Multiple-door access boarding bridge
First Claim
1. A boarding bridge for an aircraft, comprising:
- a passageway extending from a sheltered passenger gate area; and
a plurality of side arms, at least one of said plurality of side arms further comprising an extension to a second level of the aircraft, the plurality of side arms extending generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the passageway, wherein passengers board or disembark the aircraft via the side arms simultaneously from at least two doors on opposite sides of the aircraft.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An aircraft boarding bridge has two arms, one arm for each side of the aircraft. Using the boarding bridge, passengers and crew may embark or debark both sides of the aircraft at the same time, enabling boarding or deplaning in as little as half the time presently used. This multiple-door access boarding bridge may use one or more than one door on each side of the aircraft. The bridge itself may be an apron-drive model, using drive wheels to approach a parked aircraft, or may be a fixed-location model, using vertical lifts to move into position once an aircraft has parked. Access doors in the bridge allow service personnel to approach without interfering with the boarding or deplaning processes.
63 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A boarding bridge for an aircraft, comprising:
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a passageway extending from a sheltered passenger gate area; and
a plurality of side arms, at least one of said plurality of side arms further comprising an extension to a second level of the aircraft, the plurality of side arms extending generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the passageway, wherein passengers board or disembark the aircraft via the side arms simultaneously from at least two doors on opposite sides of the aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of emplaning and deplaning an aircraft, said method comprising:
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providing an aircraft with at least one door on a left side and at least one door on a right side of the aircraft;
providing a multiple-door access boarding bridge near the aircraft, the boarding bridge comprising a passageway extending from a passenger gate area and two side arms extending generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the passageway, at least one of said plurality of side arms further comprising an extension to a second level of the aircraft;
opening the at least one door on the left side and the at least one door on the right side of the aircraft; and
emplaning or deplaning passengers simultaneously from the left side and right sides of the aircraft via the boarding bridge. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A passenger boarding bridge for a wide-body aircraft, comprising:
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a central passageway extending from a sheltered passenger gate area;
a left arm and a right arm extending from the passageway generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the passageway;
a drive mechanism and at least two drive wheels attached to each arm;
an interface near a far end of each arm for nearing an aircraft door; and
means for vertical adjustment, said means attached to each arm, wherein passengers board or disembark the aircraft via the arms simultaneously from at least two doors on opposite sides of the aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An aircraft boarding bridge with an extension, comprising:
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a passageway from a sheltered passenger gate area, wherein the passageway comprises a first extension to a door on a first side of an aircraft; and
a second extension from the passageway, wherein the second extension leads to a door on an opposite side of the aircraft, and wherein the extensions extend generally in a direction of the passageway. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification