Aeronautics and astronautics – Aircraft structure – Passenger or crew accommodation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-20
2001-09-18
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Aeronautics and astronautics
Aircraft structure
Passenger or crew accommodation
C244S118100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290175
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to luggage bins used in a vehicle and, more particularly, to an extension kit for increasing the storage volume of the luggage bin.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Commercial vehicles capable of transporting passengers, such as airplanes, trains, marine vessels, and buses, often include luggage bins for the storage of passenger carry-on luggage. Typically, overhead luggage bins are fastened within the interior passenger compartment on opposite sides of the vehicle interior. Such luggage bins include an upper bin panel and a shelf held in spaced disposition by a pair of bulkheads to define storage space therebetween. The inboard facing side of the luggage bin includes a hingedly attached door. The storage space is sized to accommodate carry-on luggage, such as appropriately sized travel bags.
In recent years, air travel has become increasingly commonplace for business and short vacation trips. Further, passengers have increasingly tended to travel with larger amounts of carry-on luggage, thereby placing a premium on available overhead luggage bin storage space. Further, because of the increased numbers of passengers using carry-on luggage, airlines have been increasingly enforcing the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) recommended carry-on size limit. As a result, the traveling public has been using luggage industry standard 22″ wheel-equipped carry-on bags in greater numbers. However, in certain airplanes, the overhead luggage bins will only accept the 22″ standard roller bags lengthwise within the bin, due to inadequate bin depth and door geometry. Further, because overhead luggage bins are compartmentalized, many overhead luggage bins are sized to accept only one 22″ roller bag lengthwise within the overhead bin. Because so many traveling passengers are now adopting the use of these bags, there is a potential for a chronic shortage of bin space to accommodate the passengers. This results in passenger frustration and delays in boarding and unboarding of the vehicle.
Currently, modular extension kits that may be retrofitted onto the inboard-facing section of the overhead luggage bin are available. Typically, such modular kits are completely pre-assembled to standard industrial specifications for a given type of vehicle. The modular kits typically include upper panel, bulkhead, and shelf extensions pre-assembled to predetermined dimensions.
Although such kits are effective at increasing the storage volume within the overhead bin, they are not without their problems. One such problem results from the modular nature of the kit itself. Specifically, modular units built to a pre-set dimensional standard may not fit in an existing luggage cavity as intended because of tolerance variance or component wear. As a result, the kit assembly requires undesirable modifications at the site of installation to properly attach the modular extension to the overhead bin. This results in increased down time for the aircraft.
Thus, there exists a need for a bin extension kit to suit a variety of requirements, that is easy to install, permits a high degree of installation flexibility, and minimizes the down time of the vehicle in which it is being installed.
The assignee has developed other retrofit technologies, e.g., as embodied in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,395,074 and 5,687,929, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, an extended luggage bin for a vehicle is provided. The luggage bin includes a bin structure located in the vehicle. The bin storage area structure includes a door, a shelf, first and second bulkheads and a bin upper panel. The first and second bulkheads extend between the shelf and the bin upper panel to define a storage space having a volume. The storage space is accessible through an opening on a frontal side of the luggage bin for placing luggage in the storage space. The extended luggage bin also includes a bin extension extending at least between the bin upper panel and the door to increase the volume of the storage space, wherein the bin extension includes a bin upper panel extension assembly coupled to the bin upper panel. The existing doors can be reused or new doors can be installed.
In accordance with other aspects of this invention, the bin extension is preferably non-modular, i.e., not wholly pre-assembled, and the bin upper panel extension assembly includes a bracket and a bin upper panel extension portion. However, in alternative embodiments, the inventive extension assembly may also be wholly or partially pre-assembled (i.e., “modular”).The bracket has a first end coupled to the bin upper panel and a second end coupled to the bin upper panel extension portion.
In accordance with additional aspects of this invention, the extended luggage bin further includes first and second bulkhead extensions extending at least partially between the first and second bulkheads and the door. Preferably, the first and second bulkhead extensions are coupled to the first and second bulkheads respectively.
In accordance with yet other aspects of this invention, the extended luggage bin further includes a shelf extension assembly coupled to the shelf and extending between the shelf and the door. The shelf extension assembly includes a shelf extension portion and a shelf extension bracket.
In accordance with this invention, the bin upper panel extension assembly and/or the shelf extension assembly increases the volume of the storage space by providing structure whereby the closed position of the bin doors is moved from a first position to a second position to increase the width of the bin upper panel and/or the shelf panel.
An extended luggage bin formed in accordance with the present invention has several advantages over current luggage bin extensions. First, it minimizes the down time of the vehicle due to unanticipated modifications to the bin extension during installation. Also, because the bin extension is preferably non-modular, it may be attached to the existing bin structure without modification of the bin extension. Further, because the bin extension can use the existing door and other components of the existing luggage bin, such an extension is less expensive than those requiring new components. Thus, an extended luggage bin formed in accordance with the present invention is easier to install, and more economical than currently available luggage bin extensions or the installation of new larger bins. These extensions can be installed on both sides or just one side of a vehicle.
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O'Lone, Richard, “Boeing, Proposed New 727, 707 Interior,”Aviation Week, Apr. 28, 1969, pp. 32-33.
Burrows Ralph M.
Hart Jack E.
Tam Siulun
Christensen O'Connor Johnson & Kindness PLLC
Dinh Tien
Hexcel Corporation
Jordan Charles T.
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