Rescue system and method

Abstract

The invention relates to a rescue system for rescuing a load, comprising an excitable lifting device (1) for placement under the load, and supporting means (30) for supporting the lifting device, by means of which the lifting device is supported on the surrounding ground, the support device comprises a plurality of support means for forming a plurality of supports, the support means being longitudinally adjustable between a retracted shortest length and an elongated maximum length, the support means being at least substantially free to move during an elongated movement while being mechanically locked in opposite directions, each of the support devices is provided with energizable unlocking means that can and are configured to release the mechanical locking of the associated support device, and both the lifting device and the unlocking means are remotely controllable.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a rescue system for rescuing a load, comprising an activatable lifting device for placing under the load and support means for supporting the lifting device, by which the lifting device is supported on the ground at the periphery, the support means comprising a plurality of support devices for forming a plurality of support members, wherein the support devices are longitudinally adjustable between a retracted minimum length and an extended maximum length.

[0002] Such a system is particularly used in emergency situations in which a plane has crashed, tipped over or landed unexpectedly and must be rescued. In such a situation, a lifting device of the type described in the preamble can be placed, for example, under the wings of a plane in order to lift the wings and stabilize the plane. In order to secure the lifting device, support members for securing the lifting device are placed around the lifting device, whereby the lifting device can be supported on the ground.

[0003] Such a system is known, for example, from Dutch patent NL 2014930. The lifting device described in this patent comprises stacked inflatable mats which are secured by a set of extendable support members. In this patent, the support members can be adjusted in length as the stacked inflatable mats are raised and the support members have a locking mechanism which prevents shortening.

[0004] A problem that arises in practice with known systems is that the support members must be set to a certain length when the lifting device is lifting the load. Even when the load is stabilized in another way and the system can be removed, the locking mechanism must be released manually in known systems, for which the support members must be approached by a person while still under load.

[0005] The invention therefore has as its object, inter alia, to provide a rescue system which at least largely eliminates these disadvantages.

[0006] In order to achieve the stated object, the rescue system according to the invention of the type described in the preamble is characterized in that the support devices are at least largely free to move in the extension movement and are mechanically locked in the opposite direction, each of the support devices is provided with activatable unlocking means which can and are configured to release the mechanical locking of the associated support device, and both the lifting device and the unlocking means are remotely controllable.

[0007] If the lifting device collapses unexpectedly while carrying the load or if it fails to do its job, the support device thus continues to provide mechanical safety. The support device is able to take over and secure the load carried by the lifting device completely, thus preventing an unsafe situation for the lifting device. In addition, the support device makes it possible to repair the lifting device, thus repairing the lifting device, or to replace the lifting device completely or partially - if this is necessary in practice.

[0008] Due to the free movement mode, the support device is able to follow the lifting of the lifting device autonomously from the outset, i.e. no person is necessarily present below the load in order to follow the lifting of the lifting device. The locking mechanism continuously locks the newly occupied position of the support device, thus the rescue system continuously provides safety, even if the system has to adapt to a mispositioning of the lifting device below the load. This mispositioning also occurs with the system according to the invention without problems. Thereafter, the locking mechanism of the system according to the invention can be released from a distance so that no person is exposed to the load when the lifting device is moved or under load. Thus, the system can lift the load in a very safe and reliable manner and release the load thereafter.

[0009] In a particular embodiment, the rescue system according to the invention is characterized in that the support device is telescopically adjustable, the support device comprising a cylindrical housing and a sleeve telescopically fitted on the cylindrical housing, wherein the locking comprises at least one adjustable clamping member between the cylindrical housing and the sleeve, which in the clamped state engages between the cylindrical housing and the sleeve in opposite directions, while in the outward stroke the clamping member is in the released state between the cylindrical housing and the sleeve. The at least one clamping member can comprise one of one or more brake shoes or brake balls, for example, wherein the brake shoes or brake balls engage in the clamped state on a wall of the sleeve and / or the cylindrical housing and thereby prevent the inward stroke of the sleeve. In the free movement mode, the clamping member is released from the associated wall and thereby releases and enables the telescopic device to follow the further rising lifting device.

[0010] A preferred embodiment of the rescue system according to the invention is characterized in that the cylindrical housing comprises a pressure chamber for receiving pressurized fluid, in particular compressed air, therein, which is provided with a hose connection for coupling with a fluid line leading to a pressurizing device located at a distance for supplying the fluid, wherein the fluid acts as a pressure medium on the sleeve in order to drive the sleeve to move outward. Thus, an overpressure can be built up in the pressure chamber during operation, which pushes the sleeve away from the cylindrical housing as soon as space is provided by the lifting device. Thereby, any possible friction of the sleeve acting on the cylindrical wall is sufficiently overcome, which increases the likelihood that the individual support device will follow the lifting of the lifting device particularly uniformly.

[0011] A further specific embodiment of the rescue system according to the application is characterized in that the unlocking means comprise an actuator member which, when activated, releases the locking of the associated support device. Here, the actuator member can be operated remotely, entirely mechanically, for example, by means of a purely mechanical transmission, or, for example, by means of an at least partially electronic coupling. However, a further preferred embodiment of the rescue system according to the application is characterized in that the actuator member can be activated under the pressure of an auxiliary fluid, in particular compressed air, and that the cylindrical housing comprises a connection for supplying the auxiliary fluid, wherein the support device likewise extends under the pressure of the pressure medium. Here, several, if not substantially all, components of the rescue system can be operated on the basis of the same or similar technology, in particular in a pneumatic and / or hydraulic manner.

[0012] With regard to the connection of the support device, a further preferred embodiment of the rescue system according to the application is characterized in that the hose connection comprises a coaxial hose coupling for coupling with a coaxial fluid line leading to a remotely located at least one pressure supply device for supplying fluid and auxiliary fluid in parallel. Thus, the coaxial connection reduces the number of pipes that have to be run from the optional connection head pressure supply device to the support device. This simplifies both the marketing and the use of the system.

[0013] When lowering the system, it is important to ensure that the locking of all support devices is actually released, in order to avoid unsafe situations. In view of this, a further specific embodiment of the system is characterized in that the unlocking means comprise an electronic sensor which is able and configured to monitor the state of the unlocking means and to output the state of the unlocking means in the form of an electronic signal to the processing unit, wherein the electronic sensor in particular comprises an electronic monitoring device selected from the group consisting of: a switch contact, a magnetic sensor and an optical sensor. The lifting device is only released for lowering when all support devices have received the unlocking signal, by means of which the lifting device can thus be protected.

[0014] Although different types of lifting devices can be applied to the rescue system according to the application, a rescue system according to the application is preferably characterized in that the lifting device comprises at least substantially upright stacked mutually coupled inflatable bodies, in particular inflatable mats. The protection realized by a set of supports as described above is particularly suitable for use in combination with such stacked inflatable bodies, in particular inflatable mats. Here, compressed air is used as pressure medium, in particular as pressure medium for the inflatable bodies.

[0015] In order to quickly and correctly arrange the support devices around the lifting device, in particular such a stack of mats, a further specific embodiment of the rescue system according to the application is preferably applied, characterized in that the support devices are supported on the ground by the intervention of the foot plates from the foot plate set, and in that the foot plate set forms part of a positioning device which is positioned relative to the lifting device, in particular in an equidistant manner. Here, the positioning device is placed in advance in order to thereby define the correct position of the field foot plates. The support elements can then be arranged on the foot plates and coupled from there to the lifting device in order to achieve an optimum force distribution.

[0016] The application also relates to a method for operating a rescue system, in particular the above-mentioned rescue system according to the application. According to the application, this method comprises the following steps:

[0017] - placing the activatable lifting device under the load;

[0018] - providing a plurality of longitudinally adjustable support devices between the respective support points on the ground and the lifting device, which are each longitudinally adjustable between a minimum length and an extended maximum length and are substantially free in the extension movement and locked in the opposite direction;

[0019] - partially raising the activatable lifting device to a height which is at most located under the load; and

[0020] - if necessary, filling the distance between the joint on the at most partially raised lifting device and a section of the length of the support devices by inserting one or more elongate support bodies, in particular by inserting one or more tubular bodies.

[0021] Here, the method according to the application is characterized in that the support devices are arranged between the support points and the at most partially raised lifting device in an at least substantially unloaded state, if necessary by the insertion of elongate support bodies, and in that only after this the lifting device is driven to a higher height.

[0022] In a specific embodiment, the method according to the application is characterized in that each of the support devices is provided with activatable unlocking means which can and are configured to release the locking of the support device, and in that only when the locking of each of the support devices has been released, the lifting device is moved from the loaded state to a lower height. Thus, before the lifting device is lowered from the optionally fully raised state, it is first ensured that the support devices are also free in the inward movement.

[0023] In a further particular embodiment, the method according to the application is characterized in that the lifting device comprises stacked inflatable bodies, in particular stacked inflatable mats, and in that at least one of the mats is removed from the stack of inflatable mats while the load is carried by the support device. Thus, the application provides the option to remove and replace an inflatable body from the stack of inflatable bodies, for example in case a leak or other defect is found in the inflatable body, while the rescue system is in a loaded state. In this case, the support device takes up the entire load so that the lifting device can be repaired in an unloaded state in a relatively simple and quick manner.

[0024] The application will be further described below with reference to exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 An isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of a rescue system according to the application is shown, wherein the rescue system is in a fully compressed state;

[0026] Figure 2 A rescue system according to the application is shown, wherein the rescue system is in a partially elevated state; Figure 1

[0027] Figure 3 A rescue system according to the application is shown, wherein the rescue system is in a fully elevated state; Figure 1

[0028] Figure 3A , Figure 3B The mutual coupling of successive mats in a stack of mats according to the application is shown in a first enlarged view and a second, partially exploded enlarged view by way of a cross-section; Figure 3

[0029] Figure 4A An isometric view of a tubular body as can be used in a rescue system according to the application is shown;

[0030] Figure 4B A longitudinal cross-section of a tubular body according to the application is shown; Figure 4A

[0031] An isometric view of a support device as can be used in a rescue system according to the application is shown; Figure 5A

[0032] A longitudinal cross-section of a support device according to the application is shown; Figure 5B Figure 5A A sectional detail of a base of a support device according to the application is shown;

[0033] Figure 5C Figure 5A A sectional detail of a base of a support device according to the application is shown;

[0034] Figure 6A ​​​​​An isometric view of a support of a rescue system as used in Figure 1 ;

[0035] Figure 6B An enlarged detail of the support of Figure 6A ;

[0036] Figure 7 An isometric view of a second exemplary embodiment of a rescue system according to the invention, wherein the rescue system is in a fully raised state; and

[0037] Figures 8 to 11 A rescue system of Figure 1 , wherein the rescue system is located under a load in a continuous elongation phase.

[0038] It is additionally noted here that the drawings are merely schematic and are not always drawn to scale (identically). Some dimensions can be exaggerated or reduced for the sake of clarity, in particular. Corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference signs in the drawings.

[0039] Figure 1 The rescue system shown in Figure 2 comprises a lifting device 1 in the form of a linear stack of a plurality of inflatable bodies 10 (hereinafter also referred to as mats), each of which is provided with a separate compressed air connection 11 (see Figure 2 ). The compressed air connections can be coupled to separate compressed air lines through which air can be introduced into the mats under the pressure of a compressor or a pressure cylinder. This causes the mats 10 to expand and the stack of mats to rise (as shown in , etc. as described in Dutch patent NL 2014930, the contents of which are incorporated by reference and considered included in the invention.

[0040] As also explained in this patent, such a rescue system is particularly used for rescuing aircraft. To this end, the stack of mats comprises at the top a transition device 20, in this case for example a set of six-sided low-pressure mats 20 which are also fed with compressed air (optionally from the same source), but which are able to follow the local geometry of the aircraft better, since they are less filled (under pressure).

[0041] If desired, different transition devices can be used depending on the type and size of the aircraft, such as for example different types, different shapes or different sizes of low-pressure mats. Figure 7 An example of such an alternative embodiment is shown in

[0042] The mats 10 each comprise a flexible wall 12 which is optionally made of natural rubber (see also Figure 3A and Figure 3B). Here a very strong aramid fiber cladding is used, which is branded as or The mats 10 are thus able to withstand very heavy loads in the inflated state. The flexible walls 12 are received in a sealed manner at the top and bottom in central end pieces 13, 14, which are made entirely of aluminum or another solid, rigid material. In addition to providing a sealed seal of the mats 10, the end pieces 13, 14 also provide the means for the mutual coupling of the mats. To this end, the end piece 13 is provided at the bottom with a recess 15 in which a protrusion 16 of the top of the mat below is received. This male-female coupling 15, 16 provides guidance and stability for the stacked mats, while this coupling can be released in a simple manner in the event that one or more mats 10 need to be replaced or removed from the stack of mats.

[0043] The stack of mats 1 here ends in a group of low-pressure mats 20 with a rectangular footprint. The stack of mats can also end in a rectangular coupling piece (jack point adapter) which is coupled to a coupling point (jack point) for this rectangular coupling piece and which is provided on the fuselage or wing of the aircraft.

[0044] To avoid the unsafe situation of a mat 10 in the stack of mats from accidentally deflating or bursting when under load, the rescue system comprises bearing means in the form of a plurality of support pieces 30 which are placed radially around the stack of mats 10, 20 (see Figure 2 ). Each support piece 30 is coupled at a first outer end 31 to a cup 21 provided on the stack of mats 10 for coupling with the support piece, and each support piece enters into a durable reliable connection with the cup. The support piece 30 is received at the free outer end by a foot plate 41, wherein the foot plate forms part of a positioning device 40 - the foot plate is provided to form part of the positioning device. Both the cup 21 and the foot plate 41 on the stack of mats 1 are connected to the support piece 30 in a pivoting manner, preferably forming a ball joint, thus allowing the support piece 30 to freely occupy different positions. If desired, the foot plate 41 here can also be anchored to the ground by means of ground anchors (pegs).

[0045] In addition to the foot plates 41, the positioning device 40 also comprises a central base 45 on which the stack of mats 1 is placed. The foot plates 41 are connected to the central base 45 by means of equidistant radial strips 43. Between the radial strips 43 are equidistant intermediate strips 44. Both the radial strips 43 and the intermediate strips 44 are arranged in advance in a tensioned manner such that the foot plates 41 are thereby positioned at an equal distance relative to the center of the stack of mats. This defines the optimal positioning of the support pieces 30 around the stack of mats.

[0046] The supports 30 are arranged before the stack of mats is fully raised and will have to bear the load. This is shown in Figure 2 Here, the first number of mats 10 is still in the initial empty state, while the second group of mats 10 is fully inflated. The supports 30 each comprise an adjustable support device 50 which, in combination with one or more tubular bodies 60, bridges the distance from the support device 50 to the associated cup 21 of the stack of mats 1. In some cases, a coupling 65 is provided between the support device 50 and the tubular body 60 adjacent thereto to connect the two components to each other in a gapless manner. The assembled supports 30 ultimately form a fully rigid column which can withstand sufficient loads. Contributing to this result is that the tubular bodies 60 are particularly thick-walled and much larger in size relative to the support devices 50 in order to maintain the overall bending resistance.

[0047] Figure 4A and Figure 4B This tubular body 60 is shown in further detail in Figure 4A and is a relatively thick-walled cylindrical body made of aluminum or a similar material of at least equal strength. The tubular body 60 comprises a narrowing 62 at the outer end which is received in the rear end of a corresponding further tubular body. Here, the mutual coupling is ensured by a set of spring-mounted studs 64 which are received in corresponding openings 66 at the rear end. This is shown in more detail in the cross-section of Figure 4A and in which the internal operating member 68 is also visible by which this coupling can be manually released from below if necessary. The internal operating member is a cable, rod or similar operating member which, when pulled, releases the conical displacement member 69 from the studs 64 against the spring tension of the coil spring 67. At this point, the studs 64 spring back into the position inside the tubular body 60 and out of the openings 66 of the other tubular bodies, thereby releasing the tubular body 60 from the other tubular bodies.

[0048] The free outer end of the support 30 is connected to the foot plate 41, after which the first group of mats 10 is also fully or partially inflated depending on the height to be achieved (see Figure 3 ). The support devices 50 are each adjustable between a retracted shortest length (see Figure 2 ) and an extended maximum length ( Figure 3between the length occupied by the support device 50 in the compressed starting position and the maximum length of the support device 50. Here, the support device 50 is free to move when extended to its maximum length, while movement in the opposite direction is prevented in different cases by locking means provided in the support device 50. This enables the support device 50 to freely extend as the stack of mats 1 is continuously raised, while at the same time still continuously providing axial support, which reliably fastens the stack of mats and in particular also enables complete load bearing independence. The complete load bearing independence of the support device offers the option of then, if necessary, for example, removing and replacing mats that are leaking, have developed leaks or have other defects from the stack of mats without having to remove the remainder of the column of mats. Here, the seal-tight sealing of each individual mat 10 (as shown in Figure 3B ) allows the mats to be individually deflated in order to individually replace and / or remove one or more mats without having to remove the remainder of the column of mats.

[0049] As shown by the exemplary embodiment in Figures 5A to 5C , the support devices 50 each comprise a tubular device assembled in a telescoping manner, which has an axial cavity delimited by a cylindrical housing 52 and a cylindrical housing sleeve 55 as an extension part that can move axially on the cylindrical housing in a tightly fitting, sealing manner. The support devices 50 can continuously be adjusted between a relatively compressed starting position (as shown in Figure 5A and Figure 5B ) in which the cylindrical housing 52 is at least substantially completely inside the housing sleeve 55 and an extended position in which the housing sleeve 55 is moved maximally away from the cylindrical housing 52.

[0050] As shown in the longitudinal section in Figure 5B , the cylindrical housing 52 comprises at its outer end a locking device 54 inside the housing sleeve 55, which is provided at a main surface facing the housing sleeve 55 with a plurality of successive radial grooves or recesses 56 (see also the enlarged portion of Figure 5B ). In the grooves 56 a plurality of locking bodies 58 are provided. In this example, these locking bodies 58 comprise a set of balls and can and are configured to mutually fix the housing sleeve 55 with the cylindrical housing 52 in any extended state of the support device 50, in which further inward movement of the housing sleeve 55 on the cylindrical housing 52 is prevented. The balls 58 can be made of any suitable material, but for reasons of durability and strength they are made of a hard material, such as for example steel. The hard material, such as steel, is preferably also used for the locking device 54 and the grooves 56 provided in the locking device. Although in this exemplary embodiment a plurality of successive radial grooves 56 are utilized, a single radial groove or a helical groove or other recesses can also be utilized. Instead of a common groove for each ball 58, separate recesses can also be provided.

[0051] AsFigure 5B As shown in more detail, the recesses 56 in the locking means 54 are of increasing depth, wherein the maximum depth in the recesses 56 is adapted to the diameter of the ball 58 such that the ball 58, when located in the deepest part of the recess 56, does not or hardly comes into contact with the inner wall of the housing sleeve 55. When the housing sleeve 55 is slid apart from the cylindrical housing 52, the ball 58 is driven into this deepest part of the recess 56, whereby the support means 50 are free to move in this direction. When the housing sleeve 55 is moved in the opposite direction over the cylindrical housing 52, the ball 58 is however driven out of the recess 56 and eventually engages on the inner wall of the housing sleeve 55. At this point, the ball 58 is clamped in place and prevents the housing sleeve 55 from moving further back over the cylindrical housing 52. The support means 50 are thus automatically prevented from shortening.

[0052] In order to return the support means 50 from the extended position to a position in which the support means are not extended so far or to a relative compression starting position, unlocking means are provided by means of which the above-mentioned clamping of the ball 58 can be released. The unlocking means comprise an unlocking device by means of which the ball 58 can be driven into a deeper part of the associated recess 56 in which the ball no longer abuts against the inner wall of the housing sleeve 55 by means of clamping and the locking is thus released. For this purpose, the head 53 of the unlocking device engages on the steel ring 57 which directly acts on the ball 58 and, when being lifted, simultaneously drives the ball 58 into a deeper part of the recess 56 in which the ball 58 is no longer clamped to the inner wall of the housing sleeve 55. In order to be able to lift the ring 57, the head 53 is coupled to the outer end of a drive rod 51 which extends inside the cylindrical housing 52. The drive rod 51 is coupled at its base to an actuator 80 which can be controlled remotely from the outside to displace the drive rod 51 in the axial direction. The actuator 80 and thus the drive rod 51 can be controlled in a mechanical manner, in a pneumatic manner and in a hydraulic manner.

[0053] In this case, the actuator comprises a piston 80 (see also Figure 5C ) which can be extended in a pneumatic manner. The piston 80 engages on the drive rod 51 and thus axially displaces the drive rod, whereby the head 53 is lifted against the spring tension of the helical spring 59. Here, the head 53 strikes the ring or ring 57 and thus drives the ball 58 from the clamped position between the cylindrical housing 55 and the locking means 53 to a deeper part of the recess 56. This releases the locking of the support means 50 - the support means fall freely and in a more compact form. As soon as the pressure acting on the piston 80 is removed, the spring tension of the helical spring 59 causes the drive rod 51 to be forced back into the starting position.

[0054] The support 30 of the rescue system is able to follow the lifting of the stacked mats 10 and is able to constantly stabilize the lifting of the stacked mats, since the bearing device 50 will be correspondingly elongated and will prevent a movement in the opposite direction. In order to overcome any possible mutual friction between the cylindrical housing 52 and the outer sleeve 55, a pressure medium is introduced in the axial cavity of the cylindrical housing 52, which acts on the outer sleeve 55 and drives the outer sleeve 55 to move outwards. For this purpose, each bearing device 50 is provided with a first hose connection 71 (see also Figure 6A and Figure 6B ), which is used for coupling with a separate pressure line 73 leading to a pressure generating device 70 (see also Figures 8 to 11 ) located at a distance for supplying a suitable pressurized medium, here for example compressed air.

[0055] The locking or free movement mode of the bearing device 50 is likewise provided in a pneumatic manner. For this purpose, the bearing device also comprises a second hose connection 72, which is used for coupling with a second pressure line 74 (see Figure 6A and Figure 5B ). Thereby, a second pressurized medium can be supplied as an auxiliary fluid. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the supply takes place by coupling the two compressed air lines of the separate connections 71, 72 with each other, wherein each connection has a separate optionally paired compressed air line 73, 74. Alternatively, here too a coaxial, in particular concentric, coupling can be used - by providing the same pipe through which both pressure media can flow separately from each other to the bearing device. This can greatly reduce the number of separate pressure lines on site.

[0056] The auxiliary fluid acts on the piston 80, which serves as an actuator, through which the drive rod 51 is elongated in order to release the locking of the bearing device 50. The release of the locking of the bearing device is monitored by an electronic sensor (see Figure 5C ) arranged at the actuator 80 located on the base of the drive rod 51. Here, the sensor comprises a first contact fixedly seated in the housing and a reverse contact mounted on the drive rod. The reverse contact 81 is thereby displaced as soon as the drive rod 51 is elongated. In the starting state of the piston 80, the bearing device 50 is locked, the two contacts 81, 82 are at a distance from each other. In the fully elongated state of the piston 80, however, the contacts 81, 82 are in contact with each other. In this second state, the unlocking device 54 to 59 pushes the ball 58 out of its recess 56 and the locking of the bearing device 50 is released. When the drive rod returns to the starting state under the action of the helical spring 59, the contact between the two contacts 81, 82 is again broken.

[0057] This alternative contact 81, 82 is monitored at a distance from the support device 50 by means of an electronic control cable. Only when this monitoring of all support devices has been received, the pressure supply 70 allows the lowering of the lifting device 1, thus preventing the overall unintentional occupation of a misaligned position when the mats 10, 11 are removed or deflated. If desired, different sensor technologies coupled to the piston 80 or other types of actuators, for example optical sensors or magnetic sensors such as reed switches, can also be used for this monitoring. Thus a support device 50 is provided which can freely occupy the extended position and is automatically locked in the opposite direction, unless this locking is intentionally released by means of the unlocking device, wherein the release of the locking is monitored electronically.

[0058] Figures 8 to 11 The method according to the application is schematically shown, wherein the rescue system described above is used. Here, the load comprises an aircraft which has to be rescued or at least stabilized. For this purpose, the rescue system of Figure 1 is placed under the low wing in a completely empty state (see Figure 8 ). The positioning device 40 is placed on the ground in advance under the stacked mats 10 which are still in the empty state, so that the stacked mats 10 can be stably positioned on the base plate 45 of the device.

[0059] The pressure supply with the control console 70 is also placed next to the aircraft. The pressure supply comprises a compressor, by means of which ambient air is pressurized. The resulting compressed air is brought to the mats 10 in the stacked mats 1 via compressed air lines which are provided for this purpose, but are not further shown in the figures for the sake of clarity. Here, the pressure lines run through the control console 70, which comprises a connection to a pressure reduction valve for each mat. Thus, each mat 10 can be individually remotely operated and controlled from the control console 70. The control console also comprises such control and actuation for the low-pressure mats 20.

[0060] The system is partially inflated up to a height at which the position under the aircraft is reached, but the aircraft is not yet touched (see Figure 9 ). In this state, the aircraft can still be safely approached and the support 30 can be arranged. For this purpose, one or more tubular bodies 60 are first arranged as required to bridge a distance to the support device 50 which is to be arranged later and which is not yet fully extended at this time (see Figure 9 ).

[0061] After the support device is coupled to the foot plate 41 of the positioning device for the support device, the mat 10 is further inflated (see Figure 10 ). This is continued until the load is lifted to a sufficient height (see Figure 11). Here, the arrangement and elevation of the mats 10 is axially delimited by the tensioning band 17, which in different cases is arranged in a surrounding manner between successive mats (see also Figure 1 By choosing a longer tensioning band 17, fewer mats will be needed to reach a predetermined height; although the use of a shorter tensioning band 17 makes the individual mats 10 rise to a smaller height, this provides a greater mutual contact surface between the mats and thus a greater lifting capacity.

[0062] Here, the respective support device 50 automatically follows the further elevation of the stacked mats and supports them constantly. Also due to the leak-tight mutual coupling and the individual connection of the mats, the mats 10 can be added, exchanged or removed during each phase of the rescue operation (as described with reference to Figures 3A to 3 The telescopic support has a solid strength and size so that the entire burden of the load can be carried by the telescopic support at all times and thus no mats 10 are needed.

[0063] Although the application has been further described above on the basis of a single exemplary embodiment, it is obvious that the application is in no way limited thereto. Rather, many variants and embodiments can still be possible within the scope of the application for the person of ordinary skill in the art.

Claims

1. A rescue system for a rescue load, comprising an activatable lifting device for placing under the load and support means for supporting the lifting device, by which the lifting device is supported on the ground at the surroundings, which support means comprises a plurality of support devices for forming a plurality of supports, wherein, The support device is longitudinally adjustable between a retracted minimum length and an extended maximum length, characterized in that the support device is at least substantially free to move in the extension movement, while being mechanically locked in the opposite direction, each of the support devices being provided with an activatable unlocking means which can and is configured to release the mechanical locking of the associated support device, and in that both the lifting device and the unlocking means are remotely controllable.

2. The rescue system according to claim 1, characterized in that The support device is telescopically adjustable, comprising a cylindrical housing and a sleeve telescopically fitted on the cylindrical housing, wherein the locking comprises at least one adjustable clamping member between the cylindrical housing and the sleeve, which clamping member engages in a clamped state between the cylindrical housing and the sleeve in the opposite direction, while in the outward stroke the clamping member is in a released state between the cylindrical housing and the sleeve.

3. The rescue system according to claim 2, characterized in that The cylindrical housing comprises a pressure chamber for receiving therein pressurized fluid, in particular compressed air, provided with a hose connection for coupling with a fluid line leading to a remotely located pressure supply device for supplying the fluid, wherein the fluid acts as pressure medium on the sleeve in order to drive the sleeve to move outwardly.

4. Rescue system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that The unlocking means comprise an actuator member which, when activated, releases the locking of the associated support device.

5. Rescue system according to claims 2 and 4, characterized in that, The actuator member can be activated under the pressure of an auxiliary fluid, in particular compressed air, and the cylindrical housing comprises a connection for supplying the auxiliary fluid.

6. The rescue system according to claim 5, characterized in that The hose connection comprises a coaxial hose coupling for coupling with a coaxial fluid line leading to at least one pressure supply device for supplying the fluid and the auxiliary fluid in parallel, located remotely.

7. Rescue system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that The unlocking means comprise an electronic sensor which can and is configured to monitor the state of the unlocking means and to output the state of the unlocking means in the form of an electronic signal to a processing unit.

8. The rescue system according to claim 7, characterized in that The electronic sensor comprises an electronic monitoring device selected from the group of: a switch contact, a magnetic sensor and an optical sensor.

9. Rescue system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that The lifting device comprises at least substantially upright stacked mutually coupled inflatable bodies, in particular inflatable mats.

10. The rescue system according to claim 9, characterized in that The inflatable bodies are each individually provided with a connection for an inflation medium and are each individually sealed.

11. Rescue system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that The support device is supported on the ground by the intervention of foot plates from a group of foot plates, which form part of a positioning device which is positioned relative to the lifting device, in particular in an equidistant manner.

12. A method for operating a rescue system, in particular according to one or more of the preceding claims, comprising: - placing an activatable lifting device under a load; - a plurality of longitudinally adjustable support devices are provided between the respective support points on the ground and the lifting device, which are each longitudinally adjustable between a minimum length and an elongated maximum length and are substantially free in the elongated movement and locked in the opposite direction; - the activatable lifting device is partially raised to a height which is at most located below the load; and - if necessary, the distance between the joint and the support device on the partially raised lifting device is filled by the introduction of one or more elongated support bodies, in particular by the introduction of one or more tubular bodies, wherein the support device is arranged between the support point and at most the partially raised lifting device in an at least substantially unloaded state by the introduction of one or more elongated support bodies, if necessary, and only thereafter the lifting device is driven to a higher height.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, Each of the support devices is provided with activatable unlocking means which can and are designed to release the locking of the support device, and only when the locking of each of the support devices has been released, the lifting device is moved from the loaded state to a lower height.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The lifting device comprises stacked inflatable bodies, in particular stacked inflatable mats, and at least one of the mats is removed from the stacked inflatable mats while the load is carried by the support devices.

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