US 4,742,760 A · Aircraft cabin ventilation system

Abstract

A ventilation system for clearing gaseous and particulate contaminants such as cigarette smoke and metabolic exhalants from an aircraft cabin. The ventilation system is disclosed in two embodiments, the first having an overhead discharge duct (84) through which supply air is provided to the interior of the cabin (12) and discharge nozzles (78) disposed adjacent the lower portion of the inwardly extending end of storage bins (20) through which supply air is discharged toward the sidewalls (14) of the cabin. Air is exhausted from the cabin through exhaust air ducts (40) disposed immediately below the point where the storage bins attach to the sidewalls. In addition, air is recirculated from the cabin through recirculation air ducts (30) disposed adjacent the floor of the cabin. Relatively contaminated air is thus swept by the supply airflow directly into the exhaust air ducts for venting outside the aircraft, while cleaner air is recirculated back to the supply air ducts for ventilation of the cabin. In a second embodiment, the supply air is provided through discharge ducts (177) disposed immediately above the overhead storage bins (120 ) and contaminated air is exhausted through an exhaust slot (141) disposed on the lower surface of the storage bins. In each embodiment, the contaminated air is swept immediately into the exhaust duct without significant recirculation and mixing with the air that is returned to ventilate the cabin.

Claims22

Dependent claims

In an aircraft cabin that is divided into an upper zone and a lower zone, wherein air in the upper zone is characterized as having a relatively greater concentration of gaseous and particulate contaminants than is air in the lower zone, and wherein the upper zone is disposed below an overhead shelf, a ventilation system for reducing the concentration of gaseous and particulate contaminants in the cabin, comprising:

(a) means disposed below the overhead shelf and adjacent the upper zone, for drawing air from the upper zone and venting that air outside the aircraft;
(b) means for drawing air from the lower zone for recirculation back into the aircraft cabin;
and
(c) discharge means, in fluid communication with the means for drawing air from the lower zone and with a source of pressurized fresh air, the air from the lower zone and the fresh air being mixed, for direction said mixed air into the cabin from a location disposed above the upper zone, creating an airflow downwardly into the lower zone, the discharge means including means for urging the air in the upper zone to flow toward the means for drawing air from the upper zone.

1 more element

A ventilation system for an aircraft cabin having a storage bin disposed overhead a passenger seating area, comprising:

(a) a first exhaust inlet disposed below the storage bin and above the passenger seating area through which air is drawn from the cabin, and first exhaust inlet being connected to a duct through which air drawn from the cabin at the first exhaust inlet is vented outside the aircraft;
(b) a second exhaust inlet disposed adjacent a floor of the cabin and connected to a recirculation air duct through which air drawn from the cabin in the vicinity of the floor is conveyed;
(c) means connected in fluid communication with the recirculation air duct, for recirculating air drawn from the cabin back into the cabin;
and
(d) a supply air duct disposed adjacent a ceiling of the cabin, in fluid communication with a source of fresh pressurized air and with the recirculation air duct, the air drawn from the cabin through the second exhaust inlet and the fresh pressurized air comprising ventilation air, the supply air duct being operative to convey the ventilation air and to discharge it into the cabin through a plurality of outlets, the ventilation air discharged from the supply air duct flowing downwardly into the cabin with minimal recirculation and mixing therein, in part being drawn into the second exhaust inlet for recirculation back to the supply air duct and in part being drawn into the first exhaust inlet for venting outside the aircraft.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Aircraft cabin ventilation system

Life of this patent

Aircraft cabin ventilation system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22