Lowerable luggage compartments and their actuation system

The invention relates to a luggage box arrangement in an aircraft with at least one luggage case, the at least one luggage case between an open and a closed position wherein and wherein the lifting device comprises a power generating element which exerts a lifting force on the at least one luggage case. The invention further relates to an aircraft with a luggage box assembly.

In particular, the invention relates in commercial aircraft above the rows of seats arranged movable luggage boxes. To move a storage box from an open position to a closed position can to support the operator a ware box supporting mechanical force generating element, in particular a gas spring may be provided (DE 41 30 644 C2, US 5,567,028). However, the required residual force must be manually expended by the operator. In addition, such arrangements are maintenance intensive due to the limited lifetime of gas springs. Depending on the weight of the payload may be necessary to adjust the spring force, which possibly requires a weight sensor for the loading weight.

Pneumatic power generating elements require complex devices for the generation of compressed air in the aircraft.

Electric power generation elements, in particular electric motors, require a certain power for closing the luggage boxes without external power. When provided in a variety of aircraft luggage boxes this can temporarily lead to an extraordinary charge of the electrical system. The supply lines from the onboard network to the electric motors must be designed for high currents and therefore have a high weight.

Such electric power generating elements are shown for example in US2001 / 0011692 A1. In a luggage rack with a lowerable luggage compartment Grepäckfach over at least one guide system from an upper closed position into a lower open loading position is lowered. The luggage rack further comprises a drive means and there is provided a coupling device for decoupling the drive device from the management system.

In order to reduce these disadvantages, it is known to use an electric motor with a lower power consumption and to generate the residual force for closing the luggage box by means of a mechanical power-generating element, in particular a gas pressure spring. However, such arrangements are maintenance intensive due to the limited lifetime of gas springs.

The object of the invention is to provide a luggage case arrangement in an aircraft that requires little maintenance and reduces the load on the electrical system, and preferably has a reduced weight and is easy to use.

The invention solves this problem by means of the independent claims, in particular in that the force generating element is an electric power generating element, and the luggage box assembly includes a rechargeable energy storage for storing energy for the operation of the electric power generating element. Due to the use of an electric power generating element can on maintenance-intensive mechanical power generating means, in particular a gas pressure spring, are omitted. The force required for closing a luggage box for a short period of time high power can be taken from the energy store, without thereby the on-board network is debited. The energy storage device can be charged via the electrical system again after removal of electrical power preferably.

The energy storage unit is preferably charged over a relatively long period with a reduced charging power or current from the electrical system, whereby the load of the electrical system is reduced. Due to the lower charge rate, the connecting lines between the lifting device and the electrical system may have a small cross section and therefore a low weight. For charging the energy storage with power from the electrical system, the lifting device expediently on an appropriate charging device. The charging power of the charging device is preferably substantially less than the power consumption of the electric power generating means. "Substantially less" refers to at least a factor 2, preferably at least a factor 5 lower.

Preferably the weight of support is exclusively electrically. The electric power generating means allow the luggage box preferably fully close without Power assistance, which increases the ease of use.

Preferably each luggage box of an aircraft is assigned its own energy storage. So there is a plurality of distributed energy storage. This allows it to keep the designed for high current cable length as low as possible. It may also be advisable to provide for a certain number of luggage boxes each have a common energy storage to reduce the number of energy storage.

Particularly simple and therefore preferred electrical storage means for energy storage, in particular one or more essentially maintenance-free capacitors. A plurality of capacitors can be connected in series, depending on the desired output voltage. However, rechargeable batteries are suitable as energy storage principle. Preferably, the energy storage is sufficient for at least one, preferably at least two, more preferably dimensioned at least four operating cycles, so that in case of repeated operation of the storage box, ie repeated opening and closing, not initially charging the energy storage has to be awaited.

The invention relates to movable luggage boxes and is characterized distinguished from solid luggage boxes, which are opened and closed, for example by means of a flap.

Further advantageous features are evident from the following explanation of the invention based on preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. They show:<dl id="dl0001"><dt>Fig. 1:</dt><dd>a sectional perspective view of a luggage case in the open condition;</dd><dt>Fig. 2:</dt><dd>a cross-sectional view of a luggage case in the open condition;</dd><dt>Fig. 3:</dt><dd>a cross-sectional view of a storage box in a closed state; and</dd><dt>Fig. 4:</dt><dd>a schematic representation of a lifting device.</dd></dl>

About the rows of seats of an aircraft luggage boxes are arranged in a longitudinal frame eleventh A luggage box 10 is arranged by means of a relative support arm 12 to the longitudinal frame 11 pivotally about the pivot thirteenth In the open position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the luggage box 10 can be loaded and unloaded through an opening 14. In the closed position shown in FIG. 3, the bottom wall 15 of the storage box 10 is flush with the longitudinal frame 11 to stow contained in the luggage box 10 luggage safely.

To move 10 ware box from the open to the closed position, a lifting device 20 is provided. The lifting device 20 comprises an electric motor 21 with a transmission for driving a pulley 22. Around the pulley 22 passes a drive rope 23 over guide rollers 24, 25 and is attached at its remote from the engine end on the ceiling wall 18 of the luggage box 10th The electric motor 21 is operated by means of 28 electrical energy stored in an electric storage unit and controlled by a control device 27th The control device 27 is supplied with a supply voltage Ui, which is for example generated by a transducer 29th The transducer 29 is connected via lines 33 with your board network. Electric motor 21, controller 27, storage unit 28 and converter 29 are expediently connected to the longitudinal frame 11, for example, fastened to a rear wall 16 of the longitudinal frame 11 behind a rear wall 17 of the storage box 10th The electric motor 21 may have for certain applications lines 32 for a temperature monitor.

In the present embodiment, the or each luggage box 10 each have a storage unit 28. But this is not necessarily the case; For example, 28 could be associated with two, or more, adjacent luggage boxes a storage unit. In this case, the dimensioning of the memory unit 28 would suitably be correspondingly larger in proportion to the values ​​given in the following.

To the luggage box 10, for example on the bottom wall 15, or on the longitudinal frame 11, a switch 26 is provided. If, starting actuated from the one shown in FIG. 2, open position of the switch 26 by an operator, a corresponding signal is sent to the control device 27. The control device 27 checks, if appropriate, the state of charge of the electric storage unit 28. It is assumed that the state of charge of the storage unit 28 is sufficient for an operating cycle of the storage box 10th The controller 27 then connects the electric motor 21 to the storage unit 28 to rotate the electric motor 21 and thus the pulley 22 in a clockwise direction and 10 to pull the luggage box by the drive rope 23 upwards into the position shown in Fig. 3 closed position. In the closed position, the luggage box 10 are kept locked by means of a lock, not shown. The switch 26 can preferably be designed as a push-button switch, which may be implemented as a simple, smaller and therefore less complex membrane switch.

Both the electric motor 21 and the storage unit 28 are of sufficient size to reliably perform the closing operation without external power assistance up to a maximum loading weight of the luggage box 10th A support of the storage box 10 by the operator is not required. For some applications, the electric motor 21 preferably has a power consumption of more than 50 W, for example about 80 W on. Since the rotational speed or the power consumption of the electric motor 21, that is approximately constant regardless of the load condition of the luggage box 10, a weight sensor for a power adjustment of the electric motor 21 is unnecessary.

The storage unit 28 is of sufficient size to be able to close a ware box at least five times in a row can. The electric storage unit 28 includes one or a plurality of series-connected capacitors, which are adapted for taking sufficiently high currents. It can order so-called, for example. Act Ultra-Caps. For some applications, the capacitance of the storage unit 28 a total of at least 50 F, such as in the range of 100 F. The cables 30, 31 between the memory unit 28 and the electric motor 21 must have sufficient electrical conductivity, in particular a sufficient cross section with respect to the maximum currents flowing exhibit.

After a discharge the electrical storage unit 28 is charged by the control device 27, which serves as a charging device again. The charging current is removed via the conduits 33 to the vehicle electrical system. The controller 27 takes out the electrical system of a charging current which is substantially less than the bleed stream from the storage unit 28 for the operation of the electric motor 21. In order to reduce the load of the electrical system, the charging power is preferably at most 15 W, more preferably not more than 10 W, more preferably at most 8 W. Due to this relatively low power levels 27 are placed on the dimensioning of the lines 33, 34 between the electrical system and the control device, no special requirements, so that they can in particular have a relatively small line cross-section and therefore a relatively low weight. The same applies to the dimensions of the transducer 29, which may have a correspondingly low maximum power consumption. The charging power is sufficient to preferably less than 300 to enable a charging of the storage unit 28 within a small Ladezeitspänne in the range of less than 600 S, S.

Is operated in the position shown in Fig. 3 closed position of the key switch 26 by an operator, a corresponding signal is sent to the control device 27. The controller 27 unlocks the luggage box lock when this is preferably controlled electrically. Otherwise, it may be necessary instead, in addition to or in combination with the actuation of the pushbutton 26 an unlocking of the luggage box lock. The control means 27 then connects the electric motor 21 to the memory unit 28 to rotate the electric motor 21 and thus the rope reel 22 in the counterclockwise direction and release the luggage box 10 by means of the drive rope 23 downward to the position shown in Fig. 3 open position. The electric motor 21 acts expediently as an engine brake to prevent a jolt or sudden draining of the storage box 10th

About the signal line 35 and a corresponding interface, the control device 27 can be optionally connected to a central control unit of the aircraft, for example, via an existing bus. This allows to operate the luggage boxes centrally. For example, in certain phases of flight to be useful to include all luggage boxes of an aircraft centrally and to keep locked, so that the operation of any designated individual pushbutton 26 does not trigger an opening operation of the respective storage box 10th Furthermore, via the central control unit for fully automatic execution of luggage boxes 10, when an operator is required to do no more activity on a single luggage box to open or close, that if necessary, the individual pushbutton 26 no longer needs to operate. Conveniently, therefore, the fully automatic opening of the luggage boxes luggage box locks of the central control unit of the aircraft controlled. Therefore, there are preferably electromechanical, for example electromagnetic luggage box locks. Even for a test mode, the control of the luggage boxes on the central control unit is advantageous.