Aircraft maintenance apparatus and method of maintaining aircraft

• US 6,477,730 B1
• Filed: 10/23/2000
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omnics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Omnics, Inc.
• Inventors: Marrero, Lou
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Randall E.
• Application Number:
  US09/694,716
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 15/531, 15/532, 15/533, 15/971, 15/973, 180/7.1, 180/7.2, 180/20, 180/41
• US Class Current: 15/53.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 19/003 Multidirectional wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 19/12 Roller-type wheels B60B19/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 3/00 Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles cleaning in general B08B; cleaning peculiar to waterborne vessels B63B57/00, B63B59/00; ground equipment for cleaning aircraft B64F5/30
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 3/06 with rotary bodies contacting the vehicle hand-held B60S3/048
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 9/12 of telescopic type
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/20 Ground installations for de-icing aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/30 Cleaning aircraft

Abstract

An apparatus and methods are provided for performing maintenance procedures such as washing, cleaning, deicing, and painting to an aircraft. The apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention preferably has a mobile base having a plurality of wheel members for allowing the mobile base to travel along surfaces and a plurality of support surface registering members for registering the mobile base to a support surface to inhibit movement of the plurality of wheel members. The apparatus also preferably has a boom member having a proximal end portion rotatably mounted to the mobile base and being movable between a retracted position and an extended position and an aircraft maintenance tool rotatably connected to a distal end portion of the boom member.

Claims

1. A mobile vehicle, the mobile vehicle comprising:

a base having upper and lower portions, the lower portion including a plurality of recessed regions into each of which one of a plurality of wheels is mounted;

a drive connected to said base; and

a plurality of wheels each of which is drivable responsive to said drive in a selected direction independent of each of the other plurality of wheels,

each said plurality of wheels being connected to a lower portion of said base, positioned in one of the plurality of recessed regions, and connected to said drive so that said plurality of wheels responsively move said base in at least three different directions responsive to said drive, each of said wheels including a hub and a plurality of roller members dispersed around said hub.

2. A mobile vehicle as defined in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of auxiliary maintenance modules connected to the upper portion of said base.

3. A mobile vehicle as defined in claim 2 wherein a plurality of auxiliary maintenance modules are positioned along peripheral edges of said base.

4. A mobile vehicle as defined in claim 3 further comprising at least one maintenance module connected to the upper portion of said base and having a maintenance tool connected thereto.

5. A mobile vehicle as defined in claim 4 wherein said at least one maintenance module further includes a module base portion, a boom arm portion rotatably connected to said module base portion, and the maintenance tool being connected to said boom arm portion, said boom arm portion being extendable between retracted and extended positions.

6. A mobile vehicle as defined in claim 4, further comprising retractable and extendable connecting means positioned between and connected to the upper portion of said base and said main maintenance module for reacting and extending said main maintenance module.

7. A mobile vehicle as defined in claim 4, wherein at least either one of said plurality of auxiliary maintenance modules or said main maintenance module includes, a chamber having at least one maintenance fluid positioned therein.

8. A mobile vehicle as defined in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of leveling legs connected to said base for leveling said base in selected positions, said plurality of leveling legs being movable between retracted and extended positions.

9. A mobile vehicle, the mobile vehicle comprising:

a base having at least upper and lower portions, the upper portion of said base including a maintenance module having a module base portion and a boom arm connected to the module base portion;

a drive connected to said base; and

a plurality of wheels connected to a lower portion of said base and connected to said drive so that said plurality of wheels responsively move said base in at least three different directions responsive to said drive, each of said wheels including a hub and a plurality of roller members dispersed around said hub.

10. A mobile vehicle as defined in claim 9, wherein said boom arm portion comprises:

a first boom arm having a proximal end portion pivotally connected to a rotatable platform of the base, and have retracted and extended positions;

a second boom arm having a proximal end portion mounted to said first boom arm and having retracted and extended positions;

a third boom arm having a medial portion pivotally mounted to the distal end portion of said second boom arm and having retracted and extended positions; and

a fourth boom arm having a proximal end portion rotatably mounted to a distal end portion of said third boom arm.

11. A mobile vehicle as defined in claim 10, wherein said fourth boom arm further comprises a plurality of arm links, the plurality of arm links including, the first arm link having a proximal end rotatably connected to the distal end portion of the third boom arm, the second arm link having a proximal end pivotally connected to the distal end of said first arm link, the third arm link having proximal end portions pivotally connected to said second arm link, and a fourth arm link having a proximal end pivotally connected to the distal end of said third arm link.

12. A mobile vehicle, the mobile vehicle comprising:

a base having at least upper and lower portions;

a maintenance tool including a tool housing connected to said base;

a nozzle connected to said tool housing;

nozzle moving means connected said tool housing for pivotally moving said nozzle in a first plane and for pivotally moving said nozzle in a second different plane;

a drive connected to said base; and

a plurality of wheels connected to a lower portion of said base and connected to said drive so that said plurality of wheels responsively move said base in at least three different directions responsive to said drive, each of said wheels including a hub and a plurality of roller members dispersed around said hub.