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EP-4438475-B1 - IMPROVED LATCH MECHANISM FOR AN OVERHEAD STOWAGE COMPARTMENT

EP4438475B1EP 4438475 B1EP4438475 B1EP 4438475B1EP-4438475-B1

Inventors

  • Kircher, Benedikt

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230329

Claims (13)

  1. An overhead stowage compartment (100) for an aircraft, comprising: a bottom (111) being a structure arranged at a bottom side of the overhead stowage compartment; a lid (150); and a latch mechanism (140) comprising: a plurality of locking members (155); and a plurality of latches (141), wherein each latch (141) is configured to engage one of the locking members (155), wherein the plurality of latches (141) of the latch mechanism (140) is arranged in and mounted into the bottom (111), and wherein the plurality of locking members (155) is integrated or fastened to the lid (150).
  2. The overhead stowage compartment (100) according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of latches (141) is configured to simultaneously engage or disengage the plurality of locking members (155).
  3. The overhead stowage compartment (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the plurality of locking members (155) has an eye (156) configured to be coupled with one of the plurality of latches (141).
  4. The overhead stowage compartment (100) according to claim 3, further comprising: a latch lever (142) coupled to the plurality of latches (141) and configured to move each of the plurality of latches (141) simultaneously, wherein, preferably, each latch includes a latch bolt (141) configured to engage the eye (156) of the one locking member (155).
  5. The overhead stowage compartment (100) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plurality of latches (141) are driven electromagnetically or are moved electrically, to engage or disengage the respective locking member.
  6. The overhead stowage compartment (100) according to one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: a latch activation (145) configured to engage or disengage the plurality of latches (141) with the plurality of locking members (155).
  7. The overhead stowage compartment (100) according to claim 6, further comprising: a latch button (147) coupled to the latch activation (145), wherein, preferably, the latch button (147) is configured to be mounted into the bottom (111) and/or a bottom cover (171) of the overhead stowage compartment (100).
  8. The overhead stowage compartment (100) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the latch activation (145) comprises an electric motor or a pneumatic motor.
  9. The overhead stowage compartment (100) according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of locking members (155) arranged at a centre of the lid (150) have a respective eye (156-3) of a first cross-sectional area, wherein one or more of the plurality of locking members (155) arranged away from the centre of the lid (150) have a respective eye (156-1, 156-2) of a second cross-sectional area, and wherein the second cross-sectional area is larger than the first cross-sectional area.
  10. The overhead stowage compartment according to one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising: a pair of magnets (149), wherein a first magnet (149a) is mounted to the lid (150) facing the bottom (111) and a second magnet (149b) is mounted to the bottom (111) facing the first magnet (149a) in the lid (150).
  11. The overhead stowage compartment (100) according to one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising: a plurality of hinges (160) configured to couple the at least one lid (150) to the overhead stowage compartment (100); and/or a piano hinge (160) configured to couple the lid (150) to the overhead stowage compartment (100).
  12. The overhead stowage compartment (100) according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of hinges (160) or the piano hinge (160) or the lid (150) comprise one or more openings allowing smoke to escape from a stowage space (105) of the overhead stowage compartment (100).
  13. An aircraft (1) comprising at least one overhead stowage compartment (100) according to one of claims 1 to 12.

Description

The present disclosure generally relates to an improved latch mechanism for an overhead stowage compartment as well as such overhead stowage compartment and an aircraft comprising the same. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a latch mechanism having a plurality of locking members associated with a single lid for an overhead stowage compartment and a plurality of associated latches. The present disclosure further relates to an overhead stowage compartment comprising such latch mechanism and an aircraft comprising such overhead stowage compartment. A conventional overhead stowage compartment is a box-like structure having a lid that can cover and close an opening into a stowage space of the compartment. The lid is usually equipped with a latch for locking the lid, which includes a corresponding handle and movable parts to unlock the latch and lid. For example, the handle can be pulled, in order to release the latch from a bar or hook arranged in the remainder of the overhead stowage compartment. Thereafter, the lid can freely move, to open the opening into the stowage space. Such overhead stowage compartments are complex structures, since the latch and handle have to be installed in a corresponding recess or groove in the lid. Usually, the recess or groove has to be machined into the lid before the latch can be installed. EP 3 929 083 A2 relates to an overhead storage compartment with a lid and an automated latch on the bottom side. Furthermore, US 8,096,152 B2 relates to a toolbox comprising a body, a lid and a lock system. The lock system includes a latching mechanism located along a front wall of the box and including a latch rod and protruding segments extending from the latch rod. The latch rod is supported in the body for sliding lateral movement between a latched and unlatched position, wherein protruding segments are disengaged or engaged, respectively, from flanges extending from the inside of the lid. EP 0 411 305 A1, DE 509 732 C and US 1,438,547 A relate to further locks for a box, suit case and cabinet. It is an object of the present disclosure to provide an improved latch mechanism for an overhead stowage compartment. This object is solved by the present invention as defined in the independent claim. Preferred embodiments are defined by the dependent claims. According to a first aspect to better understand the present disclosure, but not representing the claimed invention, a latch mechanism for a lid of an overhead stowage compartment comprises a plurality of locking members, and a plurality of latches. Each latch is configured to engage one of the locking members. In other words, the plurality of locking members and the plurality of latches can respectively engage to provide a locking mechanism. Furthermore, the plurality of latches is configured to be mounted into a bottom of the overhead stowage compartment, and the plurality of locking members is associated with a single lid of the overhead stowage compartment. Since a plurality of latches and associated plurality of locking members are provided per lid, each pair of latch and locking member can be made smaller and lighter. Specifically, each latch and locking member has to withstand less forces acting thereon compared to a conventional single latch per lid design. This allows reducing the size of each individual latch and locking member, so that it downsizes and simplifies the entire latch mechanism. This also allows designing the lid much simpler, as it only requires the plurality of locking members, which can be implemented without moving parts. Since the lid does not need to accommodate any moving parts, the lid itself can be made thinner and, hence, lighter. Moreover, in case of customising an aircraft, such simpler lid can be replaced by a customised lid without considering any latch to be installed in the lid. Furthermore, conventional lids are typically constructed from honeycomb or other thick materials to accommodate and securely hold the latch and moving parts and to withstand forces acting on the entire area of the lid, which are held only by a single latch (transferring the area load to a single point of attachment). Such materials are heavy, which results in more fuel consumption of a vehicle (e.g., an aircraft) equipped with such overhead stowage compartment. The design of the latch mechanism of the present disclosure allows a simple design of the lid, which includes thinner materials, such as thermoplastic materials, or even thin and flexible materials, such as fabrics, foils, nets, tension cords or the like and combinations thereof. This may even allow providing a lid of a frameless design, where the sole rigid part is at a bottom area of the lid. For example, a simple rail equipped with the locking members may be arranged in the bottom area of the lid. Such rail may be made of a rigid plastic material or metal, such as aluminium. The remainder of the lid can then be made of the flexible material. Thus, the lid