Baggage handling system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10131505-B2
Application number	US-201615567482-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2016
Priority date	Apr 22, 2015
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A baggage transfer conveyer unit for mounting over a baggage carousel having a carousel transferring path for transferring a baggage therealong is provided. The conveyor unit comprises a proximal end, a distal end, an upper surface by means of which the baggage is to be transferred from the proximal end to the distal end along a conveyor unit transferring path extending between the ends, a baggage transferring mechanism configured for causing the upper surface to transfer the baggage along the conveyor transferring path; and a baggage diverting mechanism configured for causing a part of the upper surface to divert the baggage from the conveyer unit transferring path along a diverted direction different from that of the conveyor unit transferring path. The baggage transfer conveyer unit is configured to be mounted over the baggage carousel such that the conveyer transferring path is aligned with the carousel transferring path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A baggage transfer conveyer unit for use with a baggage carousel having a carousel transferring path for transferring a baggage therealong, the baggage transfer conveyor unit configured for being mounted over the baggage carousel, the baggage transfer conveyor unit comprising:
a proximal end, a distal end, and an upper surface by means of which the baggage is to be transferred from said proximal end to said distal end along a conveyor unit transferring path extending between said proximal and distal ends;
a baggage transferring mechanism configured for causing said upper surface to transfer the baggage along said conveyor unit transferring path; and
a baggage diverting mechanism configured for causing a part of said upper surface to divert the baggage from the conveyer unit transferring path along a diverted direction different from that of said conveyor unit transferring path;
wherein the baggage transfer conveyer unit is configured to be mounted over said baggage carousel such that the conveyer unit transferring path is aligned with the carousel transferring path.

2. The baggage transfer conveyer unit according to claim 1 , wherein said conveyor unit transferring path is configured for forming a continuous baggage transferring path with said carousel transferring path when the baggage transfer conveyor unit is mounted over said carousel and when the baggage diverting mechanism is not in operation.

3. The baggage transfer conveyer unit according to claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the baggage transfer conveyer unit comprises a top surface portion, a proximal surface portion extending between the proximal end of the conveyer unit and the top surface portion, and a distal surface portion extending between the top surface portion and the distal end of the baggage transfer conveyer unit and, optionally, wherein the upper surface has a convexly curved shape such that the proximal surface portion extends upwardly from the proximal end to the top surface portion and the distal surface portion extends downwardly from the top portion to the distal end.

4. The baggage transfer conveyer unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a lower surface extending between the proximal and distal ends of the baggage transfer conveyer unit so as to face the baggage carousel when the baggage transfer conveyer unit is mounted over the baggage carousel and
two sides extending between the upper and lower surfaces and defining therewithin a body of the baggage transfer conveyer unit.

5. The baggage transfer conveyer unit according to claim 4 , wherein said body when seen in the side view has a substantially trapezoid shape.

6. The baggage transfer conveyer unit according to claim 1 , wherein said baggage carousel comprises a moveable carousel belt, wherein the baggage transfer conveyor unit is configured to be mounted over said belt slightly spaced upwardly therefrom, such that:
continuous baggage flow is maintained along said carousel transferring path and said conveyer unit transferring path; and
movement of the carousel belt under the baggage transfer conveyer unit is allowed.

7. The baggage transfer conveyer unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a mounting arrangement for mounting thereover said baggage carousel.

8. The baggage transfer conveyer unit according to claim 1 , wherein the baggage diverting mechanism is configured for changing the direction of the baggage with respect to the conveyer unit transferring path.

9. The baggage transfer conveyer unit according to claim 1 , wherein the baggage diverting mechanism is configured for moving the baggage along said diverted direction.

10. The baggage transfer conveyer unit according to claim 1 , wherein the diverted direction forms an angle with said conveyer unit transferring path.

11. The baggage transfer conveyer unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a diverting surface from which the baggage is diverted by the baggage diverting mechanism.

12. The baggage transfer conveyer unit according to claim 1 , wherein the baggage diverting mechanism has a diverting mode of operation and a transferring mode of operation, such that in the transferring mode the baggage diverting mechanism together with the baggage transferring mechanism cause the upper surface of the baggage transfer conveyer unit to transfer the baggage along said conveyor unit transferring path from the proximal end of the unit to the distal end of the unit, and in the diverting mode the baggage diverting mechanism causes a part of the upper surface of the baggage transfer conveyer unit to divert the baggage along said diverted direction.

13. The baggage transfer conveyer unit according to claim 1 , wherein said part of the upper surface of the baggage transfer conveyer unit is constituted by a plurality of rollers each having a roller axis and being configured for rotating about said axis, said rollers being arranged such that their axes are parallel and such that they are all rotatable in the same direction, wherein the baggage diverting mechanism is configured for pivoting said rollers between a position in which their axes are perpendicular to the conveyor unit transferring path when the baggage diverting mechanism is in said transferring mode and a position, in which their axes are oriented differently than being perpendicular to the conveyor unit transferring path when the baggage diverting mechanism is in said diverting mode.

14. The baggage transfer conveyer unit according to claim 1 , wherein the baggage diverting mechanism is configured to have an activated mode in which it causes a part of the upper surface of the conveyer unit to divert the baggage from the conveyor unit transferring path and an inactivated mode in which the baggage diverting mechanism is not in operation.

15. The baggage transfer conveyer unit according to claim 14 , further comprising a belt crank assembly having a plurality of straps constituting said part of the upper surface and oriented such that their longitudinal direction is substantially perpendicular to the conveyor unit transferring path.

16. The baggage transfer conveyer unit according to claim 1 , further comprising an activation means for activating the baggage diverting mechanism.

17. The baggage transfer conveyer unit according to claim 1 , wherein the upper surface comprises one or more moving elements which are movable for advancing the baggage along the conveyor unit transferring path.

18. The baggage transfer conveyer unit according to claim 17 , wherein the baggage transferring mechanism is configured for moving said one or more moving elements in a direction and at speed corresponding to those of the movement of the carousel along the carousel transferring path.

19. The baggage transfer conveyer unit according to claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the baggage transfer conveyer unit comprises a plurality of transferring rollers having parallel axes perpendicular to the conveyor unit transferring path and rotatable about these axes in the same direction.

20. The baggage transfer conveyer unit according to claim 19 , wherein the transferring rollers constitute said proximal and distal surface portions of the conveyer unit and wherein the top portion is free of such transferring rollers.

21. The baggage transfer conveyer unit according to claim 1 , wherein the proximal and distal surface portions of the upper surface are each constituted by a transferring belt.

22. A baggage sorting system

Assignees

• Israel Aerospace Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Lagziel Rafi
• Kiselevich Itzhak

Classifications

• B65G2207/30

  Modular constructions · CPC title

• B65G2201/0264

  Luggage · CPC title

• B65G65/23

  Devices for tilting and emptying of containers · CPC title

• B65G39/025

  having spherical roller elements · CPC title

• B65G21/06

  constructed to facilitate rapid assembly or dismantling · CPC title