WO2008081201A1

WO2008081201A1 - Access apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2008081201A1
Application number: PCT/GB2008/050006
Authority: WO
Inventors: Steven Greenwood
Original assignee: Lateral Design Concepts Ltd
Priority date: 2007-01-05
Filing date: 2008-01-03
Publication date: 2008-07-10
Also published as: GB2458850B; GB2458850A; GB0912829D0; GB0700174D0

Abstract

A vehicle (2) adapted for disabled access includes a ramp (4) that is pivotally connected to the vehicle (2) below the level of a floor (6). The floor (6) includes a cavity (10). A floor insert (8) is pivotally connected at a forward end of the cavity (10). A free end of the insert includes follower wheels (12). In use the follower wheels (12) are arranged to abut a portion of the ramp (4). As the ramp is pivoted between a deployed position and a stowed position, the follower wheels also move. The movement of the follower wheels causes the insert (8) to pivot from an angle to the floor (6) to be level with the floor. In the deployed position the ramp is included to arrive at the level of the floor of the vehicle at a location inboard of the vehicle.

Description

Access Apparatus

The present invention relates to a vehicle access apparatus and a method thereof to enable disabled access to a passenger vehicle and, in particular although not exclusively, to a vehicle access apparatus for wheelchair access .

Vehicles are often adapted for disabled access, for example wheelchair access, by providing a ramp at the rear of the vehicle. One end of the ramp is pivotally mounted at the rear of the vehicle such that it is pivotal between a ramp position and a stowed position. In the ramp position, the ramp extends downwardly and rearwardly from a floor of the vehicle and into contact with the ground. Accordingly, a wheelchair may be transferred between the ground and the vehicle's floor via the ramp. In the stowed position the ramp is stowed such that the vehicles entrance (e.g. the boot) may close.

EU rules govern the maximum steepness / angle that the ramp may be inclined at. Consequently, for a certain height of floor, the minimum length of the ramp is defined by the maximum angle. Furthermore, the current high levels of congestion create an increased demand for parking. Cars are therefore leaving reduced distances between adjacent cars particularly when parallel parking. Thus there is often insufficient space to deploy a ramp.

It is an object of the present invention to attempt to overcome at least one of the above or other disadvantages. The present invention is defined in the claims and elsewhere in this specification.

The vehicle and access apparatus may be substantially as herein described.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the following Figures, in which :

Figure 1 is a rear perspective view of a vehicle in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention wherein a ramp of an access apparatus is shown in a deployed position.

Figure 2 is a rearwardly looking perspective view of the access apparatus of the first embodiment wherein the ramp is shown in a stowed position.

Figure 3 is forwardly looking perspective view of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side schematic view of the access apparatus of the first embodiment showing the ramp in the deployed position.

Figure 5 is a side schematic view of the access apparatus of the first embodiment showing the ramp in a stowed position .

As shown in Figure 1, a vehicle 2 adapted for disabled access includes a ramp 4 that is pivotally connected to the vehicle 2 below the level of a floor 6 of the vehicle. The floor 6 includes a cavity 10, which extends forwardly from a rear of the vehicle. A floor insert 8 is pivotally connected at a forward end of the cavity 10. A free end of the insert, opposite the end that is pivotally connected to the cavity, has follower wheels 12 attached to it at each side. The ramp 4 includes a link 14 at each side .

In use the follower wheels 12 rest on an arcuate top surface of the link 14. As the ramp is pivoted between a deployed position and a stowed position, the link moves and the follower wheels ride on the link. The movement of the link allows the insert 8 to pivot between a first position shown in Figure 5, wherein the insert is level with the floor, to a second position shown in Figure 4, wherein the insert is inclined downwardly and outwardly.

Accordingly, the ramp may be moved from the stowed position to the deployed position, which simultaneously causes the insert 8 to move from the first position to the second position. A disabled access to the vehicle is thereby provided comprising a continued inclined surface allowing, for example, wheelchairs to be moved between the ground and the vehicles floor.

The various parts will now be described in more detail.

As shown in Figure 1, the ramp 4 comprises two sections 18, 19 that are pivotally connected together about a mid point of the ramp. When the ramp is in the deployed position, the free end of the ramp is in contact with the ground and the ramp provides a constant slope to its interconnection with the vehicle. The mid point is supported by downwardly extending braces 20.

The ramp 4 is pivotally connected to the vehicle at pivot points 22. The axis of the pivot points 22 are positioned parallel to, but below the level of the vehicle's floor 6. the pivots 22 are located within the cavity 10 such that the ramp 4 extends substantially across the width of the cavity .

The ramp 4 is movable from the deployed positions to the stowed position by lifting the midpoint of the ramp 4 upwardly. To this end, a handle 24 is provided that extends outwardly from the section 19 of the ramp. Lifting the handle 24 upwardly causes the braces 20 to move from contact with the ground such that the section 19 may rotate downwardly with respect to section 18. The ramp is moved to the stowed position wherein section 18 of the ramp extends upwardly, as shown in Figure 2. In the stowed position, the trailing section 19 is free to hang downwardly from its pivotal connection to the section 18. The ramp is held in the stowed position by locks (not shown) .

Additionally and / or alternatively to the manual movement of the ramp between the two positions, the ramp may include an actuator (not shown) to aid the rotation of the ramp 4. As shown in Figure 4, a bar 24 extends downwardly and forwardly from the end of ramp 4 that is connected to the vehicle. The bar 24 provides a hole 26 off-set from the pivot axis 22. One end of the actuator (not shown) is pivotally connected to the vehicle and an opposite end pivotally connected to the hole 26. The actuator extends and contracts to drive the bar 24 about the pivot 22, thereby rotating the ramp 4.

The cavity 10 extends forwardly from the rear of the vehicle 2. The cavity forms side walls 28, which extend downwardly from the floor 6, and a cavity bottom 33. The insert 8 is pivotally mounted to the forward-most end of the cavity. The insert is substantially the same size as the cavity such that, when the insert is in the first position shown in Figure 3, it substantially fills the cavity 8 thereby creating a continuous useable floor area across the cavity.

The links 14 at each side are pivotally connected at a pivot point to the ramp. The pivot 30 is formed in an upwardly extending flange 31 formed at each side of each section 18, 19. An opposing end of the link members are pivotally and slidably connected to each side of the cavity by connections 32. Connections 32 allow the links to rotate about an axis of the connection. Connection 32 is also slidably movable within channel 34. As the ramp is rotated upwardly, the connections 32 ride upwardly and forwardly in the channel 34. At the same time the link pushes the wheels 12 of the floor insert 8 upwardly until the insert 8 is in the same plane as the floor.

In the stowed position, the ramp is restricted from rotation, further away from the usable position by abutment of the distal end 35 of the insert and a surface 37 of the ramp's first section 18. The abutment occurs at a location forward of the ramp's pivot 22. Thus causes the ramp to be urged towards abutment when a downward weight is applied to the insert. The stowed position of the ramp is such that a boot 40 of the vehicle may close.

In use, disabled access is provided to the vehicle by opening the boot 40 and moving the ramp 4 to the deployed position. This is done by releasing the locks (not shown) and subsequently using the handle 24 to lower the ramp. When the ramp is fully lowered, with the distal end of section 19 in contact with the ground, a continuous inclined ramp is provided from the ground to the floor 6 of the vehicle. A wheelchair may be manoeuvred up the ramp to take a position on the vehicle's floor. The ramp can then be moved to the stowed position as herein described. As a result of the link 14 urging the insert upwardly with the favourable mechanical advantage, the wheelchair or part thereof may rest on the insert 8 and be raised with the insert 8. In the stowed position, the floor insert 8 in combination with the floor 6, provides a continuous floor area. This allows the ramp to extend at a lesser extent from the rear of the vehicle without compromising the available floor space. The wheelchair may be removed from the vehicle as a reverse of the above.

Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification

(including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment (s) . The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

1. A vehicle including vehicle access apparatus, wherein the vehicle includes a floor and the access apparatus comprises: a ramp in which at least a part thereof is moveable between a deployed position and a stowed position; wherein when the ramp is in the deployed position, the ramp extends away from the vehicle from an elevation that is lower than the general extent of the vehicle's floor.

2. The vehicle as claimed in Claim 1, in which the ramp is pivotally mounted to the vehicle such that at least a part of the ramp is movable between the two positions by rotational movement.

3. The vehicle as claimed in Claim 2, in which the access apparatus includes an actuator and the ramp is moveable between the two positions by means of the actuator.

4 The vehicle as claims in any preceding claim in which the ramp extends on to the vehicle.

5. The vehicle as claims in claim 4 in which the ramp terminates at a location spaced from the outer periphery of the floor of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle as claimed in claim 4 or 5 in which an in board part of the ramp is movable from an inclined position to a raised position in which the upper surface of the in board part is generally co-extensive with adjacent surfaces of the floor of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle as claimed in claim 6 in which the in board part is pivotally mounted on the vehicle whereby the in board part can be pivotally moved to and from the raised position.

8. The vehicle as claimed in claim 6 or 7 in which movement of a first part of the ramp, which, when in the deployed position, extends away from the vehicle and from an elevation that is lower than the general extent of the vehicles floor, between the deployed and stowed positions is arranged to cause the inboard part to move to and from the raised portion.

9. The vehicle as claimed in claim 8 in which a controlled part of the inboard part is arranged to move with a control mechanism connected to the first part whereby, when the first part moves between the useable and the stowed positions, the inboard part is caused to move to and from the raised position.

10. The vehicle as claimed in claim 9 in which the controlled part rests on the control mechanism.

11. The vehicle as claimed in claims 9 and 10 in which the control mechanism is pivotally connected to the first part .

12. The vehicle as claimed in any of claims 9 to 11 in which the control mechanism comprises a cam and the controlled part comprises a cam follower.

13. The vehicle as claimed in any claims 9 to 12 in which the distance that the cam follower travels along the cam when moving to the raised position is greater than the distance that the cam follower is raised by.

14. The vehicle as claimed in claim 13 in which any distance in height between the pivoted connection of the cam and the cam follower is generally the same at the start of movement from the deployed position and at the end of the movement to the stowed position.

15. The vehicle as claimed in claim 14 in which any distance in height between the pivotal connection of the cam and the cam follower is generally the same.

16. The vehicle as claimed in any of claims 12 to 15 in which the cam is caused to move upwardly at a location spaced from the connection of the cam to the first part when the ramp moves to the storage position.

17. The vehicle as claimed in claim 16 in which the cam is caused to move upwardly by contact with a portion inboard of the vehicle.

18. The vehicle as claimed in claims 16 and 17 in which the cam is caused to move upwardly along a slope of generally the same angle of the ramp in the deployed position .

19. The vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim in which the ramp includes a part that is pivotally connected to another part of the ramp at a location spaced from the vehicle when the ramp is in the deployed position.

20. The vehicle as claimed in claim 19 in which both parts are pivotally usable from the deployed position to the stowed position whereby the parts can be generally side by side when in the stowed position.

21. The vehicle as claimed in any preceding Claim, in which the part of the ramp is restrained from movement in at least one direction, when in the stowed position, by abutment .

22. A vehicle substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in any of the accompanying drawings .

23. A method of providing disabled access to a vehicle comprising : moving a ramp of a vehicle access apparatus between a deployed position, wherein the ramp extends away from the vehicle from an elevation that is lower than the general extent of the vehicles floor and a stowed position.

24. The method as claimed in Claim 23, in which the method comprises causing the ramp to move by pivoting the ramp about an axis below the level of the floor.

25. The method as claimed in any of Claims 23 or 24, in which the method comprises causing an inboard part of the ramp to move between a first position and a second position, wherein the inboard part is generally level with the floor in the first position and extends at an incline to the floor in the second position.

26. The method as claimed in Claim 21, in which causing the outboard part of the ramp to move also causes the inboard part to move.

27. The method as claimed in claim 25 or 26 moving the ramp to the deployed position with the inboard part extending at an incline to the floor, wheeling a wheelchair up the ramp into the vehicle and moving the inboard art to the first position and also raising at least a part of the wheelchair supported by the inboard part .

28. A method of providing disabled access to a vehicle substantially as herein described with relevant to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

29. The method as claimed in any of Claims 23 - 28, in which the vehicle is substantially in accordance with the vehicle defined in any of Claims 1-22.