Abstract:
The invention relates to a partition wall for partitioning at least two regions in a cabin of a vehicle. The invention includes a partition comprising a body that may be moved into a first open position and into a second closed position and comprising a curtain rail, wherein the body is designed in the first position to cover an aisle that is adjacent to the partition, at least in some regions, by means of a curtain that has been affixed to the curtain rail.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/072,447 filed Mar. 31, 2008, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     The invention relates to a partition wall in a cabin of an aircraft. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Such a partition wall (hereinafter also referred to as “partition”) makes it possible in the cabin of an aircraft to provide light-proof and/or visually blocking separation between cabin regions of various classes, for example first class, business class or economy/tourist class. Partitions are often installed beneath hatracks or overhead stowage compartments (OHSCs). If partitions are to be provided in cabin regions in which no overhead stowage compartments are arranged, the partitions are installed between the cabin floor and the cabin ceiling. Such partitions, which extend along the entire height of the cabin, are not only positioned in the lateral regions but also in the centre region. Moreover, partitions are not only used to separate various classes from each other, but in addition they also serve as attachment/accommodation regions for monitors, baby bassinets, small stowage compartments (so-called dog houses) and the like. 
     Since within the cabin of an aircraft, parallel to the direction of flight, there are aisles for example between the central and the lateral seats, which aisles essentially extend along the entire cabin and thus also through class dividers, normally partition curtains for covering the aisles are used, which curtains, in their closed state, for example in each case extend between a lateral and a central partition and which are guided in curtain rails. In this arrangement, the available movement space, at least of the upper edge of a curtain, is limited to the length of the curtain rail. The curtain rails may additionally comprise trim elements that visually close off a free space towards the cabin ceiling that is situated above it. Such trim elements are also referred to as “header panels” or “curtain headers”. Depending on customer requirements, at times curtain rails without trim elements may be used in an aircraft cabin. If the curtain is to remain open, it is usually gathered on one side by means of press- or snap-fasteners or by means of magnets, and is held at an adjacent partition. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This combination of partitions and curtain from the state of the art is associated with several disadvantages. For example, a gathered curtain is permanently visible, protrudes in an undesirable way into the space and is not aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore, a gathered curtain has to be stowed away in such a manner that in the case of an evacuation an emergency exit is not obstructed. Moreover, a curtain may cover up functional parts that depend on visibility, for example monitors for the in-flight entertainment (IFE) system, so that the aircrew will time and again have to settle for compromise solutions when stowing away the curtain. Furthermore, in the case of partitions, larger cabin systems (also referred to as “monuments”) and the like, the required design space for the stowed-away curtain cannot be used for other purposes. Finally, the contour of the curtain rail trim presents an abrupt contrast to the ceiling contour, so that the class divider cannot be designed to provide a uniform appearance. 
     It may be the object of the invention to propose partitioning of a cabin of an aircraft, in which partitioning a curtain for an aisle in the cabin may be stowed away as completely as possible without compromising the emergency exit in the case of evacuation, without covering up any functional parts that depend on visibility, while nonetheless providing adequate design space for other uses, for example for baby bassinets. 
     This object may be met by a partition according to claim  1 . Further advantageous embodiments are provided in the subclaims. The object may further be met by the usage of the partition according to the invention in an aircraft, as well as by an aircraft comprising the partition according to the further secondary independent claims. 
     In contrast to partitioning arrangements known from prior art, in the case of the partition according to the invention the curtain rail and its optional trim are integrated in a body that may be moved at least to a first position and to a second position, wherein a particularly preferred body is implemented as a flap. To this extent the partition according to the invention is designed so as to be relatively thick and so as to comprise a flap that may be hinged, on an axis arranged in the partition, towards the adjacent aisle, with the contour of said flap corresponding to the cabin ceiling contour and in its hinged-out state preferably conforming to the cabin ceiling. A curtain rail and, optionally, trim elements for filling the space between the cabin ceiling and the flap are integrated in the flap. The flap may preferably be hinged into the partition so that the flap and the partition in one of the two positions comprise an even, uninterrupted and uniform flush outer surface. In this arrangement the partition is preferably designed comprising a corresponding recess such that the curtain that extends in the curtain rail may be fully accommodated within the partition. Consequently, when the curtain is open, no emergency exits are obstructed in the case of an evacuation; in its open state the curtain does not obstruct visibility; and the entire partition according to the invention is fully available for other uses, for example for the integration of functional components or mounting parts that depend on visibility. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Below, the invention is explained in more detail with reference to figures. In the figures the same reference characters are used for identical objects. The following are shown: 
         FIG. 1 : partitioning from the state of the art; 
         FIG. 2 : a partition according to the invention; 
         FIG. 3 : a partition according to the invention, with the rail flap open; 
         FIG. 4 : a modification of a partition according to the invention, with the rail flap folded out; 
         FIG. 5 : a further modification of a partition according to the invention, with the rail flap folded out. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The division between two classes in the cabin of an aircraft, which division is shown in  FIG. 1 , represents the general state of the art. The diagram only shows a section of the cabin cross-section with a left-hand hatrack  2 , a centre hatrack  4 , a lateral partition  6  and a centre partition  8 . The partitions  6  and  8  are installed beneath the hatracks  2  and  4  and extend down to the floor of the cabin. Also possible are partitions that are installed directly underneath the ceiling and that extent down to the floor of the cabin. Finally, the lateral partition  6  extends from the left-hand cabin wall to an aisle in the cabin, which aisle is closed off by a curtain  10  and extends to the centre partition  8 . Since time and again it is necessary to walk without hindrance along the aisle even in the region of a class divider, it must be possible to be able to correspondingly open the curtain  10  and to stow it away in a suitable manner. To this effect the upper edge of the curtain  10  is slidably held in a curtain rail  12 , wherein the curtain rail comprises two trim panels  14  that extend parallel to the partitions  6  and  8 . As seen from the aisle, these panels  14  extend in front of and behind the curtain rail  12 ; they are intended in particular to visually or in a light-proof manner block off the region between the curtain rail  12  and the cabin ceiling. 
     This widespread design is relatively unsatisfactory because the curtain  10  may cover up functional parts that depend on visibility, in its open state is visible in the space, and thus is not aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore, the design of the partitioning arrangement continues to be relatively non-uniform because the trim panels  14  of the curtain rail  12  clearly contrast with the partitions  6  and  8 . 
     In contrast to the above, the partition  16  according to the invention comprises a distinctly different design. First of all, the partition  16  according to the invention is designed so as to be relatively thick so that its extension in the longitudinal axis of the cabin of the aircraft is greater than that of a conventional partition  6 . The special feature of the partition  16  according to the invention consists of the flap  18  being integrated in said partition  16 , which flap  18  in its closed state, as shown in  FIG. 2 , forms a uniform surface with the partition  16 . For example, the flap  18  is arranged in the partition  16  such that it is fully contained within the narrow lateral surface  20  that faces an aisle and the cabin ceiling. The width of the flap  18  is somewhat less than the width of the narrow lateral surface  20  of the partition  16 . However, the width of the flap  18  may also correspond to the width of the partition  16 , with the flap  18  resting against the contour of the partition  16 . 
       FIG. 3  shows the partition  16  according to the invention, in which partition  16  the flap  18  is hinged out of the narrow lateral surface  20 . The hinging movement preferably takes place on an axis that is not shown in the figure, which axis is located in the upper region of the partition  16 . The flap  18  extends, for example, into a lower region of the partition  16  and may fully bridge an aisle that is adjacent to the partition  16 . Likewise it is possible to design the length of the flap  18  such that only half the aisle is covered, while the other half is covered by a flap  18  in an opposite partition  16 . For the purpose of sealing the space between the partition  16  and the cabin ceiling the flap  18  comprises a curved shape that essentially corresponds to the shape of the cabin ceiling. This requires that the partition  16 , too, assumes a corresponding shape so that not only does this create a flush surface with the partition  16  when the flap  18  is closed, but in its open state the flap  18  also optimally conforms to the cabin ceiling. 
     Integrated in the flap  18  is a curtain rail  22  on which a curtain  24  is arranged. In a first exemplary embodiment the curtain rail  22  is curved and assumes the shape of the flap  18 . The curtain  24  is thus preferably cut such that its upper edge  26  follows the curvature of the curtain rail  22 , while, when the flap  18  is open, the lower edge  28  of the curtain  24  extends parallel to the cabin floor, thus essentially horizontally. When the flap  18  is open a recess  30  in the partition  16  becomes evident, with both the curtain  24  and the flap  18  being able to be arranged in said recess  30 . Consequently the entire front surface  32  or rear surface  34  of the partition  16  may be used for purposes other than stowing away the curtain  24 . Furthermore, the options for designing the exterior of the partition  16 , the flap  18  and the curtain  24  are flexible to such an extent that the partitioning arrangement comprising the partition  16  according to the invention and the curtain  24  not only provides technical advantages but may also be designed so that it is aesthetically pleasing. 
       FIG. 4  shows another variant of the partition  16  according to the invention in a second exemplary embodiment. In this embodiment the partition  16  also comprises a flap  18  to which a curtain rail  36  has been affixed, which in the folded-out state of the flap  18  extends essentially horizontally, essentially parallel to the cabin floor. However, it is also imaginable for the curtain rail  36  to be straight in shape and to encompass a particular angle to the cabin floor so that the curtain  38  may also be designed so as to be asymmetric. 
     In the exemplary embodiments of  FIGS. 3 and 4  the flaps  18  share a common feature in that their shape corresponds with that of the cabin ceiling, so that in their hinged-out state said flaps  18  conform to the cabin ceiling. This results in the partition arrangement comprising the partition  16  and the curtain  24  or  38  reaching all the way from the cabin ceiling to the cabin floor. In addition, locking means may be arranged in the partition  16 , in the flap  18  or in the cabin ceiling, which locking means make it possible to detachably affix said flap  18  in its hinged-out position so that secure holding of the curtain  24  or  38  is made possible. 
     The partition  16  according to the invention provides an advantage in that neither are there any obstructions, in the case of an evacuation, as a result of a gathered curtain, nor is there any visual obstruction of functional parts that depend on visibility. Lastly, a curtain that is not in use is not visible to passengers, because it may be completely stowed away within the partition  16 . Overall, the cabin design is clearly enhanced as a result of transparency and unobstructed views. 
     Further,  FIG. 5  shows a modification of  FIG. 4  where a trim element  40  is arranged between the curtain rail  36  and the flap  18  for covering the space between the flap  18  and the curtain rail  36 . 
     In addition, it should be pointed out that “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and “a” or “one” does not exclude a plural number. Furthermore, it should be pointed out that characteristics or steps which have been described with reference to one of the above exemplary embodiments may also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps of other exemplary embodiments described above. Reference characters in the claims are not to be interpreted as limitations. 
     LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS 
     
         
           2  Hatrack 
           4  Hatrack 
           6  Partition 
           8  Partition 
           10  Curtain (state of the art) 
           12  Curtain rail (state of the art) 
           14  Trim panel (trim element) 
           16  Partition with integrated curtain rail flap 
           18  Curtain rail flap 
           20  Lateral surface of the curtain rail flap 
           22  Curtain rail 
           24  Curtain 
           26  Upper edge of the curtain 
           28  Lower edge of the curtain 
           30  Recess in the partition with curtain rail flap 
           32  Front surface of the partition with curtain rail flap 
           34  Rear surface of the partition with curtain rail flap 
           36  Curtain rail 
           38  Curtain 
           40  Trim element