# US 9,586,671 B2 · Unitary panel for the floor of a vehicle, floor, and vehicle including such a unitary panel

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- Number: US 9,586,671 B2
- Document ID: US9586671B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/389,186
- Filed: 2013-03-28
- Published: 2015-02-19
- Granted: 2017-03-07
- Earliest claimed: 2012-03-30
- Assignees: Sogeclair SA
- Applicants: Sogeclair S.A.
- Inventors: Mathieu Deloubes
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9586671B2

## CPC

- B64C 1/18: Floors
- B64C 1/061: {Frames}
- B64C 1/20: specially adapted for freight
- B64D 11/04: Galleys
- B64D 11/06: {Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats (crew seat constructions for emergency purposes B64D25/04)}
- B64D 11/0696: {Means for fastening seats to floors, e.g. to floor rails}
- Y02T 50/40: Weight reduction
- Y10T 29/49622: Vehicular structural member making
- B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
- B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

The invention relates to a unitary floor panel (1) for a means of transportation, comprising a self-supporting plate (2) having a smallest dimension, called the thickness, extending along a first direction of the self-supporting plate (2), and two larger dimensions extending along two directions that are orthogonal to each other and orthogonal to the thickness; the self-supporting plate (2) having two opposite sides, called main sides, that extend substantially parallel to the two orthogonal directions; characterized in that the panel comprises at least one beam (5) securely fastened to the self-supporting plate (2) and having an axis of elongation parallel to at least one first main side of the self-supporting plate (2), each beam (5) being designed to increase the flexural strength of the unitary panel (1) along the axis of elongation of the beam (5).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A unitary floor panel (1) for a transportation device comprising:
a self-supporting plate (2), the self-supporting plate having an upper end and a lower end;
at least one beam (5) fastened to the lower end of the self-supporting plates (2) and having an aperture located on an end of each beam forming a housing (11);
a dual-function member (10) that interconnects with the housing (11) of the self-supporting plate (2), the dual-function member (10) including:
a base (39) adapted to be fastened to a structural framework element (9) of the transportation device;
a protruding part (40) placed over the base (39) that slides into the housing (11) of the beam (5) securing the self-supporting plate (2);
wherein each beam (5) has at least one hollow segment (6) with a polygon-shaped cross section;
wherein each hollow segment (6) has a trapezium-shaped cross section and has a flat adherent wall (12), extending in face of and making contact with the self-supporting plate (2), and a free wall (13), opposite the flat adherent wall (12) and parallel to the adherent wall (12);
wherein the unitary panel contains a plurality of mortises (7) passing through the self-supporting plate (2);
wherein each mortise (7) in the unitary panel (1) receives a fastening device (100), the fastening device (100) secures the fastening member (8) to the upper end (20) of the unitary panel (1), said fastening device (100) comprising:
a clamping member (102) comprising a clamping jaw (105), shaped to pass through the mortise (7) and to bear on an internal side (107) of the adherent wall (12) extending facing the space (14) inside the beam (5) of the unitary panel (1) and comprising an attaching device (104) for fitting the fastening member (8) to the upper side (20) of the unitary panel (1); and
a pin (108) for anchoring the fastening device (100) to the unitary panel (1),
which anchoring pin (108) rotates as one with the clamping member (102) and comprises an anchoring jaw (109), adapted to bear on the upper side (20) of the unitary panel (1),
said clamping member (102) adapted to move in translation relative to the anchoring pin (108) between:
a clamped position of a fastening device (100), in which the clamping jaw (105) is returned toward the anchoring jaw (109) by elastic return means (112) and in which the clamping jaw (105) makes contact with the internal side (107) of the adherent wall (12) and the anchoring jaw (109) makes contact with the upper side (20) of the unitary panel (1); and
an installation position of the fastening device (100), in which the clamping jaw (105) and the anchoring jaw (109) are further apart from each other relative to the clamped position.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A floor for a transportation device comprising at least two of the unitary panel (1) as claimed in claim 1.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The floor according to claim 2, wherein the transportation device is an aircraft.

### Claim 4

A unitary floor panel (1) for a transportation device comprising:
a self-supporting plates (2), the self-supporting plate having an upper end and a lower end;
at least one beam (5) fastened to the lower end of the self-supporting plate (2) and having an aperture located on an end of each beam forming a housing (11);
a dual-function member (10) that interconnects with the housing (11), the dual-function member including:
a base (39) adapted to be fastened to a structural framework element (9) of the transportation device;
a protruding part (40) placed over the base (39) and forming a hollow housing, the protruding part (40) slides into the housing (11) of the beam (5) securing the self-supporting plate (2), the protruding part including a plurality of bores (31);
a tapered counter plate (28) located inside the hollow housing of the dual-function member, the tapered counter plate (28) includes a plurality of nuts, the nuts (33) are aligned with the bores (31) of the protruding part (40);
a fastening member (8) including screws (24), the fastening member adapted to secure a furniture;
wherein each nut (33) of the tapered counter plate (28) is positioned to securely fasten the fastening member (8), the unitary panel (1), and the dual-function member (10) together.