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US 10,752,053 B2Granted
Flexible galley cart caster guides
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsMarius Ursescu, Stephen M. Young
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A resilient caster guide includes a mounting flange configured to be received against a wall of a galley cart storage compartment. A flexible alignment element angularly extends from the mounting flange into the storage compartment. The flexible alignment element is configured to contact a caster extending from a base of a galley cart received in the storage compartment and to resiliently deform to maintain longitudinal alignment of the caster.
Claims20
A resilient caster guide comprising:
- a mounting flange configured to be received against a wall of a storage compartment for a galley cart;
- and
- a flexible alignment element angularly extending from the mounting flange into the storage compartment, said flexible alignment element incorporating a curved portion terminating in a bead distal from the mounting flange, said curved portion enhancing flexibility in a lateral direction and said bead enhancing stability of the flexible alignment element in a longitudinal direction to induce resilient recovery, said flexible alignment element configured to contact a caster extending from a base of the galley cart received in the storage compartment and to resiliently deform to maintain longitudinal alignment of the caster.
A galley cart storage compartment comprising:
- walls extending from a floor, said walls spaced to accommodate insertion of a galley cart;
- a mounting flange configured to be received against an associated one of the walls;
- and,
- a flexible alignment element angularly extending from the mounting flange into the storage compartment, said flexible alignment element configured to contact a caster extending from a base of the galley cart received between the walls and to resiliently deform to maintain longitudinal alignment of the caster.
1 more element
A method for caster alignment control comprising:
- providing a storage compartment having walls extending from a floor, said walls spaced to accommodate insertion of a galley cart;
- providing a mounting flange configured to be received against an associated one of the walls;
- and,
- providing a flexible alignment element angularly extending from the mounting flange into the storage compartment, said flexible alignment element configured to contact a caster extending from a base of the galley cart received between the walls and to resiliently deform to maintain longitudinal alignment of the caster;
- receiving the galley cart in an entry of the storage compartment;
- longitudinally engaging the caster on the cart with the flexible alignment element extending in an undeformed shape from one of the walls of the storage compartment;
- resiliently flexing the flexible alignment element for displacement laterally but maintaining engagement with the caster;
- and
- longitudinally constraining the caster with the flexible alignment element to maintain alignment of the caster for insertion and extraction of the cart from the storage compartment.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.