Abstract:
A universal modular ducting apparatus for chilled aircraft galleys for either air over or air through carts has modular primary supply and return duct assemblies. Outlet port connection adapters are configured to connect chiller supply air duct outlet ports to either air through or air over configurations of aircraft galley food carts. The supply and return duct assemblies are internally insulated, and may be made from thermoformed plastic, prepreg, or a carbon fiber reinforced composite. Supply duct upper and lower portions may be connected by a connection adapter, and return duct upper and lower portions may be connected by a connection adapter, allowing the supply duct upper portion and the return duct upper portion to overlap.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is based upon and claims priority from U.S. Application No. 61/871,829, filed Aug. 29, 2013, incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    This invention relates to transport aircraft galley systems, and more particularly, to systems to cool food carts prior to service by the cabin attendants. 
         [0003]    Aircraft galley systems for modern transport aircraft incorporate food carts which are cooled to prevent food spoilage prior to use by the cabin attendants for distribution of food to passengers. These food carts are commonly interfaced with cold air supply systems in the galley designed to cool the interiors of the food carts. Galley cooling systems are typically mounted in a galley cabinet, so that cool air is discharged from the galley cooling system and circulates over or through galley food carts in a galley cabinet to return to the galley cooling system to again be cooled and discharged. 
         [0004]    It would be desirable to provide an air distribution ductwork assembly suitable for use with either lateral or aft galleys commonly found in commercial passenger aircraft, that is capable of being used to chill galley food carts in such galley food cart bays having either an air over or air through configuration by simply changing connection adapters. It would be desirable to provide an air distribution ductwork assembly having a reduced cross-sectional area to increase space behind the galley. It would be desirable to provide an air distribution ductwork assembly that is modular, allowing a variety of chilled configurations to be employed, and that includes high performance integral insulation and provides efficient supply and return air balancing capability. The present invention meets these and other needs. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    Briefly and in general terms, the present invention provides for a universal modular ducting apparatus for chilled aircraft galleys, that can be used to chill either air over or air through carts, that has a reduced cross-section, and that has primary duct assemblies that are modular, and can be formed from sectional vacuum formed plastic components, or master molds that can be reconfigured to create production tools for fiberglass or carbon fiber reinforced prepreg moldings. The supply and return airflow may be individually balanced for each cart bay using plate restrictors in either air over or air through configurations, and the ducts may have integral insulation. 
         [0006]    The present invention accordingly provides for a universal modular ducting apparatus for chilled aircraft galleys including an aircraft galley ductwork assembly for chilling one or more aircraft galley food carts in one or more chilled galley food cart bays from a chiller unit. The universal modular ducting apparatus includes a chiller supply air duct assembly configured to supply a chilled supply airflow to the one or more aircraft galley food carts. In a presently preferred aspect, the chiller supply air duct assembly includes a chiller supply air duct lower portion having a chiller supply air inlet port configured to receive the chilled supply airflow from a chiller unit, and a chiller supply air duct upper portion having one or more chiller supply air duct outlet ports each including an outlet port connection adapter configured to connect the one or more chiller supply air duct outlet ports to the one or more aircraft galley food carts. The chiller supply air duct assembly also preferably includes a chiller return air duct assembly configured to deliver a return airflow from the one or more aircraft galley food carts. In a presently preferred aspect, the chiller return air duct assembly includes a chiller return air duct upper portion having at least one chiller return air inlet port configured to receive a return airflow from the one or more aircraft galley food carts, and a chiller return air duct lower portion having a chiller return air outlet port configured to deliver the return airflow to the chiller unit for cooling of the airflow. 
         [0007]    In a presently preferred aspect, the chiller supply air duct assembly and the chiller return air duct assembly are internally insulated. In a presently preferred aspect, the chiller supply air duct assembly and the chiller return air duct assembly are modular. In a presently preferred aspect, the chiller supply air duct assembly and the chiller return air duct assembly optionally may be made from thermoformed plastic, a fibrous material preimpregnated with a synthetic resin, or prepreg, or a carbon fiber reinforced composite, for example. 
         [0008]    In one presently preferred aspect, the outlet port connection adapter is configured to connect the one or more chiller supply air duct outlet ports to an air through galley food cart. In another presently preferred aspect, the outlet port connection adapter is configured to connect the one or more chiller supply air duct outlet ports to an air over galley food cart. 
         [0009]    In another presently preferred aspect, the chiller supply air duct lower portion is connected to the chiller supply air duct upper portion by a chiller supply air duct main connection adapter, and the chiller return air duct lower portion is connected to the chiller return air duct upper portion by a chiller return air duct main connection adapter. In another presently preferred aspect, the chiller supply air duct upper portion and the chiller return air duct upper portion overlap. 
         [0010]    Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the operation of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating a perspective view of a first embodiment of the universal modular ducting apparatus for chilled aircraft galleys for air through galley food carts according to the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating a perspective view of the chilled air supply ducting of  FIG. 1 , omitting the chilled air return ducting for simplicity. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating a perspective view of the chilled air return ducting of  FIG. 1 , omitting the chilled air supply ducting for simplicity. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram illustrating a perspective view of a second embodiment of the universal modular ducting apparatus for chilled aircraft galleys for air over galley food carts according to the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram illustrating a simplified perspective view of the chilled air supply and air return ducting of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram illustrating a perspective view of the chilled air supply ducting of  FIG. 4 , omitting the chilled air return ducting for simplicity. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , in a first presently preferred embodiment, the present invention provides for an aircraft galley ductwork assembly  10  typically provided at a rear side  12  of one or more chilled galley food cart bays  14  for cooling one or more aircraft galley food carts (not shown) removably receivable at a front side  16  of the chilled galley food cart bays. The aircraft galley ductwork assembly includes a chiller supply air duct assembly  18  configured to supply a chilled supply airflow  20  to the corresponding aircraft galley food carts in the chilled galley food cart bays from a chiller unit (not shown), and a chiller return air duct assembly  22  configured to deliver a return airflow from the aircraft galley food carts in the chilled galley food cart bays to the chiller unit. 
         [0018]    The chiller supply air duct assembly preferably includes a chiller supply air duct lower portion  24  having a chiller supply air inlet port  26  configured to receive the chilled supply airflow from the chiller unit, and a chiller supply air duct upper portion  28  having one or more chiller supply air duct outlet ports  30 , best seen in  FIG. 2 . The chiller supply air duct lower portion is advantageously connected to the chiller supply air duct upper portion by a chiller supply air duct main connection adapter  32 , as will be further explained below, and each of the one or more chiller supply air duct outlet ports preferably includes an outlet port connection adapter  34  configured to connect the one or more chiller supply air duct outlet ports to an air through galley food cart configuration, as is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         [0019]    The chiller return air duct assembly includes a chiller return air duct upper portion  36  having one or more chiller return air inlet ports  38  configured to receive a return airflow  40  from the corresponding aircraft galley food carts, and a chiller return air duct lower portion  42  having a chiller return air outlet port  44  configured to deliver the return airflow to the chiller unit for cooling of the airflow. Each of the one or more chiller return air duct inlet ports preferably includes an inlet port connection adapter  45  configured to connect the one or more chiller return air duct inlet ports to an air through galley food cart configuration  47 . The chiller return air duct lower portion is advantageously connected to the chiller return air duct upper portion by a chiller return air duct main connection adapter  46 . 
         [0020]    As is illustrated in  FIG. 1 , chiller supply air duct upper portion and the chiller return air duct upper portion preferably overlap in connecting with the one or more aircraft galley food carts in the chilled galley food cart bays, while the chiller supply air duct lower portion and the chiller return air duct lower portion are side by side, and at least one of the chiller supply air duct main connection adapter and the chiller return air duct main connection adapter is configured to extend at an oblique angle with respect to the other to allow the chiller supply air duct upper portion and the chiller return air duct upper portion to overlap. 
         [0021]    In a presently preferred aspect, the chiller supply air duct assembly and the chiller return air duct assembly are internally insulated, such as with vacuum insulated panel, or a water impermeable flexible cellular foam fully or partially impregnated with a chemical agent, and that can further include a coating of another compatible material such as silicone, for example, to provide an insulated seal, for example. The chiller supply air duct assembly and the chiller return air duct assembly optionally may include modular sections  48 , allowing cart configurations to be changed, and optionally may be made of thermoformed plastic, a fibrous material preimpregnated with a particular synthetic resin, or prepreg, or a carbon fiber reinforced composite (CFRC), for example. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIGS. 4-6 , in a second presently preferred embodiment, the present invention provides for an aircraft galley ductwork assembly  110  typically provided at a rear side  112  of one or more chilled galley food cart bays  114  for cooling one or more aircraft galley food carts (not shown) removably receivable at a front side  116  of the chilled galley food cart bays. The aircraft galley ductwork assembly includes a chiller supply air duct assembly  118  configured to supply a chilled supply airflow  120  to the corresponding aircraft galley food carts in the chilled galley food cart bays from a chiller unit (not shown), and a chiller return air duct assembly  122  configured to deliver a return airflow from the aircraft galley food carts in the chilled galley food cart bays to the chiller unit. 
         [0023]    The chiller supply air duct assembly includes a chiller supply air duct lower portion  124  having a chiller supply air inlet port  126  configured to receive the chilled supply airflow from the chiller unit, and a chiller supply air duct upper portion  128  having one or more chiller supply air duct outlet ports  130 , best seen in  FIG. 6 . The chiller supply air duct lower portion is advantageously connected to the chiller supply air duct upper portion by a chiller supply air duct main connection adapter  132 , as will be further explained below, and each of the one or more chiller supply air duct outlet ports preferably includes an outlet port connection adapter  134  configured to be connected between the one or more chiller supply air duct outlet ports an air over galley food cart ducts  135  for an air over galley food cart configuration, as is illustrated in  FIGS. 4-6 . 
         [0024]    The chiller return air duct assembly includes a chiller return air duct upper portion  136  having one or more chiller return air inlet ports  138 , best seen in  FIG. 5 , configured to receive a return airflow  140  from the corresponding aircraft galley food carts, and a chiller return air duct lower portion  142  having a chiller return air outlet port  144  configured to deliver the return airflow to the chiller unit for cooling of the airflow. Each of the one or more chiller return air duct inlet ports preferably includes an inlet port connection adapter  145  configured to connect the one or more chiller return air duct inlet ports to an air through galley food cart configuration  147 . The chiller return air duct lower portion is advantageously connected to the chiller return air duct upper portion by a chiller return air duct main connection adapter  146 . As is illustrated in  FIG. 4 , chiller supply air duct upper portion and the chiller return air duct upper portion overlap in connecting with the one or more aircraft galley food carts in the chilled galley food cart bays, while the chiller supply air duct lower portion and the chiller return air duct lower portion are side by side, and at least one of the chiller supply air duct main connection adapter and the chiller return air duct main connection adapter is configured to extend at an oblique angle with respect to the other to allow the chiller supply air duct upper portion and the chiller return air duct upper portion to overlap. 
         [0025]    In a presently preferred aspect, the chiller supply air duct assembly and the chiller return air duct assembly are internally insulated, such as with vacuum insulated panel, or a water impermeable flexible cellular foam fully or partially impregnated with a chemical agent, and that can further include a coating of another compatible material such as silicone, for example, to provide an insulated seal, for example. The chiller supply air duct assembly and the chiller return air duct assembly optionally may include modular sections  148 , allowing cart configurations to be changed, and optionally may be made of thermoformed plastic, a fibrous material preimpregnated with a particular synthetic resin, or prepreg, or a carbon fiber reinforced composite (CFRC), for example. 
         [0026]    It will be apparent from the foregoing that while particular forms of the invention have been illustrated and described, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.