Overhead flight crew rest

• US 7,762,496 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Egging, Duane Michael, Seiersen, Doug Jon, Park, James Robert, Kim, Kyong Shik
• Primary Examiner(s): ELDRED, JOHN W
• Application Number:
  US11/541,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20070125909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,394 Days
• Field of Search: 244/118.5, 244/118.6, 105/314, 105/315, 105/316, 296/190.02
• US Class Current: 244/118.5
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00 Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2011/0046 Modular or preassembled units for creating cabin interior structures
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2011/0076 for crew members, e.g. for sleeping during flight
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an aircraft having a fuselage. The fuselage may have a plurality of frame members, a cabin formed within the fuselage, a floor defining a portion of the cabin, a center section of seats disposed on the floor, a crown positioned above a center section of seats, and a crew rest module. The crew rest module may have an entrance module defined by at least two entrance module peripheral walls and having a seating area, and a bunk module being separate from the seating area and being defined by at least three bunk module peripheral walls. The entrance module peripheral walls and the bunk module peripheral walls may be sized to fit through a passenger door of a substantially assembled aircraft.

Claims

1. An aircraft comprising:

an airframe including a fuselage, the fuselage comprising;

a plurality of frame members;

a passenger cabin area formed within the fuselage;

a floor defining a portion of the passenger cabin area;

a center section of seats disposed on the floor; and

a crown positioned above a center section of seats; and

a crew rest module disposed within the fuselage, the crew rest module comprising;

an entrance module defined by at least two entrance module peripheral walls and having a seating area; and

a bunk module being separate from the seating area and being defined by at least three bunk module peripheral walls,

wherein the entrance module peripheral walls and the bunk module peripheral walls are sized to fit through a passenger door leading to the passenger cabin area of the aircraft when the aircraft is substantially assembled.

2. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the seating area further defines an elevated platform structurally coupled to the seating area peripheral walls.

3. The aircraft of claim 2, wherein the seating area elevated platform defines a space for stowage thereunder.

4. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the seating area comprises two seats.

5. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the seating area is supported by at least one of the floor of the fuselage and the frame of the fuselage.

6. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the bunk portion comprises at least two sleeping berths.

7. The aircraft of claim 6, wherein the sleeping berths are side-by-side each having a length of at least about 78 inches, a width of at least about 30 inches, and a volume of at least about 35 square feet.

8. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the bunk portion is positioned above the center section of seats.

9. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the bunk portion is supported by the frame members in the crown of the fuselage.

10. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the fuselage frame members are positioned at about 24-inch intervals.

11. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the bunk portion is supported by at least five frame members in the crown of the fuselage.

12. An aircraft comprising:

an airframe including a fuselage, the fuselage comprising;

a passenger cabin area formed within the fuselage, the passenger cabin area having a plurality of spaced apart seats;

a floor defining a portion of the passenger cabin area;

a crew rest module disposed within the passenger cabin area of the fuselage, the crew rest module comprising;

an entrance module defined by at least two entrance module peripheral walls and having a seat supported on a floor portion of the entrance module, the floor portion being elevated above the floor of the passenger cabin area by a predetermined height; and

a bunk module being separate from, but adjacent to, the entrance module, the bunk module defined by at least three bunk module peripheral walls,

wherein the entrance module peripheral walls and the bunk module peripheral walls are sized to fit through a passenger door of the aircraft leading to the passenger cabin area of the aircraft when the aircraft is substantially assembled.

13. The aircraft of claim 12, wherein the bunk module is disposed at a different elevation within said crew rest module from said entrance module.

14. The aircraft of claim 13, wherein the bunk module is elevationally above the floor of the entrance module.

15. The aircraft of claim 14, further including at least one step disposed adjacent the bunk module for assisting a crew member with ingress and egress between the bunk module and the entrance module.

16. The aircraft of claim 12, wherein the entrance module includes an additional seat positioned adjacent to said seat.

17. The aircraft of claim 16, wherein the seat and the additional seat are mounted to said floor portion of the entrance module so as to be facing in opposite directions.

18. The aircraft of claim 17, further comprising a moveable curtain positioned between the seat and the additional seat.

19. The aircraft of claim 12, wherein the bunk module includes an alternate egress opening to permit egress by a crew member from the bunk module.

20. An aircraft comprising:

a crew rest module disposed within a passenger cabin area of a fuselage of the aircraft, the crew rest module comprising;

an entrance module defined by at least two entrance module peripheral walls and having first and second seats supported on a floor portion of the entrance module, the floor portion being elevated above a floor of the passenger cabin area by a predetermined height to enable placement of a galley cart underneath the floor portion of the entrance module;

a first stairway for assisting with ingress and egress between the floor of the passenger cabin area and the entrance module;

the first and second seats being secured to the floor portion of the entrance module in opposite facing directions and being laterally offset from one another;

a moveable privacy curtain positioned between the first and second seats;

a bunk module being separate from, but adjacent to, the entrance module, the bunk module defined by at least three bunk module peripheral walls;

the bunk module further having a floor portion that is disposed elevationally above a floor portion of the entrance module, the bunk module having dimensions permitting a crew member to repose therein;

a second stairway disposed adjacent the bunk module for assisting a crew member with ingress and egress between the entrance module and the bunk module;

an alternate egress opening forming in the floor portion of the bunk module; and

the entrance module peripheral walls and the bunk module peripheral walls being sized to fit through a passenger cabin door of the aircraft that leads to the passenger cabin area of the aircraft, when the aircraft is substantially assembled.