and deactivation unit and the control unit provides an operator response to at least one of the initiating unit and deactivation unit.

6. A cabin service arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the information of the passenger seat for providing an illumination outside of the seat row are stored by a control unit and/or in an initiating unit assigned to at least one seat.

7. A cabin service arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the projection spot is outside of the seat row is located in the volume area between the gangway and the ceiling above the gangway, in particular on fixed spot location and/or a movable spot location.

8. A cabin service arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the projection spot is supported by a fixed spot location in form of a floor lighting and/or a movable spot location in form of a service platform, in particular a trolley, a tablet or the like service personal item.

9. A cabin service arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the illumination outside of the seat rows marks a cabin zone.

10. A cabin service arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the illumination outside of the seat row is controllable by an external service unit.

11. A cabin service arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the initiating unit is adapted to activate an external service unit for receiving information about the cabin attend call.

12. A cabin service arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the illumination outside of the seat row is deactivatable by deactivating of the initiating unit itself.

13. A cabin service arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the external service unit is adapted to handle information of illumination outside of the seat row for other service devices.

14. A cabin service arrangement according to claim 1 wherein communication of at least one of the initiating unit and deactivation unit is via a wireless network for providing the light projection outside of the seat row.

15. A fuselage of an aircraft comprising a number of passenger service units and associated therewith a number of cabin service arrangements according to claim 1, in particular wherein the cabin service arrangement is partly or in total integrated in an associated passenger service unit.

16. A method of effecting a cabin attendant call by operating a cabin service arrangement assigned to at least one passenger seat in a seat row of an aircraft, in particular a cabin service arrangement according to claim 1, comprising a lighting unit for providing a light projection and at least one man machine interface for operating the lighting unit, wherein

the at least one man machine interface is associated with

an initiating unit for providing an activation of the lighting unit and

a deactivation unit for receiving an indication for deactivation of the light projection,

wherein the deactivation can be initiated by an external signal, and wherein

the light projection from the lighting unit comprises an illumination, the illumination being adapted to effect the cabin attendant call,

characterized in that

the illumination is projected to a projection spot outside of the seat row, and

the deactivation of the illumination is effected from outside of the seat row.