DE102019124981B4 - Mobile baggage handling unit and method of operating it - Google Patents

Abstract

Mobile baggage handling unit (1) for handling luggage on the apron of an airport, with - a chassis (2) on which all elements of the handling unit (1) are mounted, - a control (1 *), which controls all moving parts of the handling unit (1), characterized by a luggage storage (3) which can accommodate at least as many pieces of luggage as can be accommodated in a conventional luggage trolley on the apron of an airport, - an identification sensor (13) connected to the control (1*) in terms of data technology for identifying a piece of luggage (L) based on an identification element (LL) present on the piece of luggage, - the control (1*) comprising a comparison device (16). in order to compare the information read out with information available in the controller (1*) regarding the tickets boarded, - a signal generator (17), which is connected to the controller (1*) for data technology and when an unwanted piece of luggage (L) is detected can give a signal.

Description

I. Area of application

The invention relates to a mobile, in particular mobile, luggage handling unit, for use, for example, on the apron of an airport for loading and unloading aircraft.

In addition, other locations are also conceivable, for example at the loading dock of a logistics company or similar, where similar problems can occur.

II. Technical background

As a rule, when loading the aircraft, the passengers' luggage is transported to the aircraft using luggage trolleys and has to be transported into the loading hatch, which is usually several meters high, and the aircraft's cargo hold behind it.

For this purpose, a baggage conveyor, which is mounted on a mobile, usually self-propelled, chassis, i.e. a so-called conveyor belt car FBW, is driven under the aircraft and the front end of the main conveyor, usually a conveyor belt, of this baggage conveyor is raised to the level of the loading hatch and partially into the loading hatch, while the rear end of the main conveyor remains at a level that allows the luggage to be picked up ergonomically.

Each individual piece of luggage is then manually removed from the luggage carts and placed on the rear end of the main conveyor of the luggage conveyor, which, however, requires a lot of manual work.

The luggage for an aircraft will not fit in a single luggage cart, but several of them will have to be unloaded, which are usually connected one behind the other to form a luggage train and are moved together to the luggage conveyor.

In order to ensure quick loading of the aircraft, the several baggage carts of a baggage train should be able to be unloaded one after the other with as little shunting work as possible on the part of both the baggage train and the baggage conveyor and with as little manual work and effort as possible.

For this reason, it is already known not to place the luggage directly on the rear end of the main conveyor, but to connect a feed conveyor with a shorter length to the rear end of the main conveyor, which therefore also has to be less stable and less thick in height and over the rear end of the chassis protrudes. Therefore, its rear end can also be lowered lower towards the ground than the rear end of the main conveyor, which is usually mounted above the chassis, so that the luggage from the luggage trolleys only have to be pulled down to the rear end of the train conveyor without any lifting work.

In addition, it is known to design such a feed conveyor to be pivotable with respect to the radial strut direction of its rear end, which is why an intermediate table is arranged between the feed conveyor and the main conveyor, around which the feed conveyor can be pivoted about a mostly vertical axis. As a result, the feed conveyor can be pivoted from a position adjacent to a first pallet truck of the luggage train to a position adjacent to a next pallet truck of the luggage train without having to move the luggage train.

In this way, however, the luggage is delivered to the hold of the aircraft train in a completely disordered manner, which can lead to problems.

If, during the loading process for checked baggage or only after it has been completed, it turns out that a passenger booked on this aircraft did not board and therefore did not board the aircraft, the baggage belonging to this passenger must be removed from the aircraft again. This means that all luggage has to be searched for this specific piece of luggage, and in particular the luggage that is already densely stacked in the hold of the aircraft has to be separated and searched again, which results in a considerable delay in the start of the aircraft.

The disorganized delivery to the hold also has the disadvantage that the staff can only prioritize items of luggage in a time-uncritical manner by briefly looking at the transport label of the luggage, which is prone to errors.

In this context are from the next US 2018/0022473 A1 as well as the US 7030760 B1 a mobile luggage conveyor belt for the airport apron with a sensor for reading the data on transport labels of the luggage is known, with the luggage being sorted out if the luggage is assigned to another aircraft or is assigned to a non-boaded passenger.

Furthermore, from the US 9701483 B1 a luggage trolley with an internal transport device and / or internal sorting device is known.

III. Presentation of the invention

a) Technical task

The aim is to avoid the disadvantages described and to provide a luggage handling unit suitable for this purpose and a method for its operation.

b) Solution to the task

This task is solved by the features of claims 1 and 23. Advantageous embodiments result from the subclaims.

With regard to the procedure, this task is solved by automatically identifying the individual pieces of luggage in or on the handling unit by carrying out a data comparison between the data of the identification element on the piece of luggage, for example a transport label, and the data of the boarding passengers is, at least with regard to the person of the associated passenger, and only those pieces of luggage are automatically released and issued for further transport into the hold of the aircraft whose associated passengers have already boarded.

The luggage of passengers who have not boarded are automatically sorted out and, in particular, stored in a buffer storage until the associated passenger has boarded and only then are they automatically issued for further transport into the hold of the aircraft.

In this way, the search from the luggage compartment of the aircraft for items of luggage belonging to passengers who ultimately do not board the aircraft can be avoided.

Since the identification of the individual pieces of luggage with regard to the assignment to a specific passenger is carried out by using a reading device to read out data from a piece of luggage label which is attached to the piece of luggage, preferably optically as already known, possibly according to the invention by means of RFID - i.e. tags that emit electromagnetic waves in the vicinity of a few meters, especially in the radio range - this label will usually contain further information that can be read by the reading device, for example the ticket class that this passenger has purchased for this flight, or others Prioritization data, e.g. health impairments of the passenger, etc., which are suitable for prioritizing the
Carrying out luggage for the loading and unloading process of the aircraft.

For example, the luggage of passengers who have purchased a high-quality prioritization, for example a high-priced ticket such as first class or business class, can be loaded when loading the aircraft in such a way that these luggage are the first to be unloaded when the aircraft is unloaded and thus Be the first to be available to these passengers at the return baggage carousels in the terminal before the luggage of lower priority passengers or lower priority tickets.

With regard to prioritization, we are talking about passengers on the one hand and the tickets purchased by them on the other, which, apart from the passenger's personal restrictions, is the same for the purposes of the present application.

Since the first-in-last-out principle generally applies to passenger luggage in the hold of an aircraft, as explained, the highest-priority luggage is usually loaded last and therefore unloaded first.

For this, it is of course a prerequisite that when unloading, the items of luggage that are unloaded first are transported to the return luggage carousels, i.e. they are usually loaded onto luggage trolleys first and these luggage trolleys are the first to be unloaded onto the return carousels.

In addition to further data regarding the passenger and his ticket, further data, preferably physical parameters, regarding the respective piece of luggage can also be included. It is recorded, preferably with regard to the weight and/or size of the piece of luggage.

On the one hand, the loading process in the cargo hold of the aircraft can be made more efficient: through appropriate display devices. For example, at the front, upper end of the main conveyor, such information can be displayed to the packer in the loading space, for example concretely or just symbolically, so that he can consider its stowage position in the loading space before the next piece of luggage physically arrives, for example to achieve even weight distribution in the load space, or to avoid having to lift particularly heavy luggage to high storage positions.

Ideally, the best stowage position is determined automatically by means of the control of the handling unit, which must preferably have data about the cargo space of the aircraft, in particular in the form of the corresponding aircraft type.

Then the ideal stowage position of the next piece of luggage arriving in the cargo space can be shown to the packer in the cargo space using an optical display device such as a laser pointer, and with a main conveyor whose front end projects into the cargo space and can be varied in terms of height or direction of travel, This front end of the main conveyor can also be automatically adjusted accordingly.

Another aspect is that statistical evaluations can be carried out using the physical data determined at the handling unit regarding the luggage items on the one hand and the passenger data and ticket data on the other hand, which are useful for the airline when planning its future flights, for example with regard to the required luggage volume, the required amount of fuel, etc. can be helpful.

For example, the number of pieces of luggage, their average weight and volume and the like can be determined depending on the ticket class of the associated ticket, the age of the associated passenger and / or the number of people traveling with this passenger and / or the travel date and / or the travel duration and / or the departure and destination airport and / or the travel time and / or other parameters.

With regard to the baggage handling unit, this task is solved in that the handling unit - apart from the physically necessary chassis, which carries all the components of the handling unit and a corresponding control which controls at least all moving parts of the handling unit - first once there is a luggage storage in which a considerable number of pieces of luggage, at least as many pieces of luggage as can be accommodated in a usual luggage trolley on the apron of an airport, is included.

Furthermore, the handling unit has an identification sensor, which enables the item of luggage to be identified, at least in the sense of assigning it to a passenger or ticket booked on this flight, in which case passenger is to be equated with ticket.

This identification is usually carried out by reading out the data from an identification element attached to the piece of luggage when the baggage is checked in at the terminal.

Since the control also has a comparison device in order to compare the information determined by the identification sensor with the information regarding the passengers who have already boarded, the control is able to send a warning signal using a signal generator when a piece of luggage is issued from the luggage storage towards the aircraft and/or not to transport this piece of luggage further towards the aircraft.

The chassis of the handling unit preferably includes a chassis, in particular also a travel drive, and is therefore equipped to be self-propelled.

Since the luggage items of passengers who have already boarded usually take place directly on the aircraft on the loading conveyor, usually a so-called conveyor belt trolley (FBW), the handling unit can preferably include such a loading conveyor and thus replace a previously usual conveyor belt trolley , because it includes him.
In this case too, the front free end of the main conveyor can be raised up to the height of the loading hatch of the aircraft and the rear end can then be brought into operative connection with the luggage storage, so that items of luggage in the luggage storage are delivered to or onto the rear end of the main conveyor when the aircraft is being loaded, or remain in the baggage storage and later be transported back to the terminal if the owner of the baggage does not board the aircraft.

When unloading the aircraft, the luggage transported down the main conveyor does not necessarily have to go through the luggage storage, but can also be handed over directly to a transport vehicle such as the luggage trolley.

The identification sensor is accordingly arranged at the outlet of the luggage storage, and if the handling unit also includes one, arranged between the luggage storage and the free, upper end of the main conveyor, in particular between the luggage storage and the beginning of the main conveyor, in order to prevent an unwanted piece of luggage from reaching the main conveyor in the first place or at least not to allow it to be transported far along the main conveyor until the signal generator emits a signal.

The signal transmitter can only emit an optical or acoustic signal for the operator, who then has to grab and separate the unwanted piece of luggage. However, the signal transmitter or the identification sensor preferably emits a signal to the control, which enables the branching off of the unwanted, predetermined piece of luggage effects.

Preferably, the switch is controlled in such a way that the specified, unwanted piece of luggage is diverted from its path towards the front end of the main conveyor, i.e. removed.

As a result, only those pieces of luggage that belong to passengers who have already boarded can reach the front free end of the main conveyor, and in particular can get out of the outlet of the luggage storage at all.

• Zunächst einen Hauptspeicher, der primär als Durchlaufstation für die Gepäckstücke dient, um diese am Identifikations-Sensor vorbei zu führen, sodass ein solcher Hauptspeicher für die Veränderung des Ladens ungeboardeter Gepäckstücke gar kein Speichervolumen aufweisen müsste.

The luggage storage can include different storages:

• First of all, a main memory that primarily serves as a transit station for the pieces of luggage in order to guide them past the identification sensor, so that such a main memory would not have to have any storage volume to change the loading of unboarded pieces of luggage.

However, it preferably even has a relatively large usable volume of 2m ³ , 3m ³ or more, preferably with a usable volume larger than the usable volume of a luggage trolley, in order to be able to unload an entire luggage trolley into the main storage, be it by tipping out or manually emptying a luggage trolley by means of a lifting device or a feed conveyor, the end of which is inserted in front of or under the luggage trolley and which transfers the luggage items contained therein to the main storage.

The main memory is preferably a chaotic memory in which the items of luggage do not have to be arranged in a specific orientation and / or in a specific positioning, because identification by means of the identification sensor usually takes place at the earliest at the outlet of the main memory can be a pass-through position in the handling unit.

Preferably, the main store has a first loading device for exchanging items of luggage with the main conveyor, if one exists, and/or a second loading device for exchanging items of luggage with a delivering vehicle, preferably a luggage trolley.

As explained above, this second loading device can be a corresponding feed conveyor from the luggage trolley to the main storage or a simple tipping device, ramp and / or slide to allow the luggage from the luggage trolley to reach the main storage.

• So kann der Pufferspeicher beispielsweise die als noch ungeboardet identifizierten Gepäckstücke aufnehmen, indem die Weiche die Gepäckstücke in den Pufferspeicher umleitet, und sie von dort aus erst wieder freigegeben werden aufgrund einer entsprechenden Ansteuerung durch die Steuerung, nach dem der zugehörige Passagier geboardet hat.

In addition and / or instead, the luggage storage can include a buffer storage, which is intended to buffer specific items of luggage, usually predetermined and already identified by the controller, i.e. store them for a limited time:

• For example, the buffer storage can accommodate the items of luggage that have been identified as still unboarded by the switch diverting the luggage items into the buffer storage, and from there they are only released again due to a corresponding activation by the controller after the associated passenger has boarded.

If the baggage items are prioritized, the puff storage can also be used to buffer certain prioritization classes, for example to accommodate the highest priority class, so that only after all other items of baggage have been handed over, e.g. from the main storage to the hold of the aircraft, the Pieces of luggage are also transported from the buffer storage to the loading space, in particular by means of the main conveyor included in the handling unit.

For this purpose, the handling unit can also include several different buffer memories.

Accordingly, the buffer store is designed so that it can issue a defined piece of luggage, in particular feed it to the main conveyor and/or the main store and/or the outlet of the handling unit.

For this purpose, the pieces of luggage do not necessarily have to be stored in a defined order in the buffer storage.

For example, the items of luggage located therein can be kept in a - defined or arbitrary - order and can be moved endlessly while maintaining or changing their order, in particular can be moved past the buffer storage outlet.

In order to be able to accommodate such prioritized pieces of luggage, the buffer storage has a volume that is at least 1x, or better 1.2 times, better 1.3 times the number of prioritized tickets and prioritized baggage items estimated on this basis, in particular business class seats and first class seats, multiplied by the average size and/or number of checked Baggage items in order to be able to buffer all prioritized baggage items in them.

In absolute values, the buffer storage has a volume of at least 1 m ³ , better 1.5 m ³ , better 2.0 m ³ , but preferably not more than 3.0 m ³ .

The buffer memory preferably has a volume of at least 50%, better at least 70%, and / or at most 120%, better at most 200% of the volume of the main memory.

If there is another identification sensor at the buffer storage outlet, the position that the piece of luggage previously held in the buffer storage does not have to be known.

If there is no identification sensor at the outlet of the buffer storage, the position of the desired item of luggage within the buffer storage must be known at least to the extent that it is known when it is at the buffer storage outlet during a circulation.

Preferably, the relevant piece of luggage is then issued from the buffer storage outlet to a position that is when a bag is loaded
The aircraft is located upstream of the identification sensor present on the path of movement for the luggage.

Preferably, the buffer storage includes storage surfaces on which the luggage lies, for example roller conveyors with driven or non-driven rollers and / or driven conveyors, in particular belt conveyors.

Preferably, these storage surfaces are adjustable in height in order to be able to bring them into an aligned position with the inlet and / or outlet of the buffer storage.

In particular, in order to be able to carry out the desired prioritization of pieces of luggage and/or statistical evaluations, the identification sensor initially comprises a reading device which is able to read the information contained on or in the piece of luggage, preferably on or in its transport label to be able to read out information.

The information can also be digital, in the transport label, for example in the form of an electronic chip such as an RFID tag, in which case the reading device comprises an RFID antenna that is capable of up to a design-related maximum distance read the information from the RFID tag.

In contrast to an optical reading device and information present optically in the transport label, when using RFID technology it does not matter in which orientation the piece of luggage is guided past the reading device in the form of the RFID antenna.

The handling unit preferably comprises further sensors which are intended to record, in particular, physical parameters of the luggage:

For example

• - eine Waage als Gewichts-Sensor, über die die Gepäckstücke einzeln geführt werden,

und / oder

• - einen Volumen-Sensor, der das Volumen, insbesondere die Abmessungen, jedes einzelnen Gepäckstückes ermitteln kann, was vorzugsweise durch berührungsloses, optisches Abtastens beispielsweise nach dem Lichtschnitt-Triangulations-Verfahren möglich ist.

• - a scale as a weight sensor through which the pieces of luggage are guided individually,

and or

• - a volume sensor that can determine the volume, in particular the dimensions, of each individual piece of luggage, which is preferably possible by non-contact, optical scanning, for example using the light section triangulation method.

For the evaluations to be carried out with this data, the control of the handling unit preferably includes an evaluation unit which relates the data determined from the piece of luggage to the data known from the sold, associated tickets or the associated passenger.

Of course, such an evaluation unit can also be arranged outside the handling unit, in which case the data determined by the handling unit, in particular with regard to the luggage, must be transferred to this external evaluation unit by means of the control.

c) Embodiments

• 1a, b: eine erste Bauform der Gepäck-Handling-Einheit im Einsatz am Flugzeug in der Seitenansicht und in der Aufsicht,
• 2a, b: eine zweite Bauform der Gepäck-Handling-Einheit im Einsatz am Flugzeug in der Seitenansicht und in der Aufsicht,
• 3: eine aufgeschnittene Seitenansicht eines Speichers, insbesondere eines Pufferspeichers für Gepäckstücke

Embodiments according to the invention are described below by way of example
wrote. Show it:

• 1a, b : a first design of the baggage handling unit in use on the aircraft in side view and top view,
• 2a, b : a second design of the baggage handling unit in use on the aircraft in a side view and top view,
• 3 : a cut-away side view of a storage, in particular a buffer storage for luggage

In the embodiments shown, the baggage handling unit initially comprises the components of a conventional conveyor belt car, which includes a chassis 2 with a chassis 4 and two front edges 4a, b as well as two rear wheels 4c, d and a driver's cab 24 in order to be on the apron to load a plane 100 at the airport. On this chassis 2 is - like 1 b and 2 B can be seen - approximately along the longitudinal center of which a main conveyor 6 is arranged in the form of a conveyor belt, which protrudes over both the front and rear ends of the chassis 2 and its height and inclination to the horizontal can be adjusted as desired between horizontal and as low as possible transport position resting at a small distance on the chassis 2 and a raised working position that rises diagonally towards the top, as in the 1a , 2a is shown, in which the main conveyor 6 is positioned in or near the loading hatch 101a of the cargo hold 101 of an aircraft 100.

The main conveyor 6 is movably attached to the chassis 2 by means of a front and a rear support 8a, b, each of which is articulated with its upper ends on the main conveyor 6 and with its lower ends on the chassis 2 at points spaced apart from one another.

In the present case, the front support 8a is designed as a length-adjustable hydraulic cylinder 9, while the rear support 8b has a fixed length, but its pivoting position about its lower pivot axis relative to the chassis 2 can be changed by means of a length-adjustable additional support 8c, also designed as a hydraulic cylinder 9 is.

All moving parts and thus also these supports 8a, b and auxiliary support 8c are controlled with the aid of a control 1*, which is preferably housed in a protected manner in the driver's cab 24.

Usually, a loading table 13 projects backwards over the rear end 6b of the main conveyor 6 and is used to place a piece of luggage L when loading the aircraft, with the pieces of luggage L being transported in luggage carts 50.

According to the invention, such a conveyor belt car additionally has at least one luggage storage 3 as a luggage handling unit.

In the first embodiment of the 1a, b A main memory 3.1 is shown with solid lines, which is built directly on the chassis 2 and projects upwards next to the main conveyor 6 on one side, in this case on the left side, behind the driver's cab 24.

In this embodiment, a piece of luggage L placed on the loading table 23, after being detected by the rear end 6b of the main conveyor 6, reaches the detection area of an identification sensor 13, which can also include a volume sensor and/or dimension sensor 15.

The identification sensor 13 identifies the piece of luggage L based on a transport label LL attached to it, which is preferably not scanned optically but by radio technology with regard to its data content, so that there does not have to be a clear line of sight between the identification sensor 13 and the transport label LL.

The controller 1*, which is connected to the identification sensor and also to all other sensors, uses a comparison device 16 to determine whether the owner of this detected piece of luggage L, i.e. the associated passenger, has already gone through the boarding process.

This is the process after which the passenger can no longer refuse to board the aircraft without being noticed.

When boarding in the terminal, this passenger is then in the boom that ends in the plane or in a bus that goes to the plane and cannot leave either without causing a stir. If the passengers approach the aircraft in another way, for example via the tarmac on foot, the actual entry of the passenger can be checked directly at the gangway as part of the boarding process.

If the corresponding piece of luggage L is assigned to a passenger who has not yet boarded in this comparison process, this piece of luggage L is transported in the transport direction of the main conveyor 6 after the identification sensor 13 via an inlet/outlet opening 3.1 a, b, which is combined in this case stored in the main memory 3.1 and only removed from there again when the corresponding passenger has boarded. For this purpose, this memory can also have a separate outlet opening in the transport direction of the main conveyor 6 upstream of the identification sensor 13, which detects all transport labels LL passing it on the main conveyor 6, in this case passing underneath.

Additionally and/or optionally, a further luggage storage 3.2 can be present on the luggage handling unit 1, which can preferably be used as a buffer storage, and for example can be attached to the main conveyor 6, in particular laterally, in this case on the other, right side of the main conveyor 6, i.e. it rises and falls with the main conveyor 6.

In this case, this storage 3.2 also has a common inlet/outlet opening 3.2a, b for pieces of luggage, through which a piece of luggage L can in turn be moved either from the main conveyor 6 into the storage or vice versa.

The moving out of a piece of luggage L moved within the storage 3.1, 3.2, for example along a conveyor, can be done by a switch in the form of a switching flap 18 inside the storage, which can be adjusted into the path of the luggage L so that it can be moved out of the storage 3.1, 3.2 and is diverted onto the main conveyor 6.

Such switching flaps 18.1, 18.2 are also present above the main conveyor 6 as switches so that a piece of luggage that has been transported on the main conveyor 6 and recognized by the identification sensor 13 as an unboarded item is sent via the corresponding inlet opening 3.1b and / or 3.2b into the corresponding memory 3.1 , 3.2 and only after boarding of the corresponding passenger from this storage 3.1, 3.2 via the corresponding outlet opening 3.1a, 3.2a back onto the main conveyor 6 in the direction of the loading space 101.

• - entweder beide die Funktion eines Pufferspeichers 3.2 für bisher ungeboardete Gepäckstücke, also Gepäckstücke, deren Besitzer noch nicht geboardet haben, besitzen
• - oder zumindest einer davon auch die Funktion eines Hauptspeichers, wie in 2b dargestellt:
  • Bei dieser Bauform wird der Hauptspeicher 3.1 nicht vom Hauptförderer 6 aus beschickt, von dem aus einzelne ausgewählte Gepäckstücke in diesen Hauptspeicher 3.1 abgezweigt werden, sondern die angelieferten Gepäckstücke L werden von den in der 2a nicht dargestellten anliefernden Gepäckwägen 50 alle in den Hauptspeicher 3.1 eingegeben, in diesem Fall mit Hilfe eines Zuförderers 7, in diesem Fall eines vertikal nach oben fördernden Vertikalförderers, der auf den die Gepäckstücke L im mittleren oder unteren Höhenbereich aufgelegt werden und der diese in eine Öffnung in der Oberseite oder im oberen Bereich des Hauptspeichers 3.1 abwirft.

If there are two storage units on the baggage handling unit, they can

• - either both have the function of a buffer memory 3.2 for previously unboarded luggage, i.e. luggage whose owners have not yet boarded
• - or at least one of them also functions as a main memory, as in 2 B shown:
  • In this design, the main memory 3.1 is not fed from the main conveyor 6, from which individual selected pieces of luggage are branched off into this main memory 3.1, but the delivered pieces of luggage L are from the in the 2a Delivery luggage carts 50, not shown, are all entered into the main memory 3.1, in this case with the help of a feed conveyor 7, in this case a vertical conveyor that conveys vertically upwards, on which the pieces of luggage L are placed in the middle or lower height range and which places them in an opening in the top or in the upper area of the main memory 3.1.

For this purpose, the feed conveyor 7 in this case is designed as an endless conveyor rotating in a vertical plane, from whose endlessly rotating element support surfaces 21 are attached so that they protrude approximately horizontally in the transverse direction from the currently upwardly moving strand and, when moving further, in The downward strand should preferably be folded into this strand to save space.

In this design, the operator places the pieces of luggage L from the luggage trolley 50 into the feed conveyor 7 on one of its support surfaces 21 and usually not on the loading table 23 of the main conveyor 6, as is best done in 2 B to recognize.

The luggage L can also get into the main storage 3.1 from the luggage trolley 50 in another way, for example by lifting and emptying an entire luggage trolley 50 into the open top of the main storage 3.1.

With this design, all pieces of luggage L stay in the main storage 3.1 for a while and are only released from there onto the main conveyor 6 when the associated passenger has already boarded.

Nevertheless, with this design, an additional second memory 3.2 can also be present, which can either be used in the same way as the main memory, or as previously described as a buffer memory 3.2, through which only some pieces of luggage pass through, which enter the buffer memory via an inlet opening 3.2b 3.2 entered and output again via its outlet opening 3.2a.

In 1bist the respective inlet and outlet openings for each storage are shown as a separate opening.

Such an additional buffer memory 3.2 can be used, for example, so that items of luggage that have already been issued to the main conveyor 6 in the main memory 3.1 due to the boarding process having taken place are fed again to the buffer memory 3.2 downstream of its outlet opening 3.1a in order to ensure a specific loading sequence of the boarding Baggage requirements, for example when loading an aircraft, loading the luggage of passengers with expensive tickets such as business class and first class last and in a specific order so that they are unloaded first when unloading and made available to passengers in the terminal at the baggage carousel become.

The 1a , 2a also show a weight sensor 14, which is preferably in the main foer which 6 is arranged, which weighs every single piece of luggage L that runs over it. An evaluation unit 20 connected to the controller 1* or integrated into it can thereby statistically evaluate the data available with regard to the individual pieces of luggage and the associated passengers or tickets.

1b also shows a loading aid in the form of a display device 19, which is arranged at the front end 6a of the main conveyor 6, preferably on both sides, which protrudes into its cargo space 101 when loading an aircraft 100.

This can be a laser light source 19, which emits a laser beam 19 'into the loading space 101, so that it indicates to the packer in the loading space 101 the optimal storage location for the next piece of luggage L arriving on the main conveyor 6 in the loading space 101, depending on the Control 1* known weight and / or volume and / or size and / or prioritization of this piece of luggage, whereby the control 1 * of course also controls the direction of the emitted laser beam 19 '.

Inside, the memories 3.1, 3.2 can be organized and constructed completely differently.

The main memory 3.1 can certainly be a chaotic memory in which the position of the individual pieces of luggage is not known, which, however, generally requires an additional buffer memory 3.2 downstream of the main memory 3.1 in terms of inlet and outlet in order to maintain the desired order of the pieces of luggage L To achieve arrival in the hold 101, which is difficult to achieve using a chaotic main memory 3.1.

• Der Speicher 3 besteht im Wesentlichen aus in mehreren Ebenen übereinander angeordneten Bandfördern 22, die als Puffer-Förderer benutzt werden. Diese Bandförderer 22 besitzen in ihrer Reihenfolge von oben nach unten jeweils umgekehrte Laufrichtungen ihres Obertrums, auf denen die Gepäckstücke L liegen.

3 shows a side view in a cut-away state of a non-chaotic buffer memory 3.2, for example, in which the order of the pieces of luggage circulating in it is generally preserved or at least known within the memory 3:

• The storage 3 essentially consists of belt conveyors 22 arranged one above the other in several levels, which are used as buffer conveyors. In their order from top to bottom, these belt conveyors 22 each have the opposite running directions of their upper run, on which the luggage L lies.

Each belt conveyor 22 projects with its beginning 22a horizontally over the front end 3b, the discharge end, of the belt conveyor 22 located above it, so that a piece of luggage L placed on the top belt conveyor 22 passes through the individual belt conveyors from top to bottom and in the conveying direction At the end of the lowest belt conveyor 22, it is automatically fed back onto a vertical conveyor, which is like the feed conveyor 7 according to 2a , 2 B can be designed and at the upper end drops its luggage L onto the beginning of the top belt conveyor 22.

An attempt is made to place the pieces of luggage L one behind the other on the buffer conveyors 22 - preferably individually controllable - with as little distance as possible.

It is at least known which piece of luggage is currently at the outlet opening 3a of the storage 3, so that a switch 18 present there, for example in the form of a switching flap 18, can redirect this piece of luggage L to the main conveyor 6 passing outside the outlet opening.

For this purpose, an identification sensor 13 can be present within the memory 3, for example at each outlet opening 3a and/or each inlet opening 3b, or the position of each via an inlet opening 3b - which in this case with the outlet -Opening 3a is identical - the entered piece of luggage is further calculated based on the movement data of the individual belt conveyors 22 and the vertical conveyor 7 'known to the controller 1 *.

In order to shorten the waiting time for the desired delivery of a piece of luggage L at the outlet opening 3a, if the piece of luggage L is located far away from it in the storage 3, the belt conveyors 22 can also consist of two successive partial conveyors, of which the a partial conveyor 22a - as shown on the second highest belt conveyor 22 - can be folded away, so that a piece of luggage L falling from the belt conveyor 22 arranged above and its front discharge end can fall down over more than one conveyor level and thus reduce the throughput time through the storage 3 is shortened.

REFERENCE SYMBOL LIST

1

Baggage handling unit

1*

steering

2

chassis

3

Luggage storage

3a

outlet, outlet opening

3b

inlet, inlet opening

3.1

main memory

3.1a

outlet, outlet opening

3.1b

inlet, inlet opening

3.2

Buffer memory

3.2a

outlet, outlet opening

3.2b

inlet, inlet opening

4

landing gear

4a-d

wheel

5

traction drive

6

Main sponsor

6a

front end

6b

rear end

7

feeder

7'

Vertical conveyor

7a

front end

7b

rear end

8a

front support

8b

rear support

8c

Additional support

9

Hydraulic cylinder

10

Longitudinal direction, straight ahead direction of travel

11

horizontal transverse direction

12

vertical

13

Identification sensor

14

Weight sensor

15

Volume sensor

16

Comparison device

17

Signal transmitter

18

Switch, switch flap

19

Display device

20

Evaluation unit

21

Support plate

22

Buffer conveyor, belt conveyor

23

loading table

24

Driver's cab

50

Luggage cart

100

Airplane

101

cargo space

101a

loading hatch

L

piece of luggage

LL

Transport label. Luggage label

Claims (28)

Mobile baggage handling unit (1) for handling luggage on the apron of an airport, with - a chassis (2) on which all elements of the handling unit (1) are mounted, - a control (1*), which controls all moving parts of the handling unit (1), characterized by - a luggage storage (3) which can hold at least as many pieces of luggage as can fit in a usual luggage trolley on the apron of an airport, - an identification sensor (13) connected to the controller (1*) in terms of data technology for identifying a piece of luggage (L) based on an identification element (LL) present on the luggage item, - the controller (1*) comprising a comparison device (16). in order to compare the information read out with information available in the control (1*) regarding the tickets that have been boarded, - a signal generator (17), which is connected to the control (1*) in terms of data technology and when an unwanted piece of luggage (L) is detected can give a signal. Luggage handling unit according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the luggage handling unit (1) - is designed to be mobile and the chassis (2) comprises a chassis (4), - in particular is designed to be self-propelled and includes a travel drive (5). Luggage handling unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a main conveyor (6), - the front end (6a) of which can be raised, in particular up to the height of the loading hatch of the aircraft to be loaded, and - the rear end (6b) of which is in operative connection can be brought with the luggage storage (3). Luggage handling unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the identification sensor (13) at the outlet (3a) of the luggage storage (3). Baggage handling unit according to one of the Claims 3 or 4 , characterized by the identification sensor (13) between the luggage storage (3) and the main conveyor (6), in particular between the luggage storage (3) and the free, upper end (6a) of the main conveyor (6). is. Luggage handling unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a switch (18) as a signal transmitter (17) for branching off a piece of luggage (L) specified by the control (1*) at the outlet (3a) of the luggage storage (3) , in particular between the luggage storage (3) and the main conveyor (6), in particular between the luggage storage (3) and the free, upper end (6a) of the main conveyor (6). Baggage handling unit Claim 6 , characterized in that the control (1*) is able to control at least the switch (18), in particular also the buffer memory (3.2), so that only pieces of luggage (L) from passengers who have already boarded reach the upper free end (6a) of the main conveyor (6), - in particular all others are held in the luggage storage (3) until the corresponding passenger has boarded. Luggage handling unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the luggage storage (3) comprises a main storage (3.1) for luggage (L), - which has a usable volume of at least 2 m ³ , better at least 3 m ³ , and/or has at least one usable volume which is larger than the usable volume of a luggage trolley delivering the luggage items (L) to the luggage unit. Baggage handling unit Claim 8 , characterized in that the main memory (3.1) is a chaotic memory. Baggage handling unit Claim 8 or 9 , characterized in that the main store (3.1) - comprises a 1st loading device for exchanging items of luggage (L) with the main conveyor (6), and / or - has a 2nd loading device for exchanging items of luggage with a luggage trolley , in particular - in the form of an openable top into which the contents of a loaded luggage trolley (50) can be tipped, and/or - in the form of a slide and/or tilting device and/or an access ramp for the luggage trolley (50) and/or - in the form of a feed conveyor (7). Luggage handling unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the luggage storage (3) comprises at least one buffer storage (3.2) for luggage (L), - which is in particular designed so that it contains a defined Baggage (L) can be issued and - in particular from the buffer storage (3.2) - can be automatically fed to the main conveyor (6) and / or the main storage (3.1). Baggage handling unit according to one of the Claims 6 until 11 , characterized in that - the switch (18) is designed so that it can branch off the piece of luggage (L) from the movement path to the free, upper end (6a) of the main conveyor (6) into the buffer store (3.2). Baggage handling unit according to one of the Claims 11 or 12 , characterized in that the buffer store (3.2) is designed in such a way that - the items of luggage (L) located therein can be kept in a defined order and can be moved endlessly while maintaining their order, in particular at the buffer store outlet (3.2a ) can be moved past, and / or - each specified piece of luggage (L) can be specifically removed from the buffer memory (3.2). Baggage handling unit according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that - the buffer memory (3.2) is at least 1.0 times, better at least 1.2 times, better at least 1.5 times the number Business class seats and first class seats multiplied by the average size of a piece of checked baggage (L) and/or - the buffer storage (3.2) has at least a volume of 1 m ³ , better at least 1.5 m ³ , better 2 .0 m ³ and/or at most 3.0 m ³ , and/or - it comprises at least 50%, better at least 70% and/or at most 120%, better at most 100% of the volume of the main storage (3.1). Baggage handling unit according to one of the Claims 11 - 14 , characterized in that - the buffer storage (3.2) comprises roller conveyors and/or driven conveyors, in particular belt conveyors (22), - which are preferably adjustable in height. Baggage handling unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the identification sensor (13) is a reading device for reading out the information contained on or in a piece of luggage (L), in particular its transport label (LL). , includes. Baggage handling unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the handling unit (1) - at least one weight sensor (14) for determining the weight of each piece of luggage (L) and / or - at least one volume sensor ( 15), better has a dimension sensor (15), for determining the volume, better the dimensions, of the piece of luggage (L). Luggage handling unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the control (1*) of the luggage unit (1) comprises an evaluation unit (20) for statistically evaluating the data determined by the sensors (13 - 15). Assigning the respective pieces of luggage (L) to the passenger data, - the evaluation unit (20) is able to determine the average number and/or size and/or weight of the pieces of luggage (L) per passenger (P) depending on the passenger -Data, in particular ticket class, age, number of fellow passengers, travel date, travel duration, location of the corresponding passenger's holiday destination. Baggage handling unit according to one of the Claims 3 until 18 , characterized in that at the upper, front end (6a) of the main conveyor (6) a display device (19), in particular a laser pointer (19), is arranged for optically displaying the ideal loading position of the next on the main conveyor (6). Load space (101) of the aircraft (100) incoming luggage (L). Luggage handling unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control (1*) is able to determine the ideal storage position, taking into account the most uniform or a predetermined weight distribution of the luggage in the hold (101) of the aircraft (100), and/or - an arrangement of the luggage in the hold (101) of the aircraft (100) that is as void-free as possible. Baggage handling unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control (1*) is able to determine the ideal storage position taking into account the ticket class of the owner of the baggage. Luggage handling unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the case of a movable front, upper free end of the main conveyor (6), this can be automatically adjusted by the control (1*) so that the upper free end (6a ) of the main conveyor (6) ends as close as possible to the ideal loading position of the next piece of luggage (L) delivered by the main conveyor (6) in the loading space (101). Method for operating a baggage handling unit (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that when loading an aircraft (100) - the individual items of baggage (L) in or on the baggage handling unit (1) are automatically identified - based on their transport label (LL), at least with regard to the associated passenger, - only those pieces of luggage (L) are automatically released, in particular are transported to the upper, free end (6a) of the main conveyor (6), whose associated passengers have already boarded, the so-called boarded luggage (L), - a non-boarded piece of luggage (L) is automatically sorted out by. - a piece of luggage (L) of a passenger who has not boarded is automatically held in a buffer storage until the associated passenger has boarded and - only then is this piece of luggage (L) automatically released, in particular automatically to the upper, free end (6a) of the main conveyor ( 6) is transported. Method according to one of the preceding method claims, characterized in that when loading an aircraft (100) - the individual pieces of luggage (L) in or on the luggage handling unit (1) are automatically identified, at least with regard to their membership in a prioritization class, in particular the ticket class of the passenger, - first only those pieces of luggage (L) are automatically transported to the upper, free end (6a) of the main conveyor (6) whose associated passengers have a piece of luggage (L) of the lowest prioritization class, in particular a ticket the cheapest ticket class, - then the luggage (L) is automatically transported to the upper, free end (6a) of the main conveyor (6), whose associated passengers have a piece of luggage (L) of the next higher priority class, in particular a ticket of the next more expensive Have ticket class, - The latter is repeated automatically until all pieces of luggage (L), in particular the luggage of all boarded passengers, have been transported into the hold (101) of the aircraft (100). Method according to one of the preceding method claims, characterized in that when unloading an aircraft (100), the pieces of luggage (L) - are removed from the cargo hold (101) in the reverse order in which they were loaded, - are loaded in this order, in particular into luggage carts (50), in particular grouped according to prioritization classes, and - the baggage carts (50) are transported to the baggage return carousels in the terminal in the order in which they are loaded and unloaded there. Method according to one of the preceding method claims, characterized in that when loading an aircraft (100) - the packer in the hold (101) automatically determines the ideal loading position for the next piece of luggage (L.) arriving at the upper, free end (6a) of the main conveyor (6). ) is displayed, - in particular this piece of luggage (L) is automatically transported as close as possible to this ideal loading position by means of the main conveyor (6). Method according to one of the preceding method claims, characterized in that of the individual pieces of luggage (L)) in or on the luggage handling unit (1) automatically - their weight is determined, and/or - their volume, in particular their dimensions, is determined and - these data are assigned to the individual piece of luggage (L) and in particular to the associated passenger of the piece of luggage (L). Method according to one of the preceding method claims, characterized in that the data determined from each individual piece of luggage (L) is automatically evaluated, in particular with regard to - ticket class of the associated passenger, and/or - age of the associated passenger, and/or - Number of people traveling with the passenger, and/or - travel date, and/or - travel duration, and/or - departure airport, and/or - destination airport.

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