Aircraft lavatory trash compactor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12330866-B2
Application number	US-202418673184-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2024
Priority date	Apr 28, 2022
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

An aircraft lavatory trash compactor includes a water source, a valve actuator connected to the water source, a trash can disposed below the valve actuator, and a controller configured to activate the valve actuator to spray water into the trash can. A processor can receive a signal indicating a level of trash in a trash can. The processor can determine the level of trash in the trash can in response to receiving the signal. The processor can determine that the level of trash is above a threshold. The processor can activate a water valve in response to the determination that the level of trash is above the threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling an aircraft lavatory compactor, comprising:
receiving, by a processor, a signal indicating a level of trash in a trash can;
determining, by the processor, the level of trash in the trash can in response to receiving the signal;
determining, by the processor, that the level of trash is above a threshold;
activating, by the processor, a water valve in response to the determination that the level of trash is above the threshold;
determining, by the processor, that an aircraft lavatory is unoccupied before activating the water valve to spray water into the trash can; and
determining, by the processor, that the aircraft lavatory is occupied before deactivating the water valve.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
updating, by the processor, a sign based on the determined level of trash in the trash can.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying, by the processor, a source of water to use from multiple sources of water; and
selecting, by the processor, the identified source of water before activating the water valve.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the multiple sources of water include a fresh water source and a used water source.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
polling, by the processor, a sensor coupled to the trash can before determining the level of trash, the sensor configured to provide the level of trash in the trash can.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the processor, a second level of trash in the trash can;
determining, by the processor, that the second level of trash exceeds a second threshold, the second threshold being greater than the threshold; and
activating, by the processor, the water valve in response to the determination that the second level of trash is above the second threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying, by the processor, a presence of the trash can before determining the level of trash in the trash can.

Assignees

• Be Aerospace Inc

Inventors

• Dhanapal Manikandan

Classifications

• B64D11/02 Primary

  Toilet fittings · CPC title

• B64D11/00

  Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B30B12/00

  Presses not provided for in groups B30B1/00 - B30B11/00 · CPC title

• B65F2210/184

  Weighing means · CPC title

• B65F2210/168

  Sensing means · CPC title