Convolute for a gangway, bellows, and gangway

Abstract

A convolute for a gangway, whereby the convolute extends from a first edge to a tip, and from the tip to a second edge, whereby the convolute has a bottom edge, whereby a gap filler is attached to the convolute in an area of the convolute that borders the bottom edge, whereby the gap filler has a flexible section that protrudes downwards from the bottom edge.

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. A convolute for a gangway, the convolute extending from a first edge to a tip, and from the tip to a second edge, the convolute having a bottom edge, and wherein a gap filler is attached to the convolute in an area of the convolute that borders the bottom edge, the gap filler having a flexible section that protrudes downwards from the bottom edge.

12. The convolute according to claim 11, wherein the convolute extends in an arc-shaped manner from the first edge to the second edge, the tip being the tip of the arc.

13. The convolute according to claim 11, wherein the convolute is made from a flexible material.

14. The convolute according to claim 11, wherein the gap filler is attached to the convolute in a releasable manner.

15. The convolute according to claim 11, wherein the gap filler is attached to the convolute by a Velcro connection.

16. The convolute according to claim 11, wherein the flexible section comprises a plurality of fringes that extend in a downward direction.

17. The convolute according to claim 11, further comprising a crossbar, the crossbar comprising: a first end attached to the part of the convolute that extends from the first edge to the tip, or is attached to the first edge; and a second end that is attached to the part of the convolute that extends from the tip to the second edge, or is attached to the second edge; wherein the gap filler is attached to the crossbar.

18. The convolute according to claim 17, wherein the gap filler has an attachment end, wherein the attachment end is attached to the crossbar, and wherein the gap filler extends upwards from the attachment end and passes around the top of the crossbar and extends downwards after having passed around the top of the crossbar.

19. A bellows for a gangway, the bellows having a series of convolutes arranged next to one another, wherein at least one of the convolutes extends from a first edge to a tip, and from the tip to a second edge, wherein the convolute has a bottom edge, and wherein a gap filler is attached to the convolute in an area of the convolute that borders the bottom edge, and wherein the gap filler has a flexible section that protrudes downwards from the bottom edge.

20. The bellows according to claim 19, wherein at least a first convolute and a second convolute of the series of convolutes of the gangway extend from a first edge to a tip, and from the tip to a second edge, each of said at least first and second convolute having a bottom edge, and wherein a gap filler is attached to each of said at least first and second convolute in an area of the corresponding convolute that borders the bottom edge, and wherein the gap filler has a flexible section that protrudes downwards from the bottom edge; the gap filler of the first convolute protruding downwards from the bottom edge of the first convolute by a first amount; and the gap filler of the second convolute protruding downwards from the bottom edge of the second convolute by a second amount that is different from the first amount.

21. A gangway comprising: a bellows; and a floor; wherein the bellows comprises a series of convolutes arranged next to one another, at least one of the convolutes extending from a first edge to a tip, and from the tip to a second edge, wherein the at least one convolute has a bottom edge, and wherein a gap filler is attached to the at least one convolute in an area of the convolute that borders the bottom edge, and wherein the gap filler has a flexible section that protrudes downwards from the bottom edge; and wherein at least part of the floor of the gangway has a top surface arranged at a distance from the bottom edge of a convolute that is arranged above at least that part of the floor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0044] Below the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the figures.

[0045] Figures only show embodiments of the invention. In the figures

[0046] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view from the outside of a bellows onto a part of the bellows;

[0047] FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view from inside a gangway onto a part of the floor and a part of the bellows of the gangway;

[0048] FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional view onto a convolute;

[0049] FIG. 4 shows a schematic, perspective view onto the sectional view of FIG. 3;

[0050] FIG. 5 shows a schematic perspective view from inside a gangway onto a part of the floor and a part of the bellows of the gangway;

[0051] FIG. 6 shows a schematic side view onto the tip region of a convolute and a floor arranged below the convolute

[0052] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view onto a connection element

[0053] FIG. 8 shows a front view onto a gap filler

[0054] FIG. 9 shows a schematic view from inside a gangway onto a convolute of a gangway that is positioned in a flattened out manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] The gangway 1 according to the invention has a bellows 2. The bellows 2 is made up of a series of convolutes 3. Each convolute 3 has a first edge 4 and a second edge 5 and a tip 6, whereby each convolute 3 extends from the first edge 4 to the tip 6 and from the tip 6 to a second edge 5. Each convolute 3 has a bottom edge 7.

[0056] In the design shown in FIG. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 each convolute 3 is made from on single basic material, which basic material is a sheet like material, namely fabric material constructed of layers of rubber and fabric. The respective convolute 3 extends in an arc-shaped manner from the first edge 4 to the second edge 5, the tip 6 being the tip of the arc.

[0057] As can best be seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, each convolute 3 is attached to the neighboring convolute 3. The first edge 4 of one convolute 3 is attached to the second edge 5 of the neighboring convolute 3. In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the attachment is provided by a u-shaped bar 8 that crimps the first edge 4 of the one convolute 3 and the second edge 5 of the neighboring convolute 3 together.

[0058] Each convolute 3 is provided with a gap filler 9. The respective gap filler 9 is attached to the convolute 3 in an area of the convolute 3 that borders the bottom edge 7. The respective gap filler 9 has a flexible section 17 that protrudes downwards from the bottom edge 7.

[0059] The respective convolute 3 has a crossbar 10. The crossbar 10 is made from a flexible, sheet material, namely a fabric material constructed of layers of rubber and fabric. The crossbar 10 has a first end 11 that is attached to that part of the convolute that extends from the first edge to the tip. The crossbar 10 has a second end 12 that is attached to that part of the convolute that extends from the tip to the second edge.

[0060] The gap filler 9 is releasable attached to the crossbar 10. The gap filler 9 has an attachment end 14, whereby the attachment end 14 is attached to the crossbar 10 by way of a connection piece 15 (see FIG. 7). The gap filler 9 extends upwards from the attachment end 14 and passes around the top of the crossbar 10 and extends downwards after having passed around the top of the crossbar 10.

[0061] The flexible section 17 of the respective gap filler 9 comprises a plurality of fringes 16 that extend in a downward direction. The fringes 16 are provided by way of slits 26 cut into the flexible section 17. The slits 26 terminate in holes 18 provided in the gap filler 9.

[0062] The gap filler 9 in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 has one attachment hole 19. This attachment hole 19 can be a reinforced hole, for example can be reinforced by way of metal rings 27 arranged on either side of the gap filler material.

[0063] In the design shown in FIG. 8, the gap filler 9 has several attachment holes 19 arranged one above the other. This design can be used to adapt the amount by which the flexible section 17 extends downwards over the bottom edge 7.

[0064] In the design shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the amount by which the flexible section 17 extends over the bottom edge 7 is adapted by changing the extend of the flexible section 17. As can best be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the extend of the flexible section 17 for the two convolutes 3 to the left in FIG. 1 and to the right in FIG. 2 is longer than the extend of the flexible section 17 of the remaining convolutes 3. As can be seen from FIG. 2, the two convolutes 3 that have the larger flexible section 17 are arranged in a part of the gangway 1, where due to the particular design of the floor 20 of the gangway, the gap between the bottom edge 7 of the respective convolute 3 is larger for those two convolutes 3 than for the remaining convolutes 3. As can best be seen from FIGS. 2 and 5, the floor 20 of the gangway comprises a first part 21 and a second part 22. The first part 21 overlaps with the second part 22, whereby the first part 21 is arranged above the second part 22. The first part 21 has a top surface that is arranged from the bottom edges 7 of the convolutes 3 arranged above this first part 21 at a first, smaller distance, while the second part 22 has a top surface that is arranged from the bottom edges 7 of the two convolutes 3 arranged above this second part 22 at a second, larger distance.

[0065] FIG. 5 shows that the gangway 1 can have a vehicle mounting plate 23 that can be used to attach the gangway 1 to a car of a multi-car vehicle.

[0066] As can be best seen from FIGS. 3 and 4, the flexible section 17 has a first part 24 that borders the first end 11 of the gap filler 9 and has a second part that borders the second end 12 of the gap filler 9, whereby the first part 24 and the second part do not have fringes and whereby the flexible section 17 has a third part 25 in which the fringes 16 are arranged.

[0067] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the convolute 3 is provided with a gap filler 9. FIG. 9 shows the convolute 3 in a flattened out position. The gap filler 9 is attached to the convolute 3 in an area of the convolute 3 that borders the bottom edge 7. The gap filler 9 has a flexible section 17 that protrudes downwards from the bottom edge 7. The gap filler 9 is attached in a releasable manner to the convolute by way of a Velcro-connection. The stitching shown on the gap filler 9 is the stitching used to attach the Velcro-part to the gap filler 9. FIG. 9 shows that the Velcro-counter-part on the convolute is larger than the Velcro-part on the gap filler 9. This allows the gap filler 9 to be connected to the convolute 3 at different heights hence influencing the amount by which the flexible section 17 protrudes over the bottom edge 7.