US-12617533-B2 - Trolley retainer

US12617533B2US 12617533 B2US12617533 B2US 12617533B2US-12617533-B2

Abstract

A trolley retainer for an aircraft galley, the aircraft galley comprising an aircraft galley structure and a trolley, the trolley retainer comprising: a retainer connector configured to connect the trolley retainer to the aircraft galley structure; a front portion configured to extend across a front of the trolley to retain the trolley in the aircraft galley when the trolley retainer is in a retaining position; and a side portion configured to extend from the retainer connector to the front portion across a side of the trolley when the trolley retainer is in the retaining position.

Inventors

Daniel H. Wall
Peter Ashley Griffiths
Samuel Steadman

Assignees

B/E AEROSPACE (UK) LIMITED

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240815
Priority Date: 20230822

Claims (12)

1 . A trolley retainer for an aircraft galley, the aircraft galley comprising an aircraft galley structure and a trolley, the trolley retainer comprising: a retainer connector configured to connect the trolley retainer to the aircraft galley structure; a front portion configured to extend across a front of the trolley to retain the trolley in the aircraft galley when the trolley retainer is in a retaining position; and a side portion configured to extend from the retainer connector to the front portion across a side of the trolley when the trolley retainer is in the retaining position, wherein the trolley retainer is movable into an open position to permit removal of the trolley from the aircraft galley, and wherein a portion of the side portion extends across the side of the trolley when the trolley retainer is in the open position.
2 . The trolley retainer according to claim 1 , wherein the trolley retainer is rotatable at the retainer connector between the retaining position and the open position.
3 . The trolley retainer according to claim 1 , wherein the trolley retainer comprises: an additional retainer connector configured to connect the trolley retainer to the aircraft galley structure; an additional front portion configured to extend across a front of the trolley to retain the trolley in the aircraft galley when the trolley retainer is in a retaining position; and an additional side portion configured to extend from the additional retainer connector to the additional front portion, the additional side portion configured to extend across an opposing side of the trolley when the trolley retainer is in the retaining position, wherein the opposing side opposes the side of the trolley.
4 . The trolley retainer according to claim 3 , wherein the additional front portion connects to the front portion.
5 . The trolley retainer according to claim 4 , wherein the additional front portion is integrally formed with the front portion.
6 . The trolley retainer according to claim 3 , wherein the additional front portion does not connect to the front portion.
7 . The trolley retainer according to claim 6 , wherein the additional front portion and the front portion are configured such that there is lateral displacement between the additional front portion and the front portion in the retaining position.
8 . The trolley retainer according to claim 1 , wherein the trolley retainer is configured such that in the retaining position the trolley retainer is lower than in the open position.
9 . A galley structure comprising the trolley retainer of claim 1 , the galley structure comprising a galley connector, the galley connector configured to connect to the retainer connector.
10 . The galley structure according to claim 9 , further comprising: an opening for inserting the trolley into the galley, wherein the galley connector is displaced from the opening.
11 . The galley structure according to claim 9 further comprising a maintaining device, the maintaining device configured to maintain the retainer in the closed open position.
12 . An aircraft comprising the galley structure of claim 9 .

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to EP patent application Ser. No. 23/192,714.6, filed Aug. 22, 2023 and titled “TROLLEY RETAINER,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes. FIELD The invention relates to a trolley retainer, an aircraft galley structure and an aircraft. BACKGROUND Trolleys are used in aircraft galleys to store items such as food and drink. Trolleys are removed from the aircraft galley to permit access to stored items and to move them around the aircraft, but they are retained in the aircraft galley at other times for safety. SUMMARY In a first aspect there is provided a trolley retainer for an aircraft galley, the aircraft galley comprising an aircraft galley structure and a trolley, the trolley retainer comprising: a retainer connector configured to connect the trolley retainer to the aircraft galley structure; a front portion configured to extend across a front of the trolley to retain the trolley in the aircraft galley when the trolley retainer is in a retaining position; and a side portion configured to extend from the retainer connector to the front portion across a side of the trolley when the trolley retainer is in the retaining position. By having a trolley retainer which includes the described front portion and the side portion, the process for retaining a trolley may be simplified. Additionally, the front portion may permit a retaining load to be spread across the front of the trolley. The retaining position may also be a failure position of the trolley retainer. In an example, the trolley retainer is movable into an open position to permit removal of the trolley from the aircraft galley. In an example, the trolley retainer is rotatable at the retainer connector between the retaining position and the open position. In an example, the trolley retainer comprises: an additional retainer connector configured to connect the trolley retainer to the aircraft galley structure. In an example, the trolley retainer comprises: an additional front portion configured to extend across a front of the trolley to retain the trolley in the aircraft galley when the trolley retainer is in a retaining position. In an example, the trolley retainer comprises: an additional side portion configured to extend from the additional retainer connector to the additional front portion, the additional side portion configured to extend across an opposing side of the trolley when the trolley retainer is in the retaining position, wherein the opposing side opposes the side of the trolley. In an example, the additional front portion connects to the front portion. In an example, the additional front portion is integrally formed with the front portion. In an example, the additional front portion does not connect to the front portion. In an example, the additional front portion and the front portion are configured such that there is lateral displacement between the additional front portion and the front portion in the retaining position. In an example, the additional front portion and the front portion are configured such that there is vertical displacement between the additional front portion and the front portion in the retaining position. In an example, the trolley retainer is configured such that in the retaining position the trolley retainer is lower than in the open position. According to a second aspect, there is provided a galley structure comprising the trolley retainer described above, the galley structure comprising a galley connector, the galley connector configured to connect to the retainer connector. In an example, the galley connector is on a lower face of the galley structure. In an example, the galley structure comprises an opening for inserting the trolley into the galley. In an example, the galley connector is displaced from the opening. In an example, the galley structure comprises a maintaining device, the maintaining device configured to maintain the retainer in the closed position. In an example, the maintaining device is on a front of the galley structure. According to a third aspect, there is provided a galley comprising the galley structure described above. According to a fourth aspect, there is provided an aircraft comprising the galley structure described above. The aircraft galley structure of the second aspect, the aircraft galley of the third aspect and/or the aircraft of the fourth aspect may comprise any of the features and/or functional steps of the examples described with respect to other aspects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Various examples will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 shows a side view of an aircraft galley with a trolley retainer in a retaining position; FIG. 2 shows a front view of the aircraft galley with the trolley retainer in the retaining position; FIG. 3 shows a side view of the aircraft galley with the trolley retainer in an open position; FIG