Mobile bridge for accessing aircraft
First Claim
1. A combination of an aircraft fuselage and an access bridge arrangement for enabling persons to access said fuselage on said bridge arrangement, wherein said bridge arrangement comprises:
- at least one bridge support respectively comprising a structural supporting arch having a curved arched configuration that extends over a top of said fuselage from a right side to a left side of said fuselage on a plane perpendicular to a lengthwise axis of said fuselage, and contact elements that contact an exterior surface of said fuselage; and
at least one catwalk that extends respectively along one of said sides of said fuselage parallel to said lengthwise axis of said fuselage and that is connected to and supported by said structural supporting arch of said at least one bridge support;
wherein said at least one bridge support is set down onto said fuselage so that said contact elements bear against said exterior surface of said fuselage with at least a part of a total weight of said access bridge arrangement so as to brace and positively fix a position of said access bridge arrangement on and relative to said fuselage, and to support at least said part of said total weight on said fuselage.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A mobile access bridge provides access to the doors and the exterior surface of an aircraft fuselage in the final stages of construction, assembly, and outfitting. The access bridge includes catwalks preferably arranged at several levels, in pairs on opposite sides of the aircraft. The bridge further includes bridge supports that each have an arched inverted U-shape. The bridge supports are connected to and carry the catwalks, and respectively arch over the top of the aircraft fuselage. The bridge may be made up of a number of bridge segments that are coupled together as needed by coupling units. The entire bridge or each individual bridge segment is lifted at a lifting fixture by an overhead crane or lifting cable, is then moved into position, and then lowered onto the aircraft fuselage. The bridge is entirely supported on or at least partly braced against the aircraft fuselage by padding elements or spacer elements that are provided on the inner arch of each bridge support and that rest in contact on the exterior of the fuselage.
30 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A combination of an aircraft fuselage and an access bridge arrangement for enabling persons to access said fuselage on said bridge arrangement, wherein said bridge arrangement comprises:
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at least one bridge support respectively comprising a structural supporting arch having a curved arched configuration that extends over a top of said fuselage from a right side to a left side of said fuselage on a plane perpendicular to a lengthwise axis of said fuselage, and contact elements that contact an exterior surface of said fuselage; and
at least one catwalk that extends respectively along one of said sides of said fuselage parallel to said lengthwise axis of said fuselage and that is connected to and supported by said structural supporting arch of said at least one bridge support;
wherein said at least one bridge support is set down onto said fuselage so that said contact elements bear against said exterior surface of said fuselage with at least a part of a total weight of said access bridge arrangement so as to brace and positively fix a position of said access bridge arrangement on and relative to said fuselage, and to support at least said part of said total weight on said fuselage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A mobile access bridge for providing unobstructed access for persons and for goods to a door and an exterior surface of a stationary aircraft fuselage, comprising:
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first and second catwalks of a first catwalk pair that extend horizontally and parallel to each other respectively on opposite sides of the aircraft fuselage in a direction parallel to a lengthwise axis of the aircraft fuselage, and a plurality of curved bridge supports that respectively comprise structural supporting arches that extend along planes perpendicular to the lengthwise axis of the aircraft fuselage and that are spaced apart from one another along the lengthwise axis of the aircraft fuselage, and respectively further comprise contact elements that contact an exterior surface of the fuselage, wherein said structural supporting arches respectively have curved arch configurations with arch curvatures that respectively match exterior contours of the exterior surface of the aircraft fuselage at respective cross-sections on the planes perpendicular to the lengthwise axis of the aircraft fuselage, wherein said structural supporting arches are connected to and support said first and second catwalks at locations spaced apart along a length of said catwalks respectively, and wherein said bridge supports are set down onto the fuselage so that said contact elements bear against the exterior surface of the fuselage with at least a part of a total weight of said access bridge so as to brace and positively fix a position of said access bridge on and relative to the fuselage, and to support at least said part of said total weight on the fuselage. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification