Dynamic Chilled Mini-Bar for Aircraft Passenger Suite

Abstract

A dynamic chilled mini-bar includes: a cover; a movable compartment translatable to expose an interior thereof from behind the cover; and a cooling device operable to cool the interior of the movable compartment. A piece of integrated entertainment equipment in a vehicle includes: a dynamic chilled mini-bar movably installed on the integrated entertainment equipment; and an actuator coupled with at least one of a side of the integrated entertainment equipment and the movable compartment, the actuator being operable to translate the movable compartment. A method of operating a dynamic chilled mini-bar includes: receiving an input signal to translate a movable compartment of the dynamic chilled mini-bar from a first position to a second position with respect to a cover of the dynamic chilled mini-bar; and linearly translating the movable compartment to the second position according to the input signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dynamic chilled mini-bar comprising:
 a cover;   a movable compartment translatable to expose an interior thereof from behind the cover; and   a cooling device operable to cool the interior of the movable compartment.   
     
     
         2 . The dynamic chilled mini-bar of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a beverage tray disposed within the movable compartment, wherein the cooling device is thermally coupled with the beverage tray through an opening at a bottom of the movable compartment.   
     
     
         3 . The dynamic chilled mini-bar of  claim 2 , wherein the cooling device cools a surface of the beverage tray to cool the interior of the movable compartment. 
     
     
         4 . The dynamic chilled mini-bar of  claim 2 , wherein the beverage tray is constructed of a thermally conductive material. 
     
     
         5 . The dynamic chilled mini-bar of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a controller operable to control the cooling device to maintain about a preset temperature in the interior of the movable compartment.   
     
     
         6 . The dynamic chilled mini-bar of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling device comprises a thermoelectric cooling module comprising:
 at least one thermoelectric cooling device operable to cool the interior of the movable compartment;   a fan operable to circulate air from outside the at thermoelectric cooling module to the at least one thermoelectric cooling device to reject heat from the thermoelectric cooling module to the outside; and   a temperature controller operable to control an amount of power delivered to the at least one thermoelectric cooling device.   
     
     
         7 . The dynamic chilled mini-bar of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an actuator operable to translate the movable compartment.   
     
     
         8 . The dynamic chilled mini-bar of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a controller that controls the actuator to linearly translate the movable compartment from a first position to a second position, wherein the second position is selected from the group consisting of completely stowed position, completely opened position, and partially opened position.   
     
     
         9 . The dynamic chilled mini-bar of  claim 8 , wherein when the movable compartment is in the completely stowed position, the interior of the movable compartment is completely behind the cover. 
     
     
         10 . The dynamic chilled mini-bar of  claim 8 , wherein when the movable compartment is in the completely opened position, a majority of the interior of the movable compartment is exposed from behind the cover. 
     
     
         11 . The dynamic chilled mini-bar of  claim 10 , wherein when the movable compartment is in the partially opened position, less of the interior of the movable compartment is exposed from behind the cover than when the movable compartment is in the completely opened position. 
     
     
         12 . A piece of integrated entertainment equipment in a vehicle, the piece of integrated entertainment equipment comprising:
 a dynamic chilled mini-bar movably installed on the integrated entertainment equipment, the dynamic chilled mini-bar comprising:
 a cover; 
 a movable compartment translatable to expose an interior thereof from behind the cover; and 
 a cooling device operable to cool the interior of the movable compartment; and 
   an actuator coupled with at least one of a side of the integrated entertainment equipment and the movable compartment, the actuator being operable to translate the movable compartment.   
     
     
         13 . The piece of integrated entertainment equipment of  claim 12 , the dynamic chilled mini-bar further comprising:
 a controller operable to control the cooling device to maintain about a preset temperature in the interior of the movable compartment.   
     
     
         14 . The piece of integrated entertainment equipment of  claim 12 , the actuator comprising:
 a rotatable screw; and   a bracket coupled with the movable compartment, a first end of the bracket being coupled with the screw,   wherein when the screw rotates, the movable compartment is translated linearly.   
     
     
         15 . The piece of integrated entertainment equipment of  claim 14 , wherein when the screw rotates, the movable compartment is translated linearly in parallel with a length-wise direction of the screw. 
     
     
         16 . The piece of integrated entertainment equipment of  claim 12 , the actuator comprising:
 a screw;   a motor operable to rotate the screw; and   a bracket coupled with the movable compartment, a first end of the bracket being coupled with the screw,   wherein when the motor rotates the screw, the movable compartment is translated linearly.   
     
     
         17 . The piece of integrated entertainment equipment of  claim 16 , wherein when the motor rotates the screw, the movable compartment is translated linearly in parallel with a length-wise direction of the screw. 
     
     
         18 . The piece of integrated entertainment equipment of  claim 12 , the actuator comprising:
 a screw that is stationary;   a nut that is rotatable around the screw; and   a bracket coupled with the movable compartment, a first end of the bracket being coupled with the nut,   wherein when the nut rotates around the screw, the movable compartment is translated linearly.   
     
     
         19 . The piece of integrated entertainment equipment of  claim 18 , wherein when the nut rotates around the screw, the movable compartment is translated linearly in parallel with a length-wise direction of the screw. 
     
     
         20 . The piece of integrated entertainment equipment of  claim 12 , the actuator comprising:
 a screw that is stationary;   a motor operable to rotate a nut around the screw; and   a bracket coupled with the movable compartment, a first end of the bracket being coupled with the nut,   wherein when the motor rotates the nut around the screw, the movable compartment is translated linearly with the screw.   
     
     
         21 . The piece of integrated entertainment equipment of  claim 20 , wherein when the motor rotates the nut around the screw, the movable compartment is translated linearly in parallel with a length-wise direction of the screw. 
     
     
         22 . A method of operating a dynamic chilled mini-bar, the method comprising:
 receiving an input signal to translate a movable compartment of the dynamic chilled mini-bar from a first position to a second position with respect to a cover of the dynamic chilled mini-bar; and   linearly translating the movable compartment to the second position according to the input signal.   
     
     
         23 . The method of operating the dynamic chilled mini-bar according to  claim 22 , wherein the second position is selected from the group consisting of completely stowed position, completely opened position, and partially opened position. 
     
     
         24 . The method of operating the dynamic chilled mini-bar according to  claim 23 , wherein when the movable compartment is in the completely stowed position, an interior of the movable compartment is completely behind the cover. 
     
     
         25 . The method of operating the dynamic chilled mini-bar according to  claim 23 , wherein when the movable compartment is in the completely opened position, a majority of an interior of the movable compartment is exposed from behind the cover. 
     
     
         26 . The method of operating the dynamic chilled mini-bar according to  claim 25 , wherein when the movable compartment is in the partially opened position, less of the interior of the movable compartment is exposed from behind the cover than when the movable compartment is in the completely opened position.