Device for maneuvering ground support equipment on an airport stand

• US 10,139,816 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2016
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus SAS (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Tabares, Diego Alonso, Esteie, Nicolaas Peter, Fouillot, Alexandre
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II, James A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Clemmons, Steve
• Application Number:
  US15/246,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20170060127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 2001/005 for carts, scooters, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/44 Industrial trucks or floor conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/315 Mobile stairs
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/368 Arrangements or installations for routing, distributing or loading baggage
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A device for maneuvering ground support equipment on an airport stand. Included in the device are a moving apparatus having a system for coupling with the ground support equipment, configured for maneuvering the ground support equipment according to a predetermined trajectory; and a remote control configured for remotely controlling the movements of the moving apparatus according to the predetermined trajectory. The device also relates to an item of ground support equipment on an airport stand which includes a connecting plate configured for being coupled to a moving apparatus of the device.

Claims

1. A device for maneuvering ground support equipment on an airport stand, the device comprising:

a moving apparatus having a system configured for coupling with the ground support equipment, and for maneuvering the ground support equipment according to a predetermined trajectory; and

a remote control configured for remotely controlling the movements of the moving apparatus according to the predetermined trajectory,

wherein the moving apparatus comprises at least one connection with an item of ground support equipment for providing an exchange of data between the moving apparatus and the ground support equipment,

wherein the data is communicated from the ground support equipment to the moving apparatus and corresponds to a ground support identifier wherein the predetermined trajectory is determined from the identifier.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the moving apparatus has dimensions to be positioned under the connecting plate connected to the ground support equipment.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the coupling system comprises at least one centering pin which is mobile between a retracted position in which the centering pin is entirely housed inside a reinforcement with respect to an outer surface of the moving apparatus and a deployed position in which the centering pin protrudes with respect to the outer surface in such a way as to obtain a coupling of the moving apparatus and the ground support equipment.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the coupling system comprises at least one platform configured for moving between a low position and a high position in which the platform applies an upward force on the ground support equipment.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the moving apparatus comprises an upper face with at least one rib perpendicular to a forward or backward direction of movement of the moving apparatus.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the moving apparatus comprises at least one positioning sensor and wherein the device comprises at least software which allows a controller, on the basis of information transmitted by at least one of:

the remote control and the positioning sensors, to control the movements of the moving apparatus.

7. A ground support equipment for an airport stand, comprising:

a connecting plate configured for being coupled with a moving apparatus of a maneuvering device, the maneuvering device configured for maneuvering the ground support equipment on the airport stand, the device comprising;

a moving apparatus having a system configured for coupling with the ground support equipment, and for maneuvering the ground support equipment according to a predetermined trajectory; and

a remote control configured for remotely controlling the movements of the moving apparatus according to the predetermined trajectory,

wherein the moving apparatus comprises at least one connection with an item of ground support equipment for providing an exchange of data between the moving apparatus and the ground support equipment,

wherein the data is communicated from the ground support equipment to the moving apparatus and corresponds to a ground support identifier wherein the predetermined trajectory is determined from the identifier.

8. The ground support equipment according to claim 7, wherein the connecting plate is positioned in a bottom part of the ground support equipment and comprises a lower face and parallel first and second flanges extending from the lower face towards the ground.

9. The ground support equipment according to claim 7, wherein the connecting plate comprises at least one housing configured for receiving a centering pin integral with the moving apparatus.

10. The ground support equipment according to claim 7, wherein the connecting plate comprises at least one groove configured for receiving a rib of the moving apparatus.