Cabin service arrangement, fuselage of an aircraft, a method of effecting a cabin attendant call

• US 9,327,146 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2013
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zodiac Aerotechnics
• Original Assignee: Zodiac Aerotechnics
• Inventors: Rittner, Wolfgang, Hollm, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haile, Benyam
• Application Number:
  US13/896,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20140002279A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 244/118.5, 340 71- 763, 340/971, 362/471, 725/77
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 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 2231/00 Emergency oxygen systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2231/02 Supply or distribution systems
• 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

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 initializable 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 interface for operating the lighting unit, wherein

the at least one interface is associated with;

an initiating unit for activation of the lighting unit; and

a deactivation unit for deactivation of the light projection, wherein the deactivation of the light projection is initiated 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,

and wherein;

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

the illumination outside of the seat row and outside of the occupation area of the seat row is controllable by an external service unit,

the deactivation of the light projection is effectable from outside of the seat row and outside of the occupation area of the seat row, and

the projection spot is located outside of the seat row and outside of the occupation area of the seat row in a volume area between a gangway and a ceiling above the gangway, wherein the projection spot is located on at least one of a fixed spot location and a movable spot location.

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

3. The 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, and wherein the illumination comprises one or more lighting effects selected from the group consisting of:

a light sign, a highlighter, and a light pattern, wherein the illumination may vary in at least one of color, intensity and place of spot as a function of time.

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

5. The cabin service arrangement according to claim 1 wherein information of the passenger seat for providing the illumination outside of the seat row and outside of an occupation area of the seat row is stored by at least one of a control unit and an initiating unit assigned to at least one seat.

6. The cabin service arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the projection spot is supported by a fixed spot location in the form of at least one of a floor lighting and a movable spot location in the form of a service platform.

7. The cabin service arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the illumination outside of the seat row and outside of an occupation area of the seat row marks a cabin zone.

8. The 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 attendant call.

9. The cabin service arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the illumination outside of the seat row and outside of an occupation area of the seat row is deactivatable by of the initiating unit itself.

10. The cabin service arrangement according to claim 8 wherein the external service unit is adapted to handle information of illumination outside of the seat row for other service devices.

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

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

14. The cabin service arrangement according to claim 6 wherein the service platform is a trolley, a tablet, or a service personal item.

13. 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 comprising a lighting unit for providing a light projection and at least one interface for operating the lighting unit, wherein

the at least one 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,

wherein;

the illumination is projected to a projection spot outside of the seat row and outside of an occupation area of the seat row, and the illumination outside of the seat row and outside of the occupation area of the seat row is controllable by an external service unit,

the deactivation of the light projection is effected from outside of the seat row and outside of the occupation area of the seat row, and

the projection spot is located in a volume area between a gangway and a ceiling above the gangway, wherein the projection spot is located on at least one of a fixed spot location and a movable spot location.

15. 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 interface for operating the lighting unit, wherein the at least one 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 of the light projection is initiated 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,

and wherein;

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

the illumination outside of the seat row and outside of an occupation area of the seat row is controllable by an external service unit;

the deactivation of the light projection is effectable from outside of the seat row; and

the projection spot is located in a volume area between a gangway and a ceiling above the gangway, wherein the projection spot is supported by a movable spot location in the form of a service platform.