WO2009046943A1 - Transporting chute - Google Patents

Abstract

A transporting chute (1) has a helically arranged sliding sheet (30) on which an article can be transported under the action of gravitational force and which has a top end region (32) and a bottom end region (34). The sliding sheet (30) is fastened in its helical arrangement on a carrying structure (20, 22). The carrying structure (20, 22) is suspended on a holder (10). The holder (10) is intended for fastening on an aircraft gangway. Items of baggage and/or refuse sacks can be transported via the sliding sheet (30).

Description

 transport slide

The invention relates to a transport chute and the use düng such a transport chute for the transport of luggage and / or garbage bags.

At airports, it often happens that an aircraft does not have access to a handling finger before take-off or landing, which would allow easy access to the aircraft. Instead, the aircraft must be further removed from the airport building. The passengers and personnel, including the cleaning staff, must then use an aircraft gangway that will approach the aircraft to enter or leave the aircraft.

When the aircraft is cleaned, the waste is usually filled into bags. Since there is little time to clean an aircraft, filled garbage bags become Mostly not carried down the plane gangway, but thrown down from above. Occasionally, a rubbish bag bursts, which is very undesirable because of the associated cleaning effort and can lead to delays.

Furthermore, it is common for passengers to carry too many pieces of baggage on entering the aircraft. Such luggage must be brought into the luggage compartment of the aircraft. However, this can be very cumbersome if a person wants to transport the baggage down, but at the same time more passengers flow up the aircraft gangway.

It is an object of the invention to find a practical, safe and cost-effective solution to the problem mentioned.

This object is achieved by a transport chute with the features of claim 1. The claim 15 relates to the use of such a transport chute and claim 17 a method for transporting luggage and / or garbage bags from the upper portion of an aircraft gangway down. Advantageous embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims.

The transport chute according to the invention has a helically arranged slide cloth, which allows the transport of an article under gravity, by the object over it - following the helical course - from top to bottom slips. The slip cloth has an upper end portion (as an inlet) and a lower end portion (as an outlet). Further, the transport chute includes a support structure to which the slip cloth is fixed in its helical arrangement, and a holder on which the support structure is suspended and from which the upper end portion of the rug is accessible.

A comparable transport chute is known in principle, but not for the transport of objects, but for the rescue of persons, see e.g. DE 197 11 884 A1.

In the invention, the holder is adapted for attachment to an aircraft gangway. Furthermore, the slip cloth is set up for the passage of luggage and / or garbage bags. The latter means, in particular, that the slip sheet spans a smaller cross-sectional area than would be necessary for the passage of a person, the cross-sectional area (which is, for example, trough-shaped) being dimensioned such that common pieces of baggage or rubbish bags can easily pass through the slip cloth, but also at larger luggage and garbage bags no problems.

Not only cloth-like slides are to be understood in the narrower sense (for example in the form of trough-shaped chutes) but also in other forms and with materials other than cloth. The slip cloth can, in principle, also be designed as a hose with a closed circumferential line.

The term "rubbish bag" is not limited to sacks in the narrower sense, but also covers other forms of waste containers.

In order to carry back a piece of luggage with the aid of the transport chute according to the invention, which has brought a passenger on the aircraft gangway with upwards, but can not be transported in the cabin, the bag only needs to be placed on the upper end of the slide become. It then slides down by itself and can there comfortably picked up and transported eg into the hold of the aircraft. The same applies to a rubbish bag.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, two transport chutes of the type according to the invention are provided on an aircraft gangway, of which one is optimized for the transport of luggage and the other for the transport of garbage bags. Garbage bags do not have to be handled with the same care as luggage and can therefore usually be transported down faster. This can be e.g. reach through a steeper pitch angle of the wendeiförmig arranged slip and / or through a smoother inner surface of the slip.

Thus, the invention makes it possible to transport pieces of luggage or waste sacks down from the upper area of an aircraft gangway in a confined space so that more space is available for handling. As a result, aircraft can be handled faster, which is associated with a significant cost advantage.

Preferably, the support structure has a jacket within which the slip cloth is attached. The jacket can be cylindrical and flexible. When the jacket is reinforced by longitudinal belts which substantially absorb the tensile forces encountered during operation, a lighter construction can be achieved, which is also better collapsible. If the support structure and the attached slide cloth can be folded together, they can be transported more easily.

In the vicinity of the lower end portion of the slip cloth, the jacket may have a removal opening. Preferably, a retaining device is arranged below the removal opening, which is formed for example as a threshold in the jacket. The return Holding device prevents objects transported via the rug from leaving the area of the jacket when they have reached the bottom. This is particularly advantageous if a Stoßdämp- cushion is arranged near the lower end of the slipper, which is for example designed like a pillow with a granular or air filling and dampens the impact of an article leaving the slip cloth. As the article bounces off the shock absorbing pad, it is prevented from leaving the containment by the retainer, which generally facilitates operation. The shock absorbing pad may also be provided with an inclined surface or be designed as an inclined bottom of the shell of the support structure, under which there is still an air space.

In advantageous embodiments of the invention, the holder has a mounting portion and a holder. The mounting portion is adapted for permanent mounting in the upper area of an aircraft gangway, while the holder to which the support structure is attached is detachably connectable to the mounting portion. This construction makes it possible to transport the supporting structure with the slip cloth and the holder as a unit (preferably in the folded state) and to connect, if necessary, with the mounting portion of an aircraft gangway provided with a mounting portion.

The holder may have a hinged or rigid frame to which the support structure is attached. This allows for a more compact form for transport in a collapsed state.

To connect the holder with the mounting portion, for example, are two upstanding lugs on the mounting portion, on the two arranged on the holder pipe parts are pluggable, or two forward approaches to the mounting portion on which the frame is placed. Other possibilities are also conceivable.

The holder may be covered, e.g. with polyester fabric. This appears more visually appealing, particularly in a baggage transport chute, where an airline passenger can see his luggage being placed on the upper end region of the slip cloth. In a transport chute for drop bags, on the other hand, it is more advantageous if the upper end region of the slip cloth is freely accessible and e.g. not partially obscured by a cladding of the holder.

A particularly suitable material for the slip cloth and / or the supporting structure (including the jacket) is polyester. Polyester is inexpensive and can be processed into very durable fabric. Further, in a polyester fabric, the roughness can be adjusted within certain limits, so as to influence the friction on the slip cloth and thus the transport speed for a piece of luggage or a rubbish bag.

In the following, the invention will be further described by means of exemplary embodiments. The drawings show in

FIG. 1 shows a schematic three-dimensional view of a first embodiment of the transport chute according to the invention,

2 shows a three-dimensional view of an aircraft gangway with two attached transport chutes in the manner of the first embodiment and Figure 3 is a schematic three-dimensional view of a second embodiment of the transport chute according to the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a transport chute 1 in a schematic three-dimensional view. In the upper region of the transport chute 1 there is a holder 10 which has a mounting portion 12 and a holder 14 which can be removed therefrom. The holder 14 includes a hinged peripheral frame 16, which is shown in Figure 1 in the unfolded state. In this state, the frame 16 is held by two steel cables 18. Suitable materials for the holder 10 are metals, especially steel or light metal.

In the exemplary embodiment of the mounting portion 12 includes two upwardly facing lugs on which two arranged on the holder 14 pipe parts are plugged to connect the holder 14 with the mounting portion 12. This is not shown in detail in the figures. In order to separate the holder 14 from the mounting portion 12, the holder 14 can be pulled upwards.

Suspended on the frame 16 is a support structure which includes a substantially cylindrical shell 20 reinforced by parallel straps 22 (e.g., five pieces). The straps 22 are indicated in Figure 1 by simple lines. The attachment of the support structure to the frame 16 is carried out with the upper end portion of the straps 22nd

In the lower region of the jacket 20, a removal opening 24 is arranged, which is optionally closable with a protective cloth. Below the removal opening 24 is a threshold 26th In the interior of the jacket 20, a helically arranged slip sheet 30 extends with an upper end portion 32 (inlet) and a lower end portion 34 (outlet). The slip sheet 30 is fixed to the inside of the shell 20 in its helical arrangement; serves as an additional support in the embodiment, a centrally extending from top to bottom belt, which is not shown in Figure 1. In Figure 1, the slide cloth 30 is indicated in the manner of a flat belt, but it is a slide cloth.

In preferred embodiments of the transport chute, the slip cloth 30 is widened like a funnel in its upper end region 32, as in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, but this is not shown in FIG. 1 for the sake of clarity. The edge of this funnel-shaped extension virtually encloses the entire surface, which is spanned by the frame 16.

The outlet of the slip cloth 30 is located above the lower end of the jacket 20. In the interior of the jacket 20 there may be arranged a shock absorbing pad.

In the exemplary embodiment, the jacket 20, the straps 22 and the slide cloth 30 are made of polyester fabric. These parts can therefore be folded or folded. In addition, since the frame 16 can be folded against the remaining parts of the holder 14, the transport chute 1 can be transported in a compact shape when it is not connected to the mount portion 12.

FIG. 2 shows how the transport chute 1 is arranged on an aircraft gangway 40. The gangway 40 includes a ladder 42 and a platform 44. In the area of the platform 44, the mounting portion 12 is fixed to the gangway 40, preferably permanently. 2 shows a second transport chute 1 ", which in principle is of the same design as the transport chute 1. However, the second transport chute 1" is provided with a cover 50 made of polyester fabric in the region of its holder. The transport chute 1 "serves to transport luggage, while the transport chute 1, which has no lining, is provided for the transport of waste bags, otherwise the transport chutes 1 and 1" differ only in the roughness of the slip cloth. In the transport chute 1, the slide cloth is smoother than in the transport chute 1 ", because garbage bags should be transported down faster than luggage.

When using the transport chute 1 (or 1 "), a garbage bag (or a piece of luggage) is thrown onto the upper end region 32 of the slip cloth 30 and then slides downwards over the slip cloth 30 under the effect of gravity. At the outlet 34, the garbage bag (or baggage) falls off the slip cloth 30, thereby mitigating the impact by the shock absorbing pad, so that no damage occurs. the piece of luggage) jumps out of the jacket 20 uncontrollably through the removal opening 24. In this way, garbage bags and pieces of luggage can be quickly transported down the platform 44 of the gangway 40 and transported away through the removal opening 24 (or the removal opening of the transport chute 1 ").

FIG. 3 shows a transport chute 1 ', which is a variant of the transport chute 1 according to FIG. 1, the same reference numerals being used for the same components as in FIG. 1 and the reference symbols for deviating but comparable components being indicated by a dash. In the transport chute I ¹ , the holder 10 'is constructed differently than the holder 10 of the transport chute 1. The holder 10' has a mounting portion 12 'with two forward facing lugs, which are aligned in the embodiment substantially horizontally and each of a strut 60 are supported (not shown in detail in Figure 3). In these approaches, a frame 16 'inserted and secured it. On the frame 16 ', the support structure 20, 22 is attached. In order to separate the frame 16 'from the mounting portion 12', the frame 16 'can be pulled upwards.

Further, in the interior of the shell 20, in the lower portion, there is disposed a shock absorbing pad 62 whose top is inclined, e.g. by 15 ° to the horizontal, to the removal opening 24 to. As a result, objects transported by the transport chute 1 'slide toward the removal opening 24, which may facilitate handling. In the exemplary embodiment, the shock absorbing pad 62 is of cylindrical basic shape and is held in an inclined position by lashing straps, so that the upper side is arranged inclined. Other configurations are also conceivable, e.g. with a shock absorbing pad of wedge-like design, which rests on the ground, or with a serving as a shock absorbing pad textile floor, under which there is still an air space and is secured in an oblique position.

Claims

claims 1. Transport chute, with a helically arranged slide cloth (30) on which an object is transportable under gravity effect and having an upper end portion (32) and a lower end portion (34), with a support structure (20, 22) at in which the slip cloth (30) is fastened in its helical arrangement, and with a holder (10, 10 ') on which the support structure (20, 22) is suspended and from which the upper end region (32) of the slip cloth (30) is accessible, characterized in that the holder (10, 10 ') for attachment to an aircraft gangway (40) is set up and that the slide cloth (30) is arranged for the transport of luggage and / or garbage bags. 2. Transport chute according to claim 1, characterized in that the support structure (20, 22) has a jacket (20) within which the slip cloth (30) is fixed. 3. Transport chute according to claim 2, characterized in that the jacket (20) is cylindrical and flexible. 4. Transport chute according to claim 3, characterized in that the jacket (20) extending through in the longitudinal direction Belts (22) is reinforced. 5. Transport chute according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized * characterized in that the jacket (20) in the vicinity of the lower end region (34) of the slipper (30) has a removal opening (24). 6. transport chute according to claim 5, characterized in that below the removal opening (24) has a retention unit direction (26) is arranged, which is preferably formed as a threshold (26) in the jacket (20). 7. Transport chute according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the support structure (20, 22) and the attached thereon slide cloth (30) are collapsible. 8. Transport chute according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that near the lower end portion (34) of the slip (30), a shock absorbing pad (62) is arranged, which preferably has a sloped top. 9. Transport chute according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the holder (10; 10 ') a mounting portion (12; 12'), which for permanent installation in the upper part of a train gangway (40) established and a holder (14) to which the support structure (20, 22) is attached and which is detachably connectable to the mounting portion (12, 12 '). 10. Transport chute according to claim 9, characterized in that the holder (14) has a hinged frame (16) on which the support structure (20, 22) is attached. 11. Transport chute according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the mounting portion (12) has two upstanding projections on the two on the holder (14) arranged pipe parts are pluggable. 12. Transport chute according to claim 9, characterized in that the holder has a rigid frame (16 ') to which the support structure (20, 22) is fixed, wherein preferably the mounting portion (12') has two forward projections on which the frame (16 ') can be inserted. 13. Transport chute according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that the holder (14) is covered. 14. Transport chute according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the slip cloth (30) and / or the support structure (20, 22) comprise polyester. 15. Use of a transport chute according to one of claims 1 to 14 for the transport of luggage and / or garbage bags from the upper portion of a train gangway (40) down. 16. Use according to claim 15, characterized in that on an aircraft gangway (40) two transport chutes (1 ", 1) are provided according to one of claims 1 to 14, of which one for the transport of luggage and the other for the transport of waste bags is optimized. 17. A method of transporting bags and / or garbage bags down from the top of a train gangway (40) using a transport chute according to any one of claims 1 to 14, comprising the steps of: - placing a bag or garbage bag in the upper end region ( 32) of the slip (30), - Wait until the piece of luggage or the rubbish bag has slid down over the slipper (30), - Moving the luggage or the waste bag from the lower end region (34) of the slip (30).