AFT WALL FOR A LAVATORY MONUMENT OF AN AIRCRAFT

• US 20200130843A1
• Filed: 10/26/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Young, Stephen M.
• Granted Patent: US 11,472,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/02 Toilet fittings of general application A47K
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/04 Galleys
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0691 specially adapted for cabin crew
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0698 Seats suspended from aircraft walls
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2011/0046 Modular or preassembled units for creating cabin interior structures
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

An aircraft comprises a fuselage and an aft wall of a lavatory monument within the fuselage and extending radially inwardly relative to the fuselage. The aft wall is removably connected to an outboard wall, a ceiling, and a floor of the lavatory monument.

Claims

1. An aircraft comprising:

a fuselage; and

an aft wall of a lavatory monument within the fuselage and extending radially inwardly relative to the fuselage, the aft wall removably connected to an outboard wall, a ceiling, and a floor of the lavatory monument.

2. The aircraft of claim 1, the aft wall has unchangeable connection points configured to join the aft wall to the outboard wall, the ceiling, and the floor of the lavatory monument.

3. The aircraft of claim 2 further comprising:

the outboard wall connected to an inside surface of the fuselage.

4. The aircraft of claim 2, wherein the aft wall has a common curvature for a curved outboard edge of the aft wall, wherein the curved outboard edge is convex and mirrors a concave curvature of the outboard wall.

5. The aircraft of claim 4, wherein the unchangeable connection points comprise a metal bracket bonded to the curved outboard edge of the aft wall.

6. The aircraft of claim 5 further comprising:

fasteners joining the metal bracket to the outboard wall, wherein the fasteners are not visible to a passenger outside of the lavatory monument.

7. The aircraft of claim 5, wherein the metal bracket comprises a first flange and a second flange forming a channel, wherein the curved outboard edge is positioned within the channel of the metal bracket.

8. The aircraft of claim 7, wherein the first flange of the metal bracket contacts an internal side of the aft wall, and wherein the second flange of the metal bracket contacts an external side of the aft wall.

9. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the aft wall has a plurality of common interface points for joining a plurality of non-lavatory features to the aft wall.

10. The aircraft of claim 9 further comprising:

the plurality of non-lavatory features, wherein the plurality of non-lavatory features comprises at least one of an attendant seat, cabinetry, a display screen, or a user interface.

18. The aft wall of claim 10, wherein the aft wall further comprises aircraft door flaps configured to allow aircraft door snubbers to pass through the aft wall.

11. An aft wall configured to be removably connected to an outboard wall, a ceiling, and a floor of a lavatory monument, the aft wall comprising:

a curved outboard edge having a common curvature; and

a metal bracket bonded to the curved outboard edge, the metal bracket configured to removably connect the aft wall to the outboard wall.

12. The aft wall of claim 11, further comprising:

a plurality of common interface points for joining a plurality of non-lavatory features to the aft wall.

13. The aft wall of claim 11, wherein the aft wall has unchangeable connection points configured to join the aft wall to the outboard wall, the ceiling, and the floor of the lavatory monument.

14. The aft wall of claim 11, wherein the curved outboard edge is convex and mirrors a concave curvature of an outboard wall.

15. The aft wall of claim 11, wherein the metal bracket comprises a first flange and a second flange forming a channel, wherein the curved outboard edge is positioned within the channel of the metal bracket.

16. The aft wall of claim 15, wherein the first flange of the metal bracket contacts an internal side of the aft wall, and wherein the second flange of the metal bracket contacts an external side of the aft wall.

17. The aft wall of claim 16, wherein the metal bracket further comprises a fastening flange, wherein the first flange, second flange, and fastening flange form a F-shaped cross-section.

19. A method of constructing a lavatory monument in an aircraft, the lavatory monument having interchangeable sub-assemblies, the method comprising:

bonding a metal bracket to a curved outboard edge of an aft wall;

joining the metal bracket to an outboard wall of the lavatory monument using a plurality of fasteners; and

removably connecting the aft wall to a ceiling and a floor of the lavatory monument.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

removably connecting a plurality of non-lavatory features to a plurality of common interface points of the aft wall, the plurality of non-lavatory features comprises at least one of an attendant seat, cabinetry, a display screen, or a user interface.

21. A method of performing maintenance on a lavatory monument in an aircraft, the lavatory monument having interchangeable sub-assemblies, the method comprising:

removing an interchangeable sub-assembly from the lavatory monument, wherein the interchangeable sub-assembly is removably connected to the lavatory monument; and

removably connecting a new interchangeable sub-assembly to the lavatory monument.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the interchangeable sub-assembly is an aft wall of the lavatory monument, and wherein removing the interchangeable sub-assembly comprises releasing the aft wall at unchangeable connection points between the aft wall and an outboard wall, a ceiling, and a floor of the lavatory monument.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the new interchangeable sub-assembly is an aft wall having a different design than the aft wall removed from the lavatory monument.

24. The method of 21, wherein the interchangeable sub-assembly comprises a non-lavatory feature removably connected to at least one common interface point of an aft wall of the aircraft, and wherein removing the interchangeable sub-assembly comprises releasing the non-lavatory feature from the aft wall at the at least one common interface point.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the new interchangeable sub-assembly is a non-lavatory feature having a different design than the non-lavatory feature removed from the aft wall.