Patent Publication Number: US-2022234741-A1

Title: Galley equipment hazards alert

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to and the benefit of Indian Provisional Patent Application No. 202141003712, filed Jan. 27, 2021, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The present disclosure relates to aircraft interiors, and in particular to securement of trolleys such for aircraft galleys. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     The galley is the compartment of an aircraft where food is cooked and prepared Aircraft galley systems have various trolley carts and cabinets that need to be secured in closed and stable positions during operation of aircraft. The cabinets may be positioned at various height levels which can cause a hazards during flight turbulence, flight takeoff, landing, and the like. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations require secure locking of various galley carts and cabinet doors as explained above. Conventional locks used for galley carts and cabinets do not provide any information of the movement of trolley carts and cabinets in the galley if not properly locked or not stowed and secure. 
     The conventional techniques have been considered satisfactory for their intended purpose. However, there is an ever present need for improved systems and methods for monitoring galley inserts during flight. This disclosure provides a solution for this need. 
     SUMMARY 
     A system for securement of galley trolleys in aircraft comprises a motion sensor mounted to monitor a trolley in a trolley bay; a controller connected to the motion sensor, and an output device operatively connected to the controller. The controller is configured to receive a signal from the motion sensor to detect unsecured motion of a trolley in the trolley bay and the output device is configured to alert a user upon detection of unsecured motion of a trolley in the trolley bay. 
     The motion sensor can include an ultrasonic transmitter and an ultrasonic receiver, where the transmitter can be configured to interrogate a surface with ultrasonic waves and the receiver can be configured to receive a return of ultrasonic waves. The controller can be connected to the receiver and configured to receive a signal from the ultrasonic receiver and to monitor the return of ultrasonic waves for a Doppler shift indicative of unsecured trolley movement. The controller can be configured to compare a detect8ed Doppler shift to a predetermined threshold, and can also initiate alerting a user via the output device if the Doppler shift in the return of ultrasonic waves exceeds the predetermined threshold. The controller can be configured to ignore Doppler shift below the predetermined threshold. 
     At least one of the controller and/or the motion sensor can include a phase comparator to compare phase of waves transmitted by the ultrasonic transmitter with waves received by the ultrasonic receiver for Doppler shift. The motion sensor can be mounted on a back wall of the trolley bay to monitor motion of a trolley away from the back wall, mounted on a galley wall opposite the trolley bay to monitor motion of a trolley toward the galley wall, mounted to be out of physical contact with the trolley with the trolley securely stowed in the trolley bay, and/or mounted to a top wall, bottom wall, or side wall of the trolley bay to monitor lateral and/or vertical motion of the trolley. 
     The output device can include a display, such that alerting a user can include displaying a message on the display indicative that a trolley bay door is open and/or that a trolley is loose. The output device can additionally or alternatively include at least one of a flashing light and/or an audible alarm configured to alert a user. 
     A method for securement of galley trolleys in aircraft includes monitoring a trolley in a trolley bay of an aircraft for motion and alerting a user upon unsecure motion of the trolley. Monitoring can include interrogating the trolley with ultrasonic waves and detecting Doppler shift in a return of the ultrasonic waves. Alerting can include issuing an alert upon detection of Doppler shift at or in excess of a predetermined threshold and ignoring Doppler shift below the predetermined threshold. 
     These and other features of the systems and methods of the subject disclosure will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       So that those skilled in the art to which the subject disclosure appertains will readily understand how to make and use the devices and methods of the subject disclosure without undue experimentation, embodiments thereof will be described in detail herein below with reference to certain figures, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a galley bay constructed in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a galley bay constructed in accordance with the present disclosure, showing a galley alert system; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic plan view of a the galley alert system of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic box diagram of a method in accordance with at least one embodiment of this disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like reference numerals identify similar structural features or aspects of the subject disclosure. For purposes of explanation and illustration, and not limitation, a partial view of an embodiment of a system in accordance with the disclosure is shown in  FIG. 1  and is designated generally by reference character  100 . Other embodiments of systems in accordance with the disclosure, or aspects thereof, are provided in  FIGS. 2-3 , as will be described. The systems and methods described herein can be used to provide remote monitoring of galley trolleys during flight. 
     Shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , a system  100  for securement of galley trolleys  102  in aircraft can include a motion sensor  104  mounted to monitor a trolley  102  in a trolley bay  108 . A controller  110  can be connected to the motion sensor  104  and an output device  112  can be operatively connected to the controller  110 . The controller  110  can be configured to receive a signal from the motion sensor  104  to detect motion of the trolley  102  in the trolley bay  108 , such as unsecured motion due to a turbulence event for example. The output device  112  can be configured to alert a user  101  (e.g. crew member) when the motions sensor  104  detects of unsecured motion of the trolley  102 . 
     The trolley bay  108  can include a plurality of sidewalls  114 ,  116 , a back wall  118 , and top and bottom walls  120 ,  122 , and each of the trolleys  102  configured to stow therein can have corresponding side, back, top and bottom walls. In embodiments, the motion sensor  104  can be mounted on the back wall  118  of the trolley bay  108  to monitor motion of a trolley  102  away from the back wall, for example if the trolley  106  has moved forward and out of the trolley bay  108 . Similarly, the motion sensor  104  can be mounted on a galley wall  124  opposite the trolley bay  108  to monitor motion of a trolley  102  toward the galley wall  124 . While  FIG. 1  shows galley wall  124  as a plain wall, it should be appreciated that galley wall  124  can also be a second row of galley bays, similar to galley bays  108  shown in  FIG. 1 . In embodiments, the motion sensor  104  can be mounted to be out of physical contact with the trolley  102  when the trolley  102  is securely stowed in the trolley bay  106 . It is contemplated that the motion sensor  104  can be mounted to any or all of top wall  120 , bottom wall  122 , or side walls  114 ,  116  of the trolley bay  108 , for example to monitor lateral and/or vertical movement of the trolley  102  within the bay  108 . 
     Shown in  FIG. 3 , the motion sensor  104  can include an ultrasonic transmitter  126  and an ultrasonic receiver  128 . The transmitter  126  can be configured to interrogate a surface (e.g. any one of or all of the walls of the trolley  102 ) with ultrasonic waves  130  and the receiver  128  can be configured to receive a return of ultrasonic waves  130 . The controller  110  can be connected to the receiver and configured to receive a signal  132  from the ultrasonic receiver  128  and monitor the return of ultrasonic waves  130  for a Doppler shift indicative of unsecured trolley movement. 
     For example, at least one of the controller  110  and/or the motion sensor  104  itself can include an oscillator  127 , an amplifier  129  to amplify the signal  132  and a phase comparator  131  to compare phase of waves  130  transmitted by the ultrasonic transmitter  126  with waves received by the ultrasonic receiver  130  for Doppler shift. When monitoring the waves  130 , the controller  110  can be configured to compare the detected Doppler shift to a predetermined threshold  140 . If the if the Doppler shift in the returned ultrasonic waves  130  exceeds the predetermined threshold  140  (e.g. indicating the trolleys  102  are experiencing unsecure movement and/or the trolley bay doors are open and/or are unlocked), the controller  110  can initiate an alert  134  to alert a user  101  via the output device  112 . If the Doppler shift is below the predetermined threshold  140  (e.g. indicating the trolleys  102  are secure), the controller  110  can be configured to ignore the shift and continue monitoring. 
     The output device  112  can include a display  136  (e.g. a graphical user interface on a personal electronic device), such that alerting a user  101  can include displaying a message (e.g. alphanumeric and/or graphical) on the display  136  indicative that a trolley bay door is open and/or that a trolley  102  is loose in the galley. The output device  110  can additionally or alternatively include at least one of a flashing light (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) and/or an audible alarm (not shown) configured to alert a user  101  of the suspected movement of the trolley  102  without disrupting passengers. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , a method  200  for securing galley trolleys  108  in aircraft (e.g. in a galley) can include monitoring  202  a trolley  102  in a trolley bay  108  of an aircraft galley for motion. The method  200  can also include alerting  208  a user  101  upon unsecure motion of the trolley  102 . Monitoring  202  can further include interrogating  204  the trolley  102  with ultrasonic waves  130  as described above for example, and detecting  206  Doppler shift in a return of the ultrasonic waves  130 . Alerting  208  can further include issuing an alert  132  upon detection of Doppler shift at or in excess of a predetermined threshold  140 . When the Doppler shift is below the predetermined threshold  140 , the method  200  can include ignoring  210  the Doppler shift and continuing monitoring. 
     The methods and systems of the present disclosure, as described above and shown in the drawings, provide for enhanced remote monitoring of galley trolleys by crew members during flight without disrupting passengers, and allows for faster response time if the trolleys do experience unsecured movement to minimize damage to the trolleys and surrounding environment. While the apparatus and methods of the subject disclosure have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that changes and/or modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure.