US-12623839-B2 - System and method for controlling flap of trash receptacle of aircraft lavatory

US12623839B2US 12623839 B2US12623839 B2US 12623839B2US-12623839-B2

Abstract

Systems, methods, and articles of manufacture for controlling a compression action of a trash receptacle of an aircraft lavatory. Generally, the systems, methods, and articles of manufacture disclosed and described herein facilitate controlled opening and closing actuations of a flap of a trash receptacle of an aircraft lavatory, and a compression action after detection of at least the closing actuation of trash deposits in the trash receptacle to increase the interior volume of the trash receptacle. By controlling the closing actuations of the flap and compression actions of trash deposits, hygiene and sanitation of the lavatory are improved, odors are prevented from dispersing throughout the lavatory and/or cabin of the aircraft, and fire hazards are reduced.

Inventors

Suresh Babu Kappa Venkata
Srikanth Annumandla
ASHISH SHRIKHANDE

Assignees

B/E AEROSPACE, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20221213
Priority Date: 20220924

Claims (9)

1 . A system for controlling a compression action of a trash receptacle in an aircraft lavatory, the system comprising: a carriage assembly coupled to a first actuator and disposed in a housing of the trash receptacle, wherein the housing defines an interior volume to receive trash in the trash receptacle; a plate coupled to the carriage assembly in the interior volume of the housing, wherein the plate is configured to conform with a diameter of an interior of the housing, wherein the plate is configured to move from a retract position by the carriage assembly to a variable position in the housing, wherein, in response, to a command from a controller upon closure of a flap coupled to the housing, the first actuator is configured to cause the carriage assembly to vertically move the plate to the variable position to exert a force on a space in the interior volume that is uncompressed, wherein the space is configured between the variable position of the plate and a bottom of the interior volume in the housing, wherein the space is reduced by movement of the plate causing the compression action to the trash in the space to cause an increase in space available in the interior volume of the trash receptacle for a subsequent deposit, wherein the controller is configured to command the first actuator to cause the compression action in response to a detection by a lavatory sensor of an ignitable material in a trash deposit in the trash receptacle to deplete a volume of air in the interior volume of the trash receptacle for consumption by the ignitable material; and a lavatory occupancy sensor electrically coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to command the first actuator to move the plate to the retract position after the compression action and to maintain the flap in a closed position in response to the lavatory occupancy sensor reporting a vacancy of the aircraft lavatory, wherein the controller is configured to command the first actuator to perform a closing actuation in response to a door of the aircraft lavatory changing from locked to unlocked and then is configured to command the first actuator to perform the compression action of the trash deposit.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the flap is configured to be pivotable between at least an open position and the closed position relative to accessing an opening of the trash receptacle, wherein a second actuator is coupled to the flap; and the controller electrically coupled to the second actuator, wherein the controller is configured to command the second actuator to perform at least one of an opening actuation to pivot the flap to the open position and the closing actuation to pivot the flap to the closed position, and wherein the controller is configured to command the second actuator to perform a first action of the closing actuation in response to a passenger exiting the aircraft lavatory, and to perform a second action via the first actuator of the compression action to compress the trash in the trash receptacle, to increase space available in the interior volume of the trash receptacle for the subsequent deposit.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the ignitable material comprises a set of ignition sources comprising at least a vaping device or a cigarette.
4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising: an anti-pinch mechanism that is configured with a threshold indicating a cut-off of the compression action.
5 . The system of claim 4 , further comprising a door sensor of the door of the aircraft lavatory, wherein the door sensor is electrically coupled to the controller and the controller is configured to command the second actuator to maintain the flap in the closed position until at least a completion of the compression action or in response to the door sensor reporting the door being unlocked.
6 . The system of claim 5 , further comprising a proximity sensor electrically coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to determine a false detection from the proximity sensor that is proximate to the flap of the trash receptacle of an object proximate to the flap of the trash receptacle based on the lavatory occupancy sensor reporting the vacancy of the aircraft lavatory, and is configured to proceed with the compression action of the trash deposit in the trash receptacle when the aircraft lavatory is unoccupied.
7 . The system of claim 6 , further comprising: in response to the controller determining that the force translated to the space containing the uncompressed trash translates to movement of the plate by the carriage assembly less than a pre-determined amount based on a threshold current associated with operation of the anti-pinch mechanism, the controller is configured to cease actuation of the carriage assembly to move the plate to the retract position.
8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the second actuator is a linear actuator for operation of the flap, and wherein the first actuator is a ball-and-screw actuator for operation of the plate to move the plate to the variable position.
9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the proximity sensor is at least one of an infrared sensor and a photoresistor sensor.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to, and the benefit of, India Patent Application No. 202211054837 (DAS CODE: A6B3), filed Sep. 24, 2022, and titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING FLAP OF TRASH RECEPTACLE OF AIRCRAFT LAVATORY,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes. FIELD The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for controlling a flap and compression of trash in a trash receptacle, and in particular for controlling flaps combined with compression actions to compact trash deposits in trash receptacles in aircraft lavatories. BACKGROUND Aircraft generally include one or more lavatories for passengers to use during flight. Aircraft lavatories generally include a toilet, a washbasin, and a trash receptacle, among other features. Conventional aircraft trash receptacles include a flap that is manually opened by a passenger to uncover the access opening for the trash receptacle, thereby allowing the passenger to deposit refuse, garbage, rubbish, or other waste products. However, the aircraft lavatory trash receptacles primarily used for disposal hand towels, due to the low density of the material composition of disposal hand towels designed to absorb liquid products, the trash receptacles become quickly filled with trash content of the hand towels in the flight even though a more compressed volume of at least the trash content of hand towels or other paper based drying items could easily be managed and contained by the trash receptacles than is available. Further, some flaps remain open even after the passenger has left the lavatory, due in part to spillage of the hand towels, and passenger reluctance to touch and close the flaps because of fear of contamination. The open flaps allow odors to be emitted from the trash receptacle to fill the lavatory. Additionally, flaps for trash receptacles that remain open for extended periods of time may be a fire hazard. SUMMARY In various embodiments, the present disclosure provides a system for controlling compression of trash content of a trash receptacle for an aircraft lavatory. The system may include a carriage assembly coupled to actuator and disposed in a housing of the trash receptacle wherein the housing defines an interior volume to receive trash in the trash receptacle; a plate coupled to the carriage assembly in the interior volume of the housing wherein the plate is configured to conform with a diameter of the interior housing wherein the plate is configured to move from a retract position by the carriage assembly to a variable position in the housing; wherein in response to a command from a controller upon closure of a flap coupled to the housing, the actuator is configured to cause the carriage assembly to vertically move the plate to the variable position to exert a force on a space in the interior volume containing trash that is uncompressed wherein the space is configured between the variable position of the plate and a bottom of the interior volume in the housing wherein the space is reduced by movement of the plate causing the compression action to the trash in the space to cause an increase in space available in the interior volume of the trash receptacle for a subsequent trash deposit. In various embodiments, the flap is configured to be pivotable between at least an open position and a closed position relative to access an opening of the trash receptacle wherein the actuator is coupled to the flap; and the controller electrically coupled to the actuator, wherein the controller is configured to command the actuator to perform at least one of an opening actuation to pivot the flap to the open position and a closing actuation to pivot the flap to the closed position wherein the controller is configured to command the actuator to perform a first action of the closing actuation in response to a passenger exiting the aircraft lavatory, and to perform a second action via another actuator of the compression action to compress trash in the trash receptacle, to increase space available in the interior volume of the trash receptacle for the subsequent trash deposit. In various embodiments, the controller is configured to command the actuator to cause the compression action in response to a detection by a lavatory sensor of an ignitable material in the trash deposit in the trash receptacle to deplete a volume of air in the interior volume of the trash receptacle for consumption by the ignitable material. In various embodiments, the ignitable material comprises a set of ignition sources comprising at least a vaping device, and a cigarette. In various embodiments, the system further includes a lavatory occupancy sensor electrically coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to command the actuator to move the plate to the retract position after the compression action and to maintain the flap in a closed position in response to the lavatory occupancy sens