Rail Transfer Plate for Rear Container Access in Vehicle Galleys
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicles, particularly passenger aircraft, the handling of catering containers arranged one behind the other in galleys is difficult due to their rear location being far from the insertion opening, requiring significant effort and accessibility challenges for flight attendants.
Innovation Solution
An accommodation system with a rail system in the floor region and a transfer plate that moves between storage and removal positions, allowing easy access and handling of containers, including those with high structural depth, by minimizing the overall structural height and using guide rails and locking devices for secure positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If catering containers are arranged one behind the other in an accommodation space to make galleys more compact, then space utilization is improved, but handleability deteriorates because rear containers are difficult to reach
Solution Approach 1:
A transfer plate is introduced as an intermediary device between the rear accommodation space and the insertion opening. The transfer plate is movable on a rail system and can be positioned at different locations: when positioned at the insertion opening, it allows easy access to rear containers; when positioned at the rear accommodation space, it enables space-saving arrangement. This mediator resolves the contradiction by providing conditional access based on operational needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer plate is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically change position between the insertion opening and the rear accommodation space. This dynamic positioning capability enables the system to adapt between two operational states: one optimized for access (transfer plate at insertion opening) and one optimized for compactness (transfer plate at rear space), thus resolving the handleability vs. space utilization contradiction.
2Volume of moving object
If a full size trolley is parked in a rear parking location, then space utilization is improved, but removal difficulty increases due to high expenditure of force and accessibility issues
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer plate serves as a mechanical intermediary that bridges the gap between the rear parking location and the insertion opening. By positioning the transfer plate at the insertion opening, flight attendants can access and remove full size trolleys from rear parking locations without having to exert excessive force or reach difficult distances, thus reducing the expenditure of force while maintaining space utilization benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The removal process is segmented into two distinct steps: first, the transfer plate is positioned to bring the rear parking location within easy reach; second, the trolley is removed from the transfer plate at the accessible insertion opening position. This segmentation of the removal operation reduces the force required at any single moment compared to directly removing a full size trolley from a rear location.
3Volume of moving object
If the structural depth of the accommodation space is increased to accommodate multiple containers, then space utilization is improved, but the overall structural height increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rail system is designed with minimal structural height to accommodate the dynamic movement of the transfer plate. By keeping the rail system's structural height minimal, the accommodation space can utilize its full depth for container storage without adding excessive overall height, thus maintaining space utilization while controlling the structural height parameter.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of increasing the vertical dimension (structural height) to accommodate multiple containers, the solution utilizes the longitudinal dimension by arranging containers one behind the other in the accommodation space. The transfer plate moves along the longitudinal axis on a minimally-heighted rail system, effectively using another dimension (depth/length) to achieve space utilization without compromising the height parameter.
Data Source
AI summary
An accommodation system for an accommodation space for storing rollable containers in a vehicle. After a front container, which is arranged at the insertion opening, has been removed in the conventional manner, it is possible, through the use of the accommodation system, to remove the rear container which is arranged considerably spaced apart from the insertion opening in the interior of the accommodation space. For this purpose, a rail system is provided in the floor region of the accommodation space. A transfer plate is movable on the rail system in the floor region of the accommodation space and can assume a storage position and a removal position for the rear container.