GB2463932A

GB2463932A - Vehicle lift safety enclosure

Info

Publication number: GB2463932A
Application number: GB0817934A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham John Sherwood
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-10-01
Filing date: 2008-10-01
Publication date: 2010-04-07
Also published as: GB0817934D0

Abstract

A vehicle lift comprises a platform designed to accommodate a vehicle. The platform maybe prevented from moving or stopped if the vehicle or a person extends over the boundary or edge of the platform, this may be detected using infra-red beams. The platform may include side walls, one or both of which may include sliding doors to access the doors of the vehicle. The sliding doors may be mechanically and electrically interlocked to prevent the lift from moving if they are open and the sliding doors may be prevented from opening whilst the lift is moving. The sliding doors may be power assisted. A roof may be provided between the side walls. Wheel chocks may be provided on the platform. The lift may be used for parking.

Description

Description of Vehicle Lift Safety Enclosure (VLSE) for vehicle lifts This invention is a solution to provide a safe means of transporting vehicles on a platform lift when it is not possible through lack of space, to provide a fully enclosed car or cabin (e.g with full height walls, ceiling and doors). This solution uses several unique features incorporated in the design which would not be otherwise included The cabin has 2 side walls and can have a rear wall unless a "roll on -roll off' facility is required. It does not require a ceiling

Background

At present Vehicle lifts requiring conformance to the lift standard EN81 have to fully enclose the vehicle or if compliance to the Machinery Directive is required then a cabin is not required in which case the passenger should not travel with the lift. The cabin is used to maintain the vehicle in position on the lift platform and prohibits both this and any passengers from damage or injury through coming into contact with any potential fixtures or shear points or hazards whilst the lift is in motion. Quite often the shaft or floor slab in a conventional install is open at the street level

Statement of Invention

To overcome the above, this present invention proposes some unique features to detect and or prohibit any potential damage to a vehicle through trapping any part of the vehicle (such as the car doors) or entrapment of limbs from a passenger travelling on the lift with the vehicle. The cabin design uses a system of electrically interlocked sliding doors on both of the side walls which are designed to slide open through 2/3 of the platform lift length to allow the vehicle doors to be opened when embarking or disembarking the vehicle. The doors are suspended from a track set at 1.8 metres high which has sufficient clearance to allow the majority of (standard) vehicle doors to be opened. Wheel chocks which can be adjusted to suit the wheelbase of the vehicle to be transported are provided and located on slots fixed within the cabin floor. A standard infra red beam edge provides protection to the "open end (s)" of the enclosure which, when the beam is broken (i.e vehicle not located within the confines of the enclosure) prohibits movement of the lift.

Advantages * Factory tested to reduce site installation time * Uses less materials than a conventional cabin * Pre installed to alleviate human error * Prohibits lift movement when the sliding doors are not shut on both sides and thus eliminates the risk of anything overhanging the building floor slab/section * Negates the need for a ceiling on the lift cabin thus reduces weight and energy required to move lift * Due to the fact that a ceiling is not required, then the lift can be installed into shafts where the headroom requirement would normally prohibit * The material cost are cheaper than traditional site assembly * Site installation times are reduced by 1-2 days * Any known standard vehicle can be accommodated * Adjustable wheel chocks correctly position the vehicle within the lift cabin and therefore limits damage to the rear wall through overshooting.

* Is pre-compliant with Current standards for lift Installations

KEY TO CROSS REFERENCE DRAWINGS FOR PATENT APPLICATION

GBO8I 7934.3

DESIGNATION DESCRIPTION

A SLIDING DOORS OF LIFT CABIN

B RETAINING CATCH

C LIGHT CURTAIN BEAMS

D ADJUSTABLE WHEEL CHOCS

HI HEIGHT OF CABIN* WI PLATFORM WIDTH (OVERALL)* W2 PLATFORM WIDTH (INTERNAL)* Dl LIFT PLATFORM DEPTH* *DETERMINSED BY SIZE AND DIMENSION OF GOODS TO BE

TRANSPORTED * * S... * . * . * . .

S * 5.5 5* * * .

S S

S

Claims

CLAIMS1. AN ENCLOSURE (CABIN) DESIGNED TO ACCOMODATE A VEHICLE WITHIN THE CONFINES OFTHE PLATFORM AREA AND PROHIBIT MOVEMENT OF THE LIFT IF ANY PART OF THE VEHICLEOR ANY PASSENGER TRAVELLING ON THE PLATFORM ENCROACHES OVER THE PLATFORMBOUNDARY
2. CABIN DESIGN INCLUDES A SLIDING DOOR MEACHNISM ON GOTH SIDES OF THE PLATFORMWHICH ARE MECHANICALLY AND ELECTRICALLY INTERLOCKED AND WILL PROHIBITMOVEMENT OF THE LIFT IF THEY ARE NOT COMPLETELY CLOSED
3. THE HEIGHT OF THE OVERHEAD SLIDING DOOR MECHANISM ALLOWS VEHICLE DOORS TO BEOPENED WHEN THE LIFT IS STATIONARY AT FLOOR LEVEL
4. THE SLIDING DOOR MEACHNISM ALLOWS 2/3RDS OF THE SIDE WALLS TO BE OPEN FORACCESS AND DISEM BARKING
5. THE CABIN DESIGN ALLOWS FOR ENTRANCE AND EXIT ON THE FRONT OR ENTRY ON THEFRONT AND EXIT ON THE REAR
6. ENTRANCE PROTECTION AT THE "OPEN ENDS" IS PROVIDED BY INFRA RED BEAM DETECTION WHICH WHEN THE BEAMS ARE BROKEN, OPERATES A SWITCH IN CIRCUIT WITH THEMOVEMENT OF THE LIFT THUS PROHIBITING OR STOPPING THE LIFT IMMEDIATELY
7. THE CABIN ENCLOSURE CAN BE FITTED INTO A HEADROOM SPACE OF 2100MM OR MORE
8. WHEEL CHOCKS WHICH ARE ADJUSTABLE, ARE FITTED TO THE REAR OF THE CABIN (WHEN THERE IS A REAR WALL) IN ORDER TO POSITION THE LIFT TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO THE REAR WALL THROUGH "OVERSHOOTING" THE PLATFORM.Amendment to the claims have been filed as followsCLAIMS1. AN ENCLOSURE (CABIN) DESIGNED TO ACCOMODATE A VEHICLE WITHIN THE CONFINES OFITS OWN LIFTING PLATFORM AREA2. THE LIFTING PLATFORM IS PREVENTED FROM MOVEMENT IF ANY PART OF THE VEHICLE ORANY PASSENGER TRAVELLING ON THE PLATFORM ENCROACHES OVER THE PLATFORMBOUNDARY OF WHICH THE OPEN ENDS ARE PROTECTED BY INFRA RED BEAMS3. AN IMPORTANT FEATURE OF THE CABIN DESIGN IS THE INCLUSION OF A SLIDING DOORMECHANISMS LOCATED ON ONE OR BOTH SIDES OF THE PLATFORM AND WHICH CAN BEOPENED AT FLOOR LEVELTO PROVIDE AN INCREASED LIFT WIDTH IN ORDER TO FACILITATETHE OPENING OR THE VEHICLE DOORS WHICH WOULD NOT NORMALLY BE POSSIBLE IN A"FIXED" WALL LIFT CABIN.4. THE SLIDING DOORS ARE BOTH MECHANICALLY AND ELECTRICALLY INTERLOCKED AND WILLPROHIBIT MOVEMENT OF THE LIFT IF THEY ARE NOT COMPLETELY CLOSED AND CANNOT BEOPENED WHILST THE LIFT IS IN MOTION5. THE HEIGHT OF THE OVERHEAD SLIDING DOOR TRACK MECHANISM ALLOWS VEHICLEDOORS TO BE OPENED WHEN THE LIFT IS STATIONARY AT FLOOR LEVEL6. THE SLIDING DOOR MECHANISMS ALLOW ANY PRACTICAL PORTION OF THE WALLS TO BE "SLID" OPEN FOR ACCESS AND DISEMBARKING AND THESE MAY BE EITHER POWER ASSISTED OR BE MANUALLY OPERATED AND IN THE CASE OF MANUAL OPERATION CAN BE S"SLID"OPEN OR CLOSED FROM WITHIN THE VEHICLE7. THE CABIN DESIGN ALLOWS FOR ENTRANCE AND EXIT ON THE FRONT OR ENTRY ON THEFRONT AND EXIT ON THE REAR8. ENTRANCE PROTECTION AT THE "OPEN ENDS" IS PROVIDED BY INFRA RED BEAM DETECTION WHICH WHEN THE BEAMS ARE BROKEN, OPERATES A SWITCH IN CIRCUIT WITH THEMOVEMENT OF THE LIFT THUS PROHIBITING OR STOPPING THE LIFT IMMEDIATELY*...
9. THE CABIN ENCLOSURE CAN BE INSTALLED AND FITTED INTO A HEADROOM SPACE A SMALLAS THE HEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE SPECIFIED S.I:
10. WHEEL CHOCKS WHICH ARE ADJUSTABLE, ARE FITTED TO THE REAR OF THE CABIN (WHEN THERE ISA REAR WALL) IN ORDER TO POSITION THE LIFT TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO THE REAR WALL THROUGH "OVERSHOOTING" THE PLATFORM.r
11. A ROOF OR CEILING MAY BE FITTED TO THE LIFT IF REQUIRED HOWEVER ONE OF THE ** * INTENTIONS OF THE INVENTION IS TO REDUCE FABRICATION AND MATERIALS (AND THUS WEIGHT)
12. THE LIFT CABIN IS INTENDED FOR USE IN PARKING OR VEHICLE TRANSIT LIFTS WHEREACCESS TO THE VEHICLE FOR DRIVING ON AND OFF IS REQUIRED