Modular lavatory system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9688407-B2
Application number	US-201314045493-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2013
Priority date	Oct 3, 2013
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

A method and apparatus are presented. An apparatus comprises a wall and a urinal. The wall is physically associated with a fuselage for an aircraft. The urinal is positioned along the wall, the wall and urinal positioned within a specialty lavatory area module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
identifying a specialty lavatory area module, wherein the specialty lavatory area module comprises a urinal;
placing the specialty lavatory area module adjacent to a fuselage, wherein the urinal is positioned along a wall of the specialty lavatory area module, the wall adjacent to the fuselage;
identifying a number of standard galley modules;
identifying a number of specialty galley modules; and
assembling a galley using the number of standard galley modules and the number of specialty galley modules, the galley adjacent to the fuselage;
identifying a standard lavatory area module;
placing the standard lavatory area module between the specialty lavatory area module and the galley within a fixed perimeter constrained in part by the fuselage.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of standard galley modules comprises an electrical and plumbing module.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the urinal is positioned at a height corresponding to a maximum diameter of the fuselage.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of specialty galley modules comprises at least one specialty galley module selected from a cart and waste compartment module, a cart compartment extension module, and a stowage plug module.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of standard galley modules comprises an electrical and plumbing module.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of standard galley modules further comprises a structural flange module for positioning remaining modules of the galley.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the number of standard galley modules further comprises standard electrical and plumbing connections configured for connection to standard electrical and plumbing connections in an aircraft.

8. A modular lavatory structure for an aircraft, the structure comprising:
a galley comprising a number of standard galley modules;
a first lavatory module, wherein the first lavatory area comprises a urinal, the urinal positioned along a wall of the first lavatory area, the wall adjacent to a fuselage of the aircraft; and
a second lavatory module positioned between the first lavatory module and the galley, wherein the second lavatory module comprises a toilet;
wherein the modular lavatory structure has a fixed perimeter constrained in part by a fuselage of the aircraft.

9. The modular lavatory structure of claim 8 , wherein the number of standard galley modules comprises an electrical and plumbing module.

10. The modular lavatory structure of claim 9 , wherein the galley further comprises a number of specialty galley modules.

11. The modular lavatory structure of claim 10 , wherein the number of specialty galley modules comprises at least one specialty galley module selected from a cart and waste compartment module, a cart compartment extension module, and a stowage plug module.

12. The modular lavatory structure of claim 9 , wherein each of the number of standard galley modules further comprises standard electrical and plumbing connections configured for connection to standard electrical and plumbing connections in an aircraft.

13. The modular lavatory structure of claim 9 , wherein the number of standard galley modules further comprises a structural flange module for positioning remaining modules of the galley.

14. The modular lavatory structure of claim 8 , wherein the urinal is positioned at a height corresponding to a waterline vertical position corresponding to a maximum diameter of the fuselage.

15. The modular lavatory structure of claim 8 , wherein the first lavatory module comprises a specialty lavatory area module in the second lavatory module comprises a standard lavatory area module, the modular lavatory structure further comprising:
a first door for the specialty lavatory area module; and
a second door for the standard lavatory area module, wherein the first door and the second door are configured to move between an open position and a closed position and wherein a common passageway is present in both the specialty lavatory area module and the standard lavatory area module when the first door and the second door are in the open position.

16. The modular lavatory structure of claim 8 further comprising:
a moveable partition configured for use with the specialty lavatory area module and the standard lavatory area module, wherein the moveable partition is configured to separate the specialty lavatory area module and the standard lavatory area module into separate spaces when the moveable partition is in a first configuration, and wherein the moveable partition is configured to define a single space when the moveable partition is in a second configuration, wherein the first door and the second door are configured to open to form the single passageway for the single space when the moveable partition is in the second configuration.

17. The modular lavatory structure of claim 16 , wherein the moveable partition is configured to fold in a manner that avoids contact with structures in the specialty lavatory area module and the standard lavatory area module.

18. The modular lavatory structure of claim 17 further comprising:
a moveable structure associated with the first door, wherein the moveable structure is configured to rotate relative to the second door and configured to block a gap between the first door and the second door when the first door and the second door are in the closed position.

19. The modular lavatory structure of claim 18 , wherein the moveable structure is configured to lock the first door and the second door when the first door and the second door are in the closed position.

20. The modular lavatory structure of claim 17 , wherein:
the first lavatory module further comprises a first sink; and
the second lavatory module further comprises a second sink.

21. The modular lavatory structure of claim 17 , wherein first lavatory module is selected from a plurality of specialty lavatory area modules, each of the plurality of specialty lavatory area modules being different from each other based on at least one of size of the specialty lavatory area module, shape of the specialty lavatory area module, location of the urinal in the specialty lavatory area module, and location of the first second sink in the specialty lavatory area module.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Mcintosh Darren Carl

Classifications

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• B64D11/02 Primary

  Toilet fittings · CPC title