Aircraft Shower Enclosure with Through-Passage Cabin Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft shower systems pose physical obstacles and space constraints, particularly in smaller fuselage aircraft, limiting user movement and requiring seated positions due to their voluminous nature and dimensional restrictions.
Innovation Solution
A shower unit with a retractable enclosure design that allows for central positioning, featuring sliding and hinged doors that stow inside the enclosure, a decompression panel, and an integral floor module, enabling both stand-up showering and passage access between zones, while minimizing space usage and accommodating turbulence with a handrail and anti-slip flooring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the shower unit is centrally positioned in the cabin, then the center of the cabin is liberated for passenger access, but the voluminous shower creates a physical obstacle that must be bypassed
Solution Approach 1:
The shower enclosure incorporates movable doors that can transition between closed and fully opened positions. When fully opened, the doors create a passageway through the shower unit, transforming it from a static obstacle into a dynamic structure that can be traversed, thereby resolving the contradiction between central positioning and passenger access.
Solution Approach 2:
The shower enclosure is divided into separable door components that can be independently moved. The first door on the first side and the second door on the second side can be opened to create a continuous passageway, segmenting the barrier function from the enclosure while maintaining the shower function when doors are closed.
2Area of stationary object
If the shower enclosure is made voluminous to provide adequate showering space, then the user has sufficient movement space, but the shower unit cannot be centrally positioned and obstructs cabin access
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure maintains sufficient volume for comfortable showering when doors are closed, but the doors can be opened dynamically to create a passageway. This allows the same structure to provide both adequate showering space and unobstructed cabin access at different times.
Solution Approach 2:
The shower enclosure serves multiple functions: it provides a enclosed showering space when doors are closed, and transforms into a passageway when doors are opened. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by making the structure adaptable to different operational requirements.
3Ease of operation
If the shower unit is positioned against the fuselage wall, then the center of the cabin is liberated, but the height is limited by the arcuate shape of the fuselage requiring the user to be seated
Solution Approach 1:
The shower enclosure is designed with an asymmetric configuration where the door mechanisms and structural support are optimized for central positioning rather than wall mounting. The enclosure extends vertically to accommodate stand-up showering when positioned centrally, breaking the symmetry of traditional wall-mounted showers and adapting to the aircraft's internal geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure transitions from being constrained by the arcuate fuselage shape in a wall-mounted configuration to utilizing the central cabin space in a different spatial arrangement. By positioning centrally and using vertical extension, the design exploits the third dimension (height) more effectively while maintaining compatibility with the aircraft's overall geometry.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the doors are made hinged or sliding to define a passageway, then the shower unit allows central positioning with passage access, but the door mechanisms increase device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The door mechanisms are designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing the enclosure to dynamically change configuration between closed and opened states. This dynamic capability provides versatility while the mechanisms are integrated into the enclosure structure to minimize overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The door mechanisms are designed to be operated by users without requiring complex control systems. The sliding and hinged doors can be manually opened and closed by passengers, eliminating the need for motors, sensors, or automated control systems, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining adaptability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A shower unit (11) for an aircraft comprises: a shower head, and controls to manually control the water output. A shower enclosure (12) defines a receiving cavity to receive the user. The shower enclosure supports the shower head and the controls for the user to shower in the receiving cavity. The shower enclosure comprises a first door (20) on a first side of the shower enclosure, and a second door (21) on a second side of the shower enclosure to define a passageway through the shower enclosure. The shower unit is adapted to be positioned in the aircraft such that the passageway communicates between two separate zones (A, C) of the aircraft.