GB2399793A

GB2399793A - A vehicle load plate bonded in use

Info

Publication number: GB2399793A
Application number: GB0307081A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark Wilson
Original assignee: ADVANCED TRANSP TECHNOLOGY Ltd
Current assignee: ADVANCED TRANSP TECHNOLOGY Ltd
Priority date: 2003-03-27
Filing date: 2003-03-27
Publication date: 2004-09-29
Anticipated expiration: 2023-03-27
Also published as: GB0307081D0; GB2399793B

Abstract

A load plate 2 can be bonded to a floor of a vehicle and comprises a fitting or fittings 12, 14 for mounting equipment or accessories. For example, a load plate bonded to a floor of an ambulance may permit the fitting of stretcher mounting apparatus 6, 8, 10. A load plate bonded to the floor of a vehicle for dynamic testing of the vehicle may permit certification of the vehicle including certification of the load plate and its performance during dynamic testing. The certification may then cover loads mounted on the load plate which are equivalent to the loads mounted during the dynamic testing.

Description

VEHICLE LOAD PLATE AND METHOD

The invention relates to a load plate for a vehicle and a method for mounting equipment or accessories in or on a vehicle. In particular, the invention relates to the mounting of equipment in an ambulance.

Existing systems for mounting stretchers and seats to the floors of vehicles, primarily ambulances, generally rely on drilling through the floor of the vehicle and bolting the stretcher or seat directly to the floor. Spreader plates are usually used below the floor to disperse loads caused by the mounted equipment, and in particular dynamic loads, into the floor.

However, because of the complexity of the structures and services below a vehicle floor it is not always possible to find a convenient position to bolt a seat or stretcher through the floor. When designing the interior layout of an ambulance, for example, it is highly desirable for the designer to have freedom as to where equipment such as stretchers and seats are to be mounted, and this freedom can be seriously impaired by the need to bolt equipment through the floor only in locations where this does not interfere with vehicle structures, such as chassis rails or suspension components, or services such as hydraulic or pneumatic systems. Ambulances are commonly built by converting general-purpose vans, in which the underrloor structures and systems are laid out in order to optimise the operation or design of the vehicle and not in order to allow freedom to bolt equipment through the vehicle floor.

A further problem in installing equipment within a vehicle such as an ambulance is the requirement for certification - 2 of the dynamic performance of the vehicle by dynamic testing. For example, a European Community standard requires that ambulances undergo a log acceleration test, complete with seats, stretchers and other equipment fitted. When such tests are carried out, the certification is valid only for the types and arrangements of seats, stretchers and other equipment which are fitted during the test. If, therefore, an ambulance is tested with a particular stretcher (and stretcher table) installed by means of bolting the stretcher mounts through the vehicle floor, the certification is valid only for that type of stretcher and stretcher mounting. If it is desired to install a different stretcher design, the complete vehicle, including the new stretcher design, would need to be re-tested at considerable trouble and expense.

The invention provides a load plate, a method for mounting equipment to a vehicle, and a vehicle, as defined in the appended independent claims. Preferred or advantageous features of the invention are set out in dependent subalaims.

The invention may thus advantageously provide a load plate which can be bonded to a floor of a vehicle and which comprises a fitting for mounting equipment or accessories to the load plate.

This may avoid any need LO boic equipment through che floor of the vehicle and thus advantageously give the vehicle's designer increased freedom to position equipment within the vehicle without needing to consider the underfloor structures of the vehicle. - 3 -

In addition, a load plate may be bonded to the floor of a vehicle and a stretcher (for example) mounted on the load plate for dynamic testing of the vehicle. Certification of the vehicle following the test includes certification of the load plate mounted within the vehicle as well as of the stretcher fitted during the test. However, if it is desired to change the stretcher design, because the load plate has achieved certification, it may only be necessary to carry out dynamic testing of the new stretcher which is to be mounted to the load plate. This may advantageously avoid the need to re-test the entire vehicle with the new

stretcher installed, as required in the prior art.

The floor of a vehicle, such as a van, is typically pressed from steel sheet. The load plate is preferably of a sufficiently large area so that bonding it to the floor of the vehicle provides sufficient strength and rigidity to mount the desired equipment. The load plate is also preferably of sufficient thickness to provide a secure mounting for the equipment. For example, to provide a mounting for a stretcher, a load plate may be about 180cm long, about 550cm wide and about lOmm thick. In order to reduce the weight of the plate, it is preferably made of a low density material such as aluminium or an aluminium alloy. These dimensions may advantageously provide a sufficiently large area for effective bonding of the load plate to the vehicle floor, using known glues, while providing sufficient thickness to install suitable fittings for mounting the stretcher.

In other applications, the dimensions of the load plate may be selected depending on the physical size of the equipment or accessory to be mounted and the loading which the equipment or accessory may exert on the load plate.

This includes not only the mass of the equipment or - 4 accessory but also its dimensions. For example, if a seat is to be mounted on a load plate, the load plate must be able to restrain the potential dynamic loading exerted by a person sitting in the seat at a certain height above the load plate.

A load plate embodying the invention may comprise any of a variety of fittings for mounting equipment or accessories.

Perhaps the simplest fitting is to form a threaded hole through the load plate for bolting equipment directly to the plate. Alternatively, a flanged nut may be retained beneath the load plate. This may provide a more secure fixing than forming a thread directly into the material of the load plate, particularly if the load plate is aluminium. The flanged nut may be, for example, steel.

Other fittings may also be provided, such as a length of tracking. This may advantageously provide an adjustable mounting in which a piece of equipment may be mounted at any point along the length of the tracking. Such systems are commonly used for mounting adjustable seats in vehicles, for example. Lengths of tracking may be fastened to the load plate, for example by welding or bonding. Alternatively, if the vehicle structure permits, a length of tracking may be mounted within the area of the load plate but bolted through the floor of the vehicle as in a conventional mounting system. The load plate may then abut and advantageously reinforce the tracking.

SpeClf 1C embodiments of the Invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which; Figure 1 is a perspective view of a load plate according to a first embodiment of the invention, carrying mountings for a Ferno (TM) stretcher tables - 5 Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a stretcher and

stretcher table;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the load plate of Figure 1, including cut-outs for tracking; Figure 4 is a plan view of the floor of a Renault Master (RTM) van; Figures 5 and are plan and side views of a flanged nut for fitting within the load plate; Figures 7 and 8 are sectional views of the flanged nut of Figures 5 and 6 being fitted to the load plate; Figures 9 and 10 are plan views of lengths of tracking for mounting in the load plate; and Figure 11 shows plan, side and end views of a central mount for the Ferno stretcher table.

In a first embodiment, a load plate for mounting a Ferno stretcher in an ambulance is provided. Figure 3 shows a plan view of the load plate 2, which is machined from aluminium alloy plate lam thick. The plate is 180cm long and 55cm wide. One corner 4 is cut away to enable the plate to fit in a desired position within the vehicle, as described below. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the load plate with three mounting units 6, 8, 10 secured to it; these are the conventional mounting units for the Ferno stretcher table, of which a schematic drawing is shown in Figure 2.

As shown in Figure 3, various structures are machined into the load plate for securing the stretcher mounting units - 6 - and for accommodating tracking 12, 14 as described below.

The mounting units are secured using flanged nuts 16 and bores is threaded into the aluminium of the load plate.

Slots 20 are cut into the load plate to receive the tracking.

Figure 4 is a plan view of part of the floor of a vehicle, specifically a Renault Master (RTM) van. The view also includes some of the underfloor structures of the van.

The floor itself is a steel pressing 22. It is spot- welded to chassis rails 24 beneath the floor and is longitudinally webbed to increase its stiffness. When the van is converted for use as an ambulance, a wooden floor 26, lam thick, is installed on top of the steel floor 22.

Where it is desired to fit the load plate, or other structures such as further load plates or tracking which is to be secured to the vehicle floor, a portion or portions of the wooden floor is or are cut out. It can be seen that the cut-out portion 28 in Figure 4 is shaped to receive the load plate 2 of Figures 1 and 3. Additional slots 30 are cut out of the wooden floor to permit the fitting of tracking extending from the forward slots 20 in the load plate. Figure 4 also shows that the corner 4 of the load plate is cut away to avoid fouling the wheel arch 32 of the vehicle.

The load plate is fabricated by machining from aluminium sheet. The fixings are then fitted as follows before the load plate is installed in the vehicle.

Figures 5 and 6 are plan and side views of a captive nut 40. The nut is machined from stainless steel. Its central portion 42 is of 25mm external diameter and is drilled to 10.5mm and a thread 44 tapped within it. The 7 - nut is 15mm long and a flange 46, 5mm deep, extends radially from its base to a diameter of 50mm. Two holes 48 for receiving split pins 50 are drilled through the flange.

Figures 7 and 8 are transverse sections illustrating the mounting of the captive nut in the load plate. A stepped drilling 52 is formed in the load plate to receive the captive nut and a portion of its flange. The load plate is also drilled to receive the split pins, which secure the captive nut in place and prevent it rotating. As can be seen in Figure 8, portions of the captive nut extend above and below the load plate. The upward extension of the nut is provided because the load plate is covered with a floor covering in the completed ambulance. The nut thus extends upwards, flush with the upper surface of the floor covering, to allow the stretcher mounting units to bolt securely to the face of the nut. The downwardly extending portion of the nut protrudes into a recessed area of the webbed steel floor of the van and is provided in order to add rigidity and strength to the captive nut structure.

In a different embodiment, the captive nut might be fitted in an area of the load plate which abuts the vehicle floor. A captive nut of reduced height, or having a thinner flange, might then be required. However, the flange may then need to be of larger diameter in order to transfer loads effectively to the aluminium of the load plate.

As noted above, the fixings 18 of the load plate shown in Figure 3 are holes drilled and threaded directly into the aluminium plate.

The slots 20 in the load plate are machined to receive lengths of tracking 12, 14 as shown in Figures 9 and 10. - 8 -

The tracking is of conventional design, provided by the company Unwin (RTM). It consists of a generally U-shaped aluminium extrusion, drilled through ins base 60 for bolting to the vehicle floor. At its upper edges, flanges 62 extend outwardly and flanges 64 extend inwardly. The inwardlyextending flanges are shaped at regular intervals, by drilling, to provide a plurality of points along the length of the tracking at which items of equipment, such as seats, can be secured to the tracking, i" .. manner When the captive nuts have been fitted to the load plate, the load plate is installed in the vehicle by bonding, or gluing, it to the steel floor within the cut-out portion 28 of the wooden flooring 26 as shown in Figure 4. An elastomer adhesive epoxy resin may be used for the bonding process. The lengths of tracking are then bolted to the vehicle floor in known manner, typically using spreader plates beneath the vehicle floor, also in conventional manner. The flanges 62 extending outwardly from the tracking abut the upper surface of the load plate. A decorative moulding is then installed around the edge of the load plate, between the load plate and the wooden flooring, and a floor covering is installed, provided with cut-away portions to allow access to the tracking and the fittings of the load plate.

In the embodiment described above, it can be seen that the abutment between the tracking, particularly at its outwardly-extending flange, and the load plate advantageously reinforces the rigidity of the tracking; normally the tracking is installed in cut-out portions of a wooden flooring material, as at the forward ends of the forward tracking 30 in the present embodiment. tom' - 9 -

In an alternative embodiment, the tracking may be welded to the load plate. This may further increase its rigidity but, still more advantageously-, may eliminate any need to bolt the tracking through the vehicle floor.

Finally, the stretcher mounts 6, 8, 10 are bolted to the load plate as illustrated in Figure 1. These mountings are conventional for a Ferno stretcher trolley and so will not be described in detail. Briefly, however, they are as fm] wc At the forward end of the load plate, a mounting 6 comprising two "cow horns" 70 for receiving the forward legs 80 of a Ferno stretcher table 82 is bolted to three nuts captive in the load plate. At a central portion of the load plate, a stretcher table central mounting 8 is secured. This central mounting is formed from steel sheet, as illustrated in Figure 11, and comprises at its base two outwardly-extending flanges 72. The flanges are drilled to receive bolts which are secured into corresponding threaded holes 18 in the load plate. The central mounting engages downwardly - extending pins 84 carried by the stretcher table.

At the rear of the load plate, a stretcher table rear mounting 10 is secured to two nuts captive in the load plate. This mounting comprises two user-operable clamps to engage a bar 86 at a rear end of the stretcher table.

In use, a stretcher may be wheeled through rear doors of the ambulance, manocuvred into its mountings and secured using the three stretcher mounts. The ambulance is thus configured for use. It may also be dynamically tested in this configuration for appropriate certification. If it is desired to change to a different stretcher design, a - 10 similar load plate may be installed in the ambulance comprising suitable fixings for securing the stretcher mounts required for the new stretcher table. No re- certification of the vehicle and the load plate may then be required; it may only be necessary that the stretcher table itself and its mounting units are appropriately certified.

In further embodiments, it can easily be seen that equipment and accessories other than stretchers and stretcher tables may be secured to load plates without departing from the invention described herein. For example, in an ambulance, seats, incubators, wheelchairs or the like may be secured to load plates embodying the invention. In general, the load plate system may be used to secure any heavy or dangerous object to the floor of a vehicle.

V \n''

Claims

1. A load plate for a vehicle, the load plate being bonded, in use, to a floor of the vehicle and comprising a fitting for mounting equipment or vehicle accessories thereto.

2. A load plate according to Claim 1, which has been installed in ? rehinge for dynamic tenting of the vehicle, a predetermined item of equipment having been mounted on the load plate during dynamic testing.

3. A load plate according to Claim 1 or 2, having a thickness of more than 5mm.

4. A load plate according to any preceding claim, having a thickness of more than 9mm.

5. A load plate according to any preceding claim, having a minimum lateral dimension of more than 10 times its thickness.

6. A load plate according to any of Claims 1 to 4, having a minimum lateral dimension of more than 30 times its thickness.

7. A load plate according to any preceding claim, comprising a captive nut for mounting equipment or vehicle accessories.

8. A load plate according to any preceding claim, comprising a threaded bore or hole for mounting equipment or vehicle accessories.

9. A load plate according to any preceding claim, comprising a length of tracking for mounting equipment or vehicle accessories.

10. A load plate according to Claim 9, in which the tracking is welded or bonded to the load plate.

11. A load plate according to any preceding claim, for mounting a stretcher, a stretcher table, or a base unit to which a stretcher or stretcher table is securable.

12. A method for mounting equipment within a vehicle, comprising bonding a load plate to a floor of the vehicle and securing the equipment thereto.

A method according to Claim 12, further comprising the step of carrying out dynamic vehicle testing of the vehicle with an item of equipment secured to the load plate.

14. A method according to Claim 12 or 13, comprising the step of securing the equipment to the load plate by means of a captive nut, a threaded bore, and/or a length of tracking.

15. A method according to any of Claims 12 to 14, in which the item of equipment is a stretcher or a base unic to which a stretcher is securable.

6. A vehicle comprising a load plate as defined in any of Claims 1 to 11.

17. A load plate substantially as described herein, with reference to the drawings. - 13

18. A vehicle substantially as described herein, with reference to the drawings.

19. A method substantially as described herein, with reference to the drawings.