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US 12,227,305 B2Granted
Self-propelled airside dolly, baggage handling system, baggage handling facility, and related apparatus and methods
AssigneeRichmond Design and Marketing Limited
InventorsDavid Keene, Simon Brewerton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to self-propelled airside dollies (100), and particularly but not exclusively to airside baggage dollies and airside cargo dollies, and autonomous airside dollies. The self-propelled airside dolly comprises a cargo portion (104) configured to hold baggage or cargo, a drive system (108) for driving the self-propelled airside dolly (100), a controller (114) configured to control the drive system (108) in response to control signals and a processor (116) configured to provide the control signals to the controller (114).
Claims20
A self-propelled airside dolly, comprising:
- a cargo portion configured to hold baggage or cargo;
- a drive system for driving the self-propelled airside dolly;
- a controller configured to control the drive system in response to control signals;
- a processor configured to provide control signals to the controller;
- and
- a deployable set of wheels orientated perpendicular to a length of the self-propelled airside dolly, wherein the deployable set of wheels are deployable from a stowed position to a deployed position, and wherein the deployable set of wheels comprises one or more driven wheels;
- wherein the self-propelled airside dolly is suitable for carrying one fully-laden ULD and/or wherein the self-propelled airside dolly is suitable for carrying a load of at least 1,000 kg;
- wherein the self-propelled dolly is operable in a normal operation mode in which it is capable of travelling in a longitudinal direction, generally parallel to the direction of a length of the dolly, and wherein the self-propelled dolly is further operable in a lateral movement docking mode in which it is capable of travelling in a sideways direction, generally transverse to its longitudinal.
5 more elements
A baggage handling system comprising:
- a baggage hall comprising:
- a roadway having a first roadway portion and a second roadway portion;
- at least one lateral interposed between the first roadway portion and the second roadway portion;
- at least one loading bay on or adjacent to each of the at least one lateral;
- and
- a baggage delivery system configured to transfer baggage from a baggage source to the at least one loading bay;
- and
- at least one self-propelled airside dolly comprising:
- a cargo portion configured to hold baggage or cargo;
- a drive system for driving the self-propelled airside dolly;
- a controller configured to control the drive system in response to control signals;
- and
- a processor configured to provide control signals to the controller;
- wherein each self-propelled airside dolly is configured to be received at each loading bay and to receive baggage in its cargo portion from the baggage delivery system and to deliver baggage to a baggage receiver, wherein each self-propelled airside dolly is operable in a lateral movement docking mode to approach each loading bay from a direction generally perpendicular to the loading bay.
11 more elements
A method of operating a baggage handling system or providing increased operational capacity of a baggage handling system, the baggage handling system comprising:
- a baggage hall comprising:
- a roadway having a first roadway portion and a second roadway portion;
- at least one lateral interposed between the first roadway portion and the second roadway portion;
- at least one loading bay on or adjacent to each of the at least one lateral;
- and
- a baggage delivery system configured to transfer baggage from a baggage source to the at least one loading bay;
- and
- at least one self-propelled airside dolly comprising:
- a cargo portion configured to hold baggage or cargo;
- a drive system for driving the self-propelled airside dolly;
- a controller configured to control the drive system in response to control signals;
- and
- a processor configured to provide control signals to the controller;
- the method comprising:
- delivering baggage to the cargo portion of the at least one self-propelled airside dolly using the baggage delivery system when the self-propelled airside dolly is received within one of the at least one loading bay, wherein each self-propelled airside dolly is operable in a lateral movement docking mode to approach the one of the at least one loading bay from a direction generally perpendicular to the loading bay;
- and
- causing the self-propelled airside dolly to deliver baggage to a baggage receiver.
14 more elements
A method of positioning a self-propelled airside dolly at a lateral, the self-propelled airside dolly comprising:
- a cargo portion configured to hold baggage or cargo;
- a drive system for driving the self-propelled airside dolly;
- a controller configured to control the drive system in response to control signals;
- and
- a processor configured to provide control signals to the controller;
- and
- a deployable set of wheels orientated perpendicular to a length of the self-propelled airside dolly, wherein the deployable set of wheels are deployable from a stowed position to a deployed position, and wherein the deployable set of wheels comprises one or more driven wheels;
- wherein the self-propelled airside dolly is suitable for carrying one fully-laden ULD and/or wherein the self-propelled airside dolly is suitable for carrying a load of at least 1,000 kg;
- wherein the self-propelled dolly is operable in a normal operation mode in which it is capable of travelling in a longitudinal direction, generally parallel to the direction of a length of the dolly, and wherein the self-propelled dolly is further operable in a lateral movement docking mode in which it is capable of travelling in a sideways direction, generally transverse to its longitudinal;
- the method comprising:
- finding a space large enough for only a single self-propelled airside dolly;
- and
- positioning the self-propelled airside dolly within the space.
10 more elements
A method of directing a single self-propelled airside dolly, the self-propelled airside dolly comprising:
- a cargo portion configured to hold baggage or cargo;
- a drive system for driving the self-propelled airside dolly;
- a controller configured to control the drive system in response to control signals;
- and
- a processor configured to provide control signals to the controller;
- and
- a deployable set of wheels orientated perpendicular to a length of the self-propelled airside dolly, wherein the deployable set of wheels are deployable from a stowed position to a deployed position, and wherein the deployable set of wheels comprises one or more driven wheels;
- wherein the self-propelled airside dolly is suitable for carrying one fully-laden ULD and/or wherein the self-propelled airside dolly is suitable for carrying a load of at least 1,000 kg;
- wherein the self-propelled dolly is operable in a normal operation mode in which it is capable of travelling in a longitudinal direction, generally parallel to the direction of a length of the dolly, and wherein the self-propelled dolly is further operable in a lateral movement docking mode in which it is capable of travelling in a sideways direction, generally transverse to its longitudinal;
- the method comprising directing the single self-propelled airside dolly to a free space along a lateral that is too small for a conventional baggage tractor pulling a single conventional baggage dolly.
7 more elements
A method of arranging self-propelled airside dollies at a lateral of a baggage hall, the method comprising:
- positioning a first self-propelled airside dolly and a second self-propelled airside dolly at the lateral, each of the first and second self-propelled airside dollies comprising:
- a cargo portion configured to hold baggage or cargo;
- a drive system for driving the self-propelled airside dolly;
- a controller configured to control the drive system in response to control signals;
- and
- a processor configured to provide control signals to the controller;
- wherein when positioned, a distance between the platform of the first self-propelled airside dolly and the second self-propelled airside dolly is less than a predetermined distance, wherein the predetermined distance is less than the typical length of a tow bar of a conventional baggage dolly.
4 more elements
A method of arranging self-propelled airside dollies at a lateral of a baggage hall, each self-propelled airside dolly comprising:
- a cargo portion configured to hold baggage or cargo;
- a drive system for driving the self-propelled airside dolly;
- a controller configured to control the drive system in response to control signals;
- a processor configured to provide control signals to the controller;
- and
- a deployable set of wheels orientated perpendicular to a length of the self-propelled airside dolly, wherein the deployable set of wheels are deployable from a stowed position to a deployed position, and wherein the deployable set of wheels comprises one or more driven wheels;
- the method comprising:
- positioning a first one of the self-propelled airside dollies at the lateral, the first self-propelled airside dolly being configured to deliver baggage to a first destination;
- and
- positioning a second one of the self-propelled airside dollies at the lateral, the second self-propelled airside dolly being configured to deliver baggage to a second destination;
- wherein the first destination and the second destination are different.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.