GB2448887A

GB2448887A - Aircraft access method & apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2448887A
Application number: GB0708383A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andreas Csaba Szentistvany; Raymond John Drayton
Original assignee: Stannah Stairlifts Ltd
Current assignee: Stannah Stairlifts Ltd
Priority date: 2007-05-01
Filing date: 2007-05-01
Publication date: 2008-11-05
Anticipated expiration: 2027-05-01
Also published as: GB0708383D0; GB2448887B

Abstract

Apparatus 10 for facilitating the transfer of aircraft passengers includes mobile staircase 14 whose slope can be varied, a straight stairlift rail 16 mounted on the staircase such that the rail can vary in angle with the staircase, a carriage 17 mounted for movement along the rail and a chair 18 mounted on the carriage 17, the angle of the chair relative to the carriage being adjustable. The rail may be mounted on the staircase treads by means of feet 22 with pivotal joints (23 fig 3). An angular locking mechanism (32, 33 fig 4) may be provided between the chair 18 and the carriage 17 to allow the chair to be adjusted to the horizontal as the angle of the staircase is varied. An attendant operated control (40 fig 4) may be provided to control the movement of the carriage along the rail. The carriage may include an electric drive motor and one or more batteries (42 fig 4).

Description

ACCESS METHOD AND/OR APPARATUS

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to an access method and/or apparatus and has been devised in particular, though not necessarily solely, to provide a method and/or apparatus to assist persons having at least a degree of immobility, to transfer between the interior of an aircraft and a tarmac or runway on which the aircraft is resting.

Background to the Invention

There is an increasing demand for persons having disabilities to have the same access to public facilities, such as buildings and transport, as able-bodied persons. In some jurisdictions, for example in the European Community (EC), this demand is increasingly enforced by regulation.

A particular instance of concern is gaining access to, and egress from, aircraft interiors. This is not such an issue when an aircraft can be parked closely adjacent to an airport terminal building, and can thus be connected to the terminal by way of a moving walkway or bridge. In this event a wheelchair can be used to transfer a passenger between the aircraft and the terminal. However when no walkway or bridge access is available, passengers must transfer between the aircraft and the tarmac by way of a staircase. This poses a particular problem for passengers who have difficulty ascending or descending stairs.

It is an object of this invention to provide a method and/or apparatus which will facilitate the transfer of passengers having a degree of disability, between an aircraft and the tarmac on which the aircraft is supported; or which will at least offer a novel and useful alternative.

Summary of the Invention

Accordingly, in a first aspect, the invention provides a method of providing passenger access between the interior of an aircraft, and a tarmac on which aircraft is resting, said method involving the use of: a mobile staircase having a slope which is variable with respect to said tarmac, a substantially straight length of stairlift rail; a stairlift carriage engaged with said rail for controlled movement along said rail; a chair mounted on said carriage; said method comprising mounting said stairlift rail on said staircase in a manner such that the angle of said rail may vary with respect to said tarmac, with the variation in angle of said staircase with respect to said tarmac; and mounting said chair on said carriage so that the angle thereof may be varied with respect to said carriage.

Preferably said staircase includes moveable treads, said method comprising mounting said rail on said moveable treads.

Preferably said method includes mounting said rail on said staircase by means of feet, each of said feet including a pivotal joint.

Preferably an angular locking mechanism is provided between said chair and said carriage, said locking mechanism providing a plurality of pre-defined relative angular locking positions between said chair and said carriage, said method including selecting, for a given orientation of said staircase, that pre-defined angular position between said chair and said carriage which positions said chair substantially horizontal, and locking said chair in that position.

Preferably said method further includes providing an attendant-operated control to control movement of said carriage along said rail.

Preferably said carriage includes an electric drive motor, said method further including providing a power source for said motor external to said carnage.

Preferably said method includes mounting one or more batteries on said chair or on said carriage for displacement with said carriage.

In a second aspect, the invention provides access apparatus for providing passenger access between the interior of an aircraft, and a tarmac on which aircraft is resting, said apparatus including: a mobile staircase having a slope which is variable with respect to said tarmac, a substantially straight length of stairlifi rail mounted on said staircase so that the angle thereof with respect to the tarmac may vary with the angle of said staircase; a stairlift carriage mounted on said rail for controlled movement along said rail; and a chair mounted on said carriage so that the angle thereof may be varied with respect to said carriage.

Preferably said staircase includes moveable treads, said rail being mounted on said moveable treads.

Preferably said rail is mounted on said treads by means of feet, each of said feet including a pivotal joint.

Preferably an angular locking mechanism is provided between said chair and said carriage, said locking mechanism providing a plurality of pre-defined relative angular locking positions between said chair and said carriage.

Preferably said apparatus further includes an attendant-operated control to control movement of said carriage along said rail.

Preferably said carriage includes an electric drive motor, said apparatus further including a power source for said motor external to said carriage. Preferably said power source comprises one or more batteries mounted on said chair or on said carriage for displacement with said carriage.

Many variations in the way the present invention can be performed will present themselves to those skilled in the art. The description which follows is intended as an illustration only of one means of performing the invention and the lack of description of variants or equivalents should not be regarded as limiting. Wherever possible, a description of a specific element should be deemed to include any and all equivalents thereof whether in existence now or in the future.

Brief Description of the Drawings

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1: shows an isometric view of part of access apparatus according to the invention; Figure 2: shows a schematic side elevation of aircraft steps forming part of access apparatus according to the invention; Figure 3: shows an enlarged isometric view of a rail mounting foot included in the apparatus shown in Figure 1; Figure 4: shows an end schematic view of a carriage and chair assembly included in access apparatus according to the invention; Figure 5: shows part of a chair interface included in the assembly shown in Figure 4; and Figure 6: shows a front view of an assembled interface including the component shown in Figure 5.

Detailed Description of Working Embodiment

As shown in the drawings, the invention provides access apparatus 10 for facilitating passenger transfer between the interior of an aircraft (not shown), and a tarmac or runway 12 (Figure 2) on which aircraft is resting. The apparatus 10 combines aspects of a conventional aircraft access stairway and a conventional stairlift although, as will become apparent from the following description, these two forms of apparatus do not lend themselves to straightforward inter-association.

Broadly the apparatus 10 comprises an aircraft staircase 14, a straight section of stairlift rail 16 mounted on the staircase, a stairlift carriage 17 mounted on the rail 16 for movement up and down the rail, and a chair 18, shown folded in Figure 1, mounted on the carriage.

As will be known to those skilled in the field of aircraft access, a conventional aircraft staircase 14, as shown in Figure 2, is not only mobile in the sense of being displaceable over the tarmac 12 on wheels 13, but is adjustable to allow use with different aircraft types. In particular the heights of aircraft access doors differ between aircraft, and this difference may be accommodated by adjusting the slope of the staircase 14 to vary with respect to the tarmac. This slope is indicated by angle a in Figure 2 and typical operating angles are 25 and 34 . Angle a is established by passing an imaginary line through the noses of the treads 20 (Figure 1) incorporated in the staircase however the treads themselves should be maintained level at all angles of the staircase. To this end, in an aircraft staircase of the type described herein the treads 20 are mounted on parallelogram linkages (not shown). The arrangement is well known to those skilled in the art and will not be described further herein. As a consequence of the mounting arrangement, when the angle a varies, the treads 20 move both horizontally and vertically with respect to one another.

The stairlift rail 16 cannot be conventionally mounted on moving stair treads.

Conventionally a stairlift rail is rigidly fixed to fixed treads by adjustable feet which, when correctly positioned, are locked in those positions to firmly attach the rail to a staircase. Surprisingly we have found that providing a form of mounting foot 22 which has a joint 23 adapted to pivot about an axis which is substantially parallel to the general alignment of the tread to which it is fixed, allows the rail to move with the moving stair treads, at least within the range of angular movement required for this particular application. Whilst providing for this movement each foot 22 is also configured to prevent rotation of the rail about its length which, if present, would allow the carriage and chair to topple forwards.

As can be seen in Figures 1 and 3, the feet 22 are preferably in the form of two facing channel sections, the arms of which are interconnected by pivot bolts 24. The bolts 24 may be located in bearings 25 to allow free rotation of the joint 23. It will be appreciated, however, that other foot configurations may be provided without departing from the scope of this invention.

Subject to some of the variations described below, the stairlift carriage 17 and chair 18 are substantially the same as those for a conventional outdoor stairlift in that a drive motor (not shown) is mounted within the carriage and the chair has a base 26, a seat back 27 and armrests 28. The chair 18 is preferably mounted on an interface 29 which has a footrest 30 mounted on the lower edge thereof. The interface 29 provides for movement of the chair 18 relative to the carriage 17 so that the plane of the chair base 26 can be maintained horizontal. The interface 29 also carries a pivot 31 which is configured to allow the chair to pivot, in a horizontal plane, preferably only through 90 in an uphill direction i.e. so that the chair faces in the upward direction of staircase 14. This swivelling action allows the user to safely enter and leave the chair 18 when the carriage 17 is at the top of the staircase 14.

Whilst conventional stairlift chair/carriage interfaces typically provide for the angle of the chair base 26 to be adjusted relative to the carriage, in the case of straight stairlifts this is a one-off adjustment which is made upon installation of the stairlift, and is not varied thereafter. In this particular application, because of the varying angle of the staircase 14, this arrangement will not suffice. Thus, in accordance with this aspect of the invention, the assembly is provided with a locking mechanism which allows discrete relative angular positions between the chair and the carriage, to be selected and fixed. In the particular form shown, this locking mechanism is provided in part by a plate 32 which is located between a vertical section of the interface 29, and an adjacent vertical surface of the carriage 17. The plate 32 co-operates with a locking plunger 33 which is preferably manually operated and can be engaged in one of the apertures 34 in the plate which define the discrete angular positions. In this particular embodiment the plate 32 is fixed to the carriage 17 whilst the plunger 33 is mounted on the interface 29. As can further be seen from Figure 6 the interface 29 includes arcuate slots 36 through which studs 35 pass and engage in the carriage so as to mount the interface on the carriage. The arrangement of studs 35 and slots 36 allow relative rotation between the interface 29 and the carriage 17, the angle at any particular moment being fixed by engagement of plunger 33 in one of the apertures 34.

A safety switch (not shown), wired into the main operating drive circuit of the carriage 17, is preferably provided to ensure that the carriage cannot operate unless the plunger 33 is filly engaged in one of the apertures 34.

The apparatus as above described could, like a conventional stairlift, be provided with user controls mounted on one of the armrests 28 however, given the environment in which the apparatus is intended to operate, ills preferably provided with an attendant-operated control 40 so that an attendant assisting the passenger can control movement of the carriage 17 along the rail 16.

It will be appreciated by those familiar with the stairlift art that stairlifts are conventionally powered from one or more batteries located within the carriage. These batteries are re-charged from charging points located at the top and bottom of the rail, the charging points being wired to a charger which, in turn, is typically hard-wired to a mains supply. Such an arrangement is not feasible for this application. Access apparatus according to the invention is preferably provided with a power source external to the carriage 17 and this preferably comprises a battery pack 42 which is mounted on the chair or on the outside of the carriage. Between uses, this pack 42 can be taken to a remote location for recharging and a number of packs 42 can be provided so that, as one pack is being re-charged, another is available to power the apparatus 10.

The operation of the access apparatus is as follows: With the passenger initially on the tarmac and the carriage and chair located at the foot of the rail 16, the chair is unfolded to the operating configuration and, if necessary, the plunger 33 withdrawn so that the chair can be re-positioned to a horizontal plane for the given angle of the staircase 14. With the plunger 33 again fully engaged with the plate 32, the passenger may be assisted into the chair 16 and a seatbelt 43 applied to ensure the passenger is secure in the chair whilst being conveyed up the staircase 14. With the passenger safely seated, an accompanying attendant then operates the control 40 whilst walking up the staircase alongside the moving access apparatus. At the top of the staircase, the chair is pivoted on swivel 31 to face the aircraft access door. The seatbelt is then released allowing the passenger to alight from the chair and enter the aircraft.

If a passenger is to be assisted disembarking from an aircraft, the reverse to the above is effected, the process beginning with the chair, empty, being pivoted to face the aircraft access door.

It will thus be appreciated that the invention, at least in the case of the working embodiment herein described, provides a novel and effective means of assisting persons having a degree of physical disability to transfer between the interior of an aircraft and a tarmac on which that aircraft is positioned.

Claims

Claims A method of providing passenger access between the interior of

an aircraft, and a tarmac on which aircraft is resting, said method involving the use of: a mobile staircase having a slope which is variable with respect to said tarmac, a substantially straight length of stairlift rail; a stairlift carriage engaged with said rail for controlled movement along said rail; a chair mounted on said carriage; said method comprising mounting said stairlift rail on said staircase in a manner such that the angle of said rail may vary with respect to said tarmac, with the variation in angle of said staircase with respect to said tarmac; and mounting said chair on said carriage so that the angle thereof may be varied with respect to said carriage.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said staircase includes moveable treads, said method comprising mounting said rail on said moveable treads.
3. A method as claimed in claim I or claim 2 including mounting said rail on said staircase by means of feet, each of said feet including a pivotal joint.
4. A method as claimed in any one of claims Ito 3 wherein an angular locking mechanism is provided between said chair and said carriage, said locking mechanism providing a plurality of pre-defined relative angular locking positions between said chair and said carriage, said method including I' selecting, for a given orientation of said staircase, that pre-defined angular position between said chair and said carriage which positions said chair substantially horizontal, and locking said chair in that position.
5. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims said further including providing an attendant-operated control to control movement of said carriage along said rail.
6. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said carriage includes an electric drive motor, said method further including providing a power source for said motor external to said carriage. Preferably said method includes mounting one or more batteries on said chair or on said carnage for displacement with said carriage.
7. Access apparatus for providing passenger access between the interior of an aircraft, and a tarmac on which aircraft is resting, said apparatus including: a mobile staircase having a slope which is variable with respect to said tarmac, a substantially straight length of stairlift rail mounted on said staircase so that the angle thereof with respect to the tarmac may vary with the angle of said staircase; a stairlift carriage mounted on said rail for controlled movement along said rail; and a chair mounted on said carriage so that the angle thereof may be varied with respect to said carriage.
8. Access apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said staircase includes moveable treads, said rail being mounted on said moveable treads.
9. Access apparatus as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8 wherein said rail is mounted on said treads by means of feet, each of said feet including a pivotal joint.
10. Access apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9 wherein an angular locking mechanism is provided between said chair and said carriage, said locking mechanism providing a plurality of pre- defined relative angular locking positions between said chair and said carriage.
11. Access apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 10 further including an attendant-operated control to control movement of said carriage along said rail.
12. Access apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 11 wherein said carriage includes an electric drive motor, said apparatus further including a power source for said motor external to said carriage. Preferably said power source comprises one or more batteries mounted on said chair or on said carriage for displacement with said carriage.