System for loading and unloading an airplane
AssigneeRamper Innovations, Inc.
InventorsTim J. Fulton, Tasche L. Streib, John A. Laz, David Moulin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A foldable conveyer system is disclosed appropriate for loading and unloading an airplane using two people. In one embodiment, the foldable conveyer system is formed of a plurality of foldable sections, where each section has a first half and a second half foldably connected to each other. Each first half and each second half has reversible tension-controlled conveyer belts for moving luggage into or out of an aircraft. When fully deployed, and thus operating flat along the interior of an aircraft, the foldable conveyer system operates to move luggage and other objects placed on the foldable conveyer system in a selected direction.
Claims18
A foldable conveyer system comprising:
- a luggage moving component, formed of a first half section and a second half section, the first half section and the second half sections each being rectangularly formed, at least the first half section having a conveyer belt that runs along a long side of a rectangle associated with its rectangular formation, the conveyer belt being frictionally coupled to a powered roller at a powered roller end of the first half section and to a second end of the first half section, the second end of the first half section comprising a powered roller, a powered roller being a roller having electrical power supplied thereto and powering the movement of the conveyer belt according to a setting of a direction-controlling switch;
- the first half section being foldably coupled at a first end through a hinging mechanism to a first end of the second half section.
A method for loading an aircraft with luggage comprising:
- providing a luggage moving component formed of a first half section and a second half section, the first half section and the second half sections each being rectangularly formed, at least the first half section having a conveyer belt that runs along a long side of a rectangle associated with its rectangular formation, the conveyer belt being frictionally coupled to a powered roller at a powered roller end of the first half section and to a second end of the first half section, the second end of the first half section comprising a powered roller, the first half section being foldably coupled at a first end through a hinging mechanism to a first end of the second half section, the luggage component being provided in a folded stowed configuration, a powered roller being a roller having electrical power supplied thereto and powering the movement of the conveyer belt according to a setting of a direction-controlling switch;
- positioning the luggage moving component within a luggage storage area of an aircraft;
- unfolding the luggage moving component by rotating the first half section about an axis of the hinging mechanism at the first end thus increasing an angle between the first half section and the second half section beyond an angle of 90 degrees;
- placing at least one piece of luggage on the luggage moving component thus causing the at least one piece of luggage to move from a point of placement to a far end of the luggage moving component at least partially due to the rotation of the conveyor belt of the first half section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.