Lavatory unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10106259-B2
Application number	US-201514864095-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2015
Priority date	Mar 26, 2013
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

Lavatories on-board a vehicle, and in particular to a lavatory unit for use by persons with reduced mobility on-board a vehicle are described. The lavatory unit includes a lavatory housing structure enclosing a lavatory interior space, a door opening in the lavatory housing structure, a toilet assembly inside the lavatory interior space, and a transition seating support for a user. The transition seating support provides a first transfer position and a second transfer position. In the first transfer position, in an open door state the transition seating support is directly accessible for a person sitting in a wheelchair that is located at least partly outside the lavatory unit such that the person can transfer to the transition seating support and vice versa, and in the second transfer position, a person sitting on the transition seating support can transfer to the toilet assembly and vice versa.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lavatory unit for use by persons with reduced mobility on-board a vehicle, the lavatory unit comprising:
a lavatory housing structure enclosing a lavatory interior space;
a door opening in the lavatory housing structure;
a toilet assembly inside the lavatory interior space; and
a transition seating support for a user;
wherein the transition seating support is configured to provide a first transfer position and a second transfer position;
wherein in the first transfer position, in an open door state the transition seating support is directly accessible for a person sitting in a wheelchair located at least partly outside the lavatory unit such that the person can transfer to the transition seating support and vice versa;
wherein in the second transfer position, a person sitting on the transition seating support can transfer to the toilet assembly and vice versa; and
wherein the door opening is provided in a first lavatory wall and the toilet assembly is arranged inside the lavatory opposite the first wall; and
wherein the transition seating support is arranged on a second lavatory wall that is arranged as a sidewall to the first lavatory wall such that, for a person in a wheelchair located at least partly outside the lavatory unit, a transfer rotation from the wheelchair to the transition seating support and from the transition seating support to the toilet assembly is limited to approximately 90° for each transfer step.

2. The lavatory unit according to claim 1 , wherein in the second transition position, the transition seating support is provided in close vicinity to a sitting support of the toilet assembly such that during a transition, a person is permanently supported in a tilt-free manner.

3. The lavatory unit according to claim 2 , wherein in the second transition position, a distance D 1 of less than approximately 15 cm between the transition seating support and a sitting support of the toilet assembly is provided.

4. The lavatory unit according to claim 1 , wherein the transition seating support is temporarily arrangeable in a moving area of the toilet assembly; and wherein upon transition to the toilet assembly, the transition seating support is removable outside the moving area of the toilet assembly.

5. The lavatory unit according to claim 4 , wherein the transition seating support is a movable seat translatable in a horizontal direction between a position closer to the wheelchair and a position closer to the toilet assembly.

6. The lavatory unit according to claim 1 , further comprises a knee abutment and guiding arrangement opposite the transition seating support; and
wherein the knee abutment and guiding arrangement comprises a concave knee abutment recess.

7. The lavatory unit according to claim 6 , wherein the concave abutment includes a concave shape in a horizontal direction and a concave shape in a vertical direction.

8. The lavatory unit according to claim 6 , wherein the concave abutment recess provides a point of rotation for front tips of a knee of a person transferring from a wheelchair located outside the lavatory unit via the transition seating support to the toilet assembly.

9. The lavatory unit according to claim 1 , wherein the transition seating support is at least arrangeable in the first transfer position and the second transfer position.

10. The lavatory unit according to claim 1 , wherein in the first transfer position, the transition seating support is arranged at least partly outside the lavatory interior space; and
wherein the transition seating support is movable at least between the first transfer position and the second transfer position.

11. The lavatory unit according to claim 1 , wherein the transition seating support is movable at least partly underneath a seating support of an on-board wheelchair for facilitating a transfer from the wheelchair to the transition seating support.

12. The lavatory unit according to claim 1 , wherein the transition seating support is movable at least partly over the toilet assembly.

13. The lavatory unit according to claim 1 , wherein a transition seat extension is provided at least temporarily between the transition seating support and a toilet seat of the toilet assembly.

14. The lavatory unit according to claim 1 , wherein the transition seating support comprises a sitting surface comprising two upper-leg resting segments extending from a bottom resting segment; and
wherein a cut-out is provided between the two upper-leg resting segments for leg positioning of an assisting person.

15. The lavatory unit according to claim 1 , wherein the transition seating support is attached to an inner side of a portion of the lavatory housing structure, on which outer side a further cabin seat is provided; and
wherein the further cabin seat and the transition seating support are provided by a bi-functional seating support.

16. An aircraft, comprising:
a fuselage structure enclosing a cabin space; and
at least one lavatory unit;
wherein the at least one lavatory unit comprises: a lavatory housing structure enclosing a lavatory interior space;
a door opening in the lavatory housing structure;
a toilet assembly inside the lavatory interior space; and
a transition seating support for a user;
wherein the transition seating support is configured to provide a first transfer position and a second transfer position;

wherein in the first transfer position, in an open door state the transition seating support is directly accessible for a person sitting in a wheelchair located at least partly outside the lavatory unit such that the person can transfer to the transition seating support and vice versa;
wherein in the second transfer position, a person sitting on the transition seating support can transfer to the toilet assembly and vice versa; and
wherein the door opening is provided in a first lavatory wall and the toilet assembly is arranged inside the lavatory opposite the first wall; and
wherein the transition seating support is arranged on a second lavatory wall that is arranged as a sidewall to the first lavatory wall such that, for a person in a wheelchair located at least partly outside the lavatory unit, a transfer rotation from the wheelchair to the transition seating support and from the transition seating support to the toilet assembly is limited to approximately 90° for each transfer step.

17. A method for providing a handicapped accessible lavatory unit on-board a vehicle, comprising:
a) providing a lavatory housing structure enclosing a lavatory interior space with a toilet assembly inside, and a door opening in the lavatory housing structure; and
b) providing a transition seating support for a user;
wherein the door opening is provided in a first lavatory wall and the toilet assembly is arranged inside the lavatory opposite the first wall; and
wherein the transition seating support is arranged on a second lavatory wall that is arranged as a sidewall to the first lavatory wall such that, for a person in a wheelchair located at least partly outside the lavatory unit, a transfer rotation from the wheelchair to the transition seating support and from the transition seating support to the toilet assembly is limited to approximately 90° for each transfer step.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Seibt Christian

Classifications

• Y02T50/46

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B64D11/02 Primary

  Toilet fittings · CPC title

• A47K17/02

  Body supports, other than seats, for closets, e.g. handles, back-rests, foot-rests; Accessories for closets, e.g. reading tables · CPC title

• Y02T50/40

  Weight reduction · CPC title