Patent Description:
Commercial and transport aircraft usually comprise a cabin with cabin monuments, such as a galley, installed therein. Various cabin monuments comprise compartments for receiving items, such as standard units. Depending on the type of cabin monument and the selected standard unit, in some installations it may happen that the door of a standard unit clashes with a part of the door frame lining when being opened. The exact location of a contacting point depends on the monument setup and the door frame lining adjustment, standard unit door width, exact position of the standard unit during opening process, pressurized or non-pressurized fuselage, etc. As prediction of the exact contacting point is almost impossible, known solutions are limited to providing a protective material layer on the door frame lining in the form of metallic or plastic materials; and to providing large bumpers on the door frame lining or compartment walls.

<CIT> discloses a simple and inexpensive bolt which will automatically move into position to prevent the closing of a refrigerator door; further provided is a safety device which may be built into new refrigerators or may be attached to refrigerators already in use so that when the refrigerators are discarded and/or the shelves removed either by the user or by a child in entering it, the safety device will automatically function to prevent complete closing of the door.

<CIT> is directed to a door which is held open by a two-position mechanism with a cylindrical housing which is attached to an inside wall of a refrigerator. The mechanism has a sliding rod which when released is pushed outward by a spring to a position that holds the door open.

It is thus an object of the invention to propose an alternative compartment with an improved protection for a door of or in the compartment or surrounding cabin lining parts, wherein a manual interaction should be as little as possible and wherein the protection should be effective without knowing the exact contact point between the door and other equipment.

The object is met by a compartment for a cabin in a vehicle having the features of independent claim <NUM>. Advantageous embodiments and further improvements may be gathered from the subclaims and the following description.

A compartment for a cabin in a vehicle is proposed, comprising a compartment enclosure assembly defining an outer boundary of the compartment and comprising a receiving space, a stop body supported on or in the compartment enclosure assembly, and a locking device, wherein the receiving space is arranged to be accessible from a front of the compartment enclosure assembly, wherein the stop body is pivotally mounted on or in the compartment housing assembly about a pivot axis to move between a retracted position, in which the stop body does not project from the front, and an extended position, in which the stop body projects from the front to provide an end stop for a door of the compartment or for a door of an insert to be inserted into the receiving space, and wherein the locking device is adapted to selectively lock and unlock the stop body in its retracted position.

The compartment enclosure assembly is to be understood as an arrangement of walls, frames, a framework structure that define the outer boundary of the compartment according to the invention. The compartment enclosure assembly may also be an integral part of a superordinate piece of installation equipment, e.g. a part of a monument, in particular a galley section inside an aircraft cabin. The compartment according to the invention is used for storing items in the receiving space. In particular for the use in an aircraft, the compartment may comprise a swivable door to retain the stored items. For supporting the swivable door, a hinge may be provided, which has a hinge axis that is preferably vertical. This means, that the hinge axis extends in the z direction in an aircraft-fixed coordinate system, if it is installed in an aircraft cabin.

However, the receiving space may simply be designed to hold a separate device, which comprises such a hinge and a door supported therewith. For example, if the compartment is installed in an aircraft galley or another cabin monument, such a device may be a so-called "standard unit" that is replaceably placeable in the receiving space. The standard unit may comprise a door, which is supported by a vertical hinge.

The compartment enclosure assembly may be made from aluminium, a composite material, or a combination thereof. It may comprise a box-like shape, wherein the receiving space is accessible from the front.

The stop body is a part that is intended to be selectively moved from a retracted position into an extended position, wherein the stop body at least partially protrudes from the front of the compartment enclosure assembly in the extended position. When the stop body protrudes from the front of the compartment enclosure assembly, a door that swivels from the front outwards to open will touch the stop body at a certain opening angle. It is conceivable that the stop body is arranged in a section of the compartment enclosure assembly adjacent to the respective swivel axis. Thus, when the door swivels more than <NUM>°, a part of the door will touch a part of the stop body that protrudes from the front, such that the stop body prevents the door from swiveling further. Adjacent installations, such as cabin linings, oxygen mask containers or other components, will be protected from an impact of the door.

The stop body pivots outwards to extend and inwards to retract. For example, the stop body may be an elongate element that is arranged perpendicularly to the front and that may be pulled out or pushed into the compartment enclosure assembly.

The locking device is provided for selectively locking the stop body. As mentioned further below, and inadvertent movement of the stop body can thus be prevented to maintain a clean front. The locking device may be mechanically or logically coupled with other devices, such as a latching device, to improve the usability of the compartment. For example, if the stop body is moved by a user into an extended or retracted position, the locking device may be coupled with the stop body in a way that a user may press onto the stop body to lock it into the retracted state or to unlock it again. Other variants are conceivable, which are not coupled with the stop body, but are provided as separate devices.

According to the invention, the stop body is pivotally mounted and has a center of gravity, which is distanced from the pivot axis, such that the stop body automatically pivots into the extended position by gravity when the locking device unlocks the stop body. To simplify the function of the stop body, it is designed to pivot about the pivot axis automatically. For achieving this, the pivot axis is arranged in a distance from its center of gravity. For example, the stop body may be vertically arranged in the compartment enclosure assembly and is substantially flush with or resting on the front in the retracted position. In this case, the pivot axis may be placed rearwards from the front and downwards from the center of gravity of the stop body. If the stop body is not locked by the locking device, it simply pivots driven by gravity in a way that the upper end of the stop body protrudes from the front and in the lower end slightly moves inwards. It is to be understood, that the compartment enclosure assembly requires a sufficient installation space for housing the stop body in its both states.

In an advantageous embodiment, the stop body has an elongate shape with a first end and an opposite second end, wherein the second end is arranged vertically above the first end. Thus, the stop body may be a bar or a rod, or any other shape with a substantially constant cross-sectional profile, such as a square, a rectangle, a T-profile, or the like along its length. The stop body may extend substantially vertically in the compartment enclosure assembly, wherein the center of gravity is arranged in its center. Thus, the pivot axis is in the lower half of the compartment enclosure assembly. By providing such a stop body, the required installation space for integrating the stop body is minimized.

In an advantageous embodiment, the second end moves away from the front to protrude from the front in the extended position. Thus, in this state, the second end sticks out from the front. In the extended position, the stop body and a plane spanned up by the front enclose an angle that is greater than zero. Depending on the spatial arrangement of the door hinge and the stop body, the stop body may only need to protrude a few centimeters from the front to provide a suitable end stop for the door.

In an advantageous embodiment, the stop body is substantially flush with or resting on the front in the retracted position. In situations, in which an interaction with the door or the receiving space is not required, the stop body substantially does not protrude from the front and thus does not create a potential obstacle in the assist space of an aircraft cabin or the like. Also, the appearance of the compartment according to the invention is harmonic when the stop body is retracted.

In an advantageous embodiment, the locking device comprises a wedge body, which is movably supported on or in the compartment enclosure assembly so as to be slidable parallel to the pivot axis between a first sliding position and a second sliding position, wherein the wedge body comprises a wedge surface that faces to the front, wherein a lower rear section of the stop body is coupled with a wedge surface of the wedge body, and wherein the wedge body is designed to move the stop body into the retracted position and to block the stop body in the first sliding position and to release the stop body in the second sliding position. By sliding the wedge body parallel to the pivot axis, the inclined wedge surface travels along a rear side of the stop body. The lower rear section of the stop body may be directly in contact with the wedge surface or a separate element is arranged between the stop body and the wedge surface. This may, for example, be a push pin, which is slidably supported in a direction perpendicular to a plane spanned up by the front. Thus, such a push pin may be in contact with both the wedge surface and the lower rear section. A local thickness of the wedge body behind the stop body changes depending on the sliding position. When the wedge body is in the second sliding position, it has the smallest local thickness in a position behind the stop body, such that the rear side of the stop body can move between a forwardmost position, in which the stop body is retracted, to a rear position until it is held by the wedge surface, either directly or through separate elements. Hence, in the second sliding position the stop body is not prevented from pivoting. However, in the first sliding position, the wedge body has the greatest local thickness directly behind the stop body, such that a geometrical constraint between the wedge body and the stop body, either directly or through separate elements, is provided. The stop body then remains in the retracted position, in which the rear side of the stop body contacts the wedge surface. Hence, the stop body is prevented from pivoting in the first sliding position. The wedge body may be coupled with an operating knob at the front of the compartment enclosure assembly, wherein the user may slide the wedge body by moving the operating knob parallel to the pivot axis in order to selectively lock or unlock the stop body.

In an exemplary embodiment, the locking device is arranged at a bottom wall of the compartment enclosure assembly, such that the wedge body is movable in a lateral direction along the bottom wall. Hence, the locking device is placed in the vicinity of latching devices or the like that are usually found in aircraft related compartments, in particular in galley applications. A latching device is often provided for latching doors to avoid inadvertent opening of the door during flight. Often, such a latching device is arranged at a bottom wall, for example in compartments in a galley section. Thus, there may already be a sufficient installation space in common compartments for providing the operating knob or the like that is coupled with that wedge body.

In an advantageous embodiment, the locking device comprises a resilient element that urges the wedge body into the first sliding position. Thus, the stop body always reverts to the retracted state if it is not blocked, such that it does not protrude from the front when not needed. In particular during time-pressing operation of the compartment in a cramped space, this saves time and reduces the number of steps required for handling items stored in the compartment.

In an advantageous embodiment, the compartment enclosure assembly comprises at least one latching element, which is rotatably supported on the front to selectively move it in front of the receiving space or to move it away from the receiving space. As mentioned before, such a latching element is capable of latching a door in a compartment in its closed state. Often, latching elements are designed as levers that are rotatably supported on one end, wherein the other end can be brought forward of the door. Hence, opening the door is prevented when the latching element is placed forward of the door.

In an advantageous embodiment, the locking device and the at least one latching element are arranged on the compartment enclosure assembly in such a way that the latching element is blocked in front of the receiving space when the locking device is in the first sliding position, and that the at least one latching element can be moved away from the receiving space when the locking device is in the second sliding position. Rotating the respective latching element is thus only possible when the operating knob or the like of the locking device is moved away from the first sliding position. Hence, the distance between the first sliding position and the second sliding position is sufficient to move the latching device away from the front. This is also a very intuitive way of activating the stop body when unlatching the respective door, since the operating knob or the like is in the way of the latching device and just needs to be moved away to let the latching device into an open position. Unlatching will only be possible if the locking device is deactivated. Again, when the respective latching element is moved to be in front of the respective door, particularly with the resilient element mentioned above, the locking device automatically reverts into the locked state.

In an advantageous embodiment, the compartment enclosure assembly comprises a recess in a lateral wall, in which the stop body is supported. The recess allows to place the stop body in the compartment enclosure assembly in a flush manner, such that it does not stick out the front in the retracted position.

In an advantageous embodiment, the receiving space is substantially hollow and designed for receiving a standard unit. Consequently, the door whose opening angle is to be limited belongs to a standard unit. In an alternative, the compartment may comprise the door and is designed for receiving other items.

The invention further relates to an installation equipment, in particular a cabin monument and preferably a galley for a cabin of an aircraft, comprising at least one compartment according to the above. The installation equipment, or the cabin monument, respectively, may extend from an aisle in the cabin to a nearest side wall of the cabin. However, the installation equipment may also extend over the whole width of the cabin.

In an advantageous embodiment, the at least one compartment is arranged in a top half of the installation equipment. The installation equipment in this case may be a monument that has a distinct extension in a vertical direction. For example, it may be placed on or slightly above a cabin floor and extend towards a cabin ceiling. In the top half of the installation equipment, the sidewall of the cabin may comprise a significant curvature, if the installation equipment is directly arranged at the sidewall. If the compartment is arranged directly adjacent to the sidewall, the stop body provides an excellent angle limitation.

In an advantageous embodiment, at least one lateral wall of the installation equipment is curved to complement a shape of a curved fuselage of the aircraft, in which the cabin is created. The installation equipment, in particular a galley or another type of cabin monument, may thus be arranged flushly at a sidewall of the cabin.

Furthermore, the invention relates to an aircraft comprising a cabin and having at least one installation equipment according to the above and/or at least one compartment according to the above.

In the following, the attached drawings are used to illustrate exemplary embodiments in more detail. The illustrations are schematic and not to scale. Identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar elements. They show:.

<FIG> shows a part of a galley <NUM> in a cabin of an aircraft. Here, a compartment <NUM> is provided in the galley <NUM>, which is designed for receiving a standard unit <NUM> having a door <NUM>, which is swivably supported on a hinge <NUM>. A door lock <NUM> is provided on the door <NUM>. Here, the compartment <NUM> is arranged at a top of the galley <NUM> and close to a lateral wall <NUM> of the cabin. In this illustration, the door <NUM> is in an open state, in which an upper corner <NUM> of the door <NUM> contacts a box <NUM>, which is arranged in the lateral wall <NUM> and is used for storing oxygen masks. The door <NUM> comprises a length of almost <NUM> and an impact on the box <NUM> should be avoided. A fixed end stop for contacting the door <NUM> that protrudes from the galley <NUM> would always reach into an assist space, which is not acceptable. Also, the exact placement of the corner <NUM> is hardly predictable since the standard unit <NUM> is a replaceable item and the exact dimensions and the swiveling path of the doors <NUM> of different manufacturers of standard units <NUM> may differ.

<FIG> shows a compartment <NUM> in the galley <NUM> as an example of an installation equipment, or cabin monument, respectively, which comprises a compartment enclosure assembly <NUM>, which comprises an upper wall <NUM>, a bottom wall <NUM>, a first lateral wall <NUM> and a second lateral wall <NUM>. At the second lateral wall <NUM>, a recess <NUM> is provided, which substantially extends along the entire length of the second lateral wall <NUM> and houses a stop body <NUM>, which is pivotally supported on the second lateral wall <NUM>. The stop body <NUM> is a bar- or rod-like shaped elongate body, which may be made from a metallic material, such as aluminium, a plastic material, or a combination thereof. It may be solid or at least partially hollow.

In <FIG>, it is arranged flush in a front <NUM> of the compartment <NUM>. At the bottom wall <NUM>, two latching devices 36a and 36b are provided. These are designed in the form of levers that are rotatably supported on one of their ends. They both comprise a free end 38a and 38b that can be handled by a user to place the respective latching device 36a or 36b into an upright or a horizontal position. In the upright position, the standard unit <NUM> that is inserted into the compartment <NUM> is latched by the latching devices 36a and 36b.

The stop body <NUM> is provided for creating an end stop for the door <NUM> of such a standard unit <NUM> to limit its angular motion to prevent contact with the box <NUM> or any other installation next to the compartment <NUM>. The stop body <NUM> is designed for automatically pivoting into an extended position as shown in the following figures.

In <FIG>, the stop body <NUM> is shown in a lateral view. On the left-hand side in the drawing plane, the front <NUM> is shown. The stop body <NUM> is pivotally supported in the recess <NUM>, wherein the pivoting axis <NUM> is distanced from the center of gravity <NUM> of the stop body <NUM>. The stop body <NUM> furthermore comprises a first end <NUM>, which is arranged at a bottom, and a second end <NUM>, which is arranged at the top, i.e. vertically above the first end <NUM>.

In the left part of <FIG>, the stop body <NUM> is in a retracted position. Here, the stop body <NUM> is substantially flush with the front <NUM>. Since the pivot axis <NUM> is further away from the front <NUM> than the center of gravity <NUM> and since the pivot axis <NUM> is arranged further downwards, the stop body <NUM> automatically pivots about the pivot axis <NUM> by gravity if the stop body <NUM> is not blocked.

If the stop body <NUM> is in an extended position, which is shown in the right half of <FIG>, the second end <NUM> protrudes from the recess <NUM> and thus sticks out from the front <NUM>. If the hinge axis for the door <NUM> is directly adjacent to the recess <NUM>, the door <NUM> of the standard unit <NUM> may still swivel, but will contact the second end <NUM> of the stop body <NUM> when reaching an opening angle that exceeds <NUM>°. Hence, if the stop body <NUM> is not blocked, it will automatically travel into the extended position and acts as an angle limiter for the door <NUM>. The second end <NUM> may protrude from the front <NUM> about a distance of e.g. <NUM> to <NUM> and in particular <NUM> to <NUM> and preferably as far as possible.

It is beneficial if the stop body <NUM> is blocked in situations, in which it is not required, i.e. in which the door <NUM> remains closed and latched. For this, a locking device <NUM> is provided, which is indicated in <FIG> and shown in further detail in <FIG>. The locking device <NUM> comprises an operating knob <NUM>, which sticks out the bottom wall <NUM> over the front <NUM> directly adjacent to the left latching device 36a. An operator can move the operating knob <NUM> horizontally along the bottom wall <NUM>. If the operating <NUM> is directly adjacent the left latching device 36a, the latching device 36a cannot be moved in a completely horizontal position in front of the bottom wall <NUM>. Hence, the door <NUM> cannot be unlatched und thus cannot be opened. Only when the operating knob <NUM> is moved to the left to a position indicated with the reference numeral <NUM>, the latching device 36a can be moved to a horizontal position. When also the right latching device 36b is horizontal, the door <NUM> can be opened.

<FIG> shows the locking device <NUM> in a schematic view. Here, the operating knob <NUM> is on the right-hand side in the drawing plane and is connected with a rod <NUM>, which carries a wedge body <NUM> having a wedge surface <NUM> that points to the front <NUM>. At a side surface <NUM> of the wedge body <NUM>, a resilient element in the form of a spring <NUM> is provided. The spring <NUM> urges the wedge body <NUM> to the right-hand side of the drawing plane. This is shown in <FIG>, where the operating knob <NUM> has moved the wedge body <NUM> to the left-hand side, such that the spring <NUM> is compressed and urges the wedge body <NUM> back to the right-hand side. The spring <NUM> rests on a fixed point of the compartment enclosure assembly <NUM>, such that it is able to urge the wedge body <NUM> away. As an alternative or in addition thereto, a tension spring may be provided on the other side of the wedge body <NUM>.

<FIG> schematically shows a push pin <NUM>, which is slidably supported perpendicular to a plane spanned by the front <NUM>, resting flushly on the wedge surface <NUM>. Here, the wedge body <NUM> is in its first sliding position and a local thickness of the wedge body <NUM><NUM> is at a maximum, such that the push pin <NUM> is moved outwards to the front <NUM>. The push pin <NUM> pushes the first end <NUM> of the stop body <NUM> to the front <NUM>.

When moving the operating knob <NUM> to the left, the wedge surface <NUM> travels along the rear side of the push pin <NUM> until the local thickness is at a minimum s<NUM>. Hence, the first end <NUM> of the stop body <NUM> is not pushed outwards to the front <NUM>. Driven by gravity, the first end <NUM> of the stop body <NUM> travels inwards, i.e. away from the front <NUM>, and the second end <NUM> travels outwards to protrude from the front <NUM>. By releasing the knob <NUM>, the spring <NUM> urges the wedge body <NUM> back into the first sliding position shown in <FIG> and thus retracts the stop body <NUM> again. The operating knob <NUM> can be arranged in such a way, that when the latching device <NUM> a is in an open state, it holds the operating knob <NUM> in the second sliding position of <FIG>.

<FIG> show the stop body <NUM> and the push pin <NUM> in lateral views. Here, <FIG> corresponds to <FIG> and shows the push pin <NUM> holding the stop body <NUM> in the retracted position. <FIG> shows the push pin <NUM> releasing the stop body <NUM> and corresponds to <FIG>. The transition from the second sliding position to the first sliding position is shown in <FIG> in a top view. Here, the push pin <NUM> pushes the stop body <NUM> to the front <NUM>. This is shown in <FIG> in a lateral view.

<FIG> shows different possible pivot axes <NUM> in three examples I, II and III. The lower the pivot axis <NUM>, the higher the degree of travel of the stop body <NUM> and the further the extension of the second end <NUM>. The design of the stop body <NUM> and the position of the pivot axis <NUM> can be chosen depending on the requirements, e.g. the allowed door angle.

<FIG> shows a latching device <NUM> with two different lengths in two examples I and II. The length of the latching device <NUM> may be a dimensioning factor for the wedge body <NUM> if the position of the operating knob <NUM> in the extended position of the stop body <NUM> should not be far away from the free end <NUM> of the latching device <NUM> in its horizontal orientation. Longer latching devices <NUM> may allow to reduce the slope of the wedge surface <NUM> or to increase the pivoting motion of the stop body <NUM> with the same slope of the wedge surface <NUM>. This may depend on the available installation space and/or the desired length of the latching devices <NUM>. <FIG> shows three differently designed wedge bodies <NUM> in three examples I, II and III, wherein the travel distance of the push pin <NUM> is the same for every wedge body <NUM>, but achieved with different sliding motions of the wedge body <NUM> and the knob <NUM>.

In <FIG>, the box <NUM> or other equipment or lining is close to an upper outboard edge <NUM> of the compartment <NUM>. Here, the stop body <NUM> may also function as a kind of guide rail during insertion of a standard unit <NUM> during catering or service. The upper outboard edge <NUM> of the standard unit <NUM> is hard to see during insertion and may weigh as much as <NUM> and may need to be lifted to a height of about <NUM>,<NUM>. To avoid contact with other equipment, the stop body <NUM> also supports the insertion.

Claim 1:
Compartment (<NUM>) for a cabin in a vehicle, comprising:
- a compartment enclosure assembly (<NUM>) defining an outer boundary of the compartment (<NUM>) and comprising a receiving space,
- a stop body (<NUM>) supported on or in the compartment enclosure assembly (<NUM>), and
- a locking device (<NUM>),
wherein the receiving space is arranged to be accessible from a front (<NUM>) of the compartment enclosure assembly (<NUM>),
wherein the stop body (<NUM>) is pivotally mounted on or in the compartment enclosure assembly (<NUM>) to pivot about a pivot axis (<NUM>) between a retracted position, in which the stop body (<NUM>) does not project from the front (<NUM>), and an extended position, in which the stop body (<NUM>) projects from the front (<NUM>) to provide an end stop for a door (<NUM>) of the compartment (<NUM>) or for a door (<NUM>) of an insert (<NUM>) to be inserted into the receiving space,
wherein the locking device (<NUM>) is adapted to selectively lock and unlock the stop body (<NUM>) in its retracted position, and
wherein the stop body (<NUM>) has a center of gravity (<NUM>), which is distanced from the pivot axis (<NUM>), such that the stop body (<NUM>) automatically pivots into the extended position by gravity when the locking device (<NUM>) unlocks the stop body (<NUM>).