Systems and methods for automatically cleaning a lavatory floor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10407887-B2
Application number	US-201615176323-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2016
Priority date	Mar 31, 2016
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

A self-cleaning floor assembly is configured to form or be positioned on a floor of an enclosed space. The self-cleaning floor assembly includes a moveable floor including a moveable floor panel, an actuation system that is operatively coupled to the floor panel, and a cleaning system proximate to at least a portion of the moveable floor. The actuation system is configured to move at least a portion of the floor panel into and through the cleaning system during a cleaning cycle. The cleaning system is configured to clean the portion(s) of the floor panel during the cleaning cycle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A self-cleaning floor assembly that is configured to form or be positioned on a floor of an enclosed space, the self-cleaning floor assembly comprising:
a moveable floor including a moveable floor panel;
an actuation system that is operatively coupled to the floor panel; and
a cleaning system proximate to at least a portion of the moveable floor, wherein the actuation system is configured to move at least a portion of the floor panel into and through the cleaning system during a cleaning cycle, and wherein the cleaning system is configured to clean the at least a portion of the floor panel during the cleaning cycle,
wherein the cleaning system comprises a vacuum that is configured to remove debris from the at least a portion of the floor panel,
wherein the vacuum comprises one or more inlets that are in fluid communication with a vacuum generator of a vacuum system that is connected to a toilet through one or more conduits.

2. The self-cleaning floor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the moveable floor further comprises:
at least one conveyor moveably coupled to the floor panel; and
a support that is configured to support the floor panel.

3. The self-cleaning floor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuation system comprises:
an actuator; and
at least one link that operatively couples the actuator to the moveable floor.

4. The self-cleaning floor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning system comprises a cleaner that is configured to clean the at least a portion of the floor panel during the cleaning cycle.

5. The self-cleaning floor assembly of claim 4 , wherein the cleaner comprises at least one nozzle in fluid communication with a storage tank that contains cleaning fluid, wherein the cleaning fluid is deposited onto the at least a portion of the floor panel through the at least one nozzle during the cleaning cycle.

6. The self-cleaning floor assembly of claim 4 , wherein the cleaner comprises at least one ultraviolet (UV) light that is configured to irradiate the at least a portion of the floor panel during the cleaning cycle.

7. The self-cleaning floor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning system comprises a dryer that is configured to dry the at least a portion of the floor panel during the cleaning cycle.

8. The self-cleaning floor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuation system and the cleaning system are deactivated when the enclosed space is occupied by an individual.

9. The self-cleaning floor assembly of claim 1 , wherein a width of the floor panel is the same as the width of a threshold of the enclosed space.

10. The self-cleaning floor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a control unit that is in communication with the actuation system and the cleaning system, wherein the control unit is configured to operate the actuation system and the cleaning system during the cleaning cycle.

11. The self-cleaning floor assembly of claim 10 , wherein the control unit is configured to deactivate the actuation system and the cleaning system when the enclosed space is occupied by an individual.

12. The self-cleaning floor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum is activated when the toilet is flushed.

13. A method of automatically cleaning a moveable floor within an enclosed space, the method comprising:
operatively coupling an actuation system of a self-cleaning floor assembly to a floor panel of a moveable floor of the self-cleaning floor assembly;
moving, by the actuation system, at least a portion of the floor panel into and through a cleaning system of the self-cleaning floor assembly that is proximate to the at least a portion of the floor panel of the moveable floor during a cleaning cycle; and
cleaning, by the cleaning system, the at least a portion of the floor panel during the cleaning cycle, wherein the cleaning comprises vacuuming debris from the at least a portion of the floor panel, wherein the vacuuming debris comprises coupling one or more inlets with a vacuum generator of a vacuum system that is connected to a toilet through one or more conduits.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the operatively coupling comprises operatively coupling an actuator of the actuation system to the moveable floor with at least one link.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the cleaning comprises depositing cleaning fluid onto the at least a portion of the floor panel.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the cleaning comprises irradiating the at least a portion of the floor panel with ultraviolet (UV) light.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the cleaning comprises drying the at least a portion of the floor panel.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising deactivating the cleaning cycle when the enclosed space is occupied by an individual.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the vacuuming further comprises activating the vacuuming when the toilet is flushed.

20. An aircraft comprising:
a fuselage having an internal cabin, wherein a lavatory is located within the internal cabin;
wings outwardly extending from the fuselage;
an empennage outwardly extending from the fuselage;
one or more engines carried by one or more of the wings and the empennage; and
a self-cleaning floor assembly that forms or is positioned on a floor of the lavatory having a toilet, wherein the self-cleaning floor assembly comprises:
a moveable floor including a moveable floor panel;
an actuation system that is operatively coupled to the floor panel; and
a cleaning system proximate to at least a portion of the moveable floor, wherein the actuation system is configured to move at least a portion of the floor panel into and through the cleaning system during a cleaning cycle, and wherein the cleaning system is configured to clean the at least a portion of the floor panel during the cleaning cycle, wherein the cleaning system comprises a vacuum that is configured to remove debris from the at least a portion of the floor panel,
wherein the vacuum comprises one or more inlets that are in fluid communication with a vacuum generator of a vacuum system that is connected to the toilet through one or more conduits,
wherein the vacuum is activated when the toilet is flushed.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Jensen Charles C

Classifications

• B64C1/18 Primary

  Floors · CPC title

• B64F5/30

  Cleaning aircraft · CPC title

• B64D11/02 Primary

  Toilet fittings · CPC title

• E03D9/002 Primary

  Automatic cleaning devices · CPC title

• E03D9/00

  Sanitary or other accessories for lavatories (hand tools for cleaning the toilet bowl A47K11/10; seats or covers for closets A47K13/00; body supports, other than seats for closets A47K17/02; devices for preventing contamination of drinking-water pipes E03C1/10 ){; Devices for cleaning or disinfecting the toilet room or the toilet bowl; Devices for eliminating smells (cleaning, disinfecting or deodorising the seat A47K13/30)} · CPC title