Aircraft interior lavatory

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016236783-A1
Application number	US-201615141338-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 28, 2016
Priority date	Apr 20, 2010
Publication date	Aug 18, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A lavatory for an aircraft cabin includes a wall having a forward wall portion disposed immediately aft of and substantially conforming to an exterior aft surface of an aircraft cabin structure, such as a passenger seat, that is substantially not flat in a vertical plane. The forward wall portion includes a forward projection over an aft portion of the adjacent passenger seat. The forward wall portion can define a secondary space in the interior lavatory space, which can provide an amenity stowage space, and can include design elements providing visual space.

First claim

1 . (canceled)

2 . An aircraft lavatory for an aircraft, the aircraft lavatory comprising:
an aft partition; and a forward partition, including
a forward-extending upper portion,
an aft-extending mid-portion, and
a forward-extending lower portion, wherein
the forward-extending upper portion, the aft-extending mid-portion, and the forward-extending lower portion combine to define a first aft-extending recess disposed between the forward-extending upper portion and the forward-extending lower portion, wherein the first aft-extending recess is configured to receive an aft-extending seat back of a forward-positioned passenger seat therein, and
the forward partition further defines at least one second aft-extending recess proximate to a lower end of the forward partition, the at least one second aft-extending recess being configured to receive at least a portion of an aft-extending seat support of the forward-positioned passenger seat therein,
wherein the forward partition is configured to accept loads from the aft-extending seat back;

wherein the aft partition and forward partition define a lavatory space disposed therebetween.

3 . The aircraft lavatory of claim 2 , wherein the first aft-extending recess and the at least one second aft-extending recess permit the aft-extending seat support to be positioned further aft in a cabin area of the aircraft when compared with a position of said aft-extending seat support if said forward partition was instead substantially flat.

4 . The aircraft lavatory of claim 2 , wherein the first aft-extending recess substantially conforms to a contour of an aft surface of the aft-extending seat back.

5 . The aircraft lavatory of claim 2 , wherein the forward extending upper portion is adapted to protrude forwardly over a top of the aft-extending seat back.

6 . The aircraft lavatory of claim 2 , wherein the aft-extending seat back is in an upright and not a reclined position.

7 . The aircraft lavatory of claim 2 , wherein the first aft-extending recess extends along substantially a full width of the forward partition.

8 . The aircraft lavatory of claim 2 , wherein the first aft-extending recess and the at least one second aft-extending recess permit the aft-extending seat support to be positioned in a manner that reduces a volume of unusable space in a cabin area of the aircraft by reducing or eliminating gaps that would otherwise exist between a substantially flat forward partition of the aircraft lavatory and the forward-positioned passenger seat.

9 . A method for reducing a volume of unusable space in a cabin area of a passenger aircraft, comprising:
replacing at least a previously-installed forward partition of a pre-existing aircraft lavatory in the cabin area of the passenger aircraft with a contoured forward partition, wherein
an outward facing vertical surface of the previously-installed forward partition is substantially flat, and
the contoured forward partition comprises
at least one first recess configured to receive at least a portion of an upwardly and aftwardly inclined seat back of a passenger seat therein, and
at least one second recess configured to receive at least a portion of an aft-extending seat support of the passenger seat therein; and

installing the passenger seat in front of the contoured forward partition; wherein, upon installation,
the at least one first recess receives at least a portion of the upwardly and aftwardly inclined seat back, and
the second recess receives at least a portion of the aft-extending seat support,
thereby reducing the volume of unusable space in the cabin area by reducing or eliminating gaps that existed between the previously-installed forward wall and the passenger seat.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the contoured forward partition is adapted to receive loads from the passenger seat.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one first recess substantially conforms to a contour of an aft surface of the upwardly and aftwardly inclined seat back.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the contoured forward partition further comprises an upper projection that, upon installation, protrudes forward over a top of the upwardly and aftwardly inclined seat back.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the upper projection is configured to abut an upper surface of the cabin area.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the upper projection defines an interior storage space in the aircraft lavatory.

15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the upwardly and aftwardly inclined seat back is in an upright and not a reclined position.

16 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one first recess extends along substantially a full width of the contoured forward partition.

17 . The method of claim 9 , wherein replacing the previously-installed forward partition with the contoured forward partition permits the aft-extending seat support to be positioned farther aft in the cabin area than was possible when the previously-installed forward partition was installed in the cabin area.

18 . The method of claim 9 , wherein a combined weight of the contoured forward partition and passenger seat is reduced in comparison to a combined weight of the previously installed forward partition and the passenger seat.

Assignees

• Be Aerospace Inc

Inventors

• Cook Donald F
• Harrington Liberty
• Steiner Philipp
• Brauer Robert K
• Skelly Trevor

Classifications

• B64C1/10

  Bulkheads · CPC title

• B64D11/02 Primary

  Toilet fittings · CPC title

• B64D11/06

  Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats (crew seat constructions for emergency purposes B64D25/04) · CPC title

• B64F5/00

  Designing, manufacturing, assembling, cleaning, maintaining or repairing aircraft, not otherwise provided for; Handling, transporting, testing or inspecting aircraft components, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64D11/064

  Adjustable inclination or position of seats · CPC title