Door opening/closing mechanism in lavatory unit for aircraft

A door opening and closing mechanism of an entrance of an aircraft lavatory unit, the door opening and closing mechanism comprising:

• a door manually movable between a closed position for closing the entrance of the aircraft lavatory unit and an open position for opening the entrance and always biased to be at the closed position;
• and
• a powered door opening mechanism configured to move the door from the closed position to the open position;
• the powered door opening mechanism comprising
• a non-contact sensor provided inside and outside the aircraft lavatory unit and configured to detect part of a human body,
• an engaged member provided on the door and disposed on an inner surface side of the door located inside the aircraft lavatory unit and on an upper side of the door, the engaged member being movable within a long groove along with movement of the door between the closed position and the open position, the long groove being in a fixed position independent of movement of the door, and the long groove being formed in the aircraft lavatory unit near an upper end of the door,
• an engaging member provided at a section on the upper side of the door inside the aircraft lavatory unit, engageable with the engaged member from a side of the door from the closed position of the door to the open position of the door, and having a shape that is open in a direction away from the door, and
• an actuator configured to move the engaging member in a direction away from the entrance in response to a detection signal from the non-contact sensor and move the door from the closed position to the open position through the engaged member.