Lavatory with expandable door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12065245-B2
Application number	US-202117645125-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2021
Priority date	Jan 5, 2021
Publication date	Aug 20, 2024
Grant date	Aug 20, 2024

Abstract

A lavatory is provided which includes a plurality of walls including a first wall having a doorway, and an expandable door. The expandable door includes a main panel having dimensions that conform to the doorway and a main hinge connecting the main panel to the first wall. The lavatory further includes a latch. The main panel is configured to, in a deployed state, increase in at least one dimension to form a privacy barrier around an expansion zone located outside of the plurality of walls. The latch is configured to lock the expandable door in place in the deployed state.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lavatory comprising:
a plurality of walls including a first wall having a doorway;
an expandable door including:
a main panel having dimensions that conform to the doorway and is configured to cover the doorway in a closed state; and
a main hinge connecting the main panel to the first wall; and

a latch, wherein
the expandable door is configured to, in a deployed state, increase in at least one dimension from the main panel dimensions in the closed state to form a privacy barrier around an expansion zone located outside of the plurality of walls, and
the latch is configured to lock the expandable door in place in the deployed state.

2. The lavatory of claim 1 , wherein
the main panel includes:
an outer panel having a hollow space inside; and
a pocket extension configured to slide out from the hollow space at a side opposite of the main hinge, the pocket extension including a pair of foldable pocket panels joined by a pocket hinge; and
a joint that allows the pocket extension to slide within the hollow space and connects to a first pocket panel of the pair of foldable pocket panels to the outer panel in the deployed state,

the pair of foldable pocket panels are configured to be stored inside of the outer panel in a folded state, and after sliding out from the hollow space, unfold at the pocket hinge to transition to the deployed state of the expandable door, and
the latch connects a second pocket panel of the pair of foldable pocket panels to the first wall.

3. The lavatory of claim 1 , further comprising a bifold door connected to the first wall at one side of the doorway, wherein
the bifold door includes a pair of extendable panels each having an inner panel configured to be stowed inside of an outer panel,
a first extendable panel of the pair of extendable panels is connected to the first wall, and
a second extendable panel of the pair of extendable panels is connected to the first extendable panel at one side thereof, and is configured to connect to an open end of the main panel at an opposite side thereof via the latch to thereby add the bifold door to the expandable door.

4. The lavatory of claim 1 , wherein
the main panel forms a trifold door together with a first trifold panel and a second trifold panel, the main panel being connected to the first trifold panel via a first hinge at a side of the main panel opposite of the main hinge, and the first trifold panel being connected to the second trifold panel via a second hinge at a side of the first trifold panel opposite of the first hinge,
in a stowed state, the second trifold panel is sandwiched between the main panel and the first trifold panel, and
when transitioning to the deployed state, the trifold door is configured to unfold and the second trifold panel is configured to connect to the first wall at a side of the second trifold panel opposite of the second hinge, via the latch.

5. The lavatory of claim 1 , wherein
the main panel is a first bifold door comprising a first bifold panel connected to the first wall via the main hinge and a second bifold panel connected to the first bifold panel via a first bifold hinge,
the lavatory further comprises a second bifold door comprising a third bifold panel connected to the first wall at an opposite side of the doorway, and a fourth bifold panel connected to the third bifold panel via a second bifold hinge, and
the latch connects the second bifold panel of the first bifold door to the fourth bifold panel of the second bifold door.

6. The lavatory of claim 1 , wherein
the main panel includes:
an outer panel having a hollow space inside, the outer panel being configured to split apart into a first half and a second half arranged side by side; and
a pocket extension configured to slide out from the hollow space when the first and second halves of the outer panel are separated from one another,

once the pocket extension slides out from the hollow space, the pocket extension is rotatably coupled to the first and second halves of the outer panel,
the first half of the outer panel is connected to the first wall at one side of the doorway via the main hinge, and
the second half of the outer panel is configured to latch to the first wall at an opposite side of the doorway.

7. The lavatory of claim 1 , wherein
the lavatory further comprises a privacy curtain,
the main panel is a bifold door comprising a first bifold panel connected to the first wall via the main hinge and a second bifold panel connected to the first bifold panel via a first bifold hinge,
in the deployed state, the bifold door is opened such that the second bifold panel is separated from the first wall by an opening, and the privacy curtain covers the opening.

8. The lavatory of claim 1 , wherein
the main panel is rigid, and
the expandable door further includes at least one additional rigid panel.

9. The lavatory of claim 1 , wherein
the main panel is rigid, and
the lavatory further includes at least one flexible panel.

10. The lavatory of claim 1 , wherein the doorway extends to a top edge of the first wall.

11. The lavatory of claim 1 , wherein the first wall includes a latchable panel adjacent to a sink of the lavatory, the latchable panel configured to open outward from the lavatory in an unlatched state.

12. The lavatory of claim 1 , wherein the expansion zone is sized to accommodate a wheelchair.

13. The lavatory of claim 1 , wherein as viewed from above, the expansion zone has an area of about 10% to about 40% of a lavatory area bounded by the plurality of walls.

14. The lavatory of claim 1 , wherein the lavatory is an aircraft lavatory.

15. The lavatory of claim 1 , wherein in the closed state, the latch is further configured to lock the expandable door in place with the main panel covering the doorway and the privacy barrier around the expansion zone is not formed.

16. The lavatory of claim 1 , wherein
the latch is an auxiliary latch and the lavatory further comprises a main latch, and
in the closed state, the main latch is configured to lock the expandable door in place with the main panel covering the doorway and the privacy barrier around the expansion zone is not formed.

17. A method of manufacturing a lavatory, the method comprising:
providing a lavatory enclosure having a first volume;
attaching an expandable door configured to convert between the following latched states:
a first latched state in which the expandable door is arranged to close a doorway of the lavatory enclosure; and
a second latched state in which the expandable door is manipulated to enclose an expansion zone in an aisle outside of the lavatory enclosure having a second volume contiguous with the first volume.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the expandable door includes a plurality of rigid panels, at least one rigid panel of which is attached to the lavatory enclosure via a hinge.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein as viewed from above, an area of the second volume is about 10% to about 40% of an area of the first volume.

20. An expandable door for retrofitting to an aircraft lavatory, the expandable door comprising:
a main panel;
a main hinge connecting the main panel to a wall of a plurality of walls of the aircraft lavatory; and
a latch, wherein
the expandable door is configured to, in a deployed state, increase in at least one dimension to form a privacy barrier around an expansion zone located outside of the plurality of walls,
the latch is configured to loc

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Eisele Gregory T
• Fullerton James A

Classifications

• B64D11/02 Primary

  Toilet fittings · CPC title

• E06B3/921

  with several parts mounted telescopically inside each other · CPC title

• E04H1/1266

  Cubicles for dressing; Toilets · CPC title

• A47K3/30

  Screens or {collapsible} cabinets {for showers or baths (A47K3/283 takes precedence)} · CPC title