Aircraft overhead stowage bins
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorRichard K. Simms
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Overhead stowage bins for aircraft comprise a lower panel and one or more rollers. The lower panel is configured to support luggage and has a forward lip region. The one or more rollers are operatively coupled to the lower panel within the forward lip region and are positioned to facilitate insertion of luggage into the overhead stowage bin. Aircraft include a fuselage and a plurality of overhead stowage bins installed within the passenger compartment of the fuselage. Methods of stowing luggage in an overhead stowage bin comprise lifting a carry-on luggage unit, engaging the carry-on luggage unit with one or more rollers positioned at a forward lip region of the overhead stowage bin, and pushing the carry-on luggage unit into an internal volume of the overhead stowage bin.
Claims22
An overhead stowage bin for aircraft, comprising:
- a lower panel configured to support one or more luggage units positioned within the overhead stowage bin, wherein the lower panel has a forward lip region that partially defines an entrance to the overhead stowage bin;
- and
- one or more rollers operatively coupled to the lower panel within the forward lip region, wherein the one or more rollers are positioned to facilitate insertion of the one or more luggage units into the overhead stowage bin;
- wherein the overhead stowage bin defines an internal volume for receiving the one or more luggage units atop the lower panel, wherein the overhead stowage bin has a closed configuration, in which access to the internal volume is restricted, and a fully open configuration, in which access to the internal volume is permitted via the entrance for insertion and removal of the one or more luggage units into and from the internal volume;
- and
- wherein the forward lip region comprises a lip surface that extends directly adjacent to the one or more rollers, wherein the lip surface defines an opening through which the one or more rollers extend, and wherein less than 50% of the one or more rollers extend through the opening and out of the forward lip region for engagement by the one or more luggage units being inserted into or removed from the internal volume of the overhead stowage bin.
An overhead stowage bin for aircraft, comprising:
- a lower panel configured to support one or more luggage units positioned within the overhead stowage bin, wherein the lower panel has a forward lip region that partially defines an entrance to the overhead stowage bin, wherein the overhead stowage bin defines an internal volume for receiving the one or more luggage units atop the lower panel, wherein the overhead stowage bin has a closed configuration, in which access to the internal volume is restricted, and a fully, open configuration, in which access to the internal volume is permitted via the entrance for insertion and removal of the one or more luggage units into and from the internal volume;
- and
- one or more rollers are positioned to facilitate insertion of the one or more luggage units into the overhead stowage bin;
- wherein the forward lip region comprises a lip surface that extends directly adjacent to the one or more rollers, wherein the lip surface comprises a distal portion that extends on a side of the one or more rollers distal the internal volume of the overhead stowage bin, and wherein the distal portion is generally planar and extends at an angle in the range of 15-50 degrees relative to horizontal when the overhead stowage bin is in the fully open configuration.
An overhead stowage bin for aircraft, comprising:
- a lower panel configured to support one or more luggage units positioned within the overhead stowage bin, wherein the lower panel has a forward lip region that partially defines an entrance to the overhead stowage bin;
- and
- one or more rollers operatively coupled to the lower panel within the forward lip region, wherein the one or more rollers are positioned to facilitate insertion of the one or more luggage units into the overhead stowage bin;
- wherein the overhead stowage bin defines an internal volume for receiving the one or more luggage units atop the lower panel, wherein the overhead stowage bin has a closed configuration, in which access to the internal volume is restricted, and a fully open configuration, in which access to the internal volume is permitted via the entrance for insertion and removal of the one or more luggage units into and from the internal volume;
- and
- wherein the forward lip region comprises a lip surface that extends directly adjacent to the one or more rollers, wherein the lip surface comprises a proximal portion that extends on a side of the one or more rollers proximate the internal volume of the overhead stowage bin, and wherein when the overhead stowage bin is in the fully open configuration, the proximal portion extends vertically above the one or more rollers by a distance in the range of 10-100% of a diameter of the one or more rollers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.