Line connection arrangement for units in an aircraft cabin

A line connection arrangement for units in an aircraft cabin having a unit, a line connector and a receiving area for a trolley. The trolley is movable over the cabin floor on laterally attached castor pairs, and is insertable from a front into the receiving area and locked therein so that its rear panel faces a back of the receiving area. The line connector is connected to a connector in the area of the floor of the cabin. A line extending between the connector and the line connector emerges at least partially out of the cabin floor in the trolley receiving area and, in the case of a locked trolley, laterally offset from the castor pairs, and, projecting at least partially above the cabin floor, extends towards the back of the receiving area. The line runs upwards between the trolley rear panel and the back of the receiving area.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of the German patent application No. 10 2014 117 815.7 filed on Dec. 3, 2014, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by way of reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a line connection arrangement for units in an aircraft cabin, in particular galleys, in which at least one unit has at least one line connector as well as a receiving area for at least one trolley, which can be moved over the cabin floor on laterally attached castor pairs, and which can be inserted from the front of the receiving area into said receiving area and locked therein, so that its rear panel faces the back of the receiving area, with the line connector being connected to a connector in the area of the floor grid of the passenger cabin.

In such a design, as is known in particular for aircraft galleys, several modules are normally disposed next to one another, each of which has a receiving area for receiving a trolley, while the actual galley elements are provided inside modules above these receiving areas. These galley elements have line connectors, for example for the supply and removal of coolant, for gray water, for a vacuum or low pressure, respectively, etc. These line connectors are connected to lines, which originate from connectors in the area of the floor grid of the passenger cabin, as shown, for example, in DE 10 2005 007 058 A1. The lines run upwards in an intermediate area between two adjacent receiving areas and are connected above the receiving areas to the laterally offset line connectors of the galley elements. An intermediate area, which increases the dimensions of the entire galley unit, is therefore required for the lines, in order to connect the connectors in the area of the floor grid of the passenger cabin to the line connectors of the galley elements located in the upper section of the modules.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an objective of the invention to design the line arrangement for units in an aircraft cabin, in particular for galleys, in such a way that a more compact layout is achieved.

For solving this objective, a line connection arrangement of the type mentioned at the outset is designed according to the invention such that the at least one line extending between the connector and the line connector emerges at least partially out of the cabin floor in the receiving area of the trolley and, in the case of a locked trolley, laterally offset to the castor pairs thereof, and, projecting at least partially above the cabin floor, extends towards the back of the receiving area and runs upwards between the rear panel of the trolley and the back of the receiving area.

Because the vertical distance between the connector in the area of the floor grid and the line section running in the area of the cabin floor can be selected having sufficiently large dimensions, the line can be curved having a radius of curvature which is sufficient, even in the case of a line having a relatively large cross-section, such as the line for a vacuum or low pressure, respectively, (vacuum line), for example, to avoid a reduction of the cross-section in the area of the curvature.

In this regard it should be noted that a single line or several lines can run in one receiving area, and some of these lines having a relatively small cross-section can still run below the cabin floor.

In this way, the lines are thus accommodated in the unit in areas not needed otherwise, permitting the total dimensions of the unit to be reduced.

In one form, the line can run between two adjacent receiving areas in the area of the cabin floor. In another form, the line runs, in the case of a locked trolley, between the castor pairs thereof.

In another form, a panel covering the section of the line running upwards can be provided between the rear panel of the locked trolley and the back of the receiving area, significantly reducing the risk of damage to the line in this area.

The lines can be lines for the supply and removal of coolant, for a vacuum or low pressure, respectively, for gray water, for black water or for the removal of condensate (drainage line). Preferably, the at least one line is a vacuum line.

In another form, the line section running over the cabin floor can be covered. In another form, the cover can interact with the castors on the floor of the trolley to guide said trolley, which facilitates pushing the trolley into the receiving area and pulling it out of the receiving area. The cover can also have channels for collecting condensate, which run to the side of the covered line section.

The lines running between the connectors can be made from flexible hoses or from dimensionally stable pipes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The galley depicted in a highly simplified manner inFIGS. 1 and 2comprises five units or subunits, each of which is assigned a trolley, wherein only the center unit is identified by reference numerals, however, and the invention is described below with reference to only this center unit.

Unit1has a conventional upper structure, in which the various devices and accessories required for a galley are located. Between the cabin floor10and the upper structure, there is a receiving area2for a trolley3, which has a castor pair4,6and5(the second castor of this castor pair is not shown) at every side. The trolley3can travel in a conventional manner into the receiving area2and be locked in this inserted position.

The floor grid12is usually located below the cabin floor10, which floor grid has connectors22for the supply and removal of coolant, gray water, vacuum or low pressure, respectively, etc. As shown inFIGS. 1 through 3for one line8only, for example a vacuum line, in the center unit1of the galley, the line8runs upwards from the connector22in the floor grid12having a relatively large radius of curvature (FIG. 2). In the area between the two castor pairs4,6and5of the trolley3which is inserted in the receiving area2, the line exits from the cabin floor10and runs from there, partially projecting above the cabin floor, between the castor pairs below the floor of the trolley towards the back of the receiving area2and from there upwards into the top section of the unit1. There it is connected to a corresponding line connector24

FIG. 3also shows a line pair15,16for the supply and removal of coolant as well as a line17for gray water and a drainage line18. These run essentially parallel to the line8and, in the area of its section projecting above the cabin floor10, a little below the cabin floor.

In the exemplary embodiment described here, a panel9, indicated by dashed lines, is located between the section of the line8extending upwards and the rear panel of the inserted trolley3facing this section, which panel protects the line8from damage when the trolley3is inserted into the receiving area2.

AsFIG. 3indicates, above the section of the line8extending parallel to the floor of the trolley, a cover11, which is raised relative to the cabin floor10, and which is connected to the cabin floor10, can be provided. Between the peripheral zones of the cover11, which are connected to the cabin floor10, and their raised central area, channel-shaped indentations11a,11bare provided, in which any condensate can be collected. The cover can also be formed integral with the line8.

The trolley3is inserted in the receiving area2using the steerable castors of the castor pairs4,5,6, wherein the castors can engage, when the trolley3is inserted into the receiving area2, with the raised central area of the cover11, thus creating a guiding means for the trolley3, which facilitates moving the trolley3in and out.

FIGS. 4 and 5show a design which is similar to the one shown inFIGS. 1 and 3, wherein the same or corresponding parts are identified using the same reference numerals and using ‘ or “, and are described again in part only.

The galley shown comprises four units having two receiving areas2’ and2” for two trolleys each. In this exemplary embodiment, the receiving areas are separated by an intermediate panel20, which ends a short distance above the cabin floor. Located adjacent to this intermediate panel20are the trolleys3′ and3″. The section of the line8′, which is provided with a cover11′ and which extends in the area of the cabin floor10′, runs between the castor pairs5′ and4″ of these trolleys, and thus laterally offset thereto. Thus, also here the cover11′ can interact with the castors of the castor pairs5′,4″ in a guiding manner.