Airport baggage lift system

A baggage handling unit for retrofitting an existing passenger boarding bridge having an existing foundation that is formed within a portion of the apron surface below the passenger boarding bridge, the existing foundation including a plurality of studs protruding therefrom, the baggage handling unit comprising:

• a walkway for coupling a terminal building access port and a rotunda of an existing passenger boarding bridge so as to support passenger movement therebetween, the walkway including a baggage access port;
• a baggage elevating element mounted adjacent to the baggage access port of the walkway, the baggage elevating element including a controllable baggage lift mechanism and a baggage enclosure, the controllable baggage lift mechanism coupled to the baggage enclosure for controllably raising and lowering the baggage enclosure between an upper station adjacent to the access port of the walkway and a lower station at a height that is disposed elevationally below the access port of the walkway;
• a mount for structurally coupling the baggage handling unit to the rotunda opposite an aircraft engaging portion of the existing passenger boarding bridge;
• and,
• a support for mounting the baggage handling unit to the protruding studs of the existing foundation such that the baggage handling unit at least partially counterbalances the aircraft engaging portion of the existing passenger boarding bridge, and such that a moment imposed from the baggage handling unit to the existing foundation is at least partially compensated.

A method of retrofitting an existing passenger boarding bridge having an existing foundation that is formed within a portion of the apron surface below the passenger boarding bridge, the existing foundation including a plurality of studs protruding therefrom, the method comprising;

• providing a baggage handling unit including a support configured for engaging a mounting structure of the existing foundation, the mounting structure of existing foundation including the plurality of studs protruding therefrom, and the baggage handling unit including a mount configured for structurally coupling the baggage handling unit to a rotunda of the existing passenger boarding bridge;
• displacing the existing passenger boarding bridge from the existing foundation;
• mounting the baggage handling unit to the existing foundation via the support and the mounting structure of the existing foundation;
• and,
• structurally mounting the rotunda of the existing passenger boarding bridge to the baggage handling unit via the mount, such that the rotunda is supported at a position that is horizontally displaced from the existing foundation.