Method and system for the voltage supply of aircraft cabin modules

• US 8,212,381 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2010
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Riedel, Christian, Berkhahn, Sven-Olaf, Bauer, Hans-Achim
• Primary Examiner(s): KAPLAN, HAL IRA
• Application Number:
  US12/759,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20100264727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 307/1, 307/3, 307/4
• US Class Current: 307/3
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2011/0046 Modular or preassembled units for creating cabin interior structures
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/001 Hot plugging or unplugging of load or power modules to or from power distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/082 Plural DC voltage, e.g. DC supply voltage with at least two different DC voltage levels
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00028 involving the use of Internet protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00036 the elements or equipment being or involving switches, relays or circuit breakers circuits for indication of single switches H01H9/167
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/44 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5416 by adding signals to the wave form of the power source
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/545 Audio/video application, e.g. interphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/548 the power on the line being DC arrangements for feeding power H04L12/10; extracting feeding power from signals H04L25/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission

Abstract

System and method for the voltage supply of aircraft cabin modules (1). An electric supply voltage and an additive data signal are transmitted via a cable (3). The aircraft cabin modules (1) have a connection plug (2) for plugging onto the cable (3) and an isolating circuit (5), which isolates the transmitted supply voltage from the data signal.

Claims

1. An aircraft cabin module, comprising:

(a) a connection plug for connecting a cable having at least one electric data line and a sheath for electromagnetic shielding;

(b) an isolating circuit for isolating a data signal from a direct supply voltage transmitted via the electric data line, the isolating circuit comprising two isolating transformers connected via a throttle for signal suppression to the connection plug, wherein the direct supply voltage and the data signal are additively superimposed on the direct supply voltage and are transmitted via the electric data line of the cable, and wherein the direct supply voltage is switchable over between various voltage levels; and

(c) a decoding/coding unit for connecting to an aircraft server.

2. The aircraft cabin module according to claim 1, further comprising an interface for configuring the amplitude of the direct supply voltage transmitted via the electric data line.

3. The aircraft cabin module according to claim 1, wherein the cable comprises at least one electric data feed line and at least one electric return data line.

4. The aircraft cabin module according to claim 1, wherein the aircraft cabin module is at least one of a passenger supply unit or a cabin illumination unit.

5. The aircraft cabin module according to claim 1, wherein the aircraft cabin module is serially linkable via the cable to further aircraft cabin modules to form an aircraft cabin module chain.

6. The aircraft cabin module according to claim 5, wherein an aircraft cabin module chain is connected to the decoding/coding unit.

7. The aircraft cabin module according to claim 1, wherein the direct supply voltage is fed in at the decoding/coding unit.

8. The aircraft cabin module according to claim 1, wherein the voltage levels of the direct supply voltage have one of a normal direct voltage level, an emergency direct voltage level, or a high direct voltage level.

9. The aircraft cabin module according to claim 8, wherein the normal direct voltage level is one of 28V or 42V.

10. The aircraft cabin module according to claim 1, wherein the cable is laid in a supply duct of an aircraft.

11. The aircraft cabin module according to claim 1, wherein the isolating transformers each comprise a primary coil connected via a throttle to the connection plug and a secondary coil.

12. The aircraft cabin module according to claim 11, wherein the transmitted direct supply voltage for the voltage supply of the aircraft cabin module is tappable at a central tap of the primary coils of the isolating transformers.

13. The aircraft cabin module according to claim 12, wherein the two central taps of the primary coils of the isolating transformers are connected to a bridge rectifier circuit.

14. The aircraft cabin module according to claim 1, wherein the aircraft cabin module is in one of a plugged mode or an unplugged mode during running operation by the connection plug.

15. A network with a plurality of the aircraft cabin modules according to claim 1, comprising serially connected aircraft cabin modules connected to one another via the cable.

16. A method for the voltage supply of at least one aircraft cabin module comprising the steps of:

additively superimposing a data signal on a direct supply voltage received by the aircraft cabin module via an electric data line of a cable having electromagnetic shielding;

separating the direct supply voltage from the superimposed data signal in a decoding/coding unit; and

switching the direct supply voltage via two isolating transformers connected via a throttle for signal suppression to the connection plug over between various voltage levels.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the amplitude of the direct supply voltage transmitted via the electric data line is configured via an interface of the aircraft cabin module.