A lift system comprises a rail and a carriage assembly comprising a seat or platform for supporting a person to be conveyed along the rail, drive means arranged to engage the rail and controllable to drive the carriage assembly along the rail, energy storage means arranged to power the drive means, input means operable by a user to provide an input signal indicative of a desired movement of the carriage assembly along the rail, and control means arranged to receive the input signal and control the drive means in response to the input signal. The system includes charging means arranged to charge the energy storage means when the carriage assembly is at a first charging position on the rail. The control means is arranged to monitor at least one voltage characteristic of the energy storage means and/or at least one operational characteristic of the stair lift, and generate an alert signal in response to one or more of those characteristics, or a difference between one or more of those characteristics, fulfilling a defined criterion, criteria, condition, or conditions.

A knockdown, portable lift is relatively compact and lightweight for transport and use where there is no existing means for lifting a load between a lower surface and an upper surface or where the existing means cannot be used. Components of the lift are stored in a base portion of the lift and are assembled on site for forming a lift frame extending between the upper and lower surfaces. A platform and drive assembly are supported on the lift frame and are driven together up and down tracks on each side of the lift frame using a rotary drive, such as a hand crank or electric motor, to power the drive assembly. The drive assembly is operable by a person on or off the platform from either the upper or lower surface or traversing stairs over which the platform is moving. The drive assembly incorporates a unique overspeed braking system and a unique clutch arrangement.

A knockdown, portable lift is relatively compact and lightweight for transport and use where there is no existing means for lifting a load between a lower surface and an upper surface or where the existing means cannot be used. Components of the lift are stored in a base portion of the lift and are assembled on site for forming a lift frame extending between the upper and lower surfaces. A platform and drive assembly are supported on the lift frame and are driven together up and down tracks on each side of the lift frame using a rotary drive, such as a hand crank or electric motor, to power the drive assembly. The drive assembly is operable by a person on or off the platform from either the upper or lower surface or traversing stairs over which the platform is moving. The drive assembly incorporates a unique overspeed braking system and a unique clutch arrangement.

A rack for a stairway guide suitable for providing good grip in curves comprises a bendable strip body, said bendable strip body comprising a first main side and a second main side, the first main side being provided with a series of equidistant engagement elements, each element being chosen from i) a hole, and ii) a protrusion. Both longitudinal sides are provided with a series of indentations. Being bendable, a stairway guide can be manufactured easily by bending the rack in the desired shape defined by the stairway guide.

A friction drive stairlift has a pair of drive wheels in frictional engagement with an upper surface of a stairlift rail. The drive wheels are mounted to rotate in a vertical plane passing through the centreline of the stairlift rail. The rail is preferably formed from two substantially parallel tubes and the carriage is maintained perpendicular to that part of the rail with which it is in contact at any particular time.

The present disclosure for raising an alert in connection with the use of a platform lift, in particular a stairlift, the lift having a rail, a drive unit having a platform, a chair (8), for driving along the rail, at least one control unit arranged at the drive unit.

The method including determining the way of usage of the platform lift, comparing the way of usage with an alert definition, determining whether the way of usage confirms with the alert definition, generating an alert, if the way of usage conforms to the alert definition and providing the alert to a user.

The present disclosure for raising an alert in connection with the use of a platform lift, in particular a stairlift, the lift having a rail, a drive unit having a platform, a chair (8), for driving along the rail, at least one control unit arranged at the drive unit.

The method including determining the way of usage of the platform lift, comparing the way of usage with an alert definition, determining whether the way of usage confirms with the alert definition, generating an alert, if the way of usage conforms to the alert definition and providing the alert to a user.

A stairlift has a communication interface configured to allow communication between a user and a remote site via a variety of communication technologies whilst preventing use of the stairlift if a user is not accompanied by a means of communicating.

A stairlift has a communication interface configured to allow communication between a user and a remote site via a variety of communication technologies whilst preventing use of the stairlift if a user is not accompanied by a means of communicating.

A knockdown, portable lift is relatively compact and lightweight for transport and use where there is no existing means for lifting a load between a lower surface and an upper surface or where the existing means cannot be used. Components of the lift are stored in a base portion of the lift and are assembled on site for forming a lift frame extending between the upper and lower surfaces. A platform and drive assembly are supported on the lift frame and are driven together up and down tracks on each side of the lift frame using a rotary drive, such as a hand crank or electric motor, to power the drive assembly. The drive assembly is operable by a person on or off the platform from either the upper or lower surface or traversing stairs over which the platform is moving. The drive assembly incorporates a unique overspeed braking system and a unique clutch arrangement.