GB2414463A

GB2414463A - Manually operable ramp assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2414463A
Application number: GB0411700A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Simon Chacksfield
Original assignee: Deans Systems Ltd
Current assignee: Deans Systems Ltd
Priority date: 2004-05-26
Filing date: 2004-05-26
Publication date: 2005-11-30
Anticipated expiration: 2024-05-26
Also published as: GB2414463B; GB0411700D0

Abstract

A ramp assembly 10 is described having a ramp member 11 pivotally moveable about an end of the ramp member between a stowed position and an extended position, and operating means 36,38 for moving manually the ramp member between its stowed and extended positions, the operating means including a handle 38 accessible at a part of the ramp member remote from its end about which it is pivotable, and a connecting member 36 connecting the handle to the ramp member and whose effective length is able to be increased.

Description

24 1 4463 Title: Ramp Assembly

Description of Invention

This invention relates to a ramp assembly which may be utilised for facilitating access, e.g by mobility-impaired persons, to a passenger carrying vehicle, such as, for example, a bus.

More particularly the invention relates to a ramp assembly adapted for installation into a floor of a vehicle, the ramp assembly having a ramp member which is pivotally connected to a support structure and which can be moved in relation to the support structure (which support structure is adapted to be installed in a floor structure of a vehicle by a door) about its pivotal connection between a stowed position in which the ramp member affords a floor surface I S part in the vehicle, and an extended position in which it extends outwardly and downwardly from the vehicle to reach an adjacent surface.

In order to move the ramp member between the stowed and extended positions, and vice versa, a known ramp assembly includes a strap connected to one side ol the ramp member at a position remote from its pivotally connected end. The strap is short, in the order of 10 to 15cm and has one end fixed to the ramp member, the strap lying in a recess to one sidle of the ramp member when it is in the stowed position (so that the strap does not hinder a person boarding the vehicle). To move the ramp member from its stowed position to its extended position a user, who would be standing outside the vehicle adjacent the pivotal connection between the support structure and the ramp member, must lean over the ramp assembly and bend down to grasp the strap. The user must them apply an upward force on the strap firstly to lift the ramp member from its stowed position, moving it about its pivotal connection to the support structure, and then to lower the ramp member until it contacts the ground in the extended position.

Thus the user's posture when lifting the ramp member from its stowed position is poor, as he or she is bent over whilst lifting the weight of the ramp member, which could lead to possible injury, particularly to the users back.

It is an object of the present invention to address this problem.

According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a ramp assembly having a ramp member pivotally moveable about an end of the ramp member between a stowed position and an extended position, and operating means t'or moving manually the ramp member between its stowed and extended positions, the operating means including a handle accessible at a part of the ramp member remote from its end about which it is pivotable, and a connecting member connecting the handle to the ramp member and whose el'fective length is able to be increased.

By the effective length of the connecting member, we mean the distance between the handle and the general plane of the ramp member, lengthwise of the connecting member.

As such by providing a ramp assembly with an operating means in accordance with the invention, a user moving the ramp member from its stowed position to its extended position is able to take hold oi'the handle and then, by increasing the effective length of the connecting member, raise the handle above the ramp member and thus assume a more favourable posture before lifting the weight of the ramp member.

The connecting member may be an elongate flexible member.

The connecting member may be able to be pulled out lengthways against a force of a retraction spring.

The connecting member may be resiliently elongatable.

The connecting member may be a rubber or rubber-like material, e.g. a natural or synthetic rubber.

There may be means for limiting the resilient elongation of the connecting member. For this purpose, the connecting member may have a covering, such as a woven sheath. The maximum elongation of the connecting member is typically limited by the extensibility of the covering, e.g. to be capable of' elongating by approximately 100% of its original length (i.e. to twice its original length).

The woven sheath may be manufactured from an appropriate timbre, e.g. a cotton or nylon fibre.

The ramp assembly may include a support structure to which the ramp member is pivotally connected.

The ramp member may include a ramp surface and the support structure may include a further ramp surface co-operating with the ramp surface ol'the ramp member when the ramp member is in its extended position to provide a continuative ramp surface.

'I'he support structure may include a recess to receive at least part of the connecting member, when the ramp member is in its stowed position. The recess in the support structure may be closed by a moveable cover member.

The moveable cover member may be biased to a position in which it closes an opening to the recess by a spring.

The handle may be received in the recess hi the support structure, when the ramp member is in its stowed position.

The support structure may include connection means for facilitating installation into a floor of a vehicle, e.g. a passenger vehicle.

These and other features of the invention will be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a ramp assembly in accordance with the present invention, in a stowed position; Figure 2 is further view of the assembly of figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the ramp assembly of figure 1 midway between a stowed and an extended position; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the ramp assembly of figure 1 in its extended position, and Figure S is a further view of the ramp assembly of figure 4.

Referring to the figures, there is shown a ramp assembly having a support structure indicated generally at 10. The support structure 10 has a slightly sloped ramp surface 14 (shown in figures 3 to 5) which is connected at three of its sides to a peripheral U-shaped frame. The Ushaped frame has two side members 11, 12 connected at corresponding ends by a transverse member 13. 'the members 11, 12, 13 each have an outwardly projecting flange. Each flange has a plurality of spaced apertures 15 through which threaded fasteners or the like can pass to fix the support structure 10 into a floor structure of a vehicle.

The ramp assembly includes a ramp member 16 (shown in figures 1 and 2 in a stowed position) having a ramp surface 17 (shown in figures 4 and 5), which is pivotally connected to the support structure at a l'ree end of each side member 11, 12 by respective hinges 18. The hinges 18 allow for pivotal movement ol'the ramp member 16 relative to the support structure 10 about an axis 20 intersecting both hinges 18.

(unneeded to the ramp member 16 at a positic,r, remote from the axis 20 is an operating means including a connecting member 36. 'I'he connecting member 36 is an elongate cord of a flexible material, such as a rubberlike material (e.g. natural/synthetic rubber) with a covering, such as a sheath of a woven material (e.g. nylon or cotton). The connecting member 36 in the present example is capable of being elongated by approximately 100% of its original length (i.e. to twice its original length), although varying degrees of elongation can be achieved, typically by modification of the woven covering.

An end of the connecting member 36 is connected to an internal support (not shown) in an interior of the ramp member 16, with a free end thereof exiting through an aperture in a side of the ramp member 16, which aperture is remote from the axis 20.

Connected to the free end of the connecting member 36 is a handle 38 which can he grasped by a user operating the ramp assembly. The handle 38 in this example is a bar connected near its middle to the free end of the connecting member (fonning a T-shape which can be grasped by user). It must, however.

be appreciated that many other types of handle could be utilised so long as they allow the user to pull on the free end of the connecting member 36 to increase its effective length. The handle 38 also ensures that the free end of the connecting member 36 is not drawn back into the interior of the ramp member 16 by any residual tension in the connecting member 36.

When the ramp assembly is in its stowed position, the connecting member 36 is in a substantially non-elongated condition, although there may be some residual tension in the connecting member 36 (i.e. enough tension to hold the handle 38 in position next to the side of the ramp member 16) and the handle 38 is received in a recess 30 provided in the side member 12. The recess 30 has a cover 32, which is hinged at one end to the side member 12 and is biased to a position in which it closes an opening to the recess 30 by a spring 33. The spring-biased cover 32, at its Wee end opposite its higcu connection to the side member 12, has a formation 34. The Connation 34 is shaped so as to receive a finger of a user's hand so that the user can move the cover 32 from a position in which it covers the opening to the recess 30, to an open position, where the user is able to grasp the handle 38. An underside of the formation 34 is shaped so that during operation of the ramp assembly minimal or no frictional wear occurs on the connecting member 36.

Operation of the ramp assembly once installed in a vehicle, e.g. a bus, is as follows. A user firstly leans over the ramp assembly, with preferably one foot placed on top of the ramp member 16, and with a finger of one hand moves the cover 32 to its open position. The user then with the free hand grasps the handle 38 and applies a generally upward force to the handle 38 and thus the connecting member 36. As the effective length of the connecting member 36 is able to be increased, the user can keep applying an upward force to the handle 38 until he/she assumes a generally upright position (i.e. sufficiently not bent over/favourable posture). The user can then place his/her foot on a floor surface outside the vehicle so that both fleet are on the floor surface. The force required to increase the effective length of the connecting member 36 to a predetermined length is not great enough to et'i'ect lifting of the ramp member 16. Once the length of the connecting member 36 has been increased substantially to its predetermined length, the user should have assumed a more favourable posture, which is highly desirable.

Further pulling on the handle 38 lifts the ramp member 16 upwardly, pivoting about the axis 20. Once the centre of gravity of the ramp member 16 passes a vertical plane intersecting the axis 2O, the user then lowers the ramp member 16 until it engages the floor surface.

The user then returns the handle 38 to its original position adjacent the side of the ramp member 16. Due to the resilient nature ol' the connecting member 36, the connecting member 36 returns substantially to its original length and the handle 38 is held agains! the side ofthe ramp member!6.

To return the ramp member 16 to its stowed position, the above steps are reversed. When the ramp member 16 lies in its stowed position, it is necessary for the user to open the cover 32 so as to place the handle 38 in the recess 30 in the side member 12.

I'he connecting member in the above description could be provided by any type of member so long as its effective length can be increased, thus allowing a user to assume a favourable posture before el'fecting lifting the ramp member from its stowed position. For example, the free end of the connecting member opposite its handle may be connected to the ramp member by a spring.

Thus when a user applies an upward force to the handle, the length of the spring increases to a predetermined length to allow the user to assume a favourable posture before effecting lifting of the ramp member. Alternatively, the operating means may include a spring-biased drum or pulley around which a connecting member which may not itself be resiliently elongatable is wound.

When a user applies an upward force to the handle, the connecting member unwinds from the drum or pulley a predetermined length to allow the user to assume a favourable posture before effecting lifting of the ramp member.

1 O When the user releases the handle, the connecting member automatically rewinds around the spring-biased drum or pulley.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means lor performing the disclosed function, or a method or process ]5 for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination ol such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

1. A ramp assembly having a ramp member pivotally moveable about an end of the ramp member between a stowed position and an extended position, and operating means for moving manually the ramp member between its stowed and extended positions' the operating means including a handle accessible at a part of the ramp member remote from its end about which it is pivotable, and a connecting member connecting the handle to the ramp member and whose effective length is able to be increased. ]O

2. A ramp assembly according to claim 1 wherein the connecting member is an elongate flexible member.

3. A ramp assembly according to claim I or claim 2 wherein the connecting member is able to be pulled out lengthways against a force of a retraction spring.

4. A ramp _assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the connecting member is resiliently elongatable.

5. A ramp assembly according to claim A Therein means is provided scar limiting the resilient elongation of the connecting member.

6. A ramp assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the connecting member has a covering.

7. A ramp assembly according to any preceding claim further including a support structure to which the ramp member is pivotally connected.

8. A ramp assembly according to claim 7 wherein the ramp member includes a ramp surface and the support structure includes a further ramp surface co-operating with the ramp surface of the ramp member when the ramp S member is in its extended position to provide a continuative ramp surface.

9. A ramp assembly according to claim 7 or claim 8 wherein the support structure includes a recess to receive at least part of the connecting member, when the ramp member is in its stowed position.

10. A ramp assembly according to claim 9 wherein the recess in the support structure is closed by a moveable cover member.

] 1. A ramp assembly according to claim 10 wherein the cover member is biased to a position in which it closes an opening to the recess by a spring.

12. A ramp assembly according to any one of claims 9, 10 or 1 I wherein the handle is received in the recess in the support structure, when the ramp member is in its stowed position.

13. A ramp assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with relercncc to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

14. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.