Aircraft cabin system for selectivley locating interior units

An aircraft cabin system is provided in an aircraft for selectively locating interior units such as galleys and lavatories. The system includes floor fittings in the wall panels that secure the units to seat tracks that run the length of the fuselage. Some units are provided with tie-down bars that are secured to overhead frame fittings that are located throughout the aircraft. Electrical, water, and air utility services are provided through separate distribution lines that extend through the aircraft. The distribution lines are provided with spaced-apart couplings so that wherever an interior unit is located, it can be provided with services through adjacent couplings. Galley waste water is stored in a tank built into a food storage cart that is normaly attached to the galley. The lavatories are attached to a collection system that includes a set of modular and telescoping pipe sections which are assembled to length needed to connect the lavatories to a set of holding tanks.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to an aircraft cabin system for locating 
cabin interior units such as galleys and lavatories, and more 
specificially, to an aircraft cabin system that allows the units to be 
selectively located in a number of different positions in the aircraft. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Commercial aircraft are provided with galleys so that passengers can be 
served food in-flight and with lavatories so that passengers can take care 
of their biological needs. Galleys and lavatories also serve as boundaries 
between different seating sections in an aircraft. Thus, galleys and 
lavatories are frequently located between the first class and business 
sections and between the business and coach sections on many commercial 
aircraft. 
During the lifetime of an aircraft, an airline may want to periodically 
change the configuration of an aircraft and/or change the number of seats 
available in each cabin section. For example, there may be times during 
the year that an airline would want to increase the number of available 
first class seats by reducing the size of the coach section. At other 
times, the airline may want a larger number of coach seats at the expense 
of the first class seats. There are even instances when an airlines may 
want to remove all seats in a section in order to create a lounge section. 
Whenever an aircraft is reconfigured, it is desirable to move the galleys 
and lavatories in order to establish the desired boundaries and establish 
the appropriate effect in the aircraft cabin. In many current aircraft, 
relocating these units to the desired locations can be a difficult, if not 
impossible, task. These units are typically secured to complementary 
fittings integral with floor beams and overhead fuselage sections. 
Unbolting and resecuring the units typically involves a significant amount 
of manual labor with persons having to work above and below the main cabin 
floor of the aircraft. Moreover, galleys and lavatories can only be 
relocated to locations where there are complementary fittings. Thus, if an 
airlines wants to reposition a galley or a lavatory by only a seat row or 
two, and the aircraft is not provided with the complementary fittings at 
the new location, the unit cannot be moved to the desired location. 
Still another factor that limits the ability to relocate aircraft galleys 
and lavatories is the availability of utility service connections. Air, 
water, and electrical power typically all have to be supplied to galleys 
and lavatories. Waste water must be drained from these units. Galleys and 
lavatories must be located near the inlet and outlet connections for the 
air, water and electrical service systems. Some aircraft have a few spaced 
outlet and inlet air, water and electrical couplings that allow some 
variation in where galleys and lavatories can be located. However, in 
these aircraft, the units cannot be located far from the inlet and outlet 
couplings. This restricts the ability to relocate the units to all but a 
few specific locations. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention provides a new and useful aircraft cabin system for 
selectively locating cabin interior units such as galleys and lavatories 
anywhere within designated areas inside an aircraft fuselage. The aircraft 
cabin system of this invention includes a tie-down system for securing 
galleys and lavatories to the cabin floor and fuselage of an aircraft at 
any one of a number of closely spaced locations along the aircraft. The 
invention further includes aircraft electrical, water and air supply 
distribution systems that can be used to supply air and water to the 
galleys and lavatories regardless of where the units are located. The 
system also includes waste water collection systems that can similarly be 
adjusted for changes in the location of a galley or lavatory. 
The aircraft cabin system of this invention includes galleys and lavatories 
with floor fittings that secure the units to complementary seat tracks and 
the floor of the aircraft. The seat tracks have a number of closely spaced 
fitting voids so that the galleys and lavatories can be secured to the 
aircraft floor at one of a number of closely spaced locations. Galleys, 
which are located along the centerline of the aircraft, and some 
centerline lavatories are secured to the top of the fuselage by tie-down 
bars that are selectively positioned to the top of the unit and which are 
connected at their opposite end to any of a number of fittings secured to 
the top of the fuselage. 
Air, water, and electricity are supplied to the galley and lavatories 
through distribution lines that extend the length of the aircraft. The 
distribution lines are provided with outlet couplings to which 
complementary inlet lines on the galley and the lavatories are connected. 
The water distribution line further has a number of branches to which 
sidewall located lavatories are connected. Waste water from the galleys is 
collected in tanks located in portable food storage carts that are located 
under the galley sinks. The lavatory waste system has a collection system 
that includes modular and telescopic pipe sections. The modular sections 
are used to bring the end of waste inlet lines to the general vicinity of 
the lavatory. The telescopic sections are of adjustable length and are 
used to attach the waste outlets of the lavatories to the end of the 
modular pipe assemblies. 
Portable overhead storage bins and a portable literature rack are mounted 
around the sidewall lavatories to maximize the storage space on the 
aircraft and to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance. 
The aircraft cabin system of this invention makes it possible to locate 
galleys and lavatories in almost any selected position in an aircraft. The 
floor fittings and tie-down bars enable the units to be secured to the 
aircraft floor and fuselage regardless of their positions. The galleys and 
lavatories can readily be connected and disconnected to the air, water, 
and electrical distribution lines wherever it is desirable to relocate one 
of the units. The tanks in the food storage carts provide a convenient 
means for collecting galley waste water. The modular and telescopic 
lavatory waste collection pipes minimize the time required to connect the 
lavatories to waste holding tanks and maximize the locations where the 
lavatories can be positioned. 
The aircraft cabin system of this invention is thus useful for providing 
galleys and lavatories that can be used to provide boundaries at almost 
any location in the aircraft. Moreover, this system eliminates the needs 
to specify at the time of aircraft manufacture where fittings for the 
galleys and lavatories should be located.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
FIG. 1 depicts the inside of an aircraft fuselage 10 with a cabin floor 11 
wherein aircraft cabin system 12 of this invention provides a selectively 
located galley 14, a centerline lavatory 16, and a sidewall lavatory 18. 
The galley 14 is located in any number of locations on the cabin floor 11 
within a rectangular area 20; the centerline lavatory 16 is located in any 
number of locations within area 22; and, the sidewall lavatory 18 is 
located within a number of intermediately spaced locations within 
rectangular area 24 (rectangular areas shown in phantom). The galley 14 
and the lavatories 16 and 18 are secured to seat tracks 26 in the cabin 
floor 11 that run the length of the fuselage 10. A pair of tie-down 
assemblies 28 secure the galley 14 to the top of the fuselage 10. Utility 
service connections are provided between the galley 14 and the lavatories 
16 and 18 and an electrical power cable 30, a water line 32, a vent duct 
34 and a gasper air line 36, that are located in the overhead section of 
the fuselage 10. A galley waste water collection system 38 collects and 
stores waste water from the galley 14. Waste from the lavatories 16 and 18 
is piped through a lavatory waste collection system 40 for storage in 
lavatory waste holding tanks 42. 
The aircraft cabin system 12 is explained in detail by initial reference to 
FIG. 2 which depicts the galley 14 and connections thereto in detail. The 
galley 14 is a U-shaped unit composed out of two longitudinally extending 
sidewall panels 44 and a laterally extending rear wall panel 46 (FIG. 3) 
that extends therebetween. A waist-high counter 48 extends between the 
sidewall panels 44. A warming oven 50 and storage bins 52 are mounted to a 
galley top panel 54 spaced above the counter 48. A small sink with faucet 
56 is mounted to the counter 48. The galley 14 is illuminated by lights 
(not illustrated) in the top panel 54. 
The galley 14 is secured to the seat tracks 26 by floor fittings 60 and 62 
that are located in the base of the galley wall panels 44 and 46 as 
depicted in FIG. 3. Each seat track 26, as shown in detail in FIG. 3d, is 
formed from an integral piece of metal and includes a base 64 which is 
connected to an aircraft structural support member as will be described 
hereinafter. A pair of opposed side sections 66 extend upward from the 
lateral edges of the track base 64. Attached to the side sections 66 are 
spaced-apart, opposed flanges 68 that are spaced above the track base 64 
and which are individually directed toward each other. The flanges 68 have 
opposed lips 70 with arcuate side edges 71 that define a series of 
spaced-apart bolt voids 72 between the lips along the length of the seat 
track 26. As will be discussed in more detail hereinafter, the fittings 60 
and 62 are selected to withstand different acceleration forces so as to 
ensure that the galley 14 stays secured to the cabin floor 11. 
FIG. 4 depicts diagrammatically how the seat tracks 26 are attached to 
floor beams 74 and intercostals 76 that provide structural support for the 
cabin floor 11. Throughout most of the cabin floor 11, the floor beams 74, 
which are depicted as solid lines, extend laterally across the fuselage 
10. The intercostals 76, which are represented as brackets, extend 
longitudinally between the floor beams 74. The exception to this is in a 
wing box area 78 (delineated in phantom) which is the portion of the 
fuselage 10 adjacent where the wings are joined. In the wing box 78, the 
floor beams 74 extend longitudinally through the box, and the intercostals 
76 extend laterally between the floor beams. Along the cabin floor 11, 
except in the vicinity of the wing box 78, the seat tracks 26 (depicted as 
dashed lines) are mounted to the top of the intercostals 76. In the wing 
box 78, the seat tracks 26 are mounted perpendicularly across the top of 
the intercostals 76 with known fasteners such as bolts and clamps (not 
illustrated). 
The intercostals 76 with top-mounted seat tracks 26 are reversibly 
securable to the associated floor beams 74 as depicted in FIGS. 5a and 5b 
so as to facilitate the lateral positioning of the galley 14. The floor 
beams 74, one shown in each figure, are generally T-shaped beams. The 
intercostals 76 are T-shaped beams having a vertical section 82 and a 
horizontal section 84 extending downwardly therefrom. A seat track 26 is 
secured to the center of the vertical section 82 above the horizontal 
section 84. The intercostal 76 also has a horizontally extending bottom 
flange 86 that extends perpendicularly to one side from the end of the 
horizontal section 84. 
Each intercostal 76 is attached at opposed ends to a doubler 88 and a 
splicer 90 that is affixed to the adjacent floor beams 74. The doubler 88 
has a base plate 92 that is welded or otherwise securely attached to the 
floor beam 74. A pair of identical, spaced-apart mounting flanges 94 
integral with the base plate 92 extend perpendicularly outward from the 
base plate. The splicer 90 is an inverted L-shaped bracket that extends 
perpendicularly through a hole 96 formed in the floor beam and opposed 
doublers 88, between the mounting flanges 94. The splicer 90 is 
dimensioned to underlie the ends of the adjacent intercostal bottom 
flanges 86 and is welded or otherwise securely attached to the adjacent 
floor beam 74 and/or doublers 88. Fasteners 98 are used to secure the ends 
of the intercostal horizontal sections 84 to one of the doubler mounting 
flanges 94 and the intercostal bottom flanges 86 to the top of the splicer 
90. 
As represented by FIGS. 5a and 5b, the intercostal 76 is reversibly 
attachable to either of the doubler mounting flanges 94. When the 
intercostal 76 mounting is reversed, the centerline of the intercostal 
vertical section 82 and the seat track 26 thereon are laterally shifted 
around the centerline of the doubler 88-and-mounting bracket 90 
subassembly. Thus, the lateral position of the galley 14 is adjusted by 
reversing the intercostals 74 which carry the seat tracks 26 to which the 
galley is secured. 
Conventional fasteners, which are typically in the form of clamps or bolts 
(not illustrated), secure the seat tracks 26 across the laterally 
extending intercostals 76 in the wing box 78. The fasteners are adjustable 
so that the position of the seat tracks 26 can be laterally adjusted. 
Accordingly, should the galley 14 be mounted in the wing box 78, the 
position can be laterally adjusted by simply laterally shifting the 
associated seat tracks 26. Moreover, the laterally adjustable seat tracks 
26 also make it possible to secure galleys 14 of differing widths to the 
cabin floor. When a wide-width galley is to be provided, the intercostals 
76 can be shifted so that the seat tracks 26 are a maximum distance apart; 
narrow-width galleys can be secured by arranging the intercostals so that 
the seat tracks are separated by a minimum distance. 
The floor fittings 60 and 62 are used to secure the galley 14 to any 
selected location along the length of the seat tracks 26. Each floor 
fitting 60 and 62 is designed to withstand specific acceleration forces to 
ensure that the galley 14 stays secured to the cabin floor 11 in the event 
the aircraft is subjected to massive acceleration forces. As depicted in 
FIG. 3, the galley 14 is provided with four of the floor fittings 60. 
Specifically, two floor fittings 60 are located in the galley rear wall 
panel 46, and one floor fitting 60 is located in each of the sidewall 
panels 44 in the portion of the panel adjacent the rear wall panel 46. 
There are two floor fittings 62, one located in the bottom of each galley 
sidewall panel 44 adjacent the open end of the galley 14. 
Each floor fitting 60 includes a frame 110 that is attached to the galley 
wall panel 44 or 46. Each frame 110 defines a separate bolt space 112. The 
separate floor fittings 60 are each secured to an underlying seat track 26 
by a conventional seat bolt 114 (FIG. 3a) or a modified seat bolt 115 
(FIG. 3b) that extends through a bolt hole 118 formed in the base of the 
frame 110. Each floor fitting 60 is resistant to specific acceleration 
forces that depend on the seat bolt 114 or 115 used to secure the fitting. 
FIG. 3a depicts a conventional seat bolt 114 used to secure the floor 
fitting 60 to an underlying seat track 26. The seat bolt 114 has a head 
120 that is located in the space between the seat track base 64 and the 
track flanges 68. The seat bolt 114 has a threaded stem 122 that extends 
from the bolt head 120 through the bolt hole 118 into the bolt space 112. 
The base of the bolt head 120 adjacent the stem 122 is planar. The floor 
fitting 60 is secured by two nuts 124 fastened to the seat bolt stem that 
urge the bolt head against the inner surfaces of a pair of opposed seat 
track flange lips 70. 
The conventional seat bolt 114 secures floor fittings 60 to the seat track 
such that the fittings are primarily resistant to lateral or side forces. 
A conventional seat bolt 114 is used to secure one of the floor fittings 
60 integral with the rear wall panel 46 such that the fitting is said to 
be primarily resistant to side-oriented acceleration forces. 
FIG. 3b depicts a modified seat bolt 115 used with the remaining floor 
fittings 60. The modified seat bolt includes a bolt head 125 located under 
a pair of opposed seat track flange lips 70. A threaded stem 126 extends 
upward from the bolt head 125 between the seat track flange lips 70. The 
bolt stem 126 is provided with a pair of opposed protuberances 127 and 128 
which extend outward adjacent to where the stem is attached to the bolt 
head. The first protuberance 127 is directed toward the front of the 
fuselage 10 and the second protuberance is directed toward the rear of the 
fuselage. The first protuberance 127 has squared off edges and is 
generally dimensioned to fit in the space between opposed seat track 
flange lips 70 that is not occupied by the bolt stem. The second 
protuberance 128 has a first section 129 generally identical to the first 
protuberance. Integral with the second protuberance first section 129 is a 
second section 130 that is generally fan-shaped and dimensioned to fit 
into a portion of the bolt void 72 adjacent the flange lips 70 that 
overlie the bolt head 125. Nuts 124 are used to fasten the modified seat 
bolt to the floor fitting 60. 
The protuberances 127 and 128 prevent forward movement of the modified seat 
bolt 115 such that the bolt is considered to be primarily resistant to 
forward-oriented acceleration forces. Thus, the two sidewall floor 
fittings 60 and one rear wall floor fitting 60 with which the modified 
seat bolt are used are considered to be primarily resistant to 
forward-oriented acceleration forces. 
Each floor fitting 62, as depicted in FIG. 3c, includes a fitting frame 134 
attached to the sidewall panel 44 which is similar to the fitting frame 
110 of fitting 60 and which defines bolt space 135 similar to bolt space 
112. A metal shear plate 136 is located in the bottom of the frame 134. A 
tube-shaped shear plunger 138 integral with the shear plate 136 extends 
through an opening 140 in the center of the frame 134 and into an 
underlying bolt void 72. The shear plate 136-and-shear plunger 138 
assembly is secured to the frame 134 by a pair of conventional seat bolts 
114 that extend through bolt holes 118 formed in the frame 134 on either 
side of the plunger hole, not shown and also formed in either end of the 
shear plate 136. The plunger hole and bolt holes 118 are spaced apart such 
that the seat bolt heads 120 underlie the opposed seat track flanges lips 
70 that are adjacent the flange lips which define the bolt void 72 in 
which the plunger 138 is located. Two nuts 124 fastened to the seat bolts 
114 over the shear plate 136 secure the plate-and-plunger assembly to the 
frame 134 and the fitting 62 to the seat track 26. 
The twin conventional seat bolts 114 and shear plate 136 and shear plunger 
138 make floor fitting 62 resistant to both forward and side-oriented 
acceleration forces. The galley 14 is thus secured to the cabin floor by 
floor fittings 60 and 62 that are resistant to side forces, forward 
forces, and both side and forward forces. Should the aircraft fuselage 10 
be subjected to massive acceleration forces, one or more of the floor 
fittings 60 that are only resistant to a single type of force will 
initially shear or buckle. The initial fittings 60 to "break" will thus 
absorb a significant amount of the energy of acceleration. This reduces 
the stress on the other floor fittings 60 and 62 so that the galley will 
remain secured to the cabin floor 11. 
Cover plates 144 (FIG. 3) attached to each of the fitting frames 110 and 
134 enclose the bolt spaces 112 and 135. The cover plates 144 are attached 
to the fitting frames 110 and 134 by threaded fasteners 146 secured into 
threaded openings 148 in the frames. A kick plate 150 provides a cosmetic 
covering over the fittings 60 and 62 in each of the wall panels 44 and 46. 
The kick plates 150 are secured to the wall panels 44 and 46 by adhesives 
or other fastening means so that they can be readily removed and 
reinstalled as needed. The sections of the seat tracks 26 not covered by 
the galley wall panels 44 and 46 are covered by seat track plugs 151 
inserted between the track flanges 68 for safety and aesthetic purposes. 
Each tie-down assembly 28 used to secure the galley 14 to the top of the 
fuselage 10 includes a tie-down bar 156 as depicted in FIG. 6. The 
tie-down bar is connected between a frame fitting 158 attached to the top 
of the fuselage 10 and a tower 160 attached to the top of the galley 14. A 
number of frame fittings 158 are located along the length of the fuselage 
10 so that wherever the galley 14 is located, there will be a nearby frame 
fitting to which the tie-down bar 156 can be attached. The tower 160 is 
mounted in a longitudinally extending recess 162 located along the lateral 
edge of the galley top panel 54. The position of the tower 160 in the 
recess 162 is longitudinally adjustable so that the tie-down bar 156 can 
be mounted to the galley 14 at a selected angle wherein the tie-down bar 
offers the maximum structural support. In one embodiment of the invention, 
the tie-down bar is intended to be mounted at an angle of 15.degree. from 
the horizontal. Threaded fasteners 164 secure the tower 160 to a pair of 
horizontally oriented tracks 165, one shown, that extend longitudinally on 
the sides of the recess 162. Turn buckles 166 at the ends of the tie-down 
bar 156 are used to secure the bar to the frame fitting 158 and tower 160. 
The turn buckles 166 allow for lateral movement of the tie-down bar in 
instances where the galley's 14 position is laterally adjusted. A grill 
169, mounted to the top of the galley top panel 54 outside of the recess 
162, provides a cosmetic shield so that the tie-down assembly 28 is not 
visible. 
Returning to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the electrical power cable 30, 
which supplies power to the galley 14, is attached to an inverted trough 
170 that runs the length of the fuselage 10. The electric power cable 30 
is attached to the trough 170 by a set of brackets 172, attached to the 
trough 170. The power is supplied to the galley 14 from the electric power 
cable 30 through one of a number of spaced-apart outlet sockets 174, one 
shown, which are connected to the cable and are attached to the brackets 
172. Power is supplied to the galley 14 from a nearby outlet socket 174 
through a flexible power cable 176 connected between the output socket and 
an input socket 178 in the galley top panel 54. The flexible power cable 
176 has a cable head 180 with a threaded retaining ring that, in 
combination with complementary threading around the outlet socket 174, 
secures the cable 176 to the outlet socket. Conductors (not illustrated) 
in the galley rear and top panels 46 and 54, respectively, supply power to 
the galley electrical equipment. 
Water is supplied to the galley 14 through the potable water line 32 which 
is located in the top of the fuselage 10 adjacent the inverted trough 170. 
Located along the potable water line 32 are a number of self-sealing 
outlet couplings 186. A flexible water line 188 is connected between the 
galley 14 and an adjacent water line coupling 186 to serve as a water 
conduit to the galley. The flexible water line 188 has an inlet head 190 
that, in combination with complementary fastening members (not 
illustrated) on the outlet coupling 186 to which it is attached, actuates 
a valve (not illustrated) in the coupling that only allows water to flow 
through the coupling when the flexible water line is attached. The second 
end of the flexible water line 188 is connected to an inlet port 192 in 
the galley top panel 54. Water flows from the inlet port 192 into the 
faucet and sink 56 through a pipe (not illustrated) in the galley rear 
wall and top panels 46 and 54, respectively. 
Air is vented from the galley 14 through the vent duct 34 which is attached 
to the top of the fuselage near the inverted trough 170. A number of inlet 
ducts 196 are located along the length of the vent duct 34. Air is 
exhausted from the galley 14 through a flexible hose 198 attached at one 
end to an outlet port 200 in the galley top panel 54 and at the other end 
to an adjacent inlet duct 196. The inlet ducts 196 are provided with 
valves (not illustrated) that are actuated either manually, or in response 
to the hose 198 being attached thereto, such that each inlet duct is only 
open when a hose 198 is attached thereto. 
The galley 14 is provided with gasper air through gasper air line 36 which 
is mounted in the top of the fuselage 10 adjacent the inverted trough 170. 
Air outlets 202, with self-sealing valves (not illustrated), are located 
along the length of the gasper air duct 36. Gasper air is supplied to the 
galley 14 through a flexible air line 206 connected at one end to an 
adjacent air outlet port 202 and at the other end to an air inlet port 208 
in the galley top panel 54. The outlet port valve is arranged so that the 
valve only opens when the air line 206 is attached thereto. 
Waste water from the galley sink 56 is stored in the galley waste water 
system 38 which is located entirely within the galley 14. The galley waste 
water system 38 includes a collection pipe 210 which runs from the sink 56 
and is secured to the counter 48 and the galley rear wall panel 46. The 
collection pipe 210 is connected to a gray water storage tank 212 located 
in a portable food storage cart 214 normally kept underneath the counter 
48. Complementary couplings (not illustrated) on the pipe 210 and the cart 
214 provide for fluid flow therebetween. A locking system (not 
illustrated) secures the cart 214 underneath the counter 48 so that the 
cart does not move while the aircraft is in flight. The storage tank 212 
is provided with a drain 216 so that the tank can be emptied whenever the 
cart 214 is removed from the aircraft for restocking. 
As illustrated in FIG. 7, the galley 14 does not interfere with the normal 
distribution of air from the air conditioning ducts 218 located in the top 
of the fuselage 10. The galley 14 is dimensioned to fit below overhead 
storage bins 219 that are secured in the inverted troughs 170. Prior to 
the galley 14 being moved to an intended location, a ceiling panel (not 
illustrated) between the storage bins 219 is removed. Removal of the 
ceiling panel exposes the open end of the air conditioning duct outlet 
branch 220 through which air from the air conditioning duct 218 is 
distributed. A plenum 222 is attached to the open end of the air 
conditioning duct 220 and the end of one of the adjacent troughs 170 to 
slow the discharge of air out of the air conditioning duct. The plenum 222 
has an opening 224 adjacent the end of the inverted trough 218 through 
which air is normally discharged from a vent in the ceiling panel. The 
plenum is also provided with a bulb seal 226 spaced away from the inverted 
trough 218 and the plenum opening 224 which abuts the galley top panel 54. 
The bulb seal 226 directs the discharge of air out of the plenum opening 
224 so that the air flows laterally across the top of the galley top panel 
54 and out through the grill 169 and into the fuselage 10 adjacent the 
side of the galley 14. 
The centerline lavatory 16, as shown in FIG. 8, is an enclosed compartment 
formed by two longitudinally extending wall panels 230, two laterally 
extending wall panels 232 and a top panel 234. Access into the lavatory 16 
is through a door 236 attached to one of the longitudinal wall panels 230. 
The lavatory 16 is equipped with a bowl 238 adjacent one of the corners 
formed by the longitudinal wall 230 and the lateral wall 232 opposite the 
door 236. A sink 240 is attached to one of the lateral walls 232 adjacent 
the bowl 238. 
The lavatory 16 is selectively secured to any location along the seat 
tracks 26 in the cabin floor 11 by floor fittings 60 and 62 located in the 
bottom of the lavatory wall panels 230 and 232. As with the galley 14, the 
floor fittings 60 and 62 are each intended to withstand a specific set of 
acceleration forces. Two longitudinally aligned floor fittings 60, one in 
each lateral wall panel 232, are provided that are primarily resistant to 
side forces. Two longitudinally aligned floor fittings 60, one in each of 
the lateral wall panels 232, are provided that are primarily resistant to 
forward forces. Two laterally aligned floor fittings 60, one in each of 
the longitudinal wall panels 230, are provided that are resistant to 
forward acceleration forces. The longitudinal wall panels 230 are also 
each provided with a floor fitting 62. The fittings 62 are laterally 
aligned, and are resistant to both forward and side acceleration forces. 
This fitting arrangement, like the fitting arrangement used to secure the 
galley 14, ensures that should the fuselage 10 be subjected to significant 
acceleration forces, the lavatory 16 will remain secured to the cabin 11. 
A foldable flight attendant's seat (not illustrated) may be attached to the 
outside of either of the lavatory lateral wall panels 232. When a flight 
attendant's seat is provided, the lavatory 16 is secured to the top of the 
fuselage 10 by a pair of tie-down assemblies 28, not illustrated in this 
embodiment of the invention. If a flight attendant's seat is provided, the 
location of the individual floor fittings 60 and 62 may be changed in 
order to ensure that galley 14 will stay secured to the cabin floor 11. 
Electricity, water, ventilation and air are provided to the lavatory 16 
through the electrical power cable 30, the waterline 32, the vent duct 34 
and the gasper air line 36. The lavatory top panel 234 is provided with an 
electrical input socket 178, a water inlet port 194, a ventilating air 
outlet port 200, and a gasper air inlet port 208 so that the service 
connections can be made to the lavatory 16. A flexible power cable 176, a 
flexible water line 188, a flexible vent hose 198 and flexible gasper air 
inlet line 206 described with reference to the galley 14 serve as the 
conduits for the connection of services to the lavatory 16. 
Waste from the lavatory bowl 238 and sink 240 is collected through the 
lavatory waste collection system 40. The collection system 40 includes a 
set of modular pipe sections 242 that run longitudinally underneath the 
cabin floor 11. The pipe sections 242 start at a pump 244 (FIG. 1), 
adjacent the holding tanks 42 which draws waste through the collection 
system 40 into the holding tanks. The pipe sections 242 are assembled to 
be of sufficient length so that the open end of the lead pipe section 242 
is located in the vicinity of the lavatory 16. Attached to the open end of 
the lead pipe section 242 is a telescoping pipe section 246 that is 
adjusted so that the open end of the telescoping section is in line with 
the lavatory 16. Attached to the forward opening of the telescoping pipe 
section 246 is a transverse pipe 248 that extends laterally under the 
cabin floor 11 and terminates under the lavatory bowl 238. If it is 
intended that the position of the centerline lavatory can be laterally 
adjusted, the transverse pipe 248 may be provided with a telescoping 
section (not illustrated) so that the length of the pipe can be adjusted 
as required. 
As shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 9a and 9b, the lavatory bowl 238 is 
connected to an outlet elbow 250. Waste water from the lavatory sink 240 
(FIG. 8) flows through a collection pipe 252 which is connected to the 
outlet elbow 250. The outlet elbow 250 is connected to the collection 
system transverse pipe section 248 by an offset elbow 254 which extends 
through the cabin floor 11. The outlet elbow 250 and the offset elbow 254 
are connected together by a vacuum-tight coupling assembly 256 that allows 
the offset elbow 254 to be mounted to the outlet elbow in at least two 
positions. This facilitates the coupling of the outlet elbow to the 
transverse pipe 248 in situations where the outlet elbow opens over an 
underlying floor beam 74. In these situations, the telescoping pipe 
section 246 (FIG. 8) can be adjusted such that the transverse pipe section 
248 is positioned either immediately forward or aft of the floor beam 74. 
The offset elbow 254 can then be positioned to interconnect the bowl 
outlet elbow 250 to the transverse line 248 around either side of the 
floor beam 74. 
As shown in FIG. 10, the pipe sections 242 are secured underneath the floor 
beams 74 by brackets 258 attached to the floor beams. The brackets 258 
releasably secure the pipe sections 242 to the floor beams 74 so that when 
the lavatory 16 is moved forward, additional pipe sections can be 
installed, and when the lavatory is moved rearward, pipe sections can be 
removed. The individual pipe sections 242 are coupled together by a clamp 
260 such that when pipes are connected together, a vacuum-tight seal is 
formed. 
The telescoping pipe section 246 has an inner tube 264 and an outer tube 
266 that is adjustably slid over the inner tube as illustrated in FIG. 11. 
A clamp 260 is located around the open end of the inner tube 264 for 
attaching the telescoping section 246 to the open end of the lead pipe 
section 242. The open end of the outer tube 266 is provided with an elbow 
section 268 for attachment to the transverse line 248 (FIG. 8). 
A compression seal assembly 270 is used to form a vacuum-tight seal between 
the inner tube 264 and the outer tube 266. The compression seal assembly 
270 includes a nut compression seal 272 slidably disposed around the inner 
tube 264 and a housing compression seal 274 attached to the end of the 
outer tube 266. The nut compression seal 272 has a body 276 adjacent the 
housing compression seal 274 spaced away from the inner tube 264, and a 
lip section 278 integral with the body, that abuts the inner tube. An 
annular compression seal 280 with a triangular cross section is located 
around the inner tube 272 between the nut compression seal body 276 and 
the lip section 278. Complementary threading 282 around the outside of the 
housing compression seal 274 and the inside of the nut compression seal 
body 276 secure the nut compression seal and the housing compression seal 
together. When the nut compression seal 272 and housing compression seal 
274 are so attached, the compression seal 280 is compressed between the 
nut compression seal lip section 278 and the end of the housing 
compression seal which is formed with an outwardly directed taper 284. The 
compression urges the seal 280 against the inner tube 272 so as to form a 
vacuum-tight barrier between the inner and outer tubes. After the seal has 
been formed, a rubber shrink tube 286 is placed over the nut compression 
seal 272 and housing compression seal 274 to protect against any failures 
in the compression seal and to prevent the seal assembly from unscrewing. 
As illustrated in FIG. 12, the lavatory offset elbow 254 is connected to 
the transverse pipe section 248 through a floor panel 290 that forms part 
of the cabin floor 11. The offset elbow extends through a hole 292 formed 
in the floor panel 290 and is connected into an elbow extension 294 at the 
end of the transverse line 248. The floor panel 290 is removable such that 
when the lavatory 16 is repositioned, the floor panel with the hole 292 to 
accommodate the offset elbow can be repositioned underneath the area in 
which the lavatory will be located. It may be desirable to provide the 
floor panel 290 with a number of holes 292 so that regardless of where the 
lavatory 16 is relocated there will always be a hole 292 through which the 
offset elbow 254 can extend. In a multihole 292 floor panel 290, the holes 
through which the offset elbow 254 does not extend, are covered by plugs 
(not illustrated). 
A compression seal assembly 296 is used to vacuum seal the offset elbow 254 
to the transverse pipe elbow extension 294. The compression seal assembly 
296 includes an annular nut seal 298 ring that is seated in the floor 
panel hole 292 around the outside of both the offset elbow 254 and the 
transverse line elbow extension 294. Complementary threading 300 on the 
outside of the elbow extension 294 and on the inside of the nut seal ring 
298 is provided so that the ring can be secured to the elbow extension. An 
annular flange 302 is located around the outside of the nut seal ring 298 
above the floor panel 290. Indentures 304 are formed in the flange 302 so 
that the nut seal ring 298 may be secured to the elbow extension 294 by a 
complementary wrench (not illustrated). The transverse type elbow 
extension 294 is provided with an annular flange 306 immediately below the 
threading 300. A resilient annular bushing 308 is attached to the flange 
306 adjacent the threading 300. 
The compression seal assembly 296 also includes an annular compression seal 
310 that has a triangular cross section which is located around the offset 
elbow 254 adjacent the open end of the transverse pipe elbow extension 
294. The compression seal 310 is located in a space defined by an 
indenture 312 in the nut seal ring adjacent the offset elbow 254 above the 
threading 300, and by offset taper 314 formed around the open end of the 
elbow extension 294. When the nut seal ring 298 is secured to the elbow 
extension 294, the compression seal 310 is compressed into the space 
between the offset elbow 254 and the open end of the elbow extension 294 
so as to form a vacuum-tight seal. The flange 306 and bushing 308 located 
around the elbow extension 294 below the threading 300 limit the downward 
movement of the nut seal ring 298. The flange 306 and bushing 308 also 
dampen the transmission of motion between the transverse line 248, the 
floor panel 290 and offset elbow 254 that occurs due to the normal 
in-flight vibration of the fuselage 10. 
The sidewall lavatory 18, as depicted in FIG. 13, is a closed compartment 
formed out of the first longitudinally aligned wall panel 316, with 
curvature conforming to the curvature along the inside of the fuselage 10, 
a pair of laterally extending wall panels 318, and a second longitudinal 
wall panel 320 with a door 322. The lavatory 18 is enclosed by a top panel 
323. The lavatory 18 is provided with a lavatory bowl 324 in one of the 
corners between the first longitudinal wall panel 316 and one of the 
adjacent lateral wall panels 318 and a sink 326 attached to the lateral 
wall panel 318 adjacent the bowl. 
The lavatory 18 is secured to seat tracks 26 (FIG. 3) in the underlying 
cabin floor 11. As with the galley 14 and centerline lavatory 16, the 
floor fittings 60 and 62 fastening means used to secure the associated 
seat tracks, are selected such that each fitting and associated seat track 
26 are said to be resistant to a specific set of acceleration forces. 
Specifically, two longitudinally-aligned floor fittings 60, one in each 
lateral wall panel 318, are provided that are primarily resistant to 
side-oriented acceleration forces. Two longitudinally aligned floor 
fittings 60, one in each lateral wall panel 318, are provided that are 
primarily resistant to forward acceleration forces. Each longitudinal wall 
panel 316 and 320 has a floor fitting 60 and a floor fitting 62 such that 
the fittings 60 are laterally aligned with each other and the fittings 62 
are laterally aligned with each other. The floor fittings 60 are primarily 
resistant to forward-oriented acceleration forces. The floor fittings 62 
are resistant to both forward and side-oriented acceleration forces. As in 
the previous assemblies, this construction insures that should the 
fuselage 10 be subject to massive acceleration forces, the sidewall 
lavatory 18 will remain secured to the cabin floor 11. 
As depicted diagrammatically in FIG. 14, the sidewall lavatory 14 is 
supplied with electrical ventilation and air services through an 
electrical supply line 328, a ventilating air duct 330, and a gasper air 
duct 332 located in the top of the fuselage 10. The electrical power line 
328, the vent duct 330, and gasper air line 332 are identical to the 
previous in function to the electrical power cable 30, the vent duct 34 
and the gasper air line 36 and are already in the aircraft fuselage 10 for 
supplying services to passengers in the seats along the side of the 
fuselage. The electrical power cable 328, the ventilating duct 330, and 
the gasper air line 332, are respectively provided with the previously 
described electrical outlet sockets 174, ventilating inlet ducts 196, and 
gasper air outlet ports 202 so that the sidewall lavatory 16 can be 
provided with services regardless of where it is located. Connections of 
the services to the sidewall lavatory are through a flexible power cable 
176, a flexible ventilation hose 198, and a flexible air line 206, which 
have been previously described. The sidewall lavatory top panel 323 (FIG. 
13) is provided with a necessary electrical socket 178, ventilating air 
out port 200 and gasper air inlet port 208 so that the service connections 
can be made to the lavatory. 
A number of spaced-apart, laterally extending branch water lines 334, one 
shown, extend from the water line 32 so that the sidewall lavatory 18 can 
be supplied with water. The branch water lines 334 extend off the water 
line 32 and are spaced apart longitudinally throughout the fuselage 10 so 
that wherever the lavatory 18 is moved, there will be a nearby source of 
water. The end of each branch water line 334 is provided with a 
self-sealing outlet coupling 186 so that a flexible water line 188 can be 
connected thereto. A flexible water line 188 is used as the conduit 
through which the water can flow from branch water line 334 adjacent the 
lavatory 18 into the lavatory through an inlet port 194 in the lavatory 
top panel 323. 
Waste water from the lavatory bowl 324 and sink 326 is collected by the 
lavatory waste collection system 40 for storage in the holding tanks 42 
(FIG. 1). As described with respect to the centerline lavatory 16, the 
collection system 40 includes a number of pipe sections 242, 246 and 248 
that are coupled to an offset elbow 254 through which waste from the bowl 
324 and sink 326 flows. The specific modular pipes 242, telescoping pipe 
246 and transverse pipe 248 which are connected to the sidewall lavatory 
may, of course, be of different length than the pipes that are connected 
to the centerline lavatory 16. 
Adjacent the top of the sidewall lavatory are overhead storage bins 336 or 
338, or a literature rack 340 as depicted in FIGS. 15a-f. Specifically, as 
can be seen in FIG. 15a, the sidewall lavatory is significantly shorter in 
length than the standard movable overhead storage bin 336. For example in 
one configuration, the overhead storage bin 336 is eight-eight inches long 
and the lavatory 16 is thirty-eight inches long. The "empty" space in a 
standard overhead storage bin location not filled by the sidewall lavatory 
18 is occupied by a pair of reduced size storage bins 338 and the 
literature rack 340. The reduced size overhead storage bins are twenty-two 
inches long and the literature rack is six inches long. Cumulatively, the 
reduced size overhead storage bins 338 and literature rack 340 measure 
fifty inches in length which is identical to the section of length in a 
standard overhead storage location which is not occupied by the lavatory 
18. 
The overhead storage bins 336 and 338 and literature rack 340 are 
releasably attached to the fuselage 10 using a known mounting system. The 
sidewall lavatory 18 can thus be repositioned by moving the overhead 
storage bins 336 and 338 and literature rack 340 as desired. As depicted 
by FIGS. 15a-f, within any longitudinal area occupied by a standard 
overhead storage bin 336, the lavatory 18, the reduced sized storage bins 
338 and literature rack can be arranged to present an uninterrupted view 
along the fuselage 10. Specifically, as depicted in FIG. 15a, the units 
can be positioned in a lavatory-literature rack-bin-bin arrangement 
wherein the lavatory is aligned against a baseline position adjacent a 
standard overhead storage bin 336. As depicted in FIG. 15b, the lavatory 
can be positioned six inches from the baseline position using a literature 
rack-lavatory-bin-bin arrangement. Using the bin-lavatory-literature 
rack-bin arrangement of FIG. 15c, the lavatory can be positioned 
twenty-two inches from the baseline position. With the bin-literature 
rack-lavatory-bin arrangement of FIG. 15d, the lavatory can be positioned 
twenty-eight inches from the baseline position. The lavatory 18 is located 
forty-four inches from the baseline position in the 
bin-bin-lavatory-literature rack arrangement of FIG. 15e. Alternatively, 
the lavatory 18 can be positioned fifty inches from the baseline position 
using the bin-bin-literature rack-lavatory arrangement of FIG. 15f. 
If the sidewall lavatory 18 is to be positioned outside of the initial 
standard storage bin location, the adjacent standard overhead bins 336 are 
removed and the lavatory is relocated as desired. The displaced standard 
overhead bin 336 is reattached in the location originally occupied by the 
lavatory 16, and the reduced size overhead storage bins 338 and the 
literature rack 340 are reattached adjacent the relocated lavatory 18. 
The aircraft cabin system 12 of the invention allows aircraft galleys 14 
and lavatories 16 and 18 to be relocated in any number of locations in an 
aircraft fuselage 10 with minimal effort. The floor fittings 60 and 62 and 
tie-down assemblies 28 allow the galley 14 and lavatories 16 and 18 to be 
quickly secured to and released from any location in the aircraft where 
the complementary seat tracks 26 and fuselage fittings 158 are located. 
The positions of the galley 14 and centerline lavatory 16 can be laterally 
adjusted by shifting the seat tracks 26. Electrical, water ventilation and 
air services can similarly readily be connected and disconnected to the 
galley and lavatory at any location where the units are positioned. 
Galley waste water is conveniently stored in the gray water storage tank 
212. This eliminates the need to provide under floor waste collection 
connections each time the galley 14 is moved. The flexibility of the 
lavatory waste collection system 40 facilitates connecting the lavatories 
16 and 18 to the holding tanks 42 when the positions of the lavatories are 
changed. 
The reduced size overhead storage bins 338 and literature rack 340 mounted 
adjacent the sidewall lavatory 18 offer an aesthetically pleasing 
uninterrupted appearance of the overhead space in the vicinity of the 
lavatory. The bins 338 and literature rack 340 also maximize the 
usefulness of the space in the vicinity of the lavatory 18. 
The system 12 of this invention maximizes the flexibility of where aircraft 
galleys 14 and lavatories 16 and 18 can be located. The system 12 thus 
allows an aircraft owner to readily reposition these units for almost any 
desired cabin reconfiguration. Moreover, the flexibility offered by the 
system 12 eliminates the need for an aircraft owner to have to specify 
where galleys 14 and lavatories 16 and 18 are to be located when the 
aircraft is being built. 
It is of course understood that this specification is exemplary and that 
other support and interconnect assemblies may be used with this aircraft 
system 12 without departing from the scope of the invention. FIG. 16, for 
example, depicts an alternative transverse pipe section 350 that may be 
part of the lavatory waste collection section. The transverse pipe section 
350 has a telescoping length section 352 and a fixed length section 354. 
The fixed length section 354 has a first elbow opening 356 adjacent the 
telescoping section 352 and a second elbow opening 358 at the opposite 
end. The two openings 356 and 358 enable the transverse pipe section 350 
to be connected to two separate bowels in a two-compartment lavatory unit. 
The telescoping section 352 enables the length of the transverse pipe 
section 350 to be adjusted should the position of the lavatory unit be 
laterally offset. 
It is also understood that disclosed constructions of the galley 14 and 
lavatories 16 and 18 are similarly illustrative. In some embodiments of 
the system, for example, it may be desirable to provide a privacy panel 
spaced a small distance in front of the open end of the galley 14. 
Moreoever, it is clear that the galley 14 can be provided with a front 
wall panel and open to the rear if such configuration is desired. 
Fastening systems other than those disclosed may be used to secure the 
galley and lavatory units to the aircraft fuselage. Moreover, it is 
understood that the disclosed floor fitting 60 and 62 arrangement wherein 
each fitting is primarily resistant to a specific set of acceleration 
forces is similarly illustrative. In other versions of this system 12, it 
may be necessary to secure the galley and lavatory units with fittings 
that withstand sets of acceleration different than those described. The 
actual arrangement of fittings will depend on the specific construction of 
the individual galley and lavatory units. 
Air, water, power and ventilation services may be provided to the galley 
and lavatory through distribution systems having features different from 
those of the described systems. For instance, in some versions of the 
invention, instead of providing gasper air to the portable units, regular 
air for the air conditioning duct may be supplied. In these embodiments of 
the system 12, the air conditioning duct is provided with outlet couplings 
to which an air line is attached. The air line is attached at its other 
end to an inlet coupling in the portable unit. In some embodiments of the 
system, it may be desirable to provide multiple water lines 32 to reduce 
or eliminate the number of branch water lines 334 that are required. 
Wastes, both from the galley and the lavatories may be collected and 
stored in systems distinct from those described. For example, as depicted 
in FIG. 17, in some embodiments of the system, the lavatory waste 
collection system may include fixed collection pipes 360 that run 
longitudinally through the fuselage. Each collection pipe 360 would have a 
number of longitudinally separated normally sealed spuds 362. Whenever a 
lavatory 16 or 18 is repositioned, a transverse pipe 254 is connected to a 
spud closest to the lavatory so that wastes can be drained into the 
holding tanks 42. 
Moreover, it is also understood that the rectangular areas 20, 22 and 24 in 
which the galley 14, the centerline lavatory 16 and sidewall lavatory 18 
are respectively located are similarly exemplary. In some versions of this 
invention the galley 14 and centerline lavatory 16 can quite readily be 
located in overlapping or identical positioning areas 20 and 22. It is 
also clear that in other versions of the system 12 it may be desirable to 
provide a sidewall galley. 
Therefore, it is understood that these and other modifications fall within 
the scope of the appended claims and the claims are not limited by the 
disclosure of the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed above.