Patent Publication Number: US-2022212798-A1

Title: Room for aircraft cabin

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a hollow box shaped room installed in an aircraft cabin. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     In the related art, JP-T-2012-518574 (hereinafter, refers to as “PTL1”) discloses a berth unit installed in an aircraft cabin so that a passenger of the aircraft can lie down and sleep. 
     In the related art, the berth unit disclosed in PTL 1 is installed in the aircraft cabin in a manner in which the berth unit is adjacent to a side surface of a seat (for example, the berth unit is interposed between a body wall of the aircraft and a seat). Generally, a size of a space that can be ensured as a cabin is limited due to the design of the aircraft. Therefore, in order to install the berth unit in the cabin, the number of seats may be reduced by the number of installed berth units in practice. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     From the viewpoint of increasing the number of passengers capable of boarding an aircraft as much as possible, it is not desirable to reduce the number of seats. 
     Aspect of non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure relates to a room for an aircraft cabin that can be installed in an aircraft cabin without reducing the number of seats in the aircraft cabin. 
     Aspects of certain non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure address the features discussed above and/or other features not described above. However, aspects of the non-limiting embodiments are not required to address the above features, and aspects of the non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure may not address features described above. 
     (1) According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a room for an aircraft cabin which is a hollow box shape and installed in the aircraft cabin. The room includes: 
     a floor wall portion that is configured to face a seat of the cabin; 
     a side wall portion that extends from the floor wall portion in a direction away from the seat and has an opening portion for entering and leaving the room; 
     a ladder portion extending in a direction toward the seat from a periphery of the opening portion; and 
     a ceiling wall portion that extends to couple the floor wall portion and the side wall portion and has an engagement structure with an inner wall of the cabin. 
     The room having the configuration has a box shaped inner space defined by the floor wall portion facing seats of the cabin, the side wall portion that extends from the floor wall portion in a direction away from the seats and has an opening portion for entering or leaving the room, and the ceiling wall portion that extends to couple the floor wall portion and the side wall portion. The ceiling wall portion of the room includes the engagement structure with the inner wall of the cabin. A specific shape or the like of the engagement structure is not particularly limited. Accordingly, different from the berth unit disclosed in PTL 1, the room can be installed above the seats, and it is not necessary to reduce the number of seats when installing the room. When the room is installed above the seats, a passenger can enter and leave the room by using the ladder portion extending in a direction toward the seats from a periphery of the opening portion which is entrance and exit, and an original function of a berth on which a passenger can lie down and sleep is not impaired. 
     In the above room for the aircraft cabin, the side wall portion includes a luggage storage room that is openable and closable from an outer side of the room. 
     The room having the configuration is provided with the luggage storage room at the side wall portion of the room. Accordingly, the room also has a function of a luggage rack that is generally provided above seats. 
     In the above room for the aircraft cabin, the side wall portion includes a recessed portion that is recessed from an inner side to an outer side of the room and expands an inner space of the room. 
     Since the room is provided with the recessed portion recessed from the inner side to the outer side of the room at the side wall portion, an inner space of the room is expanded. Accordingly, for example, a passenger can use the room in a state in which an upper body of the passenger (particularly, a periphery of shoulders of a large width in a body structure) is located in the recessed portion. Therefore, comfort of the room is improved. 
     In the above room for the aircraft cabin, the ladder portion includes a coupling portion for coupling to the seat. 
     Since the ladder portion extending in a direction from the room to the seats is coupled to the seat via a coupling portion, the room can be supported by being coupled to the seats via the coupling portion, and can be supported by being engaged with the inner wall of the cabin via the engagement structure. A specific shape or the like of the coupling portion is not particularly limited. Therefore, the room can be firmly fixed in the cabin. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       Exemplary embodiment(s) of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a cabin cross-sectional view viewed from a front side and showing a part of an aircraft cabin in which a room according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed; 
         FIG. 2  is a cabin cross-sectional view viewed from a side and showing a part of the aircraft cabin in which the room according to the embodiment of the present invention is installed; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view viewed from the front side and showing a part of the aircraft cabin in which the room according to the embodiment of the present invention is installed, and is a view in which walls defining the cabin and a ceiling wall portion of the room are omitted; and 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view taken along a line A-A in  FIG. 2  and in which seats are omitted. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, a room  1  according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the room  1  has a capsule shape of a hollow box shape and is installed above a seat unit  6  (that is, one or more seats  7 ) in an aircraft cabin  2 . The room  1  can be mainly used as a bedroom or a lounge for a passenger. In  FIG. 3 , walls defining the cabin  2  and a part of walls defining the room  1  (a part of a ceiling wall portion  50  to be described later) are omitted for the convenience of description. The room  1  can be installed in the aircraft cabin  2  without reducing the number of seats in the cabin  2 . 
     Hereinafter, as shown in  FIGS. 1 to 4 , a “front-rear direction”, an “upper-lower direction”, a “width direction”, “front”, “rear”, “upper”, “lower”, “outer”, and “inner” are defined for convenience of description. The front-rear direction, the upper-lower direction, and the width direction are orthogonal to one another. The front-rear direction, the upper-lower direction, and the width direction respectively coincide with the front-rear direction, the upper-lower direction, and the width direction of the aircraft (that is, the cabin  2 ). A width direction inner side corresponds to a passage side of the cabin  2 , and a width direction outer side corresponds to a window side of the cabin  2 . 
     In an example shown in  FIGS. 1 to 4 , a cabin of an economy class serves as the cabin  2  in which a plurality of seat units  6  that integrally includes three seats  7  lined up side by side are provided at two sides sandwiching a passage that extends in the front-rear direction and located at a width direction central portion of the cabin  2 . The plurality of seat units  6  are spaced at an interval in the front-rear direction. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the cabin  2  is a cylindrical space that is defined by a bottom wall  3 , a ceiling wall  4 , and a pair of side walls  5  and extends in the front-rear direction. In this example, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , each of the seat units  6  is provided on the bottom wall  3  in a manner of slightly inclined with respect to the width direction so that the seat  7  at a width direction inner side (passage side) is located in front of the seat  7  at a width direction outer side (window side). 
     As can be understood from  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a plurality of rooms  1  are installed at an interval in the front-rear direction and are installed above the plurality of seat units  6  at two sides sandwiching the passage in a manner in which one room  1  corresponds to two seat units  6  (that is, six seats  7  in total) that are adjacent in the front-rear direction. Hereinafter, a configuration of the room  1  will be described. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 4 , the room  1  has a hollow box shape extending the front-rear direction, and is defined by a floor wall portion  10 , a side wall portion  20 , a front wall portion  30 , a rear wall portion  40 , and the ceiling wall portion  50 . As can be understood from  FIGS. 1 to 4  (particularly  FIG. 4  which is a cross-sectional view taken along a line A-A in  FIG. 2 ), the floor wall portion  10  is a substantially rectangular flat plate shaped wall that is long in the front-rear direction and extends in the front-rear direction and the width direction. The floor wall portion  10  has a shape having a protruding portion  11  that protrudes to the width direction inner side in a front side area. A protruding end edge  12  of the protruding portion  11  extending in the front-rear direction constitutes a lower end edge of an opening portion  23  (see  FIGS. 2 to 4 ) to be described later. 
     The side wall portion  20  is a wall that rises upward integrally from a width direction inner side edge of the floor wall portion  10  excluding the protruding end edge  12  of the protruding portion  11 . As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the side wall portion  20  includes a protruding portion  21  and a recessed portion  22 . The protruding portion  21  is continuous with a rear end of the protruding end edge  12  and protrudes to the width direction inner side (protrudes from an outer side to an inner side of the room  1 ). The recessed portion  22  is continuous with a rear side of the protruding portion  21  and is recessed to the width direction outer side (recessed from the inner side to the outer side of the room  1 ). Since the recessed portion  22  is formed, an inner space of a rear end portion of the room  1  is expanded compared with a case in which the recessed portion  22  is not formed (a case in which a top portion of the protruding portion  21  extending in the front-rear direction is continuous up to a rear end of a width direction inner side edge of the floor wall portion  10 ). 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the front wall portion  30  is a flat plate shaped wall that rises upward integrally from a front end edge of the floor wall portion  10  that extends in the width direction. A width direction inner side edge of the front wall portion  30  extends linearly in the upper-lower direction. An upper end edge of the front wall portion  30  extends in the width direction corresponding to an end portion  4   a  (see  FIG. 1 ) at a width direction outer side of the ceiling wall  4  of the cabin  2 . A width direction outer side edge of the front wall portion  30  extends in a manner in which the width direction outer side edge is inclined with respect to the upper-lower direction corresponding to an end portion  5   a  (see  FIG. 1 ) at an upper side of the side wall  5  of the cabin  2 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the rear wall portion  40  is a flat plate shaped wall that rises upward integrally from a rear end edge of the floor wall portion  10  that extends in the width direction. A width direction inner side edge of the rear wall portion  40  extends linearly in the upper-lower direction. An upper end edge of the rear wall portion  40  extends in the width direction corresponding to the end portion  4   a  (see  FIG. 1 ) of the ceiling wall  4  of the cabin  2 . A width direction outer side edge of the rear wall portion  40  extends in a manner in which the width direction outer side edge is inclined with respect to the upper-lower direction corresponding to the end portion  5   a  (see  FIG. 1 ) of the side wall  5  of the cabin  2 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the ceiling wall portion  50  is a wall integrally formed with the floor wall portion  10 , the side wall portion  20 , the front wall portion  30 , and the rear wall portion  40  so as to close an opening (see  FIG. 3 ) defined by the floor wall portion  10 , the side wall portion  20 , the front wall portion  30 , and the rear wall portion  40 . That is, the ceiling wall portion  50  extends continuously with the floor wall portion  10  and the side wall portion  20 . The ceiling wall portion  50  has a bent shape corresponding to the end portion  4   a  of the ceiling wall  4  of the cabin  2  and the end portion  5   a  of the side wall  5  of the cabin  2  (see  FIG. 1 ). An engagement structure (not shown) that engages with an inner surface of the end portion  4   a  of the ceiling wall  4  of the cabin  2  and an inner surface of the end portion  5   a  of the side wall  5  of the cabin  2  is provided on an outer surface of the ceiling wall portion  50 . The engagement structure is used to install the ceiling wall portion  50  (that is, the entire room  1  having a hollow box shape) above two seat units  6  (that is, six seats  7  in total) that are adjacent in the front-rear direction corresponding to the two seat units  6  and the ceiling wall portion  50  and to install the ceiling wall portion  50  so that the ceiling wall portion  50  extends in the front-rear direction, as shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 . The engagement structure has sufficient engagement strength in consideration of a weight of the room  1  and weights of passengers entering the room  1 . The engagement structure can appropriately adopt fastening using a bolt, bonding by welding, or the like. However, a specific arrangement, shape, or the like of the engagement structure is not particularly limited. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the opening portion  23  having a long rectangular shape in the upper-lower direction is defined in the room  1  by the protruding end edge  12  of the floor wall portion  10  extending in the front-rear direction, a front end edge of the side wall portion  20  (more specifically, the protruding portion  21 ) extending in the upper-lower direction, a width direction inner side edge of the front wall portion  30  extending in the upper-lower direction, and a width direction inner side edge of the ceiling wall portion  50  extending in the front-rear direction. A passenger can enter and leave the room  1  through the opening portion  23 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 to 4 , a luggage storage room  60  having a hollow box shape extending in the front-rear direction is fixed to an outer surface of the side wall portion  20  (that is, an outer side of the room  1 ) in a manner of covering a part of the outer surface. A substantially rectangular flat plate shaped lid portion  61  extending in the front-rear direction is provided on a width direction inner side wall defining the luggage storage room  60 , and the lid portion  61  can be opened and closed. An upper end edge of the lid portion  61  that extends in the front-rear direction is pivotally supported on a width direction inner side wall of the luggage storage room  60 . That is, a passenger can pivot and open the lid portion  61  by pulling a periphery of a lower end edge portion of the lid portion  61  to a width direction inner side and can store luggage or the like of the passenger in the luggage storage room  60 . Accordingly, the room  1  also has a function of a luggage rack that is generally provided above seats. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , a substantially U-shaped handrail portion  70  is integrally provided outside the room  1  in a manner of surrounding a peripheral edge of the opening portion  23 . The handrail portion  70  includes a front side portion  71  that is provided at a width direction inner edge of the front wall portion  30  extending in the upper-lower direction and that extends in the upper-lower direction, a rear side portion  72  that is provided at a front end edge of the side wall portion  20  (protruding portion  21 ) extending in the upper-lower direction and that extends in the upper-lower direction, and a coupling portion  73  that extends in the front-rear direction so as to couple lower ends of the front side portion  71  and the rear side portion  72 . The coupling portion  73  is located slightly below a lower end edge of the opening portion  23  (that is, the protruding end edge  12  of the protruding portion  11 ). 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , a ladder portion  80  is coupled to the coupling portion  73  of the handrail portion  70  in a manner of extending downward from the coupling portion  73 . Specifically, the ladder portion  80  includes a rectangular frame shaped ladder body portion  81  that extends in the upper-lower direction and the front-rear direction and is long in the upper-lower direction, and a plurality of substantially rectangular flat plate shaped step portions  82  that are provided at a plurality of positions of the ladder body portion  81  in the upper-lower direction and are spaced from one another in the upper-lower direction. Each step portion  82  is supported by the ladder body portion  81  and capable of pivoting in the upper-lower direction, so that the step portion  82  can be folded. 
     An upper side coupling portion  83  (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) provided at an upper end portion of the ladder body portion  81  is coupled to the coupling portion  73  of the handrail portion  70 , and a lower side coupling portion  84  (see  FIG. 1 ) provided at a lower end portion of the ladder body portion  81  is coupled to a predetermined position  6   a  (see  FIG. 1 ) at a width direction inner side (passage side) of the front side seat unit  6  of the two seat units  6  provided corresponding to the room  1 , so that the ladder portion  80  is coupled to the handrail portion  70  and the seat unit  6 . Accordingly, in addition to the engagement structure between the ceiling wall portion  50  and inner walls of the cabin  2  (the end portion  4   a  of the ceiling wall  4  and the end portion  5   a  of the side wall  5 ), the room  1  can also be supported by the seat unit  6 . Therefore, the room  1  can be firmly fixed in the cabin  2 . 
     A passenger who wants to enter or leave the room  1  can go upstairs to the opening portion  23  of the room  1  (that is, an inner space of the room  1 ) or can go downstairs to the bottom wall  3  of the cabin  2  by sequentially stepping on the plurality of step portions  82  of the ladder portion  80  in the upper-lower direction while holding the handrail portion  70  and the ladder body portion  81  of the ladder portion  80  by hand. 
     In order to improve comfort of the room  1  serving as a bedroom or a lounge for a passenger, as shown in  FIG. 3 , a mattress  91  (see  FIG. 3 ) is provided on an inner surface (upper surface, surface serving as a berth) of the floor wall portion  10 , and a backrest cushion  92  is provided on an inner surface of each of the side wall portion  20  (recessed portion  22 ) and the rear wall portion  40 . Accordingly, a passenger can comfortably maintain a lying-down posture using the mattress  91 , and can comfortably maintain a sitting posture using the cushion  92 . In particular, when a passenger maintains a sitting posture using the cushion  92 , an upper body of the passenger (in particular, a periphery of shoulders) is located in the recessed portion  22  of the side wall portion  20  (that is, a portion where an inner space of the rear end portion of the room  1  is expanded). Therefore, comfort of the room  1  is further improved. 
     Further, as shown in  FIG. 3 , an openable/closable mini table  93  for placing a cup or the like is provided on an inner surface of the side wall portion  20  (protruding portion  21 ). Further, a monitor (not shown) may be provided on an inner surface of the front wall portion  30 , a body fixing belt (not shown) may be provided at a predetermined position on an inner surface of the room  1 , or a clothes hanger (not shown) may be provided at a predetermined position of the inner surface of the room  1 . Furthermore, a light or a mirror may be provided at a predetermined position of an inner space of the room  1 . 
     Main functions and effects of the room  1  according to the present embodiment will be collectively described below. 
     The room  1  is formed into a box shaped inner space defined by the floor wall portion  10  facing the seats  7  (the seat unit  6 ) in the cabin  2 , the side wall portion  20  that extends from the floor wall portion  10  in a direction (upward) away from the seats  7  (the seat unit  6 ) and that has the opening portion  23  for entering or leaving the room  1 , and the front wall portion  30 , the rear wall portion  40 , and the ceiling wall portion  50  that extend to couple the floor wall portion  10  and the side wall portion  20 . The ceiling wall portion  50  of the room  1  includes an engagement structure with inner walls of the cabin  2  (the end portion  4   a  of the ceiling wall  4  and the end portion  5   a  of the side wall  5 ). Accordingly, the room  1  can be installed above the seats  7  (seat unit  6 ), and it is not necessary to reduce the number of seats when installing the room  1 . When the room  1  is installed above the seats  7  (seat unit  6 ), a passenger can enter and leave the room  1  by using the ladder portion  80  extending in a direction (downward) close to the seats  7  (the seat unit  6 ) from a periphery of the opening portion  23  of the side wall portion  20 , and an original function of a berth on which a passenger can lie down and sleep is not impaired. 
     The room  1  is provided with the luggage storage room  60  at the side wall portion  20  of the room  1 . Accordingly, the room  1  also has a function of a luggage rack that is generally provided above seats. For example, when a luggage rack is provided at a position separate from the room  1 , the luggage storage room  60  may not be necessarily provided at the side wall portion  20 . An inner space of the room  1  is expanded by a size of the luggage storage room  60  when the luggage storage room  60  is not provided, and comfort of the room  1  is further improved. 
     Further, since the room  1  is provided with the recessed portion  22  recessed from the inner side to the outer side of the room  1  at the side wall portion  20 , an inner space of the room  1  is expanded. Accordingly, for example, a passenger can use the room  1  in a state in which an upper body of the passenger (particularly, a periphery of shoulders of a large width) is located at the recessed portion  22 , and comfort of the room  1  is improved. 
     Since the ladder portion  80  extending in a direction (downward) from the room  1  to the seats  7  (seat unit  6 ) is coupled to the seat unit  6  via the lower side coupling portion  84  in the room  1 , the room  1  can be supported by the seat unit  6  in addition to the engagement structure with inner walls (the end portion  4   a  of the ceiling wall  4  and the end portion  5   a  of the side wall  5 ) of the cabin  2 . Accordingly, the room  1  can be firmly fixed in the cabin. 
     The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents. 
     Features of the room  1  according to the embodiment of the present invention described above will be briefly summarized and listed in the following [ 1 ] to [ 4 ]. 
     [1] A room for an aircraft cabin ( 2 ) which is a hollow box shaped room ( 1 ) and installed in the aircraft cabin ( 2 ), the room ( 1 ) comprising: 
     a floor wall portion ( 10 ) facing a seat ( 7 ) of the cabin ( 2 ); 
     a side wall portion ( 20 ) that extends from the floor wall portion ( 10 ) in a direction away from the seat ( 7 ) and has an opening portion ( 23 ) for entering and leaving the room ( 1 ); 
     a ladder portion ( 80 ) extending in a direction toward the seat ( 7 ) from a periphery of the opening portion ( 23 ); and 
     a ceiling wall portion ( 50 ) that extends to couple the floor wall portion ( 10 ) and the side wall portion ( 20 ) and has an engagement structure with an inner wall ( 4   a  and  5   a ) of the cabin ( 2 ). 
     [2] The room ( 1 ) for an aircraft cabin according to [ 1 ], 
     in which the side wall portion ( 20 ) includes a luggage storage room ( 60 ) that is openable and closable from an outer side of the room ( 1 ). 
     [3] The room ( 1 ) for an aircraft cabin according to [ 1 ], 
     in which the side wall portion ( 20 ) includes a recessed portion ( 22 ) that is recessed from an inner side to an outer side of the room ( 1 ) and expands an inner space of the room ( 1 ). 
     [4] The room ( 1 ) for an aircraft cabin according to [ 1 ], 
     in which the ladder portion ( 80 ) includes a coupling portion ( 84 ) for coupling to the seat ( 7 ). 
     REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 
     
         
           1  room 
           2  cabin 
           4   a  end portion of ceiling wall (inner wall) 
           5   a  end portion of side wall (inner wall) 
           7  seat 
           10  floor wall portion 
           20  side wall portion 
           22  recessed portion 
           23  opening portion 
           50  ceiling wall portion 
           60  luggage storage room 
           80  ladder portion 
           84  lower side coupling portion (coupling portion)