Power control arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018281958-A1
Application number	US-201815944379-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 3, 2018
Priority date	Apr 4, 2017
Publication date	Oct 4, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A power control arrangement for an aircraft galley including a power control unit and an interface unit. A power input of the power control unit includes a main switch and connects to a power feed. Each of a power outlets of the power control unit includes an outlet switch and connects to a galley insert. A main switch interface on the interface unit is provided for switching of the main switch. Each outlet switch interface of the interface unit is associated with one of the outlet switches for switching the outlet switch. The interface unit is arranged remote from the power control unit and the switch interfaces are connected to the corresponding switch via an electrical, radio or optical connection for controlling switching of the switches. Further, an aircraft galley and an aircraft are disclosed.

First claim

1 . A power control arrangement for an aircraft galley comprising a power control unit and an interface unit, wherein the power control unit comprises a power input and a plurality of power outlets and wherein the interface unit comprises a main switch interface and a plurality of outlet switch interfaces,
wherein the power input comprises a main switch and is provided for connecting the power control unit to an electric power feed of an aircraft for supplying electric power from the electric power feed of the aircraft to the power control unit, wherein the main switch is selectively switchable between an enabled state and a disabled state, wherein in the enabled state electric power can be supplied from the electric power feed though the power input to the power outlets, and in the disabled state electric power cannot be supplied from the electric power feed through the power input to the power outlets, wherein each of the plurality of power outlets comprises an outlet switch and is provided for connecting a galley insert to the power control unit such that a galley insert connected to one of the plurality of power outlets can be supplied with electric power from the power control unit, wherein each outlet switch is switchable between an enabled state and a disabled state, wherein in the enabled state of each outlet switch electric power can be supplied from the power control unit through the respective power outlet to a galley insert connected to the respective power outlet, and in the disabled state of each outlet switch electric power cannot be supplied from the power control unit though the respective power outlet to a galley insert connected to the respective power outlet, wherein the main switch interface is configured for enabling a user to control switching of the main switch between the enabled state and the disabled state, wherein each outlet switch interface is associated with one of the plurality of outlet switches and configured to allow a user to control switching of the associated outlet switch at least from the disabled state to the enabled state, wherein the interface unit is arranged remote from the power control unit, and wherein the main switch interface is connected to the main switch via an electrical, radio or optical connection for controlling switching of the main switch and each of the outlet switch interfaces is connected to the associated outlet switch via an electrical or optical connection for controlling switching of the associated outlet switches.

2 . The power control arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the interface unit is connected to the power control unit via a data link, wherein the main switch interface is connected to the main switch via the data link or each of the outlet switch interfaces is connected to its associated outlet switch via the data link.

3 . The power control arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the power control unit comprises a power distributor for controlling distribution of electric power supplied via the power input onto the plurality of power outlets, and
wherein the interface unit comprises a distributor interface for enabling a user to control the distribution of electrical power by the power distributor, wherein the distributor interface is connected to the power distributor via an electrical, radio or optical connection for controlling the power distributor.

4 . The power control arrangement according to claim 3 , wherein the power distributor is a dynamic power distributor which is controllable for dynamically varying the distribution of electrical power supplied via the power input onto the plurality of power outlets.

5 . The power control arrangement according to claim 4 , wherein the dynamic power distributor is automatically controlled by a data processing unit arranged in the power control unit or the interface unit.

6 . The power control arrangement according to claim 3 , wherein the interface unit is connected to the power control unit via the data link, wherein the distributor interface is connected to the power distributor via the data link.

7 . The power control arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the outlet switches are circuit breakers and each circuit breaker has an associated threshold, wherein each circuit breaker can automatically switch from the enabled state to the disabled state if the electric power supplied through the respective power outlet exceeds the associated threshold.

8 . The power control arrangement according to claim 7 , wherein at least one of the circuit breakers is a programmable electronic circuit breaker, wherein the associated threshold of the at least one programmable electronic circuit breaker can be controlled.

9 . The power control arrangement according to claim 8 , wherein the threshold of the at least one programmable electronic circuit breaker can be controlled via the associated outlet switch interface of the interface unit.

10 . The power control arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the interface unit comprises a touchscreen on which interfaces of the interface unit are formed as graphical representations displayed on the touchscreen which are operable by a user via touch control.

11 . The power control arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the interface unit comprises a physical main switch interface, wherein the physical main switch interface is connected to the main switch via a dedicated main switch control line for switching the main switch from the enabled state to the disabled state.

12 . An aircraft galley comprising a power control arrangement comprising a power control unit and an interface unit, wherein the power control unit comprises a power input and a plurality of power outlets and wherein the interface unit comprises a main switch interface and a plurality of outlet switch interfaces,
wherein the power input comprises a main switch and is provided for connecting the power control unit to an electric power feed of an aircraft for supplying electric power from the electric power feed of the aircraft to the power control unit, wherein the main switch is selectively switchable between an enabled state and a disabled state, wherein in the enabled state electric power can be supplied from the electric power feed though the power input to the power outlets, and in the disabled state electric power cannot be supplied from the electric power feed through the power input to the power outlets, wherein each of the plurality of power outlets comprises an outlet switch and is provided for connecting a galley insert to the power control unit such that a galley insert connected to one of the plurality of power outlets can be supplied with electric power from the power control unit, wherein each outlet switch is switchable between an enabled state and a disabled state, wherein in the enabled state of each outlet switch electric power can be supplied from the power control unit through the respective power outlet to a galley insert connected to the respective power outlet, and in the disabled state of each outlet switch electric power cannot be supplied from the power control unit though the respective power outlet to a galley insert connected to the respective power outlet, wherein the main switch interface is configured for enabling a user to control switching of the main switch between the enabled state and the disabled state, wherein each outlet switch interface is associated with one of the plurality of outlet switches and configured to allow a user to control switching of the associated outlet switch at least from the disabled state to the enabled state, wherein the interface unit is arranged remote from the power control unit,

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Bajorat Falk
• Schlatter Olaf

Classifications

• H02J2105/32

  for aircrafts · CPC title

• H02J13/1335

  involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi®, ZigBee® or Bluetooth® · CPC title

• H02J13/1331

  using wireless data transmission · CPC title

• H02J13/1327

  using optical means · CPC title

• H02J13/1321

  using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus · CPC title