Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a device for unloading suitcases from conveyor belts, which device enables passengers to unload their suitcases from conveyor belts more easily and using less force.

Background of the Invention

During plane trips, suitcases of the passengers are carried by conveyor belts provided at the aiτports. Before boarding the airplane, the passengers deliver their suitcases to the authorized personnel of the airline company. The passenger suitcases are carried to the airplane by the authorized personnel. After completion of the flight, passenger suitcases are placed on the belt conveyor systems by the authorized personnel. Through the said belt conveyor systems, the passenger suitcases arrive at the conveyor belts, where the passengers wait for their suitcases. The passengers wait for their suitcases to arrive at the area where the conveyor belts are located, and they pick up their suitcases from the said belts.

The said conveyor belt systems, from which the passengers pick up their suitcases, have a different height at each airport and are continuously moving, As soon as the passenger sees her/his suitcase s/hc needs to lift and unload it from the belt to the ground and the force to be exerted by the user varies in direct proportion with the height of the belt. The passenger may have to exert too much force to unload her/his suitcase from the conveyor belt. This is especially difficult for elfiorly,, weak, overweight people or people wilh back problems.

Nowadays there arc different applications for unloading the passenger suitcases from conveyor bolts. In some of these applications, the luggage part tips and the suitcases arc slid down to the unloading area and thus they arc ensured to be unloaded to the floor more easily. In another application, the passengers are enabled to be moved with their suitcases. Thus the passengers are not required to unload their suitcases from a high platform. In the said application the passengers have to wait for their suitcases. This causes waste of time. Furthermore, again in the said application, since the suitcases and the passengers use the same moving platform, hygiene problems concerning the suitcases may arise.

The Great Britain patent document CB1299544, an application in the state of the art, discloses a system for unloading the passenger luggage such as suitcases at airports. When the car, which receives the luggage from the airplane, reaches the unloading area, the luggage part tips and the luggage slides down. At this point, a system which picks up the luggage one by one smoothly lowers the suitcases down by means of the springs. This application is not a convenience provided for use by the passenger. It concerns the airport employees.

The European patent document KP0556037, an application in the state of the art _> discloses a platform for passenger check-in position, which platform can move passengers together with their luggage. By means of this system, the passengers and the suitcases can be carried without requiring a conveyor belt.

In the current applications, an apparatus which is adaptable to conveyor belts and which enables the passenger to unload the suitcase with less force, is not disclosed. Modifications arc made in the conveyor belt systems in the current applications. This increases costs of the conveyor belt systems and causes the passengers to lose time.

Summary of the Invention

The objective of the present invention is to realize a suitcase unloading device, which enables the passengers to unload their suitcases from the conveyor belt with less force. The objective of the present invention is to realize a suitcase unloading device, which enables the passengers Io unload their suitcases from the conveyor belt to the floor without lifting them.

The objective of the present invention is to realize a device for unloading suitcases from conveyor belts which is easily mountablc to any kind of conveyor belt.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The suitcase unloading device realized to fulfill the objective or the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying figures wherein,

Figure 1 is the perspective view of the suitcase unloading device mounted to the conveyor belt.

Figure 2 is the perspective view of the suitcase unloading device.

Figure 3 is the perspective view of the suitcase unloading device.

Figure 4 is the perspective view of the suitcase unloading device with barrier and grids.

The components in the figures arc numbered individually, where the numbers refer to the following:

1. Suitcase unloading device

2. Upper platform

3. Lower platform

4. Edge

5. Rear wall and slide 6. Spring

7. Spring housing 8. Pedal

9. Barrier

10. Grid

The inventive suitcase unloading device (1) essentially comprises

— at least one upper platform (2) on which the suitcase is placed,

— at least one lower platform (3) which is on the ground level and parallel to the upper platform (2),

— at least one edge (4) which enables the lower platform (3) to rise to a preferred level (4 - 5 cm) from the ground, whereby prevents the user's feet from getting smashed when the upper platform (2) is lowered,

— at least one rear wall and slide (5) which serves as a slide by being elevated with a curve toward the moving part of the conveyor belt and forming an intermediate platform for the suitcase to be easily pulled, — at least four springs (6) which enable the upper platform (2) to move,

— at least four spring housings (7) in which the springs (6) are seated,

— at least one pedal (8) which transmits the force that is applied from outside to the spring (6) and the upper platform (2),

— at least one barrier (9) which prevents anything from entering into the device and getting crushed, and whose back is elevated so that it prevents the suitcase from falling backwards,

— bar grid (10) which is connected to the front springs (6), moves upwards and downwards with the movement of the said springs (6), and also prevents anything from entering into the device.

The inventive suitcase unloading device (1) can be easily mounted to conveyor belts and/or to the ground by means of the connection apparatuses provided thereon. The suitcase unloading device (1) is preferably mounted such that the upper platform (2) is leveled with the conveyor belt. The upper platform (2) of the suitcase unloading device (1) can be produced in different sizes according to the suitcase widths (preferably according to the largest possible suitcase size) and the height of (lie device (1 ) from the ground can be designed to be according to the height of the conveyor belt.

The passenger pulls her/his suitcases from the conveyor belt and brings them onto the upper platform (2). While the upper platform (2) will be coated with a material (e.g. plastic) of high iϊϊctional force and with retaining properties, retaining tabs can also be mounted on the upper platform (2) to prevent slipping of the suitcases. The upper platform (2) is preferably kidney shaped. This shape makes it easier for the user to stand in front of the platform (2). Preferably the end part of the upper platform (2) is inclined downwards. By means of this inclination, when the upper platform (2) is lowered down to the ground level, the suitcase is enabled to slide down to the ground. The lower platform (3) constitutes the base of the suitcase unloading device (1). The lower platform (3) is parallel to the upper platform (2) and is preferably shaped the same. The lower platform (3) carries the whole device (1) and the other members of the device (1) are mounted onto the lower platform (3). The lower platform (3) and the upper platform (2) arc connected to each other preferably from at least four points.

The upper platform (2) is connected to the lower platform (3) via at least four spring housings (7). In addition to providing bearing to the springs (6), the spring housings (7) also connect the upper platform (2) with the lower platform (3) whereby enabling the platforms (2, 3) to stay together.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the spring housing (7) is fixed and the device (1) is mounted to the conveyor belt from the spring housing (7). In the said embodiment, the upper platform (2) moves on the rail and/or guiding channel located on the spring housing (7). On the spring housing (7) used in the said embodiment, there is a housing into which the spring (6) is seated and a rail and/or guiding channel on which the upper platform (2) moves. During movement of the upper platform (2) only the spring (6) compresses and the spring housing

(7) is stationary. In another alternative embodiment of the Invention the spring housing (7) is telescopic. When the upper platform (2) moves, the spring housing (7) moves with Lhe upper platform (2). In the said embodiment, the spring (6) is within the spring housing (7) and the spring and the spring housing (6, 7) move together in the opposite direction of the movement of the upper platform (2).

In the inventive suilca.se unloading device (1), when the suitcase is arranged on the upper platform (2), the spring (6) starts to compress with the effect of the weight of the suitcase, and the upper platform (2) starts to move downwards. When the suitcase reaches the ground level, the passenger pulls and unloads the suitcase. Since the weight on the upper platform (2) is taken away, lhe springs (6) relax as much as they had compressed and this enables the upper platform (2) to return to its original position. Upward and downward movements of the upper platform (2) directly depend on the weight of the suitcase and the stiffness coefficient of the springs (6). Movement limits of the upper platform (2) are changed by changing the stiffness and coefficient of the springs (6). When the suitcase is pulled away from the upper platform (2) (the weight is lifted), the force compressing the springs (6) disappears. In this case, in order for the springs (6) not to relax instantly and suddenly push the upper platform (2) upwards, a damper is connected to the springs (6). The damper enables the compressed springs (6) to return to their original position more slowly. Thus the upper platform (2) is prevented from moving fast and suddenly. In the inventive suitcase unloading device ( I ) ₃ the preferred spring (6) stiffness is determined by considering the average suitcase weights. Tf the springs (6) used in Hue inventive device (1 ) are npt strong enough according to the weight of the suitcase, the upper platform (2) remains at a higher level than the ground level. In such a case, the passenger uses the pedal (8) provided on the device (1), S/he moves the upper platform (2) downwards by pressing the pedal (8). When the upper platform (2) reaches the ground level, s/he pulls and unloads the suilcase Io the ground. While the upper platform (2) can be lowered to the ground level by the weight of the suitcases, it can also be lowered, by applying an additional force to tlie springs (<5) ^" by the help of the pedal (8). In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the upper platform (2) is moved by an electric motor. This embodiment is also realized by springs (6) or pistons that are used in place of springs (6).

In the preferred embodiment of the inventive suitcase unloading device (I), the suitcases are unloaded from the conveyor belt by means of the upper platform (2) by compressing the springs (6) with the suitcases and/or by applying force to the pedal (8) from outside. The springs (6) compress with the weight of the suitcase and the upper platform moves downwards. If the movement is not sufficient, force is applied to the pedal (8) (by pressing) whereby the upper platform (2) is completely lowered down. Λt the same time, by the help of the force applied to the pedal (8), the upper platform (2) is ensured to be kept at a preferred height level. Since the force that enables the springs (6) to compress disappears after the suitcase is taken away from the upper platform (2), the springs (6) move in the opposite direction and enable the upper platform (2) to return to its original height.

The pedal (8) enables the springs (6) to be compressed or to relax by means of an external force. There are at least one spring (6) and at least one spring housing (7) within the pedal (8). The pedal (8) is mounted to the upper platform (2) and thus the pedal (8) and the upper platform (2) move together. The springs (6) compress with the force applied on the pedal (8) and the upper platform (2) moves downwards. When the force applied on the pedal (8) is discontinued, the compressed springs (6) relax and push the upper platform (2) upwards, whereby enabling the platform (2) to return to its oiigina] position. By means of the pedal

(8), an external support is provided to the springs (6) that move lhe upper platform

(2) in the inventive suitcase unloading device (1). Thus the upper platform (2) can also be moved independent of the suitcase weight. In the suitcase unloading device (1), a pedal (8) may he provided preferably at both sides of the device (1), Location of the pedal (8) is preferably at the corner where the conveyor bell is located- According to the preference ol ^v the user, location of the pedal (8) may be in the center of the device (1) or at the side away from the conveyor belt.

In the inventive device (1), there is provided a barrier (9) which avoids anything from entering into the device (1) and getting crushed, and prevents the suitca.se from falling backwards. Additionally, there is provided a bar grid (10) which iy connected to the front springs (6), moves upwards and downwards with the movement of the said springs (6), and which also prevents anything from entering into the device. The barrier (9) and the grid (10) enable the device (1) to be used safely.

The invention is not limited to the above described embodiments. Λ person skilled in the art can easily produce different embodiments of the invention. They should be considered within the scope of protection of the invention demanded in the claims.