Foldaway cart for wheelchair stowage aboard a commercial aircraft

摘要

A dual-purpose stowage cart for stowing a wheelchair in a stowage bay of an aircraft that was intended to stow a service cart. In at least one configuration, the stowage cart includes a front assembly and a base assembly that are hingedly connected together. When the end assembly is in an upright position, the stowage cart may be used to transport a personally owned wheelchair in an aisle of an aircraft. When the stowage bay is not being used for stowing a service cart, the stowage cart with the wheelchair may be stowed in the stowage bay in place of the service cart. Also, when the end assembly is in the upright position, but the stowage cart is without the wheelchair, the stowage cart may include a waste collection assembly. The waste collection assembly is used to collect disposable waste from the passengers onboard the aircraft.

主权项

1. A stowage cart for use onboard an aircraft having a stowage bay configured for receiving a service cart, the stowage cart comprising a base assembly and an end assembly and configured to receive and retain a collapsed wheelchair thereon, wherein the base assembly and the end assembly are hingedly secured to one another, wherein the end assembly of the stowage cart is configured into an upright position for the stowage cart to receive and retain the collapsed wheelchair thereon and into a collapsed position when the stowage cart is not retaining the collapsed wheelchair thereon, and wherein the stowage cart with the collapsed wheelchair thereon is configured to be received within the stowage bay with the end assembly in the upright position.