Patent ID: 6454208
Filing Date: 2002-09-24
Classification: B64D

Abstract:
In an aircraft having a lower lobe area and a passenger deck with a galley station, an improvement comprising an automated lower lobe galley-cart storage system including:(a) a container sized to fit within the lower lobe area and to hold a predetermined maximum number of galley-carts in lateral rows, each row having a plurality of galley-carts positioned side-by-side; (b) an elevated transfer system located within the container and including a control system with a control panel located at the galley station; (c) an upright passage extending between the container and the galley station; (d) a cart elevator located within the container and extendable vertically from the container, through the upright passage, and into the galley station; (e) a number of cart pallets equal to or less than the predetermined maximum number of galley-carts, the cart pallets being located laterally within the container on the elevated transfer system, the elevated transfer system arranged to move the cart pallets in a predefined pattern that passes through the cart elevator, the cart elevator being arranged to lift and lower at least one of the number of cart pallets; and (f) a heat exchanger located within the container generally below the elevated transfer system; wherein during use, an operator uses the control system to retrieve unused galley carts from the container and store used galley-carts in their place; this operation occurring by the operator using the control system to operate the transfer system to move cart pallets along the predefined pattern such that a cart pallet with an unused galley-cart is located in the elevator, once at the elevator, the control system is used to operate the elevator to lift the pallet and corresponding unused galley-cart through the passage and into the galley station, once at the galley station, the unused galley-cart is moved from the pallet; a used galley-cart may be returned to the container by reverse sequence; and wherein the elevated transfer system includes a plurality of drive sprockets located throughout the container and a pulley system to synchronously rotate the plurality of drive sprockets; and wherein each cart pallet includes a rack affixed to its underside and formed to continuously engage one or more of the sprockets in both longitudinal and lateral directions.