WO2019179999A1

WO2019179999A1 - Mobile passenger access apparatus for an aircraft

Info

Publication number: WO2019179999A1
Application number: PCT/EP2019/056806
Authority: WO
Inventors: James Fegan; Ronan Mallaghan
Original assignee: Mallaghan Engineering Limited
Priority date: 2018-03-19
Filing date: 2019-03-19
Publication date: 2019-09-26
Also published as: GB201804343D0; GB2572147B; GB2572147A

Abstract

A mobile passenger access apparatus for facilitating the boarding and disembarkation of passengers from an aircraft comprising a mobile chassis, a base stair section mounted on the chassis and including a first flight of steps, an extendable stair section mounted on the base stair section to be telescopically extendable from the base stair section and including a second flight of steps arranged to be substantially contiguous with the first flight of steps, and a platform mounted at a distal end of said extendable stair section to be locatable adjacent an access door of an aircraft, a lift carriage mounted on the chassis via a lift mechanism adapted to vertically move the lift carriage between a lower position adjacent the ground and a raised position adjacent the platform, the lift mechanism being adapted to horizontally displace the lift carriage with respect to the chassis so that the lift carriage can be displaced both vertically and horizontally to be placed in alignment with the platform when the extendable stair section is telescopically extended and retracted with respect to the base stair section.

Description

Mobile Passenger Access Apparatus for an Aircraft

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a mobile passenger access apparatus for facilitating the boarding and disembarkation of passengers from an aircraft and more particularly to a mobile passenger access apparatus for providing easy access to an aircraft for both able bodied and physically handicapped passengers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Doors and other points of access of aircraft to which access is desired by passengers and/or ground crew are usually located at distances far above ground level. The most common method for providing passenger access to an aircraft for boarding and disembarkation is to provide passenger stairs that can be manoeuvred into position adjacent an access door of a parked aircraft. Typically the stairs are adjustable in height to allow them to provide access to aircraft or various sizes and types. Such height adjustment of the stairs is typically provided by adjusting the angle of inclination of the stairs and, with increasing aircraft size leading to a requirement for a greater range of height adjustment, by forming the stairs from two or more telescopically extendable sections.

However, such commonly used mobile passenger stairs, while suitable for use by able bodied passengers, cannot be readily used by passengers with walking difficulties, in particular wheelchair bound passengers. Typically such passengers must be lifted out of their wheelchair and physically carried up the stairs. This can be an uncomfortable and embarrassing experience for the passenger. As a preferred alternative, a separate specialised vehicle may need to be utilised, where a rear body of the vehicle, in which the wheelchair bound passenger can be carried, can be vertically lifted, typically via a scissor lift arrangement, to the height of an aircraft access door to allow the wheelchair bound passenger to be transferred into the aircraft via a loading platform provided on the body of the vehicle. Such specialised vehicles, typically referred to as“catering trucks” or“cabin trucks”, are also commonly used to restock aircraft with catering supplies, allowing catering trollies to be wheeled onto the aircraft from the raised body of the vehicle. While this method of access to an aircraft is more comfortable and more dignified for a wheelchair bound passenger than being physically carried up passenger stairs, the use of such vehicles can delay boarding and disembarkation of the aircraft. Furthermore, limited availability of such specialised vehicles at the airport may cause further delays or render such vehicles unavailable when required.

Prior art attempts to provide wheelchair lifts on passenger stairs have primarily focussed on mounting stairlift assemblies directly onto the stairs, wherein a wheelchair accessible platform or seat can be driven up and down one or more support rails typically mounted on or adjacent the hand rails of the stairs. While such devices may permit a passenger who has walking difficulties from accessing an aircraft, such devices interfere with the normal use of the stairs by able bodies passengers, causing further delays. Examples of such known stairlift devices are shown in WO 97/19887 and GB 2,448,887.

It is an object of the present invention to provided an improved mobile passenger access apparatus that can simultaneously be used by both able bodies and physically disabled passengers to access an aircraft and which can also be used for loading and unloading food, beverages and other goods.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention there is provided a mobile passenger access apparatus for facilitating the boarding and disembarkation of passengers from an aircraft, said apparatus comprising a mobile chassis, a base stair section mounted on the chassis and including a first flight of steps, an extendable stair section mounted on the base stair section to be telescopically extendable from the base stair section and including a second flight of steps arranged to be substantially contiguous with the first flight of steps, and a platform mounted at a distal end of said extendable stair section to be locatable adjacent an access door of an aircraft, a lift carriage mounted on the chassis via a lift mechanism adapted to vertically move the lift carriage between a lower position adjacent the ground and a raised position adjacent the platform, the lift mechanism being adapted to horizontally displace the lift carriage with respect to the chassis so that the lift carriage can be displaced both vertically and horizontally to be placed in alignment with the platform when the extendable stair section is telescopically extended and retracted with respect to the base stair section.

The lift mechanism may be displaceable along the chassis to horizontally displace the lift carriage with respect to the chassis.

In a preferred embodiment said lift mechanism comprises a vertically arranged lift mast upon which the lift carriage is mounted to be vertically displaceable upon the lift mast, drive means being provided for displacing the lift carriage up and down the lift mast

The lift mast may comprise a plurality of telescopically extendable mast sections, the lift carriage being mounted upon the outermost mast section. In one embodiment the lift mast may comprise a lower section, intermediate section, and an upper section, the lift carriage being mounted on the upper section.

The lift mast may extend laterally from the chassis such that the lift carriage is mounted to one side of the base stair section.

The lift mast may be mounted on the chassis via a mounting apparatus adapted to transverse along a longitudinal axis of the chassis. The mounting apparatus may be coupled to the chassis via one or more elongate guide channels or rails arranged parallel to a longitudinal axis of the chassis to allow the mounting apparatus and thus the lift mast to traverse along said one or more guide channels or rails.

The lift carriage may extend forwardly from the lift mast towards the platform in cantilevered manner. In a preferred embodiment the platform may have a width greater than that of the extendable stair section, the lift carriage being arranged to be brought into alignment with a rear edge of the platform adjacent the extendable stair section when it is raised position. The platform may include an extension extending rearwardly from the platform to one side of the extendable stair section, the lift carriage being arranged to be brought into alignment with a rear edge of the platform extension when it is raised position to provide access between the lift carriage and the platform extension. This enables the lift carriage to be used to transfer passengers to and from the aircraft without interfering with the use of the stairs, avoiding delays.

The lift carriage may comprise a box like enclosure having one or more access doors.

Means may be provided for adjusting the angle of inclination of the base stair section with respect to the chassis.

In one embodiment the mobile chassis may comprise a self propelled vehicle.

Preferably the lift carriage is mounted on the chassis via said lift mechanism independently of the base stair section and extendable stair section such that substantially no load is transferred from the lift carriage to the base or extendable stair sections in use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A mobile passenger access vehicle for an aircraft in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mobile passenger access vehicle for an aircraft in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention with both the stairs and lift carriage in a fully raised configuration;

Figure 2 is a side view of the vehicle of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a front end view of the vehicle of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the vehicle of Figure 1 ; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the mobile passenger access vehicle of Figure 1 with the stairs and lift carriage in a transport or out of use configuration;

Figure 6 is a side view of the vehicle of Figure 1 in the configuration shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a front end view of the vehicle of Figure 1 in the configuration shown in Figure 5; and

Figure 8 is a plan view of the vehicle of Figure 1 in the configuration shown in Figure 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A mobile passenger access vehicle for an aircraft in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in the drawings, comprises a self propelled vehicle, typically of the type commonly used for ground support equipment, including catering trucks, said vehicle having an elongate chassis 2 with an operators cab 4 and engine at a forward end. A base stair section 6 is pivotally mounted on a rear end of the chassis 2, the base stair section 6 being supported at a forward end on one or more telescopic rams 8 or otherwise linearly adjustable supports to enable the angle of inclination of the base stair section 6 to be adjusted. An auxiliary power source 9 may be located on the chassis beneath the base stair section.

An extendable stair section 10 is telescopically mounted on the base stair section 6 in overlapping relationship therewith to permit adjustment of the length and overall height of the stairs. Each stair section 6,10 comprises a flight of steps 12,14. The steps 14 of the extendable stair section 10 may extend beneath the steps 12 of the base stair section 6 in the region of overlap between the two stair sections such that the steps 12,14 of the two sections 6,10 define a substantially contiguous staircase up and down which passengers may walk. Hand rails or barriers 16,18 are preferably provided on each side of each stair section 6,10, preferably covered by panelling.

A platform 20 is mounted at a distal end of the extendable stair section 10. As is known in the art, the platform 20 may include a linearly extendable outer section 22 which can be extended to bring an outer edge of the platform 20 into final engagement with a doorway of an aircraft once the angle and extension of the stair sections 6,10 has been adjusted to position the platform 20 adjacent the aircraft doorway.

The platform 20 is preferably wider than the steps 12,14 of the base and extendable stair sections 6,10 to permit the aircraft door to be opened, typically outwardly and to one side of the door opening. A panelled railing or barrier 24 is preferably provided around the lateral sides and exposed rear sections of the platform for safety. The front side of the platform is generally open to provide access to the aircraft or may be provided with an openable gate (not shown).

A lift mast 26 is mounted on the chassis 2 via a mounting arrangement 28, extending laterally to one side of the base stair section 6. The lift mast 26 may comprise a multiple section telescopic mast of the type commonly used in fork lift trucks. A box like lift carriage 30 is mounted on the lift mast 26 to be raised and lowered with respect to the chassis 2 by suitable drive means, between a lowered position, adjacent the ground to allow passengers or ground crew to enter or exit the lift carriage 30 via one or more openable doors therein, and a vertically adjustable raised position, wherein the lift carriage 30 can be positioned adjacent to the platform 20 to permit passengers and/or ground crew to pass between the lift carriage 30 and platform 20. By mounting the lift carriage 30 on a lift mast 26 mounted directly to the chassis 2 the weight of the lift carriage 30 is born directly by the chassis of the vehicle 2 and no additional loading is transferred to the stairs.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the lift carriage 30 extends forwardly from the lift mast 26 in cantilevered manner such that a forward end of the lift carriage 30 can be aligned with a rear edge of the platform 20 when the lift carriage 30 is in its raised position adjacent the platform 30, with the lift carriage 30 located alongside the stairs. A closable door 32, more preferably a sliding door, may be provided in the forward end of the lift carriage 30 for providing access to the platform 20 when the lift carriage 30 is in its raised position. An extension 25 to the platform 20 may be provided for providing access to the lift carriage 30 whereby the lift carriage docks with a rear edge of the platform extension 25.

The lift carriage 30 may be arranged to be located between the front and rear wheels of the vehicle when it is lowered position to minimise the width of the vehicle. However, this could prevent the door 32 in the forward end of the lift carriage 30 from being used due to the proximity of the front wheels of the vehicle to such door 32. Therefore a separate closable door 34 may be provided in an outer side of the lift carriage 30 for accessing the lift carriage 30 when it is in its lowered or ground engaging position.

During the telescopic extension of the stair sections 6,10, the platform 20 moves both vertically and horizontally with respect to the chassis 2 of the vehicle. The lift mast 26 is therefore supported on the chassis 2 of the vehicle to transverse horizontally along the chassis 2, allowing adjustment of the position of the lift carriage 30 in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis the chassis 2, thereby allowing the lift carriage 30 to be brought in proper alignment with the platform 20 irrespective of the extension of the extendable stairs section 10 with respect to the base stair section 6.

The mounting apparatus 28 of the lift mast 26 may be supported on guide channels (not shown) provided on the chassis 2, preferably at two or more vertically spaced locations on the chassis 2, via guide rollers to permit the lift mast 26 to be moved along the chassis 2 while providing adequate support for the lift carriage 30 when in its raised position.

In use, with both stair sections 6,10 and the lift carriage 30 in their stowed positions, as shown in Figures 5 to 8, the vehicle is driven towards and into position adjacent an aircraft. The tilt and extension of the stair sections 6,10 are adjusted to bring the platform 20 into position adjacent an access door of the aircraft and the extendable section 22 of the platform 20 is extended into abutment with the side of the aircraft beneath said access door. Stabilising struts 36 may be extended from the vehicle to engage the ground, providing enhanced stability and preventing movement of the vehicle. The aircraft door can then be opened and passengers can walk up or down the steps 12,14 to board or disembark from the aircraft, as is known in the art.

When a passenger is unable to walk up the steps 12,14 due to a walking difficulty the lift carriage 30 may be utilised to provide access to the aircraft. The lift carriage 30 can be displaced to a fully lowered position adjacent the ground, whereby such passengers can readily board the lift carriage 30 via the side door 34 thereof. In such position the floor of the lift carriage 30 is substantially at ground level, providing wheelchair access to the lift carriage 30 without requiring the use of ramps.

To raise the lift carriage 30 to the platform 20, first the lift mast 26 is operated to raise the lift carriage 30 clear of/above the vehicle wheels. Next the lift mast 26 can be traversed longitudinally along the chassis 2 to bring the lift carriage 30 into proper vertical alignment with the platform 20 and the lift mast 26 can be operated to raise the lift carriage 26 further until it is level with the platform 20 and aligned with the rear edge of the platform extension 25. Once the lift carriage 30 is correctly positioned, the end door 32 can be opened and the occupants of the carriage can move directly onto the platform 20.

Due to the position of the lift carriage 30 alongside the stairs and, when in its raise position, to one side of the platform 20 relative to the stairs, use of the lift carriage 30 does not interfere with simultaneous use of the stairs 20, greatly speeding up boarding of the aircraft. Furthermore, no part of the weight of the lift carriage 30 or its contents is transferred to the stairs, in use.

Alternatively, once the lift carriage 30 has been raised by the lift mast 26 to clear the wheels, the lift carriage 30 may continue to be raised while simultaneously traversing the lift mast 26 along the chassis 2 to bring the lift carriage to its raised position into alignment alongside the platform 20 more quickly. In addition to physically disabled or wheelchair bound passengers, the lift carriage may also be used by ground crew for moving beverages, catering goods or other objects onto and off the aircraft, typically loaded into wheeled trolleys, allowing the vehicle to perform a dual role.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described herein but can be amended or modified without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. While in the embodiment shown the stair sections are shown arranged centrally over the chassis of the vehicle it is envisaged that the stairs may be laterally offset with respect to the chassis to allow the lift carriage to be brought closer to the centreline of the chassis.

Claims

1. A mobile passenger access apparatus for facilitating the boarding and disembarkation of passengers from an aircraft comprising a mobile chassis, a base stair section mounted on the chassis and including a first flight of steps, an extendable stair section mounted on the base stair section to be telescopically extendable from the base stair section and including a second flight of steps arranged to be substantially contiguous with the first flight of steps, and a platform mounted at a distal end of said extendable stair section to be locatable adjacent an access door of an aircraft, a lift carriage mounted on the chassis via a lift mechanism adapted to vertically move the lift carriage between a lower position adjacent the ground and a raised position adjacent the platform, the lift mechanism being adapted to horizontally displace the lift carriage with respect to the chassis so that the lift carriage can be displaced both vertically and horizontally to be placed in alignment with the platform when the extendable stair section is telescopically extended and retracted with respect to the base stair section.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the lift mechanism is displaceable along the chassis to horizontally displace the lift carriage with respect to the chassis.

3. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said lift mechanism comprises a vertically arranged lift mast upon which the lift carriage is mounted to be vertically displaceable upon the lift mast, drive means being provided for displacing the lift carriage up and down the lift mast

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the lift mast comprises a plurality of telescopically extendable mast sections, the lift carriage being mounted upon the outermost mast section.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the lift mast comprises a lower section, intermediate section, and an upper section, the lift carriage being mounted on the upper section.

6. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 3 to 5, wherein the lift mast extends laterally from the chassis such that the lift carriage is mounted to one side of the base stair section.

7. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 3 to 6, wherein the lift mast is mounted on the chassis via a mounting apparatus adapted to transverse along a longitudinal axis of the chassis.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said mounting apparatus is coupled to the chassis via one or more elongate guide channels or rails arranged parallel to a longitudinal axis of the chassis to allow the mounting apparatus and thus the lift mast to traverse along said one or more guide channels or rails.

9. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 6 to 8, wherein the lift carriage extends forwardly from the lift mast towards the platform.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the platform has a width greater than that of the extendable stair section, the lift carriage being arranged to be brought into alignment with a rear edge of the platform adjacent the extendable stair section when it is raised position.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the platform includes an extension extending rearwardly from the platform to one side of the extendable stair section, the lift carriage being arranged to be brought into alignment with a rear edge of the platform extension when it is raised position to provide access between the lift carriage and the platform extension.

12. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the lift carriage comprises a box like enclosure having one or more access doors.

13. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein means are provided for adjusting the angle of inclination of the base stair section with respect to the chassis.

14. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the mobile chassis comprises a self propelled vehicle.

15. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the lift carriage is mounted on the chassis via said lift mechanism independently of the base stair section and extendable stair section such that substantially no load is transferred from the lift carriage to the base or extendable stair sections in use.