GB2306436A

GB2306436A - Retractable vehicle access ramp

Info

Publication number: GB2306436A
Application number: GB9622803A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Malcolm Hayes
Original assignee: TAURUS BODIES
Current assignee: TAURUS BODIES
Priority date: 1995-11-01
Filing date: 1996-11-01
Publication date: 1997-05-07
Also published as: GB9622803D0; GB9522368D0

Abstract

A vehicle access ramp 1 for enabling wheelchair access to a vehicle, such as an ambulance, comprises one or more slidable segments 7, 8 adapted to slide between retracted and extended positions either from a recess 2 in a vehicle floor or from guide means securable to a vehicle floor. The number of slidable segments can be increased to accommodate vehicles of different heights, whereby the ramp sections 7, 8 telescope together. A fixed plate 3 may be provided to guide the ramp sections 7, 8 to ensure that the upper end of the ramp 1 is accurately located at the correct height at the edge of the vehicle floor. Preferably, a second plate 4 overhangs the upper edge of the vehicle floor and falls at a suitable incline to meet the ramp 1, thus avoiding the necessity of a step at the top of the ramp 1. A tapered end piece 5 may be optionally attached to the outermost ramp segment to facilitate its meeting with the ground. A non-slip fabric material may he used to coat the upper surfaces of the segments 7, 8. A strap 6 may be supplied to pull the ramp 1 out from the recess 2.

Description

VEHICLE ACCESS RAMPS The present invention relates to ramps, in particular access ramps incorporated within vehicles.

Ramps are generally necessary to provide access to vehicles for wheelchair users and others who find difficulty using steps. This is particularly so in the case of larger vehicles, such as buses, coaches and ambulances, in which the vehicle floor is substantially raised from the ground.

Several strategies are used for providing access ramps. One, as typified by US Patent No. 4726516, is to use a fully portable ramp, which may be folded or telescoped when not in use, and to attach it to the edge of the vehicle and open it out when required.

This strategy has two major drawbacks. The first is the question of storing the ramp when not in use.

The ramp is a heavy object and as such must be securely fastened if it is to be safely stored in a fast moving vehicle, but the more securely it is fastened the harder it is to set out for use. Ideally a ramp is wanted that can be set out by persons who are far from being able-bodied.

The second drawback is that the portable ramp may be unstable in use. It is not permanently fixed to the vehicle and may thus easily be incorrectly positioned or it may be pushed out of position, thus causing an accident.

Thus further strategies involve incorporating the ramp into the vehicle itself. As the ramp is now securely attached to the vehicle, stability is considerably improved. Also the ramp, whilst it still needs to be secured when not in use, is not as difficult to secure. Typically the ramp is made in folding sections which are simply opened out as required. To facilitate the opening out of the ramp some strategies involve utilising a power source. Thus electrical, pneumatic or hydraulic ramps are available and the ramp may be opened at the touch of a button.

Nevertheless the ramp still takes up space and it is difficult to ensure that, in its folded position it does not obstruct the exits for non-wheelchair users.

Hence such built in ramps have only widely been used in ambulances and would be totally unsuitable for say a taxi, in which space is much more restricted and for whom wheelchair users form only a small proportion of passengers.

Patent Application No. GB 2268133A describes a ramp that is incorporated into a vehicle such as a taxi and which folds away into a depression in the floor.

Thus the ramp is easily secured when not in use, does not take up space and does not obstruct the exit for non-wheelchair users.

However such a ramp is limited in that the maximum length of each folding leaf is limited to the length of the depression. The depression cannot be very large because it must not get in the way of the seats and it must leave adequate room for a wheelchair in the space remaining. Furthermore the number of leaves is limited by the depth of the depression. Thus the total length of the ramp is very limited and it is not suitable for high floored vehicles where a relatively long length of ramp is needed to reach the ground.

A need therefore exists for a ramp that is suitable for vehicle floors of all heights, and is easily adaptable for different heights of floor. Such a ramp must be easily and safely stowable, nonobstructing when stowed, and secure and stable in use.

According to the invention there is thus provided a vehicle access ramp comprising at least one slidable segment which is attached to guide means which are attachable to a vehicle floor and which ramp includes means enabling it to slide in and out of the guide means to link the vehicle floor to another surface.

In another aspect there is provided a vehicle floor having a recess and at least one slidable segment extendible from the recess to link the vehicle floor to another surface. The recess may have guide means for the ramp.

Bearings may be built in as part of the guide means. The ramp in the extended position may pivot downwards thus providing the necessary slope.

The number of slidable segments can be increased to accommodate different vehicle heights. Wherever more than one segment is used the segments telescope together so as to fit into the recess. As the recess may be covered or otherwise isolated from the interior of the vehicle, and the ramp does not need to rise vertically out of it, its size need not be constrained by the need to position seats and the like in the vehicle. Furthermore as the ramp segments are stored beneath the floor there is no danger to passengers from badly secured segments.

As the ramp segments are of a finite thickness a preferably tapered end flap may be provided to bridge the final gap with the said surface, which will generally be the ground.

For use the ramp need only be pulled out of the recess and a simple strap may be provided for this purpose. No great strength need be required for this operation.

Succeeding segments may have complimentary shapes, as seen in the longitudinal direction, so as to slide over one another and may use roller bearings or slides.

Longitudinal protrusions may be built into the floor recess to serve as rails for the bearings.

The segments may have a fabric coating on their upper surfaces, the coatings preferably being of a nonslip material.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, purely by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a ramp, in accordance with the invention, extending from a vehicle; Fig. 2 shows the ramp of Fig. 1 retracted; Fig. 3 is a schematic view from above of part of the device of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a side view of Fig. 3; Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show individual parts of the ramp of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is a detail of the slide mechanism of the ramp of Fig. 1; Fig. 9 is a perspective view from above of a ramp in accordance with the invention in a retracted position; Fig. 10 is a perspective view from above of a ramp in accordance with the invention in an extended position;; Figs. 11 to 14 show a further embodiment of the ramp in various stages between the retracted and extended position.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a ramp 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention, extending from a vehicle, particularly a wheeled vehicle such as an ambulance. The ramp 1 extends from a generally planar recess 2 in the lower surface of the vehicle floor although the recess could equally well be made in the upper surface of the floor and covered over.

Alternatively it could be a hollow cut into a floor.

Again it need not be cut into the floor at all. The ramp could be suspended between two guide rails which themselves are attached to the lower surface of the vehicle floor and project downwards therefrom.

The ramp 1 is in two sliding sections or segments 7 and 8. A fixed plate 3 guides the ramp sections or segments 7,8 to ensure that the upper end of the ramp is accurately located at the correct height at the edge of the vehicle floor.

A second plate 4 overhangs the upper edge of the vehicle floor and falls at a suitable incline to meet the ramp, thus avoiding having a step at the top of the ramp.

A hinged endpiece 5 may optionally be attached at the lower end of the ramp to facilitate its meeting the ground.

Fig. 2 shows the ramp 1 retracted into the recess 2. A strap 6 is attached to the back of the ramp to enable it to be pulled out. About 25cm of floor above the recess is removed over the width of the ramp to make way for the plate 4 and to allow access to the strap 6. In the retracted position the endpiece 5 is folded over the plate 4.

Figs. 3 and 4 show two sections of the ramp as they slide apart. A first section 7 is shown in cross section in Fig. 5 and a second section 8 is shown in cross section in Fig. 6. Side lengths 9 run alongside and are fixed to the first section 7 and are shown in cross section in Fig. 7.

For most vehicles only two sections are necessary although some particularly high-floored vehicles require three.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional detail of the interior of the ramp where the first 7 and second 8 sections slide over each other.

A slider 10, for example a Widney slider, having parallel rails laid one in the other and spaced by roller bearings, fits in at each side of the rectangular space defined by the outer walls of the sections 7 and 8. Two bearings 11 and 12 are attached, for example by welding, to an outer rail 13, fixed to the vehicle and a third bearing 14 is attached to the second section 9 of the ramp.

Thus the sections are enabled to ride over each other and out of the recess with ease from a fully telescoped to a fully extended position. A suitable catch or overlap of known type may be provided at the ends of the sections to stop them coming apart when the ramp is extended. Likewise the innermost section is hinged on but secured to the vehicle. A lug on the final bearing ensures that it cannot be pulled free from the rails 9.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view from above of the ramp in a retracted position. Whilst the vehicle is in motion the rear doors serve to restrain the ramp although if necessary a suitable catch mechanism could be used instead.

Fig. 10 is a similar view of the ramp in an extended position. The sections are covered with a non-slip fabric covering 15.

The access ramp may be built directly into the vehicle at the manufacturing stage or it may be obtained separately and incorporated into a vehicle.

It may be obtained separately as a kit of parts.

Figures 11 to 14 show a further embodiment of the ramp in various stages between retracted (Fig. 11) and fully extended (Fig. 14). The embodiment is for use in a vehicle having a drop-out step 16.

The ramp is pulled out from the stored position shown in Figure 11 to the intermediate position shown in Figure 12. A gas strut unfolds to support the ramp against the back of the drop-out step, thus taking some of the weight of the ramp as it is being puiled out.

The strut gradually compresses as the ramp is pulled out further (Fig. 13) and finally allows the end of the ramp to rest on the ground in the fully extended position (Fig. 14).

Claims

1. A vehicle access ramp comprising at least one slidable segment attached to guide means which are attachable to a vehicle floor and which ramp includes means enabling it to slide in and out along the guide means to a retracted position and an extended position respectively, so as to link the vehicle floor to another surface when in the extended position.

2. A vehicle floor having a recess and at least one slidable segment adapted to slide from the recess to link the vehicle floor to another surface.

3. A vehicle floor according to claim 2 wherein the recess has guide means and wherein the slidable segment has bearings to enable it to slide along the guide means.

4. A vehicle access ramp according to claim 1 wherein the guide means include bearings.

5. A vehicle access ramp according to claim 1 or claim 4 wherein the at least one slidable segment is pivotable when in the extended position.

6. A vehicle access ramp according to claim 1, 4 or 5 wherein the number of slidable segments is two or more and wherein the two or more segments telescope into one another.

7. A vehicle ramp according to any one of claims 1, 4, 5 or 6 wherein the segment which is outermost in the extended position has a tapered end piece.

8. A vehicle ramp according to any one of claims 1 or 4 to 7 wherein handling means are provided on the ramp to enable it to be extended from the recess.

9. A vehicle ramp according to claim 6 wherein the segments are provided with rollers bearings or slides and succeeding segments have complimentary shapes.

10. A vehicle ramp according to any one of claims 1 or 4 to 9 wherein the at least one segment has a fabric coating on its upper surface.