Cornerpiece of a convolute of a bellows of a gangway and method for producing such a cornerpiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12448012-B2
Application number	US-202017764941-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2020
Priority date	Sep 30, 2019
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

The invention relates to a cornerpiece ( 3 ) of a convolute ( 2 ) of a bellows ( 1 ) of a gangway, the cornerpiece ( 3 ) extending from a first end ( 7 ) intended to be connected to a further part of the convolute ( 2 ) to a second end ( 8 ) intended to either be connected to a further part of the convolute ( 2 ) or to serve as an end of the convolute, wherein the cornerpiece ( 3 ) at least for a part of its extend from the first end ( 7 ) to the second end ( 8 ) has the shape of a trough that is bent into an arc, wherein the trough has a bottom line ( 9 ) or a bottom area ( 18 ), wherein the cornerpiece ( 3 ) has a first piece ( 10 ) that is a cut¬away from sheet material and has a second piece ( 11 ) that is a cut¬away from sheet material, wherein the first piece ( 10 ) is joined to the second piece ( 11 ) along a line of connection ( 12 ), wherein the line of connection crosses the bottom line or the bottom area.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cornerpiece of a convolute of a bellows of a gangway, comprising:
the cornerpiece extending from a first end to a second end, the first end adapted for connecting to a further part of the convolute, and the second end adapted for connecting to a further part of the convolute, or for serving as an end of the convolute,
wherein the cornerpiece at least for a part of its extent from the first end to the second end has a shape of a trough that is bent into an arc, the trough having a bottom line and/or an apex;
a first piece that is a cut-away from sheet material;
a second piece that is a cut-away from sheet material,
wherein the first piece is joined to the second piece along a line of connection; and
wherein the line of connection crosses the bottom line and/or the apex.

2. The cornerpiece of claim 1 , wherein the second end is adapted for connecting to the further part of the convolute.

3. The cornerpiece of claim 1 , wherein the second end is adapted for serving as the end of the convolute.

4. The cornerpiece of claim 1 , wherein the trough has said bottom line running along an inner surface of the trough-shaped cornerpiece, and said apex running along an outer surface of the trough-shaped cornerpiece, wherein the apex and bottom line are generally parallel to one another.

5. The cornerpiece of claim 1 , wherein the line of connection crosses the bottom line and the apex.

6. The cornerpiece of claim 1 , wherein the first piece is joined to the second piece along the line of connection by at least one of stitching, staples, rivets, hook and loop fastener, or adhesive.

7. The cornerpiece of claim 6 , wherein the first piece is joined to the second piece along the line of connection by adhesive comprising a glue.

8. The cornerpiece of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first rim section of the first piece forming part of the first end of the cornerpiece, and a second rim section of the first piece forming part of the second end of the cornerpiece, wherein the length of the first rim section of the first piece is smaller than the length of the second rim section of the first piece.

9. The cornerpiece of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first rim section of the second piece forming part of the second end of the cornerpiece, and a second rim section of the second piece forming part of the first end of the cornerpiece, wherein the length of the first rim section of the second piece is smaller than the length of the second rim section of the first piece.

10. The cornerpiece of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first rim section of the first piece forming part of the first end of the cornerpiece and a second rim section of the first piece forming part of the second end of the cornerpiece, wherein the length of the first rim section of the first piece is smaller than the length of the second rim section of the first piece; and
a first rim section of the second piece forming part of the second end of the cornerpiece and a second rim section of the second piece forming part of the first end of the cornerpiece, wherein the length of the first rim section of the second piece is smaller than the length of the second rim section of the first piece.

11. The cornerpiece of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first piece is a cut-away from laminate sheet material and the second piece is a cut-away from laminate sheet material.

12. The cornerpiece of claim 1 , wherein the first piece is a cut-away from laminate sheet material and the second piece is a cut-away from laminate sheet material.

13. The cornerpiece of claim 1 , wherein the first piece is joined to the second piece along the line of connection by stitching; and
wherein the stitching is sealed by room temperature curing silicone sealant.

14. A convolute according to claim 1 , comprising a side part that has the shape of a straight trough that extends from a first end of the side part to a second end of the side part, wherein the first end of the side part is connected to the first end of the cornerpiece.

15. A bellows of a gangway, the bellows having a plurality of convolutes comprising cornerpieces according to claim 1 , and attached to one-another to form the bellows.

16. A method for producing a cornerpiece of a convolute of a bellows of a gangway comprising:
providing a first piece as a cut-away from sheet material having an inner curved rim and an outer curved rim, wherein the inner curved rim is curved about a first center point and has a first radius, and wherein the outer curved rim is curved about a second center point that lies on the same side of the first piece as the first center point, but is different to the first center point, whereby the curvature of the outer curved rim has a second radius,
providing a second piece as a cut-away from sheet material having an inner curved rim and an outer curved rim, wherein the inner curved rim is curved about a first center point and has a first radius, and wherein the outer curved rim is curved about a second center point that lies on the same side of the second piece as the first center point, but is different to the first center point, whereby the curvature of the outer curved rim has a second radius,
joining the first piece to the second piece such that the outer curved rim of the first piece is joined to the outer curved rim of the second piece along a line of connection; wherein the line of connection crosses a bottom line and/or apex of a trough formed in said cornerpiece.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising connecting a first end of a side part having a shape of a straight trough that extends from a first end of the side part to a second end of the side part, to the first end of the cornerpiece.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein joining the first piece to the second piece comprises at least one of stitching, stapling, riveting, hook and loop fastening, or adhesive connecting.

Assignees

• Dellner Couplers Ab

Inventors

• Meers Christopher

Classifications

• B60D5/00

  Gangways for coupled vehicles, e.g. of concertina type · CPC title

• B61D17/14

  with gangways · CPC title

• B61D17/20

  Communication passages between coaches; Adaptation of coach ends therefor · CPC title

• B60D5/006

  Passages between articulated vehicles, e.g. bridges or rotating plates · CPC title

• B60D5/003 Primary

  Bellows for interconnecting vehicle parts · CPC title