Arrangement for laying cables in the floor area of a passenger transport aircraft
View Patent ↗A conduit system for laying cables along the floor of a passenger cabin of an aircraft includes longitudinal and transverse cable guide elements respectively forming cable channels, and cable branch junctions at intersections of the longitudinal and transverse guide elements. Each guide element includes a lower part secured to the cabin floor, and an upper part secured (e.g. snap fitted) onto the lower part to cover the cable channel. The cable branch junction includes a lower section secured to the floor and covered by an upper section, and allows the cables to continue straight through the junction or to be deflected by 90° or by 180°. With this arrangement, a greater number and greater diameter of cables can be laid out with a minimal installation effort. The components of the system are easily adaptable to any required installation layout, while providing a continuous covered protected enclosure for the cables.
1. In a passenger transport aircraft having a passenger cabin therein bounded from below by a cabin floor, a cable channel arrangement arranged adjacent to said cabin floor in said passenger cabin, and power and/or data conductor cables received in said cable channel arrangement,
an improvement wherein said cable channel arrangement comprises:
a longitudinal guide element extending longitudinally in said cabin and forming a longitudinal cable channel with at least a respective one of said cables received therein;
a transverse guide element extending transversely in said cabin and forming a transverse cable channel with at least a respective one of said cables received therein; and
a cable branch junction that is joined to and interconnects said longitudinal guide element and said transverse guide element, and that forms a cable passage therein including a longitudinal cable receiving area communicating into said longitudinal cable channel and a transverse cable receiving area communicating into said transverse cable channel, with said at least one respective cable passing through said passage;
wherein each respective one of said guide elements respectively comprises a lower part secured to said cabin floor and an upper part arranged on said lower part to cover said cable channel of said respective guide element.
2. The improvement in the passenger transport aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein said longitudinal guide element and said transverse guide element extend perpendicular to each other, and said cable branch junction forms an intersection therebetween.
3. The improvement in the passenger transport aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein said lower part of each said guide element is arranged on top of said cabin floor and is secured thereto.
4. The improvement in the passenger transport aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein said upper part and said lower part of each said guide element are separate individual components relative to each other, and said upper part is removably secured onto said lower part.
5. The improvement in the passenger transport aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein said upper part and said lower part of each said guide element respectively comprise mating snap-fit fasteners that snap-engage each other so as to removably secure said upper part onto said lower part.
6. The improvement in the passenger transport aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein:
said lower part of said longitudinal guide element comprises a base, a central web extending upwardly from said base, and two side webs respectively extending from said base parallel to each other on opposite sides of and spaced apart from said central web, forming respective ones of said longitudinal cable channel between said side webs and said central web respectively on each side of said central web; and
said upper part of said longitudinal guide element comprises a downwardly facing catch element that matingly corresponds with said central web of said lower part, and two lateral cover strips that protrude laterally on opposite sides of said catch element so as to cover said longitudinal cover channels and that include elastically flexible free edge rims protruding laterally beyond said side webs of said lower part.
7. The improvement in the passenger transport aircraft according to claim 6 , wherein the aircraft further has a seat mounting rail set into or arranged on said cabin floor and a floor covering arranged on said cabin floor, wherein said longitudinal guide element extends along and adjacent to said seat mounting rail with a first one of said cover strips oriented toward said seat mounting rail and a second one of said cover strips oriented toward said floor covering with an edge of said floor covering received between said cabin floor and said free edge rim of said second one of said cover strips.
8. The improvement in the passenger transport aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the aircraft includes side wall trim paneling and a side trim base angle that forms a transition and joint between said cabin floor and said side wall trim paneling, and wherein said longitudinal guide element extends along said side trim base angle and bridges and covers a joint gap between said cabin floor and said side trim base angle.
9. The improvement in the passenger transport aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the aircraft further includes a seat mounting rail set into or arranged on said cabin floor, and further comprising a seat rail cover that comprises a central member with catch elements that engage into said seat mounting rail to hold said seat rail cover thereon, and two lateral cover strips that protrude laterally in opposite directions from said central member and that respectively have elastically flexible free edge rims protruding away from said seat mounting rail and toward said cabin floor.
10. The improvement in the passenger transport aircraft according to claim 9 , wherein each said free edge rim of said seat rail cover and an upper surface of said upper part of said longitudinal guide element are respectively configured to join and flushly complement each other.
11. The improvement in the passenger transport aircraft according to claim 9 , wherein said longitudinal guide element extends along and next to said seat mounting rail, and one of said lateral cover strips of said seat rail cover extends over and at least partially covers said longitudinal guide element with said free edge rim of said one of said lateral cover strips partially overlapping said upper part of said longitudinal guide element and seated flushly into a recessed step provided in an upper surface of said upper part.
12. The improvement in the passenger transport aircraft according to claim 9 , wherein the aircraft further includes at least one of a cable guide channel extending along next to said seat mounting rail and a floor covering provided on said cabin floor with a floor covering edge of said floor covering extending along said seat mounting rail, and wherein one of said lateral cover strips of said seat rail cover extends over and at least partially covers at least one of said cable guide channel and said floor covering edge with said free edge rim of said one of said lateral cover strips extending over and pressing against said floor covering edge.
13. The improvement in the passenger transport aircraft according to claim 9 , wherein at least said elastically flexible free edge rims of said seat rail cover and said upper part of said longitudinal guide element are each made of a respective plastic.
14. The improvement in the passenger transport aircraft according to claim 1 , further comprising an end cap that is engaged into an open end of said longitudinal cable channel at an end of said longitudinal guide element so as to close said open end and cover said end.
15. The improvement in the passenger transport aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein said lower part of said transverse guide element comprises a base plate interconnecting two tapering ramp members with said transverse cable channel therebetween, and said upper part of said transverse guide element comprises a cover plate that covers said transverse cable channel between said two tapering ramp members.
16. The improvement in the passenger transport aircraft according to claim 1 , further comprising friction-fit or form-locking connectors provided at an end of said transverse guide element.
17. The improvement in the passenger transport aircraft according to claim 16 , wherein said cable branch junction comprises a lower section forming said cable passage receiving said cable therein, and an upper section that covers at least a portion of said lower section, and wherein connector elements are provided on said transverse cable receiving area of said lower section and are engagingly connected with said connectors provided on said transverse guide element.
18. The improvement in the passenger transport aircraft according to claim 17 , wherein said aircraft further includes a floor covering arranged on said cabin floor, and wherein said transverse guide element and said transverse cable receiving area of said lower section of said cable branch junction are arranged under and covered by said floor covering.
19. The improvement in the passenger transport aircraft according to claim 17 , wherein said lower section includes a stiffened area and mounting elements in said longitudinal cable receiving area, said upper section covers only said longitudinal cable receiving area and not said transverse cable receiving area, and said upper section includes catch elements that engage said stiffened area and said mounting elements.