IP Library Granted Patent US 12,617,532
Granted Patent B2
US 12,617,532 · App. 18/336,251 · Granted May 5, 2026

Dual purpose lavatory barrier

Inventor: Darren Carl McIntosh (Mukilteo, WA)
Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
B64D11/02B64C1/1469
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,617,532
App. No.
18/336,251
Granted
May 5, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A dual purpose aircraft lavatory component that can be a dual purpose aircraft lavatory door that is configured to deploy in a vehicle cabin from an initial position as an aircraft lavatory monument component into a deployed position converting aircraft lavatory monument component into an aircraft cabin lockable barrier to prevent passengers from moving along an aisle in a vehicle cabin into a vehicle area forward of the lockable barrier.

Claims (65)

1 . An aircraft cabin barrier comprising:

an aircraft cabin lavatory monument, said aircraft cabin lavatory monument comprising an aircraft cabin lavatory component, said aircraft cabin lavatory component comprising at least one of a movable aircraft lavatory door and an aircraft lavatory wall;

an aircraft cabin second monument, said aircraft cabin second monument positioned a selected distance from and across an aircraft cabin aisle from the aircraft cabin lavatory monument, said aircraft cabin second monument comprising a second monument component, said second monument component comprising an aircraft cabin second monument wall and said second monument component further comprising a movable aircraft cabin second monument multi-section panel, said second monument multi-section panel configured to engage the aircraft cabin lavatory component;

wherein the aircraft cabin lavatory component in an engaged state with the second monument multi-section panel forms the aircraft cabin barrier; and

wherein the movable aircraft lavatory door further comprises:

a movable aircraft lavatory door first side;

a movable aircraft cabin lavatory door second side;

a through opening region extending through a door thickness of the movable aircraft lavatory door, said door thickness extending from the movable aircraft lavatory door first side to the movable aircraft lavatory door second side;

a transparent window configured to occupy the through opening region;

a sliding panel frame in communication with the movable aircraft lavatory door first side, said sliding panel frame configured to house a sliding panel, said sliding panel configured to move between a sliding panel open position and a sliding panel closed position; and

wherein in the sliding panel open position the through opening region permits viewing access of location aft of the aircraft cabin barrier from within the aircraft cabin barrier.

2 . The aircraft cabin barrier of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft cabin barrier is configured to prevent movement of a person from a passenger cabin into a flight deck.

3 . The aircraft cabin barrier of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft cabin lavatory component is a movable aircraft cabin lavatory door movably attached to the aircraft cabin lavatory monument, said movable aircraft cabin lavatory door movable between a lavatory door first engaged position in contact with the aircraft cabin lavatory monument and a lavatory door second engaged position in contact with the second monument multi-section panel.

4 . The aircraft cabin barrier of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft cabin lavatory component is a movable aircraft cabin lavatory door and the second monument component is an aircraft cabin galley wall.

5 . The aircraft cabin barrier of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft cabin lavatory component is a movable aircraft cabin lavatory door and the second monument component is an aircraft cabin galley multi-section panel.

6 . The aircraft cabin barrier of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft cabin lavatory component is an aircraft cabin lavatory wall and the second monument component is a movable aircraft cabin galley bi-fold panel.

7 . The aircraft cabin barrier of claim 1 , wherein the second monument multi-section panel releasably engages the aircraft cabin lavatory component in a locked configuration.

8 . The aircraft cabin barrier of claim 1 , wherein the movable aircraft lavatory door further comprises a plurality of folding door panels.

9 . The aircraft cabin barrier of claim 1 , further comprising a barrier locking mechanism that is only accessible from the movable aircraft lavatory door first side.

10 . The aircraft cabin barrier of claim 1 , wherein the movable aircraft cabin second monument multi-section panel further comprises:

a movable aircraft cabin second monument multi-section panel first side;

a movable aircraft cabin second monument multi-section panel second side;

a through opening region extending through a panel thickness of the movable aircraft cabin second monument multi-section panel, said panel thickness extending from the movable aircraft cabin second monument multi-section panel first side to the movable aircraft cabin second monument multi-section panel second side;

a transparent window configured to occupy the through opening region;

a sliding panel frame in communication with the movable aircraft cabin second monument multi-section panel first side, said sliding panel frame configured to house a sliding panel, said sliding panel configured to move between a sliding panel open position and a sliding panel closed position; and

wherein in the sliding panel open position the through opening region permits viewing access of location aft of the aircraft cabin barrier from within the aircraft cabin barrier.

11 . An aircraft comprising the aircraft cabin barrier of claim 10 .

12 . The aircraft cabin barrier of claim 1 , wherein the second monument component comprises a plurality of movable aircraft cabin second monument panels.

13 . The aircraft cabin barrier of claim 10 , further comprising a barrier locking mechanism that is only accessible from the movable aircraft cabin second monument panel first side.

14 . An aircraft comprising the aircraft cabin barrier of claim 1 .

15 . An aircraft cabin lavatory monument comprising:

a dual purpose aircraft cabin lavatory door movably attached to an aircraft cabin lavatory frame, said dual purpose aircraft cabin lavatory door comprising:

a movable aircraft lavatory door first side;

a movable aircraft lavatory door second side;

a through opening region extending through a door thickness of the dual purpose aircraft lavatory door, said door thickness extending from the movable aircraft lavatory door first side to the movable aircraft lavatory door second side;

a transparent window configured to occupy the through opening region;

a sliding panel frame in communication with the movable aircraft lavatory door first side, said sliding panel frame configured to house a sliding panel, said sliding panel configured to move between a sliding panel open position and a sliding panel closed position;

wherein in the sliding panel open position the through opening region permits viewing access of location aft of an aircraft cabin barrier from within the aircraft cabin barrier;

wherein in a closed position in a first lavatory door mode, said dual purpose aircraft cabin lavatory door is configured to completely enclose an aircraft cabin lavatory monument footprint;

wherein in a closed position in a second lavatory door mode, said dual purpose aircraft cabin lavatory door is configured to engage an aircraft cabin second monument multi-section panel to form an aircraft cabin secondary barrier; and

wherein said aircraft cabin secondary barrier is configured to control movement of passengers along an aisle within an aircraft cabin area.

16 . A method of controlling movement of passengers along an aisle within an aircraft cabin area, the method comprising:

prior to opening a flight deck door, establishing an aircraft cabin secondary barrier into an aircraft cabin secondary barrier deployed position with a flight deck being on a first side of the aircraft cabin secondary barrier, and with a passenger section of a cabin area being on a second side of the aircraft cabin secondary barrier, the aircraft cabin secondary barrier comprising;

an aircraft cabin lavatory monument, said aircraft cabin lavatory monument comprising an aircraft cabin lavatory component, said aircraft cabin lavatory component comprising at least one of a movable aircraft lavatory door and an aircraft lavatory wall;

an aircraft cabin second monument, said aircraft cabin second monument positioned a selected distance from and across an aircraft cabin aisle from the aircraft cabin lavatory monument, said aircraft cabin second monument comprising a second monument component, said second monument component comprising an aircraft cabin second monument wall, said second monument component further comprising a movable aircraft cabin second monument multi-section panel hingedly attached to the aircraft cabin second monument wall, said second monument multi-section panel configured to releasably engage the aircraft cabin lavatory component;

locking the aircraft cabin secondary barrier in a closed position;

after locking the aircraft cabin secondary barrier, opening the flight deck door and providing access to flight personnel to a front section of the cabin area, said front section of the cabin area located at the first side of the aircraft cabin secondary barrier; and

after providing access to the front section of the cabin area to the flight personnel, reclosing the flight deck door.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

monitoring a position of the aircraft cabin secondary barrier; and

activating an indicator in the flight deck when the aircraft cabin secondary barrier is in the closed position.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the movable aircraft lavatory door further comprises:

a movable aircraft lavatory door first side;

a movable aircraft lavatory door second side;

a movable aircraft lavatory door through opening region extending through a door thickness of the movable aircraft lavatory door, said door thickness extending from the movable aircraft lavatory door first side to the movable aircraft lavatory door second side;

a transparent window configured to occupy the through opening region;

a sliding panel frame in communication with the movable aircraft lavatory door first side, said sliding panel frame configured to house a sliding panel, said sliding panel configured to move between a sliding panel open position and a sliding panel closed position; and

wherein in the sliding panel open position the through opening region permits viewing access of location aft of an aircraft cabin barrier from within the aircraft cabin barrier.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

after locking the aircraft cabin secondary barrier, moving the sliding panel to the sliding panel open position to permit visual access through the movable aircraft lavatory door through opening region.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the movable aircraft cabin second monument multi-section panel further comprises:

a movable aircraft cabin second monument multi-section panel first side;

a movable aircraft cabin second monument multi-section panel second side;

a movable aircraft cabin second monument multi-section panel through opening region extending through a panel thickness of the movable aircraft cabin second monument multi-section panel, said panel thickness extending from the movable aircraft cabin second monument multi-section panel first side to the movable aircraft cabin second monument multi-section panel second side; and

a transparent window configured to occupy the second monument multi-section panel through opening region, said transparent window further configured to selectively permit visual access through the movable aircraft cabin second monument multi-section panel through opening region.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2023
From: MCINTOSH, DARREN CARL
To: THE BOEING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 063972/0861 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240417075A1 · Dec 19, 2024
References Cited (38)
US 5285596A · Kinsey · 1994 [cited by applicant]
US 6783098B1 · Chavez · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 6817577B2 · Semprini · 2004 [cited by examiner]
US 9428940B1 · Patrick · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 11208744B2 · Urbelis · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11345476B2 · Dowty · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20060000946A1 · Garofani et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20090065641A1 · Koehn et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20160083092A1 · Long et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160332718A1 · Guering · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170341750A1 · Gonnsen · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180265216A1 · Breigenzer · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180346091A1 · Movsesian et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20200108907A1 · Movsesian et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200115029A1 · Movsesian et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20220177110A1 · Mathieu et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
CN 110546339A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
CN 212614220U · 2021 [cited by applicant]
EP 2796370A1 · 2014 [cited by applicant]
EP 2851296A1 · 2015 [cited by applicant]
EP 3552963A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
EP 3741676A1 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
GB 2307712A · 1997 [cited by applicant]
Federal Aviation Administration, “AC 120-110—Aircraft Secondary Barriers and Alternate Flight Deck Security Procedures”, U.S. Department of Transportation, Apr. 14, 2015, pp. 1-5. [cited by applicant]
Hexarmor, “SuperFabric cut protection, HexArmor with cut-resistant SuperFabric inside”, Jan. 1, 2023, pp. 1-2. [cited by applicant]
Aitex, “Anti-Vandal Upholstery Resistant to Cuts by Stabs and Arson”, retrieved from the internet: URL: https://www.aitex.es/tapicerias-antivandalicas/ [retrieved on May 2, 2023]; pp. 1-5. [cited by applicant]
Cut-Tex Pro, “The Ultimate Cut Protection—Technical Data Sheet”, Jan. 1, 2023, pp. 1-3. [cited by applicant]
Peppermill Home, “Spectrum Via 36×80 Vinyl Folding Door”, Jan. 1, 2023, pp. 1-5. [cited by applicant]
Wheatbelt, Inc., “Two New Rolling Shutter Slats from Wheatbelt, Inc.” Jan. 1, 2023, pp. 1-5. [cited by applicant]
Wheatbelt, Inc., “Rolling Shutter Manufacturing in Hillsboro, KS”, retrieved from the internet: URL: https://www.rollupshutter.com [retrieved on Jun. 15, 2023], pp. 1. [cited by applicant]
Roll-A-Shield, “RAS-section-view-of-slats”, retrieved from the internet: URL: https://rollashield.com/shutters/ras-section-view-of-slats/ [retrieved on Jun. 15, 2023], pp. 1-2. [cited by applicant]
Cut-Tex Pro, “Cut Resistant Fabric for Clothing & Workwear (Cut Level 5)”, retrieved from the internet: URL: https://cut-tex.com/ [retrieved on Jun. 15, 2023], pp. 1-25. [cited by applicant]
Aitex, “Vandal Proof Upholstery Which Can Withstand Slashing and Burning”, retrieved from the internet: URL: https://www.aitex.es/tapicerias-antivandalicas/?lang=en [retrieved on Jun. 15, 2023], pp. 1-5. [cited by applicant]
Hexarmor, “Global Leader in Personal Protective Equipment”, retrieved from the internet: URL: https://www.hexarmor.com/ [retrieved on Jun. 15, 2023], pp. 1-5. [cited by applicant]
Kozane, “High-performance and cut-resistant fabrics for outstanding protection and wearability”, retrieved from the internet: URL: https://www.kozaneprotection.com/ [retrieved on Jun. 15, 2023], pp. 1-6. [cited by applicant]
EP Search Report mailed Aug. 24, 2024 in re EP Application No. 24165860.8. [cited by applicant]
EP Search Report mailed Sep. 25, 2024 in re EP Application No. 24168757.3. [cited by applicant]
EP Search Report mailed Jul. 24, 2024 in re EP Application No. 24167937.2. [cited by applicant]