Patent Application
20110132726
The general subject of the invention is a new security configuration for airport baggage claim devices utilizing at least a dynamic merge conveyor and a baggage claim unit to prevent circulating bags from reentering a secured loading area.
The baggage security claim device adds enhanced security to bags awaiting pickup at an airports claims carousel location. At present, unclaimed bags circulate on the claims carousel, periodically returning to the secured load area without proper TSA screening through an open security door. This present configuration allows an individual at the carousel to introduce an unchecked bag onto the carousel to be retrieved by another individual standing behind the security wall or barrier. The new security claim unit utilizes one exit from the load area with no bags returning or recirculating back to the load area. The unload operations personnel will transfer baggage from the airline tug carts to a main load conveyor. The load conveyor advances the bags to a queue belt for length measurement, then through a power turn, to a merge. The merge will hold the bag until an adequate gap between bags already on the claim device is measured. The merge will then perform a dynamic merge on the waiting bag into the gap on the flat plate claim device for pickup by the traveler. If the claim device is full, the load conveyor, the merge, power turn, and queue will act as a storage conveyor. The load conveyor will stop; however, the unload personnel can continue to unload bags from the tug cart until the load conveyor is full. When gaps of the required size are measured on the claim device, the merge will resume operation by automatically inserting the stored bags onto the claim device.
When merging bags from one conveyor line to another, some kind of merge logic is required to prevent collisions between bags, and in most cases, to guarantee that the minimum gap space is maintained as each bag is merged.
The simplest bag merging method, though not the most efficient, is called the static merge or fixed merge design. This type of merge is typically used in conventional conveyor systems where throughput and bag tracking requirements are not as stringent. A merge window photo eye is located in the main line, upstream of the merge point. This photo eye is installed far enough upstream so that sufficient space is available for the largest bag the system can handle, while allowing sufficient space between bags. A timer usually controls this fixed window. When the upstream photo eye is cleared for the time desired, a merge window becomes available and the bag waiting in the merging line is released. The disadvantage of this type of merge is that a small bag is treated the same as the largest bag and conveyor space is not maximized.
As an example, a 54″ bag that requires a 6″ gap ahead and a 6″ gap behind would require a fixed merge window of 66″. If a 22″ bag was merged into the same fixed window with the same 6″ gap ahead and 6″ gap behind, the bag would only use 34″ of the 66″ window. If a gap of 34″ was presented to the 22″ bag, the bag would not merge because the fixed gap length would be smaller than the allowable 66″. Therefore, possible merge windows that could be used for merging bags onto a conveyor are ignored.
The most efficient way to merge bags can be achieved using what is called dynamic merge. This type of merge does not use a fixed size window. Instead, the size of the merge window is dynamically adjusted with every bag that is to be merged, based on the size of each bag and the variable front and back gap settings. This requires measuring the length of the bag on the merging line and looking for the appropriate gap on the receiving belt that can accept the merging bag's size plus the minimum front and back bag space required. Throughput is increased since lost space (translated into waiting time) from small bags is regained compared to the fixed merge technique. In addition to the merge window photo eye, this logic requires a virtual encoder on the upstream pre-merge conveyor to measure the bag length of the merging bags.
Using the previous example; a 54″ bag that requires a 6″ gap ahead and a 6″ gap behind would require a merge window of 66″. A 22″ bag with the same fixed 6″ gap ahead and 6″ gap behind, would only need the next available 34″ minimum window. The invention has also made the dynamic merge gap logic flexible. The front and back gap lengths can be adjusted independently to tune in the greatest throughput without increasing the jam rates.
A preferred form of the invention is made up of a merge conveyor, a power turn, a queue belt, a load belt containing bags from an incoming flight, and a carousel to present the bags for traveler pickup. Software and hardware is utilized to control the security claim conveyor system.
One preferred embodiment of the invention includes a 45-degree merge conveyor, a 45-degree power turn, a queue conveyor, a load conveyor, a flat plate claim carousel, a control system, and a software program to manage the conveyors. In some embodiments, the use of the queue belt would hamper smooth flow or baggage and increase load belt stoppages.
One of the primary advantages of this invention is enhanced security and safety, as well as smooth trouble-free operation.
Another primary advantage of this invention is that it can be built in the existing footprint of the facility architecture.
(Not shown) Presently, baggage claim devices 02 pass from the secure side to the non-secure side due to a baggage claim device 02 being built partly on the secure side and partly on the non-secure side. There is no merge conveyor unit. The wall 08 in present configurations cuts the baggage claim device 02 into two separate parts by two openings in the wall 08. Presently, baggage handlers manually place the incoming bags on the baggage claim device 02 and bags circulate from secure to non-secure sides.
The dynamic merge conveyor unit 01 has at least one load conveyor 03 where bags are loaded by a baggage handler. The load conveyor 03 can be of varying length depending on the design, the facility size, the busy-ness of the claim device 02 and/or the throughput requirements of a claim device 02. The dynamic merge conveyor unit 01 may have a queue conveyor 09 of varying length depending on the design, the facility size, busy-ness of the claim device 02 and/or the throughput requirements of a claim device 02. Standard software and controls with varying number of standard photo eyes (not shown) are used to determine baggage 07 lengths. Once sufficient space is determined by the standard controls logic program using a network of standard photo eyes, a bag will then move forward through the power turn 04 to the merge conveyor 05 to await deposit onto the baggage claim device 02. Currently, baggage handling systems employed in airports throughout the U.S. and the world use photo eyes and controls logic to move baggage 07 seamlessly through the maze of conveyor systems similar to the controls logic programming employed to run red lights in city traffic. In certain embodiments, the power turn 04 may be deleted.
The dynamic merge conveyor unit 01 may have a power turn conveyor 04. Power turns 04 are commonly used in baggage handling systems. The power turn 04 may be of varying degrees such as 30 or 45 degrees or spiral; however, depending on the system design, the space available in a facility, a power turn 04 can be of any available degree or custom made.
The dynamic merge conveyor unit's 01 merge conveyor 05 is used to deposit a bag onto the circulating baggage claim device 02. Merge conveyors 05 are commonly used in baggage handling systems. The merge conveyor 04 may be of varying degrees depending on design, facility space, etc. A preferred embodiment of the merge conveyor 05 will typically be 45 degrees; however, the merge conveyor 05 can be of varying degrees.
A preferred method of the present invention delivers incoming baggage 07 securely to a baggage claim unit 02. In the present invention's method, an unload operations personnel or baggage handler will transfer baggage 07 from an airline tug carts to the load conveyor 03, as shown in
The method employed by the present invention prevents bags from circulating back and forth from the secure side to the non-secure side, thus preventing an individual on the non-secure side from depositing an unscreened bag on the baggage claim device 02 to a person on the secure side of the facility. Present apparatuses and methods allow any person on the secure side to deposit an unscreened bag on the baggage claim device 02 which is then transported to the secure side where an individual on the secure side can transport the bag onto any airplane without any security screening whatsoever.
Although the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, various substitutions, rearrangements, and alterations might be made, and still the result would be within the scope of the invention.
The disclosure set forth above may encompass multiple distinct inventions with independent utility. While the invention has been disclosed in its preferred form, specific embodiments thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein are not to be considered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the inventions includes all novel and nonobvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions and/or properties disclosed herein. Similarly, where the claims recite “a” or “a first” element or the equivalent thereof, such claims should be understood to include incorporation of one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements. It is, believed that the claims particularly point out certain combinations and subcombinations that are directed to one of the disclosed inventions and are novel and nonobvious. Inventions embodied in other combinations and subcombinations of features, functions, elements and/or properties may be claimed through amendment of the present claims or presentation of new claims in this or a related application. Such amended or new claims, whether they are directed to a different invention or directed to the same invention, whether different, broader, narrower or equal in scope to the original claims, are also regarded as included within the subject matter of the inventions of the present disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61264887 | Nov 2009 | US |
