Furniture element with noise-damping composite panel

Abstract

The present invention relates to a piece of furniture intended for installation in an aircraft cabin and comprising a composite panel (30), said composite panel (30) having a first skin (31), a second skin (32) and a central honeycomb core (33) arranged between said first skin (31) and said second skin (32) and having a plurality of cells (35), at least one of said first skin (31) and said second skin (32) having a plurality of through holes (36) to make said skins (31, 32) sound permeable so that said plurality of cells (35) of said central honeycomb core (33) acts as a sound trap.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a furniture element with a noise-damping composite panel, which finds particular, but not exclusive, application in "business class" and "first class" type seat units in aircraft cabins. [Background technology]

[0002] In a manner known per se, such a seating unit comprises a seat and a shell extending at least partially around the seat so as to delimit (define) a space around the passenger, such that privacy for the passenger on the seat is guaranteed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The seat offers the passenger different comfort positions ranging from a "sitting" position to a "reclined" position in which the seat defines a substantially horizontal sleeping surface on which the passenger can lie down. Intermediate comfort positions are also provided, such as a "relaxed" position in which one of the seat backs is highly inclined. Typically, these intermediate positions are obtained by inclining the seat back, which pivots about an axis that is horizontal and perpendicular to the extension axis of the seat. Thus, the passenger can remain in the seat during movement between the different positions. The seat generally consists, inter alia, of a seat back and a seat surface, and tends to include a leg rest and / or a foot rest, which may be fixed or connected to the motion part (motion device, motion mechanism) of the seat.

[0004] Noise that may disturb passengers' rest is an important environmental concern that must be taken into account when developing seating units. Therefore, there is a need to reduce the perception of noise inside aircraft cabins in order to optimize passenger acoustic comfort without reducing passenger living space.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to effectively meet this need by proposing a furniture element comprising a composite panel and to be installed in an aircraft cabin, the furniture element comprising: The composite panel 1st skin, Second skin, and a central honeycomb core disposed between the first plate and the second plate, the central honeycomb core having a plurality of cells; At least one of the first skin and the second skin is a furniture element having a plurality of perforations therethrough to make the skin sound permeable so that the cells of the central honeycomb core act as sound traps.

[0006] Thus, the invention makes it possible to turn the standard honeycomb structure of a composite panel into a sound trap by creating perforations in the skin of the composite panel, which in fact allow the passage of sound waves (sound waves) throughout the cells of the honeycomb structure, such that the noise intensity perceived by the passenger at seat level after multiple reflections inside the cells is significantly reduced.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the invention, the first skin and the second skin each comprise multiple layers of fiberglass and / or carbon fiber covered with resin.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the invention, the central honeycomb core is made of an aramid material or a metallic material, in particular aluminium.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of through holes are circular holes with a larger dimension between 0.3 mm and 10 mm, preferably with a diameter between 1.5 mm and 2 mm.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the perforation rate of the skin is between 1% and 50%, preferably between 10% and 15%.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the invention, the furniture element further comprises a covering cap or decorative film made of a sound-transmitting material.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, the furniture element further comprises a layer of flexible material.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the invention, said furniture element further comprises a support structure having removable or integral fastening means for connecting it to said composite panel.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the invention, a layer of flexible material is arranged between the support structure and the covering cap or the decorative film.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the invention, said furniture element is constituted by a privacy shell intended to extend at least partially around the seat.

[0016] The invention will be better understood and other features and advantages will appear on reading the following detailed description, which includes embodiments given by way of illustration and with reference to the accompanying drawings, presented as non-limiting examples, which will serve to complete the understanding of the invention and the description of its implementation, and which will ultimately contribute to its definition: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a seating unit according to the present invention having a composite panel with noise attenuation properties.

[0018] [Figure 2a-2b] 2a and 2b are assembled and exploded perspective views, respectively, of a composite panel having a honeycomb structure.

[0019] [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a front view of a skin of a composite panel according to the present invention, showing an exemplary distribution of perforations in the skin.

[0020] [Figure 4a-4e] 4a to 4e show different embodiments of a composite panel according to the present invention in side view. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] It should be noted that structural and / or functional elements that are common to different embodiments have the same reference numerals and therefore, unless otherwise specified, such elements have the same structural, dimensional and material characteristics.

[0022] Furthermore, in the remainder of this specification, relative terms such as "front", "rear", "horizontal", "vertical" and the like are understood with reference to the common sense that a passenger seated in a seat associated with the seat unit of the present invention would give them.

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a seating unit 10 comprising a seat 12 associated with a console (side console) 13 extending along one side of the seat 12 .

[0024] Furthermore, a shell 14, a so-called privacy shell, extends at least partially around the seat 12 and defines the space around the passenger. The privacy shell 14 is made, for example, of a composite material. This arrangement ensures privacy for the passenger seated in the seat 12. In the rear part of the privacy shell 14, a video screen 16 of a multimedia system or IFE (Inflight Entertainment System) can be installed for use by the rear passengers.

[0025] The console 13 may include an upper wall 17 forming a table on which a passenger may place items, and a storage space 18 that may include one or more of the following elements: a literature pouch, a bottle holder, and a minibar. The storage options may vary depending on the airline's preferences. The console 13 may also include a reading light 19 for directing light toward the seat 12.

[0026] A cavity 21 is located below the upper wall 17. The cavity 21 opens laterally towards the seat 12. Furthermore, a horizontal surface 22 of the console 13, which corresponds to the underside of the cavity 21, has in particular the function of an armrest. For this purpose, the horizontal surface 22 may locally have the shape of a curved cuff 23 which corresponds to the shape of a part of the passenger's arm.

[0027] The console 13 also includes a control unit 25 (called "PCU" for "Passenger Control Unit") for the seat 12 and additional components of the seat 12. The control unit 25 allows the passenger to control, in particular, the selection of the position of the seat 12, and to control additional components such as a video system, a heating device, an ambient lighting system, or any other additional components that may be integrated into the seat 12.

[0028] The seat unit 10 may also conventionally include a dining table 26 movable between a stowed position and an extended position. In the stowed position (corresponding to the position shown in FIG. 1), the dining table 26 is located inside a housing provided in the console 13. In the extended position, the dining table 26 is located outside the housing, allowing a passenger to place a meal tray on the dining table 26.

[0029] The seat 12 is advantageously provided with a motion mechanism that enables the seat 12 to be moved between a "sit" position, in which the seat 12 is configured to define a sitting position for the passenger, and a "lying" position, in which the seat 12 is configured to define a sleeping surface for the passenger, advantageously a substantially horizontal sleeping surface. A number of intermediate comfort positions are also provided, such as a "relax" position in which the backrest of the seat 12 is highly inclined.

[0030] To allow the passenger to recline, the console 13 comprises a housing 27, in phantom view of Figure 1, in which an ottoman 28 is positioned. The ottoman 28 has a horizontal surface forming a footrest on which the rear passenger can place their feet when the seat 12 is in the "recline" position.

[0031] The seat 12 has an axis of extension X1 defined by the intersection of a horizontal plane with a vertical central plane of the seat 12, which corresponds to the plane of symmetry of the seat 12. The axis of extension X1 of the seat 12 may form a non-zero angle with a direction parallel to or coincident with the central axis X2 of the aircraft, in which case the seat 12 is oriented towards the central axis X2. Alternatively, the seat 12 may be rotated in the opposite direction to the central axis X2.

[0032] Advantageously, the privacy shell 14 comprises at least one composite panel (panel, composite panel) 30 shown in figures 2a and 2b. As a variant, the composite panel 30 may at least partially constitute a furniture element different from the privacy shell 14, such as for example the seat 12, the console 13 or the ottoman 28. In particular, the composite panel 30 may constitute at least a part of the seat surface or the back (backrest) of the seat 12. More generally, the invention may be implemented with any composite panel of a furniture element present in the aircraft cabin, including monuments arranged in the first or last row. Thus, within the meaning of the invention, a furniture element comprising a composite panel may take the form of a seat 12, a privacy shell 14, a console 13, an ottoman 28, a monument or any other furniture element of the aircraft cabin (luggage rack, partition wall, etc.).

[0033] The composite panel 30 comprises a front skin (first skin) 31 arranged on the side of the seat 12 and a rear skin (second skin) 32 arranged on the opposite side of the seat 12. The front skin 31 and the rear skin 32 may take the form of a thin plate. Each of the front skin 31 and the rear skin 32 comprises several layers (or plies) of fabric made of glass fiber and / or carbon fiber and / or other material suitable for the application. The layers of fabric (multiple layers of fibers) are covered with a thermoplastic or thermosetting resin. Alternatively, the front skin 31 and the rear skin 32 may be of single layer type. Alternatively, the front skin 31 and the rear skin 32 may be made of any other material suitable for the application, in particular plastic, composite or other material.

[0034] A central honeycomb core 33 is arranged between the first front skin 31 and the rear skin 32. The central honeycomb core 33 may be a honeycomb structure or any other type of honeycomb structure suited to the application. The central honeycomb core 33 comprises a plurality of cells 35. The central honeycomb core 33 is preferably made of an aramid material, in particular a Nomex type material, or a metal material, in particular aluminium. Alternatively, the central honeycomb core 33 may be made of a plastic material, a composite material or any other material suitable for the application. The composite panel 30 may have a thickness of 0.5 cm to 3 cm.

[0035] At least one of the front skin 31 and the rear skin 32 comprises a number of through holes 36 to make the skin permeable to sound so that the cells 35 of the central honeycomb core 33 act as sound traps. In the embodiment of Figures 2a and 2b, only the front skin 31 has through holes 36.

[0036] The through holes 36 are preferably circular holes with a larger dimension of 0.3 mm to 10 mm, preferably with a diameter of 1.5 mm to 2 mm.

[0037] The multiple through holes 36 may all be the same size or may be of different sizes. Furthermore, the shape of the holes is not limited to being circular, but may be any possible geometric shape, such as rectangular, square, triangular, elliptical (oval), hexagonal, or other shapes.

[0038] The perforation rate of the front skin 31 or the rear skin 32, which corresponds to the ratio of the area of ​​the plurality of through holes 36 to the total area of ​​the front skin 31 and the rear skin 32, is 1% to 50%, and preferably 10% to 15%.

[0039] According to a non-limiting embodiment, for a composite panel 30 having a thickness of 1.27 cm (or 0.5 inch), through holes 36 having a diameter of 1.5 mm are provided, preferably with a performance factor of 10%.

[0040] The rear skin 32 may be perforated over the entire surface of the rear skin 32 or may be perforated only in areas having a specific purpose, such as the back side (rear) of the support structure 47, which is described in more detail below.

[0041] Furthermore, the through holes 36 may be uniformly distributed as shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b, may be randomly distributed, or may be distributed according to a predetermined perforation pattern, such as the hexagonal pattern shown in FIG.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 4a, the composite panel 30 is based on the Helmholtz principle of sound reflection inside the cavities bounded by the honeycomb cells 35. In fact, the perforations 36 allow the passage of sound waves 39 throughout the cavities bounded by the honeycomb cells 35. After multiple reflections 40, the intensity of the sound waves 41 leaving the noise attenuation panel is significantly reduced. Thus, the noise perceived by the passenger in the seat 12 is lowered. The composite panel 30 of the privacy shell 14 surrounds the passenger, creating a quiet space around the passenger.

[0043] It should be noted that for ease of understanding the invention, the composite panel 30 is shown in Figures 2a and 4a as being flat. However, the composite panel 30 may have a curved shape to at least partially surround the seat 12 around which it extends to form the privacy shell 14. To obtain the composite panel 30 with the desired shape, a first stack of layers of prepreg is placed in a mold to form the composite forward skin 31, i.e. layers of composite material formed by thermosetting resin or thermoplastic polymer impregnated with glass or carbon fibers. A central honeycomb core 33 is then placed in the mold. A second stack of layers of prepreg is placed in the mold to form the composite aft skin 32. The mold is then closed to ensure the shaping of the composite panel 30. The composite panel 30 is then placed in an oven to polymerize the resin of the composite material. The through holes 36 in the forward skin 31 and / or the aft skin 32 can be drilled after the manufacture of the composite panel 30. Depending on the method chosen for manufacturing said composite panel 30, the through holes 36 can be made, for example, by drilling or milling into the moulded parts, or into one or both of the front and rear skins 31, 32 before moulding and joining to the central honeycomb core 33. According to another method, the through holes 36 can be obtained simultaneously with the moulding / gluing operations.

[0044] In the embodiment of Fig. 4b, it is possible to add a covering cap or decorative film 44 made of a sound-transmitting material. The material of the covering cap or decorative film 44 is selected to give an overall aesthetic finish. The covering cap or decorative film 44 can be made of materials such as, for example, textile (cloth), leather, imitation leather, Alcantara, laminate material, or any other material suitable for the application. The material used can include a number of perforations or a number of micro-perforations to facilitate the passage of sound through the covering cap or decorative film 44.

[0045] The covering cap 44 may have decorative patterns on the visible portion of the covering cap 44. These decorative patterns may be personalized according to the airline.

[0046] In the embodiment of Fig. 4c, a layer of flexible material 45 is arranged between the covering cap 44 and the composite panel 30. The layer of flexible material 45 is made of a material selected in particular from fibrous materials, non-woven materials, padding-based materials, or foam-based materials, or any other flexible material suitable for the application.

[0047] The embodiment of Fig. 4d may further include a support structure 47 that may be secured to the composite panel 30. In this embodiment, the covering cap 44 comprises a flap secured to an end of the support structure 47. The flap may be secured to the support structure 47 by gluing, riveting, insertion into a retaining groove, or any other fastening technique, with or without gluing, suited to the application.

[0048] The support structure 47 is advantageously made of a thermoformed plastic material or an ultra-high density foam material. The support structure 47 has a low thickness, for example between 1 mm and 3 mm. According to an embodiment, a support structure 47 made of a thermoplastic material is used.

[0049] Furthermore, the support structure 47 comprises removable or integrated fastening means 48 for fixing the "covering cap 44 - layer of flexible material 45 - support structure 47" assembly on the composite panel 30. The fastening means 48 are thus intended to interface with the composite panel 30. The choice of fastening means 48 depends in particular on the constraints of the integration of the assembly and its positioning in the seating unit 10. If the assembly is arranged in a visible area of ​​the seating unit 10, discreet fastening means 48 are preferably used that can be disassembled without tools, such as for example snap-in devices, so-called "Velcro fasteners" formed by complementary loops and hooks, snap buttons, magnetic fasteners or any other fastening device suitable for the application.

[0050] If the assembly is placed in a non-visible zone of the seating unit 10, in particular in the technical zone located at the bottom of the seating unit 10, screws can be used to fasten the support structure 47 on the composite panel 30 of the furniture element. Alternatively, fir tree fasteners or any other fastening means suitable for the application can also be used. Using this type of fastening means 48 makes it possible to guarantee the retention of the assembly during certification tests where the seating unit 10 is subjected to high decelerations.

[0051] In the embodiment of FIG. 4 e , two skins of the composite panel 30 , the front skin 31 and the rear skin 32 , have a number of through holes 36 .

[0052] Of course, different features, variants and / or embodiments of the invention can be associated with each other in various combinations, unless they are mutually exclusive or mutually incompatible. Moreover, the invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, which are provided only as examples. The invention encompasses various modifications, alternative forms and other variations that a person skilled in the art may expect in the context of the invention, in particular any combination of the above-described various operation modes may be taken separately or in combination.

Claims

1. A furniture element for installation in an aircraft cabin, comprising a composite panel (30), The composite panel (30) A first skin (31), A second skin (32), and a central honeycomb core (33) disposed between said first skin (31) and said second skin (32), said central honeycomb core (33) having a plurality of cells (35); 1. A furniture element, characterized in that at least one of the first skin (31) and the second skin (32) has a plurality of through holes (36) to make said skins (31, 32) sound permeable such that the plurality of cells (35) of the central honeycomb core (33) act as sound traps.

2. 2. An equipment element according to claim 1, characterized in that the first skin (31) and the second skin (32) each comprise several layers of fiberglass and / or carbon fiber covered by resin.

3. 3. An equipment element according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the central honeycomb core (33) is made of an aramid material or a metallic material, in particular aluminium.

4. An equipment element according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said through holes (36) are circular holes with a larger dimension between 0.3 mm and 10 mm, preferably with a diameter between 1.5 mm and 2 mm.

5. Equipment element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the skins (31, 32) have a perforation rate of between 1% and 50%, preferably between 10% and 15%.

6. A furniture element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the furniture element (14) further comprises a covering cap or decorative film (44) made of a sound-transmitting material.

7. Furniture element (14) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said furniture element (14) further comprises a layer (45) of flexible material.

8. A furniture element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the furniture element (14) further comprises a support structure (47) having removable or integrated fastening means (48) for coupling onto the composite panel (30).

9. 9. An equipment element according to claims 6, 7 and 8, characterized in that said layer (45) of flexible material is arranged between said support structure (47) and said covering cap or said decorative film (44).

10. A furniture element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is constituted by a privacy shell (14) intended to extend at least partially around the periphery of the seat.

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