Controlling flow of dry ice sublimation inside a galley cart

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016229538-A1
Application number	US-201615098179-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 13, 2016
Priority date	Mar 10, 2014
Publication date	Aug 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A galley cart system employs a housing with a door coupled to the housing, the door configured to be moved between a closed position and an open position. A vent plate in the housing communicates between a first compartment and a second compartment. A valve plate adjacent the vent plate is movable from a venting position when the door is in the closed position to a blocking position when the door is in the open position thereby preventing flow communication between the first and second compartment.

First claim

1 . A galley cart comprising:
a housing defining a cavity; a door coupled to the housing, the door configured to be moved between a closed position and an open position; a plurality of vent plates in the housing to communicate between a sublimation volume and a plurality of refrigeration compartments; and a valve plate adjacent each vent plate, said valve plate movable from a venting position when the door is in the closed position to a blocking position when the door is in the open position.

2 . The galley cart as defined in claim 1 wherein the sublimation volume includes a dry ice storage compartment.

3 . The galley cart as defined in claim 2 wherein the sublimation volume includes a vertical distribution channel and a plurality of horizontal conduits, each horizontal conduit having an associated one of the plurality of vent plates and an associated valve plate.

4 . The galley cart as defined in claim 3 further comprising a relief valve in the storage compartment.

5 . The galley cart as defined in claim 4 further comprising a vent door communicating with the vertical distribution channel.

6 . The galley cart as defined in claim 1 further comprising at least one resilient element urging each of the plurality of valve plates into the blocking position when the door is moved to the open position.

7 . The galley cart as defined in claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of vent plates incorporates an array of apertures and each valve plate incorporates a mating array of apertures, said valve plate aligning the mating array of apertures with the array of apertures in an adjacent vent plate in the venting position and misaligning the mating array of apertures from the array of apertures in the adjacent vent plate in the blocking position.

8 . The galley cart as defined in claim 7 wherein aligning of the mating array of apertures with the array of apertures in the vent plate in the venting position configures the vent plate for flow of sublimating CO2 gas from the horizontal conduits to refrigeration compartments.

9 . The galley cart as defined in claim 1 further comprising a relief valve in the housing.

10 . A galley cart employing dry ice sublimation for cooling, said galley cart comprising:
a housing defining a cavity; a door coupled to the housing, the door configured to be moved between a closed position and an open position; a dry ice storage compartment; a vertical distribution channel extending form the dry ice storage compartment; a plurality of horizontal conduits extending from the vertical distribution channel; a plurality of vent plates in the housing, each vent plate associated with a refrigeration compartment segment and in communication with an associated one of the plurality of horizontal conduits; a valve plate adjacent each vent plate, said valve plate movable from a venting position when the door is in the dosed position to a blocking position when the door is in the open position, said venting position enabling sublimated CO2 flow from the associated horizontal conduit into the associated refrigeration compartment segment.

11 . The galley cart as defined in claim 10 further comprising a vent door communicating with the vertical distribution channel.

12 . The galley cart as defined in claim 10 further comprising at least one resilient element urging each of the plurality of valve plates into the blocking position when the door is moved to the open position.

13 . The galley cart as defined in claim 10 wherein each of the plurality of vent plates incorporates an array of apertures and each valve plate incorporates a mating array of apertures, said valve plate aligning the mating array of apertures with the array of apertures in an adjacent vent plate in the venting position and misaligning the mating array of apertures from the array of apertures in the adjacent vent plate in the blocking position.

14 . The galley cart as defined in claim 13 wherein aligning of the mating array of apertures with the array of apertures in the vent plate in the venting position configures the vent plate for flow of sublimating CO2 gas from the horizontal conduits to the refrigeration compartment segments.

15 . The galley cart as defined in claim 10 further comprising a relief valve in the housing.

16 . the galley cart as defined in claim 11 wherein the vent door is adapted for fluid communication with a galley vent system.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Vandyke Bryce A
• Richardson Marcus K
• Lin Chao-Hsin

Classifications

• B64D11/04 Primary

  Galleys · CPC title

• B62B2202/67

  Service trolleys, e.g. in aircraft · CPC title

• F25D2600/04

  Controlling heat transfer · CPC title

• B64D11/0007

  Devices specially adapted for food or beverage distribution services · CPC title

• B62B2204/04

  comprising a cooling unit · CPC title