FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improvement to a class divider arrangement. More particularly but not exclusively it relates to an improvement to a class divider arrangement for dividing seat class areas on a passenger vehicle such as an aircraft.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Class divider arrangements are well known on aircraft. They are used to divide seating areas in various classes, such as economy class, business class, first class, etc.

Class divider arrangements define a wall between the seating areas, in order to provide privacy to those seating areas towards the front of the aircraft. Such class divider arrangements are typically accompanied by a curtaining arrangement that extends between outboard and inboard class divider arrangements across the aisle of an aircraft. The curtain arrangement allows for provision of a privacy barrier such as a curtain without causing a hindrance to movement between the seating areas.

During times of high activity, or when privacy is not a high priority, the curtain of the curtaining arrangement is drawn to the side of the aisle where it is disposed in a folded up or concertina arrangement.

Some airline companies spend time, money and effort on designing and installing aesthetically pleasing interior cabin designs, hoping that the look and feel of a cabin design will be more attractive to passengers than a competitor's cabin design. For example, one cabin design may attempt to provide a modernistic business feel and aesthetic, or a minimalist look to provide a feeling of space in the cabin.

However, such divider curtaining arrangements that allows a curtain to hang at the side of the aisle may look untidy and can spoil the look and feel of the cabin design, making it look cluttered and messy, and may increase a passenger's feeling of claustrophobia.

In this specification, where reference has been made to external sources of information, including patent specifications and other documents, this is generally for the purpose of providing a context for discussing the features of the present invention. Unless stated otherwise, reference to such sources of information is not to be construed, in any jurisdiction, as an admission that such sources of information are prior art or form part of the common general knowledge in the art. For the purposes of this specification, the term "plastic" shall be construed to mean a general term for a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic polymerization products, and generally consisting of a hydrocarbon-based polymer.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improvement to a divider arrangement that overcomes or at least partially ameliorates some of the abovementioned disadvantages or which at least provides the public with a useful choice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect the present invention may be said to broadly consist in a divider arrangement for a passenger vehicle, said divider arrangement comprising

a wall arrangement suitable for operational disposition adjacent an aisle; wherein said wall arrangement at least partially encloses a cavity adapted and configured for receiving and storing at least part of a cabin divider barrier;

said cavity extending, at least partially, along the height of the wall arrangement. Preferably, the cavity is accessed through one selected from a recess and an aperture.

Preferably, the wall arrangement includes attachment formations for attaching a support rail for supporting the cabin divider barrier to the wall arrangement.

Preferably, the attachment formations are disposed within the cavity.

Preferably, the cavity is located on the wall arrangement for operational location towards or at an aisle.

Preferably, the cavity extends substantially along the full height of the wall arrangement.

Preferably, the wall arrangement comprises a pair of wall members.

Preferably, the pair of wall members are complementarily shaped to nest with each other.

Preferably, the pair of wall members are complementary shaped concave and convex shapes respectively.

Preferably, the wall arrangement further comprises securing formations for securing the curtain within the cavity.

Preferably, the securing formations are one or more selected from

cords,

drawstrings

a pair of engageable snap-fit formations; and at least one pair of material strips having complementary hook and loop formations.

Preferably, the divider arrangement includes a support rail for supporting the cabin divider barrier.

Preferably, the wall members are comprised of plastic.

Preferably, the wall members are integrally formed.

Preferably, the wall arrangement includes one selected from a recess and an aperture for a passenger to extend their legs through or under the wall arrangement.

Preferably, the one selected from a recess or aperture is disposed in an offset position to an outboard side of the wall arrangement.

Preferably, the divider arrangement includes a monitor for the purposes of providing at least in-flight entertainment.

Preferably, the monitor is moveable on a moving mechanism.

Preferably, the monitor is moveable on a moving mechanism between

a stowed position in which the monitor abuts against and/ or is positioned closely adjacent to the wall arrangement, and

an extended position in which the monitor is better placed for viewing by a passenger.

Preferably, the monitor is movable by pivoting and/ or sliding to its extended position.

Preferably, the arrangement includes a tray table arrangement for presenting a utility surface for a passenger.

Preferably, the utility surface is provided for a passenger to the rear of the wall arrangement.

Preferably, the tray table arrangement is movable between

an extended position in which it presents a utility surface for a passenger, and a stowed position in which the tray table arrangement does not extend as much into said passenger's seating area.

Preferably, the cabin divider barrier is flexible.

Preferably, the cabin divider barrier is a curtain.

Preferably, the support rail is a curtain rail.

Preferably, the cavity is adapted and configured for receiving and storing substantially the whole of a cabin divider barrier. In another aspect the present invention may be said to broadly consist in a divider arrangement substantially as described in this specification, with reference to the accompanying figures.

Other aspects of the invention may become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As used herein the term "and/ or" means "and" or "or", or both.

As used herein "(s)" following a noun means the plural and/ or singular forms of the noun.

The term "comprising" as used in this specification and claims means "consisting at least in part of. When interpreting statements in this specification and claims which include that term, the features, prefaced by that term in each statement, all need to be present but other features can also be present. Related terms such as "comprise" and "comprised" are to be interpreted in the same manner.

The entire disclosures of all applications, patents and publications, cited above and below, if any, are hereby incorporated by reference.

To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the drawings in which:

Figure 1: shows a top view of an end of a divider arrangement adjacent an aisle;

Figure 2: shows a front perspective view of a divider arrangement installed in an aircraft cabin with a curtain stowed in its cavity;

Figure 3: shows a front perspective view of a divider arrangement installed in an aircraft cabin with a curtain arranged in a position for increased privacy between seating areas;

Figure 4: shows a top rear perspective view of a divider arrangement installed in an aircraft cabin with a curtain arranged in a position for increased privacy between seating areas; Figure 5: shows a top rear perspective view of a divider arrangement installed in an aircraft cabin with a curtain stowed in its cavity;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the above drawings, in which similar features are generally indicated by similar numerals, a divider arrangement according to a first aspect of the invention is generally indicated by the numeral 100.

In one embodiment now described, there is provided a divider arrangement 100 for a passenger vehicle (not shown). The divider arrangement 100 comprises a wall arrangement 110. It is envisaged that the wall arrangement will be disposed operationally adjacent an aisle 500 in a passenger vehicle such as an aircraft. The wall arrangement 110 partially encloses a cavity 120. The cavity 120 extends substantially along the full height of the wall arrangement 110 on a side of the wall arrangement 110 adjacent the aisle 500 (although this need not necessarily be the case). The cavity 120 is adapted and configured for receiving and storing at least part of a flexible cabin divider barrier such as a curtain 130.

In the embodiment shown, the cavity 120 is formed in the wall arrangement 110 as a recess 140 in the side of the wall arrangement 110 and is accessible by the curtain 130 through this recess 140. However, it is envisaged that the cavity 120 could also be accessible through an aperture (not shown) in the wall arrangement.

In a preferred embodiment, the wall arrangement 110 includes attachment formations 170 for attaching a support rail, such as a curtain rail 150 to the wall arrangement 110. In a preferred embodiment, the attachment formations 170 are disposed within the cavity 120.

The wall arrangement 110 comprises a pair of plastic moulded wall members 112. The pair of wall members 112 are complementarily shaped to nest with each other (although they need not be abutting with each other). In one preferred embodiment, the front and back wall members are concave and convexly shaped when viewed from the front and back respectively, although this could also be oppositely arranged.

The wall arrangement 110 further comprises securing formations 160 for securing the curtain 130 within the cavity 120. It is envisaged that the securing formations could a be a wide variety of configurations and types, including one or more of cords, drawstrings, or a series of pairs of material strips having complementary hook and loop formations, such as Velcro®. It is envisaged that the divider arrangement can include a curtain rail secured or securable to the wall arrangement, and preferably secured or securable within or adjacent to the cavity 120.

In one preferred embodiment, the wall arrangement includes an aperture 180 (that could also be a recess in another embodiment) for a passenger to extend their legs through or under the wall arrangement 110. Further, in another preferred embodiment, the divider arrangement 100 includes at least one monitor 190 facing rearwardly for the purposes of providing at least in-flight entertainment to passengers seated behind the divider arrangement 100 (i.e. towards the rear of the aircraft). In a preferred embodiment, the monitor 190 is moveable on a moving mechanism (not shown) between a stowed position in which the monitor is abutted against or closely adjacent the wall arrangement 110, and an extended position in which the monitor is better placed for viewing by a passenger. Preferably, the monitor is movable by pivoting and/ or sliding to its extended position.

The divider arrangement 100 also includes a tray table arrangement 200 for presenting a horizontal utility surface (not shown) from the rear of the divider arrangement 100 to a passenger seated behind the divider arrangement 100 (i.e. to the rear of the aircraft). It is envisaged that the tray table arrangement 200 will be movable between an extended position in which it presents a utility surface, and a stowed position in which the tray table arrangement 200 does not extend as much into the passengers seating area or space.

Where in the foregoing description reference has been made to elements or integers having known equivalents, then such equivalents are included as if they were individually set forth.

Although the invention has been described by way of example and with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and/ or improvements may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

In addition, where features or aspects of the invention are described in terms of Markush groups, those skilled in the art will recognise that the invention is also thereby described in terms of any individual member or subgroup of members of the Markush group.