Abstract:
A storage unit that may be used in place of an attendant seat, fits into the approximate space of the attendant seat and may employ the same attachment system for securing the storage unit. The storage unit comprises an enclosure having a door and a mounting bracket. The storage unit has a profile that may be configured to match that of a floor-mounted attendant seat, wherein the storage unit may be used to replace the floor-mounted attendant seat. The enclosure may be formed having a resilient structure that forms a compartment, a front wall enclosing the area of the compartment, at least one vertical rail, a top cap. The storage unit further comprises a mounting bracket and a plurality of fasteners for attaching the storage unit to a support frame.

Description:
FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates generally to an apparatus and method for providing modular storage space in accessible areas of a passenger aircraft. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Passenger aircraft are subject to numerous design constraints, many of which are in direct conflict with each other. For example, with respect to passenger cabin design, there is inherent conflict between economic considerations and passenger demands for accessible storage space. These conflicting interests have a direct impact on other design issues as well, including the storage of items used by the flight crew. 
     One example of a class of items with particular storage requirements is emergency equipment. This may include, for example, fire extinguishers, portable oxygen tanks, first aid kits, and other safety equipment. These items are often stored in or adjacent to the galley, which is already tightly arranged with storage and equipment necessary for cabin service. Other locations where emergency equipment is stored include closets and overhead bins, impinging on passenger storage, and at door entrances, where the equipment can cause congestion or other incidents. 
     Accordingly, there is a present need in the field of aircraft passenger cabin design to provide an improved method for storing additional equipment. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure provides an apparatus and method for using modular storage space in passenger aircraft. In particular, the present disclosure describes a storage unit that may be used in place of an attendant seat, wherein the storage unit fits into the approximate space of the attendant seat and employs the same attachment system for securing the storage unit. The apparatus and method of the present disclosure may be used in other advantageous configurations, as will be apparent to one with skill in the art. 
     The apparatus and method of the present disclosure provides convenient storage of, and enables easy access to, emergency equipment and/or other miscellaneous items by flight attendants. The present disclosure provides many advantages over the prior art, including but not limited to, aesthetic and functional storage in high traffic areas, increased storage capacity for flight attendants, reduced clutter in the doorway areas of the cabin, and flexibility to change the use of space according to changing requirements, etc. In sum, present disclosure addresses the present need for more storage capacity without affecting revenue seating and overhead stowage bin capacity. 
     One aspect of the present disclosure provides a storage unit configured to be placed in an accessible area of a passenger aircraft comprising an enclosure with a door and a mounting bracket. The enclosure has a profile, (i.e., outward manifest spatial attributes), that matches available space in the aircraft. In particular, the profile may be configured to match that of a floor-mounted attendant seat, wherein the storage unit may be used to replace the floor-mounted attendant seat. The enclosure may be formed having a resilient structure that forms a compartment, a front wall enclosing the area of the compartment, at least one vertical rail, a top cap, and/or a kickstrip. The door may be located in the front wall and be provided with a latch for securing the door. The mounting bracket may be formed integral to the enclosure or may be provided as a separate component, wherein the components are separable when not fully assembled. 
     Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a storage system forming a modular storage unit of a passenger aircraft. The system comprises an enclosure with a door and a latch, a mounting bracket located at the base of the enclosure, and a plurality of fasteners. The system also comprises a support frame, which may include one or more floor joists, wherein the plurality of fasteners are used to attach the mounting bracket to the support frame. The system may further comprise a plurality of secondary fasteners for attaching the enclosure to the mounting bracket. The system may be used, for example, to house emergency equipment for use onboard the aircraft. 
     Yet another aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for temporarily increasing the accessible storage capacity of a passenger aircraft, comprising the steps of: determining how to utilize a space in an accessible area of the passenger aircraft; detaching an existing component located within an accessible area of the passenger aircraft, the existing component utilizing an attachment system; replacing the existing component with a storage unit having a profile substantially similar to the existing component; and fastening the storage unit to a support frame using the attachment system of the existing component. As described herein, the method may be used to replace a floor-mounted component, such as an attendant seat, with a storage unit. 
     Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. The features, functions and advantages that have been discussed can be achieved independently in various configurations of the present disclosure or may be combined in yet other configurations further details of which can be seen with reference to the following description and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is an illustration of the prior art, depicting a portion of a cabin in a passenger aircraft having an attendant seat; 
         FIG. 2A  is an illustration of the passenger aircraft showing the approximate profile of the attendant seat; 
         FIG. 2B  is an exemplary illustration showing a fully installed storage unit in place of an attendant seat; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of an exemplary storage unit in accordance; 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  are illustrations showing an attachment system for an attendant seat in accordance with one example of the prior art; 
         FIG. 5  is an exemplary illustration of a fully assembled storage unit; 
         FIGS. 6A and 6B  are exemplary illustrations showing different uses of the storage unit of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 7A and 7B  are exemplary illustrations of different examples of a fully assembled and installed storage unit; and 
         FIG. 8  is an exemplary flowchart depicting a method for employing a storage unit to provide additional storage space. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown, by way of illustration, various configurations of the present disclosure. It is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. 
       FIG. 1  is an illustration of a portion of a of a passenger aircraft cabin  210 , showing an attendant seat  220  and a wall-mounted attendant station  280 , as used in the prior art. Passenger aircraft cabin may also be described as an accessible area of a passenger aircraft.  FIG. 2A  is an illustration of the same portion of passenger aircraft cabin  210 , wherein the profile  225  represents the three-dimensional space taken up by the attendant seat  220  of the prior art.  FIG. 2B , similarly shows a portion of the passenger aircraft cabin wherein a storage unit  100  has been installed in place of the attendant seat  220 . 
       FIGS. 3 and 5  illustrate one configuration a storage unit  100  in accordance with the present disclosure for use in a passenger aircraft cabin  210 , wherein the figures show the features of the storage unit  100  in exploded and fully assembled views, respectively. The storage unit comprises an enclosure  105 , which is in turn comprised of a compartment  110 , top cap  145 , front wall  120 , as well as vertical rails  115 . A door  125  is set in a door frame  130  and placed in front wall  120 . The door includes a hinge  135  and a latch  140 . Finally, the storage unit  100  may further include a kickstrip  165  and a rub strip  170 . 
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate an exploded view of an attachment system  255  for a floor-mounted attendant seat  220  in accordance with one configuration found in the prior art, and which may be used in connection with the storage unit  100  described herein. In  FIG. 4A , a mounting plate  150  is arranged on the aircraft floor  240  and is attached to the support frame  250  by a plurality of fasteners  270 . In  FIG. 4B , an attendant seat  220  is fastened to the mounting plate  150  using secondary fasteners  275 . 
     Referring again to  FIGS. 3 and 5 , the enclosure  105  of storage unit  100  is formed of one or more pieces and encloses a cavity, wherein items can be stored as desired. The illustrated configuration depicts an enclosure comprising a compartment  110 , a front wall  120 , vertical rails  115 , and a top cap  145 . The enclosure also includes the door  125 , which is described in detail below. The construction may be segmented as described, or further as necessary, to accommodate manufacturing processes. In particular, where the enclosure is a resilient structure with a high strength to weight ratio, various elements of the enclosure may be formed from a composite material, such as a fibrous material and epoxy mixture or similar material. Accordingly, the construction may require formation of the various elements where the structure may be difficult to form as a unitary piece or where various elements, such as the top cap  145 , are designed to be metallic, polyethylene, or the like. Alternatively, the enclosure, aside from the door, may be molded into a unitary piece. 
     The vertical rails  115  may be included with the enclosure to add strength to the structure. This added measure reduces the risk of damaging the contents of the storage unit  100  in the event of an incident, such as a collision with a meal cart during turbulence or other accident. The vertical rails may be included in the interior of the enclosure  105 , or may form a portion of the exterior as shown. Alternatively, where the enclosure is constructed from various elements, the vertical rails may be used to connect the compartment  110  to the front wall  120  and/or to the top cap  145 . For example, commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 8,047,467, incorporated herein by reference, discloses a configuration of rails used to unite various panels into a closet. 
     The enclosure  105  is completed by the inclusion of a door  125 , which may be arranged in the front wall  120 . Each door comprises a hinge  135 , which may be a piano-type hinge, and a latch, which may be chosen to match the architecture of a particular aircraft. The latch  140  may be a round, rotating latch, as shown, or may be any other type of latch, including for example a button latch, a sliding bolt, a door knob, a magnetic latch, a hook and eye system, or the like. Alternatively, the enclosure  105  may be fitted with multiple doors, wherein the compartment  110  may be separated into a plurality of discrete cavities. A door may be located in the front wall  120 , as shown, or on any particular side or combination of sides that suits a particular application. 
     The door  125  may be arranged on the enclosure using a door frame  135 , or may be mounted flush with the front wall  120 . The door frame  135  may provide a seal to preserve the contents of the storage unit  100  in case of a pressure loss or other circumstance. The door frame may also be used to provide an improved installation process, wherein the hinge is easily mounted to the door frame prior to installation. 
     The storage unit  100  further comprises a mounting plate  150 , an example of which is shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . In some examples, the mounting plate  150  is separate and distinct from the enclosure  105 , but is securely attached to the enclosure  105  when installed. The mounting plate  150  may alternatively be formed integral with the enclosure  105 . For example, the enclosure may include the mounting plate  150  in the base of the enclosure, or on a wall as the case may be. The mounting plate  150  allows the storage unit  100  to be securely attached to a support frame  250  of the aircraft using fasteners  270 . Where the enclosure  105  is separate from the mounting plate  150 , the enclosure may be attached to the mounting plate  150  using secondary fasteners  275 . The fasteners  270  and secondary fasteners  275  may be any combination of fasteners known in the art, including threaded bolts, locking pins, clips, hooks, hook and eye devices, adhesives, clamps, or the like. 
     In some configurations the fasteners  270  and mounting plate  150  may be designed to interface with an attachment system  255 , such as an existing attachment system that may be used to attach an attendant seat  220  or other modular feature of the passenger aircraft cabin  210 . The fasteners  270  and mounting plate  150  may also be designed for the attachment system  255  where the attachment system  255  comprises a unique design. The support frame  250  may comprise one or more floor joists, wall supports, or other structural elements. 
     The storage unit  100  may include other functional elements, such as the kickstrip  165  and rub strip  170  shown. These elements may perform some aesthetic purpose and add to the durability of the storage unit  100 . 
       FIGS. 6A and 6B  illustrate additional configurations of the storage unit  100 , wherein the contents of the storage unit  100  are for a variety of purposes.  FIG. 6A  illustrates an configuration wherein the storage unit  100  is installed to house emergency equipment  190 , such as fire extinguishers, first aid kits, etc.  FIG. 6B  illustrates another configuration, wherein the storage unit  100  serves to house a variety of items in a plurality of bins  195 . A host of other configurations, including shelves, drawers, hooks, etc., are also possible and are intended to be within the scope of this disclosure. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2B , (and in  FIG. 6A ), the storage unit  100  may be aesthetically designed to seamlessly integrate with the wall mounted attendant modules located directly above the attendant seat. For example, some BOEING wall-mounted attendant stations are described in U.S. Design Pat. Nos. D631,446; D615,045; and D604,254, which are incorporated herein by reference. Without regard to what contents the storage unit  100  is intended to store in a particular application, the storage system may be matched to a particular attachment system and architectural design. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B , the storage unit  100  and system of the present disclosure may be used in a variety of configurations.  FIG. 7A  shows a storage unit  100  installed in the passenger aircraft cabin  210  behind a row of seats. In this configuration, the storage unit  100  is attached to a support frame in the floor of the aircraft, which provides adequate support for the resilient structure of the storage unit.  FIG. 7B  shows the storage unit  100  installed in the passenger aircraft cabin  210  adjacent to an attendant seat  220 . Many other configurations are enabled by the present disclosure and within the scope thereof, as will be apparent to those with skill in the art. 
     In operation, the storage unit  100  enables aircraft operators and manufacturers to pattern allows Airlines to add additional stowage capacity without making costly changes to the aircraft. In particular, anywhere there is attendant seat floor structure the storage system described herein can be used to augment the secure storage capacity of the aircraft. For example, an Airline after delivery may choose to add additional equipment due to various reasons such as revised route structure or increased seating capacity. The storage system of the present disclosure allows for this customization with minimal impact. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates one configuration of a method for implementing the storage unit  100  of the present disclosure. The method  300  for temporarily increasing the accessible storage capacity of a passenger aircraft comprises a step  310  of determining the optimal use of a particular space in a passenger aircraft cabin. This decision will be based upon current needs of the Airline and experience with the use of a particular aircraft for a specific purpose. The method  300  further comprises a step  320  of detaching an existing component from a support frame, such as an attendant seat, from a support frame  250  and removing that existing component from the passenger aircraft cabin  210 , or relocating the component to another position. The next step  330  is to place the storage unit  100  in the particular space. Finally, the method comprises the step  340  of fastening the storage unit  100  to the support frame  250 . 
     This storage system of the present disclosure provides attendants with immediate access to emergency equipment of other flight attendant related items. It has also been designed to provide airline configuration flexibility. The disclosure thereby provides a consistent and organized way of providing airlines and flight attendants with the features that they utilize while creating a cabin interior that is clean, organized, and may reflect the design characteristics of a particular aircraft architecture. 
     It should be emphasized that the above-described configurations of the present device and process are merely possible examples of implementations and merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many different configurations of the disclosure described herein may be designed and/or fabricated without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. All these and other such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims. Therefore the scope of the disclosure is not intended to be limited except as indicated in the appended claims.