Lavatory with stowage compartment

Abstract

An aircraft lavatory comprising an enclosure having a door, a first side wall, a rear wall, a ceiling, and a second side wall, wherein the second side wall includes a sink, the second side wall defining a plane and wherein the sink is inwardly disposed from said plane. To create space for a stowage compartment, an additional side wall parallel to, and adjacent to, said second side wall is formed. This space houses a stowage compartment accessible from outside said lavatory, the stowage compartment formed between said second side wall and said additional wall.

Claims

1. An aircraft lavatory with a stowage compartment, comprising: an enclosure having a door, a first side wall, a rear wall, a ceiling, and a second side wall, the second side wall defining a plane; a sink inwardly disposed from the plane with respect to the first side wall; an additional side wall outwardly disposed from the second side wall with respect to the first side wall, creating a first space between the second side wall and the additional side wall forming an amenities area; and a stowage compartment disposed at a height above the sink and below the ceiling, the stowage compartment being accessible from outside the lavatory, the stowage compartment formed in a second space between the second side wall and the additional wall.

2. The aircraft lavatory of claim 1, wherein the stowage compartment includes a stowage compartment door.

3. The aircraft lavatory of claim 1, wherein the stowage compartment is a lockable stowage compartment.

4. The aircraft lavatory of claim 1, wherein the stowage compartment includes a slide out drawer.

5. The aircraft lavatory of claim 1, wherein the first space and the second space are generally vertically aligned.

6. The aircraft lavatory of claim 1, wherein the sink is provided on the second side wall.

7. An aircraft lavatory, comprising: an enclosure having a first side wall, a ceiling, a second side wall, a door between the first side wall and the second side wall, and a rear wall opposite the door, the second side wall defining a plane; a sink inwardly disposed from the plane within the enclosure and with respect to the first side wall; an additional side wall parallel to, adjacent to, and outwardly disposed from the second side wall, the additional side wall and the second side wall forming a space therebetween; and a stowage compartment provided between the second side wall and the additional wall at a height above the sink, wherein the stowage compartment is accessible from outside the lavatory.

8. The aircraft lavatory of claim 7, wherein the stowage compartment includes a stowage compartment door.

9. The aircraft lavatory of claim 7, wherein the stowage compartment is a lockable stowage compartment.

10. The aircraft lavatory of claim 7, wherein the stowage compartment includes a slide out drawer.

11. The aircraft lavatory of claim 7, wherein the space is an amenity space, and wherein a volume between the first side wall and the additional wall includes the amenity space and the stowage compartment.

12. The aircraft lavatory of claim 11, wherein the amenity space and the stowage compartment are generally vertically aligned.

13. The aircraft lavatory of claim 7, wherein the sink is provided on the second side wall.

14. A lavatory structure for an aircraft, comprising: a first lavatory; a second lavatory positioned adjacent the first lavatory; a contoured wall including a recess, the contoured wall forming a portion of at least one of the first lavatory and the second lavatory; a first space formed at least in part by the contoured wall, the first space including an amenities area accessible from an interior of one of the first lavatory and the second lavatory; a second space formed at least in part by the contoured wall, the second space including a stowage compartment accessible from outside the lavatory structure.

15. The lavatory structure of claim 14, wherein the stowage compartment includes a stowage compartment door.

16. The lavatory structure of claim 14, wherein the stowage compartment is a lockable stowage compartment.

17. The lavatory structure of claim 14, wherein the stowage compartment includes a slide out drawer.

18. The lavatory structure of claim 14, wherein the amenity space and the stowage compartment are generally vertically aligned.

19. The lavatory structure of claim 14, wherein the contoured wall is a first contoured wall and the recess is a first recess, and the first contoured wall forms a portion of the first lavatory, wherein the second lavatory includes a second contoured wall including a second recess.

20. The lavatory structure of claim 14, wherein the second contoured wall forms an outermost exterior wall of the lavatory structure.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a prior art lavatory arrangement juxtaposed with an aircraft passenger seat;

(2) FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an installation of a lavatory according to the present invention with new stowage compartment accessible from outside the lavatory; and

(3) FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of dual lavatories of a recessed configuration incorporating the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(4) FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art version of an aircraft lavatory, juxtaposed with a passenger seat, such as might be found at the rear of a commercial aircraft. The lavatory includes a sink, with a recessed area above the sink to allow the passenger to wash their hands. The area: below the sink is available for stowage, but there wall of the lavatory rests against the passenger seat, excluding any means by which further space could be utilized.

(5) Turning to FIG. 2, a first embodiment of a lavatory of the present invention is disclosed. The lavatory 10 includes a door 12 with a knob or handle 14 to gain ingress and egress into the lavatory 10, and a vent 16 at the lower portion of the door 12. The lavatory is formed by a first side wall 20 and a second side wall 22. A rear wall (not shown) cooperates with the floor 24 and ceiling 26 to form a standard lavatory compartment. In the present invention, an additional side wall 28 is located adjacent the second side wall 22, forming a volume between the additional side wall 28 and second side wall 22 below the ceiling. This newly created volume can be divided into two smaller volumes, a first volume forming an amenities area 30 for bathroom tissue, soap, paper towels, air sickness bags, and other items found in an aircraft bathroom. The remaining portion of the volume is used to create a stowage compartment 32, accessible from outside the lavatory 10 and preferably having locking means 34. The stowage compartment 32 can be accessed through a door, or it may be a drawer that slides into and out of the volume between the walls 22,28. A low profile sink 36 is shown in shadow illustrating its position within the lavatory. In this case, the sink 36 completely extends inwardly (relative to the compartment) from the plane of the wall 22, as compared with the prior art sink (FIG. 1) in which the sink is disposed behind the plane defined by the wall. By extending the sink inward, the space is created to locate the stowage compartment 32. A commode would be positioned behind the door, but is omitted here for simplicity. The stowage compartment 32 does not need to be positioned directly over the sink, but this provides an efficient location for maximizing the space available between the walls.

(6) United States Patent Publication No. 2011/0253835, incorporated by reference herein, illustrates an aircraft lavatory that is shaped to accommodate the seats or other structures that may be adjacent to the lavatory. As shown in FIG. 3, this type of lavatory can also be used in conjunction with the present invention. When two lavatories 100 are placed side-by-side as shown in FIG. 3, the adjacent walls create a space in between that can be used for the stowage compartment 32 of the present invention. Here, one side wall of the lavatory on the right can serve as the outer wall, establishing the volume for the compartment 32 as shown. From the schematic, the contour of the right side of the lavatory is recessed to create a usable space that can accommodate both amenities that are typically located inside the lavatory, plus a separate compartment that can be accessed from the main cabin.

(7) The stowage compartment 32 of the present invention maximizes in an efficient manner the available space that is created by the recessed wall of the lavatory. This stowage compartment 32 can free up space in overhead bins, or provide additional space for galley or emergency equipment. This lavatory stowage compartment can be used with virtually any aircraft lavatory, and can be adapted for straight walls or recessed walls.

(8) One application of the present invention is the provision of a secure and separate location for aircraft equipment that is normally stowed in overhead bins or stow boxes. The present invention provides easy and convenient access to such equipment along with a designated location that eliminates hunting for certain equipment. The stowage compartment of the present invention also can provide storage space for passenger possessions that do not fit into the overhead bins, or can be overflow storage when the overhead bins are full.

(9) It will be apparent from the foregoing that while particular forms of the invention have been illustrated and described, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.