Multiple-door access boarding bridge

#Air travel has grown ever more popular since the introduction of jet-powered aircraft, making widespread and frequent travel available for both business and pleasure travelers. To take advantage of these trends, aircraft manufacturers have continually enlarged aircraft, to the point where jumbo-jets may now carry 500 passengers, and ultra-high capacity aircraft to carry 700 or 800 passengers are proposed.

#It can take a significant amount of time to board so many passengers, delaying departures of aircraft and imposing on the busy schedules of passengers by forcing the passengers to arrive at the gate much earlier than necessary. Upon landing, the process is reversed, but may still take a significant amount of time. The passengers are delayed from going on their way, and the aircraft cannot be cleaned, maintained or moved while deplaning is in progress.

#Boarding bridges are typically used to board and disembark passengers on modern aircraft. Boarding bridges are needed both for vertical and horizontal movement of passengers: vertical because aircraft doors are many feet above ramp level, and horizontal because aircraft must be parked at a safe distance from any buildings or other obstructions. Passenger boarding bridges are desirable because they permit passengers and airline personnel to walk or otherwise traverse the distance between the gate of an airport terminal and a parked aircraft with ease. They eliminate the need to climb stairs outside, and provide relative comfort to boarding passengers by protecting them from extreme temperatures, wind, rain, snow or ice. However, such boarding bridges also limit the ingress to and egress from the aircraft, because of their necessarily limited access to the aircraft through a single aircraft doorway.

#Further aspects of the invention will be apparent from the drawings and description of the preferred embodiments detailed below.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art multiple-door access boarding bridge.

#FIG. 2 is perspective view of a multiple-door access boarding bridge according to the present invention.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aircraft engaged with a prior art boarding bridge. Aircraft 10 having a left side 12 is approached via boarding bridge 14 upon parking at an aircraft gate. The aircraft has two doors 13, 15 on its left side for embarking and debarking. The boarding bridge has a first access door 17 placed near aircraft door 13 so passengers can comfortably step from the boarding bridge to the aircraft. The boarding bridge also has an extension 16 over the left wing of the aircraft, the extension having a second access door 19 for placement near aircraft door 15 so that passengers may use the door 15 for emplaning and deplaning the aircraft. The particular boarding bridge arrangement may have a distinct disadvantage in several ways, including a long traverse from its parked position, and a horizontal and vertical traverse near the wing of the aircraft. Any interference with the aircraft could damage the aircraft, causing inconvenience to the passengers.

#FIG. 2 depicts an embodiment of the present invention, in which aircraft 20 having a left door 21 and a right door 22 parks near a gate at an airport. A multiple-door access boarding bridge 23 with central passageway 24 approaches the aircraft directly, the passageway having a left arm 25 and a right arm 26, each arm equipped with a door 27, 28 for placement near the corresponding aircraft door 21, 22. The inner side of the boarding bridge, near the aircraft, may be equipped with lighting 29, such as guide lights, to facilitate parking. In this manner, passengers may board the aircraft, or depart the aircraft, independently from the left and right sides of the aircraft, thus saving up to half the time presently used to emplane or deplane passengers. As described below, the length of the arms may be modified to accommodate different door placements on different types of aircraft.

#FIG. 3 depicts another embodiment of the invention, in which multiple doors on each side of the aircraft are used for emplaning or deplaning passengers. Aircraft 30 parks at an aircraft gate and is approached by multiple-door access bridge 32, having a left arm 33 and a right arm 34. The left arm has ports or doors 35a, 37a and the right arm has ports or doors 36a, 38a. The boarding bridge approaches the aircraft and places its left arm near the left side of the aircraft so that the boarding bridge left doors are conveniently close to aircraft doors on the left side, so that passengers may conveniently step from one to the other. The right arm of the boarding bridge approaches the right side of the aircraft so that the boarding bridge right side doors are conveniently close to aircraft doors on the right side.