Electricity: conductors and insulators – Conduits – cables or conductors – Combined
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-09
2002-12-24
Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Conduits, cables or conductors
Combined
C174S0720TR, C174S101000, C052S220700
Reexamination Certificate
active
06498297
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a seat-to-seat wiring assembly such as in a passenger aircraft and, more specifically, to a wiring assembly having an electrical raceway that provides a conduit for a wire harness and a seat track cover that protects the raceway from damage, such as from feet and luggage.
Airline passenger seats that have electrical requirements use seat-to-seat wiring harnesses that originate shipside and also utilize existing cabin carpeting to cover the wiring or raceways to route the wiring. The wiring is held in place with the carpet, using adhesive carpet tape, for the length of the main cabin.
FIG. 1
depicts a cross sectional view looking forward in an aircraft of a typical seat-to-seat wiring assembly
10
employed in the past. The assembly
10
is often installed adjacent a seat leg
14
having a fastener for fastening a portion of the seat to the leg
14
. Wiring
13
is routed under an outboard strip of carpet
18
. In turn, the carpet
18
is held in place by carpet tape
12
along the bottom of a main cabin side wall
15
, as well as outboard of the seat row leg
14
, for most of the length of the aircraft main cabin. Because the carpet
18
alone unsatisfactorily covers the wiring
13
and the seat track
17
, a cover
19
caps the carpet
18
between the seat rows. The cover
19
includes legs
19
a
that are captured in a seat track
17
.
However, the use of adhesive carpet tape to hold the wiring in place under the cabin carpet has made it difficult to control and route the wire bundles. It also prevents the carpet from lying flat, which exposes the wiring as it approaches or lies near the carpet edges. Additionally, the wiring has to be installed after the seats are in place due to requirements of the assembly sequence. The result has been extraordinarily tight quarters between the seat rows and cabin side walls into which mechanics and electricians have been forced to squeeze themselves to install the wire harness. The past seat-to-seat wiring design has also made it difficult to route the harnesses neatly under the typical two-inch wide strip of carpet, before connecting the harnesses to each seat row.
As can be seen, there is a need for an improved apparatus for installing and protecting wire harnesses such as in a seat-to-seat application for aircraft.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect of the present invention, a protective wire routing apparatus comprises a raceway having a first portion, a second portion that is opposite the first portion, and a self-closing portion intermediate the first and second portions; and a cover that is configured to interface one of the first and second portions of the raceway; with the cover having a first rib to transmit force to one of the first and second portions.
In another aspect of the present invention, a seat-to-seat wiring assembly comprises a raceway having a top portion, a bottom portion that is opposite the top portion, and a self-closing portion intermediate the top and bottom portions, with the bottom portion interfacing a support on which the assembly can be disposed; and a cover that interfaces the top portion of the raceway, with the cover having a load bearing rib that transmits force from the top portion to the self-closing portion, from the self-closing portion to the bottom portion, and from the bottom portion to the support.
In a further aspect of the present invention, a raceway for protecting wiring comprises a top portion; a bottom portion that is opposite the top portion; and a self-closing portion intermediate the top and bottom portions; the self-closing portion having a top locking rib and a top guide rib; the top locking rib having a top engagement bump; the top guide rib interfaces the bottom portion to transmit force from the top portion to the bottom portion; the bottom portion having a bottom locking rib that is configured to be disposed between the top locking rib and top guide rib; and the bottom locking rib having a bottom engagement bump to frictionally engage the top engagement bump.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4635886 (1987-01-01), Santucci et al.
patent: 5235136 (1993-08-01), Santucci et al.
patent: 6107576 (2000-08-01), Morton et al.
patent: 6284974 (2001-09-01), Albert et al.
patent: 6333461 (2001-12-01), Marcou et al.
DiPinto & Shimokaji P.C.
Reichard Dean A.
The Boeing Company
Walkenhorst W. David
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