Abstract:
An aircraft cabin curtain rail assembly kit includes a plurality of curtain rail components with linear curtain rail sections and curved curtain rail sections with an angle of curvature in a range of 0-90°. Each curtain rail component has a first end and a second end. On the first end, a recess for receiving a fixation protrusion of another curtain rail component is arranged and, on the second end, a fixation protrusion for inserting into a recess of another curtain rail component is present. The recess and the fixation protrusion include a fastening means for fixating the recess and the fixation protrusion relative to each other. Each curtain rail component includes a holder slit for attaching the respective curtain rail component to an object and a curtain slit for guiding curtain rail guiding means in the curtain rail component.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/653,568, filed May 31, 2012, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The invention relates to an aircraft cabin curtain rail assembly kit, an aircraft cabin curtain rail and an aircraft with an aircraft cabin having at least two areas separated by a curtain supported on an aircraft cabin curtain rail. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Usually, in common commercial aircraft curtain rails that hold separation curtains are tailored to fit into individual separation regions that provide a separation between adjacent cabin zones, for example between a passenger zone, a galley area or another passenger zone. Usually, a separation curtain may be supported on a curtain rail that extends over a spatially delimited passageway and may thereby extend in a lateral and a longitudinal direction, depending on the actual position of cabin elements that form the passage and to which the curtain rail is connected. As the cabin configuration is highly individual and may define a number of differently designed passageways throughout the cabin a large number of different curtain rail shapes exist. Consequently, late changes in the design of cabin configurations may lead to the necessity of a modification or a complete re-design of a curtain rail. 
     In WO 2009/115378 A1 curtain header panels are disclosed that comprises a plane base surface that is horizontally mountable in an aircraft cabin, into which base plane two or more parallel holder rails are integrated. Curtain rail holder bodies may be arrested in individual positions in these holder rails, which holder bodies then support the curtain rail. Hence, the curtain rail, especially a linear or longitudinal curtain rail, may be fixed in a variable orientation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It may be beneficial to provide an aircraft cabin curtain rail that is tailored to an individually designed separation region in an aircraft cabin, wherein it may also be beneficial to provide necessary modifications very easily in order to eliminate the need for a complete re-design on late changes in the cabin configuration. 
     Described herein is an aircraft cabin curtain rail assembly kit comprising a plurality of curtain rail components with
         linear curtain rail sections and   curved curtain rail sections with an angle of curvature in a range of 0-90°, wherein each curtain rail component has a first end and a second end, wherein on the first end a recess for receiving a fixation protrusion is arranged and wherein on the second end a fixation protrusion for inserting into a recess is arranged, wherein the recess and the fixation protrusion comprise a fastening means for fixating the recess and the fixation protrusion relative to each other and wherein each curtain rail component comprises a holder slit for attaching the respective curtain rail component to an object and a curtain slit for guiding curtain rail guiding means in the curtain rail component.       

     According to an embodiment of the invention an aircraft cabin curtain rail may therefore be created by the use of different curtain rail components that together form an aircraft cabin curtain rail assembly kit. It is to be understood that the curved curtain rail component may be manufactured in a variety of different curvature angles, for example in steps of 5°, 10°, 15° or even larger steps. Furthermore, the linear or longitudinal curtain rail components may be manufactured in a variety of different lengths, while these different lengths may be selected incrementally, e.g. with measures that are dividable by a certain basic measure, for example 5 cm, 10 cm, 20 cm or even larger basic measures. Thereby, lengths of 5 cm, 10 cm, 20 cm, 40 cm etc. may be created, while individual lengths may be achieved through combining different linear curtain rail components of different or the same lengths. 
     The first end of each curtain rail component is equipped with a recess that is able to receive a protrusion of a second end of another curtain rail component. Therefore, an aircraft cabin curtain rail may be easily created through creation of a chain of different curtain rail components with a pair of a fixation protrusion and a recess at each connection region. The faces of the first end and the second end connected thereto preferably flushly touch each other in a connected state, while the relative positions of the inserted fixation protrusions and the respective recesses are fixed through the fastening means. 
     The fastening means basically is designed to arrest the fixation protrusion in a respective recess of a curtain rail component in a completely inserted state such that the connected curtain rail components cannot be moved relative to each other, neither inadvertently nor intendedly. The fastening means may be realized as positive locking means or non-positive locking means, i.e. force-fit locking means. The latter may be accomplished with clamping screws or clamping levers. Preferably, the fastening means in the aircraft cabin curtain rail assembly kit according to an embodiment of the invention is a positive locking means. There exist several different kinds of positive locking means that may exemplarily be based on a through-hole that extends through at least one lateral delimiting surface of the recess and the respective fixation protrusion in an inserted state. Thereby, an accessibility of the through-hole may be given from the curtain slit or from the holder slit. 
     The curtain rail components may be manufactured from any synthetic or natural material that is certified or common for use in aircraft cabins or the like, which material may include e.g. metallic materials, plastic materials, reinforcing fibres or mixtures thereof. 
     Preferably, the fastening means is a releasable positive locking means. Hence, the fastening means is designed to be easily removed or de-activated such that the connected curtain rail components may be detached from each other again. This simplifies the process of creating an aircraft cabin curtain rail as individual curtain rail components may easily be replaced. 
     In an advantageous embodiment the fastening means comprises a locking body, which locking body extends from the fixation protrusion perpendicularly to the local longitudinal axis of the respective curtain rail component, wherein the locking body is spring-mounted. In other words, the locking body rises out of a receiving opening situated in the fixation protrusion, thereby extends from the fixation protrusion due to the force of a spring that acts outwardly, i.e. presses the locking body outwardly. Due to the compressibility of the spring the locking body may be pushed back into the fixation protrusion if a respective force is exerted that overcomes the spring force. Therefore, when the fixation protrusion of a curtain rail component shall be inserted into a recess of another curtain rail component the locking body has to be slightly pressed into the receiving opening of the respective fixation protrusion such that the fixation protrusion together with the locking body may be completely inserted into the recess of the other curtain rail component. During the insertion process the locking body reaches and subsequently glides over an inner wall of the recess until the fixation protrusion is about to reach its final position, i.e. when the faces of the first end of one curtain rail component is about to flushly touch the face of the second end of the other curtain rail component. In this position the locking body reaches a through-hole that preferably perpendicularly extends from a lateral wall of the recess into the recess itself and consequently snaps into this through-hole by the action of the spring force. Thereby, both curtain rail components are fixed to each other. This positive locking connection can be released again by pushing the locking body back into the receiving opening of the fixation protrusion through the use of an elongated body either from the curtain slit or the holder slit, depending on where the through-hole of the other curtain rail component is positioned. It is apparent that the fixation protrusion must be pulled out of the recess at the same time. 
     In another advantageous embodiment the fixation protrusion comprises a through-hole that extends perpendicularly to the local longitudinal axis of the second end, wherein a through-hole having a thread extends perpendicularly to the local longitudinal axis of the first end through an inner wall of the recess. This allows the insertion and fastening of a screw through both through-holes for fastening two curtain rail components to each other. This positive locking may easily be achieved and disengaged as well. 
     In an alternate embodiment the first end may comprise a through-hole that extends perpendicularly to the local longitudinal axis of the curtain rail component. The fixation protrusion on the second end additionally has a threaded hole with an orientation that corresponds to the through-hole of the first end. Two curtain rail components with a fixation protrusion of a first curtain rail component inserted into a recess of a second curtain rail component may be locked together by a screw that is inserted into the through-hole of the second curtain rail component and screwed into the threaded hole of the first curtain rail component. 
     In another embodiment the fastening means is a locking means comprising an elongated body with a circular cross-section and at least one locking protrusion that extends perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the elongated body, wherein at least one lateral walling of the recess of the first end and the fixation protrusion of the second end comprise through-holes that extend perpendicularly from an outside through the first end and the second end, respectively and correspond to the cross-section of the elongated body with the at least one locking protrusion extending therefrom, wherein the position and orientation of the at least one through-hole of the first end corresponds with the position and orientation of the through-hole of the second end such that the locking body is insertable through the at least one through-hole of a first end of a first curtain rail component and a second end of a second curtain rail component in an assembled state. A combination of a first curtain rail component and a second curtain rail component with a fixation protrusion of the first curtain rail component inserted into the recess of the second curtain rail component thereby comprises two or three through-holes with the same extension direction, position and orientation. A first through-hole may extend from a lateral walling of the recess of the first end of the second curtain rail component into the recess of this first end. Directly thereafter a second trough-hole follows on, which second through-hole is located inside the fixation protrusion. On the opposite lateral wall of the recess another through-hole follows. As the elongated body of the locking means has at least one locking protrusion, for example a pin, perpendicularly extending therefrom its cross-section is not completely circular. For guiding the locking means through the lateral wallings of the recess and the fixation protrusion the through-holes require a shape that corresponds to this certain cross-section. Thereby, the locking means may only be inserted in certain discrete orientations completely through the combination of first and second curtain rail components. It may be possible that a first through-hole may have a larger shape that may equal a circular hole with a diameter exceeding the maximum local diameter of the elongated body with the at least one pin. Consequently, as the locking means may not be pulled out of the lateral walls and the fixation protrusion in other orientations a positive locking may be accomplished easily just through turning the locking means. A positive locking may thereby be accomplished either from the holder slit or from the curtain slit. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment the elongated body of the locking means comprises a radial projection on a side opposite to the at least one locking protrusion, wherein a spring is located between the radial projection and the at least one locking protrusion. After inserting the locking means the at least one locking protrusion is pressed onto the respective lateral walling of the recess. The spring thereby acts on the radial projection and the opposite walling of the recess if its through-hole corresponds to the shape of the locking means or on the fixation protrusion if the through-hole of the walling of the recess facing the radial projection has a larger diameter, as stated above. Thereby, the length of the elongated body may be selected such that the spring has enough space for allowing an additional compression, e.g. during the disabling of the locking function by pressing the locking means towards the fixation protrusion and turning it into the discrete orientation that allows to pull it out. 
     In a further exemplary embodiment a lateral walling of the recess of the first end of the curtain rail component comprises a receiving recess on a side facing away the recess into which a fixation protrusion is insertable. The receiving recess may thereby be designed to substantially completely receive the radial projection of the locking means in an inserted state for providing a smooth surface of the lateral walling. 
     In another exemplary embodiment a lateral walling of the recess of the first end comprises at least one receiving groove for receiving the at least one locking protrusion of the locking means when the locking means is turned from an insertion position into a locking position. Preferably under support of the spring as mentioned previously the locking means is pressed into the respective at least one receiving groove such that there is provided an advantageous and vibration-resistant positive locking. 
     In an exemplary embodiment the cross-section of each curtain rail component is symmetrical about at least one axis. Thereby, the curtain rail may be turned at least back to front and, when the curtain rail components are symmetrical about two axes they may also be positioned upside down. This improves the ability for providing an easy to manufacture aircraft cabin curtain rail without the probability of an error during the manufacture through a wrongly oriented curtain rail component. Furthermore, these curtain rail components may easily be manufactured in an industrial quantity. 
     The invention further relates to an aircraft cabin curtain rail made under use of an aircraft cabin curtain rail assembly kit as presented above. 
     The invention further relates to an aircraft with an aircraft cabin having at least one curtain supported on such an aircraft cabin curtain rail. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further characteristics, advantages and application options of the present invention are disclosed in the following description of the exemplary embodiments in the figures. All the described and/or illustrated characteristics per se and in any combination form the subject of the invention, even irrespective of their composition in the individual claims or their interrelationships. Furthermore, identical or similar components in the figures have the same reference characters. 
         FIG. 1  shows a plurality of different curtain rail components as an aircraft cabin curtain rail assembly kit. 
         FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  show different cross sections of curtain rail components. 
         FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  show a linear curtain rail component in two different directions;  FIG. 3   c  shows a curved curtain rail component and  FIG. 3   d  shows an aircraft cabin curtain rail assembled using linear and curved curtain rail components. 
         FIGS. 4   a  to  4   d  show a positive locking means for arresting a fixation protrusion and a recess. 
         FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  show another positive locking means for arresting a fixation protrusion and a recess. 
         FIGS. 6   a  to  6   f  show another positive locking means for arresting a fixation protrusion and a recess. 
         FIG. 7  shows an aircraft with a cabin and a curtain supported on an aircraft cabin curtain rail assembled by use of an aircraft cabin curtain rail assembly kit. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows an overview of a possible aircraft cabin curtain rail assembly kit. Exemplarily two linear or longitudinal curtain rail components  2  and  4  are named part “A” and part “B”. Part A exemplarily has a length of 50 cm; part B exemplarily has a length of 60 cm. These dimensions allow creating an aircraft cabin curtain rail with a most common lateral extension for providing a cabin zone separation for the most common commercial aircraft. The respective passageways over which the aircraft cabin curtain rail to be created spans, usually comprise a certain lateral extension for allowing a person to walk through. Often, besides lateral extension also longitudinal extensions are necessary as cabin components that define these passageways may be shifted relative to each other in a longitudinal direction. In order to provide necessary directional changes exemplarily a curved curtain rail component  6  is provided as a part “C” that has a radius of curvature of 10 cm and a curvature angle of 90°. A further exemplary linear curtain rail component  8 , part “D”, is provided and has a length of 10 cm. A still further curtain rail component  10 , part “E”, is curved and has a curvature angle of about 10°. 
     The core aspect is to provide a plurality of different combinable curtain rail components that may form every necessary aircraft cabin curtain rail. Preferably one or more of the depicted variety of curtain rail components  2  to  10  create an aircraft cabin curtain rail that is tailored to an individual passageway in an aircraft cabin that is to be separated by means of a curtain. 
     As demonstrated in  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  the curtain rail components  2  to  10  comprise a holder slit  12  or  14  and a curtain slit  16  or  18 . The curtain rail cross-section in  FIG. 2   a  comprises an upper part  20  which is flat at its top and comprises the holder slit  12 . Supporting brackets or slidable and clamping supporting bodies can be inserted into a hollow space  22  of the upper part  20  that allow the extension of fastening means from the hollow space  22  through the holder slit  12  into a panel, a body, a monument, or any other means to which the aircraft cabin curtain rail shall be mounted. With a flat top the upper part  20  of the aircraft cabin curtain rail of  FIG. 2   a  may be easily pressed onto a planar surface so as to provide an additional directional stability of the aircraft cabin curtain rail. 
     In  FIG. 2   b  there is demonstrated an upper part  24  of a curtain rail cross-section, wherein the upper part comprises a hollow space  26  that may be used similarly as the hollow space  22  of  FIG. 2   a . Exemplarily, the upper part  24  is completely rounded. 
     Basically, both cross-sections shown in  FIG. 2   a  and  FIG. 2   b  have a lower part  26  and  28  that are rounded and comprise the curtain slit  16  and  18  respectively. The curtain rail cross-section in  FIG. 2   a  is symmetrical about a vertical axis  30  and the curtain rail cross-section in  FIG. 2   b  is symmetrical about the vertical axis  30  and the horizontal axis  32 . 
       FIG. 3   a  shows the linear curtain rail component  2 , i.e. part A, in a three-dimensional view. A first end  34  has a recess  36  that is dimensioned to receive a fixation protrusion  38  of a second end  40 . On the upper side, the curtain rail component  2  has a holder slit  12  by means of which the curtain rail component  2  may be mounted on another component. On the lower side, the curtain rail component  2  comprises a curtain slit  16  that allows inserting slidable curtain holders that are not depicted herein. 
     In this regard it is pointed out that each curtain rail component of the aircraft cabin curtain rail assembly kit according to the invention has a first end  34  with a recess  36  and a second end  40  with a fixation protrusion  38 . Therefore, it is not the intention to insert the fixation protrusion  38  into the recess  36  of the same curtain rail component. Instead, each fixation protrusion  38  of a second end  40  of any curtain rail component may be inserted into the recess  36  of any other curtain rail component. Thereby, a chain of different curtain rail components create an individually tailored aircraft cabin curtain rail. 
     By inserting a fixation protrusion  38  into the recess  36  the holder slit  12  and the curtain slit  16  of two adjacent curtain rail components are exactly aligned relative to each other for allowing an unobstructed motion of the curtain or of any holders or brackets that are inserted into the hollow spaces of the curtain rail components. It therefore is feasible to use a non-circular cross section and preferably a rectangular cross-section for the fixation protrusion that provides an exact alignment. 
       FIG. 3   b  shows the curtain rail component  2  back to front for an improved visibility of the fixation protrusion  38 , which fixation protrusion  38  may be realized as an elongated extension having a non-circular, preferably rectangular cross section, for providing an optimal alignment function. 
     Furthermore,  FIG. 3   c  shows the curved curtain rail component  6 , i.e. part C, which curtain rail component  6  also has a first end  34  with a recess  36  and a second end  40  with a fixation protrusion  38 . 
     Further,  FIG. 3   d  shows a number of different curtain rail components attached to each other to create an aircraft cabin curtain rail with an individually tailored geometrical shape. For example, on the top right a linear curtain rail component part A is used, afterwards a curved curtain rail component part E, afterwards two curtain rail components D, a curtain rail component part A, a curtain rail component part E and another curtain rail component part E. In the state-of-the-art this specific geometrical shape would have been created individually by bending or molding the aircraft cabin curtain rail. 
     Curtain rail components that are positioned relative to each other as shown in  FIG. 3   d  need to be arrested in order to stay in their relative positions throughout their life time or until the respective cabin-layout is redesigned. For this purpose the fixation protrusion  38  and the recess  36  may be equipped with fastening means. A first exemplary embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 4   a  to  4   d.    
       FIG. 4   a  shows a fixation protrusion  42  that has a non-circular cross-section and comprises a locking body  44  that extends from a surface  46  of the fixation protrusion  42  perpendicularly to a local longitudinal axis  48  of the curtain rail component. This locking body enables a snap-in connection in a respective recess. 
       FIG. 4   b  shows a possible geometrical shape of the locking body  44  that may be rounded at an end  50  that faces away from the surface  46  in a magnified view. Preferably the locking body  50  is inserted into a receiving hole  52 , in which receiving hole  52  a spring  54  may be inserted that constantly exerts an outwardly directed pushing force onto the locking body  50 . By exerting a force onto the locking body  44  from an outside the locking body may be pressed back into the receiving hole. 
       FIG. 4   c  shows a recess  56  into which the fixation protrusion  46  may be inserted. By pushing the locking body  44  into the receiving hole  52 , e.g. by a finger or a tool, its end  50  ultimately disappears in the recess  56  until it is released by removing the finger or the tool. While reaching an opening  58  that extends from a lateral walling  62  of the recess  56  facing a slit  60  and extending into the recess  56 , as visible from the magnified view in  FIG. 4   d , the locking body  44  snaps into the opening  58 . The opening  58  is oriented perpendicularly to the local longitudinal axis  64  of the first end  34  of the curtain rail component shown in  FIG. 4   c  and engages the locking body  44  in a positive fit connection. Thereby the slit  60  may either be a curtain slit or a support slit. 
     It may also possible to integrate two openings that extend to both sides of the respective curtain rail component if the cross-section of the curtain rail components is symmetrical to two axes, as shown in  FIG. 2   b.    
     In another exemplary embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b , a fixation protrusion  64  may be equipped with a through-hole  66  that extends through the whole fixation protrusion  64  perpendicularly to its local longitudinal axis  48 . As indicated in  FIG. 5   b  the through-hole  66  corresponds to an opening  70  that extends through the lateral walling  62  into the recess  68  such that, when the fixation protrusion  64  is inserted into the recess  68 , a screw may be inserted into the opening  70  and may be screwed into a thread at the opposite end of the recess  68 . 
     In a modification of this exemplary embodiment the fixation protrusion  64  may have a thread in the through-hole  66  for screwing a screw directly into the thread of the through-hole  66 . Thereby, the fixation may furthermore be simplified. 
       FIGS. 6   a  to  6   f  show a further exemplary embodiment in simplified three-dimensional views. For the sake of clarity wallings of a recess of a first end of a curtain rail component is simplified. The fixation protrusion is not depicted. 
       FIG. 6   a  depicts a locking means  72  that comprises an elongated body  74  with a circular cross-section and a pin  76  that extends through the elongated body  74  perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the elongated body  74 . At an opposite end of the pin  76  a radial projection  78  in the shape of a disc is present, which radial projection comprises a slit  80  for insertion of a screw-driver or a coin. 
       FIG. 6   b  demonstrates a part of a first end of a curtain rail component with a walling  80  of a recess that comprises a through-hole  82  with a shape that corresponds to the cross-section of the elongated body  74  with the pin  76  extending therefrom. This allows the insertion of the locking means  72  through the walling  80  in an insertion orientation or position. At a side facing away from the recess receiving slits  84  are located that allow receiving the pin  76  when turning the locking means  72  appropriately. If a fixation protrusion comprises a through-hole that corresponds with the through-hole  82  of the walling  80  of the recess, a combination of a first curtain rail component and a second curtain rail component with a fixation protrusion of the first curtain rail component inserted into the recess of the second curtain rail component may easily be locked relative to each other by inserting the locking means  72  and turning it into an appropriate locking orientation or position. The fixation protrusion thereby is held between the radial projection  78  and the walling  80  of the recess. 
     For further improving the connection between the pin  76  and the receiving slits  84  a spring may be put onto the elongated body  74  between the pin  76  and the radial projection  78  for exerting a constant force for pressing the pin  76  into the receiving slits  84 . 
       FIG. 6   c  shows the locking means  72  directly after insertion in an insertion orientation or direction, where the pin  76  extends over the lateral walling  80  before the rotation is initiated. 
       FIG. 6   d  demonstrates the initiation of the rotation. The rotation may be accomplished by a screwdriver or another tool that is engageable with the slit  80 . 
     In  FIG. 6   e  the rotation of the locking means  72  is completed and the pin  76  is situated over the receiving slits  84 . The rotation may be accomplished about 90° for example. 
     E.g. by exerting a spring force, in  FIG. 6   f  the pin  76  is pressed into the receiving slits  84 . In this locking orientation or position an improved positive locking is enabled. 
     Finally,  FIG. 7  shows an aircraft  88  with a cabin having a passageway defined through two cabin components  92  and  94 , between which an aircraft cabin curtain rail  90  is mounted for holding a separation curtain. Thereby it is apparent that an aircraft cabin curtain rail  90  may not only extend in a lateral direction, i.e. along a y-axis of an aircraft-fixed coordinate system, but also in a longitudinal direction, i.e. along an x-axis of an aircraft-fixed coordinate system. 
     In addition, it should be pointed out that “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and “a” or “an” 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 can 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.