REFRIGERATOR-OVEN COMBINATION FOR AN AIRCRAFT GALLEY FOOD SERVICE SYSTEM

• US 20120285942A1
• Filed: 07/20/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BE Intellectual Property, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BE Intellectual Property, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Godecker, William, Kohanloo, Farzin
• Granted Patent: US 8,701,752 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/201
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 39/02 Dish-warmers; Devices to keep food hot
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 29/00 Combined heating and refrigeration systems, e.g. operating alternately or simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/12 Arrangements of compartments additional to cooling compartments; Combinations of refrigerators with other equipment, e.g. stove
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 31/005 Combined cooling and heating devices

Abstract

A refrigerator-oven combination for an aircraft galley food service system includes a housing with a thermally insulated compartment, a heating device for heating the compartment in a heating mode, and a refrigeration device for cooling the compartment in a refrigeration mode.

Claims

1. A refrigerator-oven combination for an aircraft galley food service system, said refrigerator-oven combination having a heating mode for heating food items, and a refrigerator mode for cooling food and beverage items, the refrigerator-oven combination comprising:

a housing defining a thermally insulated compartment;

a heating device disposed in said thermally insulated compartment for heating at least a portion of an interior of said compartment;

a refrigeration device disposed in said thermally insulated housing for cooling at least a portion of the interior of said compartment; and

a motorized fan disposed in said compartment for circulating air within said compartment.

2. The refrigerator-oven combination of claim 1, wherein the heating device comprises a convection heating device.

3. The refrigerator-oven combination of claim 1, wherein the heating device comprises a radiant heating device.

4. The refrigerator-oven combination of claim 1, wherein the heating device comprises a steam heating device.

5. The refrigerator-oven combination of claim 4, wherein the steam heating device comprises a steam injection valve for injecting hot moisture into the compartment.

6. The refrigerator-oven combination of claim 2, wherein the convection heating device comprises an electric heater.

7. The refrigerator-oven combination of claim 1, wherein the refrigeration device comprises an active refrigeration device.

8. The refrigerator-oven combination of claim 1, wherein the refrigeration device comprises a passive refrigeration device.

9. The refrigerator-oven combination of claim 1, wherein the refrigeration device comprises a chiller for supplying chilled fluid through a tube assembly mounted to an internal wall of the compartment.

10. The refrigerator-oven combination of claim 1, wherein the refrigeration device comprises a chiller for supplying chilled fluid to a heat exchanger mounted to the compartment.

11. The refrigerator-oven combination of claim 9, wherein the refrigeration device further comprises at least one temperature sensor located within the compartment and a regulating valve connected to the chiller for metering the flow of the chilled fluid through the tube assembly for controlling the temperature of the compartment responsive to said at least one temperature sensor.

12. The refrigerator-oven combination of claim 10, wherein the refrigeration device further comprises at least one temperature sensor located within the compartment and a regulating valve connected to the chiller for metering the flow of the chilled fluid through the heat exchanger for controlling the temperature of the compartment responsive to said at least one temperature sensor.

13. The refrigerator-oven combination of claim 1, wherein the refrigeration device comprises a refrigeration unit mounted to a wall of the compartment to directly provide chilled air to the compartment.

14. The refrigerator-oven combination of claim 1, wherein the refrigeration device comprises a thermoelectric cooling device attached to a wall of the compartment.

15. The refrigerator-oven combination of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor disposed in said compartment for measuring a temperature in the refrigerator-oven combination during the oven mode.

16. The refrigerator-oven combination of claim 1, further comprising a timer for controlling the temperature of the compartment in the refrigerator-oven combination during the oven mode.