Patent Publication Number: US-2005116103-A1

Title: Covering for a vehicle

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The invention relates to a covering for a vehicle, in particular for the interior of a vehicle, the vehicle preferably being an aircraft.  
      2. Related Prior Art  
      As a covering, in particular the inner covering of vehicles such as airplanes, covering elements (mostly of plastic material) are employed that are secured to retaining structures of the vehicle. Thus, in an airplane, the covering elements above the seat surface, for example, are fastened to rails by special fastening elements that are attached to the covering elements. Above the seats, a plurality of different covering elements and covering units are provided that may accommodate oxygen masks, for example, or may include reading lamps, air nozzles, information panels and keys or similar operating elements. The latter units are also referred to as PSU&#39;s (Passenger Service Unit).  
      Covering elements or covering units of the above mentioned kind are provided above the seats in each row. Depending on the distance between the seat rows, further covering elements are present between these covering units, which are also referred to as dummy panels or “infill” panels. These covering elements are comparatively lightweight and, for reasons of simplification, partly have no fastening systems of their own for a direct fastening to the retaining structure of the vehicle to which all other covering elements or units are fastened.  
      Depending on the length of such covering elements, these may be rather unstable or may have poor dimensional stability. A reason for this is the material selected, which is a lightweight material such as plastic material.  
      To increase rigidity, prior art discloses covering elements on whose rear surfaces stiffening braces are attached by glueing. The stiffening braces are made of a light metal such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy.  
      EP-A-0,678,408 describes a covering element attached to a mount which in turn is fastened to a ceiling air duct above the seat rows of a bus. From DE-U-1,954,295, a suspension for a roof lining is known. DE-A-197 30 268 describes a vehicle door with holding frames as mounting supports set onto the frame of the vehicle door.  
      The manufacture of such stiffened covering elements is rather complex.  
      It is an object of the invention to provide a covering for a vehicle, in particular for the interior of a vehicle, which can be manufactured in a simplified manner, where in particular the connection between the stiffening brace and the covering element is simplified.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      To achieve this object, the invention provides a covering for a vehicle, in particular for the interior of a vehicle, e.g. for attachment above seat rows in airplanes, the covering being provided with 
          a covering element with a front side facing the interior of the vehicle when built in and a rear side, and     a stiffening brace for increasing the rigidity of the covering element, the brace being attached to the rear side of the covering element,     the stiffening brace being adapted for a plugged and captive connection with the covering element.        

      Thus, according to the invention, a mechanic plug connection is provided between the stiffening brace and the covering element. Both parts may be fitted together either by a movement directed perpendicular to the plane of the rear side or in parallel to the plane of the rear side. In both instances, a positively or frictionally engaged connection is obtained that provides for a captive retention (securing against inadvertent detachment).  
      The material for the covering element preferably is a plastic material, while the material from which the stiffening brace is made may be a light metal (e.g. aluminum or an aluminum alloy). Preferably, however, also the stiffening brace is made of a plastic material.  
      In an advantageous development of the invention, the two parts to be connected may be joined together in the manner of a groove and tongue connection or a dovetail connection. If both parts are pushed against each other in parallel to the rear side of the covering element, the cross sectional profile of the plug-in projections of the stiffening brace is complementary to the cross sectional profile of the plug receiving spaces of the covering element.  
      If the two parts to be connected are moved towards each other under a right angle to the rear side, the plug-in connection is effected in a manner similar to a plug-in contact. Catch noses or similar positive locking elements allow to realize a permanent positively engaged connection. As an alternative, frictional engagement is also contemplated. Both variants of a force-fit connection are also possible with the above described alternative joining of both parts.  
      In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is further contemplated that the stiffening brace and the covering element are fixedly connected using clawing elements. The clawing elements (e.g. of metal) have projections formed in the manner of barbs that claw into the stiffening brace, on the one hand, and into the covering element, on the other hand.  
      In an advantageous embodiment, it is provided that the stiffening brace has plug-in projections facing the covering element and being received by plug receiving spaces on the rear side of the covering element.  
      Preferably, the plug receiving spaces are each formed by collars protruding from the rear side of the covering element.  
      In another embodiment of the invention, the stiffening brace has supporting points for support at the rear side of the covering element when mounted thereon. These supporting points may be simple contact areas between parts of the stiffening brace and the covering element. At these points, there is no positively locked interconnection. Instead, other portions of the stiffening brace and the covering element are positively locked together in the manner provided by the invention. Alternatively, the supporting points coincide with the plug connection points.  
      Preferably, the covering element has a length and the stiffening brace extends in parallel to the length of the covering element.  
      In another embodiment of the invention, the stiffening brace has a substantially rectilinear or slightly curved edge portion and an opposite convex edge portion, the substantially rectilinear or slightly convex edge portion facing the rear side of the covering element when mounted thereto.  
      According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, claw elements are provided between the stiffening brace and the covering element for connecting the stiffening brace with the covering element.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth more particularly in the remainder of the specification, including reference to the accompanying drawings in which  
       FIG. 1  is a partial sectional view of the cabin of a plane for illustrating the mounting of covering elements above the seats of the plane,  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the rear side of a covering element with a stiffening brace mounted thereon,  
       FIG. 3  is an exploded side elevational view of the covering element of  FIG. 2 ,  
       FIG. 4  is a section along line IV-IV in  FIG. 2  and  
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a claw element for interposition between the stiffening brace and the covering element. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       FIG. 1  illustrates a partial section through an airplane cabin  10  provided with a covering according to the invention or a covering element according to the embodiment described herein. As is evident from  FIG. 1 , the covering  12  is arranged above the seat rows  14  and below the overhead baggage bins  16 . Thus, for example, those covering elements with built-in reading lights, ventilation nozzles, switches or oxygen masks (also referred to as first covering elements or covering elements of the first type) are fastened to C-shaped retaining profiles  20  by special fastening elements  18 , while lightweight small and narrow covering elements (also referred to as second covering elements or covering elements of the second type) are hung to a respective first covering element, i.e. are not themselves directly connected to the C-shaped retaining profiles  20 .  
      An example of a covering element  22  of the covering  12  is illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . This embodiment is a so-called infill panel. In principle, however, each covering element of an airplane interior covering or a vehicle covering in general may be realized according to the invention.  
      The covering element  22  comprises a wall  24  with a circumferentially extending upright edge  26 . The narrow edges at the longitudinal ends  28  are provided with the fastening elements  18  with which the covering element  22  is fastened to the retaining structure of the airplane. The lower side of the plate  24  in  FIG. 2  forms the front side  30 , whereas the upper side in  FIG. 2  forms the rear side  34  of the covering element  22 .  
      On the rear side  34  of the covering element  22 , a plurality (four in this embodiment) of plug receiving spaces  36  is provided, each formed by a circumferentially extending collar  38  that is substantially rectangular in top plan view. These plug receiving spaces  36  receive plug-in projections  40  of a stiffening brace  42  which, in this embodiment, is substantially arcuate in shape. In this embodiment, the stiffening brace  42  is an element with a double T-shaped section, one transverse beam being slightly convexly bent away from the rear side  34  of the covering element  22 , while the second transverse beam has a stronger convex bend. To save weight, the longitudinal beam of the stiffening brace  42  connecting the two transverse beams is provided with a plurality of holes  44 .  
      Moreover, as illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , for example, claw elements  46  in the form of U-shaped clamps are placed into the receiving spaces  36 . A claw element  46  is made of metal and has hook elements  48  on the inside and hook elements  50  on the outside. The inner hook elements  48  engage the outside of the plug-in projections  40  of the stiffening brace  42 , whereas the outer hook elements  50  engage the collars  38  of the plug receiving spaces  36  from inside (see  FIG. 4 ). Both hook elements  48  and  50  preferably act in the manner of barbs so that a secure hold of the stiffening brace  42  on the covering element  22  is guaranteed.  
      Although the invention has been described and explained with reference to specific illustrative embodiments thereof, it is not intended that the invention be limited to those illustrative embodiments. Those skilled in the art will recognize that variations and modifications can be made without departing from the true scope of the invention as defined by the claims that follow. It is therefore intended to include within the invention all such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.