WO1993021885A1

WO1993021885A1 - Restraining device for wheelchairs

Info

Publication number: WO1993021885A1
Application number: PCT/SE1992/000279
Authority: WO
Inventors: Per-Olov Nilsson
Original assignee: Nilsson Per Olov
Priority date: 1990-11-13
Filing date: 1992-04-29
Publication date: 1993-11-11
Also published as: SE9003609L; SE9003609D0; SE500912C2

Abstract

Restraining device for wheelchairs in vehicles, which is intended to be mounted on the floor or the corresponding of the vehicle, away from the walls and ceiling of the vehicle, including a stand (1), extending mainly vertically from one or several first floor sockets (5) arranged in the floor, to which a wheelchair can be kept by means of holders (7). A least one supporting means (2) extends from at least one fastening point (3) on the stand (1) to at least a second floor socket (6) arranged in the floor, which is situated on a distance from a line through the first floor sockets (5), or a corresponding line through a longish first floor socket or a first floor socket with a specific width.

Description

RESTRAINING DEVICE FOR WHEELCHAIRS

TECHINICAL FIELD

The present invention concerns a restraining device for wheelchairs in vehicles, which is intended to be mounted on the floor or the corresponding on the ve¬ hicle, detached from the walls and ceiling of the vehic¬ le. The restraining device includes a stand extending mainly vertically from one or several sockets arranged in the floor, to which a wheelchair can be restrained by means of holders arranged on the stand. BACKGROUND ART

The most common way to fasten wheelchairs in a vehicle consists in that the frame of the wheelchair is connected by means of belts to restraining means in the floor of the vehicle. Instead of belts rigid fasteners are used connecting the frame of the wheelchair with such restraining means. Another way to restrain a wheelchair to the floor of a vehicle is constituted in that the wheels of the wheelchair are placed in restraining devi¬ ces surrounding the rims of the wheels. Persons sitting in wheelchairs restrained in the vehicle in this way are in their turn strapped in respective wheelchair by means of^■ simple strapping belts, preferably so called waist belts. However this way to transport persons in wheel¬ chairs are completely unsatisfactory from the point of security at a collision with the vehicle in question in¬ volved. A wheelchair is in it self constructed relatively weak and will be broken easy at a collision making the person in the wheelchair to be thrown away from the wheelchair and injured.

An alternative restraining device for wheel¬ chairs, intended to make an improved protection for the person in the wheelchair at an eventual collision with the vehicle, includes a stand fastened at the floor of the vehicle and extending mainly vertically from the floor. The wheelchair is kept to the stand by means of two fasteners connected to the frame of the wheelchair. The stand also is carrying a belt device of a conventio¬ nal type for cars, a so called safety belt, which is pul¬ led around the person in the wheelchair. However it has been proved that also this restraining device is not sa¬ tisfactory at collisions with the vehicle as this device can come loose from the floor of the vehicle, which inju¬ res the person in the wheelchair as much as in the above mentioned simplier solutions to restrain wheelchairs. The main weakness in the last-mentioned device seems to be that its base to the floor is too small,, which makes that the stresses at a collision will be so big that the stand -will be jerked from the floor, or that pieces of the floor are jerked from the vehicle. It should be possible to strengthen this device by heavier designed restraining means at the floor as well as a heavier designed floor, which however is negatively partly because of the en- creased wheight of the vehicle, partly because of that this device will be expensive to manufacture. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The purpose with the present invention is to bring about a restraining device for wheelchairs in ve¬ hicles according to the preamble, hich do not show the drawbacks of the up to now known restraining devices. The restraining device according to the invention includes a stand extending mainly vertically from one or several first floor sockets arranged in the floor to which a wheelchair can be retained by means of holders arranged on the stand. The invention is characterized in that at least one supporting means extends from at least one fastening point of the stand to at least a second floor socket arranged in the floor, which is situated on a distance from a line through the f rst floor sockets, .or a corresponding. line.through a longish first floor socket or a first floor socket with a specific width.

Preferably a supporting means in the shape of a supporting leg extends from a pivot pin on the stand to the second floor socket, at which the supporting leg is turnable relative to the stand around this pivot pin. In the closest embodiment of the invention the pivot pin extends vertically in that way that the supporting leg can be turned sideways relative to the stand, which makes the restraining device according to the invention to be folded in that way that it will demand very little space when stored unused. Several restraining devices according to the invention thus can be stored in the vehicle and arranged for use depending on the number of passangers in wheelchairs using the vehicle.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the stand shows two fastening means situated on a distance from each other -and intended to be brought into two cor- responding first floor sockets on the floor of the vehic¬ le. The two fastening means of the stand, preferably can be constituted by hooks which are brought to seize cor¬ responding bars in the two first floor sockets by tilting the stand a little in that way that the gaps of the hooks can be brought to seize around the corresponding bars in the sockets and fix the stand as this is tilted into a vertical position. In order to fasten the restraining device according to the invention further to the floor of the vehicle the supporting leg shows a locking means at its free end, by which the support leg can be locked to the second floor socket in the floor of the vehicle. This locking means can be shaped e.g. as a turnable hook which can be hooked on a corresponding bar in the second floor socket. The hook in its turn can be operated by a pedal, lever or the similar which is easy to reach from the side of the stand which is opposite to the side at which the wheelchair is restrained.

The wheelchair can be restrained by means of two lower holders arranged at the lower part of the stand on a distance from each other and a upper holder which is arranged at the upper portion of the stand. These holders preferably are brought into contact with the frame of the wheelchair as this is strapped to the stand, but can also be brought into contact with other portions of the wheel¬ chair depending of the design of the same. Thus e.g. the holders can be brought into contact with the wheels of the wheelchair according what has been mentioned above. The holders preferably are of a design which in a known way permits the wheelchair to be automatically locked to the stand, but can also be of a design at which each hol¬ der is locked by hand to the the wheelchair. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the supporting leg mentioned above extends to the side at which the wheelchair is kept and projects under the seat of the wheelchair. By that the stand will be given a very high strength removing the risk for the stand to break and loosen at an eventual collision with the vehicle. As the wheelchair usually is placed in that way that the person in the wheelchair is facing the travelling direc¬ tion of the vehicle a supporting leg will be exposed for compressing strains at an eventual collision. If in the opposite way the supporting leg is directed backwards from the stand opposite the travelling direction instead the supporting leg is exposed to elongation strains at a collision. However it is to prefer that the supporting leg is exposed to compressing strains as the locking means, e.g. the locking hook at its free end, by that is not exposed to elongation strains at the collision but the arising strains are taken up by the fix restraining means, e.g. hooks, on the stand, which can be designed stronger in a simple way but the corresponding turnable hook on the supporing leg.

By having the supporting leg to project under the wheelchair more space will be free in the vehicle for more passengers. These passengers can be placed in con- ventional vehicle seats as in wheelchairs kept to other stands according to the invention. The stand per se can be designed in several different ways which however all in common show a stand with a sufficiant stability sideways concerning the stand per se as well as its fas¬ tening in the floor of the vehicle. This stability can be improved the bigger the distance is between the fastening devices at the foot of the stand respectively the width of a corresponding fastening means.

More details of the design of the fastening de¬ vice according to the invention will be clear from the description below to the enclosed drawings. DESCRIPTION TO DRAWINGS The invention is described below in the shape of an embodiment with reference to the enclosed drawings.

Figure 1 shows a restraining device for wheel¬ chairs accordning to the invention seen in a perspective view and a wheelchair, schematically drawn, at the side of the restraining device at which it is to be fastened.

Figure 2 shows the restraining device according to figure 1 seen from behind.

Figure 3 shows a portion of a floor of a vehicle provided with sockets for the restraining device accor- ding to figur 1 and 2.

The restraining device according to figure 1 and 2 shows a triangular stand 1 including a foot 1.1, which is intended to be applied on the floor on a vehicle, a post 1.2 vertically arranged on the foot 1.1 and a strut 1.3, extending sloping between the foot 1.1 and the post 1.2. The restraining device also includes a supporting leg 2 extending from a point on the floor of the vehicle on the side of the foot 1.1 and sloping to the plane through the foot 1.1, the post 1.2 and the strut 1.3- The supporting leg 2 is turnable around a vertical axis, the position of which is given the reference number 3 on fi¬ gure 1, on a stay 4 extending horizontally between the post 1.2 and the strut 1.3. By that the supporting leg 2 can be folded against the foot 1.1, the post 1.2 and the strut 1.3 in that way that its demand for space will be decreased in a folded condition.

The foot 1.1 is provided with two fix hooks 1.4, which are intended to be hooked in the corresponding cup- shaped first floor sockets 5, which show horizontal bars 5.1 extending along a common direction. The supporting leg 2 is provided with a closable hook 2.1, which can be hooked in a corresponding cup-shaped second floor socket 6, which shows a bar 6.1 extending parallel to the bars 5.1 in the first floor sockets 5. The closable hook 2.1 is turnable around an axis 2.2 and can he opened by means of a pedal 2.3•» The post 1.2 and the strut 1.3 of the stand 1 each carries a lower holder 7 intended to be connected to and to keep a wheelchair, schematically shown in figure 1 , by connection to the frame of the same. Each lower holder 7 is provided with a locking clamp 7.1, which at fastening of the wheelchair is brought to surround a ver¬ tical portion of the frame, indicated 7.-2 in figure 1, on each side of the wheelchair. The post 1.2 also carries an upper holder 8 as a pipe-shaped cage, which at fixing of the wheelchair is brought into contact with one of its handles, indicated 8.1 in figure 1. The upper holder 8 is adjustable vertically in that way that it can be adjusted for wheelchairs with different height. By the lower hol¬ ders 7 the wheelchair is kept to the stand 1 whilst it is prevented by the upper holder 8 from turning sideways or to be thrown upwards from the floor at the moving of the vehicle or at an eventual collision with the vehicle. The stand 1 also carries a head restraint 9, which is vertically adjustable, and a common safety-belt device 10 for strapping a person sitting in the wheel- chair. In the shown example the safety-belt device 10 is placed at the post 1.2 of the stand 1, which carries the parts of the safety-belt device 10. At strapping of a person in a wheelchair the belt is arranged partly over the left shoulder of. the person, partly over the waist and fastened in a common way in a fastener arranged on the opposite side of the stand 1 on the lower portion of the strut 1.3-

Claims

1. Restraining device for wheelchairs in vehic¬ les, which is intended to be mounted on the floor of the vehicle or the corresponding, away from walls and ceiling of the vehicle, including a stand (1), extending mainly vertically from the floor, to which a wheelchair can be kept by means of a holder (7), at which the stand (1) is connected to one or several first floor sockets (5) ar¬ ranged in the floor, situated along a line across the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and at least one second floor socket (6) arranged in the.floor, which is situated on a distance from the first floor sockets (5) in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that at least one suppor- ting means for taking up compressive respectively trac¬ tive forces in the shape of a supporting leg (2) extends from the stand (1) to the second floor socket (6).

2. Restraining device according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the supporting leg (2) is turnable relative to the stand (1) around a pivot pin (3) and that the pivot pin (3) extends vertically in that way that the supporting leg (2) can be turned sideways relative to the stand (1).

3- Restraining device according to any of the claims 1-2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the stand (1) shows two fastening means (1.4) situated on a distan¬ ce from each other, which are intended to be brought in contact with two corresponding first floor sockets (5).

4. Restraining device according to any of the claims 1-3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the sup¬ porting leg (2) shows a locking means (2.1) at its free end, by which the supporting leg (2) can be locked to the second floor socket (6).

5. Restraining device according to any of the claims 1-4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that two lower holders (7) are arranged at the lower portion of the stand (1) on a distance from each other and an upper holder (8) is arranged on the upper part of the stand (1), which holders can be brought into contact with the frame of the wheelchair keeping the same to the stand (1).