RAIL SYSTEM FOR SEAT ASSEMBLY IN AN AIRCRAFT

• US 20150225066A1
• Filed: 02/04/2015
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: HANNA, Klaus, BRUNO, Daniele, KRIEWALL, Rainer
• Granted Patent: US 9,868,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/20 specially adapted for freight
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0418 Covers or lids; Their fastenings
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0437 Channels
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/385 in modular floors, e.g. access floors

Abstract

A rail system, in particular for assembling or fastening seats in an aircraft, includes an assembly rail, in particular a seat rail for assembling or fastening a seat, a first panel, in particular a first floor panel for arrangement next to and substantially in parallel with the assembly rail, and at least one cover element which is movable between a first position in or on the first panel and a second position for covering the assembly rail, wherein an upper surface of the at least one cover element in the second position is located substantially in a plane with a surface of the first panel.

Claims

1. A rail system, comprising:

an assembly rail;

a first panel; and

at least one cover element which is movable between a first position in or on the first panel and a second position for covering the assembly rail, wherein an upper surface of the at least one cover element in the second position is located substantially in a plane with a surface of the first panel.

2. The rail system according to claim 1, wherein, in the first position, an upper surface of the at least one cover element is located substantially in a plane with the surface of the first panel.

3. The rail system according to claim 1, wherein, in the second position, the upper surface of the cover element merges in a planar manner substantially smoothly into the surface of the first panel.

4. The rail system according to claim 1, wherein, in the first position, the at least one cover element is located or received in a recess in or on the first panel.

5. The rail system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cover element is pivotable between the first position and the second position, or wherein the at least one cover element can be displaced between the first and second positions.

6. The rail system according to claim 5, wherein the at least one cover element is pivotable through an angle of 180°

.

7. The rail system according to claim 1, wherein the first panel has a levelling device for levelling the surface of the first panel or for filling a recess in the panel, when the at least one cover element is in the second position.

8. The rail system according to claim 7, wherein the levelling device has a filler element which is movable out of a position, which is inactive, recessed or inserted in the first panel, into a filling position when the cover element is in the second position, wherein, in the filling position, an upper surface of the filler element is located substantially in a plane with the surface of the first panel.

9. The rail system according to claim 8, wherein the filler element is configured such that it can be removed from and reintroduced into the position which is inactive, recessed or inserted in the first panel, wherein the levelling device also comprises a sliding piece which is configured for lateral displacement so that the sliding piece is displaceable between a retracted position, next to the filler element located in the inactive, recessed or inserted position, and an extracted position, when the filler element is moved into the filling position.

10. The rail system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cover element is configured as a rigid or semi-rigid flap, tab, plate or sheet;

and/or

wherein the system has a holder mechanism by which the at least one cover element is held in at least one of the first and second positions; and

/or

wherein the at least one cover element is pretensioned into at least one of the first and second positions by a spring element.

11. The rail system according to claim 1, wherein the first panel has a plurality of cover elements which are arranged in a row next to one another along and next to the assembly rail, wherein the assembly rail has a plurality of fastening points arranged at regular intervals, and wherein each cover element is arranged in order to cover a respective fastening point.

12. The rail system according to claim 1, comprising a second panel, such that a surface of the second panel is substantially in the plane with the surface of the first panel.

13. The rail system according to claim 12, wherein the second panel is a second floor panel for arrangement next to and substantially in parallel with both the assembly rail and the first panel on one side of the assembly rail opposite the first panel.

14. The rail system according to claim 1, wherein the assembly rail has a projection for supporting a peripheral region of the first panel, and wherein the at least one cover element is attached to the peripheral region of the first panel.

15. The rail system according to claim 1, wherein the assembly rail comprises a duct for guiding a cabling system, and wherein the at least one cover element also covers the duct in the second position.

16. The rail system according to claim 1, wherein the assembly rail is a seat rail for assembling or fastening a seat in an aircraft, and wherein the first panel is a first floor panel for arrangement next to and substantially in parallel with the assembly rail.

17. An aircraft having a fuselage structure which comprises at least one deck which has a rail system comprising:

an assembly rail;

a first panel; and

at least one cover element which is movable between a first position in or on the first panel and a second position for covering the assembly rail, wherein an upper surface of the at least one cover element in the second position is located substantially in a plane with a surface of the first panel.