# US 9,434,476 B2 · Aircraft interior lavatory

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- Number: US 9,434,476 B2
- Document ID: US9434476B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/709,409
- Filed: 2015-05-11
- Published: 2015-08-27
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2010-04-20
- Assignees: B/E Aerospace, Inc.
- Applicants: B/E Aerospace, Inc.
- Inventors: Donald F. Cook; Liberty Harrington; Philipp Steiner; Robert K. Brauer; Trevor Skelly
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9434476B2

## CPC

- B64D 11/02: Toilet fittings
- B64C 1/10: Bulkheads
- B64D 11/06: {Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats (crew seat constructions for emergency purposes B64D25/04)}
- B64D 11/064: {Adjustable inclination or position of seats}
- B64F 5/00: Designing, manufacturing, assembling, cleaning, maintaining or repairing aircraft, not otherwise provided for; Handling, transporting, testing or inspecting aircraft components, not otherwise provided for
- Y02T 50/40: Weight reduction
- B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
- B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
- B64F: GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT; DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLING, CLEANING, MAINTAINING OR REPAIRING AIRCRAFT, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HANDLING, TRANSPORTING, TESTING OR INSPECTING AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A lavatory for an aircraft cabin includes a wall having a forward wall portion disposed immediately aft of and substantially conforming to an exterior aft surface of an aircraft cabin structure, such as a passenger seat, that is substantially not flat in a vertical plane. The forward wall portion includes a forward projection over an aft portion of the adjacent passenger seat. The forward wall portion can define a secondary space in the interior lavatory space, which can provide an amenity stowage space, and can include design elements providing visual space.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of retrofitting an aircraft to provide additional passenger seating in the cabin of said aircraft, the cabin including a passenger seat having a seat back with an exterior aft surface that is substantially not flat, a seat bottom, and a seat support that interfaces with the floor of the aircraft cabin and holds the seat bottom in an elevated position above the floor of the aircraft cabin, the method comprising the steps of:
installing an aircraft enclosure unit comprising
a forward wall, said forward wall being part of an outer boundary defining a single enclosed space that includes a toilet, said forward wall being substantially not flat and configured to receive a portion of the exterior aft surface of the seat back when the seat back is in an unreclined seat position,
wherein said forward wall is adapted to provide more space forward of the enclosure unit such that the seat support can be positioned further aft in the cabin than if the cabin included another enclosure unit having a substantially flat front wall located in substantially the same position in the cabin as the forward wall, and
wherein said enclosed space is taller than the passenger seat; and
positioning said seat support further aft in said aircraft cabin than said seat support could have been positioned prior to retrofitting said aircraft, whereby a portion of the exterior aft surface of said passenger seat back in the unreclined seat position is received by said forward wall.

### Claim 2

A method of providing an aircraft with more passenger seats in the aircraft's cabin, the method comprising the steps of:
installing a combination of an enclosure unit and a passenger seat in the aircraft, said passenger seat having a seat back, a seat bottom, and a seat support that interfaces with the floor of the aircraft cabin and holds the seat bottom in an elevated position above the floor of the aircraft cabin, the combination comprising
the passenger seat being configured to be located forward of and proximate to the enclosure unit,
the enclosure unit being located aft of the passenger seat, the enclosure unit having
a forward wall, said forward wall being part of an outer boundary defining a single enclosed space that includes a toilet, said forward wall being substantially not flat and configured to receive a portion of the exterior aft surface of the passenger seat back in an unreclined seat position,
wherein said forward wall is adapted to provide more space forward of the enclosure unit such that the seat support can be positioned further aft in the cabin than if the cabin included another enclosure unit having a front wall that is substantially flat and is located in substantially the same position in the cabin as the forward wall,
wherein said enclosed space is taller than the passenger seat,
whereby said seat support is installed further aft in said cabin than would be possible if the substantially flat front wall of the other enclosure unit was located in substantially the same position in the aircraft cabin as the forward wall, and
whereby a portion of the exterior aft surface of said passenger seat back in the unreclined seat position is received by said forward wall.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said exterior aft surface of the passenger seat back has a contoured shape, and wherein said forward wall is shaped to substantially conform to the contoured shape of the exterior aft surface of the passenger seat back when the exterior aft surface of said passenger seat back in the unreclined position is received by said forward wall.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein said exterior aft surface of the passenger seat back has a contoured shape, and wherein said forward wall is shaped to substantially conform to the contoured shape of the exterior aft surface of the passenger seat back when the exterior aft surface of said passenger seat back in the unreclined position is received by said forward wall.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein said contoured shape includes a first section extending along a first axis and a second section extending along a second axis, said first section adapted to support a passenger's head and a second adapted to support a passenger's back, wherein said first axis is not parallel with said second axis.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein said contoured shape includes a first section extending along a first axis and a second section extending along a second axis, said first section adapted to support a passenger's head and a second adapted to support a passenger's back, wherein said first axis is not parallel with said second axis.