Seat power outlets integrated into floor

• US 7,063,562 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2004
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Henley, James T, Grether, Martin, Frantz, Forrest
• Primary Examiner(s): HYEON, HAE M
• Application Number:
  US10/921,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20060038070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 439/34, 439/502, 439/550, 439544-545, 439/535, 439214-215, 174/48, 280/422, D13/139.4
• US Class Current: 439/502
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/18 Floors
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0624 Arrangements of electrical connectors, e.g. for earphone, internet or electric supply
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0696 Means for fastening seats to floors, e.g. to floor rails
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/164 Connecting locations formed by flush mounted apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/38 the cables or lines being installed in preestablished conduits or ducts

Abstract

A cabling system and method for providing access to electrical power and/or data communications onboard a mobile platform is provided. A plurality of lower connectors are attached to a bottom side of a plurality of mobile platform floor panels. Each lower connector includes at least one lower connector coupling contact that is connected to a lower connector signal conduit. The lower connector signal conduits convey either electrical signals or data signals between each lower connector coupling contact and a signal source and/or a signal receiver. A plurality of upper connectors removably mate with the lower connectors. Each upper connector includes at least one upper connector coupling contact that removably couples with the lower connector coupling contact(s) of the mated lower connector. A plurality of upper connector signal conduits are connected to the upper connector coupling contacts and detachably connect to at least one user connection port and/or at least one seat electrical unit (SEU) accessible by a passenger seated in a passenger cabin of the mobile platform. Thus, a transmission path for the electrical and/or data signals is provided between the lower connectors and the user connection ports and/or the SEU'"'"'s when the upper connectors are mated with the lower connectors.

Claims

1. A cabling system for a mobile platform, said system comprising:

a lower wiring harness including a lower connector attached to a bottom side of a mobile platform floor panel, the lower wiring harness connectable with a second lower wiring harness; and

an upper wiring harness including an upper connector connectable with the lower connector, the upper wiring harness connectable with a user connection port associated with a passenger seat adjacent a top side of the floor panel to thereby provide a transmission path for at least one of electrical signals and data signals between the lower wiring harness and the user connection port.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the upper wiring harness is connectable to a seat electronics unit (SEU) that is connected to the user connection port.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the lower wiring harness comprises:

the lower connector including at least one lower connector coupling contact; and

at least one lower signal conduit connected to the lower connector coupling contact for conveying the signals between the lower connector coupling contact and at least one of a signal source and a signal receiver.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the upper wiring harness comprises:

the upper connector adapted to removably mate with the lower connector, the upper connector includes at least one upper connector coupling contact adapted to removably couple with the lower connector coupling contact when the upper connector is mated with the lower connector; and

at least one upper signal conduit connected to the upper connector coupling contact for conveying the signals between the upper connector coupling contact and at least one of the user connection port and the SEU.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the lower connector is adapted to attach to the bottom side of the floor panel aligning with an aperture in the floor panel such that the lower connector coupling contact is accessible from the top side of the floor panel.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the upper connector is adapted to attach to the top side of the floor panel such that the upper connector mates with the lower connector and the upper coupling contact couples with the lower coupling contact through the aperture.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the lower connector is adapted to:

attach to the bottom side of the floor panel such that at least a portion of the lower connector extends into an aperture located along an edge of the floor panel; and

mate with the upper connector at a side of the lower connector that is coplanar with the edge of the floor panel.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the lower connector is adapted to:

attach to the bottom side of the floor panel adjacent an edge of the floor panel; and

mate with the upper connector at a side of the lower connector that is coplanar with the edge of the floor panel.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the electrical signals comprise electrical current for providing electrical power to at least one of the user connection port and the SEU.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the data signals comprise at least one of electrical data signals and optical data signals.

11. A method for providing access to at least one of electrical power and data communications on board a mobile platform, said method comprising:

attaching a plurality of lower connectors to a plurality of mobile platform floor panels such that a bottom side of each floor panel has at least one lower connector attached thereto, each lower connector includes at least one lower connector coupling contact, wherein

each lower connector has a lower connector signal conduit extending from a lower connector back side and connected to the lower connector coupling contact, the lower connector signal conduits are linked together such that the lower connectors are linked together, the lower connector signal conduits convey at least one of electrical signals and data signals between each lower connector coupling contact and at least one of a signal source and a signal receiver; and

removably mating a plurality of upper connectors with the lower connectors, each upper connector includes at least one upper connector coupling contact that removably couples with the lower connector coupling contact when the lower and upper connectors are mated, wherein

each upper connector has an upper connector signal conduit extending from an upper connector back side and connected to the upper connector coupling contact, each upper connector signal conduit is connectable to at least one of a user connection port and a seat electrical unit (SEU) associated with one of a plurality of passenger seat groups located adjacent a top side of the floor panels to thereby provide a transmission path for the signals between the lower connectors and the at least one of the user connection port and the SEU of each passenger seat group when the upper connectors are mated with the lower connectors.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises attaching each lower connector to the bottom side of the respective floor panel aligning with an aperture in the respective floor panel such that each lower connector coupling contact is accessible from the top side of the respective floor panel.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein attaching each lower connector comprises attaching each lower connector to the bottom side of the respective floor panel such that at least a portion of each lower connector extends into each respective aperture.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein removably mating the upper connectors with the lower connectors comprises attaching the upper connectors to the top side of the floor panels such that the upper connectors mate with the lower connectors and the upper coupling contacts couple with the lower coupling contacts through the apertures.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein removably mating the upper connectors with the lower connectors comprises providing a barrier against moisture penetrating the mated upper and lower connectors by including a flange around an upper edge of each upper connector.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein providing a barrier against moisture comprises positioning an O-ring under each flange.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein attaching each lower connector comprises:

attaching each lower connector to the bottom side of the respective floor panel such that at least a portion of the lower connector extends into an aperture located along an edge of the respective floor panel; and

mating the lower connectors with the upper connectors at a side of the lower connectors that is coplanar with the edge of the respective floor panels.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein attaching each lower connector comprises:

attaching the lower connectors to the bottom side of the respective floor panel adjacent an edge of the respective floor panel; and

mating the lower connectors with the upper connectors at a side of each lower connector that is coplanar with the edge of the respective floor panel.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the electrical signals comprise electrical current for providing electrical power to at least one of the user connection ports and the SEUs.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the data signals comprise at least one of electrical data signals and optical data signals.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises reducing the penetration of moisture into the lower connectors by form drip loops in the lower connector signal conduits between the lower connectors.

22. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises substantially preventing moisture from entering the upper connectors by inserting a moisture seal around an upper conduit access hole in each upper connector.

23. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises substantially preventing moisture from entering the lower connectors by inserting a moisture seal around an lower conduit access hole in each lower connector.

24. A signal distribution system for a mobile platform, said system comprising:

a plurality of lower connectors attached to a plurality of mobile platform floor panels such that a bottom side of each floor panel has at least one lower connector attached thereto, each lower connector comprises at least one lower connector coupling contact;

a plurality of lower connector signal conduits connected to the lower connector coupling contacts and linked together such that the lower connectors are linked together, the lower connector signal conduits are adapted to convey at least one of electrical signals and data signals between each lower connector coupling contact and at least one of a signal source and a signal receiver;

a plurality of upper connectors adapted to removably mate with the lower connectors, each upper connector comprises at least one upper connector coupling contact adapted to removably couple with the lower connector coupling contact of the mated lower connector; and

a plurality of upper connector signal conduits, each upper connector signal conduit connected to the upper connector coupling contact of one upper connector and connectable to at least one of;

at least one user connection port, and

at least one seat electronics unit (SEU),

wherein, the connection port and the SEU are associated with one of a plurality of passenger seat groups located adjacent a top side of the floor panels to thereby provide a transmission path for the signals between the lower connectors and at least one of the user connection port and the SEU of each passenger seat group when the upper connectors are mated with the lower connectors.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein each lower connector is attached to the bottom side of the respective floor panel aligning with an aperture in the respective floor panel such that each lower connector coupling contact is accessible from the top side of the respective floor panel.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein at least a portion of each lower connector extends into each respective aperture.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the upper connectors are adapted to attach to the top side of the floor panels such that the upper connectors mate with the lower connectors and the upper coupling contacts couple with the lower coupling contacts through the apertures.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein each upper connector includes a flange around an upper edge to provide a barrier against moisture penetrating the mated upper and lower connectors.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein each upper connector includes an o-ring positioned under the flange to further provide a barrier against moisture penetrating the mated upper and lower connectors.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein each lower connector is adapted to:

attach to the bottom side of the respective floor panel such that at least a portion of the lower connector extends into an aperture located along an edge of the respective floor panel; and

mate with the upper connectors at a side of the lower connectors that is coplanar with the edge of the respective floor panels.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein each lower connector is adapted to:

attach to the bottom side of the respective floor panel adjacent an edge of the respective floor panel; and

mate with the upper connectors at a side of each lower connector that is coplanar with the edge of the respective floor panel.

32. The system of claim 24, wherein the electrical signals comprise electrical current for providing electrical power to at least one of the user connection port and the SEU.

33. The system of claim 24, wherein the data signals comprise at least one of electrical data signals and optical data signals.

34. The system of claim 24, wherein the lower connector signal conduits are adapted to form drip loops between the lower connectors to minimize the penetration of moisture into the lower connectors.

35. The system of claim 24, wherein each upper connector includes a moisture seal around an upper conduit access hole in each upper connector to prevent moisture from entering the upper connectors.

36. The system of claim 24, wherein each lower connector includes a moisture seal around a lower conduit access hole in each lower connector to prevent moisture from entering the lower connectors.

37. The system of claim 24, wherein the upper connector signal conduits comprise flat ribbon cables.

38. The system of claim 24, wherein the lower connector signal conduits are substantially permanently linked together.

39. The system of claim 24, wherein the lower connector signal conduits are detachably linked together.

40. A method for providing access to at least one of electrical power and data communications on board a mobile platform, said method comprising:

attaching a lower connector of a lower wiring harness to a mobile platform floor panel, the lower wiring harness being connectable with a second lower wiring harness; and

removably mating an upper connector of an upper wiring harness with the lower connector, the upper wiring harness connectable with a user connection port associated with a passenger seat adjacent a top side of the floor panel to thereby provide a transmission path for at least one of electrical signals and data signals between the lower wiring harness and the user connection port.