Passenger boarding bridge floor member maintenance via rotating outer tunnel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing passenger boarding bridges face challenges in maintenance, particularly with the movable walkway sections located under the inner tunnel, where access and replacement of floor members are difficult.
Innovation Solution
A passenger boarding bridge design featuring a telescopically adjustable tunnel section with an endless string-shaped member that supports floor members, allowing these members to be rotated and moved under the inner tunnel for easy maintenance, and includes guide members and support sections to maintain walkway height and facilitate extension/retraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the movable walkway is positioned under the inner tunnel to eliminate stepped portions, then passenger walking smoothness is improved, but maintenance accessibility of floor members deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the outer tunnel rotatable relative to the inner tunnel. The outer tunnel can be rotated between a horizontal position (for passenger walking) and an inclined position (for maintenance access). This dynamic repositioning allows the system to switch between two functional states, resolving the contradiction between smooth passenger walking and maintenance accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dimensionality change by introducing rotational movement in a third dimension. Instead of only linear extension/retraction, the outer tunnel gains rotational capability, allowing floor members to be exposed from underneath by tilting the outer tunnel upward. This adds a new degree of freedom that enables maintenance access without compromising the stepless walkway design.
2Ease of repair
If the tunnel section is extended to maximum length for maintenance access, then floor member accessibility is improved, but passenger walking distance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses dynamics by enabling the outer tunnel to rotate independently of its extension state. Maintenance personnel can access floor members by rotating the outer tunnel to an inclined position at any extension length, eliminating the need to fully extend the tunnel for maintenance purposes. This dynamic positioning allows maintenance access while keeping the tunnel at optimal passenger length.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies segmentation by separating the maintenance function from the extension function. The outer tunnel's rotational capability provides an independent maintenance access mechanism that does not require the tunnel to be fully extended. This segmentation of functions allows maintenance operations to be performed at any tunnel length, preventing the need to increase passenger walking distance.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
A passenger boarding bridge which allows maintenance to be easily carried out is provided. A passenger boarding bridge of the present invention comprises a first walkway section (11A) constituting a walkway of an inner tunnel (1) of adjacent tunnels (1, 2) of an extendable and retractable tunnel section (TN); and a second walkway section (22) constituting a walkway of an outer tunnel (2) of the adjacent tunnels, the walkway of the outer tunnel including a plurality of floor members which are arranged in the front-rear direction and are coupled to each other. The second walkway section (22) includes the plurality of floor members supported by an endless string-shaped member supported so that the string-shaped member is rotatable. A walkway surface of the first walkway section (11A) of the inner tunnel (1) and a walkway surface of the second walkway section (22) of the outer tunnel (2) are at a predetermined equal height position. In a case where the tunnel section (TN) is retracted, the string-shaped member of the second walkway section (22) is guided so that the floor members are moved down to an underside of the inner tunnel (1), and in a case where the tunnel section (TN) is extended, the string-shaped member of the second walkway section is guided so that the floor members are moved up from the underside of the inner tunnel.