Abstract: A system for controlling airflow from a galley compartment to a plenum chamber is disclosed. The system includes an actuating assembly. The actuating assembly includes a cylinder, a heat-expanding material disposed in the cylinder, and a piston disposed in the cylinder, wherein the heat-expanding material is configured to actuate the piston when the heat-expanding material is heated. The system includes a valve assembly. The valve assembly may include a louver assembly coupled to the actuating assembly. The louver assembly includes a louver frame, one or more louver blades and bracket and a connecting rod that couples the actuating assembly to the valve assembly. The valve assembly may also include a poppet valve. The poppet valve includes a poppet body element, a poppet stem coupled to the actuating assembly that is inserted into a channel within the poppet body element, and a poppet head coupled to the poppet stem.

Abstract: A chilled liquid recirculation device (CLRD) is disclosed. In embodiments, the CLRD has a first air-cooling stage wherein a liquid cooling medium (LCM) is pumped through a first-stage radiator and forced-air chilled by axial fans driving ambient air through the radiator fins. The initially chilled LCM passes to a second thermoelectric-cooling stage wherein a second-stage liquid-cooled heatsink receives the LCM, the liquid-cooled heatsink in contact with the cold side of a thermoelectric module having a hot side in contact with a finned heatsink through which second-stage fans force ambient air, cooling the hot side and thereby further chilling the cold side and the LCM by contact. The twice-chilled LCM is then pumped to a remote chiller device to chill the hot side of another thermoelectric module, thereby chilling a recirculating air supply passing through a finned heatsink in contact with the cold side.

Abstract: A construction of commercial aircraft interior monument employs carbon fiber Spread Tow Fabric (STF) as face sheets (skins) surrounding a paper honeycomb or foam core to produce flat pressed panels of high strength and desirable thickness. Each individual panel is joined with other panels to construct a modular rectangular cubic able to be modularly coupled with additional structures to form the aircraft monument. The use individual STF panels offer a desirable weight and footprint of a fabricated structure as a whole. Also usable in conjunction with other composite reinforcements, the individual STF panels produce hybrid lay-ups for both pressed flat panel and tooled composite moldings offering a high strength to weight ratio of the overall monument.

Abstract: A potable water filter for an aircraft galley plumbing system is disclosed. In embodiments, the filter includes a body attachable to a mount via a central threaded attachment stud. The stud is surrounded by a filter mount chamber and encloses a central flow channel allowing outflow from the filter body to an outlet port. Potable water enters the mount through an inlet port; an annular “puck” inlet valve extends around the attachment stud, sealing off the filter mount chamber when the filter body is absent and, when the filter body is screwed onto the attachment stud, providing for water flow throughout the filter mount chamber. The filter body houses a solid block of sintered carbon with a hollow core. Water enters the filter chamber via bypass slots in the base of the filter body and flows around and through the carbon filter before flowing down to the outlet port.

Abstract: A flatpack air chiller device is disclosed. In embodiments, the air chiller device includes a primary chiller or pre-chiller subsystem and a secondary or main chiller subsystem within a housing. The pre-chiller subsystem receives and chills ambient air via cold-side contact with a primary thermoelectric device and directs the pre-chilled ambient airstream to the hot side of a secondary thermoelectric device. The secondary or main chiller subsystem is connected to a recirculating air stream, e.g., circulating through the interior airspaces, compartments, or bays of a galley structure. The pre-chilled ambient airstream absorbs heat from the secondary hot side to progressively chill the recirculating air stream, which is in contact with the cold side of the secondary thermoelectric device before recirculation back into the galley structure interior.

Abstract: An aircraft galley chiller is adapted to fit within a service column of the aircraft. The condenser is elongated, oriented vertically, and includes a bank of fans to increase airflow. The evaporator is also elongated and includes a bank of fans. The evaporator and condenser are oriented with the same plane to produce a footprint that fits within the service column. The evaporator includes a heater element to periodically heat and de-ice the evaporator.

Abstract: An ultra light weight aircraft composite galley architecture system and method comprises composite construction of a partially molded aircraft monument structure based on embedded load bearing hoops and beams used in conjunction with pre formed composite flat panel construction. An upper L shaped structural section mates with a lower inverted L shaped structural section forming a structure upon which additional panels are joined to form the complete composite galley. This system and method of construction produces a high strength aircraft monument capable of maintaining aircraft structural flight and crash load requirements without external monument extrusions for support. This galley architecture system and method of construction creates an aircraft monument with desirable reduction in weight with no loss of required structural strength.

Abstract: An aircraft galley cart is disclosed. In embodiments, the galley cart includes two adjacent portions (e.g., left and right side) hingedly or slidably connected. The galley cart has a default configuration compatible with galley cart bays of galley structures. The galley cart may be transitioned into a narrow configuration by articulating the left-side portion relative to the right-side portion (e.g., by pivoting or rotating the left-side portion). When in the narrow configuration, the galley cart may be twice as long but half as wide, allowing passenger access through an aisle without removing the galley cart back out of the aisle and disrupting in-seat food and beverage services. The galley cart includes auxiliary casters that deploy during transition to support the main casters in keeping the galley cart balanced and mobile in the narrow configuration.

Abstract: A system may include an aircraft galley, which may include a standard unit meal box compartment configured to hold a standard unit meal box. The standard unit meal box compartment may include a door at a front of the standard unit meal box compartment and an air chiller near a rear of the standard unit meal box compartment. The air chiller may be configured to provide chilled air within the standard unit meal box compartment.

Abstract: An apparatus for pre-heating potable water in aircraft with waste heat includes an air to water heat exchanger having a heat exchanger housing with an inlet end that receives heat from one or more of a galley insert exhaust air inlet, a galley appliance exhaust air inlet and an air chiller exhaust air inlet. A potable water supply inlet supplies potable water to the air to water heat exchanger, which transfers heat to the potable water, and a potable water supply outlet supplies heated potable water, such as to a galley insert or galley appliance, for example. An exhaust air outlet vents cooled exhaust air from the air to water heat exchanger.

Abstract: A potable water filter for an aircraft galley plumbing system is disclosed. In embodiments, the filter includes a body attachable to a mount via a central threaded attachment stud. The stud is surrounded by a filter mount chamber and encloses a central flow channel allowing outflow from the filter body to an outlet port. Potable water enters the mount through an inlet port; an annular “puck” inlet valve extends around the attachment stud, sealing off the filter mount chamber when the filter body is absent and, when the filter body is screwed onto the attachment stud, providing for water flow throughout the filter mount chamber. The filter body houses a solid block of sintered carbon with a hollow core. Water enters the filter chamber via bypass slots in the base of the filter body and flows around and through the carbon filter before flowing down to the outlet port.

Abstract: A system for controlling airflow from a galley compartment to a plenum chamber is disclosed. The system includes an actuating assembly. The actuating assembly includes a cylinder, a heat-expanding material disposed in the cylinder, and a piston disposed in the cylinder, wherein the heat-expanding material is configured to actuate the piston when the heat-expanding material is heated. The system includes a valve assembly. The valve assembly may include a louver assembly coupled to the actuating assembly. The louver assembly includes a louver frame, one or more louver blades and bracket and a connecting rod that couples the actuating assembly to the valve assembly. The valve assembly may also include a poppet valve. The poppet valve includes a poppet body element, a poppet stem coupled to the actuating assembly that is inserted into a channel within the poppet body element, and a poppet head coupled to the poppet stem.

Abstract: A chilled liquid recirculation device (CLRD) is disclosed. In embodiments, the CLRD has a first air-cooling stage wherein a liquid cooling medium (LCM) is pumped through a first-stage radiator and forced-air chilled by axial fans driving ambient air through the radiator fins. The initially chilled LCM passes to a second thermoelectric-cooling stage wherein a second-stage liquid-cooled heatsink receives the LCM, the liquid-cooled heatsink in contact with the cold side of a thermoelectric module having a hot side in contact with a finned heatsink through which second-stage fans force ambient air, cooling the hot side and thereby further chilling the cold side and the LCM by contact. The twice-chilled LCM is then pumped to a remote chiller device to chill the hot side of another thermoelectric module, thereby chilling a recirculating air supply passing through a finned heatsink in contact with the cold side.

Abstract: A modular replaceable heating or cooling (RTHC) device is disclosed. In embodiments, the RTHC device includes a housing enclosing a forward control section attachable to a rear thermal section. The housing is slotted for removable installation into rails in the interior walls of a galley food compartment. The thermal section includes gel packs of a heatable/chillable temperature storage medium (e.g., polymer gel) enclosed in a membrane for controlled dissipation and air channels to admit circulating air over or through the gel packs to be chilled or heated by the temperature storage medium. The control section includes scroll fans for drawing air into the RTHC device through air intakes for chilling/heating, exhaust vents for returning the chilled/heated air to the compartment, control switches for the scroll fans, and visual/auditory status indicators, e.g., for fan speed, battery charge, or the interior temperature of the compartment.

Abstract: A potable water filter for an aircraft galley plumbing system is disclosed. In embodiments, the filter includes a body attachable to a mount via a central threaded attachment stud. The stud is surrounded by a filter mount chamber and encloses a central flow channel allowing outflow from the filter body to an outlet port. Potable water enters the mount through an inlet port including a barrel valve that opens to allow water flow when the filter body is screwed onto the stud, and seals off the filter mount chamber when the filter body is absent. The outlet port includes a check valve to prevent backflow into the filter. The filter body houses a solid block of sintered carbon with a hollow core. Water enters the filter chamber and flows around and through the carbon filter before flowing down to the outlet port. The filter body self-vents at its top.

Abstract: A mobile self-vending beverage dispenser is disclosed. In embodiments, the dispenser includes a mobile housing divided into segmented sections. Each segmented section includes an outlet at the bottom for dispensing canned beverages and an access hatch for loading canned beverages into the segmented section. Each segmented section includes a vertical staggered raceway extending from the access hatch the outlet via which the segmented section is loaded with canned beverages, the cans traveling in a gravity-assisted path downward to the outlet for dispensing upon request.

Abstract: A flatpack air chiller device is disclosed. In embodiments, the air chiller device includes a primary chiller or pre-chiller subsystem and a secondary or main chiller subsystem within a housing. The pre-chiller subsystem receives and chills ambient air via cold-side contact with a primary thermoelectric device and directs the pre-chilled ambient airstream to the hot side of a secondary thermoelectric device. The secondary or main chiller subsystem is connected to a recirculating air stream, e.g., circulating through the interior airspaces, compartments, or bays of a galley structure. The pre-chilled ambient airstream absorbs heat from the secondary hot side to progressively chill the recirculating air stream, which is in contact with the cold side of the secondary thermoelectric device before recirculation back into the galley structure interior.

Abstract: A stowable folding table is disclosed. In embodiments, the folding table has a stowed (e.g., folded) state and a deployed state between two adjacent aircraft galley structures. The folding table includes two table segments coupled by a hinge; the two segments may be folded parallel to each other and stowed (e.g., in a galley cart bay or elsewhere in or on the adjacent galley structures). The stowed table is unfolded and deployed by attaching the first and second ends respectively to a galley structure (e.g., on either side of an exit door), such that one table segment extends at an angle to the other when deployed.

Abstract: An aircraft galley cart is disclosed. In embodiments, the galley cart includes two adjacent portions (e.g., left and right side) hingedly or slidably connected. The galley cart has a default configuration compatible with galley cart bays of galley structures. The galley cart may be transitioned into a narrow configuration by articulating the left-side portion relative to the right-side portion (e.g., by pivoting or rotating the left-side portion). When in the narrow configuration, the galley cart may be twice as long but half as wide, allowing passenger access through an aisle without removing the galley cart back out of the aisle and disrupting in-seat food and beverage services. The galley cart includes auxiliary casters that deploy during transition to support the main casters in keeping the galley cart balanced and mobile in the narrow configuration.