Modular lavatory accessible to passengers of reduced mobility (PRM)
AssigneeB/E Aerospace, Inc.
InventorsRay Hough, Richard Morris, Jefferey M. McKee, Shawn A. Claflin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aircraft lavatory complex incorporating lavatories accessible to passengers of reduced mobility (PRM) is disclosed. Left-side and right-side full service lavatory units are accessible via left-side and right-side lavatory access doors opening in opposing directions. The left-side and right-side full service lavatory units are separated by a common central partition repositionable by cabin crewmembers (but protected from independent repositioning by occupants of either lavatory unit) to enlarge either of the left-side or right-side lavatory units for enhanced PRM accessibility.
Claims16
An aircraft lavatory complex, comprising:
- a forward wall configured for facing a passenger cabin of an aircraft;
- a left-side door and a right-side door set into the forward wall, the left-side door adjacent to the right-side door, the left-side door and the right-side door configured to open in opposing directions;
- a left-side lavatory unit accessible via the left-side door and a right-side lavatory unit accessible via the right-side door;
- and
- a partition repositionable between a default position and at least one deployed position and held in the default position by at least one left-side latch and at least one right-side latch coupling the partition to the lavatory complex, the partition configured for:
- separating the left-side lavatory unit and the right-side lavatory unit when in the default position;
- and
- enlarging one of the left-side lavatory unit and the right-side lavatory unit when in the deployed position;
- the at least one left-side latch configured to be operated from the left-side lavatory unit and not extending through the partition into the right-side lavatory unit, and the at least one right-side latch configured to be operated from the right-side lavatory unit and not extending through the partition into the left-side lavatory unit, to reposition the partition between the default position and the deployed position.
A method for reconfiguring an aircraft lavatory complex for use by a passenger of reduced mobility (PRM), comprising:
- creating an entry space by accessing a left-side lavatory unit via a left-side door and a right-side lavatory unit via a right-side door, the right-side lavatory unit directly adjacent to the left-side lavatory unit and separated from the left-side lavatory unit by a partition at least partially within the entry space;
- unlatching at least one left-side latch from within the left-side lavatory unit, the at least one left-side latch coupling the partition to the left-side lavatory unit, the at least one left-side latch set into the partition but not extending through the partition to the right-side lavatory unit;
- unlatching at least one right-side latch from within the right-side lavatory unit, the at least one right-side latch coupling the partition to the right-side lavatory unit, the at least one right-side latch set into the partition but not extending through the partition to the left-side lavatory unit;
- and
- enlarging the left-side lavatory unit by repositioning the partition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.