US 8,757,327 B2 · Vehicle elevator systems and methods

Abstract

Ground-accessing elevator systems and methods are provided for transporting personnel between the ground level and one or more decks of multi-level vehicle such as a fixed-wing aircraft. The vehicle elevator systems and methods may be implemented using a multi-track guide rail system configured to guide an elevator car between the ground and two or more levels within a vehicle. The multi-track guide rail system may include an intra-vehicle track fixed to the vehicle structure and configured to guide the elevator car between decks of the vehicle, and a separate deployment track may be configured to telescope downward from the intra-vehicle guide rail track to guide the elevator car during deployment to the ground from the vehicle.

A ground-accessing vehicle elevator system, comprising:

at least one multi-track guide rail assembly configured for installation between multiple levels of a vehicle, the multi-track guide rail assembly comprising an elongated intra-vehicle guide rail track and a separate elongated deployment track movably coupled in adjacent parallel relationship to the intra-vehicle guide rail track, the separate deployment track being configured to move between a retracted position and an extended position relative to the intra-vehicle guide rail track;
an elevator car coupled in moveable engaged relationship to the elongated deployment track of each multi-track guide rail assembly, the deployment track configured to support the elevator car and guide the movement of the engaged elevator car relative to the deployment track up and down between the multiple levels of the vehicle;
where the deployment track is configured to move from the retracted position to the extended position relative to the intra-vehicle guide rail track;
where the elevator car is configured to be deployed outside a body of the vehicle in engaged relationship with the deployment track either together with or after movement of the deployment track from the retracted position to the extended position;
where the elevator car is configured to be retracted into the body of the vehicle in engaged relationship with the deployment track either together with or before movement of the deployment track from the extended position to the retracted position;
where the deployment track is configured to move from the extended position to the retracted position relative to the intra-vehicle guide rail track;
where the ground-accessing vehicle elevator system further comprises at least one belt and drive pulley system that includes:
a fixed upper guide rail assembly pulley configured to be coupled adjacent to and in fixed relationship to an upper end of the multi-track guide rail assembly,
a movable lower guide rail assembly pulley coupled to the lower end of the deployment track, the movable lower guide rail assembly pulley being configured to move with the deployment track from the retracted position to the extended position relative to the intra-vehicle guide rail track such that a distance between the fixed upper guide rail assembly pulley and the movable lower guide rail assembly pulley is greater when the deployment track is in the extended position than when the deployment track is in the retracted position with the fixed upper guide rail assembly pulley coupled in fixed relationship to and adjacent to the upper end of the multi-track guide rail assembly,
a drive belt fixedly coupled to the elevator car at one or more fixed coupling points, each of the coupling points coupling the drive belt in fixed relationship to the elevator car, the drive belt having a first portion extending from the fixed upper guide rail assembly pulley downward to one of the fixed coupling points to the elevator car, and the drive belt having a second and different portion extending from the movable lower guide rail assembly pulley upward to one of the fixed coupling points to the elevator car, the drive belt being configured to move between the fixed upper guide rail assembly pulley and the movable lower guide rail assembly pulley so as to move the engaged elevator car relative to the deployment track between the multiple levels of the vehicle;
and
where the drive belt is further configured to selectively allow the deployment track to move from the retracted position to the extended position relative to the intra-vehicle guide rail track so as to deploy the deployment track outside the body of the vehicle and to selectively cause the deployment track to move from the extended position to the retracted position relative to the intra-vehicle guide rail track so as to retract the deployment track into the body of the vehicle;
and
where the elongated intra-vehicle guide rail track and the elongated deployment track are configured to extend in a vertical direction between the multiple levels of the vehicle;
where the deployment track is configured to move in the vertical direction between the retracted position and the extended position relative to the intra-vehicle guide rail track;
where the deployment track is configured to support the elevator car and guide the movement of the engaged elevator car in the vertical direction relative to the deployment track up and down between the multiple levels of the vehicle;
where a length of the first portion of the drive belt extending from the fixed upper guide rail assembly pulley downward to one of the fixed coupling points to the elevator car and a length of the second portion of the drive belt extending from the movable lower guide rail assembly pulley upward to one of the fixed coupling points to the elevator car together define a combined length of the drive belt that is disposed between the fixed upper guide rail assembly pulley and the movable lower guide rail assembly pulley;
and where the belt and drive pulley system further comprises one or more deployment idler pulleys supported by at least one deployment idler carriage in operative engaged relationship with the drive belt between the first and second portions of the drive belt and positioned at a distance laterally to one side of the multi-track guide rail assembly to maintain the drive belt in tension between the fixed upper guide rail assembly pulley and the movable lower guide rail assembly pulley, the deployment idler pulley carriage being configured to move in a horizontal direction that is substantially perpendicular to the vertical direction to move the deployment idler carriage and the deployment idler pulleys laterally closer to each of the fixed upper guide rail assembly pulley and the movable lower guide rail assembly pulley and to reduce the lateral distance between the deployment idler pulleys and the multi-track guide rail assembly so as to increase the combined length of the drive belt that is disposed between the fixed upper guide rail assembly pulley and the movable lower guide rail assembly pulley to allow the deployment track with the movable lower guide rail assembly pulley to move from the retracted position to the extended position relative to the intra-vehicle guide rail track.

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Vehicle elevator systems and methods

Life of this patent

Vehicle elevator systems and methods

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims48