Adjustable Bellows Height for Aircraft Boarding Bridges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing passenger boarding bridges with U-shaped bellows face challenges in accommodating various aircraft sizes, as a fixed bellows height can lead to damage or water ingress, particularly when accessing aircraft with different door orientations, and poses risks to roof structures.
Innovation Solution
A frame device with adjustable bellows height, allowing the clear height between the transition floor and the bellows to be varied, using movable frame parts guided by longitudinal guides and a motor-driven spindle drive, and an optional adjustable transition floor with a motorized drive, ensuring the bellows can adapt to different aircraft fuselage diameters and door orientations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the bellows height is increased to accommodate large aircraft like A380, then the bellows can fully grasp the upper access doors extending into the roof, but the bellows would protrude beyond the door contour of small aircraft and risk damaging roof structures
Solution Approach 1:
The bellows height is made variable through a drive mechanism that can adjust the distance between the transition floor and the bellows ceiling. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to adapt to different aircraft sizes - extending to high ceilings for A380 upper access doors and retracting to low ceilings for small aircraft, preventing damage to roof structures while maintaining full access capability
Solution Approach 2:
The clear height of the bellows is changed as a variable parameter rather than being fixed. By controlling the distance between the transition floor and bellows ceiling through a drive mechanism, the system can optimize the bellows height for each specific aircraft type, achieving both versatility and safety
2Adaptability or versatility
If the bellows height is fixed, then the structure is simpler and more stable, but it cannot adapt to different aircraft door orientations and fuselage diameters
Solution Approach 1:
The bellows height is made variable through a drive mechanism that can adjust the distance between the transition floor and the bellows ceiling. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to adapt to different aircraft sizes - extending to high ceilings for A380 upper access doors and retracting to low ceilings for small aircraft, preventing damage to roof structures while maintaining full access capability
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable bellows system serves multiple functions: it can access both upper roof doors of large aircraft and vertical doors of small aircraft, preventing water ingress and damage while maintaining a single standardized design that can be used across different aircraft types
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the bellows height is reduced for small aircraft, then the bellows does not protrude beyond the door contour and roof structures are protected, but the bellows cannot fully grasp the upper access doors of large aircraft like A380
Solution Approach 1:
The bellows height is made variable through a drive mechanism that can adjust the distance between the transition floor and the bellows ceiling. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to adapt to different aircraft sizes - extending to high ceilings for A380 upper access doors and retracting to low ceilings for small aircraft, preventing damage to roof structures while maintaining full access capability
Solution Approach 2:
The clear height of the bellows is changed as a variable parameter rather than being fixed. By controlling the distance between the transition floor and bellows ceiling through a drive mechanism, the system can optimize the bellows height for each specific aircraft type, achieving both versatility and safety
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables versatile use across a wide range of aircraft, preventing damage and water ingress by adjusting the bellows height to match the aircraft's contours, ensuring full contact and minimizing the risk of contacting roof structures.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible frame with a shock absorber made of elastically yielding material, with the bellows resting against the outer skin of the aircraft with this shock absorber
Implementation Method 2
a frame device which accommodates the bellows so that it can be adjusted in height relative to the transition floor... a motor drive, z. B. a spindle drive
Implementation Method 3
a frame part relative to the other frame part by a motor drive, z. B. a spindle drive
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2
AI summary
The staircase has U-shaped bellows (1) overstretching an intersection base (30). A shaft (50) is shifted between an upper edge of the intersection base and a roof of the bellows. A frame device (10) mounts the bellows relative to the intersection base in a height adjustable manner. The frame device exhibits two frame parts movable relative to one another, where the frame parts are connected with one another by a longitudinal guide.