GB2510330A

GB2510330A - A hoist for lifting a wheelchair into a vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2510330A
Application number: GB1223086.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Owen Peter Briggs
Original assignee: BRIG AYD CONTROLS Ltd
Current assignee: BRIG AYD CONTROLS Ltd
Priority date: 2012-12-20
Filing date: 2012-12-20
Publication date: 2014-08-06
Anticipated expiration: 2032-12-20
Also published as: GB201223086D0; GB2510330B

Abstract

A hoist apparatus for lifting a wheelchair into a carrier vehicle comprising a lifting arm 6 moveable between a raised position and a lowered position and a hook 2 at the end of the lifting arm 6 wherein the hook 2 is arranged to engage a circular eye 12 and has a curved shape which extends round to a free end 10 to define a re-entrant section 8 angled back toward the lifting arm wherein a tangent to the curve of the re-entrant section is at least 10 degrees beyond vertical. The hook 2 may have a section towards its free end which is vertical in the lifted position. The lifting arm 6 may be arranged to rotate about a vertical axis to transfer the wheelchair and may have a limit switch to prevent over rotation. The device may be installed on a vehicle and the hook 2 may support a spreader 4.

Description

HOIST FOR A DISABILITY VEHICLE

The current invention relates to a hoist for a disability vehicle, and in a preferred embodiment to a hoist for lifting the disability vehicle into a carrier vehicle, such as a car or avan.

In our current society, technology is often used to assist those who suffer disabilities. One example of this is the rise in usage of disability vehicles such as disability scooters or buggies. These devices allow those that would otherwise be immobile or have difficulties with mobility to take part in everyday life. Disability vehicles are relatively heavy, often weighing 40 kg to 150 kg. There are many manufacturers of such disability scooters, including Sunrise Medial of Fresno California, and Prestige Mobility of Bangor, Wales.

Since these devices are intended for limited range transport only, for longer journeys it is still necessary to transport the disabled person in a car or other vehicle. Such cars may have modifications made to them to allow the disabled person to drive them, such as the fitting of hand controls rather than foot pedals etc. When the disabled person gets to their destination, it is desirable for them to have the use of their disability vehicles at the destination. Thus there is a requirement to transport the disability vehicles in the vehicle with the disabled person. However, because of the weight of such scooters, it is beyond the safe weight for a person to safely lift into the carrier vehicle, and certainly beyond the range that the disabled person is likely to be able to lift. Thus there are a range of hoists for disability vehicles available on the market to allow the automated lifting of disability vehicles into and out of carrier vehicles. Such systems have been available for many years, such as those made by the applicant, Brig-Ayd Controls Ltd of Welwyn Garden City, England, and by AutoChair Ltd of Kirkaldy, Fife, Scotland.

The hoist usually consists of a crane like arm, the base of which is fitted securely to the carrier vehicle's structure. Typically the arm is moved by electric motors, powered usually by the carrier vehicle's battery. To use the hoist the arm is swung out of the back of the carrier vehicle -which is usually an estate-style car, or a hatchback. The arm is lowered down, and the disability vehicle is attached to the end of the crane arm. This is usually done using slings connected to a spreader bar. The slings are attached around the disability vehicle, and are fixed to the spreader bar. This bar is in turn usually permanently attached to the end of the crane arm. The attachment of the spreader bar to the crane arm is usually permanent, as it is highly undesirable for the disability vehicle to fall off the hoist. The weight of the disability vehicle could cause substantial damage to the carrier vehicle and or persons involved.

Constraints of economics obviously affect the size of carrier vehicle that is used in such circumstances to carry the disability vehicle. It is necessary of course to have a vehicle that is sufficiently big enough to house the disability vehicle, but because of the increased costs it is rare to use oversized vehicles. The space available for the hoist is therefore usually quite limited, as the carrier vehicle would generally be sized to be just large enough for the disability vehicle and the hoist.

One known problem is hence that since the vehicle chosen is usually just big enough to transport the mobility scooter, the spreader bar attached to the end of the crane arm often partially blocks the driver's view through the rear window. As discussed, making this spreader bar detachable is fraught with problems, as if it becomes inadvertently detached, the mobility scooter can fall and cause great damage.

There are a range of safety mechanisms, including retaining clips, safety clips, spring retaining flaps and suchlike that are intended to allow the spreader bar to be securely attached when the hoist is in used and yet permit the spreader bar to be removed when lifting is completed in order to remove the obstruction to the driver's view. However, the known systems are cumbersome and it is common for people with disabilities to have difficulty using such clips. It may also be that the operator forgets to lock the retaining clip if it needs manual interaction.

Viewed from a first aspect, the invention provides a hoist apparatus for lifting a disability vehicle into a carrier vehicle, the hoist apparatus comprising: a lifting arm for lifting the weight of the disability vehicle, the lifting arm being moveable between a lifted position for moving the disability vehicle into the carrier vehicle and a lowered position for placing the disability vehicle on the ground; and a hook at the end of the lifting arm; wherein the hook is for supporting a spreader bar via a circular eye attached to the spreader bar, and wherein the hook comprises an open curved shape extending around to a free end that can be inserted into the eye, the curve extending toward the free end through a re-entrant section angled back toward the lifting arm, and being arranged such that when the lifting arm is in the lifted position a tangent to the curve of the re-entrant section is at least 10 degrees beyond vertical.

This arrangement hence uses a detachable spreader bar in conjunction with a specially designed hook. Due to the re-entrant shape of the hook, when the lifting arm is supporting the weight of disability vehicle in order to move it between the ground and the carrier vehicle the weight of the disability vehicle will keep the eye fully secured on the hook, even when the lifting arm is angled downward toward the ground. The spreader bar can only be detached from the hook when the weight of the disability vehicle is on the ground or supported within the carrier vehicle since the shape of the hook requires the weight of the disability vehicle to be released before it can be detached. If the hook did not have the novel re-entrant section defined in the first aspect then when the lifting arm was in its lowered position the eye could readily become detached from the hook since the lifting arm would be angled toward the ground compared to the lifted position.

Advantageously, the hook fits into a standard circular eye on the spreader bar and so there is no change required to the design of the spreader bar or the eye. The eye and the spreader bar may be included as a part of the hoist apparatus.

The lifted position is the position in which the disability vehicle is sufficiently high to be conveyed into the carrier vehicle. The lifted position may place an end part of the lifting arm in a horizontal position, in which case the angle of the tangent to the re-entrant curve of the hook is 80 degrees or less from the longitudinal axis of the horizontal end part. In order to allow the disability vehicle to pass easily into the carrier vehicle the lifted position may suspend the disability vehicle some distance above the load bearing floor of the carriervehicle.

The angle of the tangent to the re-entrant curve of the hook allows the lifting arm to be angled safely downwards and it will be appreciated that a larger angle will increase the possible angle of the lifting arm. Hence, the angle of the tangent to the re-entrant curve of the hook may be larger than 10 degrees from the vertical, for example at least 15 degrees, more preferably about 20 degrees or more when the lifting arm is in its lifting position.

The angle of the tangent to the re-entrant curve of the hook may be based on the amount of rotation of the lifting arm and the hook as it moves from the lifted position to the lowered position. Preferably the re-entrant curve of the hook is set so that when the lifting arm is in its lowered position the tangent to the re-entrant curve of the hook extends above horizontal by at least 20 degrees, more preferably 25 degrees and yet more preferably 30 degrees. As an explanatory illustration of this geometry, the requirement for an angle of at least 20 degrees would be satisfied by a re-entrant angle extending by 10 degrees from the vertical in the lifted position of the arm if the lifting arm rotates by 80 degrees or less. By ensuring that the re-entrant curve always extends above horizontal by a sufficient amount when the lifting arm is lowered it is possible to ensure that the weight of the disability vehicle always keeps the eye on the hook well away from the free end of the hook.

In a preferred embodiment the hook comprises a vertical section between the re-entrant section and the free end of the hook. The vertical section is a section of the curve of the hook that is generally vertical when the lifting arm is in the lifted position. When the lifting arm has an longitudinal axis that is horizontal when in the lifted position then the vertical section would be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the lifting arm.

The hoist may further include a pivot mechanism for rotation of the lifting arm to lift the disability vehicle up and down. Preferably the hoist comprises an actuator mechanism, such as a motor and winch, for driving the up and down movement of the lifting arm. The movement of the disability vehicle into and out of the carrier vehicle may involve rotation of the lifting arm about the horizontal when it is in the lifted position. The hoist may hence comprise a pivot mechanism for swinging the lifting arm. The same actuator mechanism or a separate actuator mechanism may drive the horizontal rotation of the lifting arm.

The usual operation sequence for such a hoist is to position the disability vehicle next to the car into which it is being loaded. The straps/slings attached to the spreader bar are then placed around the disability vehicle. The operator has a control panel, which is usually tethered by cable to the hoist apparatus, but in some circumstances may be remote/wireless. The controls of the control panel will lower and raise the lifting arm (which in turn will lower and raise the disability vehicle) and to rotate the lifting arm horizontally around its vertical axis, to move the disability vehicle from a position over the road to a position over the carrier vehicle floor where the disability vehicle is being deposited. The hoist is then usually operated to raise the disability vehicle to the point where it will pass through the aperture into the carrier vehicle (for example the back of the estate car, or hatchback). The hoist of the first aspect may include a control panel and controller arranged to perform the functions described above.

It is known to use a limit' switch that stops the lifting arm at the right time / height so that the disability vehicle will pass through into the carrier vehicle unimpeded. The limit switch causes the motor to be disabled or disengaged once the lifting arm has risen to a preset point. This point can be adjusted to allow the hoist to be adapted for different vehicle heights. Thus keeping the raise' button pressed will not cause the arm to rise any higher. Before this was done, the operator had to judge the height to raise to so that the vehicle would load easily. Mistakes here caused damage to the structure of the carrier vehicle, and / or the disability vehicle and could potentially cause injury. Preferably the hoist of the first aspect includes a limit switch of the type described above.

At this point, with prior art hoists, the lifting arm usually pivots horizontally (i.e. rotating about a vertical axis) to move the disability vehicle inside the carrier vehicle. The operator would judges how far to rotate the hoist arm to before lowering the disability vehicle onto the floor of the carrier vehicle. If this is misjudged then if the arm is rotated too far into the carrier vehicle, this can damage the backs of the seats of the carrier vehicle, and if the arm is not rotated enough it may not be possible to close the back door or hatchback door without fouling the disability vehicle.

Preferably therefore the hoist apparatus of the first aspect includes a limit switch for preventing over-rotation of the lifting arm as it rotates horizontally to move the disability vehicle into the carrier vehicle. This limit switch may be triggered at the point where the disability vehicle can optimally be deposited. Thus the operation of the whole hoist system becomes easier -there is no judging' of the correct position to deposit the disability vehicle. The operator (which is quite often the disabled person) just needs to initiate the horizontal rotation of the lifting arm and this rotation can be automatically stopped by the limit switch. In a typical example the operator would press a traverse' button on a remote control, and when the movement stops it is known that the disability vehicle is in the correct position for lowering lifting arm to place the disability vehicle onto the floor of the carrier vehicle. This is particularly useful at night, those with limited vision, or for those with little co-ordination or judgement skills. The selling of the position of the horizontal limit switch is an installation parameter that can be adjusted, for example by an adjustment in a similar manner to the known height adjustment limit switch.

This concept is considered inventive in its own right and therefore, viewed from a second aspect, the invention provides a hoist apparatus for lifting a disability vehicle into a carrier vehicle, the hoist apparatus comprising: a lifting arm for lifting the weight of the disability vehicle, the lifting arm being vertically moveable between a lifted position for moving the disability vehicle into the carrier vehicle and a lowered position for placing the disability vehicle on the ground and the lifting arm being horizontally moveable when in the lifted position by rotation about a vertical axis; and the hoist apparatus further comprising a limit switch for preventing over-rotation of the lifting arm as it rotates to move the disability vehicle into the carrier vehicle.

The hoist apparatus of the second aspect may include any or all features described above in relation to the first aspect and optional features thereof.

The invention extends to a vehicle including the hoist apparatus of the first or second aspect and optionally including any of the other features discussed above.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a hook for hoist for disability vehicles; Figure 2 shows a spreader bar being attached to the hook; Figure 3 shows the spreader bar suspended from the hook; Figure 4 shows a further embodiment of a hook in a perspective view; and Figure 5 is a side view of the hook of Figure 4.

The preferred embodiment is a hoist apparatus that differs from conventional hoists in relation to the shape of the hook 2 that supports the spreader bar 4 and in relation to the control of the lifting and pivoting of the hoist to move the disability vehicle into the carrier vehicle. The other features of the hoist are hence not described in great detail since they can be similar to those in known system, for example systems as sold by Brig-Ayd Controls limited. The main parts include a lifting arm 6 attached to a pivoting arrangement that allows it to rotate about a horizontal axis to pivot forward and raise/lower the end of the lifting arm 6 and to rotate about a vertical axis to swing the disability vehicle into and out of the carrier vehicle. The movement of the lifting arm 6 can be powered by one or more electric motors, or any other suitable actuator mechanism.

The hook 2 of the preferred embodiment and the shape thereof can be seen in Figures ito 3. The hook 2 is fixed at the end of the lifting arm 6, which in this example is made using a hollow box beam. The Figures show the hook 2 and lifting arm 6 with the lifting arm 6 in its lifted position, which is the position where the disability vehicle has been raised to the height required to then swing it into the carrier vehicle.

As can be best seen in Figure 1 the hook 2 has a curved shape including a re-entrant section 8 and terminating in a free end 10. In this embodiment the hook 2 is shaped like a section of a torus protruding from a rectangular bar that joins to the lifting arm 6. With the lifting arm 6 in its lifted position, as shown, the re-entrant section 8 curves back toward the bar/lifting arm 6 beyond the vertical with a tangent to the curve of the re-entrant section being at a maximum an angle A from the vertical as shown. This angle is about 30 degrees in this example embodiment. As explained above, by virtue of this re-entrant section 8 it is possible to ensure that the weight of the disability vehicle always sits on the hook 2 at a point well away from the free end 10.

The spreader bar 4 is fitted to the hook 2 via a circular eye 12 and in order to put the spreader bar on or take it off it is necessary to lift the spreader bar 4 upwards both when the lifting arm 6 is in the lifted position, which in this case has an end part of the arm horizontal as shown, and also when the lifting arm 6 has been rotated and lowered downward into its lowered position, where the end part of the arm and hence the hook 2 would be angled downwards. This is because the circular eye 12 must be passed over the re-entrant section 8 as shown in Figure 2. The movement of the lifting arm 6 into the lowered position is indicated by the arrow X in Figure 2.

The hoist is operated in the manner discussed above and includes limit switches for both the upward movement of the lifting arm 6 and also for the horizontal rotation as the disability vehicle is swung into the carrier vehicle. The hoist apparatus also hence includes a controller and control panel that allows the operator to actuate the lifting and rotation of the lifting arm. The two limit switches cause the motor (or other actuator) that powers the movement of the lifting arm to be disabled or disengaged once the lifting arm has risen to a preset point and when the lifting arm as rotated into the carrier vehicle by a preset amount.

The triggering point for the limit switches can be adjusted in any suitable fashion, which allows for the hoist to be adjusted to suit different sizes of carrier vehicle and disability vehicle.

Figures 4 and 5 show another embodiment of a hook 2. This hook 2 is broadly similar to the hook of Figures 1 to 3 and includes a re-entrant section 8 terminating in a free end 10 of the hook 2. The hook 2 of Figures 4 and 5 can be used in the hoist apparatus of Figures ito 3 and it is operated in a similar fashion. It is however provided with a vertical section 14 between the re-entrant section 8 and the free end 10. The vertical section 14 is vertical when the lifting arm 6 of the hoist apparatus is in the lifted position, which in the preferred embodiment is when the longitudinal axis of the lifting arm is horizontal. With the addition of the vertical section 14 the eye 12 is engaged and disengaged with the hook 2 via a movement that is perpendicular to the direction of the lifting arm 6. This movement can be easier for the user to judge.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A hoist apparatus for lifting a disability vehicle into a carrier vehicle, the hoist apparatus comprising: a lifting arm for lifting the weight of the disability vehicle, the lifting arm being moveable between a lifted position for moving the disability vehicle into the carrier vehicle and a lowered position for placing the disability vehicle on the ground; and a hook at the end of the lifting arm; wherein the hook is for supporting a spreader bar via a circular eye attached to the spreader bar, and wherein the hook comprises an open curved shape extending around to a free end that can be inserted into the eye, the curve extending toward the free end through a re-entrant section angled back toward the lifting arm, and being arranged such that when the lifting arm is in the lifted position a tangent to the curve of the re-entrant section is at least 10 degrees beyond vertical.
2. A hoist apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lifted position places an end part of the lifting arm in a horizontal position.
3. A hoist apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein when the lifting arm is in the lifted position a tangent to the curve of the re-entrant section is at least 15 degrees beyond vertical.
4. A hoist apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein when the lifting arm is in the lifted position a tangent to the curve of the re-entrant section is at least 20 degrees beyond vertical.
5. A hoist apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the re-entrant curve of the hook is shaped so that when the lifting arm is in its lowered position the tangent to the re-entrant curve of the hook extends above horizontal by at least 20 degrees.
6. A hoist apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the re-entrant curve of the hook is shaped so that when the lifting arm is in its lowered position the tangent to the re-entrant curve of the hook extends above horizontal by at least 20 degrees.
7. A hoist apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the hook comprises a vertical section between the re-entrant section and the free end of the hook, the vertical section being a section of the curve of the hook that is generally vertical when the lifting arm is in the lifted position.
8. A hoist apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the lifting arm is arranged to rotate about a vertical axis in order to move the disability vehicle into the carrier vehicle and the hoist apparatus comprises a limit switch for preventing over-rotation of the lifting arm as it rotates about the vertical axis.
9. A hoist apparatus for lifting a disability vehicle into a carrier vehicle, the hoist apparatus comprising: a lifting arm for lifting the weight of the disability vehicle, the lifting arm being vertically moveable between a lifted position for moving the disability vehicle into the carrier vehicle and a lowered position for placing the disability vehicle on the ground and the lifting arm being horizontally moveable when in the lifted position by rotation about a vertical axis; and the hoist apparatus further comprising a limit switch for preventing over-rotation of the lifting arm as it rotates to move the disability vehicle into the carrier vehicle.
10. A hoist apparatus as claimed in claim 9 comprising features as set out in any of claims ito 7.
11. A vehicle comprising a hoist apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim installed therein for the purpose of lifting a disability vehicle into a load carrying area of the vehicle.
12. A hoist apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.