Patent Publication Number: US-2022219823-A1

Title: Aircraft appliance filter system

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Technological Field 
     The present disclosure relates to an appliance filter system, and more particularly to an aircraft appliance having a single-piece fixated front panel. 
     Description of Related Art 
     Today&#39;s commercial aircraft employ a wide variety of appliances. These appliances range from ovens for cooking and warming food to chillers to cooling down drinks and water. The appliances typically have a front access door and a control panel placed above the access door. Typically, appliances have employed removable control panels which allowed access to appliance insides including filter compartments allowing a user to easily access and service the filters. However, some modern appliances employ a control interface that may not be removable, and can take up the entire width of the appliances leaving a user no way to easily access and service the filters. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an appliance having improved filter access and improved ease of service. There also remains a need in the art for such a system and components that are economically viable. The present disclosure may provide a solution for at least one of these remaining challenges. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An appliance is disclosed including a door configured to enclose a cooking or chilling space, a filter slot positioned above the door configured to accept a filter for filtering particles, and a control panel for controlling the appliance positioned above the door. The filter slot can be directed along a diagonal axis with respect to a vertical position defined by a vertical axis of the appliance. The control panel can include, user interface integrated into the front panel, which can also include a touch screen. The control panel can include a width equal to or greater than a majority of an appliance width. An air inlet can be adjacent to the user interface. 
     The filter slot can be positioned below the control panel, wherein the filter is inserted at an upward angle. The filter slot can define a straight line from an opening slot to an inner terminus. The filter slot can include a guide rail configured to support the filter. The filter slot can define a curve along a path from the opening slot to an inner terminus. The opening slot can extend along a vertical axis along an edge of the front panel. The filter slot can include a latch configured to lock a filter in place. 
     A filter cartridge can be included in order to retain a filter. The cartridge can be configured to rotate and discharge a filter section into the filter slot. As the filter is used up or discharged, the excess or expended filter material can be disposed. It is also considered that a dual cartridge system can be used, where one roll unwinds the new filter material and another roll collects the expended filter material. 
     The appliance can be an oven or a refrigerator. A standalone filter assembly for use with the oven or refrigerators also disclosed. The filter can include a first cover, a filter insert placed on top of the first cover, and a second cover configured to lockably couple to the first cover and lock the filter inset with between the first cover and the second cover. The filter insert can includes a cloth material. The filter can include a filter cassette coupled to at least one of the covers in order to o retain multiple filter inserts detachably coupled to each other. 
     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 of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       So that those skilled in the art to which the subject invention appertains will readily understand how to make and use the devices and methods of the subject invention without undue experimentation, preferred embodiments thereof will be described in detail herein below with reference to certain figures, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of an appliance for use in an aircraft galley system according an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  shows a side cut-away view of the appliance of  FIG. 1  showing an inside of the appliance and the filter slot; 
         FIG. 3  shows a top cut-away view of the appliance of  FIG. 1 , showing an alternate filter slot; 
         FIG. 4  shows a top cut-away view of the appliance of  FIG. 1 , showing an alternate filter configuration; and 
         FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of a filter to be used in an appliance of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like reference numerals identify similar structural features or aspects of the subject invention. For purposes of explanation and illustration, and not limitation, a partial view of an exemplary embodiment of a filter system in accordance with the invention is shown in  FIG. 1  and is designated generally by reference character  100 . Other embodiments of the system in accordance with the invention, or aspects thereof, are provided in  FIGS. 2-5 , as will be described. The methods and systems of the invention can be used to provide a filter system to appliances with a non-removable front panel. 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of an appliance  100  for use in an aircraft galley system. The appliance is considered to be an oven, a chiller, or similar. The appliance  100  includes a door  102  configured to enclose a cooking or chilling space, a filter slot  104  positioned above the door  102  which accepts a filter for filtering cooking particles. A control panel  106  for controlling the appliance is also positioned above the door  106 . The control panel  106  includes, user interface  108  integrated into the front face  107  of the appliance, which can also include a touch screen. The control panel  106  can include a width equal to or greater than a majority of an appliance width. An air inlet  110  can be adjacent to the user interface. 
       FIG. 2  shows a cut-away view of the appliance  100  showing an area  101  inside of the appliance behind the face  107  and the filter slot  104 . The filter slot  104  is directed along a diagonal axis  105  with respect to a vertical a vertical axis  108  of the appliance  100 . The angled insertion of the filter allows to increase the effective filter surface without having to extend the filter too much further. The filter slot  104  is positioned below the control panel  106  forcing the filter to be inserted at an upward angle (a) with respect to the horizontal. The filter slot  104  can define a straight line from an opening slot  112  to an inner terminus  114 . The filter slot  104  includes a guide rail  115  to support and guide the filter along the slot. The filter slot  104  can include a latch  116  to lock a filter in place at the opening slot  112 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a top down cut-away view of the appliance  300  showing an area  301  inside of the appliance behind the face  107 . The filter slot  304  defines a curve along a path from the opening slot  312  to an inner terminus  314 . In  FIG. 3 , the opening slot  312  extends along a vertical axis along an edge of the face  107 . It is considered that both configurations shown can include a curved or straight filter slot. 
       FIG. 4  shows a top-down cut-away view of the appliance  400  showing an area inside of the appliance behind the from face  107  and the filter slot  404 . In this embodiment the filter slot  404  leads to a filter cartridge  418 . The cartridge includes a drum  420  having a preloaded plurality of filters. Each of the filters are attached to each other, possibly by a perforated connection  417  in a roll configuration. A user can pull on the filter, causing the drum to rotate in order to change the filter and service the appliance  400 . This configuration allows for a less invasive and less frequent service of the filter system. It is also considered that a dual cartridge system can be employed where as a first roll unwinds new filter material a second roll collects the expended filter material. 
       FIG. 5  shows a standalone filter assembly  500  for use with the oven or refrigerator is disclosed. The filter assembly  500  includes a first cover  502 , a filter insert  504  placed on top of the first cover  502 , and a second cover configured  506  to lockably couple to the first cover  502  and lock the filter inset  504 . The filter insert  504  can includes a cloth material, as can the filters of the previous embodiments. 
     The methods and systems of the present disclosure, as described above and shown in the drawings, provide for an aircraft appliance filter system with superior properties including increased reliability and stability, and reduced size, weight, complexity, and/or cost. While the apparatus and methods of the subject disclosure have been showing and described with reference to embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that changes and/or modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and score of the subject disclosure.