Quick loading curtain track for an aircraft cabin
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsRick E. Shepherd, Ian M. Piper, Robert B. Lanfear
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A curtain track for an aircraft cabin enables curtain sliders to be quickly loaded into the curtain track. The curtain track is constructed of an elongate channel with a first end fitting on a first end of the channel and a second end fitting on a second end of the channel. There is a unique cutout in the bottom surface of the first end fitting that forms a curved slot surface that enables curtain sliders to be loaded into the channel of the curtain track through the cutout to quickly load the curtain onto the curtain track without disassembling any of the parts of the curtain track or removing the curtain track from its attachment to the aircraft cabin.
Claims20
A track that suspends at least one slider and provides sliding movement of the at least one slider on the track, the track comprising:
- a bottom surface of the track extending along a length of the track, and the bottom surface of the track defines a slot having a length extending along the length of the track;
- a first end fitting having a first slot surface extending through the bottom surface of the track adjacent the slot, the first slot surface extending along the length of the track, wherein the first end fitting has a second slot surface extending through the bottom surface of the track adjacent the slot, the second slot surface extending along the length of the track;
- wherein the first slot surface and the second slot surface are disposed on opposite sides of the slot;
- wherein the first end fitting has a curved slot surface extending through the bottom surface of the track adjacent the slot, the curved slot surface is an extension of the first slot surface and is on an opposite side of the slot from of the second slot surface;
- a channel having a length between a first end of the channel and a second end of the channel, the channel having a bottom surface that extends between the first end of the channel and the second end of the channel;
- wherein the first end fitting is disposed on the first end of the channel, the first end fitting is attachable to a separate structure to attach the channel to the separate structure;
- and,
- wherein the first end fitting is configured to telescope on the first end of the channel to adjust the length of the track.
A track that suspends at least one slider and provides sliding movement of the at least one slider on the track, the track comprising:
- a bottom surface of the track extending along a length of the track, the bottom surface of the track defines a slot having a length extending along the length of the track, the slot separating a first ledge at the bottom surface of the track and a second ledge at the bottom surface of the track;
- wherein the first ledge has a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, the top surface of the first ledge and the bottom surface of the first ledge are spaced from each other;
- wherein the second ledge has a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, the top surface of the second ledge and the bottom surface of the second ledge are spaced from each other;
- a first end fitting having a first slot surface extending between the bottom surface of the first ledge and the top surface of the first ledge adjacent the slot, the first slot surface extending along the length of the track, wherein the first end fitting has a second slot surface extending between the bottom surface of the second ledge and the top surface of the second ledge adjacent the slot, the second slot surface extending along the length of the track;
- wherein the first slot surface and the second slot surface are disposed on opposite sides of the slot;
- wherein the first end fitting has a curved slot surface extending between the bottom surface of the first ledge and the top surface of the first ledge adjacent the slot, the curved slot surface is an extension of the first slot surface and is on an opposite side of the slot from the second slot surface;
- a channel having a length between a first end of the channel and a second end of the channel;
- wherein the first end fitting is disposed on the first end of the channel, the first end fitting is attachable to a separate structure to attach the channel to the separate structure;
- and,
- wherein the first slot surface of the first end fitting merge into the curved slot surface proximal to a slot end surface of the slot such that the curved slot surface is open to the slot.
A method of suspending a plurality of sliders for sliding movement of the sliders along a length of a track, wherein a bottom surface of the track extends along the length of the track, and the bottom surface of the track defines a slot having a length extending along the length of the track, the method comprising:
- telescoping a first end fitting on a first end of a channel to adjust the length of the track, wherein the first end fitting is disposed on the first end of the channel and the first end fitting has a first slot surface extending through the bottom surface of the track adjacent the slot, the first slot surface extending along the length of the track, wherein the first end fitting has a second slot surface extending through the bottom surface of the track adjacent the slot, the second slot surface extending along the length of the track, wherein the first slot surface and the second slot surface are disposed on opposite sides of the slot, wherein the first end fitting has a curved slot surface extending through the bottom surface of the track adjacent the slot, the curved slot surface is an extension of the first slot surface and is on an opposite side of the slot from of the second slot surface;
- attaching the first end fitting to a separate structure to attach the channel to the separate structure, wherein the channel has a length between the first end of the channel and a second end of the channel, the channel having a bottom surface that extends between the first end of the channel and the second end of the channel;
- and,
- passing a head of each of the sliders through the slot in the bottom surface of the track by engaging a neck of each of the sliders against a curved slot surface extending through the bottom surface of the track adjacent the slot while passing the head of each of the sliders through the slot, wherein the neck of each of the sliders depend from the head of the respective sliders.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.