Pressure compensating air curtain for air cushion supported cargo loading platform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10005557-B2
Application number	US-201715695781-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2017
Priority date	Oct 10, 2014
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

An air cushion cargo shuttle includes a frame having a channel, an air curtain disposed within the channel of the frame, an air blower configured to blow air into an air volume beneath the air cushion cargo shuttle, and an air cushion formed by the air curtain configured to maintain the air volume.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air cushion cargo shuttle, comprising:
a frame having a channel;
an air curtain disposed within the channel of the frame;
an air blower configured to blow air into an air volume beneath the air cushion cargo shuttle;
an air cushion formed by the air curtain configured to maintain the air volume; and
a seal spring positioned above and configured to exert a downward pressure on the air curtain
wherein air from the air volume passes through a pressure supply hole of the frame and into the channel of the frame to contact the seal spring;
wherein the air curtain comprises a sealing point configured to form a seal against a floor panel; and
wherein the seal spring comprises a metallic material.

2. The air cushion cargo shuttle of claim 1 , further comprising a backing plate positioned above the air curtain within the channel.

3. The air cushion cargo shuttle of claim 1 , wherein the air blower is a centrifugal air blower.

4. The air cushion cargo shuttle of claim 1 , wherein the metallic material comprises an undulating pattern.

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Himmelmann Richard

Classifications

• B65G51/03

  over a flat surface or in troughs · CPC title

• B64D9/00 Primary

  Equipment for handling freight; Equipment for facilitating passenger embarkation or the like · CPC title

• B64C1/20

  specially adapted for freight · CPC title

• B60V3/025

  co-operating with a flat surface, e.g. transporting loads on platforms · CPC title

• B64D2009/006

  Rollers or drives for pallets of freight containers, e.g. PDU · CPC title