Aircraft galley with stop switch status monitoring

Abstract

This utility model discloses an aircraft galley with stop switch status monitoring, relating to the field of aircraft galley technology. It includes a galley structure, a display, long / short meal cart stops, storage compartment stops, sensors, and wiring. The display is mounted on the side wall of the galley structure; the long / short meal cart stops are mounted on the central transverse partition to prevent the meal carts from sliding out; and the storage compartment stops are mounted on the end plate of the upper storage compartment to prevent the storage compartments from sliding out. Sensors are embedded inside each stop to collect switch status signals, and wiring connects the sensors to the display to transmit signals. This utility model achieves real-time feedback of stop status, avoiding the risk of equipment slippage, accurately locating faults, reducing maintenance costs, meeting civil aviation airworthiness requirements, and improving flight safety and cabin management efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to an aircraft galley equipped with a stop switch status monitoring function. Background Technology

[0002] The modern civil aviation industry has increasingly higher requirements for the "intelligent, highly safe, and monitorable" features of cabin equipment. As a key functional area of ​​the cabin, the reliability of the limiting positions of the aircraft galley's food carts and storage boxes directly affects flight safety.

[0003] The stops in existing aircraft galleys are mostly traditional mechanical structures, relying solely on mechanical locking to achieve the limiting function, which has the following drawbacks:

[0004] 1. Lack of status feedback: Flight attendants cannot visually confirm whether the stops are effectively closed. This can easily lead to misjudgment (such as stops not being properly engaged) or mechanical obstruction (such as wear and tear on stop components) causing the food carts and storage compartments to slide out during turbulence, resulting in cabin impact accidents.

[0005] Second, low maintenance efficiency: The stop has no fault location function. When the limit switch fails, the maintenance personnel need to disassemble and inspect all the stops one by one, which increases the maintenance time and cost.

[0006] Third, it does not meet airworthiness requirements: Modern civil aviation airworthiness regulations require critical equipment to have "status monitorability". Traditional mechanical stops cannot meet this requirement and are difficult to adapt to the trend of intelligent aircraft upgrades.

[0007] To address the aforementioned issues, there is an urgent need to design an aircraft galley that integrates "stop status monitoring" functionality. This would allow for real-time feedback on the stop switch status, thereby eliminating safety hazards and optimizing maintenance processes. Utility Model Content

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of existing aircraft galley stops, such as "lack of status monitoring, significant safety hazards, and high maintenance costs," and to provide an aircraft galley with stop switch status monitoring.

[0009] An aircraft galley with stop switch status monitoring includes a galley structure, a display, several long meal cart stops, several short meal cart stops, several storage box stops, sensors, and wiring. The display is fixedly installed on the side wall panel of the galley structure. The long meal cart stops are spaced apart on the central transverse partition of the galley structure, and the short meal cart stops are parallel to and spaced apart from the long meal cart stops on the same central transverse partition, with the long and short meal cart stops working together to block the meal carts. The storage box stops are respectively installed on the structural end plates of the upper storage compartments of the galley structure to block the storage boxes. The sensors are embedded one-to-one inside the long meal cart stops, short meal cart stops, and storage box stops to collect stop switch status signals. One end of the wiring is electrically connected to each sensor, and the other end is electrically connected to the display to transmit status signals.

[0010] Furthermore, the stop of the long food cart points downwards when closed and points horizontally after rotating 90° counterclockwise when open; the stop of the short food cart points downwards when closed and points horizontally after rotating 90° clockwise when open; the stop of the storage box points upwards when closed and points horizontally after rotating 90° when open.

[0011] The rotation direction and orientation design are perfectly suited to the spatial layout of aircraft galleys. Longer trolleys, typically larger and heavier, open by rotating 90° counter-clockwise to avoid pipes and equipment beneath the central partition, preventing collisions with surrounding structures during operation. Shorter trolleys open by rotating 90° clockwise, offsetting the rotation direction of the longer trolleys. This effectively prevents hand interference when flight attendants operate both types of trolleys simultaneously, improving ease of operation. Storage compartment stops, when closed, point upwards to fit snugly against the top of the upper storage compartment, creating a "top-mounted" restraint and preventing the storage compartments from sliding downwards due to turbulence. When rotated 90° open, they are placed horizontally, completely avoiding the storage compartment's access path and not obstructing flight attendants' access to items. The overall design ensures reliable restraint of equipment when closed and minimizes the space occupied when open, significantly reducing the risk of equipment collisions or personnel errors caused by stop operation conflicts with space constraints.

[0012] Furthermore, the sensor is either a Hall effect sensor or a microswitch. Microswitches offer advantages such as high triggering accuracy and fast response speed, while maintaining controllable cost. They can accurately capture the state transition during stop rotation, avoiding ambiguous "half-open, half-closed" signals. The choice between these two sensor options meets the diverse cost and lifespan requirements of different airlines, while ensuring the stability and accuracy of stop status acquisition. This prevents misjudgments of the stop status due to sensor malfunction from the outset, providing a reliable data foundation for subsequent signal transmission and display.

[0013] Furthermore, the circuit is an aviation-grade shielded conductor. The aviation-grade shielded conductor, through its outer metal shielding layer, effectively isolates external electromagnetic interference, ensuring that the stop signal does not experience "noise" or "disconnection" during transmission.

[0014] Furthermore, the display shows the real-time status of the long dining car stops, short dining car stops, and storage compartment stops. When a stop status is abnormal, the display emits a red warning sign. The display's "real-time categorized display" function allows flight attendants to quickly grasp the status of all stops without having to check them one by one in different locations in the galley, significantly reducing the flight attendants' inspection time and workload.

[0015] Furthermore, the long food cart stop and the short food cart stop form a double limit when closed, jointly blocking the food cart.

[0016] Furthermore, when the long food cart stop, short food cart stop, or storage box stop is in the closed state (i.e., the long food cart stop points downwards, the short food cart stop points downwards, and the storage box stop points upwards), the sensor inside the corresponding stop collects the closed state signal in real time. This signal is transmitted to the display through the line. The display forms an independent display area for the long food cart stop, short food cart stop, and storage box stop, with the word "Closed" clearly marked in each area and displayed in green to indicate that the stop is in an effective limit state.

[0017] Furthermore, when the long food cart stop is rotated 90° counterclockwise, the short food cart stop is rotated 90° clockwise, or the storage compartment stop is rotated 90° to the open position, the sensor inside the corresponding stop immediately switches to collect the open position signal. This signal is transmitted to the display via a line, and the display area of ​​the corresponding stop is marked with the word "Open". If the open position lasts for more than 10 minutes and the aircraft is in level flight, the display will pop up a text prompt next to the corresponding display area: "Confirm whether it is required for work". The prompt will disappear after the flight attendant manually closes the stop or confirms the "confirm work required" operation through the display.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0019] I. Enhanced Flight Safety: Sensors collect real-time data on stop status, which is displayed intuitively on the monitor, preventing food carts and storage compartments from sliding out due to unclosed stops or mechanical failure, thus reducing the risk of cabin impact; the "dual limit" of long / short food cart stops further enhances protection.

[0020] II. Reduced maintenance costs: The display can accurately show the type of faulty stop (e.g., "the stop status of a certain long dining car is abnormal"), so maintenance personnel do not need to disassemble and inspect the whole car, but can directly repair the faulty stop, reducing maintenance time and spare parts consumption; at the same time, it supports "status data recording" (which can be extended to connect to the avionics system), providing data support for predictive maintenance.

[0021] 3. Optimize cabin management: Flight attendants do not need to manually check each stop; they can quickly confirm the status through the display, reducing their workload. If a stop is opened during flight that is not required for work, it can be detected and closed in a timely manner.

[0022] IV. Meets airworthiness requirements: Meets the requirements of CCAR-25 and other civil aviation regulations for the "status monitorability" of key cabin equipment, adapts to the trend of intelligent upgrading of modern aircraft, and can be linked with the cabin management system (CMS) to expand functions (such as remote status monitoring). Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the aircraft galley structure in the "stop closed state" of Embodiment 1;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a front view of the aircraft galley structure in the "stop closed state" of Embodiment 1;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the aircraft galley structure in the "stop open state" of Embodiment 1;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the states of each stop switch in Embodiment 1;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the connection line between the stop and the display in Embodiment 1;

[0028] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A partial enlarged view of the connection line between the stop and the display;

[0029] In the diagram: 1. Kitchen structure, 2. Monitor, 3. Long food cart stop, 4. Short food cart stop, 5. Storage box stop, 6. Sensor, 7. Wiring. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To enhance understanding of this utility model, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings. These embodiments are only used to explain the present utility model and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present utility model.

[0031] Example 1: An aircraft galley equipped with stop switch status monitoring, comprising a galley structure 1, a display 2, several long food cart stops 3, four short food cart stops 4, four storage box stops 5, twelve sensors 6, and corresponding wiring 7.

[0032] The display 2 is fixed to the side wall of the kitchen structure 1; the long food cart stop 3 is installed at intervals on the middle horizontal partition of the kitchen structure 1, and the short food cart stop 4 is set parallel to the long food cart stop 3 on the same horizontal partition. The two work together to block the food cart. When closed, they both point downwards. When open, the long food cart stop 3 rotates 90° counterclockwise and then becomes horizontal, and the short food cart stop 4 rotates 90° clockwise and then becomes horizontal. When closed, they can also form a double limit.

[0033] Storage box stops 5 are installed on the end plate of the upper storage compartment structure of the kitchen structure 1. When closed, they point upwards; when open, they rotate 90° to become horizontal, thus blocking the storage box. Sensors 6 are embedded one-to-one inside each stop, and are microswitches used to collect the stop switch status signals. The circuit 7 is an aviation-grade shielded wire, with one end electrically connected to each sensor 6 and the other end electrically connected to the display 2 to transmit signals.

[0034] Display 2 can display the real-time status of each stop in an independent area. When it is closed, it is marked "Closed" and displayed in green. When it is open, it is marked "Open". If the stop status is abnormal or it has been open for more than 10 minutes while the aircraft is flying at level speed, a red warning sign will be issued or a text prompt will pop up asking "Confirm whether it is necessary for work".

[0035] Work status details:

[0036] 1. Stop closed state (normal working state, see Figure 1 , Figure 2 )

[0037] When the aircraft is in flight (not during meal / storage compartment access), both the long meal cart stop 3 and the short meal cart stop 4 are in the initial "vertical downward" position, and the storage compartment stop 5 is in the initial "vertical upward" position. At this time:

[0038] Sensor 6 in each stop collects the "closed status signal";

[0039] The signal is transmitted to the display 2 via line 7;

[0040] Display 2 shows "Long meal cart stop: 4 pieces closed", "Short meal cart stop: 4 pieces closed", and "Storage box stop: 4 pieces closed", with no warning signs, indicating that all stops are in a valid limit state, which meets flight safety requirements.

[0041] II. Stop open state (required for operation, see...) Figure 3 )

[0042] When it is necessary to retrieve the food cart (such as during mealtimes) or storage box:

[0043] Rotate the long food cart stop 3 counterclockwise 90° to horizontal, the short food cart stop 4 clockwise 90° to horizontal, or the storage box stop 5 to horizontal;

[0044] The sensor 6 inside the corresponding stop collects the "open status signal" and transmits it to the display 2 via line 7;

[0045] The display (2) shows "Long dining car stop: 4 pieces open" (or short dining car / storage box stop open). If it is an open state required for work (such as the flight attendant has confirmed), no operation is required; if it is an open state not required for work (such as the stop being loose due to flight turbulence), the display 2 will issue a red warning, and the flight attendant can manually close the stop in time to restore the limit.

[0046] III. Fault Monitoring Scenarios

[0047] If a long food cart stop 3 cannot be fully closed due to mechanical obstruction, its internal sensor 6 will collect an "abnormal status signal" and transmit it to the display 2 via line 7. The display will then show "Long food cart stop: 1 abnormal (not closed)" and flash warning. Maintenance personnel can directly locate the abnormal stop and disassemble and repair it without having to check all 4 long food cart stops, greatly improving maintenance efficiency.

[0048] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. An aircraft galley with stop switch status monitoring, characterized by, Includes kitchen structure (1), display (2), several long food cart stops (3), several short food cart stops (4), several storage box stops (5), sensors (6) and wiring (7); The display (2) is fixedly installed on the side wall panel of the kitchen structure (1); the long food cart stop (3) is installed at intervals on the middle horizontal partition of the kitchen structure (1); the short food cart stop (4) is arranged parallel to the long food cart stop (3) on the same middle horizontal partition; the long food cart stop (3) and the short food cart stop (4) cooperate to block the food cart; the storage box stop (5) is installed on the structural end plate of the upper storage compartment of the kitchen structure (1) to block the storage box. The sensors (6) are embedded one-to-one in the long food cart stop (3), the short food cart stop (4), and the storage box stop (5) to collect the stop switch status signals; one end of the line (7) is electrically connected to each sensor (6), and the other end is electrically connected to the display (2) to transmit status signals.

2. An aircraft galley with stop switch status monitoring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The long food cart stop (3) points downward when closed and rotates 90° counterclockwise to point horizontal when open; the short food cart stop (4) points downward when closed and rotates 90° clockwise to point horizontal when open; the storage box stop (5) points upward when closed and rotates 90° to point horizontal when open.

3. An aircraft galley with stop switch status monitoring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sensor (6) is a Hall sensor or a micro switch.

4. An aircraft galley with stop switch status monitoring according to claim 3, characterized in that The line (7) is an aviation-grade shielded conductor.

5. An aircraft galley with stop switch status monitoring according to claim 3, characterized in that, The display (2) shows the real-time status of the long food cart stop (3), the short food cart stop (4), and the storage box stop (5). When the stop status is abnormal, the display (2) issues a red warning sign.

6. An aircraft galley with stop switch status monitoring according to claim 3, characterized in that, The long food cart stop (3) and the short food cart stop (4) form a double limit when closed, which together block the food cart.

7. An aircraft galley with stop switch status monitoring according to claim 6, characterized in that, When the long food cart stop (3), the short food cart stop (4), or the storage box stop (5) is in the closed state, that is, when the long food cart stop points downward, the short food cart stop points downward, and the storage box stop points upward, the sensor (6) inside the corresponding stop collects the closed state signal in real time. This signal is transmitted to the display (2) through the line (7). The display (2) forms independent display areas for the long food cart stop (3), the short food cart stop (4), and the storage box stop (5). Each area is clearly marked with the word "closed" and the display color is green to indicate that the stop is in an effective limit state.

8. An aircraft galley with stop switch status monitoring according to claim 6, characterized in that, When the long food cart stop (3) is rotated 90° counterclockwise, the short food cart stop (4) is rotated 90° clockwise, or the storage box stop (5) is rotated 90° to the open state, the sensor (6) inside the corresponding stop immediately switches to collect the open state signal. This signal is transmitted to the display (2) via the line (7), and the display (2) shows the word "open" in the display area corresponding to the stop. If the open state lasts for more than 10 minutes and the aircraft is in level flight, the display (2) will pop up a text prompt "Confirm whether work is required" next to the corresponding display area until the flight attendant manually closes the stop or operates "Confirm work is required" through the display and the prompt disappears.

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