Dual configuration lavatory with assist space

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11542007-B2
Application number	US-201816216245-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2018
Priority date	Dec 21, 2017
Publication date	Jan 3, 2023
Grant date	Jan 3, 2023

Abstract

In one embodiment, a dual configuration aircraft lavatory includes a plurality of walls enclosing and defining a lavatory interior space, wherein one of the walls is coextensive with a portion of the cabin. Within the lavatory interior space are a toilet, a washing station and a waste receptacle movable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the waste receptacle is attached to a wall of the lavatory between the washing station and a door wall. In the second position, the waste receptacle occupies a second predetermined volume of space in the aircraft cabin separated from a first predetermined volume of space occupied by the waste receptacle in the first position. Moving the waste receptacle from the first position to the second position reveals additional space within the lavatory sufficient so that two adult humans simultaneously fit within the lavatory interior space.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft including a dual configuration aircraft lavatory for single person use or assisted person use comprising:
an aircraft body containing an aircraft cabin, the aircraft cabin having a longitudinal length between a front of the cabin and a rear of the cabin, and the aircraft cabin having a lateral width between opposite first and second interior sidewalls extending upwardly and curving laterally toward each other to a roof of the aircraft cabin;
a floor surface in the aircraft cabin; and
a lavatory structure in the aircraft cabin, the lavatory structure being positioned in an area between the floor surface and the first interior sidewall and comprising:
a plurality of walls enclosing and defining a lavatory interior space, wherein a first wall of the plurality of walls is coextensive with a portion of the first interior sidewall;
a door for accessing the lavatory structure, the door being disposed on a second wall of the plurality of walls, the second wall being opposite the first wall;
a toilet inside the lavatory interior space, the toilet positioned against the first wall;
a washing station inside the lavatory interior space; and
a waste receptacle movable between a first position and a second position,
wherein the waste receptacle is in the first position when laterally adjacent to the washing station and releasably attached to an external surface of the washing station, one or more of the plurality of walls, or both, and
wherein the waste receptacle is in the second position when it occupies a second predetermined volume of space in the aircraft cabin separated from a first predetermined volume of space occupied by the waste receptacle in the first position,

wherein the lavatory interior space includes a first occupiable floor area when the waste receptacle is in the first position, the first occupiable floor area allowing for an adult human to stand directly in front of the toilet, washing station and waste receptacle,
wherein when the waste receptacle is in the first position, the lavatory structure includes an unobstructed access volume defined by an unobstructed height, an unobstructed width and an unobstructed length, the unobstructed height extending between a floor within the lavatory structure and a ceiling within the lavatory structure, the unobstructed width encompassing a maximum width of the door when the door is in a closed position, and the unobstructed length extending from the door to the toilet, and
wherein moving the waste receptacle from the first position to the second position reveals the first predetermined volume of space within the lavatory structure so that the first occupiable floor area is increased to a second occupiable floor area such that two adult humans simultaneously fit within the lavatory interior space.

2. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein an additional space created when the waste receptacle is in the second position is located in between the washing station and the second wall, and one of the two adult humans occupies the additional space when two adult humans are inside the lavatory structure.

3. The aircraft of claim 2 , wherein the washing station includes a sink positioned within the lavatory interior space such that the sink is reachable by a hand of an adult human while the adult human is disposed on the toilet or while the adult human is seated in an aisle wheelchair on a floor area adjacent the toilet within the lavatory structure.

4. The aircraft of claim 3 , wherein the sink has a long dimension oriented at an angle between 40 and 50 degrees relative to a rear wall of the plurality of walls that faces the rear of the cabin, the washing station positioned against the rear wall.

5. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of walls include a first lateral sidewall extending between the first wall and the second wall and a second lateral sidewall extending between the first wall and the second wall, a maximum width of the lavatory being a distance between the first lateral sidewall and the second lateral sidewall, and the second occupiable floor area including an unobstructed subarea having a width between the first and second lateral sidewalls at their maximum distance and a length of 300 mm measured from the second wall toward the first wall.

6. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the waste receptacle is in the second position when attached at a securement interface in a cabin galley.

7. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the lavatory structure includes a guide structure and the waste receptacle is slidable along the guide structure so that the waste receptacle is removable from the first position.

8. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the lavatory interior space has a first unobstructed volume when the waste receptacle is in the first position and a second unobstructed volume larger than the first unobstructed volume when the waste receptacle is in the second position, the second unobstructed volume being at least 4% greater than the first unobstructed volume and revealing a subvolume across a maximum width of the lavatory and at least 300 mm in length from the second wall toward the first wall, the width being measured orthogonally relative to a direction between the first and second walls.

9. The aircraft of claim 1 , further comprising a stowage space below the lavatory interior space, the stowage space having a volume sufficient so that the waste receptacle is disposable therein and the waste receptacle being in the second position when positioned in the stowage space.

10. The aircraft of claim 9 , wherein the lavatory structure further comprises a floor area that includes a stowage door providing access to the stowage space when opened, the stowage door located and openable so that the waste receptacle is slidable between the first position and the second position.

11. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the waste receptacle is in the second position when positioned entirely above the first predetermined volume of space.

12. An aircraft including a dual configuration aircraft lavatory for single person use or assisted person use comprising:
an aircraft body containing an aircraft cabin, the aircraft cabin having a longitudinal length between a front of the cabin and a rear of the cabin, and the aircraft cabin having a lateral width between opposite first and second interior sidewalls extending upwardly and curving laterally toward each other to a roof of the aircraft cabin;
a floor surface in the aircraft cabin; and
a lavatory structure in the aircraft cabin, the lavatory structure being positioned in an area between the floor surface and the first interior sidewall and comprising:
a plurality of walls including a first lateral wall, a second lateral wall, an outer wall, and an inner wall enclosing and defining a lavatory interior space, wherein the outer wall is coextensive with a portion of the first interior sidewall and the inner wall is parallel to an aisle adjacent to the lavatory structure,
a door for accessing the lavatory structure, the door being disposed on the inner wall;
a toilet inside the lavatory interior space and positioned adjacent to the first lateral wall and the outer wall; and
a washing station inside the lavatory interior space and positioned adjacent to the second lateral wall and the outer wall,
wherein the washing station includes a sink having a long dimension non-parallel to a length of the second lateral wall so that the sink is accessible by an adult human either disposed on the toilet or an adult human disposed in an aisle wheelchair in a space adjacent to the toilet;

a waste receptacle movable between a first position and a second positi

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Waldheuer René
• Heidtmann Andreas

Classifications

• B64D11/02 Primary

  Toilet fittings · CPC title