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US 8,944,377 B2Granted
Lavatory reconfiguration system
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorDarren Carl McIntosh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for reconfiguring a lavatory area. An apparatus comprises a first lavatory area, a second lavatory area, a first door for the first lavatory area, and a second door for the second lavatory area. The first door and the second door are configured to move between an open position and a closed position. A single passageway is present in both the first lavatory area and the second lavatory area when the first door and the second door are in the open position.
Claims15
An apparatus comprising:
- a first lavatory area;
- a second lavatory area;
- a first door for the first lavatory area;
- a second door for the second lavatory area, wherein the first door and the second door are configured to move between an open position and a closed position and wherein a single passageway is present in both the first lavatory area and the second lavatory area when the first door and the second door are in the open position;
- and
- a moveable partition configured for use with the first lavatory area and the second lavatory area, wherein the moveable partition is configured to separate the first lavatory area and the second lavatory area into separate spaces within a fixed perimeter for the first lavatory area and the second lavatory area 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, wherein the first lavatory area includes a first toilet and the second lavatory area includes a second toilet and wherein a seat extending from the moveable partition is located over the first toilet when the moveable partition is in the second configuration.
3 more elements
A method for reconfiguring lavatories, the method comprising:
- moving a first door for a first lavatory area and a second door for a second lavatory area between a closed position and an open position, wherein a single passageway is present in both the first lavatory area and the second lavatory area when the first door and the second door are in the open position;
- and
- folding the moveable partition to form a seat when the moveable partition is in the second configuration, wherein the first lavatory area includes a first toilet and the second lavatory area includes a second toilet and wherein the seat is located over the first toilet when the moveable partition is in the second configuration.
A method of operating an aircraft, the method comprising:
- operating the aircraft in which a first lavatory and a second lavatory are located in the aircraft with a moveable partition configured for use with the first lavatory and the second lavatory, wherein the moveable partition is configured to separate the first lavatory and the second lavatory into separate spaces within a fixed perimeter for the first lavatory and the second lavatory when the moveable partition is in a first configuration, and wherein the moveable partition is configured to define a single space within the fixed perimeter when the moveable partition is in a second configuration and in which a first door for the first lavatory and a second door for the second lavatory are configured to open to form an entrance for the single space without a partition between the first door and the second door when the moveable partition is in the second configuration that;
- and
- folding the moveable partition to form a seat when the moveable partition is in the second configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.