FR2824729A1 - Loading system for entry of wheelchair into road vehicle has carriage moving on rail behind driver's seat, with support fork which can be laid on ground or lifted up - Google Patents

Abstract

The wheelchair loading system has a beam (1) fastened to the structure of the vehicle. It carries a wheeled carriage an inclined beam (4) with a wire (19) wound on a winch at the top and connected to an actuator (7). The actuator is mounted on a parallel linkage (11,13). A wire (23) connects the lower link to the lifting forks (9).

Description

permanently attached to the support strip (118; 218; 318).

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  Improved device for transferring a wheelchair for the disabled inside a motor vehicle, behind the

driver's seat.

  The invention relates to an improvement to the device for transferring a wheelchair for the disabled inside a motor vehicle, behind the seat of the driving position, such as

  described in patent FR 2,761,593 in the name of the Applicant.

  Current wheelchairs for the disabled have become longer, with fixed and no longer folding front footrests o as in the traditional versions. Also, the device described in the aforementioned patent is no longer suitable for entering the vehicle these

current longer armchairs.

  The invention aims to remedy this problem by bringing the wheelchair support basket inwards while it is elevated, which takes up less space in the rear compartment of the vehicle and thus makes it possible to transfer this type of sacker to repo s-foot s

fixed in the vehicle.

  I1 is in fact proposed according to the invention a device for transferring a wheelchair for the disabled inside a motor vehicle o the rear of the driver's seat, of the type comprising a rail arranged transversely to the vehicle , behind the driver's seat, and on which slides a trolley provided with a chair lift arm provided at its free external end with a support basket or support fork in which the wheelchair engages in the folded position by its large drive wheels, the carriage comprising an upright inclined towards the front, a guide base on the rail and a carrying wheel rolling on the rail, the lifting arm comprising a front upright connected at its lower end to the basket or to the fork-support of the wheel and two articulation segments, the articulation segments o being constituted respectively by a first upper segment, articulated at the upper end of the front upright and at the lower part of the trolley and by a second lower segment articulated to the middle part of the front upright and to the trolley, at the level of the trolley wheel, a strap connected to the front upright of the arm and to the upright inclined carriage, by means of a winch, raising the arm from a low loading position to a high transfer position in the vehicle, and vice versa for lowering the arm, device characterized

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  in that it comprises a triangulated connection formed between the front upright supporting the fork and the upper segment, and a cable for maintaining the inclination of the fork relative to the front upright connected between the slightly offset external end of the lower segment and the front leg of the fork, to allow the current seats with extended configuration to return to a stable position in the rear compartment of the car. Said triangulated link is formed of a link articulated at the end of the upper segment and at the end of the front upright, and o of a longer transverse segment articulated at the end of the front upright and on the upper segment. The whole is moved in a vertical plane including the upright and the segments

upper and lower.

  I1 results from this arrangement that, relative to the conventional device described in the aforementioned patent, and comprising a fork support upright connected with simple articulation to a lower segment and to an upper segment, it can be seen that the triangulated connection according to the invention of the upright front to the upper segment makes it possible to move the upper articulation of the front upright forward without change o for the articulation on the lower segment, and therefore to keep the front upright substantially vertical, unlike the upright of the conventional device which is inclined at the front and outside elevation with consequently a greater extension in length. The support basket according to the invention is also held in the high inclined position by means of a cable connected to the upper end slightly offset and brought upwards from the lower segment, and to the front leg of the fork, and in the low position. , the cable is slack

  allow the angular movement of the basket placed on the ground.

  The invention is illustrated below with the aid of an exemplary embodiment described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: the figure 1 is seen from the transfer device according to the invention, in position lift arm raised; and Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the arm

  elevator in the low loading-unloading position.

  The improvement according to the invention relates only to the lifting arm of the transfer device. of a wheelchair inside

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  of a vehicle as described by FR 2 761 593 and the description below

  was therefore limited to the lifting arm of the device. Reference is made to the aforementioned patent FR 2 761 593 which describes the transfer device as a whole. In FIGS. 1 and above, the lifting arm of the conventional device according to the aforementioned patent has been shown in broken lines in the same high and low positions as the lifting arm of the invention, this to allow the comparison of the

  device according to the invention and of the conventional device.

  to The device according to the invention conventionally comprises (FIGS. 1 and 2) a rail 1 fixed transversely in the rear space of the vehicle on the bottom body part of the vehicle, and a carriage 3 mounted to slide on the rail 1. The carriage comprises an inclined upright 4 and a lifting arm 5 provided with a front upright 7 connected at its lower end s to a support fork 9 of the chair in the folded position. This front upright 7 is connected to a lower articulation segment 11 substantially in its middle part and to an upper articulation segment 13 by its upper end. The lower segment 11 is also articulated to the carriage at the axis of the wheel 14 and the upper segment o is articulated to the carriage, in its lower part and near the inclined upright 4. The upper connection to the segment 13 is triangulated , this by means of a link 15 articulated at the end of the upper segment 13 and at the end of the front upright 7, and of a longer transverse segment 17 articulated at the end of the front upright 7 and on the upper segment, appreciably in its outer half portion. The assembly is moved in a vertical plane including in particular the upright 7 and the lower segments and

higher 11 and 13.

  The raising of the arm as well as its descent is carried out by means of a strap 19 connected to the front upright 7 and to the inclined upright 4

by a winch 21.

  Relative to the conventional device described in the aforementioned patent, shown in broken lines and comprising an upright before support of the fork connected to simple articulation to a lower segment and to an upper segment, it can be seen that the triangulated connection according to the invention of the front upright 7 in the upper segment 13 (FIG. 1) allows the upper articulation of the front upright to be moved forward without

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  change for the articulation on the lower segment 11, and therefore to keep the upright 7 substantially vertical, unlike the dashed line upright of the conventional device which is inclined at the elevation towards the front and outside with in consequently a longer length extension. The support basket 9 according to the invention is also held in the high inclined position by means of a cable 23 connected to the upper end 25 slightly offset and brought upwards from the lower segment 11, and to the front leg of the fork 9 and in the low position, the cable is relaxed to allow the angular movement of the

o basket placed on the floor.

  In the low position shown in Figure 2, the upright 7 has the same inclination as in the conventional device of which we can only see the upper part in broken lines. The end 25 of the lower segment 11 is brought down and gives slack to the cable 23 for holding the fork for its positioning in a substantially horizontal position on the ground with the possibility of angular movement depending on

the inclination of the ground.

  In the conventional device, the holding in inclination of the fork on the upright is obtained by an adjustable stop mounted on the heel of articulation of the fork and the fork tilts directly to the elevation in bearing on the upright according to the inclination of the latter. On the contrary, according to the invention, the support upright remains substantially vertical at the elevation and one could not by this stop

tilt the fork.

  The invention thus provides, thanks to the improved wheelchair transfer device according to the invention, a simple solution for the transportation of current elongated wheelchairs inside vehicles.

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Claims (4)

  1. Device for transferring a wheelchair for the disabled inside a motor vehicle behind the seat of the driving position, of the type comprising a rail (1) arranged transversely to the vehicle, behind the seat of the position driving, and on which slides a carriage (3) provided with a lifting arm (5) of the chair provided at its free external end with a support basket or support fork (9) in which the wheelchair engages in the folded position by its large drive wheels, the carriage comprising an upright inclined towards the front (4), o a guide base on the rail and a carrying wheel (14) rolling on the rail (1), the arm elevator (5) comprising a front upright (7) connected at its lower end to the basket or to the support fork (9) of the chair and two articulation segments (11, 13), the articulation segments being constituted respectively by a first upper segment (13), i5 articulated at the top end e of the front upright (7) and at the bottom of the carriage (3) and by a second lower segment (11) articulated at the middle part of the front upright (7) and at the carriage (3), at the axis of the carriage wheel (14), a strap (19) connected to the front upright (7) of the arm and to the inclined upright (4) of the carriage, by means of a winch (21), ensuring o the elevation of the arm (5) from a low loading position to a high transiting position in the vehicle, and vice versa for the scente of the arm, device characterized in that it comprises a triangulated connection formed between the front upright (7) support the fork and the upper segment (13), and a cable (23) for maintaining the inclination of the: 5 fork (9) relative to the front upright (7), connected between the outer end (25) slightly offset from the lower segment (11) and the front leg of the fork (9), to allow to return to a stable position in the rear compartment of the car. current seats with extended configuration. o 2. transPert device for a wheelchair according to claim 1, characterized in that said triangulated connection is formed by a link (15) articulated at the end of the upper segment (13) and at the end of the front upright (7), and a longer transverse segment (17) articulated at the end of the front upright (7) and on the segment s5 upper (13).   3. Device for transferring a wheelchair according to one of the   Claims 1, 2, characterized in that the lifting arm (5) is moved 6 2824729   travel in a vertical plane including the amount   front (71 and the upper (13) and lower (11) segments.   4. Wheelchair transfer device according to one of   previous claims, characterized in that the support basket (9)   is held in the high inclined position by means of the cable (23) connected to the upper end (25) slightly offset and brought upwards from the lower segment (11), and to the front leg of the fork (9) and in the low position , the cable is relaxed to allow the angular movement of the basket placed on the ground, the end (25) of the lower segment (11) being