ACCESS TUNNEL SYSTEM FOR THE SHELTERED GUIDANCE OF PERSONS

Abstract

An access tunnel system comprising at least one access tunnel for the sheltered guidance of persons to a vehicle, an aircraft, a building or the like. In accordance with the invention, a node element is provided at which the access tunnel opens and which at least one further access tunnel adjoins.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A access tunnel system for sheltered guidance of persons to a vehicle, an aircraft, or a building comprising: at least one access tunnel; and a node element where the at least one access tunnel opens, the node element adapted to adjoin another at least one access tunnel.

17. An access tunnel system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a second at least one access tunnel adjoining the node element.

18. An access tunnel system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one access tunnel comprise a plurality of tunnel elements and the plurality of tunnel elements are adapted to be pushed into one another.

19. An access tunnel system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising another two of the at least one access tunnels adjoin the node element to form a T shape with the at least one access tunnel.

20. An access tunnel system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the node element is adapted for the guidance of persons at a door of a vehicle, an aircraft or a building.

21. An access tunnel system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a folding bellow adjoining the at least one access tunnel.

22. An access tunnel system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the folding bellow is horizontally outwardly pivotable.

23. An access tunnel system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the outwardly pivoted folding bellow has an entrance opening and an exit opening, the entrance opening adjoining an opening of the at least one access tunnel and the exit opening adapted to be arranged in front of a door of a vehicle, an aircraft or a building.

24. An access tunnel system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the outwardly pivoted folding bellow has a pivot angle of about 90° such that the at least one access tunnel adjoining the node element is arranged substantially parallel in front of the vehicle, the aircraft or the building with respect to another the at least one access tunnel that is also adjoining the node element.

25. An access tunnel system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the folding bellow comprise an awning element that extends at least partially over a door of a vehicle, an aircraft or a building.

26. An access tunnel system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the node element has a rectangular base cross-section and at least two openings at about right angles to one another.

27. An access tunnel system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the node element has four openings at about right angles to one another, with one of the four openings adapted to be brought into coverage with a door of a vehicle, an aircraft or a building.

28. An access tunnel system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the node element comprises a frame and a roof element.

29. An access tunnel system in accordance with claim 13, wherein the roof element has an awning section.

30. An access tunnel system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the node element has rollers on which the node element stands and by which the node element is movable.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The invention will be described in more detail together with the description of a preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the Figures. There are shown:

[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an access tunnel system in an arrangement in front of a bus, with a first access tunnel being pushed together; and

[0020] FIG. 2 shows the access tunnel system in an arrangement in front of a bus, with all access tunnels being moved out and with folding bellows being provided between a respective last tunnel element and the doors.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] FIG. 1 shows in a perspective view an access tunnel system 1 in an exemplary arrangement in front of a vehicle 11 that is a bus 17 such as one used at an airport. The access tunnel system I has an access tunnel 10 that leads up to a node element 12 of the access tunnel system 1. The access tunnel 10 is formed from a plurality of tunnel elements that are pushed into one another. The tunnel elements 15 lead up to the node element 12 such that a person can move from the access tunnel 10 into the node element 12 without interrupting a shelter.

[0022] A first access tunnel 13 and a second access tunnel 14 adjoin the node element 12 and are formed from the tunnel elements that are same as the access tunnel 10. The access tunnels 13 and 14 are lead up to doors 16 of the bus 17, for example.

[0023] The node element 12 is designed such that the access tunnels 13 and 14 lead up to the node element 12 at a right angle to the access tunnel 10 such that a person can enter into the node element 12 via the access tunnel 10 without interrupting a shelter and a person can selectively move into the first adjoining access tunnel 13 or into the second adjoining access tunnel 14 without interrupting a shelter.

[0024] The node element 12 is formed with a frame 20 and a roof element 21, with the frame 20 having rollers 23 at the bottom side on which the node element 12 stands and being able to be traveled over a ground. The roof element 21 has an awning section 22 that is guided up to or partly over the vehicle 11.

[0025] FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the access tunnel system 1 with the access tunnel 10, the node element 12 and the adjoining access tunnels 13 and 14. The access tunnel system 1 is shown arranged in front of the vehicle 11 in the form of a bus 17 as an example. All the access tunnels 10, 13 and 14 have node elements 12 formed the same as one another and the access tunnel 10 is shown in an extended state in a modified form with respect to the view in

[0026] FIG. 1. Folding bellows 18 that are shown in an outwardly pivoted state adjoin the exit sides of the access tunnels 13 and 14, with the pivot angle corresponding to approximately 90°. The folding bellows 18 have been pivoted in front of the doors 16 of the bus 17 and the folding bellows 18 have awning elements 19 that cover the doors 16 or over the bus 17 such that a person can enter into the bus 17 from the access tunnel 13, 14 by means of the folding bellows 18 without interrupting a shelter.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a further door 16 of the bus 17 with which the node element 12 has been brought into coverage, and the further door 16 is located beneath the awning 22 of the roof element 21 of the node element 12. A person can thus also enter into the bus 17 directly from the node element 12.

[0028] The embodiment of the access tunnel system 1 is shown with respect to a bus loading/unloading and the vehicle 11, forms a bus 17, for example, such as is used on the apron of an airport. The access tunnel system 1 can also serve, with the same features in accordance with the invention, as an access system for an aircraft, for example, so that stairs for fastening an aircraft can adjoin the access tunnels 13 and 14, and it is also conceivable that the access tunnel system 1 is led up to a building such that the access tunnels 13 and 14 open, for example, up to the entrance doors of a building.

[0029] The invention is not restricted in its design to the preferred embodiment provided above. A number of variants are conceivable that may make use of the solution shown with generally differently designed embodiments. All the features and/or advantages, including any construction details or spatial arrangements, originating from the claims, the description or the drawings can be essential to the invention both per se and in the most varied combinations.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

[0030] 1 access tunnel system [0031] 10 access tunnel [0032] 11 vehicle [0033] 12 node element [0034] 13 access tunnel [0035] 14 access tunnel [0036] 15 tunnel element [0037] 16 door [0038] 17 bus [0039] 18 folding bellows [0040] 19 awning element [0041] 20 frame [0042] 21 roof element [0043] 22 awning section [0044] 23 roller