Dual function lavatory door
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorKelly L. Boren
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dual function lavatory door and methods are presented. A hinged door panel comprises a doorway hinge coupled to a first side of a lavatory doorway of a lavatory. The doorway hinge positions the hinged door panel to couple to a first interior side-wall of the lavatory in a deployed position. An extendable door panel is coupled to the hinged door panel by a vertical hinge and can couple to a second side of the lavatory doorway opposite to the first side. The extendable door panel folds along the vertical hinge into an interior space of the lavatory in the deployed position. An extension panel is coupled to the extendable door panel and extends from the extendable door panel to couple to a second interior side-wall of the lavatory opposite to the first interior side-wall in the deployed position.
Claims20
A dual function lavatory door comprising:
- a hinged door panel comprising a doorway hinge operable to couple to a first side of a lavatory doorway of a lavatory and to position the hinged door panel to couple to a first interior side-wall of the lavatory in a deployed position;
- an extendable door panel coupled to the hinged door panel by a vertical hinge, and operable to couple to a second side of the lavatory doorway opposite to the first side and to fold along the vertical hinge into an interior space of the lavatory in the deployed position;
- and
- an extension panel coupled to the extendable door panel and operable to extend from the extendable door panel to couple to a second interior side-wall of the lavatory opposite to the first interior side-wall in the deployed position.
A method for deploying a dual function lavatory door, the method comprising:
- decoupling an extendable door panel from a slide track in response to an activation mechanism, the slide track operable to slide the extendable door panel to couple to a second side of a lavatory doorway opposite to a first side of the lavatory doorway;
- coupling a hinged door panel comprising a doorway hinge coupled to the first side of the lavatory doorway to a first interior side-wall of a lavatory in response to the activation mechanism;
- folding the extendable door panel along a vertical hinge coupled to the hinged door panel into an interior space of the lavatory in response to the activation mechanism;
- and
- extending an extension panel coupled to the extendable door panel from the extendable door panel to couple to a second interior side-wall of the lavatory opposite to the first interior side-wall in response to the activation mechanism.
A method for configuring a dual function lavatory door for an aircraft lavatory, the method comprising:
- coupling a hinged door panel to a first side of a lavatory doorway of a lavatory via a doorway hinge;
- configuring the doorway hinge to position the hinged door panel to couple to a first interior side-wall of the lavatory in a deployed position;
- coupling an extendable door panel to the hinged door panel via a vertical hinge;
- configuring the extendable door panel to couple to a second side of the lavatory doorway opposite to the first side, and to fold along the vertical hinge into an interior space of the lavatory in the deployed position;
- coupling an extension panel to the extendable door panel;
- and
- configuring the extension panel to extend from the extendable door panel to couple to a second interior side-wall of the lavatory opposite to the first interior side-wall in the deployed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.