GB2222122A - Heliport - Google Patents

Abstract

A heliport is disclosed in which a pad section (4) is provided above the rooftop of a building (1). A column (3) is erected to extend above the rooftop of the building (1), and the pad section (4) is provided on the column (3). The column (3) is formed into the hollow cylindrical shape, and a stairway or lift (6) is accommodated inside the column (3) to permit going-up and down therein. The pad section (4) is formed by a plurality of surface units (11) (Figs 6-8) covering over a base (10), and a shock absorber (12) for supporting each surface (11) unit. The shock absorber (12) includes a shock absorber making use of laminated rubber (13). <IMAGE>

Description

HELIPORT This invention relates to a heliport for the use of takeoff and landing of a helicopter and, more particularly, to a heliport which is capable of building in an urban area and further capable of installing on an upper portion of a building.

A heliport is considered as a sort of airfield.

It is necessary even for the heliport to set the airspace reservation for approach, departure and turning for waiting for a landing of an aircraft. Further, a space free from any obstacle is conditioned on an upper space of the heliport in principle. Therefore, when the heliport is founded on the ground, an extensive vacant land, around which a high building or the like is not found, is required for the heliport, so that the heliport is restricted by the location.

Hence, in order to fulfill the above conditions of location of the heliport in an urban area, the heliport is provided on the rooftop of a high building to thereby prevent the peripheral buildings from being an obstacle.

However, such heliport provided on the rooftop of the building encounters a problem in air current.

Namely; the periphery of the building is large in turbulence against natural wind to be generally subjected to the influence of the turbulence in the height direction to such an extent of substantially the same as the building height. In particular, an ascending current occurs upwardly from the windward wall surface of the building in the neighborhood of the rooftop, while a descending swirl current occurs in the neighborhood of the leeward wall surface. This phenomenon presents more remarkably the larger the vertical surface of the building is, and the higher the building is, so that the above ascending and descending currents result in a strong current together with the updraft and downdraft.

On the other hand, a helicopter approaches the heliport from above at an angle with respect to the heliport and takes off upwardly at an angle with respect to the heliport. As a result, since the helicopter sails across the ascending and descending currents occurring above the wall surface of the building, the helicopter runs into a remarkably unstable condition.

Accordingly, when the wind blows strongly, the flight becomes impossible to thereby bring about the reduction of availability. Further, since the natural wind has a tendency to blow stronger in an upper air region, it is difficult to utilize the rooftop of the building for the heliport as it is.

Now, even in a helicopter capable of performing the vertical takeoff and landing, there is a possibility of forcing the helicopter to land under the falling state in landing depending upon the control. For instance, since the surface of a heliport provided on a ship pitches or rolls about waves, there is a case where the helicopter is forced to come down to the heliport on purpose while making sure of the period of pitch and roll. Also, even in a general heliport, the helicopter runs into the falling state by a strong wind (a rush of wind) in landing. In particular, a heliport installed on the rooftop of the building is liable to run into the above state, since the turbulent air occurs by the building.

When the helicopter takes off from or lands on a heliport of rigid structure under the falling state as noted above, a load is applied on the helicopter beyond expectations, so that there is a possibility that an accident, such as the damage of leg or the like, happens.

The present invention is provided to dissolve the above drawbacks, and its object is to provide a heliport, which effectively makes use of a space within the range of restriction of location in an urban area, and is installed on an upper portion of a building with high safety.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a heliport having a shock absorbing function capable of relieving a shock applied on a helicopter in landing.

A heliport according to the present invention is characterized by forming a pad section on a building. A column is erected to project above the rooftop of the building. The pad section is installed on the column, and a peripheral edge of the pad section projects in the outer peripheral direction more than an outer periphery of the column.

The column may be formed into a hollow column, and a lifttable stairway or lift may be accommodated inside the column.

The pad section may be provided with a shock absorbing function. The pad section is covered with a plurality of plate-like surface units over to constitute the top surface of the pad section, and each of the surface units is supported by a shock absorber.

As for the shock absorber, use may be made of a shock absorber formed by sandwiching laminated rubber between upper and lower steel plates.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of a heliport according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing building provided with the heliport shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3(I) is a plan view showing another embodiment of the heliport according to the present invention; Fig. 3(II) is a side view of the heliport shown in Fig. 3(I); Fig. 4(I) is a plan view showing a further embodiment of the heliport according to the present invention; Fig. 4(II) is a side view of the heliport shown in Fig. 4(I); Fig. 5(I) is plan view showing a still further embodiment of the heliport according to the present invention; Fig. 5(II) is a side view of the heliport shown in Fig. 5(I);; Fig. 6 is a schematic view showing a shock absorber and a surface unit constituting the surface of a pad section of the heliport; Fig. 7 is a plan view showing a plurality of surface units covering over the pad section; Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the pad section shown in Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a plan view showing the pad section covered over with the surface units supported by the shock absorber; and Fig. 10 is a plan view showing another pad section covered over with the surface units supported by the shock absorbers.

In the drawings, reference numeral 1 designates a building, which is built on a deep pile 2. Four columns 3 are formed to extend through the center of the building 1 in the vertical direction. Each column 3 is hollow cylindrical in shape, and erected further above the rooftop of the building 1. The column 3 makes use of the same foundation as the building 1 and is formed from the foundation by RC-construction of S-construction.

A pad section 4 is mounted on the column 3. The pad section 4 is mounted by the steps of forming the column 3 to the top, then assembling the pad section 4 on the ground or on the rooftop, and then lifting up the assembled pad section 4 along the column 3. Referring to Fig. 1, a substantially circular pad section 4 is mounted on each of the four columns 3, and the adjacent pad sections 4 are continuous. An outer peripheral edge of each pad section 4 projects in the outer periheral direction more than an outer periphery of each column 3, so that the column 3 and pad section are shaped like a mushroom.

Since the pad section 4 is mounted on the column 3 erected above the building 1, the current of air ascending on the wall surface of the building 1 does not reach the pad section to thereby permit the safe takeoff and landing of a helicopter without exerting any influence of the ascending current of air.

Further, the current of air ascending on the column 3 is few, and even if it ascends, the ascending current of air is screened by the pad section 4, so that there is little influence exerted on the top surface of the pad section 4.

Particularly, by forming the column 3 into the cylindrical shape, the current of air ascending on the column 3 becomes fewer.

Since the pad section 4 is mounted on the column 3 erected above the building 1, the pad section 4 is located at a height enough to prevent the peripheral building 1 from being an obstacle, so that there is no possibility of being subject to restriction. Namely, since the peripheral building 1 is reduced in height less than the height which is considered as an obstacle to the heliport and defined by a law, it is possible to easily meet these qualifications for the heliport even in an urban area.

In addition, the pad section 4 may be mounted on each of three columns 3 as shown in Fig. 3. Further, two pad sections 4 or one pad section 4 may be mounted respectively on two columns or one column as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

A hollow section 5 of the column 3 is divided into left and right parts, and a lift 6 is accommodated in one part for lifting up and down therein, while a stairway 7 is provided in the other part.

A slab 8 for the use of a waiting room is formed under the pad section 4 to permit a person to go up to a boarding ramp 9 provided on the upper surface of the pad section 4.

In the drawings, reference numeral 10 designates a base of the pad section 4. The base 10 is covered over with a plurality of plate-like surface units 11.

As for each surface unit 11, use may be made of a precast concrete plate, a reinforced concrete plate, a steel plate or a plate formed by attaching a steel frame to an outer periphery of a concrete plate.

A square surface unit may be used for each surface unit 11 as shown in Fig. 9, and a square base 10 may be covered over with a plurality of square surface units 11. Further, as shown in Fig. 10, a circular base 10 may be covered over with a plurality of hexagonal surface units 11. The surface units 11 as noted above are supported by a plurality of shock absorbers 12. As for each shock absorber 12, use may be made of a shock absorber which is so structured that laminated rubber 13 is sandwiched between upper and lower steel plates 14,14, as shown in Fig. 6. A plate piece-like spacer 15 is projectingly provided on the upper steel plate 14 so as to prevent the adjacent surface units 11 from displacement. A plurality of holes 16 are bored in an outer peripheral portion of the lower steel plate 14.

Each shock absorber 12 is fixedly attached to the base 10 by the use of fixture passed through each hole 16 of the lower steel plate 14. An end of each surface unit 11 is mounted on the surface of the upper steel plate 14 partitioned by the spacer 15. According to an embodiment of Fig. 6, each of four square surface units 11 is mounted on the surface of the steel plate 14 partitioned by the spacer 15 in four directions.

In the case where the helicopter lands on the surface units 11 supported by the shock absorbers 12 as noted above, when a load acts on each surface unit 11 beyond expectations, the shock may be relieved by the action of each shock absorbers 12 to thereby prevent the helicopter from being damaged.

The present invention has the above structure, while shock absorbers of various structures may be adopted instead of the shock absorber 12. For instance, a combination of a coil spring and a damper may be used instead of the laminated rubber 13.

Claims (6)

Claims:

1. A heliport characterized in that: a column is erected to extend above the rooftop of a building; and a pad section is mounted on said column so that a peripheral edge of the pad section projects from an outer periphery of said column.

2. A heliport according to claim 1, wherein said column is formed into the hollow cylindrical shape.

3. A heliport according to claim 2, wherein a liftable stairway or lift is accommodated in a hollow section of said column.

4. A heliport according to claim 1, wherein said pad section is formed by a plurality of plate-like surface units covering over a base, and a shock absorber for supporting each of said surface units.

5. A heliport according to claim 4, wherein said shock absorber consists of laminated rubber, and upper and lower steel plates sandwiching said laminated rubber.

6. A heliport substantially as herein before described with reference to any one of the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.