Patent Publication Number: US-2015083859-A1

Title: Monument complex for an aircraft rear area

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/279,097 filed Oct. 21, 2011 which is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/EP2010/052942, filed Mar. 9, 2010, which was published under PCT Article 21(2) and which claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2009 018 690.5-22 filed Apr. 23, 2009 and of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/172 023 filed Apr. 23, 2009, the disclosures of which applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The technical field relates to the fitting out of aircraft cabins. In particular, the technical field relates to a monument complex to be mounted in a rear area of a cabin of an aircraft, to an aircraft with a monument complex, and to the use of a monument complex in an aircraft. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In present-day aircraft, monuments, for example on-board lavatory monuments or galley monuments, comprise three or four planar walls. WO 2004/076279 A2 describes an aircraft lavatory arrangement with several lavatories for the rear area of an aircraft cabin. An entry region is provided that is arranged in front of the urinals in the rear area, and behind the wash basins in the front area of the arrangement. CA 2 640 123 A1 and EP 1 986 914 A1 describe a galley arrangement for an aircraft, which galley arrangement comprises four planar walls. 
     It is at least one object to provide an improved arrangement of system components in a passenger cabin of an aircraft, which arrangement takes up as little cabin space as possible. In addition, other objects, desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background. 
     SUMMARY 
     Stated are a monument complex to be mounted in a rear area of a cabin of an aircraft, an aircraft comprising such a monument complex, and the use of a monument complex in an aircraft. 
     According to an exemplary embodiment, a monument complex to be mounted in a rear area of a cabin of an aircraft is stated, which monument complex comprises a system component, a rear contour and an entrance region. The system component is a component selected from the group comprising wash basin surrounds and a floor cupboard with systems engineering equipment contained therein. The entrance region is arranged in front of the system component, and the rear contour of the monument complex is at least in part adapted to a contour of the rear area of the cabin. 
     The notion of the entrance region being arranged “in front of” the system component denotes that when viewed in the direction of flight the entrance region is situated in front of the system component when the monument complex is installed in the cabin of the aircraft. In other words, from the cabin the passenger steps into the entrance region of the monument complex and can then move on in the direction of the system component. 
     The notion that the rear contour of the monument complex is at least in part adapted to the contour of the rear area of the cabin means that the rear of the monument complex is not a planar wall, because, as a rule, the contour of the rear area of the cabin is a surface curved in three dimensions. 
     According to a further exemplary embodiment, the rear contour of the cabin is predetermined by a bulkhead. 
     According to a further exemplary embodiment, the rear contour of the cabin defines a space. The system component is at least in part arranged in the defined space. 
     According to a further exemplary embodiment, the monument complex and at least some of the components installed therein, for example wash basin surrounds including a floor cupboard and systems engineering equipment contained therein, project at least in part or entirely into the space defined by the rear contour. 
     According to a further exemplary embodiment, the monument complex comprises a second system component, which is a lavatory. Of course, still further system components, for example a second or third lavatory and/or several further wash basin surrounds, can be provided. 
     According to a further exemplary embodiment, the rear contour is designed as a surface curved in three dimensions. 
     According to a further exemplary embodiment, the monument complex comprises two on-board lavatory modules. 
     The two on-board lavatory modules can be designed so as to be separate of each other or integral. In other words, the monument complex can be designed so as to be in several parts or in one part. 
     According to a further exemplary embodiment, the monument complex comprises one galley module or several such galley modules. 
     The monument complex can also comprise a galley and/or an on-board lavatory complex. 
     According to a further exemplary embodiment, the monument complex comprises a first door to a first sub-area of the monument complex, and a second door to a second sub-area of the monument complex. The first door and the second door encompass an angle other than approximately 180 degrees relative to each other. In this way valuable space in the passenger cabin can be saved because the two doors are not arranged perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, but instead obliquely to the longitudinal axis. 
     According to a further exemplary embodiment, the monument complex comprises a dividing wall for separating the two on-board lavatory modules from each other. The dividing wall is arranged in the middle of the monument complex. In the case of the monument complex being designed in the form of two separate on-board lavatory modules, the dividing wall is designed so as to be double-walled, for example there are two separate dividing walls. One dividing wall is associated with one on-board lavatory module, and the other dividing wall is associated with the other on-board lavatory module. 
     According to a further exemplary embodiment, the rear contour is designed as a continuous wall. This continuous wall can be designed in a stepped manner, for example as shown in  FIG. 2A , or it can be curved in two dimensions or even in three dimensions as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     According to a further exemplary embodiment, the monument complex is designed in the form of two sub-modules which during installation in the cabin of the aircraft are inserted separately from each other into the cabin. The sub-modules are then interconnected only in the cabin, provided such interconnection is required at all. 
     According to a further exemplary embodiment, the cabin is a passenger cabin of a commercial aircraft. 
     According to a further exemplary embodiment, an aircraft comprising a monument complex described above and below is stated. 
     According to a further exemplary embodiment, the use of a monument complex in an aircraft that is described above and below. The aircraft is, for example, a passenger aircraft (with or without a pressurized cabin) or a helicopter or an airship (zeppelin). 
     Below, exemplary embodiments are described with reference to the figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein illustrations in the figures are diagrammatic and not to scale and like numerals denote like elements, and: 
         FIG. 1  shows a view of a rear area of an aircraft cabin with a monument complex arranged therein; 
         FIG. 2A  shows a view of a rear area of an aircraft cabin according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 2B  shows a lateral view of the rear area of  FIG. 2A ; and 
         FIG. 3  shows an aircraft with a monument complex according to an exemplary embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following detailed description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit application and uses. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background or summary or the following 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a rear area of a passenger cabin  108  of an aircraft. The arrow  109  indicates the direction of flight. In the rear area a lavatory complex is arranged that comprises two lavatories  101 ,  102 . A main entrance door  104  is provided that opens to the outside (in other words, forwards towards the passenger cabin). Through this door  104  the user enters the entry region or entrance region  116 . Behind the entrance region  116  wash basin surrounds  112  are arranged. 
     To the left-hand side and the right-hand side of the entrance region  116  the two lavatory modules with the lavatories  101 ,  102  are provided. The modules can be opened by way of the folding doors  114  and  115 . 
     The complex is arranged directly in front of the rear bulkhead  111 , which is usually designed so as to be concave towards the cabin side. In this manner a dead or unused space arises in that location. This space cannot be used for cabin functions. 
     The dead space  110  defined by the curved contour  107  of the bulkhead  111  is not used by the lavatory modules. The rear contour  103  of the modules is designed in the form of a planar wall. 
       FIG. 2A  shows a monument complex  100  according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, which monument complex  100  is arranged in the rear area of the passenger cabin  108 . 
     The monument complex  100  comprises two individual lavatory modules, each comprising a lavatory  101 ,  102 . The two lavatory modules abut and are separated from each other by way of the dividing wall  106 . It is also possible for two such dividing walls  106  to be provided, in each case one dividing wall  106  for one of the two modules. 
     Furthermore, continuous wash basin surrounds or wash basin surrounds divided into two are provided (see reference characters  112 ,  113 ), each comprising a wash basin for the left-hand and the right-hand lavatory modules. 
     In the case of a single-part wash basin surrounds the dividing wall  106  comprises a corresponding recess through which the wash basin surrounds extends. 
     Two doors  104 ,  105  are provided, one for the left-hand module with the lavatory  101 , and one for the right-hand module with the lavatory  102 . The two doors encompass an angle other than 180 degrees relative to each other. In the case of the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 2A  the angle is approximately 120 degrees. However, the angle could also be approximately 90 degrees. 
     As a result of this angle, additional space in the passenger cabin is gained. Through the left-hand door  104  the user reaches the upper entrance region  116 , and through the right-hand door  105  the user reaches the right-hand (lower) entrance region  116  of the second lavatory module. 
     The rear contour  103  of the monument complex is adapted to the shape of the rear area of the cabin, thus in particular to the shape of the bulkhead  111 . This is achieved in that the one or several wash basin surrounds  112 ,  113  are partly arranged in the space defined by the curvature of the bulkhead. In this manner, additional space in the direction of flight  109  is gained. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the lavatory complex is minimized in the X-length (in other words in the direction of flight  109 ). Based on this embodiment, where only one wash basin surrounds with narrow access, comfortable use is not possible. Classical enlargement of the lavatory in the direction of flight  109  would result in the loss of valuable seating space. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2A , the overall volume of the lavatories is enlarged, without the monument complex being extended in the direction of flight  109 . Consequently the movement space within the lavatory is enlarged. The example in  FIG. 2A  shows how from the lavatory shown in  FIG. 1 , as a result of the enlargement, a comfortably-usable lavatory is provided, without this resulting in the loss of seating space. For example, the wash basin surrounds  112 ,  113  and the floor cupboard with systems engineering equipment contained therein are, at least in part, displaced to the newly-gained space. The addition of box-shaped extensions involves only little additional cost during manufacture, while, in contrast to this, gaining several inches of cabin length returns very substantial benefits. 
     This is thus a lavatory where the space in the bulkhead curvature is utilized. 
     The embodiments provide for the wall of the monument complex, which in the present example is the lavatory, which faces the bulkhead, being designed in such a manner that optimized utilization of space results. Instead of a planar wall a wall with a contour that approximates the contour of the bulkhead is installed. Thus, as a result of the newly gained space, an additional wash basin can be provided, as shown in  FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B . Furthermore, the usable entrance region is enlarged. 
     In this arrangement identical materials and designs can be used that would normally be used for rear walls of monuments. 
     A further improvement can be achieved by means of a wall that is designed as an offset (e.g., a three-dimensionally curved surface) of the bulkhead, as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 2B  shows a lateral view of the region of  FIG. 2A . The monument complex  100  comprises a ceiling  201 , a front wall  202 , a floor  203  and several rear wall segments  204 ,  205 ,  206 ,  207 . 
     The various segments of the rear wall can be integrally connected. The monument complex is arranged on the cabin floor  208 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2B , the rear wall segments  204 ,  205  encompass a space  209  in which the system lines can be located, which system lines connect the system components of the monument complex to the aircraft supply. To this effect the first segment  204  is arranged vertically, and the second segment  205  is arranged horizontally. 
       FIG. 3  shows an aircraft  300  with a monument complex  100 , arranged in the rear area, with a two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally curved rear wall. 
     In addition, it should be pointed out that “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and “a” or “an” does not exclude a plural number. Furthermore, it should be pointed out that characteristics or steps which have been described with reference to one of the above exemplary embodiments can also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps of other exemplary embodiments described above. Moreover, while at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration in any way. Rather, the foregoing summary and detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents.