Safety cabin

The invention relates to a cabin system for an aircraft fuselage, having one or more lining components for interior lining, and optionally one or more cabin equipment components, wherein the lining component can be installed either separately or in combination with a further lining component and/or a cabin equipment component under tension in the aircraft fuselage such that a cabin that is under tension in the circumferential direction and attaches to the aircraft fuselage is defined. In this manner a passenger cabin configured as a closed safety cell is created in a fuselage, which is of particular advantage in an aircraft fuselage made of a fiber composite material because no splinters or the like can penetrate the self-supporting passenger cabin in case of damage to the same.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a cabin system for an aircraft fuselage, comprising one or several lining components for lining the interior, and optionally comprising one or several cabin equipment components.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Such cabin systems are well known. Usually in known cabin systems the lining components or all cabin components, respectively, are primarily attached to the external structure of an aircraft, which at present is usually still predominantly made of aluminium. In the development of modern aircraft fuselages comprising fibre composite materials, for example CFP (carbon-fibre reinforced plastic), passenger comfort also requires interior linings whose attachment is planned for use with the same or a similar technique. However, a fuselage comprising such composite materials needs to meet requirements that differ from those of an aluminium fuselage. In the case of damage occurring as a result of impact a CFP fuselage does not deform, but instead splinters or fragments. For this reason it must be ensured that splintered or fragmented material does not penetrate the passenger cabin of the aircraft. Conventional cabin concepts do not provide any help in this context, because they are designed to cope with easily controllable metal fuselages. The integration of an interior lining or cabin, which safely resists penetration of splinters or fragments from the outside, into an aircraft fuselage made from CFP or similar materials requires that said interior lining essentially provides a closed safety cell. In the case of damage to the fuselage no foreign objects must enter the cabin, thus potentially injuring passengers in the cabin.

From EP 0 279 620 B1 a self-contained interior lining for an aircraft fuselage is known, which is, however, in particular designed to reduce noise exposure in the interior of the passenger cabin. In this arrangement the proposed interior lining has several interconnected components that comprise a honeycomb structure with additional insulation material. This cocoon design is implemented with the use of a multitude of panels that adjoin each other and that in each case are attached to several positions on the aircraft fuselage. This design is associated with a disadvantage in that a multitude of connection elements need to be affixed within the aircraft fuselage, to which connection elements the panels are fixed. This is extremely unfavourable in a CFP fuselage, because such connection elements involve very considerable integration expenditure, are difficult to repair, and reduce the mechanical quality of the preferably smooth surfaces of the fuselage.

PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION

It is thus the object of the invention to reduce or entirely eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages. In particular, it is the object of the invention to propose an interior lining or a cabin for an aircraft fuselage, which interior lining or cabin provides a self-contained safety cell against the ingress of damaged, i.e. splintered or fragmented, fuselage material, which interior lining or cabin can in a particularly easy manner be integrated in the aircraft fuselage. In this context the notion of easy installation denotes that the smallest possible number of connection elements in the interior of the aircraft fuselage are required to attach the interior lining.

As stated in claim1, this object is met by a cabin system for an aircraft fuselage, comprising one or several lining components for lining the interior, and optionally comprising one or several cabin equipment components, wherein the lining component can be installed under tension in the aircraft fuselage either separately or combined with a further lining component and/or a cabin equipment component in such a manner that a cabin that is under tension in circumferential direction and that fixes itself to the aircraft fuselage is defined.

By means of such a cabin system according to the invention a particularly safe cabin can be constructed that comprises characteristics of a safety cell. All the components used can be combined and can be tensioned among one another so that they conform to the contour of the fuselage and affix themselves to the fuselage without the need to provide a multitude of connection elements and openings. In particular in the case of aircraft fuselages made from fibre composite materials this results in a continuous and advantageous fibre alignment of structural elements, which in turn results in improved mechanical strength and quality and also ensures that splintering or fragmenting material cannot enter the cabin through a safe cabin wall that is structurally self-contained even if the fuselage is damaged. In addition, costs of components and installation are reduced because installation can be carried out more quickly because there are no longer any separate connection elements. Moreover, the cabin that comprises such lining components according to the invention is of a particularly low-maintenance character because no attachment elements or tools are required for its installation or deinstallation. In an ideal case the attachment principle is invisible to passengers, and no component requires deinstallation of other components.

Advantageous embodiments of this invention are provided in the subordinate claims.

Below, the invention is explained in more detail with reference to the figures. In the figures the same reference characters are used for identical objects.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1ashows a cross section of an aircraft fuselage2into which a cabin4is integrated. The cabin4comprises ceiling lining components6and8, overhead bins (also known as hatracks)10,12and14, lateral lining components16and18, supply ducts20and22, as well as a cabin floor24. These elements4to24together define at least one section of a passenger cabin in the form of a closed safety cell.

The above-mentioned components preferably comprise an impact-resistant material, for example glass-fibre reinforced plastic (GFP) or a similar laminate comprising aramid fibres. The strength of the material can be increased by providing additional intermediate layers comprising Kevlar. The material is, in particular, suitable to resist impacts of splinters or fragments of the fuselage material.

In this diagram the two lateral overhead bins10and14are each hooked into frame elements30by an upper end26and28, and are each detachably locked into place in the frame elements30by means of a lower end32and34. As a result of this the overhead bins10and14are mechanically firmly connected to the structure of the aircraft fuselage2. The ceiling lining components8and6connect to the upper ends of the overhead bins10and14, wherein the outer edge, in this view, of said ceiling lining components8and6is inserted in the overhead bin10or14, while their respective other edge, which points towards the interior of the cabin, is inserted into the upper overhead bin12.

The upper overhead bin12is hooked into a ceiling beam36in a manner similar to an aerial cableway. The ceiling beam36in turn is attached to the frame elements30at the top of the cabin4and protrudes essentially vertically from the fuselage surface into the cabin4.

In each case the lower ends of the overhead bins10and14connect to the lateral lining components16and18. These lateral lining components16and18are inserted in the overhead bins10and14by their upper edges, and are held in or on the supply ducts20and22by their lower edges. The supply ducts20and22are firmly connected to the frame elements30; they provide ducts for all types of line systems, for example water, air, electricity and the like. At their respective lower ends the supply ducts20and22form the border of the lateral lining of the cabin and adjoin the floor24. Within the passenger cabin4, seats33can be placed entirely variably, by means of modular division, and independently of other cabin equipment components, wherein lateral seats33can be attached to the supply ducts20and22by way of seat adapters35. Seat electronic devices can be supplied with data and electricity by means of lines, wherein said data and electricity are provided by way of the supply ducts20and22. Furthermore, all the structural components of the aircraft fuselage2become interconnectable by way of the supply ducts20and22so that there is no longer a need to provide passenger seat rails for this purpose.

With this design it is possible to provide a passenger cabin in the form of a closed safety cell in an aircraft fuselage2without arranging a multitude of attachment elements or connection elements on the aircraft fuselage. The otherwise commonly used holding arrangement of the lining components6,8,16and18in separate holding devices on the frame elements30is not required because in the cabin system according to the invention all the lining components6,8,16and18are only plugged in.

Installation of the lining components6,8,16and18takes place with the overhead bins10and14hooked in, but with their lower ends32and34not yet locked into place in the frame elements30. Due to gravity, the lower ends32and34of the hooked-in overhead bins are clearly spaced apart from the frame elements30when the overhead bins are hooked in. Consequently it is easy to insert the lateral lining components16and18in the respective supply ducts20and22as well as in the lower ends of the overhead bins10and14. By locking into place the overhead bins10and14, the clearance between the lower ends32and34of the overhead bins10and14and the respective supply ducts20and22that are arranged underneath the former is reduced, so that after locking into place the overhead bins10and14the lateral lining components16and18are radially tensioned and as a result of this push against the frame elements30so that affixation of the lining components16and18to the aircraft fuselage2takes place.

In order to provide the best possible sound insulation and thermal insulation, the lining components and the cabin fitting and fitment components, i.e. in this exemplary case the overhead bins10,12and14, can comprise insulation materials that are affixed to the surfaces that face the fuselage2.

An advantageous materials design of the lining components6,8,16and18as well as of the overhead bins10,12and14could—as shown inFIG. 1b—for example comprise a honeycomb core37that can be made from aluminium sheet, foamed aluminium or Duroplast. Preferably, on each side of the honeycomb core37there is an adhesive layer39, which in each case on its face pointing away from the honeycomb core37comprises an end layer comprising a planar thermoplastic laminate41. A material composed in this manner can be altered by treatment in an autoclave to such an extent that the thermoplastic layers41and the honeycomb core37interconnect so that the thermoplastic layers41form uniform indentations43of approximately hexagonal shape which protrude into the individual honeycombs of the honeycomb core37. This results in a highly rigid, load-bearing, light-weight material for the cabin components presented.

FIG. 2ashows an example of an option of hooking the middle overhead bin12into a ceiling beam36. On its side facing the cabin4this ceiling beam36comprises, for example, a U-profile38, whose opening points towards the cabin ceiling. A corresponding downward-pointing profile section40can be hooked into this U-profile38, which profile section40is attached to the overhead bin12. As a result of this the overhead bin12is safely suspended from the ceiling beam36and for this reason forms a suitable counter bearing for the ceiling lining components6and8.FIG. 2ashows only the right-hand part of the overhead bin12, as an example, which overhead bin12comprises a collar42into which the right-hand ceiling lining component6can be inserted by its edge that faces the ceiling beam36.

The corresponding opposite edge of the ceiling lining6is inserted into a corresponding collar44of the overhead bin14, as is shown inFIG. 2b. The exemplary illustration ofFIG. 2bshows that the collar44will be spaced apart from the collar42by a greater distance—if the overhead bin14, by way of a projection43, is only hooked into a recess45of the frame element30—than is the case with the lower end34locked into place. Consequently, with the overhead bin14only hooked in, a ceiling lining component6can preferably be clamped easily between the collars42and44, and, when the lower end34of the overhead bin is locked in place in the frame element30, is tensioned in such a manner that it bulges towards the fuselage ceiling, thus assuming the defined ceiling shape of the cabin4.

FIG. 3ashows a lower end34of the overhead bin14, whose edge in this illustration, as an example, shows a point46that is arrow-shaped in cross section or that comprises such a profile which corresponds to a correspondingly-shaped recess48in the frame element30. Furthermore, at the lower end34of the overhead bin14there is a shoulder50into which the right-hand lateral lining component18clamps.

The edge of the lateral lining component18, which edge is opposite said end34, in turn is clamped into a recess52of the supply duct20that is situated on the right-hand side of the cabin4on the floor24.

A cabin4according to the invention is not limited to the installations shown. Instead, a cabin4according to the invention can be designed to incorporate any imaginable cabin equipment components that are required in a modern aircraft. Apart from the normal lining components or overhead bin installations this also includes, for example, toilets and galleys. The installations or monuments can in conjunction with the lining components be of modular design in circumferential direction or radially, and can be combined as desired. The essential point consists of a radially-closed surface resulting, which surface defines a cabin4that is designed as a safety cell. Furthermore, it may be required and sensible to use lining components only to define a closed cabin4. For this reason the lining components should comprise devices in the form of collars42and44or other positive-locking elements, similar to the overhead bins10and14shown as examples. Larger tolerances of the lining components used can be compensated for by correspondingly generously designed positive-locking elements.

If individual lining components and/or cabin equipment components are lined up in longitudinal direction so as to join, it is sensible for any lines to be led through the aircraft fuselage2to be integrated in the cabin components. This results, in particular, in the aircraft fuselage2, which is made from a fibre composite material, not to have to assume this function, and thus provides enhanced mechanical strength and quality. In this context it is advantageous if in particular the ceiling beam36and the supply ducts20and22are used for routing essentially all the lines. In this arrangement cabin components or cabin modules that comprise lining components and cabin equipment components according to the invention are to be interconnected, preferably by way of standardised or identical interfaces for all the types of lines that are present, and are to be sealed off from each other by means of seals that are closed on both sides and that are installable from one side.

Lastly, as a supplement or as an alternative to thermal or acoustic insulation between the fuselage2and the surfaces of all the installations that face the fuselage2, a soft filler material, for example an adhesive compound that optionally is electrically conductive, could be used as a lightning protection device or a potential feedback device. In addition, lining the cargo compartment by means of installations according to the invention, for example lateral lining components and other lining components, is imaginable and sensible.

By means of the cabin system according to the invention a cabin that is designed as a closed safety cell can be provided which comprises safe operation, a high degree of modularity, low maintenance, good safety and great variability, and due to its modularity is also particularly future-oriented.