GB2467313A

GB2467313A - Retractable retaining arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2467313A
Application number: GB0901375A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Sawdy
Original assignee: NMI Safety Systems Ltd
Current assignee: NMI Safety Systems Ltd
Priority date: 2009-01-28
Filing date: 2009-01-28
Publication date: 2010-08-04
Anticipated expiration: 2029-01-28
Also published as: PT104949B; PT104949A; ES2389662A1; GB0901375D0; ES2389662B1; GB2467313B

Abstract

A retaining arrangement (1 see fig 1) is provided for securing an object such as a vehicle seat, to a surface, such as a floor bracing plate 2. A retaining member 11 is movable between a stowed position, in which its upper surface is level with, or below, the level of the surface, and a retaining position, in which the retaining member 11 protrudes from the surface and presents at least one attachment site above the surface, wherein the retaining member 11 remains in substantially the same rotational orientation when moving between the stowed position and the retaining position. The retaining member 11 comprises an operation member 31 movable between a retracted position, in which upper surface of the operation member 31 is substantially level with the upper surface of the retaining member 11, and an operation position, in which it protrudes from the upper surface, so that a user may grasp the operation member 31 to move the retaining member 11 manually from the stowed position to the retaining position. The invention does not require a below floor enclosure for use in the storage position.

Description

Title: A Retaining Arrangement

Description of Invention

This invention relates to a retaining arrangement, and in particular concerns an arrangement for removably securing an object, such as a seat, to a surface, such as a floor.

It is known to provide a retaining arrangement on the floor of a bus or coach which can assist in adapting the bus or coach to carry cargo, or to accommodate a wheelchair user. In a stowed configuration, the retaining arrangement is substantially flush with the floor. In a retaining position, however, the retaining arrangement presents an upstanding anchoring point, for instance a ring, to which other components can be fixed, locked or tied.

Examples of such arrangements are shown in US6637992 and US6565301. In the systems disclosed in both of these documents, an enclosed box is held under the floor of a vehicle. A retaining hook or loop is housed within the box when in the stowed position, and one or more springs are provided between the floor of the box and the underside of the hook or loop, biasing the hook or loop upwards. A holding mechanism is provided to hold the hook or loop within the box in the stowed configuration. However, when the holding mechanism is released, the one or more springs drive the hook or loop upwards so as to protrude out of the box and above the level of the vehicle floor, into the retaining position.

There are disadvantages to arrangements of this type, however. The need to provide a box enclosing the hook or loop, and also springs to propel the hook or loop into the retaining position, has been found to increase the weight and cost of the arrangement undesirably. Also, the arrangements are prone to jamming, as foreign bodies which fall into the box when the holding mechanism is in its retaining position will be unable to escape, and will accumulate within the interior of the box.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved retaining arrangement of this type.

Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention provides a retaining arrangement for securing an object to a surface, comprising a retaining member having an upper surface, the retaining member being movable between a stowed position, in which the upper surface of the retaining member is substantially level with, or below, the level of the surface, and a retaining position, in which the retaining member protrudes from the surface and presents at least one attachment site above the surface, wherein thefl retaining member remains in substantially the same rotational orientation when moving between the stowed position and the retaining position, the retaining member further comprising an operation member having an upper surface, the operation member being movable between a retracted position, in which upper surface of the operation member is substantially level with the upper surface of the retaining member, and an operation position, in which the operation member protrudes from the upper surface of the retaining member, so that a user may grasp the operation member to move the retaining member manually from the stowed position to the retaining position.

Advantageously the operation member is biased into the operation position.

Preferably a holding arrangement is provided to hold the operation member in the retracted position.

Conveniently the operation member comprises a shaft passing through a bore in the retaining member, and wherein the holding arrangement comprises corresponding threaded sections formed on the outer surface of the shaft and on the inner surface of the bore.

S

Advantageously the operation member further comprises a release arrangement which is presented on the upper surface thereof when the operation member is in the retracted position, to assist a user in moving the operation member from the retracted position to the operation position.

Preferably the release arrangement comprises a slot formed in the upper surface of the operation member, into which a narrow edge of an object can be inserted to rotate the operation member.

Conveniently no drive or biasing arrangement is provided to, propel the retaining member from the stowed position to the retaining position.

Advantageously no enclosure is provided below the surface to surround the retaining member when the retaining member is in the stowed position.

Preferably a supporting arrangement is provided to resist the movement of the retaining member from the retaining position to the stowed position.

Conveniently the retaining arrangement comprises at least one spring which is placed under tension by the movement of the retaining member from the retaining position to the stowed position.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle having a retaining arrangement according to the above arranged in an aperture in a floor or wall of the vehicle.

A further aspect of the present invention provides a retaining arrangement for securing an object to a surface, comprising a retaining arrangement for securing an object to a surface, comprising a retaining member having an upper surface, the retaining member being movable between a stowed position, in which the upper surface of the retaining member is substantially level with, or below, the level of the surface, and a retaining position, in which the retaining member protrudes from the surface and presents at least one attachment site above the surface, wherein no enclosure is provided below the surface to surround the retaining member when the retaining member is in the stowed position.

In order that the present invention may be more readily understood, the embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURES 1 and 2 show a retaining arrangement embodying the present invention in a stowed configuration; FIGURE 3 shows a retaining member of the retaining arrangement of Figure 1; FIGURE 4 shows a base plate of the retaining arrangement of Figure 1; FIGURE 5 shows a retaining arrangement of Figure 1 with an operating member thereof raised; and FIGURES 6 and 7 show the retaining arrangement of Figure 1 in a retaining position.

Turning firstly to figures 1 and 2, a retaining arrangement 1 embodying the present invention is shown. The retaining arrangement 1 comprises a bracing plate 2, which is substantially rectangular and has a generally rectangular aperture 3 formed therethrough. The bracing plate 2 is formed from a robust material such as steel, and is adapted to be secured to a surface (not shown), for instance the floor of a bus or coach, so that the top surface 4 of the bracing plate 2 is substantially level with the surface. The bracing plate 2 has a number of screw holes 5 formed through its top surface 4 to allow the bracing plate 2 to be secured to the surface.

Figure 2 shows the underside of the retaining arrangement 1. A pair of springs 6 are attached to the underside 7 of the bracing plate 2. Each spring 6 comprises a substantially planar length of a resilient material, such as thin steel, which is attached to the underside of the bracing plate 2, preferably near one of the shorter edges thereof. Each spring 6 extends away from the plane of the bracing plate 2, but is inclined inwardly with respect to this plane, so that the distal end of the spring 6 is closer to the aperture 3 than would be the case if the spring 6 was perpendicular to the plane of the bracing plate 2. At its proximal end, each spring 6 has a short attachment portion 8 which lies against the underside 7 of the bracing plate 2 and is secured thereto by a screw 9.

A pair of guide rods 10 are also provided on the underside 7 of the bracing plate 2. Each of the guide rods 10 is generally cylindrical and extends away from the bracing plate 2, substantially perpendicular to the plane thereof. In the preferred embodiment, the guide rods 10 are provided near opposite corners of the aperture 3.

The retaining arrangement. 1 also comprises a retaining member 11, which is shown in more detail in figure 3. The retaining member 11 has a generally oblong, elongate main body 12, having top and bottom surfaces 13, 14 and opposing side surfaces 15, 16 that are preferably substantially longer than the end surfaces 17, 18. The retaining member 11 has a pair of outwardly-flared protrusions 19 which extend outwardly from the side surfaces 15, 16 near the top surface 13, along the length of the retaining member 11, so that the top surface 13 is wider than the bottom surface 14. The top surface 13 is generally planar, and the protrusions 19 present respective retaining surfaces 20, which face downwardly and outwardly, preferably being inclined at around 45° to the top surface 13 and to the side surfaces 15, 16.

Guide grooves 21 are formed in each of the end surfaces 17, 18, running from the bottom edges 22 therefore upwardly towards the top surface 13, but stopping short of the top surface 13 so as to provide a downwardly-facing shoulder at the upper end of the guide groove 21. In preferred embodiments, the guide grooves 21 are generally semi-circular in cross section., although this is not essential. The purpose of the guide grooves 21 is explained below.

The retaining member 11 has a pair of threaded attachment bores 23 formed near opposing sides of the bottom surface 14 thereof. A through hole 24 is also formed, passing all the way through the main body 12 from the bottom surface 14 to the top surface 13 thereof. The through hole 24 is preferably circular in cross section.

A stop plate 25 is attached to the bottom surface of the retaining member 11, preferably by means of two threaded bolts 26 which pass through appropriate apertures 27 in the stop plate 25 and are received in the attachment bores 23.

The stop plate 25 is of generally rectangular shape, and at least one of the width or the length of the stop plate 25 is greater than the corresponding dimension of the aperture 3. In the embodiment shown, the width and length of the stop plate 25 are both greater than the corresponding dimension of the aperture 3.

The stop plate 25 also has a through hole 28 formed therethrough, although this through hole 28 is of larger diameter than that formed in the retaining member 11. When the stop plate 25 is attached to the retaining member 11 the through hole 28 of the stop plate 25 is aligned with the through-hole 24 of the retaining member 11.

The stop plate 25 also has a pair of alignment notches 36 formed therein, near opposing corners thereof. Each alignment notch 36 extends inwardly from an edge of the stop plate 25, and is formed through the entire depth of the stop plate 25. Each alignment notch 36 is of a suitable size that one of the guide rods 10 may pass therethrough in a close fit.

An operating member 29 is received in the through holes 24, 28 of the retaining member 11 and the stop plate 25. The operating member 29 comprises an elongate shaft 30, which has a widened grip portion 31 at its upper end. The grip portion 31 is shaped so as to be easy to grasp and pull, and has an upper surface 32 which is preferably flat, apart from an operating groove 33 which is formed therein, and complementary in shape to the aperture in the top surface 13 of the retaining member 11 which is formed by the through hole 24.

At its bottom end, the operating member 29 has a widened stop portion 34, which is able to pass through the through hole 28 formed in the stop plate 25, but is too wide to pass through the through hole 24 formed in the retaining member 11.

The overall length of the operating member 29 is greater than the combined height of the retaining member 11 and stop plate 25. The operating member 29 is biased upwards by a spring arrangement (not shown) provided within the main body 12 of the retaining member 11. A part of the shaft 30 of the operating member 29 is formed to have a threaded outer surface (not shown), which is configured to engage with a corresponding internal threaded surface (not shown) which is formed on a portion of the inner surface of the through hole 24 of the retaining member 11.

To assemble the retaining arrangement 1, the retaining member 11 is placed within the bracing plate 2, so that the main body 12 of the retaining member 11 passes through the aperture 3 formed through the bracing plate. Figure 4 shows the bracing plate 2 in isolation, and it can be seen that guide tabs 35 protrude inwardly from the short edges thereof. The guide tabs 35 are formed to fit into the guide grooves 21 formed in the end surfaces 17, 18 of the retaining member 11.

Once the retaining member 11 has been place within the aperture 3 of the bracing plate 2, the stop plate 25 is attached to the bottom surface 14 thereof, as described above. When the stop plate 25 is attached in this manner, the guide rods 10 pass through the alignment notches 36, and the distal ends of the springs 6 bear against side surface 37 of the stop plate. The operating member 29 is arranged to pass through the through holes 24, 28 of the retaining member 11 and stop plate 25.

In Figures 1 and 2, the retaining arrangement 1 is in a stowed position. The top surface 13 of the retaining member 11 is level with the top surface 4 of the bracing plate 2, and the upper surface 32 of the grip portion 31 is level with the top surface 13 of the retaining member 11. The operating member 29 is held in position by the engagement of its threaded portion with the threaded portion formed in the through hole 24 of the retaining member 11. In this configuration! it will be understood that the retaining arrangement 1 will not present an obstruction or trip hazard.

To operate the retaining arrangement 1, a user may insert an object with a relatively thin edge, such as a flat-head screwdriver or a coin, into the operating groove 33 of the grip portion 31, and rotate the grip portion 31, and hence the operating member 29. After sufficient rotation, the threaded portions of the operating member 29 and through hole 24 will disengage from one another, and the operating member 29 will therefore be driven upwardly by the spring arrangement. This upward motion will be halted when the widened stop portion 34 contacts the bottom surface 14 of the retaining member 11. When this occurs, the grip portion 31 will be raised up above the level of the top surface 13 of the retaining member 11, as shown in figure 5.

The user may then grasp the gripping portion 31 and pull the retaining member 11 upwardly. The retaining member 11 will remain in substantially the same orientation as it is pulled upwards, due to the interaction between guide rods 11 and the guide notches 36. This upward motion will end when the stop plate 25 comes into contact with the underside of the bracing plate 2. At this point, the upper part of the retaining member 11, which includes the outwardly-flared protrusions 19, will be raised up above the level of the top surface 4 of the bracing plate 2, as shown in figures 6 and 7.

As the retaining member 11 is raised in this manner, the springs 6, which are biased inwardly, will be allowed to deflect further inward. It will be understood that the springs 6 will therefore prevent the retaining member 11 from simply falling back downwards when it has been raised.

When the retaining member 11 has been raised, it can be used to attach one or more further components to the surface. In particular, a pair of retaining slots are defined between the downward and outward facing retaining surfaces 20 of the protrusions 19 and the upper surface 4 of the bracing plate 2, or the surface itself. For example, as shown in GB2450568, a base plate may be provided having a slot with upwardly-angled surfaces, which co-operate with the retaining surfaces 20. The base plate may be manoeuvred so that the retaining member 11 is received in the slot, and the slot is then narrowed to lock onto the retaining member 11. A skilled user wilt recognise, however, that many different attachment methods may be used. The present invention is also not limited to the shape of retaining member 11 that is described above, although it is preferred that the retaining member defines at least one retaining slot that is substantially parallel with the surface.

To return the retaining member 11 to the stowed position, the user may simply push the retaining member 11 downwards so that the top surface 13 thereof lies level with the top surface 4 of the bracing plate 2. In doing so, the retaining member 11 will push the springs 6 outwardly, placing them under tension. The grip portion 31 can then be pushed downwardly so that its upper surface 32 is level with the top surface 13 of the bracing plate 2, and can be rotated until the threaded portion of the operating member 29 engages with the threaded portion of the through hole 24. The retaining arrangement I is then once again in the stowed position, as shown in figures 1 and 2.

It will be understood that embodiments of the present invention can be lightweight and low-cost when compared to conventional retaining arrangements, as there is no need for an enclosing box to be provided around the retaining member. No spring arrangement to drive the retaining member upwardly is required, reducing the weight and cost further. Indeed, the retaining member can simply be in the open space below the surface when in the stowed position. The utility and simplicity of operation of the retaining arrangement are not compromised. In addition, any foreign objects which fall through the aperture in the bracing plate will not be retained by the mechanism, and will simply fall into the space below the floor of the vehicle.

While the above description relates to the provision of an attachment site on a floor surface, the present invention may of course be used to provide an attachment site on other types of surface, for instance a wall surface.

When used in this specification and claims, the terms-"comprises" and "comprising" and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.

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 for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

Claims 1. A retaining arrangement for securing an object to a surlace, comprising a retaining member having an upper surface, the retaining member being movable between a stowed position, in which the upper surface of the retaining member is substantially level with, or below, the level of the surface, and a retaining position, in which the retaining member protrudes from the surface and presents at least one attachment site above the surface, wherein the retaining member remains in substantially the same rotational orientation when moving between the stowed position and the retaining position, the retaining member further comprising an operation member having an upper surface, the operation member being movable between a retracted position, in which upper surface of the operation member is substantially level with the upper surface of the retaining member, and an operation position, in which the operation member protrudes from the upper surface of the retaining member, so that a user may grasp the operation member to move the retaining member manually from the stowed position to the retaining position.
2. A retaining arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the operation member is biased into the operation position.
3. A retaining arrangement according to claim I or 2, wherein a holding arrangement is provided to hold the operation member in the retracted * 25 position.
4. A retaining arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the operation member comprises a shaft passing through a bore in the retaining member, and wherein the holding arrangement comprises corresponding threaded sections formed on the outer surface of the shaft and on the inner surface of the bore.
5. A retaining arrangement according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the operation member further comprises a release arrangement which is presented on the upper surface thereof when the operation member is in the retracted position, to assist a user in moving the operation member from the retracted position to the operation position.
6. A retaining arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the release arrangement comprises a slot formed in the upper surface of the operation member, into which a narrow edge of an object can be inserted to rotate the operation member.
7. A retaining arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein no drive or biasing arrangement is provided to prOpel the retaining member from the stowed position to the retaining position.
8. A retaining arrangement according to any preceding claim, where no enclosure is provided below the surface to surround the retaining member when the retaining member is in the stowed position.
9. A retaining arrangement according to any preceding claim wherein a supporting arrangement is provided to resist the movement of the retaining member from the retaining position to the stowed position.
10. A retaining arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the retaining arrangement comprises at least one spring which is placed under tension by the movement of the retaining member from the retaining position to the stowed position.
11. A retaining arrangement for securing an object to a surface, comprising a retaining member having an upper surface, the retaining member being movable between a stowed position, in which the upper surface of the retaining member is substantially level with, or below, the level of the surface, and a retaining position, in which the retaining member protrudes from the surface and presents at least one attachment site above the surface, wherein no enclosure is provided below the surface to surround the retaining member when the retaining member is in the stowed position.
12. A vehicle comprising a retaining arrangement according to any preceding claim arranged in an aperture in a floor or wall of the vehic'e.
13. A retaining arrangement substantially hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
14. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.