Aircraft Section Divider Rail Bracket Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing class dividers in aircraft cabins are aesthetically unpleasing, bulky, and difficult to reposition, requiring significant time and labor to relocate, which hinders the flexibility in cabin configuration and passenger service.
Innovation Solution
A section divider system featuring a rail-based assembly with a closeout panel and bracket configuration that allows for adjustable positioning without removing existing passenger service units, incorporating a cantilevered shield and angled covering flap to prevent access and enhance tamper-resistance, while maintaining compatibility with existing cabin structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If bulky pleated curtains are used for section division, then section separation is achieved, but aesthetic appearance deteriorates and cabin space is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces bulky pleated curtains with thin flexible films or sheets that can be tensioned across the cabin. These thin films provide the necessary section separation while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing appearance and preserving cabin space, directly resolving the contradiction between separation effectiveness and aesthetic quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamically adjustable section dividers that can be repositioned or reconfigured based on operational needs. This dynamic capability allows the system to maintain both separation effectiveness and aesthetic appearance by adapting to different cabin configurations without requiring bulky fixed structures.
2Reliability
If fixed class dividers are installed, then section separation is provided, but repositioning capability is lost and labor intensity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamically reconfigurable section dividers that can be easily repositioned along tracks or rails within the cabin. This dynamic design maintains reliable section separation while providing adaptability for different operational configurations, eliminating the need for labor-intensive reinstallation of fixed dividers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the section divider system into modular segments that can be independently positioned and reconfigured. This segmentation allows flexible repositioning of individual sections without moving the entire divider system, thereby maintaining separation effectiveness while improving adaptability and reducing reconfiguration effort.
3Reliability
If curtains are used to separate sections, then class separation is achieved, but cabin compartmentalization increases and openness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses thin flexible films instead of bulky curtains, creating visual separation while maintaining visual continuity and openness. The thin films allow light to pass through and do not create the stark compartmentalized appearance of traditional curtains, thus achieving class separation without sacrificing cabin openness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs films or panels with varying transparency or color properties that can be adjusted to provide separation while maintaining visual connection. This allows the cabin to maintain an open appearance while still achieving effective class separation when needed.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
A section divider system is configured to separate sections within an internal cabin (30) of a vehicle (10). The section divider system may include a first rail secured to a fixed panel (302) within the internal cabin (30). A closeout panel (400) may be secured to the fixed panel (302). The closeout panel (400) extends between the fixed panel (302) and a passenger service unit (PSU) (406) within the internal cabin (30). A clearance space (440) is formed between a portion of the closeout panel (400) and the PSU (406). The closeout panel (400) is configured to prevent access to an interior of the PSU (406). A bracket is secured to the first rail. One or more connecting beams extend from the bracket through the clearance space (440). A section divider assembly (130) is connected to the connecting beam(s). (Fig. 9)