US 10,946,966 B2Granted

Multi-panel privacy screen assembly

AssigneeB/E Aerospace, Inc.

InventorsIan L. Frost, Shirley E. Govea Bravo, John R. Kuyper, Robert J. Lawrence

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Abstract

A multi-panel privacy screen assembly adapted to be deployed between laterally-adjacent passenger seats. The assembly includes an overhead beam having a plurality of tracks, a plurality of hanging panels, a plurality of coupling members suspending each of the plurality of hanging panels from the overhead beam, each coupling member coupled to one of the plurality of hanging panels, to one of a plurality of driven cables, and having rollers rollable along at least one of the plurality of tracks, and a drive mechanism including an intermittent gear assembly operable for driving the plurality of driven cables to move the plurality of hanging panels along at least one of the plurality of tracks according to predetermined deployment sequence.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A multi-panel privacy screen assembly, comprising:

an elongated beam having a plurality of tracks;
a plurality of hanging panels;
coupling members suspending each of the plurality of hanging panels from the elongated beam, each coupling member having a first end coupled near a top edge of one of the plurality of hanging panels, a second end coupled to one of a plurality of driven cables, and rollers rollable along at least one of the plurality of tracks;
and
a drive mechanism operable for driving the plurality of driven cables to move the plurality of hanging panels along at least one of the plurality of tracks;
wherein when fully stowed the plurality of hanging panels are in a stacked arrangement on separate ones of the plurality of tracks, and when fully deployed the plurality of hanging panels are inline along one of the plurality of tracks;
and
wherein the drive mechanism comprises an intermittent gear assembly, comprising:
a motor driven shaft;
a plurality of intermittent driver gears rotatably coupled to the motor-driven shaft, wherein the number of intermittent driver gears corresponds to the number of hanging panels;
a plurality of driven gears each meshed with one of the plurality of intermittent driver gears, each of the plurality of driven gears rotatably coupled to a driven shaft, wherein the number of driven gears corresponds to the number of intermittent driver gears;
and
a plurality of pulleys, wherein each pulley is rotatably coupled to one of the plurality of driven shafts, and wherein the number of pulleys corresponds to the number of driven gears, wherein each of the plurality of pulleys is configured to drive motion of one of the plurality of driven cables each coupled to one of the plurality of hanging panels.

10 more elements

A multi-panel privacy screen assembly, comprising:

an elongated overhead beam comprising a first track, a second track, and a third track, wherein the first track spans substantially a length of the elongated overhead beam and each of the second and third tracks span a portion of one end of the length of the elongated overhead beam and has a linear track portion parallel with the first track and a curved track end transitioning into the first track;
first, second and third hanging panels each suspended from the elongated overhead beam;
coupling members suspending each of the first, second and third hanging panels from the elongated overhead beam, each coupling member having a first end coupled to one of the hanging panels, a second end coupled to one of a plurality of driven cables, and rollers rollable along at least one of the first, second and third tracks, wherein the plurality of driven cables comprises a first driven cable driving motion of the first hanging panel, a second driven cable driving motion of the second hanging panel, and a third driven cable driving motion of the third handling panel;
and
a drive mechanism operable for driving the first, second and third driven cables to move the respective first, second and third hanging panels along at least one of the first, second and third tracks between deployed and stowed positions.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/173,395Filed 29 Oct 2018
Published: US 2020/0130840 A130 Apr 2020
Granted: 16 Mar 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

B64D 11/0023
Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for: movable or removable cabin dividers, e.g. for class separation
B64D 11/0606
Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats: with privacy shells, screens, separators or the like
E05D 15/0608
Allowing an additional movement: caused by track lay-out
E05D 15/08
For wings sliding horizontally more or less in their own plane: consisting of two or more independent parts movable each in its own guides