IES20080981A2 - Lifts - Google Patents

Abstract

A lift system for a vehicle, the vehicle comprising side access steps, an intermediate floor area at the top of the side access steps, and a floor step from the intermediate floor to a passenger floor area wherin the floor step of the vehicle is substantially perpendicular to the access steps; the lift system comprising a lift that is arranged to be raised and lowered to provide access to the vehicle, the lift comprising a platform and a bridge plate which has a retracted position and an extended position, the bridge plate being arranged to extend fromthe platform substantially along the whole width of the floor step to bridge a gap between the platform and the floor step when the lift is in a raised position; and the lift system further comprising a bridge plate suppoort arranged to support the bridge plate above the intermediate floor when the bridge plate is in the extended position.

Description

The present invention relates to lifts and in particular to lifts for providing access to vehicles, for example to wheelchair users.

It is known to provide a lift for a vehicle that is stowed, for example, under the floor of the vehicle, and then movable into an extended position from which it can be lowered to the ground and raised to a level approximately level with the floor of the vehicle. This type oj ambulances.

Due to regulation, it is becoming increasingly desirable to prov°nelHTs”type of lift for coaches. However, the problem of access to coaches is different to that of ambulances as the coach door is on the side of the vehicle, and the floor level of coaches is typically quite high.

Accordingly a first aspect of the present invention provides a lift system for a vehicle, the vehicle comprising side access steps, an intermediate floor area at the top of the side access steps, and a floor step from the intermediate floor to a passenger floor area wherein the floor step of the vehicle is substantially perpendicular to the access steps; the lift system comprising a lift that is arranged to be raised and lowered to provide access to the vehicle, the lift comprising a platform and a bridge plate which has a retracted position and an extended position, the bridge plate being arranged to extend from the platform substantially along the whole width of the floor step to bridge a gap between the platform and the floor step when the lift is in a raised position; and the lift system further comprising a bridge plate support arranged to support the bridge plate above the intermediate floor when the bridge plate is in the extended position.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle including a lift system according to the first aspect of the invention. <5 According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a lift arranged for use in a lift system according to the first aspect of the invention.

It will be understood by the skilled person that any optional or preferred features of one aspect or embodiment of the invention can be applied, where suitable, to any other aspect or embodiment of the invention.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying Figures in which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a cross section through the vehicle of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a partial longitudinal section through the vehicle of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a transverse section similar to Figure 2 showing a lift of the vehicle of Figure 1 in a deployed position; Figure 5 is a transverse section similar to Figure 2 showing a lift of the vehicle of Figure 1 in a lowered position; Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view similar to Figure 1 showing the lift in the deployed position; Figure 7 is a section similar to Figure 2 showing the lift in a raised position; Figure 8A~C is a series of schematic perspective views of a lift system according to an embodiment of the invention in various stages of deployment; Figure 9A-C is a series of schematic perspective views similar to Figure 8A-C with a lift system according to another embodiment of the invention; Figure 10A-C is a series of schematic perspective views similar to Figure 8A-C with a lift system according to a further embodiment of the invention; and Figure 11 is a schematic cross section through the lift system according to a yet further embodiment of the invention.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, a coach 10 according to an embodiment of the invention comprises a main passenger seating area 12 having a main seating floor area 14 supporting a number of seats 16. This main seating floor area 14 is 1500mm above ground level. Forwards of this main seating floor area 14 is a passenger floor area 18 separated from the main seating floor area 14 by a step 20, and 225mm lower than the main seating floor area 14. This passenger floor area 18 extends across the full width of the vehicle. Forward of the passenger floor area 18 on one side, the off side, of the vehicle is a driver’s area 22. The floor 24 of the driver’s area 22 is 225mm lower than that of the passenger floor area 18 and extends to the front end 26 of the coach. To the side of the driver’s area 22, on the near side of the vehicle, is an access area 28. One part of this, closest to the driver’s area 22, is taken up by an intermediate floor section 30, and another part, closest to the near side of the coach, is taken up by a flight of access steps 32 leading down from the intermediate floor section 30 to a door 34 in the near side of the coach. In this embodiment the coach is right hand drive, so the left hand side is the near side and the right hand side is the off side. However, it will be appreciated that, in a right hand drive vehicle the right hand side will be the near side, and the left hand side the off side. There is a floor step 44 from the intermediate floor section 30 to a front edge of the passenger floor area 18. The floor step 44 is perpendicular to the access steps 32. The width of the floor step 44 extends transversely across the coach 10. In other embodiments, the floor step 44 may be at any angle relative to the access steps 32, for example at about 45 degrees relative to the access steps 32.

The intermediate floor section 30 includes two bridge plate supports 201a, 201b adjacent one another. In this embodiment each bridge plate support 201a, 201b is a cylindrical post vertically integrated into the intermediate floor section 30. The bridge plate supports 201a, 201b are in a retracted position in the intermediate floor section 30 such that the top of the bridge plate supports 201a, 201b are flush with or below the surface of the intermediate floor section 30. This prevents them from becoming a tripping hazard for passengers accessing the coach 10, when the bridge plate supports 201a, 201b are not in use. Figure 8A-C shows the bridge plate supports 201a, 201b in both retracted and extended positions.

The bridge plate supports 201a, 201b are each engaged to be raised and lowered by an actuator 46. The actuators 46 are pneumatically operated cylinder and piston assemblies. Alternatively the actuators may be hydraulically, electrically, mechanically or manually operated.

Referring to Figures 2 a lift 60 is stowed, when in its stowed condition, in a stowage box 62, which extends transversely across the coach 10 beneath the access steps 32, intermediate floor section 30 and driver area 22. The box 62 is approximately 220mm high, being the same height as each of the access steps 32, with its lower side 64 level with the underside of the coach body 66 and the bottom step 68 of the access steps 32, and its upper side 70 level with a second step 72 of the access steps 32. The front face 74 of the stowage box 62 is open. The lift comprises a carriage 76 which can be slid, by means of an electric motor 77 to a deployed position at the front of the stowage box 62, and a stowed position at the rear of the stowage box 62.

Four lifting arms 78 are pivotably connected at one end to the front of the carriage 76, and a platform 80 supported on the other ends of the lifting arms 78. The lift also includes foldable handrails 82, which can be folded down onto the platform 80, and up into an in-use position, by hydraulic actuators 83.

As seen in Figures 6, 7 and 8, an inner bridge plate 84 can be unfolded from the inner edge of the platform 80, by means of a hydraulic actuator 85 (shown in Figure 4 and 5), to form a bridge over the gap between the platform 80 and the floor step 44 of the passenger floor area 18. The inner bridge plate 84 extends along the whole width of the floor step 44. Alternatively, the length of the bridge pate 84 which extends from the platform 80 is equal or similar to the width of the floor step 44, The bridge plate 84 extends over the whole width of the intermediate floor 30 in a transverse direction relative to the coach. In particular the bridge plate 84 extends over the intermediate floor 30 to the driver’s area 22. In an alternative embodiment the bridge plate 84 extends over the whole area of the intermediate floor 30. When the bridge plate 84 is unfolded from the platform 80, the rear most edge of the bridge plate 84 relative to the coach, abuts against the floor step 44 of the passenger floor area 18. The bridge plate 84 is supported and spaced above the intermediate floor 30 by the bridge plate support means 201a, 201b..

As shown in Figure 5, an outer bridge plate 86 can be unfolded from the outer edge of the platform 80, by means of a hydraulic actuator 87, to form a bridge between the outer edge of the platform 80 and the ground. When this bridge plate 86 is in its vertical stowed position, and the lift 60 is retracted into the stowage box 62, this bridge plate 86 forms the riser between the bottom step 68 and the second step 72 of the access steps 32 (as shown in Figures 1 and 2). A further hydraulic actuator 88 is provided, acting between the lifting arms 78, to raise and lower the platform 80.

Referring to Figure 4, the electric motor 77 is controlled by a system controller 90, which also controls a hydraulic controller 91 which in turn controls the flow of hydraulic fluid, supplied under pressure by a pump 92 from a reservoir 94, via feed and return lines 96 to and from the hydraulic actuators 83, 85, 87, 88 to control raising and lowering of the platform 80, the handrails 82, and the bridge plates 84, 86. The system controller 90 is connected to a user operated control input 98, which is located in the vehicle in the driver’s area 22. The control input 98 is in the form of a handset having four buttons 100, 102, 104, 106, the function of which will be described below. The controller 90 is dedicated to control of the lift and the bridge plate supports 201a, 201b, but is also arranged to receive as an input a signal from another control system on the vehicle, or a separate sensor, indicating whether the door 34 is open or closed. The hydraulic system is also self-contained so that it can be fitted to the vehicle as part of the lift system.

In operation, as indicated above, when the lift is not in use, the lift is stowed in the stowage box 62 and the bridge plate supports 201a, 201b are in a retracted position as shown in Figures 1 and 2. In order to deploy the lift (as shown in Figure 4), one of the buttons 100, which is a lift out/up button is pressed. The controller 90 interprets this as a request to deploy the lift 60 and controls the electric motor 77 to slide the lift 60, from the stowed position of Figure 2, out of the stowage box 62 into the deployed position of Figure 4, and then to raise the handrails 82 and bridge plates 86, 84 into vertical positions as also shown in Figure 4. Simultaneously with this movement of the lift 60, the controller 90 also controls the actuators 46 of the bridge plate supports 201a, 201b to raise the bridge plate supports 201a, 201b to their extended/raised position as shown in Figures 6 and 7. fEO 8 0 S 8 1 Ί The bridge plate supports 201a, 201b are arranged to reach the extended position within about 5 seconds, and the lift 60 is arranged to reach the deployed position within about 8 seconds. When the lift 60 has reached its deployed position, the handrails 82 and inner bridge plate 84 are raised to their vertical positions (as shown in Figure 4) in response to pressing the bridge plate / hand rails deploy button 104. The lift can then be raised or lowered using the lift out / up button 100 or the lift down / in button 102. Assuming that the out / up button 100 is pressed, the lift is then raised to its raised position in which the lift platform 80 is substantially level with the passenger floor area 18, and the inner bridge plate 84 lowered so that its end rests on the bridge plate supports 201a, 201b, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, bridging the gap between the lift platform 80 and the passenger floor area 18. A wheelchair 108 that has been located on the passenger floor area 18 can then be pushed onto the inner bridge plate 84 onto the raised lift platform 80 as shown in Figure 7.

Because the inner bridge plate 84 is about 900mm wide, there is sufficient room on it for a wheelchair to be turned through ninety degrees as it is pushed onto, or off the platform 80.

When the lift 60 is to be lowered from the raised position to the lowered position, the lift down / in button 102 is pressed. This is recognised by the controller 90, as the lift 60 is in the raised position, as a request to lower the lift 60. The controller responds by lifting the inner bridge plate 84 to its vertical position, lowering the lift to its lowered position, and lowering the outer bridge plate 86, so that the lift is in the position shown in Figure 5. This allows the wheelchair 108 to be pushed off the lift onto the ground. If the lift is to be raised again, either to allow another wheelchair to leave the coach or to lift another one into the coach, the lift up/out button is pressed.

This causes the controller to raise the outer bridge plate 86, raise the lift back up to the raised position, and lower the inner bridge plate 84 onto the bridge plate supports 201a, 201b.

If it is desired to stow the lift away, whether it is in the raised or lowered position, the bridge plate I handrails stow button 106 is pressed, which causes the controller to fold down the handrails 82 and the inner bridge plate 84. The lift down I in button is then pressed which, because the handrails and bridge plates 84, 86 are stowed, is recognized as a request to stow the lift. The controller therefore causes the lift to be raised or lowered to be level with the stowage box 62, and the electric motor 77 powered to withdraw the folded lift into the stowage box 62. As the lift is being retracted, the controller also lowers the bridge plate supports 201a, 201b to their retracted/lowered position, thus returning the system to its normal condition for normal passenger entry and exit.

It will be appreciated that the embodiment described above has many benefits. When the lift is stowed and the bridge plate supports 201a, 201b retracted, they do not take up any significant space in the access area 28 or the passenger floor area 18 or the main passenger seating area 12. This is an advantage over other systems that for example, fold against the front windscreen of the coach, or require separate access through the side of the coach not through the main passenger door. Also the movable bridge plate supports 201a, 201b enables normal access by foot to be made up a series of steps, the access steps 32 and the floor step up from the intermediate floor section 30 to the passenger floor section 18, which meet tight requirements of height and tread depth, for example as specified in EU directive 2001/85/EC and the UK Public Services Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000. Specifically all of the steps are around 225mm in height. Furthermore, as can best be seen in Figure 3, the height of the intermediate floor section 30 is low enough to allow sufficient headroom for an adult standing on it. The regulations mentioned above refer to a ‘cylindrical gauge’ that is a representation of the space that a standing adult needs. The arrangement described above allows sufficient room, and in particular headroom, within the access area 28 because the intermediate floor section ΙΕΟ’¢/81 is not raised for use with a lift 60. Also, as shown in Figure 3, the approach angle ‘a’ of the coach is not affected by the lift, as the lift is stowed within the side profile of the coach bodywork as seen in Figure 3.

It will be appreciated that various modifications can be made to the embodiment described above, depending on the particular requirements of any coach. For example, the raising and lowering mechanism for the bridge plate supports 201a, 201b may be different, and may use a pneumatic actuator, or electric motors. These might extend and retract the bridge plate supports 201a, 201b vertically, horizontally or pivotably. Also the shape, size and number of the bridge plate supports 201a, 201b can be varied. For example, the bridge plate support may be selected from any of the group comprising a ledge, a lip, a post, a bar, and a projection, or a combination thereof. Any one of these types of bridge plate supports may be moveable, for example extendable and retractable. The control of the bridge plate supports 201a, 201b and lift can also be varied as required. For example they could each be independently controllable by the driver or other user. The bridge plate supports may be manually operated.

Referring to Figure 9A-C, in another embodiment three bridge plate supports 301a, 301b, 301c are positioned in side walls 206a, 206b, surrounding the intermediate floor section 30. One of the sidewalls 206b is part of the floor step 44. The bridge plate supports 301a, 301b, 301c of this embodiment extend and retract horizontally into the side wall 206a, 206b.

In the extended position, the bridge plate supports 301a, 301b, 301c can support the bridge plate 84 above the intermediate floor section 30, as shown in Figure 9A and B.

Referring to Figure 10A-C, in a further embodiment, the bridge plate support 401 is in the form of a stand comprising a horizontal bar supported by two vertical bars extending from the intermediate floor section 30. The bridge plate support 401 retracts, such that it is flush with the surface of the ΙΕΟ 8 Ο 9 81 intermediate floor section 30, by pivoting/folding into an appropriately shaped recess (not shown) in the intermediate floor section 30.

Referring to Figure 11, in a yet further embodiment, the bridge plate support 501 may be a stand or bar which is pivotably attached to the bridge plate 84.

Various interlocks can also be added to the system. For example the controller can then be arranged to control the system so that the lift can only be deployed, or possibly only be raised, when the bridge plate supports 201a, 201b are in the extended position. The controller can also be arranged to control the bridge plate supports 201a, 201b so that they are always retracted when the lift is stowed. Interlocks can also be provided with the operation of the door 34, which will generally be opened and closed by an actuator. In particular the controller can prevent deployment of the lift unless the door is fully open, as detected by a door sensor.

Claims (5)

1. A lift system for a vehicle, the vehicle comprising side access steps, an 5 intermediate floor area at the top of the side access steps, and a floor step from the intermediate floor to a passenger floor area wherein the floor step of the vehicle is substantially perpendicular to the access steps; the lift system comprising a lift that is arranged to be raised and lowered to provide access to the vehicle, the lift comprising a platform and 10 a bridge plate which has a retracted position and an extended position, the bridge plate being arranged to extend from the platform substantially along the whole width of the floor step to bridge a gap between the platform and the floor step when the lift is in a raised position; and the lift system further comprising a bridge plate support arranged 15 to support the bridge plate above the intermediate floor when the bridge plate is in the extended position.

2. The lift system of claim 1, wherein the bridge plate support is arranged to be moveable from a retracted position to an extended position.

3. The lift system of claim 2, further comprising control means arranged to control movement of the bridge plate support between the extended position and retracted position. 25

4. The lift system of claim 2, wherein an actuator is arranged to control movement of the bridge plate support between the extended position and retracted position. 30 5. The lift system of any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the bridge plate support is moveable pivotably from the retracted position to the extended position. 6. The lift system of any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the bridge plate support is moveable vertically from the retracted position to the extended position. 7. The lift system of any preceding claim, wherein the bridge plate support 5 is arranged to project from the intermediate floor of the vehicle. 8. The lift system of any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the bridge plate support is moveable horizontally from the retracted position to the extended position. 9. The lift system of any of claims 1 to 5 or claim 8, wherein the bridge plate support is arranged to project from the floor step of the vehicle. 10. The lift system of any preceding claim, wherein when the lift is in the 15 raised position, the platform, the bridge plate of the lift and the passenger floor of the vehicle are substantially aligned on the same plane. 11. The lift system of any preceding claim, wherein when the lift is in the raised position, there are no substantial steps between the lift platform and 20 the passenger floor of the vehicle. 12. The lift system according to any preceding claim, wherein the platform is arranged to be stowed under the access steps of the vehicle. 25 13. The lift system according to claim 3, wherein the control means is arranged to coordinate movement of the bridge plate support with operation of the lift. 14. A vehicle including a lift system according to any preceding claim. 15. A lift arranged for use in a lift system according to any of claims 1 to 13. 16. A lift system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.

5. 17. A vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.