Abstract:
A major portion, if not the whole, of passenger facilities are located underground to reserve a virtually building-free ground level for the most efficient movements of aircraft. A number of pairs of parked positions of aircraft for loading/unloading are arranged in each of a number of rows. Adjacent aircraft face in opposite directions to facilitate loading/unloading from and to a pair of passenger gates located below each pair of such parked positions and to also facilitate forward movement of aircraft to and from such parked positions. The resulting arrangement is compact and allows efficient movement of aircraft to and from runways while also minimizing the distances passengers travel in moving from a terminal to gates and in moving from one gate to another. Loading/unloading ramps are moveable between inactive positions out of the paths of aircraft and active positions for loading and unloading. Two such ramps can be provided for fore and aft loading of one aircraft.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Applicant claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/836,303, filed on Aug. 8, 2006. 
    
    
     The invention disclosed herein is not the result of any federally sponsored research or development activities. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The construction of airports is well known. Many improvements have been made or proposed but the basic construction has remained the same. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention was evolved with the general object of improving the construction of airports. Important aspects of the invention relate to the concept of placing passenger facilities underground, below the level of the surface on which aircraft are supported, and to the recognition of important advantages which result, especially when all or a major portion of the passenger facilities are underground. 
     An important feature of the invention is that a ground level can be reserved that can be substantially building-free with most passenger facilities being located underground. As shown herein, terminal facilities and driveways for access thereto, as well as parking areas, may be located at ground level but in accordance with the invention, terminal facilities and driveways as well as light rail or other transport means, also parking areas, may be located underground. In any case, passengers need to move through only relatively short distances between a terminals and gates and other passenger facilities. 
     Another important feature is that a ground level is made available for the most efficient movement of aircraft. Parked positions at which aircraft are loaded or unloaded can be so located as to facilitate movement to and from runways. A large number of parked positions can be arranged in a small compact area. The parked positions can be located in rows with aisles there-between for movement of aircraft to and from runways. As shown herein, the rows and aisles may be in straight lines but they may extend arcuately about a common center and with different radii, forming complete concentric circles if desired. In either case, parked positions can be so located as to allow aircraft to moved in a forward direction into a parked position and, after loading or unloading, to be again moved in a forward direction out of the parked position, obviating the need for the backward movements of aircraft required by conventional airports. Similar features can also be used for locating positions at which aircraft are located for servicing using one or more separate portions of the same lower level used for passenger facilities. 
     A further very important feature is that it is possible to safely and efficiently load and unload aircraft, especially large aircraft, at entrances which are both fore and aft. A pair of ramps can be used that in active conditions extend in generally parallel relation to each other and a wing of the aircraft and in generally transverse relation to the fuselage of the aircraft. Such ramps can be pivoted or otherwise moved to inactive conditions in which they are out of the path of aircraft being moved to and from a parked position. 
     Additional important features of the invention relate to the location of passenger waiting areas or gates under parked positions of the aircraft for direct and convenient movement of passengers to or from the aircraft. When the parked positions of aircraft are arranged for efficient movement of aircraft as aforementioned and the gates are in underlying relation to the parked positions, the distances between a terminal and gates and between gates can be much shorter than the distances encountered in conventional airport constructions. The need for people-movers can be obviated in smaller airports. In larger airports, people-movers can be used in a highly convenient and efficient manner to move people between a terminal or a parking area and rows of gates and along rows of gates. People-movers can be located in a separate underground level which can be below that used for gates. 
     Further important features of the invention relate to loading and unloading of baggage. Conveyors can be located in underground tunnels which can be at a level below that used for gates and which can move baggage horizontally to and from positions below the parked positions of aircraft. Additional conveyors and/or elevators can be used in proximity to each parked position to move baggage between the horizontal conveyors and the aircraft. This feature obviates the need for and inherent dangers and costs of moving baggage on the ground level as employed in conventional airports. 
     Still further features of the invention relate to the locations of structures for using daylight to illuminate passenger waiting areas and other portions of the passenger level and to the provision of ramps, escalators and elevators used for moving passengers between gates and parked aircraft. 
     This invention contemplates other objects, features and advantages which will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic top plan view of a portion of an airport constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention, showing aircraft in loading/unloading positions and in positions during movements to and from such loading/unloading positions; 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view corresponding to a portion of  FIG. 1  but on a greatly enlarged scale, showing two aircraft in adjacent loading/unloading positions and showing structures not shown in  FIG. 1  to avoid confusion, including an illumination dome structure and including ramp structures which are shown in inactive positions; 
         FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 2  but showing ramp structures in active positions, showing in broken line the positions of walls of an underlying passenger level and also showing portions of the aircraft supporting surface and of the illumination dome structure broken away in order to show escalators extending up from an underlying passenger level; 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view taken substantially along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view taken substantially along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In  FIG. 1 , reference numeral  10  generally designates an airport constructed in accordance with the invention. The airport  10  includes an apron portion  11  having an upper surface at ground level that supports aircraft for movement to and from runways and that supports aircraft at positions in a passenger loading/unloading area generally indicated by reference numeral  12  and in servicing areas generally indicated by reference numerals  13  and  14 . Passenger facilities are positioned underground below the apron  11  and the loading/unloading area  12  as hereinafter described. Aircraft  15  and  16  are depicted as moving toward runways and while aircraft  17  and  18  are depicted as moving from runways toward the loading/unloading area  12  or servicing areas  13  and  14 . Rectangles  20 ,  21  and  22  diagrammatically indicate expansion areas which may be incorporated in airport plans for expansion of the areas  12 ,  13  and  14 , each of the expansion areas  20 - 22  being usable to provide additional passenger loading/unloading or aircraft servicing positions. 
     A terminal  23  is provided adjacent one side of the loading/unloading area  12  and along a driveway  24  for vehicular traffic. Passengers entering the terminal  23  at ground level may move through escalators, elevators or stairs to an underground passenger concourse that includes a portion providing gates that underlie aircraft in positions in loading/unloading area  12 . The arrangement results in very short distances between many gates and the terminal  23 . A parking region  26  may be provided along the driveway and may have a number of levels. Access from the parking region to the underground passenger concourse and to people movers may be provided as diagrammatically indicated by broken lines  27  and  28 . Although shown at ground level, the terminal  23 , driveway  24  and parking regions may be located underground at the same level as the passenger concourse. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the aircraft positions in the passenger loading/unloading area  12  are arranged in four rows with twelve positions in each row and with five aisles in which aircraft may move. A first aisle  30  is provided between the terminal  23  and a first row that is closest to the terminal. A second aisle  31  is provided between the first row and a second of the four rows. A third aisle  32  is provided between the second row and a third of the four rows. A fourth aisle  33  is provided between the third row and the fourth of the four rows. A fifth aisle  34  is provide between the fourth row and the illustrated expansion area  20 . The twelve aircraft positions in each row are arranged in six pairs. In each pair of aircraft positions the aircrafts face in opposite directions. Thus, as shown, aircrafts  35  and  36  in the left-most pair of the first row face in opposite directions, aircraft  35  facing toward the terminal  23  and aircraft  36  facing away from the terminal. The aircraft  35  may have been moved in a forward direction from aisle  31  to reach the position shown and, after loading or unloading, may again move in a forward direction and into the aisle  30 . Similarly, the aircraft  36  may have been moved in a forward direction from aisle  30  to reach the position shown and, after loading or unloading, may again move in a forward direction and into the aisle  31 . To facilitate movements, each aisle is preferably used for movement in only one direction. Thus aisles  30 ,  32  and  34  may only be used for movements to the right as illustrated while aisles  31  and  33  may only be used for movement to the left as illustrated. As has been noted, rows and aisles, although being shown as extending in straight lines, may extend arcuately about a common center and with different radii, forming complete concentric circles if desired. In that case, the parked positions of aircraft can be such that aircraft are moved only in a forward direction, but it may be desirable to allow bi-directional movement of aircraft in certain aisles, especially aisles between outer rings of parked positions. 
     In the underground passenger concourse, a pair of gates are associated with each pair aircraft positions and six corridors extend away from the terminal  23  for access to such pairs of gates. For the purpose of identification of gates and their locations, such six underground corridors may be identified by reference characters A, B, C, D, E and F and positioned as shown in  FIG. 1 . With four rows of aircraft positions as shown in  FIG. 1 , eight gates are accessible from each corridor. The eight gates associated with each corridor may be identified by numerals  1  through  8  with an odd number indicating a gate on the left and a even number indicating a gate on the right, Thus the gate associated with the position of aircraft  35  may be identified as gate A 1  while the gate associated with the position of aircraft  36  may be identified as gate A 2 . The gate associated with the right-most aircraft position farthest from the terminal may be identified as gate F 8 . 
       FIG. 2  is a top plan view corresponding to a portion of  FIG. 1  but on a greatly enlarged scale, showing the aircraft  35  and  36  in a pair of adjacent loading/unloading positions.  FIG. 2  also shows structures that are not shown in  FIG. 1  to avoid confusion, including an illumination dome structure  38  and including ramp structures  39 ,  40 ,  41  and  42  which are operated by actuators  43 ,  44 ,  45  and  46 . The illumination dome structure  38  includes a frusto-spherical top wall of transparent or translucent material to use ambient light for illumination of underlying space during daylight hours. Ramp structures  39  and  40  are usable for fore and aft loading or unloading of aircraft in the position of aircraft  35  and ramp structures  41  and  42  are usable for fore and aft loading or unloading of aircraft in the position of aircraft  36 . Such ramp structures are shown in  FIG. 2  in inactive positions to be out of the way of aircraft such as aircrafts  35  and  36  when moved into and out of loading/unloading positions.  FIG. 3  shows the ramp structures  39 ,  40 ,  41  and  42  after being moved by actuators  43 ,  44 ,  45  and  46  to active positions for loading or unloading of passengers. In doing so, the actuators  43 ,  44 ,  45  and  46  operate to pivot the structures about axes  47 ,  48 ,  49  and  50  and to lift the ends of the structures as required to place the ends of the structures opposite passenger-receiving openings in the fuselages of the aircraft. Then the actuators  43 - 46  operate to extend the lengths of the ramp structures  39 - 42  as required to place the ends of the ramp structures against the fuselages of the aircraft, the ramp structures  39 - 42  having telescopingly expandable portions for this purpose and to allow use with different types of aircraft. The angles of rotation from positions as shown in  FIG. 2  to positions as shown in  FIG. 3  vary with different types of aircraft but are approximately 90 degrees, the structures  39  and  42  being rotated in clockwise directions while structures  40  and  41  are rotated in counter-clockwise directions. 
       FIG. 3  also shows four escalators  51 ,  52 ,  53  and  54  usable to move passengers between a lower level and landings  55 ,  56 ,  57  and  58  which are adjacent to ends of the ramp structures  39 ,  40 ,  41  and  42  and which are approximately at ground level. A portion of the illumination dome  38  and a portion of the apron  11  are shown broken away to show escalators  51  and  52  and landings  55  and  56  in full lines while escalators  53  and  54  and landings  57  and  58  are shown in dotted lines. To enter the aircraft  35 , a passenger may ride the escalator  51  to the landing  55  or ride the escalator  52  to the landing  56  and then use the ramp structure  39  or the ramp structure  40  to reach the aircraft. The ramp structures may be mechanized with a conveyor belt arrangement to provide a moving support that slowly carries a standing passenger, or a passenger on a wheel chair, up to the aircraft or down from the aircraft. Although not visible in the drawings, elevators are preferably provided for carrying handicapped persons or others to and from the landings  55 - 58 . 
     As is apparent from the preceding description and from what is shown in the drawings, the apron  11  has openings therein for the purpose of operating during daylight hours to allow ambient light to illuminate underlying spaces, each opening being below a light-transmitting frusto-spherical top wall of a dome structure  38  and thereby being circular in form. Such circular openings in apron  11  are also used in the loading and unloading of passengers. In  FIG. 3 , portions of the top wall of the dome structure  38  and portions of the apron  11  are shown broken away to show the escalators  51  and  52  in full lines and to demonstrate that lower ends of all four escalators  51 - 54  on the underground level are outside the space below the circular opening in apron  11  and that the escalators extend upwardly from the underground level and through the circular opening to upper ends that are adjacent the landings  55 - 58 . It will be understood that, as is conventional in airports, a loading or unloading operation is initiated and controlled by airport or airline personnel who, in the airport as disclosed, will be at an underground gate area where passengers are waiting. In a loading operation, passengers enter a lower end of one of the escalators  51 - 54  to move or be moved upwardly and through the circular opening in the apron  11 , to then move from the upper end of the escalator and onto one of the landings  55 - 58  and to then move or be moved through one of the ramp structures  39 - 42  to the aircraft. To be direct, as previously described, such movements can be uninterrupted. To be convenient, as also previously described, uninterrupted movements can continue until a suitable completion of the loading operation with all passengers to be loaded being safely in the aircraft. In an unloading operation, an uninterrupted movement of passengers can be in an opposite direction and reverse order, from an aircraft to an underground gate area, and can continue until all passengers to be unloaded are safely in the underground gate area. 
       FIG. 3  also shows in broken lines the positions of walls of the lower passenger level. Walls  61 ,  62 ,  63  and  64  border a space under the illumination dome  38  that provides gate areas for loading/unloading of aircraft in the positions of aircrafts  35  and  36 . A corridor bordered by walls  65  and  66 , a second corridor bordered by walls  67  and  68 , a third corridor bordered by walls  69  and  70  and a fourth corridor bordered by walls  71  and  72  extend in four directions from the space under the illumination dome  38 . The corridor bordered by walls  65  and  66  and the corridor bordered by walls  69  and  70  form part of a corridor identifiable by reference character A as shown in FIG and previously discussed. Corridors such as those bordered by walls  67  and  68  and by walls  71  and  72  allow passengers to move from one to another of the previously discussed corridors A through F. Corridors are thus provided to allow passengers to walk from and to the terminal  23  and to walk between gates, as when transferring between flights, through distances which are relatively short as compared to those required in airports of conventional construction. 
       FIG. 4  shows that no interference is encountered with movement of the aircraft  35  to and from its loading/unloading position from either the dome structure  38  or from the ramp structures  39  and  40 , when in inactive conditions, although such structures extend upwardly from the ground level. 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  provide cross-sectional drawings of the apron  11 , of an underlying horizontal floor slab  75  which provides the floor of the passenger concourse and of a still lower floor slab  76  which provides the floor of corridors that underlie the corridors of the passenger concourse. Automated shuttles move on rails in such corridors to automatically carry passengers between gates and the terminal  23  and between gates and parking regions. Each shuttle may preferably have an “open top” construction. Access between corridors of the main passenger level and the underlying corridors may be provided by escalators such as escalators  77  and  78  as shown and by elevators, not shown, at appropriate locations. Alternatively, the shuttles may move on rails in the concourse level and bridges may be provided over intersecting corridors. In this case, the lower floor slab  76  may not be required. 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  also show a tunnel  80  in which conveyors can be provided to carry baggage to and from locations from which baggage can be moved by additional conveyors to baggage-receiving openings in an aircraft in the position of aircraft  35  and of other aircraft at positions in rows B, C and D aligned with the position of aircraft  35 . Such additional conveyors may be pivotally moved from an inactive position out of the path of movement of aircraft and to an active position at which they are elevated, with movements similar to those described in connection with the passenger ramps  39 - 43 . It is noted that while tunnel  80  in the arrangement illustrated in  FIG. 1  will service only aircraft in the position of aircraft  35  and three others aligned therewith, other tunnels may service three pairs of aircraft. For example with reference to  FIG. 1 , a tunnel may be positioned to the right of aircraft  36  and midway between aircraft  36  and the aircraft immediately to its right. 
     It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of this invention.