Floor layout for a vehicle cabin

Abstract

Floor arrangement (1) for a vehicle cabin, comprising: a carrier plate (2a) which is formed with a plurality of first fastening perforations (4) and a plurality of stiffening notches (5), wherein the first fastening perforations (4) are arranged one behind the other in fastening rows (6) at a uniform longitudinal distance (7), wherein the fastening rows (6) are aligned parallel at a uniform transverse distance (8) from each other at an orientation angle (9) of 45° to a longitudinal direction (10) of the floor arrangement (1), and wherein the stiffening notches (5) extend offset to the fastening rows (6) along the orientation angle (9);and a floor panel (3) which is designed with a plurality of second fastening perforations (11) and is arranged over the support plate (2a) such that the second fastening perforations (11) are arranged over the first fastening perforations (4) for fastening cabin elements through the floor panel (3) to the support plate (2a).

Description

The present invention relates to a floor arrangement for a cabin of a vehicle, in particular an aircraft or spacecraft. Although applicable in a wide variety of applications, the present invention and the underlying problem are explained in more detail with regard to passenger aircraft. However, the described devices can also be used in various vehicles and in all areas of the transport industry, for example, for road vehicles, rail vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft. Currently, floor installations in passenger aircraft cabins are implemented by laying numerous floor panels together with mounting rails for attaching cabin elements. These mounting rails are typically designed as perforated metal rails, which are attached to a primary structure of the aircraft and aligned along a longitudinal axis of the aircraft (see, for example, German patent applications DE 103 60 809 A1 and DE 103 60 807 A1). To allow for maximum flexibility in installation, these perforated rails can be provided with regularly spaced holes into which further connecting elements can be attached at regular intervals along the length of the rail. Using these connecting elements, a variety of cabin elements can then be fixed in the passenger aircraft cabin, e.g.,...Passenger seats or other fixtures intended for use by the aircraft's crew or passengers. Such fixtures in an aircraft passenger cabin include, for example, storage compartments, lavatories, galleys, bar units, partitions, etc., and are also referred to as monuments. However, the positioning options for general cabin elements are significantly limited by this design of the mounting rails. Furthermore, it would be desirable to be able to reconfigure a cabin layout at short notice, so that, for example, the arrangement of passenger seats or monuments can be quickly and flexibly reconfigured. The publication US 9 663 231 B2 describes a seat rail. The publication GB 2 320 183 A describes an adjustable rail assembly. Against this background, the present invention aims to find solutions for a more flexible positioning of cabin elements in a vehicle cabin. According to the invention, this problem is solved by a floor arrangement with the features of claim 1. Accordingly, a floor arrangement is provided for a cabin of a vehicle, in particular an aircraft or spacecraft.The floor assembly comprises a carrier plate, which is formed with a plurality of first fastening perforations and a plurality of stiffening notches, wherein the first fastening perforations are arranged one behind the other in fastening rows at a uniform longitudinal distance, wherein the fastening rows are parallel at a uniform transverse distance from each other at an orientation angle of 45° to a longitudinal direction of the floor assembly, and wherein the stiffening notches run offset to the fastening rows along the orientation angle, and a floor panel, which is formed with a plurality of second fastening perforations and is arranged over the carrier plate such that the second fastening perforations are arranged over the first fastening perforations for fastening cabin elements to the carrier plate by means of the floor panel. Furthermore, an aircraft or spacecraft with a floor arrangement according to the invention is provided. One of the underlying ideas of the present invention is to significantly simplify the positioning of cabin components by creating a special wave-like floor structure that allows for a regular grid pattern of fastening points. These fastening points are formed by superimposed perforations in the support plate and the floor panels, whereby any fastening devices known to those skilled in the art can be used to secure cabin elements in the perforations, e.g., ball lock pins, cylinder nuts, or the like. According to the invention, this is achieved by a geometric arrangement of the waves at an angle of 45° to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. This angle allows for the installation of two, and subsequently several, adjacent fastening points at a sufficiently large distance from one another.The carrier plate can be perforated as comprehensively and systematically as possible, while the floor panel can ultimately only be perforated at selected points. In principle, however, the floor panel can also have identical perforations, depending on the intended use. This allows cabin elements to be attached at any time, even retroactively, as the carrier plate's structure always provides a comprehensive fastening grid. The reinforcing notches in the carrier plate serve, on the one hand, to give the carrier plate, and thus the floor assembly, a certain degree of rigidity and robustness. On the other hand, the reinforcing notches act as spacers, creating a mounting area for the installation of fasteners in the fastening perforations.Furthermore, the stiffening notches, due to their geometric design, can serve as fastening points and / or guides for cables, conduits, or the like. As a result, the flexibility in positioning cabin elements within a vehicle cabin is significantly increased, while simultaneously ensuring a compact, flat, and rigid floor structure. Moreover, the floor assembly according to the invention comprises a small number of individual parts and, due to its sandwich-like construction, can be completely pre-assembled. No new fastening devices are required for connecting cabin elements; instead, commercially available fasteners known to those skilled in the art can be used. Advantageous designs and further developments result from the additional sub-claims as well as from the description with reference to the figures. According to a further development, a multitude of support beams can be provided beneath the carrier plate, supporting the carrier plate at the stiffening notches. These support beams can extend, in particular, along the longitudinal direction of the floor assembly. For example, the support beams can be rigidly connected to the stiffening notches, e.g., welded to them. This connects the individual "waves" of the carrier plate to one another, i.e., statically linking them. The support beams themselves can, in turn, rest on and / or be connected to crossbeams or other components of the vehicle's primary structure. According to further training, the carrier plate can be formed as a sheet of metal or as a fiber-reinforced plastic component. For example, the carrier plate could be a shaped metal sheet perforated at regular intervals. In another example, the carrier plate could be made of a plastic reinforced with carbon or glass fibers. According to further training, the stiffening notches can be designed with a variety of functional perforations. These functional perforations can serve several purposes. For example, additional elements, such as cables, wires, etc., can be routed through them in a space-saving manner. Furthermore, the weight of the carrier plate can be significantly reduced by appropriately configuring the functional perforations, without significantly compromising its mechanical integrity. According to further training, the functional perforations can be aligned along the longitudinal direction of the floor arrangement. According to further training, the first and second mounting perforations can be designed to accommodate ball lock pins. Ball lock pins consist of a pin with a push button and spring mechanism at one end and balls at the other. These balls are extended and retracted by actuating the push button, thus locking or unlocking the ball lock pin. Ball lock pins simplify the quick connection of components and are therefore ideal for securing cabin elements. Ball lock pins can be made of a metal material, such as a metal, a metal alloy, or a combination of metals, e.g., stainless steel, while the push button can be made of plastic. According to a further development, a number of washers can be provided under the carrier plate for securing the ball lock pins. Alternatively or additionally, shims can be provided under the carrier plate for securing the ball lock pins. The shims and / or washers can be provided with third fastening perforations, which may correspond to the first and / or second fastening perforations. The shims and / or washers can be permanently attached to the underside of the stiffening notches. According to a further development, the support plate can be designed with a multitude of secondary stiffening notches. These secondary stiffening notches can run parallel to the primary stiffening notches along the orientation angle. In addition to the primary stiffening notches, the secondary stiffening notches can contribute to further stiffening of the support plate. According to a further development, the first fastening perforations can be arranged in such a way that a uniform perforation spacing of the first fastening perforations in the longitudinal direction of the floor arrangement and in a transverse direction of the floor arrangement of a whole multiple of one inch results. The perforation spacing of the first fastening perforations can be 3 inches in both the longitudinal and transverse directions of the floor arrangement. According to further training, the longitudinal spacing of the first fastening perforations in the fastening rows can be √2 inches. This makes it possible to position cabin elements in 1-inch increments, i.e., in one-inch steps, within the floor plane in both the longitudinal and transverse directions of the foot arrangement. According to further training, the lateral spacing of the fastening rows can be between 2 inches and 3 inches. In particular, the lateral spacing of the fastening rows can be 2.1 inches. According to a further development, an additional support plate can be provided. This additional support plate can be identical to the first support plate. Both support plates can be arranged side by side, transversely to the longitudinal direction of the floor assembly. The fastening rows and stiffening notches of the additional support plate can be rotated by 90° relative to the fastening rows and stiffening notches of the first support plate, such that the fastening rows and stiffening notches of both support plates converge in a V-shape. This divides the floor assembly into a left and a right half, oriented at opposite angles. Thus, the floor assembly can be configured to divide a passenger aircraft, e.g., a single-aisle airliner, along a centerline.This allows not only the entire aircraft floor to be fitted with panels in a 1" grid, for example, but also improves the rigidity of the entire fuselage structure. This is achieved by firmly connecting the support panels to crossbeams of the aircraft's primary structure via longitudinally oriented beams, ensuring that the crossbeams are subjected to tension and / or compression in the event of an impact or shock, depending on their orientation. The above embodiments and further developments can be combined with one another as appropriate. Further possible embodiments, further developments, and implementations of the invention also include combinations of features of the invention described previously or subsequently with regard to the exemplary embodiments, even if not explicitly mentioned. In particular, the person skilled in the art will also add individual aspects as improvements or additions to the respective basic form of the present invention. The present invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the schematic figures. These show: Fig. 1 a schematic exploded view of a floor arrangement according to one embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 a schematic perspective view of a support plate from the floor arrangement of Fig. 1 from a top oblique angle; Fig. 3 a schematic top view of the support plate from Fig. 2; Fig. 4 a schematic top view of a floor arrangement according to a further embodiment of the invention; and Fig. 5 a schematic side view of an aircraft with the floor arrangement from Fig. 1. The accompanying figures are intended to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the invention. They illustrate embodiments and, in conjunction with the description, serve to explain the principles and concepts of the invention. Other embodiments and many of the advantages mentioned will become apparent with reference to the drawings. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily shown to scale. In the figures of the drawing, identical, functionally equivalent and similarly acting elements, features and components - unless otherwise stated - are each provided with the same reference symbols. Fig. 1 shows a schematic exploded view of a floor arrangement 1 according to one embodiment of the invention. Fig. 5 shows a schematic side view of an aircraft 100, e.g., a passenger aircraft with only one cabin aisle, i.e., a single-aisle aircraft, with the floor arrangement 1 from Fig. 1. The floor assembly 1 comprises a support plate 2a and a floor panel 3, which is arranged on the support plate 2a. Fig. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of a support plate 2a from the floor assembly 1 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 provides a schematic top view of the support plate 2a from Fig. 2. The support plate 2a is formed with a plurality of first fastening perforations 4, e.g., holes, and a plurality of stiffening notches 5, which are arranged and formed according to a wave-like shape (see below). The floor panel 3 is similarly formed with a plurality of second fastening perforations 11. During assembly of the floor assembly 1, the floor panel 3 is positioned over the support plate 2a such that the second fastening perforations 11 are arranged above the first fastening perforations 4 for fastening cabin elements.The first fastening perforations 4 and the second fastening perforations 11 are dimensioned and designed in this embodiment to receive ball lock pins, which are guided through the second fastening perforations 11 of the floor panels 3 and the first fastening perforations 4 of the support plate 2a to mount cabin elements in a desired position on the floor assembly 1. For this purpose, the floor assembly 1 includes a plurality of washers and / or shims 17 under the support plate 2a for fastening the ball lock pins. The shims and / or washers 17 may be provided with third fastening perforations 19, which may correspond to the first fastening perforations 4 and the second fastening perforations 11, respectively. The shims and / or washers 17 may be fixedly attached to an underside of the stiffening notches 5.The underlay strips 17 are aligned according to the first and second fastening perforations 4, 11, i.e. parallel to the stiffening notches 5. Furthermore, the floor arrangement features a plurality of beams 16 beneath the support plate 2a, which support the support plate 2a at the stiffening notches 5. The beams 16, in turn, can rest on crossbeams (not shown, see Fig. 4) of a primary structure of the aircraft 100. In this example, the support plate 2a is a formed metal sheet welded to the beams 16. The floor panel 3 can, for example, be made of fiber-reinforced plastic. Specifically, the first fastening perforations 4 in fastening rows 6 are arranged one behind the other at a uniform longitudinal distance 7. In this embodiment, the longitudinal distance 7 of the first fastening perforations 4 in the fastening rows 6 is √2 inches, i.e., approximately 1.4 inches (see Fig. 3). This creates a positioning grid of one inch in a plane of the floor assembly 1, which extends in a longitudinal direction 10 and a transverse direction 15 of the floor assembly 1 (this will be explained in more detail below). The fastening rows 6 are parallel to each other at a uniform transverse distance 8 and aligned at an orientation angle 9 of 45° to the longitudinal direction 10 of the floor assembly 1, i.e., ultimately to a longitudinal direction of the aircraft 100. In this embodiment, the transverse distance 8 of the fastening rows 6 is, for example, 2.1 inches (see Fig. 3).The stiffening notches 5 run offset from the fastening rows 6 along the alignment angle 9, i.e., also at an angle of 45° to the longitudinal direction 10 of the floor assembly 1. The first fastening perforations 4 are arranged such that a uniform perforation spacing 14 of three inches is obtained for the first fastening perforations 4 in both the longitudinal direction 10 of the floor assembly and the transverse direction 15 of the floor assembly 1 (see Fig. 3 bottom right, where exemplary values ​​for spacings in inches are given (1 inch, 2 inches and 3 inches, i.e., 1", 2" and 3"). The fastening rows 6 and the stiffening notches 5 are arranged parallel to each other at regular, fixed intervals, somewhat analogous to the wavefronts of a plane shaft. The stiffening notches 5 serve as spacers to ensure the installation space required for the ball lock pins. They also serve to stiffen the support plate 2a and thus the floor assembly 1. Due to their special geometric configuration, the stiffening notches 5 can also be used to guide cables, conduits, or the like. For this purpose, the stiffening notches 5 are additionally designed with a multitude of functional perforations 12, which are aligned along the longitudinal direction 10 of the floor assembly 1.In addition to providing a means for routing cables and conduits, these additional perforations in the stiffening notches 5 serve to reduce weight and make the entire floor assembly 1 as lightweight as possible while maintaining high stability and rigidity. To further improve the rigidity of the floor assembly 1, a multitude of secondary stiffening notches 13 are formed in the support plate 2a along the orientation angle 9, parallel to the stiffening notches 5, i.e., also in a wave pattern. Both the stiffening notches 5 and the secondary stiffening notches 13 can be designed with a fixed wave crest height, i.e., a fixed amplitude. Alternatively, it is of course up to the skilled person to design the stiffening notches 5 and / or the secondary stiffening notches 13 geometrically to achieve specific advantages depending on the application.In the illustrated embodiment, the stiffening notches 5 and the secondary stiffening notches 13 have different wave heights. Likewise, the stiffening notches 5 and the secondary stiffening notches 13 can also be designed with the same wave height. Referring to Fig. 3, the geometric arrangement of the fastening perforations 4 and their purpose will be briefly explained (see especially Fig. 3, bottom right). For example, point A can initially be selected as the installation point. Should it then be necessary to shift the installation point by one inch, it is possible, for example, to use point B, which is one inch away from point A in both the longitudinal direction 10 and the transverse direction 15 (the longitudinal spacing 7 of the individual fastening perforations 4 is √2 inches). A shift of two inches in the transverse direction 15 is possible by selecting, for example, either point C or point D, which corresponds to a shift of one or two inches in the longitudinal direction 10.A displacement of three inches in the transverse direction 15 can be carried out accordingly via point E, whereby a displacement in the longitudinal direction 10 is not necessary due to the perforation spacing 14 of three inches. As a result, a very flexible grid of the support plate 2a in the plane of the floor assembly 1 is created, which offers considerable freedom in positioning compared to conventional floor assemblies. The specific dimensioning of the floor assembly 1 and, in particular, the support plate 2a shown in Fig. 1-3 is to be understood as purely exemplary. The person skilled in the art will select the perforation spacing 14, the longitudinal spacing 7, and / or the transverse spacing 8 of the fastening perforations 4, 11, and the fastening rows 6 as advantageously as appropriate for the application and will not be limited to the specific embodiment described. The result is a compact, flat, and rigid floor assembly 1, which offers high flexibility for the positioning of cabin elements. Furthermore, the floor assembly according to the invention has a small number of individual parts and, due to its sandwich-like construction, can be completely pre-assembled. Fig. 4 shows a schematic top view of a floor assembly 1 according to a further embodiment of the invention. The floor assembly 1 comprises a support plate 2a corresponding to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1-3. Additionally, the floor assembly 1 has a further support plate 2b, which is identical to the support plate 2a from Figs. 1-3. Both support plates 2a, 2b are arranged side by side transversely to the longitudinal direction 10 of the floor assembly 1. The fastening rows 6 and the stiffening notches 5 of the further support plate 2b are rotated by 90° relative to the fastening rows 6 and the stiffening notches 5 of the support plate 2a such that the fastening rows 6 and the stiffening notches 5 of both support plates 2a, 2b converge in a V-shape. This divides the floor assembly 1 in the middle into a left and a right half.Both support plates 2a, 2b are attached to crossbeams 18 of the primary structure of the aircraft 100 via substructures 16. Since both support plates 2a, 2b are rotated by 45° relative to the longitudinal direction 10, a 1-inch grid is achieved for both support plates 2a, 2b in both the longitudinal direction 10 and the transverse direction 15. Furthermore, the stiffness of the entire fuselage structure of the aircraft 100 is improved by the substructures 16 absorbing and / or transferring tensile and / or compressive forces from the crossbeams 18 to them. In the preceding detailed description, various features have been summarized in one or more examples to improve the clarity of the presentation. However, it should be clear that the above description is merely illustrative and in no way limiting. It serves to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents of the various features and embodiments. Many other examples will be immediately and directly clear to the person skilled in the art based on their technical knowledge, given the above description. The exemplary embodiments were selected and described to best illustrate the principles underlying the invention and its practical applications. This enables those skilled in the art to optimally modify and utilize the invention and its various embodiments with regard to the intended purpose. In the claims and the description, the terms "including" and "comprising" are used as neutral language terms for the corresponding terms "comprehensive." Furthermore, the use of the terms "a," "a," and "an" is not intended to fundamentally exclude multiple features and components described in this way. Reference symbol list 1 Floor arrangement 2a, 2b Carrier plate 3 Floor panel 4 First fixing perforation 5 Stiffening notch 6 Fixing row 7 Longitudinal spacing 8 Transverse spacing 9 Alignment angle 10 Longitudinal direction 11 Second fixing perforation 12 Functional perforation 13 Secondary stiffening notch 14 Perforation spacing 15 Transverse direction 16 Beam 17 Washer / Shield 18 Crossbeam 19 Third fixing perforation

Claims

Floor arrangement (1) for a vehicle cabin, comprising: a carrier plate (2a) which is formed with a plurality of first fastening perforations (4) and a plurality of stiffening notches (5), wherein the first fastening perforations (4) are arranged one behind the other in fastening rows (6) at a uniform longitudinal distance (7), wherein the fastening rows (6) are aligned parallel at a uniform transverse distance (8) from each other at an orientation angle (9) of 45° to a longitudinal direction (10) of the floor arrangement (1), and wherein the stiffening notches (5) extend offset to the fastening rows (6) along the orientation angle (9);and a floor panel (3) which is designed with a plurality of second fastening perforations (11) and is arranged over the support plate (2a) such that the second fastening perforations (11) are arranged over the first fastening perforations (4) for fastening cabin elements through the floor panel (3) to the support plate (2a). Floor arrangement (1) according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of beams (16) under the support plate (2a) which support the support plate (2a) at the stiffening notches (5). Floor arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the support plate (2a) is formed as a sheet of metal material or as a fiber-reinforced plastic component. Floor arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the stiffening notches (5) are formed with a plurality of functional perforations (12). Floor arrangement (1) according to claim 4, wherein the functional perforations (12) are aligned along the longitudinal direction (10) of the floor arrangement (1). Floor arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first fastening perforations (4) and the second fastening perforations (11) are designed to receive ball lock pins. Floor arrangement (1) according to claim 6, further comprising a plurality of washers and / or shims (17) under the support plate (2a) with third fastening perforations (19) for fastening the ball lock pins. Floor arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the support plate (2a) is formed with a plurality of secondary stiffening notches (13) which run along the alignment angle (9) parallel to the stiffening notches (5). Floor arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first fastening perforations (4) are arranged such that a uniform perforation spacing (14) of the first fastening perforations (4) in the longitudinal direction (10) of the floor arrangement (1) and in a transverse direction (15) of the floor arrangement (1) is obtained of an integer multiple of one inch. Floor arrangement (1) according to claim 9, wherein the perforation spacing (14) of the first fastening perforations (4) in the longitudinal direction (10) and the transverse direction (15) of the floor arrangement (1) is 3 inches. Floor arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the longitudinal spacing (7) of the first fastening perforations (4) in the fastening rows (6) is √2 inches. Floor arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the transverse spacing (8) of the fastening rows (6) is between 2 inches and 3 inches. Floor arrangement (1) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a further support plate (2b) which is identical to the support plate (2a), wherein both support plates (2a, 2b) are arranged side by side transversely to the longitudinal direction (10) of the floor arrangement (1) and wherein the fastening rows (6) and the stiffening notches (5) of the further support plate (2b) are oriented rotated by 90° to the fastening rows (6) and the stiffening notches (5) of the support plate (2a) such that the fastening rows (6) and the stiffening notches (5) of both support plates (2a, 2b) converge in a V-shape. Aircraft or spacecraft (100) with a floor arrangement (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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