Vehicle lavatory

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9598174-B2
Application number	US-201314402025-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2013
Priority date	May 18, 2012
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle lavatory, in particular an aircraft lavatory, is described. The lavatory includes a cabin space with a centrally located vertical axis around which a washstand and a urinal unit are located. The washstand and urinal unit are arranged to each have an approximately horizontal surface at their top, such that a person using the lavatory has a location to place personal items during use. The horizontal surfaces of the washstand and the urinal are arranged to exist in the same plane and may be a continuous surface that may additionally cross the entirety of the width of the cabin. The urinal is arranged such that a plane defining the opening of the urinal is at an angle relative to a plane defining a front surface of the washstand such that a person using the lavatory only has to turn slightly to access the urinal and the washstand.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft lavatory comprising:
a cabin having a circumferential wall surrounding a cabin interior space and defining a central vertical axis extending through said cabin interior space, wherein said circumferential wall includes an entrance wall section and a sanitary wall section spaced from said entrance wall section;
a washstand unit extending from said sanitary wall section into said cabin interior space, wherein said washstand unit comprises a washstand top plate extending perpendicularly to the central vertical axis to create a surface configured to support at least personal items placed thereon, wherein said washstand unit further comprises a washbasin arranged in said washstand top plate, wherein said washstand unit comprises a front edge facing said cabin interior space and a rear edge opposite said front edge; and
a urinal unit extending from said sanitary wall section into said cabin interior space, wherein said urinal unit comprises a urinal having a urinal opening and a urinal top surface, wherein said urinal unit comprises a rear edge opposite said urinal,
wherein said urinal opening faces said central vertical axis and defines a urinal opening plane, the urinal top surface is perpendicular to said central vertical axis and extends in a common plane with said washstand top plate, and an upper end of the urinal opening below the urinal top surface,
wherein the entire rear edge of said washstand unit extends along the sanitary wall section, and wherein the entire rear edge of said urinal unit extends along the sanitary wall section, and
wherein said washstand unit and said urinal unit are formed and arranged such that each can be removed independently from said sanitary wall section.

2. The lavatory according to claim 1 , wherein said urinal opening plane is inclined with respect to the urinal top surface.

3. The lavatory according to claim 1 , wherein said washstand top plate has a washstand front edge opposite to said sanitary wall section, and wherein said urinal opening plane is arranged in such a manner that a horizontal line which is perpendicular to said central vertical axis and extends in said urinal opening plane, is arranged at an angle relative to said washstand front edge.

4. The lavatory according to claim 1 , wherein the urinal top surface and said washstand top plate form a continuous surface.

5. The lavatory according to claim 3 , wherein the urinal opening is arranged such that a vertical tangent plane to the lower end of the urinal opening intersects said washstand front edge at the center of the washbasin or at a location on the washstand front edge that is farther from the urinal unit than the center of the washbasin.

6. The lavatory according to claim 1 , wherein said entrance wall section extends opposite to said sanitary wall section.

7. The lavatory according to claim 1 , wherein said entrance wall section extends perpendicularly to said sanitary wall section.

8. The lavatory according to claim 1 , wherein said urinal unit further comprises a dispenser device accommodated in the space between an upper urinal panel extending upwards from the urinal top surface and the sanitary wall section.

9. The lavatory according to claim 1 , wherein the washstand unit comprises an upper washstand panel extending upwards from said washstand top plate between said washbasin and said sanitary wall section and that the distance between an upper urinal panel and the sanitary wall section is larger than the distance between the upper washstand panel and the sanitary wall section, said distances being measured in the plane of said urinal top surface and said washstand top plate.

10. The lavatory according to claim 3 , wherein the urinal opening plane is arranged in such a manner that the horizontal line which is perpendicular to the central vertical axis and extends in the urinal opening plane, is angled relative to said washstand front edge by an angle in a range of 30° to 65°.

11. The lavatory according to claim 1 , wherein a table member is pivotally mounted to a side wall section extending from said sanitary wall section, such that said table member is pivotal between a use position, wherein it extends parallel to and supported by said urinal top surface and wherein it covers the urinal opening, and a store position, wherein it extends parallel to said side wall section.

12. The lavatory according to claim 1 , wherein a lid element is pivotally mounted to the urinal by means of a hinge element, wherein the lid element and the hinge element are formed and arranged in such a way that the lid element is pivotal between a closed position in which it entirely covers the urinal opening, and an opened position in which the urinal opening is entirely uncovered.

13. The lavatory according to claim 12 , wherein the hinge element is mounted to the urinal on that side of the urinal opening that is closest to the washstand unit.

14. An aircraft lavatory comprising:
a cabin within a fuselage of an aircraft and including a circumferential wall surrounding a cabin interior space and defining a central vertical axis extending through said cabin interior space, wherein the circumferential wall includes an entrance wall section and a sanitary wall section spaced from the entrance wall section;
a washstand unit extending from the sanitary wall section into the cabin interior space and detachable from the sanitary wall section, wherein the washstand unit includes a washstand top plate extending horizontally towards the central vertical axis and a washbasin in the washstand top plate, wherein said washstand unit comprises a front edge facing said cabin interior space and a rear edge opposite said front edge, and
a urinal unit including a urinal opening facing the vertical axis and a urinal top surface above an upper edge of the urinal opening, wherein the urinal top surface is in a common plane with the washstand top plate, the urinal unit extends from the sanitary wall section into the cabin interior space, wherein said urinal unit comprises a rear edge opposite said urinal, wherein the urinal unit is detachable from the sanitary wall section separately from the washstand unit, wherein the entire rear edge of said washstand unit extends along the sanitary wall section, and wherein the entire rear edge of said urinal unit extends along the sanitary wall section.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Schliwa Ralf
• Strasdas Maria Theresia
• Schüphaus Florian
• Seibt Christian

Classifications

• B64D11/02 Primary

  Toilet fittings · CPC title

• B63B29/14

  Closet or like flushing arrangements; Washing or bathing facilities peculiar to ships · CPC title

• B61D35/005

  Toilet facilities · CPC title

• B60R15/04

  Toilet facilities {(in railway vehicles B61D35/005)} · CPC title

• B60R15/02

  Washing facilities {(in railway vehicles B61D35/002)} · CPC title