IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,407,887
Granted Patent B2
US 10,407,887 · App. 15/176,323 · Granted Sep 10, 2019

Systems and methods for automatically cleaning a lavatory floor

Inventor: Charles C. Jensen (Marysville, WA)
Assignee: The Boeing Company
E03D9/002B64C1/18B64D11/02B64F5/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,407,887
App. No.
15/176,323
Granted
Sep 10, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A self-cleaning floor assembly is configured to form or be positioned on a floor of an enclosed space. The self-cleaning floor assembly includes a moveable floor including a moveable floor panel, an actuation system that is operatively coupled to the floor panel, and a cleaning system proximate to at least a portion of the moveable floor. The actuation system is configured to move at least a portion of the floor panel into and through the cleaning system during a cleaning cycle. The cleaning system is configured to clean the portion(s) of the floor panel during the cleaning cycle.

Claims (42)

1. A self-cleaning floor assembly that is configured to form or be positioned on a floor of an enclosed space, the self-cleaning floor assembly comprising:

a moveable floor including a moveable floor panel;

an actuation system that is operatively coupled to the floor panel; and

a cleaning system proximate to at least a portion of the moveable floor, wherein the actuation system is configured to move at least a portion of the floor panel into and through the cleaning system during a cleaning cycle, and wherein the cleaning system is configured to clean the at least a portion of the floor panel during the cleaning cycle,

wherein the cleaning system comprises a vacuum that is configured to remove debris from the at least a portion of the floor panel,

wherein the vacuum comprises one or more inlets that are in fluid communication with a vacuum generator of a vacuum system that is connected to a toilet through one or more conduits.

2. The self-cleaning floor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the moveable floor further comprises:

at least one conveyor moveably coupled to the floor panel; and

a support that is configured to support the floor panel.

3. The self-cleaning floor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuation system comprises:

an actuator; and

at least one link that operatively couples the actuator to the moveable floor.

4. The self-cleaning floor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning system comprises a cleaner that is configured to clean the at least a portion of the floor panel during the cleaning cycle.

5. The self-cleaning floor assembly of claim 4 , wherein the cleaner comprises at least one nozzle in fluid communication with a storage tank that contains cleaning fluid, wherein the cleaning fluid is deposited onto the at least a portion of the floor panel through the at least one nozzle during the cleaning cycle.

6. The self-cleaning floor assembly of claim 4 , wherein the cleaner comprises at least one ultraviolet (UV) light that is configured to irradiate the at least a portion of the floor panel during the cleaning cycle.

7. The self-cleaning floor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning system comprises a dryer that is configured to dry the at least a portion of the floor panel during the cleaning cycle.

8. The self-cleaning floor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuation system and the cleaning system are deactivated when the enclosed space is occupied by an individual.

9. The self-cleaning floor assembly of claim 1 , wherein a width of the floor panel is the same as the width of a threshold of the enclosed space.

10. The self-cleaning floor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a control unit that is in communication with the actuation system and the cleaning system, wherein the control unit is configured to operate the actuation system and the cleaning system during the cleaning cycle.

11. The self-cleaning floor assembly of claim 10 , wherein the control unit is configured to deactivate the actuation system and the cleaning system when the enclosed space is occupied by an individual.

12. The self-cleaning floor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum is activated when the toilet is flushed.

13. A method of automatically cleaning a moveable floor within an enclosed space, the method comprising:

operatively coupling an actuation system of a self-cleaning floor assembly to a floor panel of a moveable floor of the self-cleaning floor assembly;

moving, by the actuation system, at least a portion of the floor panel into and through a cleaning system of the self-cleaning floor assembly that is proximate to the at least a portion of the floor panel of the moveable floor during a cleaning cycle; and

cleaning, by the cleaning system, the at least a portion of the floor panel during the cleaning cycle, wherein the cleaning comprises vacuuming debris from the at least a portion of the floor panel, wherein the vacuuming debris comprises coupling one or more inlets with a vacuum generator of a vacuum system that is connected to a toilet through one or more conduits.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the operatively coupling comprises operatively coupling an actuator of the actuation system to the moveable floor with at least one link.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the cleaning comprises depositing cleaning fluid onto the at least a portion of the floor panel.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the cleaning comprises irradiating the at least a portion of the floor panel with ultraviolet (UV) light.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the cleaning comprises drying the at least a portion of the floor panel.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising deactivating the cleaning cycle when the enclosed space is occupied by an individual.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the vacuuming further comprises activating the vacuuming when the toilet is flushed.

20. An aircraft comprising:

a fuselage having an internal cabin, wherein a lavatory is located within the internal cabin;

wings outwardly extending from the fuselage;

an empennage outwardly extending from the fuselage;

one or more engines carried by one or more of the wings and the empennage; and

a self-cleaning floor assembly that forms or is positioned on a floor of the lavatory having a toilet, wherein the self-cleaning floor assembly comprises:

a moveable floor including a moveable floor panel;

an actuation system that is operatively coupled to the floor panel; and

a cleaning system proximate to at least a portion of the moveable floor, wherein the actuation system is configured to move at least a portion of the floor panel into and through the cleaning system during a cleaning cycle, and wherein the cleaning system is configured to clean the at least a portion of the floor panel during the cleaning cycle, wherein the cleaning system comprises a vacuum that is configured to remove debris from the at least a portion of the floor panel,

wherein the vacuum comprises one or more inlets that are in fluid communication with a vacuum generator of a vacuum system that is connected to the toilet through one or more conduits,

wherein the vacuum is activated when the toilet is flushed.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 8, 2016
From: JENSEN, CHARLES C.
To: THE BOEING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 038840/0919 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62316012 · Mar 31, 2016
Related Publication 20170284076A1 · Oct 5, 2017
Cited By (3)
US 12,201,737 US 12,258,129 US 12,728,996