Abstract:
An access module for an aircraft for enabling access to an overhead area of said aircraft, as well as providing a changing room for a crewmember. The access module has dimensions comparable to a standard lavatory module and includes a ladder that may be moved from a stowed position, in which it takes up substantially no interior area of the module, to an extended position, which allows a crewmember to easily gain access to the overhead area.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates in general to airplanes and more particularly to an apparatus that enables a person to gain access to the overhead area of a commercial passenger aircraft while also functioning as a full sized changing room, and which has a footprint no larger than a standard lavatory module.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Occasionally during a commercial passenger airline flight a member of the flight crew may find it necessary or desirable to change his or her clothes. Since commercial airlines typically do not have dedicated changing rooms, the lavatory often becomes the most used facility for changing purposes. However, due to its very small space, the lavatory generally provides a less than suitable changing area. A preferable alternative would be to provide the crew with a dedicated changing room. Unfortunately, doing so would generally require eliminating revenue producing passenger seats or valuable storage space to make room for the dedicated changing room. Instead, it would be desirable and beneficial to provide a dedicated changing room that does not require eliminating passenger seats or reducing the amount of storage space available on the aircraft.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    In accordance with the present invention, a preferred embodiment of a multi-function overhead space access module is disclosed. The access module is generally box shaped and preferably has the same outside dimensions and appearance as a lavatory. To avoid having to eliminate passenger seats to make room for the access module, the access module is preferably substituted in place of one of the aircraft&#39;s existing lavatories.  
           [0004]    When installed in an aircraft that has usable overhead space, the module is capable of functioning as both a changing room and as a means for accessing the overhead area. The overhead area is accessible by means of a movable ladder installed within the access module. The ladder can be positioned in either a predetermined extended (i.e., operative) or a stowed position. Placing the ladder in its extended position enables a user to conveniently access the overhead area of the aircraft. Moving the ladder to its stowed position allows the interior area of the module to be used as a changing room.  
           [0005]    Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multi-function access module of the present invention with a wall portion in the foreground broken away to illustrate the interior of the module;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the mechanism for attaching the bottom of the access module to a seat track mounted on a floor of the aircraft;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing the ladder&#39;s center joint;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing the track mount mechanism;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing the floor mounted retaining pockets used to capture and retain the wheels mounted to the bottom of the ladder;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the access module showing the ladder in its stowed position;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the access module showing the ladder in its extended position;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the access module illustrating how a person located in the overhead area moves the ladder from its stowed position to its extended position;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 9 is a view of the back of the bi-fold door showing the roller shade in its stowed position; and  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the inside of the access module showing the roller shade in its deployed position. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0017]    The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.  
         [0018]    Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an access module  10  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The access module  10  has the same exterior dimensions, footprint, and appearance as an aircraft lavatory module and is preferably substituted in place of an existing lavatory module on an aircraft. For example, a deck plan for a Boeing 777® commercial aircraft proposes two adjacent lavatories located at the center of the passenger deck between the second and third exterior doors. The access module  10  of the present invention is substituted in place of one of the two center lavatories of such an aircraft deck design. This results in the configuration shown in FIG. 1, wherein the access module  10  is positioned within the aircraft immediately adjacent to the remaining center lavatory  12 .  
         [0019]    Continuing to refer to FIG. 1, the access module  10  has a right side wall panel  14 , a left side wall panel  16 , a back wall panel  18 , a floor panel  20 , a ceiling panel  22 , and a bi-fold door  24 . The ceiling panel  22  has an access opening  26  that is sufficiently large to allow a person to comfortably gain access to an overhead area  28 .  
         [0020]    Since the access module  10  has approximately the same exterior dimensions and appearance as an existing lavatory, the access module may be constructed using the same materials and methods used to construct a lavatory module, which are both well known to the skilled artisan. For example, panels  14 ,  16 ,  18 ,  20 , and  22  may be constructed by layering one or more plies of fiberglass skin over each side of a Nomex® honeycomb core. The shell of the access module  10  is formed by suitably attaching panels  14 ,  16 ,  18 ,  20 , and  22  to one another to form a generally box shaped structure. The bi-fold door  24 , which is of a conventional design similar or identical to that used on a lavatory module, is attached to the front of the access module  10  in a conventional manner.  
         [0021]    Continuing to refer to FIG. 1, the access module  10  is preferably attached to a pair of seat tracks  30  and an overhead bin rail  32  in a manner similar or identical to that used to attach lavatory module  12 . A base  10   a  of the access module  10  is preferably attached to the seat tracks  30  at four locations  34  using conventional brackets  36  and a known seat track insert assembly  38 , both of which are shown in greater detail in FIG. 2. Brackets  36  are suitably attached to the lower edge of the right and left wall panels  14  and  16 . The front top  10   b  of the access module  10  is suitably attached to the overhead bin rail  36  using two tie rods  40 .  
         [0022]    Continuing to refer to FIG. 1, the bi-fold door  24  will preferably be as tall as the access module envelope will allow in order to minimize the possibility of a person striking his/her head while entering the access module  10  and stepping onto a ladder assembly  42  that is oriented in its extended position within the module. The bi-fold door  24  will preferably have a conventional latch  44  that can only be unlatched from the outside using a key, but may be opened or locked by the user from the inside without using a key.  
         [0023]    With further reference to FIG. 1, the access module  10  includes the track-mounted ladder assembly  42 , which is geometrically configured to provide the best possible ergonomics for the user within the interior area of the module. The ladder assembly  42  is preferably made of aluminum, however, it shall be appreciated that other materials may also be used provided they are relatively light in weight and structurally strong. Tubular shaped handrails  46  and  48  are fixedly mounted to the inside surface of right wall panel  14  and left wall panel  16 , respectively.  
         [0024]    The overall length of the ladder assembly  42 , in one preferred form, is 114 inches (approximately 290 cm). The overall width of the ladder assembly  42 , in one preferred form, is 24 inches (approximately 61 cm). However, it will be appreciated that these dimensions could vary significantly depending on the specific dimensions of the module  10  and the elevation of the overhead area  28 .  
         [0025]    Referring now to FIG. 3, each step  50  has a landing width “X”, which is wide enough to allow a person to easily step thereon. In one preferred form, the steps  50  have a width of approximately 5 inches (approximately 13 cm). Ladder assembly  42  is preferably divided into two separate halves  52  and  54  for shipping and installation convenience. The two halves  52  and  54  can be rigidly connected together using brackets  56  and bolts  58 , or any other suitable fastening components, as part of the installation procedure.  
         [0026]    Referring now to FIG. 4, the ladder assembly  42  is movably attached to the back wall  18  of the access module  10  by means of a track mounting mechanism  60 . Mechanism  60  consists of a pair of slotted track mounts  62  (only one being visible) that are fixedly mounted to back wall  18  using bolts  64 , or some other suitable means for structural attachment. A pair of generally U-shaped brackets  66 , which are designed to mate with slotted track mounts  62 , are rigidly attached (i.e., by bolting, welding, etc.) to a back side surface  68  of the left and right rails  54   a  and  54   b  of the upper half  54  of ladder assembly  42  in the manner shown in FIG. 4. Each of the brackets  66  are movably connected to the slotted track mounts  62  by means of a round dowel pin  70 . The dowel pins  70  are inserted through holes  66   a  in the distal ends of brackets  66  and a slot  72  of the slotted track mounts  62 . Dowel pin  70  is preferably made of stainless steel.  
         [0027]    To provide quiet and smooth movement of the ladder assembly  42 , as well as to prevent vibration induced chattering between each dowel pin  70  and its respective slot  72 , the width of slot  72  of track mount  62  will preferably be slightly larger (preferably about 0.010 to 0.015 inches (0.0254 to 0.0381 mm) wider) than the diameter of dowel pin  70 . The dowel pins  70  are secured to the brackets  66  by means of conventional snap rings  74  that are inserted into a circumferential groove that is manufactured into each end of the dowel pins  70 . For smoother operation, the dowel pins  70  may incorporate bearings (not shown).  
         [0028]    Continuing to refer to FIG. 4, the slot  72  of track mount  62  has a shape that is determined by a desired curve that dowel pin  70  traces as the ladder assembly  42  is moved from its stowed position, as shown in FIG. 6, to its extended position, as shown in FIG. 7, and vise versa. The curvature of slot  72  is determined by combining the separately determined vertical and horizontal positions of dowel pins  70  as the ladder assembly  42  is moved from one position to another. For example, moving the ladder assembly  42  from its stowed position (FIG. 6) to its extended position (FIG. 7) will cause the upper end of the ladder assembly to pivot about dowel pins  70  (see FIG. 4), which could cause the upper end of the ladder assembly to contact and damage the edge of the access opening  26  (FIG. 1). To prevent this contact from occurring, dowels pins  70  will need to move progressively further away from the rear wall panel  18 , along a generally horizontal plane, as the ladder assembly  42  is moved from its stowed position to its extended position. Similarly, in order for the bottom of the ladder assembly to remain in contact with the floor panel  20  as the ladder assembly is extended, the distance from the dowel pins  70  to the floor panel  20  (dimension “Y” in FIGS. 6 and 7) will have to decrease. Consequently, dowel pins  70  should also be free to move in a generally vertical plane. By combining the desired horizontal and vertical motion of dowel pins  70  as the ladder assembly  42  is moved from one position to another, it is possible to determine a contour of slot  72  that will provide smooth and unfettered motion of ladder assembly  42 . It is this desired arc shaped path that defines the shape of slot  72  of track mount  62 .  
         [0029]    Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, the ladder assembly  42  is intended to function in either one of two positions. The ladder assembly  42  may be positioned in either its stowed position, as shown in FIG. 6, or its extended (i.e., operative) position, as shown in FIG. 7. A conventional roller  76  (better shown in FIG. 5) is attached to the bottom of each leg  42   a  of the ladder assembly  42  to facilitate extending and stowing of the ladder assembly. The ladder assembly  42  is generally positioned in its extended position (see FIG. 7) to allow access to the overhead area  28  (FIG. 1). A forward set of retaining pockets  78 , and a rearward set of retaining pockets  80 , which are each preferably made of metal, are suitably attached to the floor panel  20  (FIGS. 5 and 7). The forward retaining pockets  78  form depressions in the floor panel  20  for capturing and retaining rollers  76 , thereby providing a means for positively indexing the ladder assembly  42  when it is situated in its extended position.  
         [0030]    Two cables  82  provide support for the ladder assembly  42  and prevent the ladder assembly from being overextended. The cables  82  each have one end suitably attached to back wall panel  18  and the other end thereof securely attached to the back surfaces  68  of each leg  42   a  of ladder assembly  42 , as shown in FIG. 7.  
         [0031]    Referring to FIG. 5, a resilient and impact absorbing strip of material  84 , which may consist of rubber or some other functionally equivalent material, is suitably attached to the leading edge of the bottom step of ladder assembly  42 . This is intended to provide cushioning in the unlikely event that the ladder assembly  42  is mishandled while being extended.  
         [0032]    Referring to FIG. 6, the ladder assembly  42  can be stowed by simply pushing the ladder assembly towards the rear wall panel  18  until the ladder assembly contacts a bumper  86  mounted on the back wall  18 . Bumper  86  can be made of rubber or any other soft and resilient material. The retaining pockets  80  form depressions in the floor panel  20  for capturing and retaining rollers  76 . The retaining pockets  80  are positioned such that the rollers  76  will drop down into the depression at the same time the ladder assembly  42  contacts the bumper  86 , thereby securing the ladder assembly in its stowed position.  
         [0033]    Referring now to FIG. 8, there is shown a situation in which the ladder assembly  42  has been moved to its stowed position while a person is occupying the overhead area  28  (see FIG. 1). If the person in the overhead area  28  wants to step down, the ladder assembly  42  can be moved to its extended position by simply pulling the top portion  88  of the ladder assembly toward the occupant. This will cause the ladder assembly  42  to pivot about dowel pins  70 , which in turn will move the ladder assembly  42  to its extended position as shown in FIG. 7. Alternatively, the occupant may also elect to climb down the ladder assembly  42  while the ladder assembly is in its stowed position. While in its stowed position the ladder assembly  42  functions in much the same manner as a conventional utility ladder.  
         [0034]    Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, there is shown a conventional roller shade  90  that can be used to visually block the access opening  26  (FIG.  1 ) of the overhead area  28  in order to provide personal privacy when the access module  10  is being used as a changing room. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, one end  92  of the roller shade  90  is formed in such a manner as to create a circular loop that is geometrically similar to an eyebolt. The other end  94  of the roller shade consists of a straight dowel. Roller shade  90  is pivotally attached to the back of panel  24   a  by means of a generally mushroom shaped retaining fixture  96 , which is inserted through the eye formed by end  92  of roller shade  90 . Retaining fixture  96  is fixedly attached to panel  24   a  by any suitable means, which may include, but is not limited to, bolting, riveting, screwing, or gluing. Retaining fixture  96  is preferably positioned close to the access opening  26  to avoid interfering with the head of the occupant when the occupant is standing within the module  10 . In one preferred implementation this mounting is approximately 76 inches (approximately 193 cm) above floor panel  20 .  
         [0035]    When not in use, roller shade  90  will normally be stored vertically, with the dowel shaped end  94  being secured to the back of panel  24   a  by means of a hook-and-loop strap  98 , or by some other suitable means. Alternatively, roller shade  90  can be stowed in a wall-mounted pocket (not shown) when not in use. In that case, a second support bracket, similar or identical to a hook shaped support bracket  100  that is attached to the back of panel  24   b , will need to be used in place of retaining fixture  96 . Furthermore, end  92  of roller shade  90  should be dowel shaped rather than being shaped in the form of an eyebolt.  
         [0036]    To obtain complete privacy, a user deploys the roller shade  90  by first detaching the hook-and-loop fastener  98  in order to free end  94  of roller shade  90 . The user then upwardly pivots the free end (end  94 ) of the roller shade  90  about retaining fixture  96  in such a manner as to enable the dowel shaped end  94  to engage the hook shaped support bracket  100 . Bracket  100  is fixedly mounted to the back of a panel  24   b  at the same height and in the same manner as retaining fixture  96 . Grasping a handle  102  and pulling in the direction away from the bi-fold door  24  and toward ladder assembly  42  will cause the roller shade  90  to deploy. Handle  102  contains a pair of hooks  104 , one of which is positioned at either end of the handle  102 . The user finishes deploying the roller shade  90  by engaging the hooks  104  with two eyebolts  106  (or other functionally equivalent devices) that are fixedly attached to the legs  42   a  of ladder assembly  42 . Eyebolts  106  are attached to ladder assembly  42  at the same height that retaining fixture  96  and support bracket  100  are attached to panels  24   a  and  24   b . The fully deployed roller shade  90  is shown in FIG. 10.  
         [0037]    The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.