Ground handling facility and method for passenger-transporting aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11066183-B2
Application number	US-201716626392-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2017
Priority date	Jul 24, 2017
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

A ground handling facility (1) for passenger-transporting aircraft (100), in particular vertical takeoff and landing multicopters, including: at least one first platform (2) which is designed as a landing platform (2) for a passenger-transporting aircraft (100), wherein a) the at least one first platform is simultaneously designed as a takeoff platform for a passenger-transporting aircraft (100), or b) wherein a second platform (3) is provided which is designed as a takeoff platform (3) for a passenger-transporting aircraft (100); at least one region (4) which is designed as weather protection for the passengers and the aircraft (100), in particular by provision of a canopy; and at least one conveying device (5.1; 5.2; 5.3) for the aircraft (100) that is designed to move the aircraft (100) from the landing platform (2) through the region (4) to the takeoff platform (3), in which region there is provided at least one station (6.1-6.4) which is configured for a predetermined interaction with the aircraft (100).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A ground handling facility (1) for passenger-conveying aircraft ( 100 ), comprising:
at least one first platform, configured as a landing platform ( 2 ) for passenger-conveying aircraft ( 100 ), wherein
(a) the at least one first platform is simultaneously configured as a takeoff platform ( 3 ) for the passenger-conveying aircraft, or
(b) at least one second platform is provided which is configured as the takeoff platform ( 3 ) for the passenger-conveying aircraft;

at least one weather protection region ( 4 ) which includes a weather protection area for passengers and the aircraft ( 100 );
at least one conveying device ( 5 ; 5 . 1 ; 5 . 2 ; 5 . 3 ) for the aircraft, which is configured to move the aircraft ( 100 ) from the landing platform ( 2 ) through the at least one weather protection region to the takeoff platform ( 3 );
said at least one weather protection region ( 4 ) including at least the following stations ( 6 ; 6 . 1 - 6 . 5 ) configured for predefined interactions (I) with the aircraft ( 100 ):
a removal station ( 6 . 1 ) configured for removal of at least one power supply unit of the aircraft;
an insertion station ( 6 . 4 ) configured for insertion of at least one charged or refilled power supply unit of the aircraft;
a charging station configured for charging or refilling the at least one power supply unit of the aircraft;
a robot ( 6 . 1 a . 6 . 4 a ) is provided at least at one of the removal station ( 6 . 1 ), which is configured to remove the power supply unit ( 6 . 1 b ) from the aircraft (P 1 ), or at the insertion station ( 6 . 4 ), which is configured to insert the at least one charged or refilled power supply unit in the aircraft; and
the at least one conveying device ( 5 ) is further configured such that a conveying speed thereof is selected such that one of the aircraft ( 100 ) is within a first time period removed from the landing platform ( 2 ) upon landing to the at least one weather protection region ( 4 ); and
the at least one conveying device ( 5 ) is further configured such that the conveying speed thereof is selected so that one of the aircraft ( 100 ) is within a second time period conveyed through the at least one weather protection region ( 4 ).

2. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein in the weather protection region ( 4 ), the stations ( 6 ; 6 . 1 - 6 . 5 ) are provided in series in a conveying direction of the conveying device ( 5 ; 5 . 1 ; 5 . 2 ; 5 . 3 ), the stations further include at least a disembarking station ( 6 . 2 ) configured for disembarking of passengers from the aircraft; an embarking station ( 6 . 3 ) configured for embarking of passengers into the aircraft.

3. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the weather protection region ( 4 ) is at least covered by a roof.

4. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the conveying device ( 5 ) comprises a multi-part conveying device ( 5 . 1 ; 5 . 2 ; 5 . 3 ).

5. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the multi-part conveying device includes a first conveying device ( 5 . 1 ), a second conveying device ( 5 . 2 ) and a third conveying device ( 5 . 3 ), wherein the first conveying device ( 5 . 1 ) is configured to convey the aircraft ( 100 ) from the landing platform ( 2 ) to or into the weather protection region ( 4 ), the second conveying device ( 5 . 2 ; 5 . 2 ′) is configured to convey the aircraft ( 100 ) through the weather protection region ( 4 ), and the third conveying device ( 5 . 3 ) is configured to convey the aircraft ( 100 ) out of or from the weather protection region ( 4 ) to the takeoff platform ( 3 ).

6. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 5 , wherein at least the first conveying device ( 5 . 1 ) and the third conveying device, in comparison to the second conveying device ( 5 . 2 ; 5 . 2 ′), have different conveying speeds, with the first conveying device ( 5 . 1 ) and the third conveying device ( 5 . 3 ) having a higher conveying speed than the second conveying device ( 5 . 2 ; 5 . 2 ′).

7. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the conveying device ( 5 ) is configured to move the aircraft ( 100 ) in a continuous manner.

8. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the conveying device ( 5 ) is configured to move the aircraft ( 100 ) in a discontinuous manner in the weather protection region ( 4 ).

9. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a braking device for a non-vertically landing aircraft located in a region of the landing platform ( 2 ).

10. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the weather protection region is arranged on a different horizontal plane than at least one of the takeoff or landing platform ( 2 , 3 ).

11. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ground handling facility is adapted to be on a building ( 20 ).

12. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 11 , wherein at least one of the takeoff or landing platform ( 2 , 3 ) is adapted to be arranged as an overhang in relation to the building ( 20 ).

13. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the weather protection region ( 4 ) or a course of the conveying device ( 5 ) in the region, has a meandering (M) form.

14. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one further station ( 6 . 5 ) configured for removal of the aircraft ( 100 ) from the conveying device ( 5 ).

15. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the conveying device ( 5 ) comprises at least one of a conveyor belt, a robot, a towing device, a pushing device, or a carriage.

16. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said first time period is less than one minute.

17. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 16 , wherein said second time period is less than five minutes.

18. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a guiding device in the region of the landing platform ( 2 ), said guiding device ( 7 ) is configured to guide a landing one of the aircraft ( 100 ) into a region of action of the conveying device ( 5 ).

19. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an additional conveying device ( 5 . 1 ′) in the region of the landing platform ( 2 ), said additional conveying device ( 5 . 1 ′) being configured to feed a landed one of the aircraft ( 100 ) to the conveying device ( 5 ).

20. A building ( 20 ), comprising at least one ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ground handling facility ( 1 ) is arranged on or in a roof region of the building ( 20 ).

21. The building ( 20 ) as claimed in claim 20 , further comprising an elevator ( 21 ) or a staircase as access to the weather protection region ( 4 ).

22. The building ( 20 ) as claimed in claim 20 , wherein there are at least two ground handling facilities ( 1 ) which are arranged on mutually opposite sides of the building ( 20 ), having respectively separate ones of the takeoff platforms and the landing platforms.

23. The building ( 20 ) as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the takeoff platforms and the landing platforms ( 2 , 3 ) are arranged as overhangs in relation to the buildi

Assignees

• Volocopter Gmbh

Inventors

• Zosel Alexander

Classifications

• B64F1/35

  for supplying electrical power to stationary aircraft · CPC title

• B64F1/228

  remotely controlled; operating autonomously · CPC title

• B64F1/22

  for handling aircraft · CPC title

• B64F1/00 Primary

  Ground or aircraft-carrier-deck installations · CPC title

• B64F1/005 Primary

  Protective coverings for aircraft not in use · CPC title