Air curtain systems and methods for internal cabins of vehicles
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsFrank Harrold Thomson, Brian Patrick Berryessa, Trevor Milton Laib
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle includes an internal cabin, a first group of seats within a first row within the internal cabin, a second group of seats within a second row within the internal cabin, and an air curtain system within the internal cabin. The air curtain system is configured to provide one or more air curtains between one or both of (a) the first row and the second row or (b) adjacent seats of one or both of the first group or the second group.
Claims23
A vehicle comprising:
- an internal cabin;
- a first group of seats within a first row within the internal cabin;
- a second group of seats within a second row within the internal cabin, wherein the first row is adjacent the second row;
- and
- an air curtain system within the internal cabin, wherein the air curtain system is configured to provide one or more air curtains between one or both of (a) the first row and the second row or (b) adjacent seats of one or both of the first group or the second group, wherein the air curtain system comprises:
- one or more outflow vents that output the one or more air curtains;
- one or more actuators operatively coupled to the one or more outflow vents, wherein the one or more actuators are configured to adjust positions of the one or more outflow vents;
- and
- a control unit including one or more processors configured to operate the one or more actuators to adjust the positions of the one or more outflow vents based on positions of the seats.
An air curtain method for a vehicle having an internal cabin, a first group of seats within a first row within the internal cabin, and a second group of seats within a second row within the internal cabin, wherein the first row is adjacent the second row, the air curtain method comprising:
- providing, by an air curtain system within the internal cabin, one or more air curtains between one or both of (a) the first row and the second row or (b) adjacent seats of one or both of the first group or the second group, wherein said providing comprises outputting, by one or more outflow vents, the one or more air curtains;
- and
- controlling, by a control unit including one or more processors, one or more actuators coupled to the one more outflow vents to adjust positions of the one or more outflow vents based on positions of the seats.
A vehicle comprising:
- an internal cabin;
- a first group of seats within a first row within the internal cabin;
- a second group of seats within a second row within the internal cabin, wherein the first row is adjacent the second row;
- and
- an air curtain system within the internal cabin, wherein the air curtain system is configured to provide one or more air curtains between one or both of (a) the first row and the second row or (b) adjacent seats of one or both of the first group or the second group, wherein the air curtain system comprises:
- one or more outflow vents that output the one or more air curtains;
- an airflow generator that generates airflow that is received by the one or more outflow vents;
- one or more return vents that receive the one or more air curtains;
- one or more actuators operatively coupled to the one or more outflow vents and the one or more return vents, wherein the one or more actuators are configured to adjust positions of the one or more outflow vents and the one or more return vents;
- a control unit including one or more processors configured to operate the one or more actuators to adjust positions of the one or more outflow vents and the one or more return vents based on positions of the seats;
- and
- one or more light emitting devices that are configured to emit light along at least a portion of the one or more air curtains to indicate presence of the one or more air curtains.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.