Patent Grant
11815260
This invention relates to a collapsible marshalling wand and accompanying charging station that can recharge a plurality of the collapsible marshalling wands simultaneously.
Aircraft marshalling is generally understood to be the visual signaling operation between ground personnel and an operator that is moving an aircraft on the ground. One common piece of equipment for ground personnel to use when marshalling an aircraft is a marshalling wand. A marshalling wand is a handheld illuminated beacon that can be used on airport runways by a marshaller or other personnel to signal to the pilot (if the aircraft needs to move forward) or the driver of the tow truck (if the aircraft need to move backwards).
Notwithstanding the presence of aircraft marshallers and other ground personnel, very costly damage to aircraft due to insufficient communication on the runway is not uncommon. Indeed, because typical marshalling wands are cumbersome and have finite power supplies, it is not atypical for ground personnel to be caught on the runway without a marshalling wand when they need one. Thus, there remains a need for a collapsible marshalling wand system that includes a wand that can be set in an operational configuration to be used as a typical marshalling wand as well as a collapsed configuration in which it is easy to carry and store. It would be desirable if such a collapsible marshalling wand system includes a wand that could be used with a charging station that could recharge several collapsible marshalling wands simultaneously. It would be additionally desirable for such a collapsible marshalling wand system to include a wand with a wireless alert system that could be used to direct a sensory alert to a pilot or driver of a tow truck in the event the pilot/driver does not see the marshaller's signal.
The present disclosure provides for a marshalling wand that can be set in an elongated operational configuration while used, as well as in a smaller collapsed configuration when not in use, and an accompanying recharging device, along with an accompanying charging station. The collapsible marshalling wand comprises a marshalling wand having a plurality of wand portions integrated telescopically so as to be positionable in both an operational configuration and a collapsed configuration, wherein the plurality of wand portions include at least a distal wand portion at a distal end and a proximal wand portion at a proximal end, with the proximal wand portion sized to allow each other wand portion in the plurality of wand portions to be nested therein when the plurality of wand portions are in the collapsed configuration. Further, at least one of the wand portions among the plurality of wand portions includes a lighting system and is configured to selectively illuminate. Moreover, at least one of the wand portions among the plurality of wand portions includes at least one electrical contact which provides a connection interface through which electricity can be directed to the at least one of the wand portions among the plurality of wand portions that includes the lighting system and is configured to selectively illuminate. When in operation, the collapsible marshalling wand allows all ground personnel to conveniently keep a marshalling wand with them at all times as well as for extra marshalling wands to be stored at a charging station positioned on or near airport runways.
It is an object of this invention to provide a collapsible marshalling wand system that includes a wand that can be set in an operational configuration to be used as a typical marshalling wand as well as a collapsed configuration in which it is easy to carry and store.
It is another object of this invention to provide a collapsible marshalling wand system that includes a wand that can be used with a charging station that could charge several collapsible marshalling wands simultaneously.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a collapsible marshalling wand system that includes a wand that has a wireless alert system that could be used to direct a sensory alert to a pilot or driver of a tow truck in the event the pilot/driver does not see the marshaller's signal.
These and other objects will be apparent to one of skill in the art.
Disclosed herein is a marshalling wand and charging station that make marshalling wands more easily accessible and convenient to carry. The marshalling wand of the present invention is collapsible so that it can contract down to a much smaller length for carrying. It also has a D-ring or carabiner attached so that it can easily clip to a belt loop. The marshalling wand may be utilized with a charging station that can hold several marshalling wands simultaneously while charging the internal battery of each of the held marshalling wands.
Referring now to the drawings and, in particular,
The proximal wand portion 110A may include an upper surface 111 that is defined by a rigid lid that includes a centrally located aperture therein. The upper surface 111 may be structured to form a basin at the top of the proximal wand portion 110A with an elevated perimeter rim 111′ so as to allow for more secure stacking of multiple collapsible marshalling wands 100 in the manner discussed below. The proximal wand portion 110A may also include an attachment loop 120 that is coupled to an attachment device such as a D ring 121 or carabiner (not shown).
The distal wand portion 110E may be defined by a housing that includes a battery (not shown), a switch (not shown), and an electric light 110E′, with the battery, switch, and electric light electrically connected such that the switch can selectively cause electricity stored in the battery to be directed to the electric light in order to cause the electric light to illuminate. In this regard, the battery provides a power source, the switch provides a switching element, and the electric light provides an illumination element, and these elements collectively provide a lighting system that is configured to enable the distal wand portion 110E, and potentially other wand portions 110 as well, to selectively illuminate.
The distal wand portion 110E additionally includes electrical contacts 112 forming its top surface and its bottom surface. These electrical contacts 112 provide a connection interface through which electricity can be directed into the internal battery of the distal wand portion 110E when the collapsible marshalling wand 100 is being recharged, as discussed below. The electrical contact 112 forming the bottom surface may extend downward from the marshalling wand 110, while the electrical contact 112 forming the top surface may be accessible when the marshalling wand 110 is in the collapsed configuration through the centrally located aperture in the upper surface 111 of the proximal wand portion 110A. In this regard, if multiple marshalling wands 100 are stacked, the electrical contact 112 forming the bottom surface of a marshalling wand 110 positioned on top will contact the electrical contact 112 of a marshalling wand positioned on bottom through the centrally located aperture.
One or multiple of the wand portions 110 may include retroreflective strips or devices, or other reflective material, on their outer surface. It is appreciated that this may operate to improve the collapsible marshalling wand's 100 ability to serve as a high visibility object.
The proximal wand portion 110A may include a wireless alert system that may include a detachable communicator 130 and an actuator button 131, each of which may be operatively coupled to a separate power source. The detachable communicator 130 may be attachable to the proximal wand portion 110A through the inclusion of a magnet on either the detachable communicator 130 and the proximal wand portion 110A, and ferromagnetic material on the other. In other embodiments, the detachable communicator 130 may be attachable to the proximal wand portion 110A through the inclusion of other fasteners known in the art, including corresponding portions of hook and loop fastening material on both the detachable communicator 130 and the proximal wand portion 110A.
The detachable communicator 130 and actuator button 131 each include an internal antenna that allows the actuator button 131 to transmit an electrical signal wirelessly to the detachable communicator 130. For example, the detachable communicator 130 and actuator button 131 may each be connected to a wireless local area network so as to allow wireless communication between them. In response to the receipt of an electrical signal from the actuator button 131 generated in response to manual actuation of the actuator button 131, the detachable communicator 130 may emit a sensory alert, such as an audible alarm, visible flashing light, or vibrating alarm so as to provide an additional way of signaling a pilot or tow truck driver in case she does not see a marshaller signaling her. In this regard, it is contemplated that the detachable communicator 130 may be temporarily placed on the dashboard or removably mounted inside an aircraft being marshalled or a tow truck that is moving an aircraft being marshalled. Then, the detachable communicator 130 can be returned to the marshaller and reconnected to the wand for future use when finished.
There may be just one alert signal, such as when the marshaller is telling the driver to emergency stop. Or there can be multiple directions built in, such as stop, go, slow down, go left/right, and so forth. For example, a different sound, different color light or light pattern, or vibration pattern can be used to communicate different directions.
The detachable communicator 130 may alternatively be permanently mounted in the cabin of the tow truck or aircraft and powered through that device.
In an alternate embodiment, a fixed alert system that may include an actuator button 131 may be employed in addition to or in the alternative to the wireless alert system. In the fixed alert system, an electrical signal from the actuator button 131 may cause the collapsible marshalling wand 100 to emit a loud sound, a light, or other sensory alert.
Referring now to
In another embodiment, illustrated in
It is contemplated that when a collapsible marshalling wand is positioned on a charging station, the components of the wireless alert system may be charged through an inductive coupling, with the charging station using an electromagnetic field to transfer energy to the detachable communicator and/or the actuator button through electromagnetic induction.
It is contemplated that the use of such a charging station may provide a convenient supply of charged wands ready for use. A user can simply detach the top wand in the column, carry it around using the attachment mechanism, and extend it into its operational configuration when ready to use.
The charging station may either plug into an electric outlet and/or may be powered by a much longer-lasting rechargeable battery capable of recharging all the wands, so that the charging station can be located out on a runaway if a wired electric power source is not available.
It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the elements set forth in the accompanying description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The disclosure may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including equivalent constructions. The abstract and the disclosure are neither intended to define the invention, which is measured by the claims, nor are they intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
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| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| WO-2013017120 | Feb 2013 | WO |
| Entry |
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| Machine translation of WO 2013/017120 A2, retrieved from worldwide.espacenet.com on Oct. 24, 2022 (Year: 2022). |
| Tow Team Warning System. Datasheet [online]. Airelectric Inc., 2013 [retrieved on Apr. 8, 2019]. Retrieved from be Internet: <URL: www_airelectric_us/ttws>. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20230033056 A1 | Feb 2023 | US |
