Optimized shower arrangement for high volume use

• US 6,470,512 B1
• Filed: 11/27/2000
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Lau, Michael, Schaich, Sven
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Charles E.
• Application Number:
  US09/723,612
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 459/6, 491/2, 490/0, 52/798
• US Class Current: 4/612
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 3/30 Screens or collapsible cabinets for showers or baths A47K3/283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/02 Toilet fittings of general application A47K
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 4/90 Decontamination shower

Abstract

A shower arrangement for a passenger aircraft includes a single shower cabin and at least two dressing cabins associated with the shower cabin. A door arrangement selectively opens and closes access areas passing from the dressing cabins into the shower cabin, so that only one access area can be open at any given time, while the other access area(s) is (are) closed. The throughput rate of the shower is increased, because at any given time a first user can be dressing in a first dressing cabin after having showered, while a second user is showering in the shower cabin, and while a third user is undressing in a third dressing cabin in preparation for taking a shower. Privacy is maintained by the interlocked doors.

Claims

1. A shower arrangement in which a person may shower-bathe, comprising:

a shower cabin in which a person may shower-bathe, with a showering device adapted to spray a shower of water provided therein;

first and second access cabins adjoining said shower cabin;

first and second access passages respectively connecting said first and second access cabins with said shower cabin; and

a door arrangement cooperating with said first and second access passages so as to selectively close said first access passage while allowing a person to pass through said second access passage and to selectively close said second access passage while allowing a person to pass through said first access passage.

2. The shower arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said first and second access cabins are respective first and second dressing cabins outfitted with dressing room fixtures.

3. The shower arrangement according to claim 2, further comprising first and second exterior doors connected respectively to said first and second dressing cabins and adapted to be respectively opened to allow a person to enter or exit a respective one of said dressing cabins and to be respectively closed to provide privacy in a respective one of said dressing cabins.

4. The shower arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said door arrangement comprises at least one access door that selectively opens and closes selected ones of said access passages.

5. The shower arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said shower cabin has a circular floor plan surface area, and said at least one access door has a cylindrical curvature matching a circumferential curvature of said circular floor plan surface area.

6. The shower arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said shower cabin has a polygonal floor plan surface area, and said at least one access door has a respective shape matching a shape of a respective one of said access passages.

7. The shower arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said at least one access door includes separate first and second access doors arranged to separately selectively close said first and second access passages respectively, and wherein said door arrangement further comprises a control system connected to said first and second access doors and adapted to allow only a selected one of said first and second access doors to be opened at any one time while locking another of said first and second access doors in a closed position.

8. The shower arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said at least one access door includes a total of exactly one unitary door that is arranged and adapted to selectively cover a selected one of said access passages while simultaneously uncovering another one of said access passages and vice versa.

9. The shower arrangement according to claim 8, wherein said one unitary door is rotatable about a vertical center axis, selectively to a first position in which said door uncovers said first access passage and covers said second access passage, and a second position in which said door uncovers said second access passage and covers said first access passage.

10. The shower arrangement according to claim 8, wherein said one unitary door is linearly slidable selectively to a first position in which said door uncovers said first access passage and covers said second access passage, and a second position in which said door uncovers said second access passage and covers said first access passage.

11. The shower arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a respective indicator element arranged respectively in each one of said access cabins and adapted to indicate whether said shower cabin is occupied or vacant, and to indicate at least one of an occupancy duration time and an expected waiting time before a present occupancy of said shower cabin will end.

12. The shower arrangement according to claim 11, further comprising a respective control element arranged respectively in each one of said access cabins and adapted to control an operation of said door arrangement.

13. The shower arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a self-cleaning system arranged in said shower cabin for self-cleaning said shower cabin.

14. The shower arrangement according to claim 13, further comprising an actuation system connected to said door arrangement and to said self-cleaning system, and adapted to actuate said self-cleaning system automatically upon closing of the most recently opened one of said access passages.

15. The shower arrangement according to claim 1, including a total of exactly two of said access cabins connected to and selectively communicating into said shower cabin.

16. The shower arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a third access cabin connected to said shower cabin, and a third access passage selectively communicating said third access cabin into said shower cabin.

17. The shower arrangement according to claim 16, wherein said door arrangement comprises a single unitary access door that selectively uncovers any selected one of said access passages while covering both others of said access passages.

18. The shower arrangement according to claim 1, wherein one of said access cabins has a larger floor space than another of said access cabins.

19. The shower arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said shower cabin and said access cabins together form an overall rectangular or square floor plan footprint.

20. The shower arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said shower cabin has a circular floor plan footprint, and each one of said access cabins has an annular circular segment floor plan footprint extending radially from said circular floor plan footprint.