Movement assistance system for a storage bin
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsMark LeQuesne Cloud, Christopher Lyle Schwitters, Kwun-Wing Cheung, Paul Andrew Kinzer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for assisting movement of a bin into a closed position. An assistance system associated with the bin may be activated in response to a manipulation of a switch associated with the bin. The assistance system may comprise a biasing system and a switch. The biasing system may be configured to generate a force in a direction towards a closed position for the bin. A switch may be connected to the biasing system and configured to activate the biasing system when a selected amount of weight is present in the bin. The force in the direction towards the closed position for the bin may be generated in response to activating the assistance system.
Claims17
An apparatus comprising:
- a pawl configured to activate a force that assists movement of a bin from an open position towards a closed position;
- a biasing unit configured to engage a cam and generate the force;
- a ratchet connected to the bin and configured to:
- prevent activation of the force, and move relative to a surface of the cam;
- a spring configured to bias the pawl to engage the ratchet;
- and
- a switch connected to the pawl and configured to disengage the pawl from the ratchet with the switch in an on position and a selected amount of weight present in the bin, such that the bin remains movable to the closed position with the switch in an off position.
An overhead storage system in an aircraft comprising:
- a biasing system configured to be connected to a bin and generate a force in a direction towards a closed position for the bin in which the biasing system comprises:
- a bearing member configured to slide against a cam associated with a bin housing for the bin;
- a biasing unit configured to move the bearing member to slide against the cam associated with the bin housing from a first position to a second position on the cam associated with the bin housing in which the force is applied on the bin in the direction to rotate the bin about an axis towards the closed position for the bin, in which movement of the bin from the closed position to an open position stores energy in the biasing unit, and in which the energy is used to move the bearing member on the cam associated with the bin housing;
- and
- an activation system connected to the biasing unit, in which the activation system is configured to cause the biasing unit to move the bearing member when a switch is manipulated and a selected amount of weight is present in the bin, and in which the activation system comprises:
- an arm extending from the bearing member in which the arm has a position when the selected amount of weight is present in the bin;
- and
- a latch connected to a cable by an elongate member associated with the latch in which the latch is configured to disengage from the arm when the switch is manipulated and the arm is in the position in which the biasing unit is configured to move the bearing member when the latch is disengaged from the arm;
- the switch connected to the biasing system by the cable in which the switch is configured to activate the biasing system when the selected amount of weight is present in the bin;
- the bin housing;
- the bin connected to the bin housing in which the bin is moveable between the open position and the closed position;
- a housing in which the biasing unit and the latch are associated with the housing;
- a number of rods;
- a carriage moveably connected to the number of rods in which the bearing member and the arm extending from the bearing member are associated with the carriage and wherein the biasing unit is connected to the carriage;
- and
- a reset mechanism configured to move the latch to engage the arm after being disengaged from the arm when the bin is moved to the closed position;
- wherein the bin is movable to the closed position without activating the biasing system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.