Closeout seal for aircraft cabin assembly and method

An aircraft cabin assembly comprising;

• a first aircraft cabin structure, said first aircraft cabin structure comprising a first aircraft cabin structure surface;
• a second aircraft cabin structure comprising a second aircraft cabin structure edge, said second aircraft cabin structure edge positioned proximate to said first aircraft cabin structure surface, said aircraft cabin assembly comprising a gap defined by said first aircraft cabin structure surface and said second aircraft cabin structure edge, said second aircraft structure edge further comprising a tubular seal, said tubular seal comprising a polyurethane foam material, said tubular seal further comprising:
• a first open seal segment comprising a first open seal segment arcuate middle region comprising a first arcuate middle region first end terminating at a first open seal segment first inwardly extending linear leg and a first open seal segment arcuate middle region second end terminating at a first open seal segment second inwardly extending linear leg, said first open seal segment comprising a first dimension;
• a second open seal segment comprising a second open seal segment arcuate middle region comprising a second arcuate middle region first end terminating at a second open seal segment first inwardly extending linear leg and a second open seal segment arcuate middle region second end terminating at a second open seal segment second inwardly extending linear leg, said second open seal segment comprising a second dimension, said second dimension substantially equivalent to the first dimension of the first open seal segment, said first open seal segment and said second open seal segment bonded together only at the first open seal segment first inwardly extending linear leg and the second open seal segment first inwardly extending linear leg to form a first interface and at first open seal segment second inwardly extending linear leg and the second open seal segment second inwardly extending linear leg to form a second interface to form a joined two-piece tubular seal, said joined two-piece tubular seal comprising:
• a joined two-piece tubular seal wall, said joined two-piece tubular seal wall defined by a joined two-piece tubular seal wall tubular seal wall exterior surface and a joined two-piece tubular seal wall tubular seal wall interior surface, said joined two-piece tubular seal wall tubular seal wall interior surface comprising a joined two-piece tubular seal wall interior surface profile, said joined two-piece tubular seal wall interior surface profile defining a tubular seal cavity, said joined two-piece tubular seal wall further comprising a joined two-piece tubular seal wall thickness;
• wherein said tubular seal is fixedly attached to the second aircraft cabin structure edge of the second aircraft cabin structure, said tubular seal interposed between the first aircraft cabin structure surface of a first aircraft cabin structure and the second aircraft cabin structure edge;
• and
• wherein said joined two-piece tubular seal is configured to dimensionally compress from a tubular seal initial dimension in the absence of a compressive force to a tubular seal compressed condition in the presence of an inwardly compressive force to form the aircraft cabin assembly tubular seal in the tubular seal compressed condition, said tubular seal further configured to automatically expand outwardly from the tubular seal compressed condition to a tubular seal expanded condition in the absence of the inwardly compressive force, said tubular seal expanded condition comprising a tubular seal expanded condition dimension substantially similar to the tubular seal initial dimension.

A method for sealing a gap adjacent an aircraft cabin structure, the method comprising:

• installing a first aircraft cabin structure into an aircraft cabin;
• installing a second aircraft cabin structure adjacent to a first aircraft cabin structure to form a first aircraft cabin structure/second aircraft cabin structure interface, at least one of said first aircraft cabin structure and said second aircraft cabin structure comprising a tubular seal, said tubular seal comprising a polyurethane foam material, said tubular seal fixedly attached to the second aircraft cabin structure, said tubular seal positioned at the first aircraft cabin structure/second aircraft cabin structure interface, said tubular seal comprising:
• a first open seal segment comprising a first open seal segment arcuate middle region comprising a first arcuate middle region first end terminating at a first open seal segment first inwardly extending linear leg and a first open seal segment arcuate middle region second end terminating at a first open seal segment second inwardly extending linear leg, said first open seal segment comprising a first dimension;
• a second open seal segment comprising a second open seal segment arcuate middle region comprising a second arcuate middle region first end terminating at a second open seal segment first inwardly extending linear leg and a second open seal segment arcuate middle region second end terminating at a second open seal segment second inwardly extending linear leg, said second open seal segment comprising a second dimension, said second dimension substantially equivalent to the first dimension of the first open seal segment, said first open seal segment and said second open seal segment bonded together only at the first open seal segment first inwardly extending linear leg and the second open seal segment first inwardly extending linear leg to form a first interface and at the first open seal segment second inwardly extending linear leg and the second open seal segment second inwardly extending linear leg to form a second interface to form a joined two-piece tubular seal, said joined two-piece tubular seal comprising:
• a joined two-piece tubular seal wall, said joined two-piece tubular seal wall defined by a joined two-piece tubular seal wall tubular seal wall exterior surface and a joined two-piece tubular seal wall tubular seal wall interior surface, said joined two-piece tubular seal wall tubular seal wall interior surface comprising a joined two-piece tubular seal wall interior surface profile, said joined two-piece tubular seal wall interior surface profile defining a tubular seal cavity, said joined two-piece tubular seal wall further comprising a joined two-piece tubular seal wall thickness;
• and
• wherein said joined two-piece tubular seal is configured to dimensionally compress from a tubular seal initial dimension in the absence of a compressive force to a tubular seal compressed condition in the presence of an inwardly compressive force to form the aircraft cabin assembly tubular seal in the tubular seal compressed condition, said tubular seal further configured to automatically expand outwardly from the tubular seal compressed condition to a tubular seal expanded condition in the absence of the inwardly compressive force, said tubular seal expanded condition comprising a tubular seal expanded condition dimension substantially similar to the tubular seal initial dimension.