Wheel chair abstract
A vehicle of the "Volkswagen" minibus type with sliding
side doors and rear engine drive has a tray-like subframe affixed
centrally in a cut out portion of the main frame. The subframe has
a front wall, a rear wall, one side wall and a planar bottom at
a level well below the conventional floor level. A normally upstanding
wheel chair ramp is pivoted to the bottom, on a fixed axis at the
level thereof, in an opening in the opposite side wall of the rectangular
subframe. The track for the side door has a section along the ramp.
The lowered floor level brings the eyes of the patient down to window
level.
Wheel chair claims
I claim:
1. In a vehicle of the "Volkswagen minibus" type having
at least one side door slideable in a lower track, and conventional
height seats, windows and floor the combination of:
wheel chair support means on said vehicle, said means comprising:
lowered floor means, located between the conventional driver's
seat and the conventional passenger seats within said vehicle, said
lowered floor means including a side wall, an opposite side wall
with a ramp opening and a planar bottom, said bottom extending from
side to side of said vehicle at a predetermined level below the
level of said conventional floor and
wheel chair ramp means, including a normally upstanding wheel chair
ramp mounted on a fixed pivot located substantially at the lowered
level of said planar bottom in the ramp opening in said side wall,
for pivoting downwardly when the adjacent side door is slideably
opened to an inclined position to support a wheel chair,
said wheel chair being supported at the level of said lowered bottom
when wheeled up said ramp onto said bottom in order that the eyes
of the occupant thereof will be at the level of the windows of said
vehicle.
2. A vehicle as specified in claim 1 where said lowered floor means
includes a substantially vertical forward, rearward and one side
wall connected to said conventional floor, but the other side wall
includes a pair of spaced substantially vertical sections defining
said ramp opening with the lower portion of said ramp occupying
said ramp opening.
3. A vehicle as specified in claim 2 wherein:
the said spaced upstanding sections are double walled with a double
walled connecting web extending across the lower portion of the
space therebetween to which said ramp is pivoted.
4. A vehicle as specified in claim 1 wherein:
said ramp is bifurcated with a pair of opposite ramp legs, each
adapted to support a wheel of a wheel chair, and an integral connecting
portion proximate the pivoted end thereof and includes latch means
on said lowered floor means, cooperable with said connecting portion
for holding said ramp in normally upstanding position.
5. A vehicle as specified in claim 1 wherein:
said lowerd floor means is of shallow rectangular tray-like configuration
with three vertical walls and a fourth vertical wall cut away to
accomodate said ramp
and includes a plurality of longitudinally and laterally extending
cross braces, below the level of said bottom, for forming a subframe
with said walls, integrally affixed to the main frame of said vehicle.
6. A vehicle as specified in claim 1 wherein:
said lowered floor means is free of brackets, seats or other obstructions
above the level of said planar bottom and includes a rectangular,
shallow, tray-like subframe including lateral and longitudinal cross
members, below the level of said planar bottom said subframe being
welded to the main frame of said vehicle to replace portions removed
therefrom to receive said floor means.
7. A vehicle as specified in claim 1 plus
gear shift control rod means extending under said bottom, including
a rod section extending longitudinally of said planar bottom and
a pair of universal jointed rod sections, each at an opposite end
of said rod section for enabling control of the gear box of said
vehicle from the driver's area thereof.
8. A vehicle as specified in claim 6 plus:
gear shift control rod means including a rod section extending
longitudinally under said bottom, and through apertures in said
subframe, and a pair of universal jointed rod sections connecting
said rod section with said connecting gear shift control rod.
9. A vehicle as specified in claim 1 wherein:
said lowered floor means and said ramp means support said lower
track, said lower track having a section thereof fixed to the outside
of said ramp to pivot downwardly therewith, said section guiding
said side door when said ramp is up and said door is being closed.
10. A vehicle as specified in claim 1 plus
safety means in the path of movement of the ramp operable to control
the opening and closing of the vehicle door,
whereby said door cannot close if the ramp is down.
11. In a vehicle of the Volkswagen minibus type having engine in
rear, rear wheel drive, sliding side doors with tracks therefor,
conventional height seats and floor and controls extending under
said floor to said engine and rear wheels the combination of:
wheel chair support means, said means comprising:
a lowered floor means, located between the driver's seat and the
passenger seats of said vehicle, said means having a planar bottom,
below the level of said conventional floor and extending from side
to side of said vehicle,
gear shift control rod means, extending under said bottom, including
a pair of universal joint sections and a horizontal section therebetween;
and ramp means, including a wheel chair ramp mounted on a fixed
pivot substantially at the level of said bottom and normally extending
upwardly therefrom, said ramp having a section of one of said sliding
door tracks thereon,
whereby said sliding door may be closed along said track section
when said ramp is in normal upward position and said ramp may be
lowered for supporting a wheel chair when said sliding door is in
open position.
Wheel chair description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It has heretofore been proposed to provide vehicles with ramp means
so that a wheel chair, boat, tractor or the like may be wheeled
up the ramp onto the floor of the vehicle. Typical of such vehicles
is that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,193,321 to Rose of July 6, 1965,
where the ramp is simply the down swinging rear door of a horse
trailer or the like. A similar down swinging rear door to a trailer
is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,711,882 to Iller of Jan. 23, 1973.
However, these are special purpose vehicles and not passenger carrying
vehicles of the automobile-bus type.
For such passenger carrying automobiles it has been proposed to
provide a ramp for a side door wherein the ramp slides out from
under the floor and rests on the door sill as in U.S. Pat. Nos.
1,717,303 and 1,884,513 to Barclay of June 11, 1929 and Oct. 25,
1932 respectively, the vehicles shown having the high rooves of
the day and there being no problem of the patient seated in the
wheel chair having his head strike the roof or being unable to see
out the windows. A side door foldable ramp is disclosed in U.S.
Pat. No. 3,651,965 to Simonelli of Mar. 28, 1972, which appears
to be an elevator but the floor of the vehicle is at conventional
height and the ramp is not fixed pivoted to the side edge of the
floor.
In addition to the above, there are patents on vehicles having
sliding side doors and lowered floor portions such as U.S. Pat.
No. 1,777,966 to Fageol of Oct. 7, 1930, U.S. Pat. No. 2,233,181
to Quartullo of Feb. 25, 1941 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,480,047 to Reinhard
of Aug. 23, 1949. However, these patents do not disclose a lowered
floor portion between a driver's seat and passenger seats, the driver
usually standing on the lowered floor while driving and there are
no ramps associated with such vehicles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is intended to permit a wheel chair occupant to
be driven about in a Volkswagen minibus having sliding side doors,
or in a similar vehicle of other manufacture, the wheel chair occupant
being able to see out the windows while seated. The windows, driver's
seat, passenger seats of the vehicle remain unaffected but the invention
contemplates the removal of the central portion of the vehicle frame
and the welding insertion therein of a rectangular tray-like subframe.
The bottom of the subframe is planar from side to side of the vehicle
at a level well below the level of the conventional floor so that
a wheel chair occupant will be at the correct height to see the
scenery through the vehicle windows.
An integral, one-piece, inverted U-shaped ramp is mounted on a
fixed pivot, at the level of the side edge of the bottom, the ramp
being normally upstanding but pivotable downwardly so that the free
terminal tip is on the ground.
The gear shift control rod is sectionalized with universal joints
to extend under the lowered bottom and permit changing of gears.
A section of the track for the sliding door is fixed to the outside
of the ramp to pivot downwardly therewith but to guide the closing
door when the ramp is up. Limit switches and latches prevent the
door from closing when the ramp is down and prevent the ramp from
lowering inadvertently.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the side door, minibus having
the lowered floor and pivoted ramp of the invention, the ramp being
shown in dotted lines.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the minibus of FIG.
1 with the door slid open, the lowered floor and the pivoted ramp
in upstanding position.
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary detail perspective view showing the ramp
pivoted downwardly in inclined position.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the ramp up and
latched and showing the door track sectionalized.
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary detail view with parts broken away, showing
the tray-like rectangular subframe of the lowered floor means affixed
to the main frame of the vehicle.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As shown in the drawings, a typical "Volkswagen" minibus
30 includes a rear engine 31, rear driven wheels 32, a side door
33 slideable in a lower track 34. longitudinally 34, frame pieces
35 and 36 and a roof 37. The driver's seat 38, passenger seats 39,
windows 41 and floor 42 are at conventional levels which allow a
person sitting in the seats with feet on the floor to be able to
see out of the windows. There is no drive shaft mound in the floor
42 but an elongated gear shift control rod 43 runs from the driver's
compartment 44 horizontally under floor 42 to the gear box of the
engine 31.
Wheel chair support means 45 is provided consisting of lowered
floor means 46 and wheel chair ramp means 47.
Lowered floor means 46 is located centrally of the vehicle 30,
between the conventional driver's seat 38, and driver's compartment
44, and the conventional passenger seats 39. It includes a horizontal
planar bottom or subfloor, 48 extending from side 49 to side 51
of the vehicle at a predetermined level well below the level of
conventional floor 42.
Preferably lowered floor means 46 is of shallow rectangular tray-like
configuration with four vertical side walls consisting of forward
wall 52 rearward wall 53, side wall 54 and side wall 55 (FIG. 5).
Side wall 55 has an opening 56, forming a space between sections
57 and 58, the opening 56 receiving the inner portion of ramp means
47.
The lowered floor means 46 also includes a subframe 61 comprising
a plurality of laterally and longitudinally extending cross braces
such as 59 and 60, at a level below the level of bottom 48 which
is supported thereon. Means 46 is welded, or otherwise affixed to
the main frame pieces 35 and 36 to retain the integrity of the frame
while permitting the bottom 48 to be at the lower level.
The ramp means 47 comprises a unitary one-piece bifurcated ramp
62, of inverted U-shaped configuration having a pair of legs 63
and 64 with free terminal ends 65 and 66 and a connecting bight
67. The bifurcated ramp 62 is mounted on a fixed pivot 68 to the
web 69 along the opening 56 substantially at the level of bottom
48. Ramp 62 is normally in upstanding position, held by latch means
71 and preferably includes a track section 72 on the outside thereof
which pivots downwardly with the ramp, but connects with track sections
73 and 74 to permit the side door 33 to slide to closed position
covering the ramp.
Preferably a safety element 76 is provided in the path of closing
of door 33, for holding the door in retracted, open position when
ramp 62 is down. The raising of the ramp to normally upstanding
position actuates a member 75 in the path of the ramp to remove
the element 76 from the path of the door, to permit it to close
against spring pressure, to pivot latch 76 out of the path of the
door.
Preferably also the sections 57 and 58 of wall 55 are double walled
as at 77 and 78 to lend additional strength in view of the opening
56 in the wall.
Gear shift control rod means 81 is also provided including a horizontal
rod section 82 extending below the bottom 48 and preferably through
apertures 83 in the subframe 61. There are a pair of universal jointed
rod sections 84 and 85, one at each end of section 82 for connecting
the driver's compartment to the gear box of engine 31.
It will be understood that this invention may be applied to a Volkswagen
minibus, even if the vehicle is later manufactured with the engine
in front and either a front wheel or a rear wheel drive. If such
a vehicle then includes a longitudinal drive shaft, the drive shaft
may be lowered in the same manner as in the Fageol U.S. Pat. No.
1,177,966, or by the use of a pair of universal joints as in the
control rod herein. Similarly a conventional automotive bus or van,
having side windows may be constructed in accordance with this invention
by providing lowered floor means with a substantially planar bottom
and an upstanding ramp mounted on a pivot at the level of the lowered
bottom to pivot downwardly in a door opening. |