Aircraft catering systems, methods, and devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024051588-A1
Application number	US-202217963467-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 11, 2022
Priority date	Aug 11, 2022
Publication date	Feb 15, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A trolley is disclosed herein. In various embodiments, the trolley comprises: a housing defining a cavity; a handle coupled to the housing; a sensor coupled to the handle; a plurality of wheels coupled to the housing; and a brake system configured to lock a wheel in the plurality of wheels in response to a hand being released from the handle based on sensor data from the sensor. The trolley can comprise a control system and/or a sanitization system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A trolley, comprising:
a housing defining a cavity; a handle coupled to the housing; a sensor coupled to the handle; a plurality of wheels coupled to the housing; and a brake system configured to lock a wheel in the plurality of wheels in response to a hand being released from the handle based on sensor data from the sensor.

2 . The trolley of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a grip sensor.

3 . The trolley of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of lights disposed in the cavity, a light in the plurality of lights configured to emit an electromagnetic radiation having an average wavelength between 200 nm and 280 nm.

4 . The trolley of claim 1 , further comprising a unique identifier coupled to the housing, the unique identifier configured to be read by a machine vision device.

5 . The trolley of claim 4 , further comprising a position sensor coupled to the housing, the position sensor configured to detect a position of the trolley relative to a reference location.

6 . The trolley of claim 1 , further comprising a controller, the controller configured to:
receive sensor data from the sensor; determine based on the sensor data the hand was released from the handle; and actuating an actuator of the brake system to lock the wheel in response to determining the hand was released from the handle.

7 . The trolley of claim 1 , further comprising a passive safety system, the passive safety system configured to actuate an actuator of the brake system in response to the hand being released from the handle.

8 . A trolley system, the trolley system comprising:
a plurality of lights; a machine vision camera; and a controller in electronic communication with the plurality of lights and the machine vision camera, the controller configured to:
receive machine vision data from the machine vision camera,
determine a location of a trolley; and
command a set of lights in the plurality of lights to illuminate the trolley in response based on the location and the vision data.

9 . The trolley system of claim 8 , further comprising the trolley, the trolley comprising a unique identifier.

10 . The trolley system of claim 9 , wherein the trolley comprises a second plurality of lights disposed in a cavity of a housing of the trolley, each light in the second plurality of lights configured to emit an electromagnetic radiation having an average wavelength between 200 nm and 280 nm.

11 . The trolley system of claim 9 , wherein the trolley further comprises a grip sensor coupled to a handle of the trolley.

12 . The trolley system of claim 11 , further comprising a brake system in operable communication with a wheel of the trolley, the brake system configured to lock in response to the grip sensor detecting a hand no longer gripping the grip sensor.

13 . The trolley system of claim 9 , wherein the machine vision camera is configured to read the unique identifier.

14 . The trolley system of claim 8 , further comprising an aircraft, wherein the plurality of lights are disposed in a cabin of the aircraft.

15 . The trolley system of claim 14 , wherein the machine vision camera is disposed in the cabin of the aircraft.

16 . An aircraft, comprising:
a trolley configured to travel along an aisle of a cabin of the aircraft; a plurality of lights disposed in the cabin; a machine vision camera; and a controller in electronic communication with the machine vision camera and the plurality of lights, the controller configured to emit light via a set of lights in the plurality of lights based on data received from the machine vision camera.

17 . The aircraft of claim 16 , further comprising a unique identifier configured to be disposed on a uniform of a flight attendant, the machine vision camera configured to read the unique identifier.

18 . The aircraft of claim 16 , wherein the trolley further comprises a position sensor, the controller configured to emit light via the set of lights based at least in part on data from the position sensor.

19 . The aircraft of claim 16 , wherein the trolley further comprises a sensor and a brake system, the brake system configured to operate in response to the sensor determining a hand has been removed from a handle of the trolley.

20 . The aircraft of claim 19 , wherein the sensor is a grip sensor.

Assignees

• Be Aerospace Inc

Inventors

• Manjunath Naveen

Classifications

• B62B3/006 Primary

  for stacking objects like trays, bobbins, chains · CPC title

• B62B5/0457

  by locking in a braking position · CPC title

• B62B5/0404

  automatic · CPC title

• B62B3/002 Primary

  characterised by a rectangular shape, involving sidewalls or racks · CPC title

• B62B2202/67

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