Integrated sink and disposal unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10221548-B2
Application number	US-201615200373-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2016
Priority date	Jul 7, 2015
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for disposal of liquid and food into a sink basin. The disclosed system cooperates with and delivers the received waste material to the main waste system on-board the vehicle. This is typically an aircraft waste tank. The system does not require a manual flush, but includes a sensor system that activates drainage of the holding line when the liquid and/or other waste material reaches a certain level therein. The disclosed system combines the functionalities of a common galley sink and a galley waste disposal unit, but occupies only the space envelope of an existing galley sink. The use of an existing galley sink means that no additional space on the countertop is required.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An integrated sink system for an aircraft galley, comprising:
a standard sink basin;
a transition pipe connecting the standard sink basin with a reservoir, the transition pipe routed along a rear wall of the aircraft galley;
the reservoir comprising a vent line, a level sensor, at least one flush valve positioned below the reservoir, and a bypass conduit comprising a manual bypass valve that bypasses the at least one flush valve, the bypass conduit comprising a first connection point above the flush valve and a second connection point below the flush valve.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is installed or use in an aircraft galley monument, and wherein the vent line, the level sensor, and the at least one flush valve are mounted behind the aircraft galley monument.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is installed for use in an aircraft galley monument, and wherein the vent line, the level sensor, and the at least one flush value are mounted within the aircraft gallery monument.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an air muffler at the upper end of the vent line.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the level sensor comprises a capacitive sensor, an optical sensor, a conductive sensor, a float sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a pressure sensor, or any combination thereof.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a vacuum sensor.

Assignees

• Mag Aerospace Ind Llc

Inventors

• Stachowski Joerg
• Boodaghians Razmik B
• Morse Timothy
• Ortolan Christina

Classifications

• B64D11/02 Primary

  Toilet fittings · CPC title

• B64D11/04

  Galleys · CPC title

• E03F1/006

  Pneumatic sewage disposal systems; accessories specially adapted therefore · CPC title

• E03C1/18 Primary

  Sinks, whether or not connected to the waste-pipe · CPC title

• E03C1/23

  with mechanical closure mechanisms · CPC title