Modular ship cabins

Abstract

A modular cabin system for a ship includes a plurality of first modular ship cabins disposed within a first plurality of spaces within a deck of a ship, each first modular ship cabin including a plurality of modules. The deck includes a row of support beams and a row of support columns, the row of support beams parallel to the row of support columns. The system also includes a plurality of second modular ship cabins disposed within a second plurality of spaces within the deck of the ship. At least some of the support beams or the support columns are disposed within a corridor between cabins of the plurality of second modular ship cabins, and at least some of the support beams or the support columns are disposed within spaces surrounded by adjacent cabins of the plurality of first modular ship cabins. Each space can be at least partially defined by walls of a first module and a second module of one of the adjacent cabins.

1 . A modular cabin system for a ship comprising:
 a plurality of first modular ship cabins disposed within a first plurality of spaces within a deck of a ship, each first modular ship cabin comprising a plurality of modules, the deck comprising a row of support beams and a row of support columns, the row of support beams parallel to the row of support columns; and   a plurality of second modular ship cabins disposed within a second plurality of spaces within the deck of the ship,   wherein at least some of the support beams or the support columns are disposed within a corridor between cabins of the plurality of second modular ship cabins, and   wherein at least some of the support beams or the support columns are disposed within spaces surrounded by adjacent cabins of the plurality of first modular ship cabins, each space being at least partially defined by walls of a first module and a second module of one of the adjacent cabins.   
     
     
         2 . The modular cabin system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first modular ship cabins comprises pairs of individual ship cabins, each pair comprising:
 a first one of the first modular ship cabins having a first entry door configuration; and   a second one of the first modular ship cabins having a second entry door configuration, wherein the second entry door configuration is a mirror-image or partial mirror-image of the first entry door configuration.   
     
     
         3 . The modular ship cabin system of  claim 2 , wherein entry doors and adjacent wall portions of the first and second ones of the first modular ship cabins define a vestibule area disposed between the entry doors and the corridor. 
     
     
         4 . The modular ship cabin system of  claim 3 , wherein each pair further comprises a vestibule door separating the vestibule area from the corridor. 
     
     
         5 . The modular ship cabin system of  claim 1 , wherein the support beams or support columns disposed within spaces surrounded by adjacent cabins comprise beams oriented substantially parallel to a centerline of the deck. 
     
     
         6 . The modular ship cabin system of  claim 1 , wherein the corridor is substantially aligned with a centerline of the deck. 
     
     
         7 . The modular ship cabin system of  claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of third modular ship cabins disposed within a third plurality of spaces within the deck, wherein a second corridor between cabins of the plurality of first modular ship cabins and the third plurality of modular ship cabins is laterally offset by a distance relative to the centerline of the deck. 
     
     
         8 . The modular cabin system of  claim 1 , wherein the deck comprises at least two rows of support columns parallel to a centerline of the deck, the row of support beams being parallel to and between the at least two rows of support columns. 
     
     
         9 . The modular cabin system of  claim 1 , wherein at least the support beams or the support columns comprise steel. 
     
     
         10 . The modular cabin system of  claim 9 , wherein the steel is high tensile steel. 
     
     
         11 . The modular cabin system of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of each first modular ship cabin is cantilevered outboard or inboard of the support beams or the support columns. 
     
     
         12 . The modular cabin system of  claim 11 , wherein the cantilevered portion of each first modular ship cabin includes an indoor/outdoor space. 
     
     
         13 . The modular cabin system of  claim 1 , wherein the space is defined by walls of the adjacent cabins. 
     
     
         14 . The modular cabin system of  claim 1 , wherein the space is defined by recesses or notches of the adjacent cabins. 
     
     
         15 . The modular cabin system of  claim 14 , wherein each first modular ship cabin includes a first recess or notch on a first side of the first modular ship cabin and a second recess or notch on a second side of the first modular ship cabin opposite the first side. 
     
     
         16 . The modular cabin system of  claim 1 , wherein the space is adjacent to a wet module of at least one of the adjacent cabins, the wet module comprising a head. 
     
     
         17 . A method of installing modular cabins in a ship, the method comprising:
 installing a plurality of first modular ship cabins within a first plurality of spaces within a deck of a ship, each first modular ship cabin comprising a plurality of modules, the deck comprising a row of support beams and a row of support columns, the row of support beams parallel to the row of support columns; and   installing a plurality of second modular ship cabins within a second plurality of spaces within the deck of the ship,   wherein at least some of the support beams or the support columns are disposed within a corridor between cabins of the plurality of second modular ship cabins, and   wherein at least some of the support beams or the support columns are disposed within spaces surrounded by adjacent cabins of the plurality of first modular ship cabins, each space being at least partially defined by walls of a first module and a second module of one of the adjacent cabins.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein installing the plurality of first modular ship cabins comprises at least:
 installing a first one of the first modular ship cabins having a first entry door configuration; and   installing a second one of the first modular ship cabins having a second entry door configuration adjacent to the first one of the first modular ship cabins, wherein the second entry door configuration is a mirror-image or partial mirror-image of the first entry door configuration.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein entry doors and adjacent wall portions of the first and second ones of the first modular ship cabins define a vestibule area disposed between the entry doors and the corridor. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising installing a vestibule door separating the vestibule area from the corridor. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the support beams or support columns disposed within spaces surrounded by adjacent cabins comprise beams oriented substantially parallel to a centerline of the deck. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the corridor is substantially aligned with a centerline of the deck. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising a plurality of third modular ship cabins disposed within a third plurality of spaces within the deck, wherein a second corridor between cabins of the plurality of first modular ship cabins and the third plurality of modular ship cabins is laterally offset by a distance relative to the centerline of the deck. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the deck comprises at least two rows of support columns parallel to a centerline of the deck, the row of support beams being parallel to and between the at least two rows of support columns. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein at least the support beams or the support columns comprise steel. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the steel is high tensile steel. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of first modular ship cabins are installed such that a portion of each first modular ship cabin is cantilevered outboard or inboard of the support beams or the support columns. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the cantilevered portion of each first modular ship cabin includes an indoor/outdoor space. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the space is defined by walls of the adjacent cabins. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the space is defined by recesses or notches of the adjacent cabins. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein each first modular ship cabin includes a first recess or notch on a first side of the first modular ship cabin and a second recess or notch on a second side of the first modular ship cabin opposite the first side. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the notch is adjacent to a wet module of at least one of the adjacent cabins, the wet module comprising a head.