Pivot mechanism for quick installation of stowage bins or rotating items

A pivot assembly is provided including a first pivot boss having an engagement extension and a first race element having a central race socket. A central engagement bushing is rotatably secured within the central race socket and includes an engagement chamber adapted to removably engage the engagement extension. The central engagement bushing allows the first race element to rotate relative to the first pivot boss while remaining longitudinally engaged to the first fixed pivot boss.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to a pivot mechanism and more particularly to a pivot mechanism allowing for the quick installation of aircraft stowage bins or similar rotating items.

BACKGROUND

Industrial design considerations must consider a wide range of manufacturing and assembly concerns. Not the least of which involves the final assembly of individual components into a final product assembly. Complex designs may, in turn, result in complex assembly procedures. Complex procedures may lead to undesirably high cost increases due to labor costs. Complex assembly procedures may also decrease the precision of part assembly with a resultant decrease in fit-and-finish.

Thus, the nature of industrial design is often that it favors simplicity over complex assemblies. Such is the case in aircraft interiors. Aircraft interiors must withstand considerable use and abuse from consumers throughout the lifespan of the aircraft. Active functioning items must remain functioning in a safe and reliable fashion and must be easily removed and replaced when such functioning is impaired. All this should be accomplished with a requisite minimum of time and effort to fully realize cost savings.

In particular, one region of an aircraft interior known to pose challenges to such desired efficiencies are the overhead storage bins. This bins are heavily used and often abused during flights. Often passengers considerably overload them. This abuse in combination with their position within the aircraft often leads to complex fastener assemblies requiring tools to facilitate installation or removal. An installation assembly with reduced complexity and one that alleviated the need for tooling would simplify assembly, reduce assembly costs, allow for simplified replacement of damaged storage bins, and would reduce assembly timelines.

It would therefore be highly desirable to have a pivot mechanism that allowed for the quick installation of aircraft storage bins. It would also be highly desirable for such a pivot mechanism to allow for simplified bin removal for repair or replacement.

SUMMARY

A pivot assembly with quick installation characteristics is provided. Further, an aircraft bin assembly that can be even more inexpensively and more efficiently installed and removed without complex tooling procedures is provided.

A pivot assembly is provided including a first pivot boss having an engagement extension and a first race element having a central race socket. A central engagement bushing is rotatably secured within the central race socket and includes an engagement chamber adapted to removably engage the engagement extension. The central engagement bushing allows the first race element to rotate relative to the first pivot boss while remaining longitudinally engaged to the first fixed pivot boss.

Other features of the present disclosure will become apparent when viewed in light of the detailed description and preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings and claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now toFIG. 1which is an illustration of an aircraft interior10in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The aircraft interior10includes an aircraft bin assembly12wherein passengers may store carry-on baggage and airline crew may store blankets and other sundries. The aircraft bin assembly12is comprised of an airline interior overhead structure14and a plurality of overhead bin elements16. The overhead bin elements16are rotatably mounted to the aircraft interior overhead structure14such that they can be rotated between a bin closed position18and a bin open position20(seeFIG. 3).

The present disclosure provides not only a unique and novel approach to such rotatable mounting, but provides improvements to installation and removal of an overhead bin element16from the aircraft interior overhead structure14. This is accomplished through the use of a unique pivot assembly22as shown inFIGS. 2–7. A pair of such pivot assemblies22may be utilized on each bin element16and overhead structure14interface. Alternately, a single pivot assembly22may be used in combination with an alternate rotational mount to reduce complexity.

Each pivot assembly22is comprised of a first pivot boss24having a fixed boss mounting base26. An engagement extension28protrudes from the fixed boss mounting base26or from the interior overhead structure14. The fixed pivot boss24may, in fact, be simply formed as a portion of the interior overhead structure14. The fixed boss mounting base26includes a plurality of boss mounting bores30by which the first pivot boss24may be fixedly mounted to the aircraft interior overhead structure14or alternately the overhead bin element16. Although the engagement extension28may be formed in a variety of shapes, it is contemplated that it is shaped to fixedly engage an engagement chamber32formed within a central engagement bushing34such that upon insertion into the engagement chamber32, the engagement extension28is restrained from axial separation. One particular embodiment illustrated contemplates a t-shaped cross-sectional engagement extension28matched with a t-shaped cross-sectional gap36.

The central engagement bushing34is rotatably engaged to a first race element38. The first race element38includes a fixed race mounting base40suitable for fixed mounting to the overhead bin element16or alternately the overhead structure14by way of a plurality of race mounting bores39. The first race element38includes a circular wall42extending from the fixed race mounting base39and forming a central race socket44. The central engagement bushing34is rotatably secured within the central race socket44. This is preferably accomplished by inserting the central engagement bushing34through an assembly opening46formed in the rear surface48of the first race element38. An upper flange50formed on the circular wall42and flanged inwardly traps the central engagement bushing34within the central race socket44once the fixed race mounting base39is mounted. An upper extension notch51may be formed on the engagement extension28to prevent interference with the upper flange50. A lower bushing flange52maybe additionally formed on the central engagement bushing34and adapted to correspond to an outward chamfer54formed at the assembly opening46to provide a dual rotational guide.

In order for the engagement extension28to be insertable and removable from the engagement chamber32when the central engagement bushing34is positioned within the central race socket44, the circular wall42preferably includes an entry gap56through which the engagement extension28may pass. An outwardly flanged entrance guide58may be formed as an extension of the circular wall42to provide a guide for inserting the engagement extension28into the central race socket44and there into the engagement chamber32. As the engagement chamber32does not pass entirely through the central engagement bushing34, the engagement extension28is only insertable or removable from a single orientation when the engagement chamber32is aligned with the entry gap56(referred to as the installation position60—seeFIG. 4). The central engagement bushing34is preferably biased into the installation position60to facilitate easy assembly. This may be accomplished through a variety of known methods such as weights, springs, or similar biasing methodologies.

After mounting of the first pivot boss24to the aircraft interior overhead structure14and the fixed race element38to the overhead bin element16, the overhead bin element16is raised into a pre-install position62positioned directly above the engagement extension28(seeFIG. 4). It is lowered along arrow62into the installation position (FIG. 3) wherein the engagement extension28is guided into the engagement chamber32. The overhead bin element16can then be rotated into a range of operating positions66(seeFIG. 2). As the engagement extension28can only be removed in the installation position60, the pivot assembly22becomes rotationally secured as an assembly throughout the range of operating positions66. The overhead bin element16can be raised, therefore, into the bin open position20and prevented from unintentional movement back into the installation position60by way of at least one stop element68formed on the overhead bin element16and engaging the aircraft interior overhead structure14. Although a particular stop element68has been described, a wide variety of stop elements68and relative positioning thereof would be obvious in light of the present disclosure. Similarly, a variety of latch assemblies70may be used to secure the overhead bin element16into the bin closed position18.

The present disclosure, thereby, provides a unique pivot assembly22that allows assembly of the aircraft bin assembly12without the need for tooling or complex procedures. Similarly, the overhead bin elements16may be removed simply by forcing the stop elements68past the bin open position20. The present invention therefore simplifies and improves bin assembly design and assembly.

While the present disclosure has been described in connection with one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that the specific mechanisms and techniques which have been described are merely illustrative of the principles of the disclosure, numerous modifications may be made to the methods and apparatus described without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.