Safety arrangement for overhead luggage bins in aircraft passenger cabins

Abstract: This invention relates to the provision of a safety arrangement for preventing articles from being accidentally or unintentionally displaced from an overhead bin for hand luggage, such as are to be found in the passenger cabin of an aircraft. Accordingly this invention provides an aircraft cabin luggage bin (2) having the shape of a closed box and with a front door panel (1) which lifts to open, the front panel being hinged at or towards its upper generally horizontal edge, there being provided behind the upwardly and outwardly pivoting front door panel of such a bin, a second upwardly and outwardly pivoting visor (11) which firstly has catch means (13) which require to be released before the visor can be raised, and secondly the visor is formed, over the major part of its area, of material which is transparent and enables objects stowed away behind the visor to be seen.

Description: This invention relates to the provision of a safety arrangement for preventing articles from being accidentally or unintentionally displaced from an overhead bin for hand luggage, such as are to be found in the passenger cabin of an aircraft, such bin having the shape of a closed box, with a front door panel which lifts outwardly and upwardly to open, the front panel being hinged at or towards its upper generally horizontal edge. When the front door panel of such a bin is opened by being raised, articles such as heavy brief cases or even bottles are liable to fall out inadvertently, causing the risk of injury to a passenger seated or standing nearby. A secondary transparent barrier for a luggage locker having the shape of a closed box is known from DE-A 2 545 385 in which a single transparent secondary barrier located behind a main locker door opens to uncover the load space by moving outwardly and downwardly, the secondary barrier and the main locker door each having separate catch means, whereby after the main locker door has been opened the secondary barrier requires deliberate unlocking of its catch means before it can be opened. In DE-A 0 318 711 (published 7th June 1989 and thus falling under Article 54(3)EPC), behind the main, upwardly opening door panel of a luggage bin, there is a single safety barrier of transparent material which masks a part of the opening to the bin. When closed this tends to prevent articles in the upper part of the bin from falling out. This barrier opens upwardly and outwardly, and a spring device, operating on the over-centre principle, biasses the barrier, tending to hold it, but not lock it, in each of its open and closed positions. A viable alternative is now proposed and accordingly, this invention provides an overhead luggage bin for use in the cabin of an aircraft as defined in claim 1. Further advantageous features of the bin are defined in the subsidiary claims. Usually, such a bin is some 1500 mm in width and some 500 mm in height, its opening therefore being relatively large. In such a case the visor will be in two parts, each part covering half of the bin opening. With larger bins the visor may be in three of more parts, with each part-visor covering only a proportion of the width of the bin opening. However, in each case, when the visor is closed substantially and full width of the opening will be covered by the visor or visors such as to prevent objects from inadvertently falling out, while still allowing the objects so retained to be seen through the visor or visors. Each part-visor will advantageously comprise a generally rectangular frame of lightweight composite plastics material resistant to combustion. This frame will define "see-through" openings, typically occupied by a netting which is also of material resistant to combustion. Polypropylene may be employed as the netting. Advantageously each part-visor will have catch means at its lower edge engaging a keep in the bin proper located just behind the sill of the front opening of the bin. Such catch means will be self-latching when the part-visor is closing. Each part-visor may be hinged to the roof of the bin, again just behind the bin opening at its upper edge. However preferably, each part-visor and the bin door panel are both pivotal about a common axis. Each part-visor will be assisted during its upward opening movement when it pivots about its hinge, and suitably one or more small gas springs may be provided for this purpose; although any other type of spring(s) could be used. When such spring assistance is employed, each part- visor when open may lie, urged by the spring(s), against the raised front panel. And when the latter is pulled down to its closed position, the part-visor will be lowered, pushed by the front panel of the bin; and each part-visor is arranged to lock down, with its catch being self-latching to become engaged behind the keep fixed to the bin sill, by the action of pulling down and closing the front main door panel of the bin. One embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings. Each drawing shows an aircraft cabin luggage bin in a perspective view, Figures 1 and 2 showing the bin with its main front door closed and opened respectively, while Figure 3 shows one-part visor opened behind the already opened main door. In the luggage bin illustrated, the visor 10 has two parts 11 and 12 each disposed behind the front door panel 1 of the bin which is generally designated 2. Each part-visor is pivotal upwardly about a hinge in the bin roof. Preferably, the two part-visors and the single bin door panel are pivotal on a common axis. Each part-visor 11 or 12 has its own catch 13 at its lower edge, the catch engaging behind a keep 14, fixed to the lower edge of the bin just inside its front opening. Not shown are helper springs which are provided to assist each part-visor towards its fully open position. Each part-visor preferably comprises a generally rectangular frame of lightweight composite plastics material resistant to combustion. This frame defines "see-through" openings, occupied by a transparent material such as netting which is also of material resistant to combustion. Polypropylene may be employed as the transparent netting. It will be noted from Figure 2, that when the front door panel 1 of the bin is opened, each part-visor remains closed at first. In this condition the contents of the bin can be seen through the net like areas of the part-visors. Each part-visor can only be opened and raised following a deliberate unlatching of its catch. Each part-visor is closed, with its catch 13 being self-latching to become engaged behind the keep 14 in the bin floor, and such closing of each part-visor may be effected by fully lowering the bin door panel 1. It will be appreciated that the provision of a plurality of part-visors, each locked by its catch, behind a closed front main door panel, locked by its own catch, provides added security for heavy articles stowed in the bins when the bins are closed during flight.

Claims: An aircraft cabin luggage bin having the shape of a closed box and with a front door panel which lifts to open, the front panel being hinged at a location adjacent its upper generally horizontal edge, a second upwardly and outwardly pivoting visor means being provided behind the upwardly and outwardly pivoting front door panel of such a bin; said bin having the following features in combination a) firstly, the visor means is constituted by two or more upwardly and outwardly opening hinged part-visors (11, 12) located side by side to extend over substantially the full width of the opening uncovered by the lift-up front door panel (1) of the bin; b) secondly, each part-visor has at its lower edge, catch means (13) which require to be released by hand, before the part-visor can be raised, each said catch means being lockingly engageable with keep means (14) on the bin and being self-latching when the part-visor is closing; and said catch means of the part-visors being separate from catch means on the main bin door (1) which in per se known manner, locks with keep means on the bin when said main door is closing; c) thirdly, each part-visor is formed, over the major part of its area, of material which is transparent and enables objects stowed away behind each said part-visor to be seen; and d) fourthly, each said part-visor is assisted by spring means during its upward and outward movement towards its fully open position; the arrangement being such that after the main bin door (1) has been opened and raised following unlocking of its catch means, each part-visor (11, 12) can only be opened following a deliberate unlocking of its catch means. A bin according to claim 1 and in which each part-visor has catch means (13) at its lower edge engaging a keep (14) in the bin proper located just behind the sill of the front opening of the bin. A bin according to either of claims 1 or 2 and in which each part-visor (11,12) is comprised of a generally rectangular frame of lightweight composite plastics material resistant to combustion, this frame defining "see-through" openings, and with transparency of the part-visor being achieved by means of reticulated or net-like material which covers said openings. A bin according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and in which each part-visor (11,12) is hinged to the roof of the bin. A bin according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and in which each part-visor (11,12) and the bin door panel (1) are both pivotal about a common axis. A bin according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and in which at least one gas spring is arranged to assist upward opening movement of each part-visor (11,12). A bin according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and in which each part-vizor (11,12) is arranged to lie against the front door panel (1) when both are fully open. A bin according to any one of claims 1 to 7, and in which each part-visor (11,12) can be closed and locked by fully closing the main bin door panel (1).

Inventors: ACKERMAN DAVID, ACKERMAN, DAVID
Applicants: BRIDPORT AVIAT PROD, BRIDPORT AVIATION PRODUCTS LIMITED
Application year: 1989
Main classification: B64D11
IPC codes: B64D11