# US 11,306,958 B2 · Galley refrigeration system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,306,958 B2 - Document ID: US11306958B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/679,011 - Filed: 2019-11-08 - Published: 2021-05-13 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2019-11-08 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Thomas Joseph Moran - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306958B2 ## CPC - F25B 1/00: Compression machines, plants or systems with non-reversible cycle (F25B3/00, F25B5/00, F25B6/00, F25B7/00, F25B9/00 take precedence) - F25D 15/00: Devices not covered by group F25D11/00 or F25D13/00, e.g. non-self-contained movable devices - B64D 11/0007: {Devices specially adapted for food or beverage distribution services} - B64D 11/04: Galleys - B64D 13/06: the air being conditioned (pressurising B64D13/02) - F25B 41/20: Disposition of valves, e.g. of on-off valves or flow control valves (expansion valves F25B41/31) - F25D 17/06: by forced circulation - B64D 2013/0629: {with subsystems for cooling food, catering or special loads} - F25B 21/02: using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect - F25B 2321/02: using Peltier effects; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effects - F25B 2600/2515: Flow valves - F25D 2400/20: Carts specially adapted for transporting objects to be cooled - F25D 2400/38: Refrigerating devices characterised by wheels - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS - F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B) - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT ## Abstract A galley refrigeration system is provided in which a galley cart is positioned in the cavity of a galley compartment comprising at least a cart-facing opening positioned in a vertically intermediate region of the back wall, the galley cart or the galley compartment having a duct-facing opening positioned adjacent to the cart-facing opening. A heat exchanger configured to generate cooling air is provided within the galley compartment, adjacent the vertically intermediate region of the back wall of the galley compartment defining the cavity. An air supply duct, provided at the cart-facing opening, is configured to guide the cooling air from the heat exchanger into the galley cart, and configured to be detachably coupled to the duct-facing opening of the cart or the galley compartment. An electronically actuated valve controls a variable flow rate of the cooling air from the air supply duct into the galley cart. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A galley refrigeration system comprising: a galley compartment comprising at least a back wall and a pair of side walls defining a cavity, the galley compartment comprising at least a cart-facing opening positioned in a vertically intermediate region of the back wall; a galley cart positionable in the cavity of the galley compartment, the galley cart or the galley compartment having a duct-facing opening, the duct-facing opening being positioned adjacent to the cart-facing opening of the galley compartment for air-through-cart or air-over-cart cooling of the galley cart; a heat exchanger configured to generate cooling air; an air supply duct provided at the cart-facing opening in the vertically intermediate region of the back wall, configured to guide the cooling air from the heat exchanger into the galley cart, and configured to be detachably coupled to the duct-facing opening in flow communication with the duct-facing opening; and a docking interface configured to detachably couple a first air supply duct port of the air supply duct at the cart-facing opening to the duct-facing opening, the docking interface comprising an electronically actuated valve for controlling a variable flow rate of the cooling air from the air supply duct into the galley cart, wherein at least a portion of the heat exchanger is provided within the galley compartment, adjacent the vertically intermediate region of the back wall of the galley compartment defining the cavity. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The galley refrigeration system of claim 1, further comprising a controller, wherein the electronically actuated valve of the docking interface is operatively coupled to the controller, the controller controlling a valve position of the electronically actuated valve to fully closed, partially open, or fully opened. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The galley refrigeration system of claim 2, wherein the electronically actuated valve includes a shape memory alloy or an electronic solenoid. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The galley refrigeration system of claim 2, further comprising an air temperature sensor, wherein the controller controls the electronically actuated valve to control air flow until the air temperature sensor indicates a predetermined air temperature. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The galley refrigeration system of claim 2, further comprising an air flow sensor, wherein the controller controls the electronically actuated valve to control air flow until the air flow sensor indicates a predetermined air flow rate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The galley refrigeration system of claim 2, further comprising: a second galley compartment comprising at least the back wall and a pair of second side walls defining a second cavity, the second galley compartment comprising at least a second cart-facing opening positioned in the vertically intermediate region of the back wall; and a second galley cart positionable in the second cavity of the second galley compartment, the second galley cart having a second duct-facing opening, the second duct-facing opening of the second galley cart being positioned adjacent to the second cart-facing opening of the second galley compartment for air-through-cart cooling of the second galley cart, wherein the galley compartment is a first galley compartment; and a first condenser intake and a first condenser exhaust at the first galley compartment are arranged symmetrically to a second condenser intake and a second condenser exhaust at the second galley compartment across a width of a galley area of a cabin. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The galley refrigeration system of claim 1, wherein the cart-facing opening of the galley compartment is detachably attached to the first air supply duct port of the air supply duct. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The galley refrigeration system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the first condenser intake, the first condenser exhaust, the second condenser intake, and the second condenser exhaust is configured as a controllable, electronically actuated valve operatively coupled to the controller. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The galley refrigeration system of claim 1, wherein an entirety of the air supply duct is provided within the galley compartment. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The galley refrigeration system of claim 1, further comprising: an air return duct detachably attached to the heat exchanger and configured to guide heated air from the galley cart and/or galley compartment into the heat exchanger. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The galley refrigeration system of claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a compressor, an evaporator, and a condenser provided with a condenser intake configured to intake air from a galley area of a cabin and a condenser exhaust configured to discharge exhaust airflow into the galley area of the cabin. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The galley refrigeration system of claim 1, further comprising: a second galley compartment comprising at least the back wall and a pair of second side walls defining a second cavity, wherein the galley compartment is a first galley compartment; and a first condenser intake and a first condenser exhaust at the first galley compartment are arranged symmetrically to a second condenser intake and a second condenser exhaust at the second galley compartment across a width of a galley area of a cabin. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The galley refrigeration system of claim 12, wherein the first condenser intake and the first condenser exhaust are arranged symmetrically to the second condenser intake and the second condenser exhaust across at least one of a front of the galley area and outboard surfaces of the side walls of the galley compartments, the outboard surfaces of the side walls including portions adjacent to at least one of a counter area of a galley monument, a floor of the galley area, and a ceiling of the galley area. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The galley refrigeration system of claim 1, further comprising: a galley monument with a counter area, wherein the galley compartment is provided below the counter area of the galley monument; and the heat exchanger is provided adjacent to the counter area. ### Claim 15 A galley refrigeration system comprising: a galley compartment comprising at least a back wall and a pair of side walls defining a cavity, the galley compartment comprising at least a cart-facing opening positioned in a lower region of the back wall; a galley cart positionable in the cavity of the galley compartment, the galley cart or the galley compartment having a duct-facing opening, the duct-facing opening being positioned adjacent to the cart-facing opening of the galley compartment for air-through-cart or air-over-cart cooling of the galley cart; a heat exchanger configured to generate cooling air and provided adjacent to the cart-facing opening; an air return duct configured to guide heated air from the galley cart into the heat exchanger, and configured to be detachably coupled to the heat exchanger; a docking interface configured to detachably couple a first air supply duct port of an air supply duct at the cart-facing opening to the duct-facing opening of the galley cart, the docking interface comprising an electronically actuated valve for controlling a variable flow rate of the cooling air from the air supply duct into the galley cart, wherein at least a portion of the heat exchanger is provided within the galley compartment and adjacent to the lower region of the back wall of the galley compartment defining the cavity. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The galley refrigeration system of claim 15, further comprising a controller, wherein the electronically actuated valve of the docking interface is operatively coupled to the controller, the controller controlling a valve position of the electronically actuated valve to fully closed, partially open, or fully opened. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The galley refrigeration system of claim 16, wherein the electronically actuated valve includes a shape memory alloy or an electronic solenoid. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The galley refrigeration system of claim 16, further comprising an air temperature sensor, wherein the controller controls the electronically actuated valve to control air flow until the air temperature sensor indicates a predetermined air temperature. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The galley refrigeration system of claim 16, further comprising an air flow sensor, wherein the controller controls the electronically actuated valve to control air flow until the air flow sensor indicates a predetermined air flow rate. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The galley refrigeration system of claim 15, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a compressor, an evaporator, and a condenser provided with a condenser intake configured to intake air from a galley area of a cabin and a condenser exhaust configured to discharge exhaust airflow into the galley area of the cabin.