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Typed Drawing United States Patent

6,062,809
Berkey , et al.

May 16, 2000

Lift for physically-challenged passengers and method of operation
Abstract
A passenger lift (10) is provided for loading a passenger (12) into and out of an aircraft (14). Lift (10)
includes a chassis (38) having a front (34) end and a back (36) end. A plurality of wheels (62 and 63)
are attached to the chassis (38) providing means for moving the lift (10). The lift (10) also includes an
electrical energy source (70) for providing electrical energy, and an energy converter (104) for
translating the electrical energy from the electrical energy source (70) to mechanical energy. The lift
(10) includes a rear support (40) generally perpendicular to the chassis (38) and attached to the back
end of the chassis (38). The lift (10) has a basket (48) for holding the passenger (12) while the
passenger is raised and lowered with the lift (10) and (48) is located at the front end of the chassis
(38). The lift (10) includes a pair of lift arms (44) for lifting the basket (48), and a pair of stabilizing
arms (42) for providing stability to the basket (48). The lift (10) also has a pair of lifting means (46)
using the mechanical energy from the energy converter (104) for displacing the lifting arms (44)
relative to the chassis (38) so as to raise and lower the basket (48).

Inventors:
Berkey; Rex A. (Rock, MI); DeFant; Daniel (Marquette, MI); Hallum; Brad (Ishpeming, MI);
Hansen; Jeffrey A. (Marquette, MI); Hopper; Edward L. (Negaunee, MI); Johnson; Philip Alan
(Negaunee, MI); Saari; Frank C. (Negaunee, MI); Sundell; Randy Paul (Negaunee, MI)

Assignee:
American Airlines Incorporated (Fort Worth, TX)
Appl. No.: 697573

Filed:

August 27, 1996

Current U.S. Class:

414/809; 182/144; 244/137.2; 254/2R; 414/392; 414/399; 414/495;
414/540; 414/546; 414/812; 414/917; 414/921
Intern'l Class:

B60P 003/00
Field of Search:

254/2 R,10 R,10 B,10 C 187/222,234 182/141,144
414/495,921,546,592,392,539,540,537,399,812,809,800
244/137.1,137.2 212/276,272,278,279,280,281

References Cited [Referenced By]

U.S. Patent Documents
3620565

Nov., 1971

Eggert, Jr.

296/28.
3806092

Apr., 1974

Richards

254/122. 3888463

Jun., 1975

O'Brien et al.

254/10.
4099628

Jul., 1978

Richardson

414/563.
4114854

Sep., 1978

Clark

254/122.
4576539

Mar., 1986

Williams

414/391.
4690606

Sep., 1987

Ross

414/495.
4971510

Nov., 1990

Houle

414/546.
5105915

Apr., 1992

Gary.

5154569

Oct., 1992

Eryou et al.

414/495.
5205697

Apr., 1993

Getty et al.

414/341.
5322408

Jun., 1994

Wooden

414/495.
Foreign Patent Documents

1095462

Feb., 1981

CA.



Other References

Daylight in Dallas/Ft. Worth, An American Airlines Roundup, GSE Today, Jun. 1993.


Primary Examiner: Werner; Frank E.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich, LLP

Parent Case Text



CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/207,961, filed Mar. 07, 1994 and
entitled "A Lift for Physically-Challenged Passengers and Method of Operation," now U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,470
issued Jan. 21, 1997.

Claims



What is claimed is:

1. A method for lifting a passenger into and out of an aircraft with a manual, steerable lift having a basket for
holding the passenger and at least one other person, the aircraft having an elevated opening, the method
comprising the steps of:

manually moving the lift, while also steering the lift, to a position that aligns the basket with the aircraft's
opening;

raising the basket with a lifter so as to displace a pair of lift arms until the basket is level with the aircraft's opening;

stabilizing the basket with at least one stabilizing arm during the raising step;

monitoring the raising the basket step with at least one of a lift arm limit switch and a stabilizing arm limit
switch, the lift arm limit switch being operable to detect when a lift arm is raised above a predetermined safety
limit height and the stabilizing arm limit switch operable to detect when a stabilizing arm is raised above a
predetermined safety limit height;

shutting down the lifter to prevent further raising of the lift arms if the lift arm limit switch detects that a lift arm
has raised above a predetermined safety limit height or if the stabilizing arm limit switch detects that a
stabilizing arm has raised above a predetermined safety limit height; and

transferring the passenger to and from the aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of securing the lift with a brake assembly during the
raising and transferring steps.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of extending a ramp from the basket to the opening of the
aircraft prior to thee transferring step.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of converting electrical energy from an electrical energy
source to mechanical energy for raising the basket with a lifter.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the converting step comprises:

translating the electrical energy to mechanical energy with an electric motor;

converting the mechanical energy from the electric motor to fluid pressure; and

applying the fluid pressure to the lifting means during the raising step so as to displace the lifting means.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising pivotally attaching a pair of lift arms to the basket and pivotally
attaching a pair of stabilizing arms to the basket.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising coupling a pair of hydraulic cylinders to the chassis for displacing
the lifting arms relative to the chassis so as to raise and lower the basket and associating each hydraulic cylinder
with one of the lifting arms.

Description



TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates in general to the field of passenger lifts, and more particularly to an economical lift for
physically-challenged passengers and a method for operating the lift.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Physically-challenged passengers, whether permanently or temporarily disabled, often find it difficult to go aboard and disembark an aircraft. Wheelchair-bound passengers often face difficult problems when traveling
between a terminal and their aircraft seat. This is particularly true when there are no access ramps between the
terminal and the aircraft. For example, commuter aircraft generally cannot use access ramps that larger airports
use. To go aboard or disembark an aircraft, therefore, a physically-challenged passenger may have to enter the
aircraft by ascending a set of steps adjacent the aircraft. Ascending stairs, however, is, in most cases, a serious
impediment to passengers who use a wheelchair.

Physically-challenged passengers are therefore either denied use of such aircraft as a means for transportation or
face the hazard and embarrassment of being manually lifted up a flight of stairs into the aircraft. Denying the
passenger use of the aircraft makes no sense from a business perspective. As important as is this business
concern, from a legal or regulatory standpoint as well, access for handicapped or physically-challenged persons
is important. For example, new Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations require that airlines provide to
physically-challenged passengers aircraft access. See DOT Advisory Circular entitled, Guide Specification for
Lifts Used to Board Airlines Passengers with Mobility Impairments, AC No. 150/5220-21, dated Feb. 10, 1993.
Manually lifting a passenger includes the hazard of the passenger being dropped by the ground personnel and
the ground personnel being injured from the stress and strain of lifting the passenger.

Passenger lifts that exist are typically self-powered vehicles in which a driver must sit and steer and include
complex motors or engines, drive trains, lift mechanisms, emission control systems, electrical systems, and
other complex systems. The complexity of known passenger lifts makes them expensive to build or purchase, as
well as difficult and expensive to maintain. The high acquisition and maintenance costs of previously developed
passenger lifts makes them unacceptable for airlines and air terminals that are continually trying to operate more
economically.

Therefore, a need has arisen for an economical passenger lift for physically-challenged persons.

A need exists for a passenger lift for physically-challenged persons that safely lifts a person into an aircraft
while posing no risk of injury to ground personnel.

An additional need exists for a lift for a physically-challenged passenger th