Drawer guide unit and drawer guide unit for galley container

Abstract

A drawer guide unit 20 for a galley container includes: a fixing member 21; a linear motion guide device 31; an L-shaped plate 41; an elastic force imparting member 51; and a handle 61. The handle 61 and the L-shaped plate 41 are connected by a dual-structured wire 45. When the handle 61 is pulled, the wire 45 connecting the handle 61 and the L-shaped plate 41 by the dual structure exerts a drawing force against the elastic force of the elastic force imparting member 51, whereby the L-shaped plate 41 is pulled out. When the pulling of the handle 61 is released, the L-shaped plate 41 is biased toward the counter-drawing side by the elastic force exerted by the elastic force imparting member 51.

Description

Drawer guide unit, galley container drawer guide unit

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a drawer guide unit and a drawer guide unit for a galley container.

[0002] Conventionally, galley units including many storage compartments have been used in interior facilities for vehicles such as aircraft to store items while making maximum use of the limited space in passenger service areas. For example, prior art documents disclosing this type of galley unit include Patent Document 1 listed below.

[0003] Galley containers containing, for example, food and beverages are stored in the storage compartments of galley units. Galley containers can be stored above the floor and are generally manually loaded and unloaded by cabin crew or loaders. In particular, on aircraft, galley containers are often stored above the heads of cabin crew and loaders. However, because galley containers containing food and beverages are heavy, the task of unloading or unloading them from the storage compartment is a significant burden. For this reason, conventional galley units have been equipped with a galley container pull-out guide unit that assists cabin crew and loaders in unloading and unloading galley containers stored in storage compartments located high in the galley unit.

[0004] A conventionally known pull-out guide unit for a galley container has one end of a wire connected to a handle, and the other end of the wire is connected to an engagement member that engages with the galley container.This engagement member is always located at the innermost position of the storage compartment due to the elastic force exerted by an elastic body such as a spring, and is equipped with a mechanism whereby when a flight attendant or loader (a person loading or unloading the container) pulls the handle, the engagement member moves toward the entrance of the storage compartment, thereby pulling out the galley container stored in the storage compartment.

[0005] Special Publication No. 2010-514605

[0006] However, the above-mentioned conventionally known galley container drawer guide units are used to repeatedly draw out heavy galley containers, so the handles, wires, springs, and other elastic bodies are prone to breakage, and there is still room for improvement in terms of operability.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the problems existing in the prior art described above, and its purpose is to provide a drawer guide unit and a drawer guide unit for a galley container that are less susceptible to damage and have improved operability compared to the prior art.

[0008] The drawer guide unit according to the present disclosure is a drawer guide unit used to draw out an item stored in a storage section from the storage section, and includes a linear guide device including at least a fixed member attached to an inner wall surface of the storage section, a track member attached to the fixed member, and a movable member that slides in the longitudinal direction of the track member, an L-shaped plate attached to the movable member and engaging with the wall surface on the rear side of the storage section for the item stored in the storage section, an elastic force applying member held by the fixed member and applying an elastic force to urge the movable member in a direction opposite to the draw-out side of the item, and a handle connected to the movable member or the L-shaped plate via a wire, and the wire is a single wire. The handle and the movable member or the L-shaped plate are connected by a two-strand structure, with both ends attached to the movable member or the L-shaped plate and the middle being looped around a wire holding portion built into the handle, and when the handle is pulled toward the side from which the item is to be pulled out, the wire connecting the handle and the movable member or the L-shaped plate by the two-strand structure exerts a pull-out force that resists the elastic force of the elastic force imparting member, causing the L-shaped plate to pull out the item from the storage section, and when the pull on the handle is released, the elastic force exerted by the elastic force imparting member urges the L-shaped plate toward the side opposite to the side from which the item is to be pulled out.

[0009] The drawer guide unit for a galley container according to the present disclosure is a drawer guide unit for a galley container used to draw a galley container stored in a storage compartment of a galley unit out of the storage compartment, and includes a linear guide device including at least a fixed member attached to the inner wall surface of the storage compartment, a track member attached to the fixed member, and a movable member that slides in the longitudinal direction of the track member, an L-shaped plate attached to the movable member and engages with the container wall surface on the rear side of the galley container stored in the storage compartment, an elastic force applying member held by the fixed member and applying an elastic force that urges the movable member in the opposite direction to the drawer side of the galley container, and a wire connected to the movable member or the L-shaped plate. and a handle for pulling out the galley container from the storage compartment, wherein the wire is a single wire whose both ends are attached to the movable member or the L-shaped plate and whose middle is passed around a wire holding portion built into the handle, thereby connecting the handle and the movable member or the L-shaped plate in a two-strand structure, and when the handle is pulled toward the pull-out side of the galley container, the wire connecting the handle and the movable member or the L-shaped plate in a two-strand structure applies a pull-out force that resists the elastic force of the elastic force-applying member, causing the L-shaped plate to pull out the galley container from the storage compartment, and when the pull on the handle is released, the elastic force applied by the elastic force-applying member urges the L-shaped plate toward the opposite pull-out side of the galley container.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a drawer guide unit and a drawer guide unit for a galley container that are less susceptible to damage and have improved operability compared to conventional techniques.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a galley unit to which the galley container drawer guide unit according to this embodiment is applied. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the galley container drawer guide unit according to this embodiment installed in a storage compartment of the galley unit. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the galley container drawer guide unit according to this embodiment, as viewed from the upper left front. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the galley container drawer guide unit according to this embodiment, as viewed from the lower right rear. FIG. 5 is a left side view of the galley container drawer guide unit according to this embodiment. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the components of the galley container drawer guide unit according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the components of the galley container drawer guide unit according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a linear guide device and an elastic force imparting member constituting the galley container drawer guide unit according to this embodiment, as viewed from the upper left front. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a linear guide device and an elastic force imparting member constituting the galley container drawer guide unit according to this embodiment, as viewed from the upper right rear. FIG. 10 is a left side view showing a main portion of a linear guide device constituting the drawer guide unit for a galley container according to this embodiment. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the linear guide device of FIG. 10 taken along line 11-11. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an elastic force imparting member constituting the drawer guide unit for a galley container according to this embodiment, as viewed from the upper left front. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an elastic force imparting member constituting the drawer guide unit for a galley container according to this embodiment, as viewed from the upper right rear. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a state in which the spiral spring protective cover installed on the right side of the elastic force imparting member shown in FIG. 13 has been removed. FIG. 15 is a left side view of a handle, a wire, and an L-shaped plate constituting the drawer guide unit for a galley container according to this embodiment. FIG. 16 is a right side view of a handle, a wire, and an L-shaped plate constituting the drawer guide unit for a galley container according to this embodiment.FIG. 17 is a left side view showing a state in which a pulley protection cover is removed from a handle constituting a drawer guide unit for a galley container according to this embodiment. FIG. 18 is a right side view showing a state in which a pulley protection cover is removed from a handle constituting a drawer guide unit for a galley container according to this embodiment. FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an L-shaped plate and a portion of a wire constituting a drawer guide unit for a galley container according to this embodiment, as viewed from the front lower left. FIG. 20 is a perspective view of an L-shaped plate and a portion of a wire constituting a drawer guide unit for a galley container according to this embodiment, as viewed from the rear upper right. FIG. 21 is a right side view for explaining the state in which the handle, wire guide, and wire constituting the drawer guide unit for a galley container according to this embodiment are in use, with (a) showing the initial state and (b) showing the state when the handle is pulled forward. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of a connection portion that can be used to attach both ends of the wire to the L-shaped plate. Fig. 23 is a diagram schematically illustrating the arrangement of the handle and wire guide of the drawer guide unit for a galley container according to this embodiment, when viewed in a direction parallel to the inner wall surface of the storage compartment to which the fixing member is attached and perpendicular to the direction in which the handle is pulled, where Fig. 23(a) illustrates the normal state, and Fig. 23(b) illustrates the malfunction state. Fig. 24 is a diagram schematically illustrating the operating state of the drawer guide unit for a galley container according to an improved example of the present disclosure, when viewed in a direction parallel to the inner wall surface of the storage compartment to which the fixing member is attached and perpendicular to the direction in which the handle is pulled, where Figs. 23(a) to 23(b) illustrate the manner in which the handle comes into contact with the wire guide as a result of being pulled by the wire. Fig. 25 is a diagram illustrating a specific structural example of the configuration schematically illustrated in Fig. 24.

[0012] Preferred embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the inventions according to the claims, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0013] First, referring to Figures 1 and 2, an example of a galley unit 10 in which a galley container drawer guide unit 20 according to this embodiment is installed and used is shown. Here, Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of a galley unit to which the galley container drawer guide unit according to this embodiment is applied. Also, Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the galley container drawer guide unit according to this embodiment is installed in a storage compartment of the galley unit.

[0014] A galley unit 10 equipped with a galley container drawer guide unit 20 according to this embodiment is used in interior equipment for vehicles such as aircraft. The galley unit 10 has a plurality of storage compartments 11, and galley containers 12 can be stored in or removed from the storage compartments 11. In the galley unit 10 of this embodiment, cabin crew or a loader (a person who loads or removes a container) manually stores the galley containers 12 in the storage compartments 11. Furthermore, in the case of the storage compartment 11 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of galley containers 12 (e.g., two containers) can be stored in series in the depth direction. In this case, the galley containers 12 stored in the front can be manually removed by cabin crew or a loader (a person who loads or removes a container), but the galley containers 12 stored in the back cannot be manually removed by cabin crew or a loader (a person who loads or removes a container). In this way, the galley container drawer guide unit 20 according to this embodiment is used when pulling out a galley container 12 that is stored at the back of the storage compartment 11 and out of reach of people.

[0015] The galley container drawer guide unit 20 according to this embodiment can be installed and used on the inner side wall surface of the storage compartment 11, as shown in Figure 2. Therefore, the following description will be given taking as an example a case where the galley container drawer guide unit 20 according to this embodiment is installed on the right side wall surface of the storage compartment 11 of the galley unit 10. In other words, in the description of this embodiment, the directions of "front / back, left / right, and up / down" will be defined based on the directions in use when the drawer guide unit 20 is installed on the right side wall surface of the storage compartment 11. However, these directions do not limit the use state of the galley container drawer guide unit according to the present disclosure.

[0016] Next, the configuration of the galley container drawer guide unit 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 21. Here, Figure 3 is an external perspective view of the galley container drawer guide unit according to this embodiment, as viewed from the upper left front. Figure 4 is an external perspective view of the galley container drawer guide unit according to this embodiment, as viewed from the lower right rear. Figure 5 is a left side view of the galley container drawer guide unit according to this embodiment. Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the components of the galley container drawer guide unit according to this embodiment shown in Figure 3. Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the components of the galley container drawer guide unit according to this embodiment shown in Figure 4. Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of the linear guide device and elastic force applying member that constitute the galley container drawer guide unit according to this embodiment, as viewed from the upper left front. Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view of the linear guide device and elastic force applying member that constitute the galley container drawer guide unit according to this embodiment, as viewed from the upper right rear. Figure 10 is a left side view showing the main components of the linear guide device that constitutes the galley container drawer guide unit according to this embodiment. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the linear guide device of FIG. 10 taken along line 11-11. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the elastic force imparting member constituting the drawer guide unit for a galley container according to this embodiment, as viewed from the upper left front. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the elastic force imparting member constituting the drawer guide unit for a galley container according to this embodiment, as viewed from the upper right rear. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the elastic force imparting member shown in FIG. 13 with the spiral spring protective cover installed on the right side removed. FIG. 15 is a left side view of the handle, wire, and L-shaped plate constituting the drawer guide unit for a galley container according to this embodiment. FIG. 16 is a right side view of the handle, wire, and L-shaped plate constituting the drawer guide unit for a galley container according to this embodiment. FIG. 17 is a left side view showing the handle constituting the drawer guide unit for a galley container according to this embodiment with the pulley protective cover removed.Figure 18 is a right side view showing the handle constituting the drawer guide unit for a galley container according to this embodiment with the pulley protection cover removed. Figure 19 is a perspective view of the L-shaped plate and part of the wire constituting the drawer guide unit for a galley container according to this embodiment as viewed from the front lower left. Figure 20 is a perspective view of the L-shaped plate and part of the wire constituting the drawer guide unit for a galley container according to this embodiment as viewed from the rear upper right. Figure 21 is a right side view for explaining the state in use of the handle, wire guide, and wire constituting the drawer guide unit for a galley container according to this embodiment, with (a) showing the initial state and (b) showing the state when the handle is pulled forward.

[0017] As shown in Figures 3 to 7, the drawer guide unit 20 for a galley container in this embodiment is mainly composed of a fixed member 21, a linear guide device 31, an L-shaped plate 41, an elastic force imparting member 51, and a handle 61.

[0018] The fixed member 21 is a plate-shaped member attached to the right inner wall surface of the storage compartment 11. The linear guide device 31, the elastic force applying member 51, and the wire guide 71 (described later) are fixedly installed on the left side of the fixed member 21, and the right side is attached to the right inner wall surface of the storage compartment 11.

[0019] As shown in more detail in Figures 10 and 11, the linear guide device 31 includes a track rail 32 as a track member attached to the fixed member 21, and a movable member 33 that slides in the longitudinal direction of the track rail 32 (i.e., the front-to-rear direction).

[0020] The track rail 32 is a long rail member having a substantially C-shaped or U-shaped longitudinal cross section, and has a pair of track rail-side sliding grooves 32a formed as grooves extending longitudinally relative to the vertical position on the inner peripheral surface of the substantially C-shaped or U-shaped member. Meanwhile, the movable member 33 has a pair of moving-member-side sliding grooves 33a formed as grooves extending longitudinally relative to the vertical position on the outer peripheral surface. The pair of track rail-side sliding grooves 32a and the pair of moving-member-side sliding grooves 33a are arranged opposite each other. Furthermore, a cylindrical sliding member 34 made of oil-impregnated resin is interposed between the opposed track rail-side sliding grooves 32a and moving-member-side sliding grooves 33a. Therefore, in the linear guide device 31, the movable member 33 slides longitudinally along the track rail 32 fixed to the fixed member 21, and the presence of the oil-impregnated resin sliding member 34 between the movable member 33 and the track rail 32 allows the movable member 33 to achieve stable sliding motion.

[0021] An L-shaped plate 41 is attached to the moving member 33 of the linear guide device 31 described above. In this embodiment, the moving member 33 and the L-shaped plate 41 are fixed by bolts with a spacer member 35 shown in Figures 8 and 9 sandwiched between them. The spacer member 35 is used to connect and fix the moving member 33 and an elastic force applying member 51, which will be described later.

[0022] The L-shaped plate 41 of this embodiment is bolted to the movable member 33, and is therefore capable of sliding in the longitudinal direction of the track rail 32 fixedly installed to the fixed member 21. An L-shaped portion 42 that is L-shaped and bends to the left in the sliding movement direction is formed on the rear side of the L-shaped plate 41, and the action of this L-shaped portion 42 allows it to engage with the container wall surface on the rear side of the galley container 12 when stored, and by moving the L-shaped plate 41 forward while maintaining this engaged state, the galley container 12 can be pulled out from within the storage compartment 11.

[0023] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 6, 7, 15 and 16, a wire 45 is fixed to the front side of the L-shaped plate 41. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 19 and 20, the L-shaped plate 41 of this embodiment has an additional shaped portion 43 that is curved downward and rearward, and the formation of the additional shaped portion 43 improves the rigidity of the L-shaped plate 41.

[0024] The elastic force applying member 51 is held by the fixed member 21 and applies an elastic force that urges the movable member 33 of the linear guide device 31 toward the side opposite to the pull-out side of the galley container 12. As shown in Figures 12 to 14, the elastic force applying member 51 according to this embodiment includes a winding drum 52 rotatably held by the fixed member 21, a spring force transmission wire 53 that is wound around the winding drum with one end 53a fixed to the winding drum 52 and the other end 53b fixed to the movable member 33, a spiral spring 55 that urges the winding drum 52 in the winding direction of the spring force transmission wire 53, and a spiral spring protective cover 54 that is installed on the right side of the winding drum 52 to protect the spiral spring 55. Therefore, the elastic force applying member 51 is configured so that the spiral spring 55 always applies an elastic force that urges the movable member 33 toward the side opposite to the pull-out side of the galley container 12 (i.e., the rear side).

[0025] With regard to the attachment of the spring force transmission wire 53 to the winding drum 52 and the movable member 33, one end 53a and the other end 53b of the spring force transmission wire 53 are spherical in shape, and the spherical shape of one end 53a of the spring force transmission wire 53 is fixed by engaging with the locking groove 52a of the winding drum 52 (see Figures 13 and 14), and the spherical shape of the other end 53b of the spring force transmission wire 53 is fixed by fitting it into the locking groove 33b of the movable member 33, covering it with a spacer member 35, and fastening it with a bolt (see Figure 8).

[0026] The handle 61 is a member that is connected to the moving member 33 via the wire 45. More specifically, the handle 61 incorporates a pulley 62 as a wire holder therein, as shown in Fig. 17. The pulley 62 is protected from the outside by a pulley protection cover 61a that is attached to the handle 61, as shown in Fig. 15.

[0027] On the other hand, one wire 45 is attached to the front side of the L-shaped plate 41, whose both ends are fixed to the moving member 33, and the middle part of the wire 45 is wound around a pulley 62 built into the handle 61. In other words, the L-shaped plate 41 and the handle 61 in this embodiment are configured so that the wire 45 is connected in a two-wire structure.

[0028] Therefore, in the galley container pull-out guide unit 20 of this embodiment, when the handle 61 is pulled toward the pull-out side (i.e., toward the front) of the galley container 12, the wire 45 connecting the handle 61 and the L-shaped plate 41 with a two-piece structure exerts a pull-out force that resists the elastic force of the elastic force-applying member 51, so that the L-shaped plate 41 engaged with the galley container 12 moves toward the front, allowing the L-shaped plate 41 to pull the galley container 12 out of the storage compartment 11.

[0029] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the handle 61 is operated to slide the L-shaped plate 41 (movable member 33) via the wire 45 connected by a two-strand structure to unwind or reel in the spring force transmission wire 53 from the winding drum 52, the spiral spring 55 always exerts an elastic force that urges the L-shaped plate 41 (movable member 33) toward the side opposite to the pull-out side (i.e., the rear side) of the galley container 12. Therefore, when the handle 61 is released from tension, the L-shaped plate 41 is urged toward the side opposite to the pull-out side (i.e., the rear side) of the galley container 12 by the elastic force exerted by the elastic force applying member 51, and can easily return to its initial position.

[0030] 3 to 5, the handle 61 is disposed via a wire guide 71 installed on the pull-out side (i.e., the front side) of the fixing member 21 of the galley container 12. As shown in more detail in Fig. 18, the wire guide 71 of this embodiment has a guide wall 72 that guides the pull-out and retraction of the wire 45 that connects the handle 61 and the L-shaped plate 41 in a two-wire structure, and this guide wall 72 is configured as a curved wall surface having a curvature.

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in the partial view of Fig. 21 (a), the guide wall 72 formed on the wire guide 71 preferably has a configuration in which the inequality 2R / d≧20 holds, where d is the diameter of the wire 45 and R is the radius of curvature of the curved wall surface that constitutes the guide wall 72. This conditional expression contributes to realizing smooth extension and retraction of the wire 45 by the guide wall 72 guiding the extension and retraction of the two wires 45 when the handle 61 is pulled diagonally downward, for example, as shown in the partial view of Fig. 21 (b). Note that the pulley 62 built into the handle 61, by its pulley structure, maintains a state in which the elastic force from the spiral spring 55 is applied equally to both of the two wires 45 connected by the two wires 45. Furthermore, although the wire guide 71 does not directly have the effect of preventing damage to the handle 61, if the shape of the wire guide is, for example, a sharp R-shape that does not satisfy the above-mentioned conditional expression, the wire 45 may become bent, causing the handle 61 to be stored in an upright position, which may result in damage to the handle 61 due to contact with articles such as the galley container 12. Therefore, the wire guide 71 of this embodiment, by having a shape that satisfies the above-mentioned conditional expression, can indirectly exert the effect of preventing damage to the handle 61.

[0032] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the guide wall 72 formed on the wire guide 71 has a curved shape that satisfies the conditions of the above inequality, and a configuration is adopted in which the handle 61 and the L-shaped plate 41 are connected by a two-strand wire 45. Therefore, no matter in what direction the handle 61 is pulled out, the wire 45 is less likely to twist and has high resilience, making it possible to pull out and store the wire 45 smoothly.

[0033] Furthermore, the drawer guide unit 20 for galley containers in this embodiment adopts a configuration in which the handle 61 and the L-shaped plate 41 are connected by a two-strand wire 45, which has high strength and makes the wire 45 less likely to break.

[0034] The above has described the configuration of the galley container drawer guide unit 20 according to this embodiment. Next, a method of using the galley container drawer guide unit 20 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0035] When pulling out the galley container 12, which is stored at the back of the storage compartment 11 and out of reach of people, a cabin attendant or a loader (a person loading or unloading) applies a pulling force against the elastic force of the spiral spring 55 by pulling the handle 61 toward the front. This pulling force is transmitted to the L-shaped plate 41 via the two-wire connecting wire 45. The L-shaped plate 41 is fixed to the moving member 33 of the linear guide device 31, and therefore slides forward along the track rail 32 of the linear guide device 31. At this time, the L-shaped portion 42 formed on the L-shaped plate 41 engages with the container wall surface on the back side of the galley container 12, and the L-shaped plate 41, maintaining this engaged state, moves forward, thereby allowing the galley container 12 to be pulled out from within the storage compartment 11. When a cabin attendant or a loader (a person loading or unloading) pulls the handle 61 forward, the handle 61 and the L-shaped plate 41 are connected by the two-strand wire 45, which provides a configuration that is stronger and less likely to break than conventional technology. Furthermore, the two-strand wire 45 is guided in its unwinding operation by the guide wall 72, which is formed as a curved wall surface with a curvature relative to the wire guide 71, and the pulley 62 built into the handle 61 smoothly adjusts the length of the two-strand wire 45, thereby achieving a smooth unwinding operation.

[0036] As described above, after the galley container 12 has been pulled out from the storage compartment 11, when the cabin crew or loader (the person loading or unloading) releases the pulling force that they have been applying to the handle 61, the pulling force on the L-shaped plate 41 that had been receiving the pulling force from the handle 61 is released, and the L-shaped plate 41 slides rearward due to the elastic force of the spiral spring 55 and automatically returns to its initial position. At this time, too, the wire guide 71 appropriately guides the retracting operation of the two wires 45, and the pulley 62 built into the handle 61 smoothly adjusts the length of the two wires 45, thereby achieving a stable return operation.

[0037] While the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. Various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments.

[0038] For example, in the above embodiment, the drawer guide unit according to the present disclosure is described as a galley container drawer guide unit 20 used to draw out a galley container 12 stored in a storage compartment 11 of a galley unit 10 from the storage compartment 11, but the drawer guide unit according to the present disclosure is not limited to being used for drawing out the galley container 12. The drawer guide unit according to the present disclosure can be used to draw out any item stored in various types of storage units.

[0039] Furthermore, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the galley container drawer guide unit 20 is installed on the right wall surface of the storage compartment 11 of the galley unit 10. However, the galley container drawer guide unit 20 according to this embodiment can also be installed on the left wall surface of the storage compartment 11 of the galley unit 10. In this case, the above-described galley container drawer guide unit 20 can be used by inverting it upside down. In this way, the galley container drawer guide unit 20 according to this embodiment can be applied to both the left and right wall surfaces of the storage compartment 11, and has a structure with a wide range of applications. Note that the galley container drawer guide unit 20 according to this embodiment can be used not only on the left and right wall surfaces of the storage compartment 11, but also in any direction and in any position.

[0040] For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example was given in which both ends of a single wire 45 having a two-strand structure are fixed to the L-shaped plate 41, but both ends of a single wire 45 having a two-strand structure may also be fixed to a moving member 33 that slides and moves together with the L-shaped plate 41.

[0041] Furthermore, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the handle 61 has a built-in pulley 62 as a wire holding portion, and the wire 45 is wound around this pulley 62, thereby connecting the handle 61 and the moving member 33 via the wire 45. However, the wire holding portion of the present disclosure is not limited to the pulley 62. For example, a wire holding portion of a type that holds the wire 45 by sliding contact with it may also be employed.

[0042] Furthermore, for example, in the above-described embodiment, an example was given in which the galley container drawer guide unit 20 according to this embodiment is used when pulling out a galley container 12 that is stored at the back of the storage compartment 11 and out of reach of people, but of course the galley container drawer guide unit according to the present disclosure can also be used when pulling out a galley container 12 that is within reach of people. In other words, the galley container drawer guide unit according to the present disclosure can be used when pulling out a galley container that is in any position, attitude, or state.

[0043] Furthermore, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the linear guide device 31 was of a type that performed sliding motion, but the linear guide device applied to the galley container drawer guide unit of the present disclosure can also be of a type that performs rolling motion by interposing a plurality of rolling bodies (balls, rollers, rollers, etc.) between the track member and the moving member.

[0044] For example, in the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 20 , cylindrical stop sleeves 46 are provided on both ends of a single two-strand wire 45, and the stop sleeves 46 are hooked into slit grooves 47 formed in the L-shaped plate 41 to secure both ends of the wire 45 to the L-shaped plate 41. However, with a fastening method using stop sleeves 46, there is a small possibility that the wire 45 may rotate and twist. Therefore, it is preferable that the ends of the wire 45 be attached to the L-shaped plate 41 using connecting portions 81 having a ring terminal shape that prevents the wire 45 from rotating, as shown in FIG. 22 . Here, FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of a connecting portion 81 that can be used to attach both ends of the wire 45 to the L-shaped plate 41. To explain a specific attachment method using FIG. 22 , tapped holes 48 are provided in the L-shaped plate 41, and connecting portions 81 having a ring terminal shape are provided on both ends of the single two-strand wire 45. From this state, the wire 45 is passed through the slit groove 47 formed in the L-shaped plate 41, and the threaded shaft of the bolt 83 is passed through the through-hole of the connection portion 81 having a ring terminal shape, and the bolt 83 is screwed into the tapped hole 48 to complete the fixation of both ends of the wire 45 to the L-shaped plate 41. At this time, since the connection portion 81 fixed to the L-shaped plate 41 has a ring terminal shape, the wire 45 is fixed to the L-shaped plate 41 in an unrotatable state. Therefore, according to the structural example shown in FIG. 22 , the wire 45 does not rotate, and therefore it is possible to preferably prevent the occurrence of problems such as twisting of the two-strand wire 45. Note that, in addition to the ring terminal shape shown in FIG. 22 , the connection portion according to the present disclosure that prevents the wire 45 from rotating may also employ a Y-shaped terminal shape, a hook-shaped terminal shape, or the like.Furthermore, in the structural example shown in Figure 22, tapped holes 48 and bolts 83 are used as a means for fixing the L-shaped plate 41 and the connection portion 81, but in the present disclosure, any conventionally known fixing means can be used for fixing the L-shaped plate and the connection portion, such as providing an untapped through-hole in the L-shaped plate and using a bolt and nut fixing means in which the threaded shaft of the bolt is passed through the through-hole and fastened with a nut, or using a rivet fixing means, or using a welding fixing means.

[0045] Furthermore, for example, further improvements can be made to the drawer guide unit 20 for a galley container according to the embodiment described above, and examples of such improvements will be described using Figures 23 to 25. Here, Figure 23 is a diagram schematically illustrating the arrangement state in which the handle 61 and the wire guide 71 of the drawer guide unit 20 for a galley container according to this embodiment are in contact with each other, as viewed in a direction parallel to the inner wall surface of the storage compartment 11 to which the fixing member 21 is attached and perpendicular to the direction in which the handle 61 is pulled (i.e., in the up-down direction), with part (a) in the diagram showing the normal state and part (b) showing the state in which a malfunction has occurred. 24 is a diagram schematically illustrating the operating state of the galley container drawer guide unit according to the improved embodiment of the present disclosure when the handle 61 and wire guide 171 come into contact with each other, as viewed in a direction parallel to the inner wall surface of the storage compartment 11 to which the fixing member 21 is attached and perpendicular to the direction in which the handle 61 is pulled (i.e., vertically). The state in which the handle 61 comes into contact with the wire guide 171 as a result of being pulled by the wire 45 is illustrated in sub-views (a) and (b) of the figure. Furthermore, FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating a specific structural example of the configuration schematically illustrated in FIG. 24. In FIGS. 23 to 25, components that are the same as or similar to those in the above-described embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description is omitted.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 23 , the handle 61 and the wire guide 71 of the above-described embodiment have flat surfaces at the contact points. Therefore, when the handle 61 is pulled by the wire 45 and contacts the wire guide 71, the handle 61 normally stays flush with the inner wall surface of the storage compartment 11 (see sub-diagram (a) in FIG. 23 ). However, repeated extension and retraction of the handle 61 may result in the handle 61 rising up relative to the inner wall surface of the storage compartment 11 and contacting the wire guide 71 (see sub-diagram (b) in FIG. 23 ). This situation could damage the handle 61 or the wire 45. Therefore, it is necessary for the handle 61 to always stay flush with the inner wall surface of the storage compartment 11 when contacting the wire guide 71. Therefore, the present inventors have succeeded in solving the aforementioned problem by devising the configuration of an improved example shown in FIG. 24 . This improved example will be described using FIG. 24 .

[0047] In the improved example shown in Figure 24, the shape of the portion of wire guide 171 that comes into contact with handle 61 is formed as a convex shape 172a at a portion away from fixing member 21 and a concave shape 172b at a portion close to fixing member 21, thereby forming a stepped shape 172 consisting of convex shape 172a and concave shape 172b. Therefore, when handle 61 is pulled by wire 45, handle 61 is pulled by wire 45 with the portion of wire guide 171 that comes into contact with convex shape 172a as a fulcrum and a portion closer to fixing member 21 than this fulcrum as a force point, so that force is applied to handle 61 so that it is always pressed against the inner wall surface of storage compartment 11. Therefore, in the improved example shown in Figure 24, handle 61 does not rise up against the inner wall surface of storage compartment 11 and always remains aligned with the inner wall surface of storage compartment 11. 24, it is possible to effectively prevent the handle 61 from rising up, which could damage the handle 61 or the wire 45, thereby realizing a drawer guide unit 20 for a galley container that maintains normal operation and is less prone to malfunction. Note that a configuration that achieves this effect requires a configuration in which the point of contact between the handle 61 and the wire guide 171 is defined as a fulcrum, the point at which the handle 61 receives the elastic force exerted by the elastic force applying member 51 via the wire 45 is defined as a force point, and the point at which the handle 61 is pressed against the inner wall surface of the storage compartment 11 is defined as a point of application, where the point of application, point of application, and fulcrum are arranged in this order in a direction away from a position close to the inner wall surface of the storage compartment 11 (see sub-diagram (b) in FIG. 24).

[0048] Next, a structural example that specifically realizes the improved example shown in FIG. 24 is shown in FIG. 25 . As shown in FIG. 25 , the shape of the portion of the wire guide 171 that contacts the handle 61 is formed such that the portion away from the fixing member 21 is formed as a convex shape 172 a and the portion close to the fixing member 21 is formed as a concave shape 172 b. As a result, when the handle 61 is pulled by the wire 45, the handle 61 is pulled by the wire 45 with the portion of the wire guide 171 that contacts the convex shape 172 a as a fulcrum and a portion closer to the fixing member 21 than the fulcrum as a force point. This causes the handle 61 to be constantly pressed against the inner wall surface of the storage compartment 11. In other words, when the handle 61 is in contact with the wire guide 171, a force is applied to the handle 61 such that it is constantly pressed against the inner wall surface of the storage compartment 11. Therefore, in the structural example shown in FIG. 25 , the handle 61 does not rise up relative to the inner wall surface of the storage compartment 11 and can always remain in a state that is aligned with the inner wall surface of the storage compartment 11.

[0049] In the improved examples and structural examples shown in Figures 24 and 25, an example is shown in which a step shape 172 is formed on the wire guide 171 side, but the step shape according to the present disclosure may be provided on the handle 61 side, or on both the wire guide 171 and the handle 61.

[0050] It is clear from the claims that such modifications and improvements may also be included within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0051] 10 Galley unit, 11 Storage compartment (storage section), 12 Galley container (item), 20 Galley container drawer guide unit (drawer guide unit), 21 Fixed member, 31 Linear guide device, 32 Track rail (track member), 32a Track rail side sliding groove, 33 Moving member, 33a Moving member side sliding groove, 33b Locking groove, 34 Sliding member, 35 Spacer member, 41 L-shaped plate, 42 L-shaped portion, 43 Additional shape portion, 45 Wire, 46 Stop sleeve, 47 Slit groove, 48 Tapped hole, 51 Elastic force imparting member, 52 Winding drum, 52a Locking groove, 53 Spring force transmission wire, 53a One end (of spring force transmission wire), 53b Other end (of spring force transmission wire), 54 Spiral spring protective cover, 55 Spiral spring, 61 Handle, 61a Pulley protection cover, 62 Pulley (wire holding portion), 71 Wire guide, 72 Guide wall, 81 Connection portion, 83 Bolt, 171 Wire guide, 172 Step shape, 172a Convex shape, 172b Concave shape.

Claims

1. A pull-out guide unit used to pull out an item stored in a storage section from the storage section, comprising: a linear guide device including at least a fixed member attached to an inner wall surface of the storage section, a track member attached to the fixed member, and a movable member that slides in the longitudinal direction of the track member; an L-shaped plate attached to the movable member and engaging with the wall surface at the rear side of the storage section of the item stored in the storage section; an elastic force applying member held by the fixed member and applying an elastic force that urges the movable member in the direction opposite to the pull-out side of the item; and a handle connected to the movable member or the L-shaped plate via a wire, wherein both ends of the wire are attached to the movable member or the L-shaped plate and the middle part is passed around a wire holding section built into the handle, thereby connecting the handle and the movable member or the L-shaped plate with a two-wire structure, When the handle is pulled toward the side where the item is to be pulled out, the wire connecting the handle and the movable member or the L-shaped plate with a two-wire structure exerts a pull-out force against the elastic force of the elastic force imparting member, causing the L-shaped plate to pull out the item from the storage section, and when the pull on the handle is released, the elastic force exerted by the elastic force imparting member urges the L-shaped plate toward the side away from the item.

2. A galley container pull-out guide unit used for pulling out a galley container stored in a storage compartment of a galley unit from the storage compartment, comprising: a linear guide device including at least a fixed member attached to the inner wall surface of the storage compartment, a track member attached to the fixed member, and a movable member that slides in the longitudinal direction of the track member; an L-shaped plate attached to the movable member and engages with the container wall surface at the rear side of the galley container stored in the storage compartment; an elastic force applying member held by the fixed member and applying an elastic force that biases the movable member in the opposite pull-out direction of the galley container; and a handle connected to the movable member or the L-shaped plate via a wire, wherein both ends of the wire are attached to the movable member or the L-shaped plate and the middle part is passed around a wire holding part built into the handle, thereby connecting the handle and the movable member or the L-shaped plate with a two-wire structure, A pull-out guide unit for a galley container, characterized in that, when the handle is pulled toward the pull-out side of the galley container, the wire connecting the handle and the movable member or the L-shaped plate with a two-piece structure exerts a pull-out force against the elastic force of the elastic force imparting member, causing the L-shaped plate to pull the galley container out of the storage compartment, and when the pull on the handle is released, the elastic force exerted by the elastic force imparting member urges the L-shaped plate toward the opposite pull-out side of the galley container.

3. A pull-out guide unit for a galley container as described in claim 2, wherein the handle is arranged via a wire guide installed on the pull-out side of the galley container in the fixed member, the wire guide has a guide wall that guides the pull-out and storage of the wire that connects the handle and the movable member or the L-shaped plate in a two-wire structure, and the guide wall is a curved wall surface with a curvature.

4. A pull-out guide unit for a galley container as described in claim 3, characterized in that, when the diameter of the wire is d and the radius of curvature of the curved wall surface constituting the guide wall is R, the inequality 2R / d≧20 holds true.

5. A pull-out guide unit for a galley container as described in claim 2, characterized in that the attachment points between both ends of the wire and the movable member or the L-shaped plate are attached by connection parts that prevent the wire from rotating.

6. A pull-out guide unit for a galley container as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the connecting portion has a ring terminal shape.

7. A pull-out guide unit for a galley container as described in claim 3, characterized in that, when the contact state between the handle and the wire guide is viewed in a direction parallel to the inner wall surface of the storage compartment to which the fixing member is attached and perpendicular to the direction in which the handle is pulled, the point at which the handle and the wire guide contact is taken as a fulcrum, the point at which the handle receives the elastic force exerted by the elastic force applying member via the wire is taken as a force point, and the point at which the handle is pressed against the inner wall surface of the storage compartment is taken as a point of action, the action point, force point, and fulcrum are arranged in that order in a direction away from a position close to the inner wall surface of the storage compartment.

8. A pull-out guide unit for a galley container as described in claim 7, characterized in that the shape of the portion where either the handle or the wire guide comes into contact with the other is formed so that the portion away from the fixed member is convex and the portion close to the fixed member is concave, thereby forming a stepped shape consisting of the convex and concave shapes.

9. A pull-out guide unit for a galley container as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the elastic force applying member comprises: a winding drum rotatably held on the fixed member; a spring force transmitting wire wound around the winding drum with one end fixed to the winding drum and the other end fixed to the moving member; and a power spring which urges the winding drum in the winding direction of the spring force transmitting wire, wherein when the handle is operated to slide the moving member via the wire connected in a two-strand structure to unwind or wind the spring force transmitting wire from the winding drum, the power spring always exerts an elastic force which urges the moving member towards the opposite pull-out side of the galley container.

Images