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EP-4410675-B1 - GALLEY SYSTEM

EP4410675B1EP 4410675 B1EP4410675 B1EP 4410675B1EP-4410675-B1

Inventors

  • Perez, Louie Manarang
  • ALBINA, JOHN ERVIN EPAN
  • MARGES, MARC MEDINA
  • PILLADO, GLENN UGALDE
  • MONGIS, JOHN OLIVER FALCUTILA

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230202

Claims (14)

  1. A galley insert (104) comprising a locking arrangement (202) for an aircraft galley system (100), the locking arrangement (202) comprising a sensor (208) and a controller (210), wherein the sensor (208) is configured to determine when the galley insert (104) has been received by a galley assembly (102) and the controller (210) is configured to control a lock (212) to lock the galley insert (104) to the galley assembly (102) in response to the galley insert (104) being received by the galley assembly (102).
  2. A galley insert according to claim 1, wherein the sensor (208) comprises a first communicator (208) configured to determine that the first communicator (208) is within proximity of a second communicator (214) to determine that the galley insert (104) has been received by the galley assembly (102).
  3. A galley insert (104) according to claim 2, wherein the first communicator (208) is a near-field communicator.
  4. A galley insert (104) according to any of claims 1 to 3 and comprising the lock (212).
  5. A galley insert (104) according claim 4, wherein the lock (212) comprises a pin (213), the pin (213) movable into a locked position wherein the pin (213) is received in an aperture (112) of the galley assembly (102) to lock the galley insert (104) to the galley assembly (102).
  6. A galley insert (104) according to claim 5, wherein the lock (212) comprises an actuator (214) for moving the pin (213) into the locked position.
  7. A galley insert (104) according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the locking arrangement (202) comprises a user controllable element (220), the user controllable element (220) actuatable to unlock the galley insert (104) from the galley assembly (102).
  8. A galley insert (104) according to any of claims 1 to 7 and comprising an insert unit (204), wherein the locking arrangement is comprised in the insert unit (204).
  9. A galley insert (104) according any preceding claim, wherein the galley insert (104) is a cooking appliance.
  10. A locking system (200) comprising the galley insert (104) of any preceding claim and further comprising the second communicator (214) of claim 2.
  11. A locking system (200) according to claim 10, wherein the second communicator (214) is comprised in a galley unit (206).
  12. A galley system (100) comprising a galley assembly (102) and the locking system (200) according to claim 10 or 11.
  13. A galley system (100) according to claim 12 and comprising an aperture (112) for receiving a pin (213) to lock the galley insert (104) to the galley assembly (102).
  14. A method of operation of the galley system of claim 12 or 13, comprising: sensing, at the sensor (208), that the egalley insert (104) has been received by the galley assembly (102); and locking the galley insert (104) to the galley assembly (102).

Description

Technical Field The present invention relates to a galley insert comprising a locking arrangement for an aircraft galley system, a locking system and a galley system. Background Galley systems in aircraft include galley inserts (e.g. cooking appliances) which are removed from a galley for maintenance or replacement. During flight the galley insert is locked to the galley by locking arrangements. Existing locking arrangements can be unreliable, potentially leading to damage to the galley insert or injury to personnel in an aircraft cabin. US 2019210730 A1 discloses a galley monument with electrical locking for an aircraft or spacecraft. The galley monument comprises multiple catches, each of which are coupled to an electromechanical actuator. The galley also comprises a component detector designed to detect a presence of a galley component in one or more associated compartments, and wired to a control unit. The control unit exchanges locking data with the actuators and the component detector and control the actuators on the basis of this. DE 102019121933 A1 discloses a storage and removal system for containers in a vehicle and a vehicle with such a system. US 2013256479 A1 discloses a galley insert mounting system. Summary In accordance with a first aspect, there is provided a galley insert according to claim 1. By having a controller which locks the galley insert to the galley assembly in response to the galley insert being received by the galley assembly, the galley insert is more reliably locked to the galley assembly and the possibility of human error in manually locking a galley insert to the galley assembly (e.g. due to a failure to lock the galley insert or due to damage being caused during manual locking) is reduced. The sensor may comprise a first communicator configured to determine that the first communicator is within proximity of a second communicator to determine that the galley insert has been received by the galley assembly. The first communicator may be a near-field communication communicator. The first communicator may be an active near-field communication communicator. The second communicator may be a near-field communication communicator. The second communicator may be a passive near-field communication communicator. The lock may comprise a pin, the pin movable into a locked position to lock the galley insert to the galley assembly. In the locking position the pin may be received in an aperture to lock the galley insert to the galley assembly. The lock may comprise an actuator for moving the pin into the locked position. The actuator may be an electromagnetic actuator. The electromagnetic actuator may be a motor. The lock may comprise a gear device for converting rotational movement of the motor to linear movement of the pin. The locking arrangement may comprise a user controllable element, the user controllable element actuatable to unlock the galley insert from the galley assembly. The user controllable element may be a button. The controller may be configured to control the lock to unlock the galley insert from the galley assembly. The actuator may be configured to move the pin from the locked position to an unlocked position to unlock the galley insert from the galley assembly. The locking arrangement may be comprised in an insert unit, in turn comprised in the galley insert. The insert unit may comprise a first connector for connecting the insert unit to a galley insert. The galley insert may be a cooking appliance. The cooking appliance may be a beverage maker. The beverage maker may be a coffee machine. The cooking appliance may be an oven e.g. a microwave oven. In accordance with a second aspect, there is provided a locking system comprising the galley insert and further comprising the second communicator. The locking system of the second aspect may comprise any of the features of the first aspect. The second communicator may be comprised in a galley unit. The galley unit may comprise a second connector for connecting the galley unit to the galley assembly. In accordance with a third aspect, there is provided a galley system comprising the locking system and a galley assembly. The galley system of the third aspect may comprise any of the features of the first and second aspects. The galley system may comprise an aperture of receiving a pin to lock the galley insert to the galley assembly. The galley system may comprise a rail. The aperture may be formed in the rail. In accordance with a fourth aspect defined in claim 14, there is provided a method of operation of the galley system, comprising sensing, at the sensor, that the egalley insert has been received by the galley assembly; and locking the galley insert to the galley assembly. The method may comprise any of the features and/or functional steps described above with respect to the first to third aspects. Brief Description of the Drawings Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompan