SECURING SYSTEM FOR WHEELCHAIRS IN VEHICLES AND A METHOD FOR UNLOCKING AND LOCKING A SECURING SYSTEM FOR WHEELCHAIRS IN VEHICLES

Abstract

Securing system for wheelchairs in vehicles, comprising a rigid bottom frame provided with; —a number of fixation means which are connected to the if bottom frame and suitable for fixing a wheelchair relative to the bottom frame, wherein each fixation means comprises a coupling element configured for coupling to a wheelchair, which coupling element is connected with a cable to a retractor, which retractor in unlocked mode exerts a retracting pulling force on the coupling element while the cable can be pulled out, and in locked mode locks the cable so that it cannot be pulled out, wherein the retractors are fixedly connected to the bottom frame and are preferably placed adjacently of each other, and a central securing control for simultaneous operation of the retractors.

Claims

1. Securing system for wheelchairs in vehicles, comprising a rigid bottom frame provided with; a number of fixation means which are connected to the bottom frame and suitable for fixing a wheelchair relative to the bottom frame, wherein each fixation means comprises a coupling element configured for coupling to a wheelchair, which coupling element is connected with a cable to a retractor, which retractor in unlocked mode exerts a retracting pulling force on the coupling element while the cable can be pulled out, and in locked mode locks the cable so that it cannot be pulled out, wherein the retractors are fixedly connected to the bottom frame and are preferably placed adjacently of each other, and a central securing control for simultaneous operation of the retractors.

2. Securing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom frame has a front side and a rear aside, and one or more fixation means are disposed so as to fix a wheelchair from the front side of the bottom frame, and one or more fixation means are disposed so as to fix a wheelchair from the rear side of the bottom frame.

3. Securing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retractors are mechanically controllable by the central securing control.

4. Securing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central securing control is movable between an unlocking position, in which the retractors are in unlocked mode, and a locking position in which the retractors are in locked mode.

5. Securing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central securing control is movable from a locking position to an unlocking position via two different movements.

6. Securing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central securing control is movable from an unlocking position to a locking position via a single movement.

7. Securing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central securing control is held in the securing position by a closing means provided in the securing system, and the closing means is preferably embodied here such that an additional operation is required of a user to move the central securing control from the locking position to the unlocking position.

8. Securing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central securing control is held in the unlocking position by a cam provided in the securing system.

9. Securing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central securing control is movable within a guide contour provided in the bottom frame; wherein the central securing control comprises an actuator which is disposed in guidable manner within the guide contour, while the actuator is connected rotatably to a control plate for simultaneous operation of the retractors.

10. Securing system as claimed in the foregoing claim 9, wherein the actuator of the central securing control is held in the locking position by a closing means provided in the securing system.

11. Securing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the control plate is held in the unlocking position by a cam provided in the securing system.

12. Securing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the central securing control is embodied such that it can be set in the locking position and the unlocking position by a user using his/her foot.

13. Securing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the bottom frame is embodied as two elongate bottom profiles, each extending in the length between front and rear side of the bottom frame, which bottom profiles are connected to the rear side of the bottom frame by a central bottom construction in which the retractors and the central securing control are received.

14. Securing system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the cables of fixation means, which are disposed so as to fix a wheelchair from the front side of the bottom frame, are carried via the bottom profiles through to the front side of the bottom frame.

15. Securing system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the bottom profiles lie in the same horizontal plane and at a small angle to each other, so that together they form a V-shape.

16.-18. (canceled)

19. Securing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more retractors are provided with a motion sensor.

20.-21. (canceled)

22. Method for unlocking and locking a securing system for wheelchairs in vehicles, which securing system comprises: a rigid bottom frame provided with a number of fixation means which are connected to the bottom frame and suitable for fixing a wheelchair relative to the bottom frame, and a central securing control for simultaneous operation of the fixation means, comprising the step of: setting the central securing control in respectively an unlocking position or locking position, wherein the central securing control is movable from a locking position to an unlocking position via two different movements.

23. (canceled)

Description

[0049] The invention will be elucidated hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

[0050] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

[0051] FIG. 1B is a side view in partial cross-section of the invention according to FIG. 1A;

[0052] FIG. 2 is a top view of components of the invention according to FIG. 1A;

[0053] FIG. 3 is a cut-away side view of parts of the component shown in FIG. 2;

[0054] FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C show cross-sections of the central securing control according to a preferred embodiment of the invention in locking position (4A), intermediate position (4B) and unlocking position (4C);

[0055] FIG. 5 shows in cross-section a detail of the central securing control according to a preferred embodiment of the invention in the unlocking position.

[0056] Corresponding components are designated in the different figures with the same reference numerals.

[0057] FIG. 1A shows a securing system 1 according to the invention with a wheelchair 3 shown thereabove. Wheelchair 3 supports on a transparent floor (not shown) on which securing system 1 is mounted. The wheelchair and the securing system are shown with front and rear side in the same direction. A number of seatbelts 5 can be tensioned over the wheelchair in order to strap the person into the wheelchair. Seatbelts 5 are guided from a tensioner 6 including automatic seatbelt 16 and via a guide 8 over the wheelchair to a fixed point on bottom frame 7. Bottom frame 7 is constructed from two bottom profiles 9 which are tubular and which are each provided on the front side with a coupling means 11 in the form of a hook 11 (only shown for the right-hand side) with which the wheelchair can be secured from the front side. A roller-like guide 20 is present on the front side (only shown on the left-hand side) for guiding a cable to which hook 11 is connected. On the rear side bottom profiles 9 are mutually connected with a central bottom construction 10 on which is provided a cover plate 13 which protects underlying components. Provided in the cover plate are hooks (only shown on the left-hand side) which can secure the wheelchair from the rear side. Provided in the cover plate is a central securing control 15 which can be held in locking position by a closing means 17. Securing control 15 is a tiltable body which can be moved with the foot and closing means 17 is a slidable body which can also be moved with the foot.

[0058] FIG. 1B shows a schematic side view in partial cross-section of the invention according to FIG. 1A, which shows that bottom frame 7 is attached to the underside of vehicle floor 25 such that the central bottom construction is freely accessible through an opening in the floor, this part being covered by cover plate 13. Cables 22 are unrolled, wherein hooks 11 are hooked onto wheelchair 3 so that it is fixed to floor 25.

[0059] FIG. 2 shows the rear part of the securing system of FIG. 1, wherein cover plate 13 has been removed from the central bottom construction 7. Cables 22 in the form of belts of material usual for seatbelts are guided through the two bottom profiles 9. The two cables 22 are guided on either side to the corresponding retractors 23. Two retractors are present (not shown) under control plate 24 and are disposed between the two visible retractors 23 such that the four retractors are disposed substantially in one line parallel to each other. Control plate 24 has the function of setting the retractors simultaneously in respectively an unlocked or locked position. Connected to the two middle retractors are the two middle cables 22 to which respectively the middle and rear two hooks 11 are connected. Control plate 24 is moved via the central securing control 15.

[0060] FIG. 3 shows the rear part of FIG. 2 in side view for the purpose of elucidating the arrangement of control plate 24 relative to retractors 23. The outer right-hand retractor 23 has a protruding pin 30 which, when pressed downward, unlocks the retractor so that cable 22 can be pulled out while a retracting pulling force is exerted thereon. In the shown position of pin 3 the retractor is on the other hand locked so that cable 22 cannot be pulled out while a retracting pulling force is exerted thereon. Shown further to the left in the figure is a second pin 30 which forms part of a middle right-hand retractor (not shown, and disposed directly adjacently of the visible retractor) which is also in locked position. Both the shown pins 30 are unlocked substantially simultaneously by a downward movement of control plate 24. The left-hand side of the central bottom construction 7 takes a symmetrical form relative to the centre line of the construction with two likewise disposed left-hand retractors, which are respectively locked or unlocked mechanically by the same control plate 24. It is thus possible to unlock or lock the four retractors simultaneously.

[0061] FIG. 4A shows the central securing control 15 in locking position. Securing control 15 comprises a folded-down actuator 40 which is connected rotatably via a rotation shaft 42 to an intermediate body 44 which is connected to control plate 24 for the purpose of simultaneous operation of the retractors. The control plate is anchored tiltably in the central bottom construction 7 at a clamping point 46, which allows a slight tilting movement of the control plate. In the shown position of the bottom plate it has not yet been moved downward, so that the pins (not shown) of underlying retractors are still unmoved and are in locked position (corresponding to the arrangement shown in FIG. 3). Actuator 40 is disposed in guidable manner inside a guide contour 48 provided in bottom frame 7. The position of slide 17 is further such that extension 43 protrudes into recess 41 of actuator 40. The slide is held in this position by a spring (not shown).

[0062] FIG. 4B shows the central securing control 15 in an intermediate position, before an unlocking position is reached and wherein the retractors are still in locked position. The intermediate position consists of actuator 40 being brought into tilting position in that [0063] i) slide 17 is moved forward over a distance a so that extension 43 of slide 17 is moved out of recess 41, whereby the actuator can tilt freely over rotation shaft 42 [0064] ii) the actuator is tilted forward with the foot and/or by a torsion spring arranged at the rotation shaft.

[0065] The control plate is still in the same position relative to bottom construction 7 as in FIG. 4A.

[0066] FIG. 4C shows the central securing control 15 in unlocking position. This is reached by simply pressing actuator 40 downward along guide profile 48 so that intermediate body 44 and control plate 24 move downward. The control plate tilts to some extent here because of the anchoring at the position of clamping point 46. The control plate moves along an obliquely placed cam 50 in the form of a protruding finger, behind which control plate 24 hooks in the final position of the unlocking position as shown in the figure. In the shown embodiment the cam takes a bendable form in order to make it possible to release the unlocking position.

[0067] From the unlocking position the securing control can then be brought into the locking position in simple manner by tilting actuator 40 rearward with the foot, wherein in this single movement:

i) the control plate moves along cam 50 through bending of the cam,
ii) actuator 40 is brought into horizontal locking position of FIG. 4A, and
iii) the spring-loaded slide 17 automatically closes the locking position of the actuator.

[0068] FIG. 5 shows a detail of a variant of the central securing control as shown in FIG. 4A-4C. The variant consists of the outer surface of actuator 40 being provided with a recess 50 close to rotation shaft 42. In the unlocking position, when the actuator is tilted into vertical position (such as for instance in FIG. 4C), this recess achieves that a wall part 52 of the recess hooks behind outer end 54 of guide profile 48. FIG. 5 thus shows an alternative embodiment of a cam 50 as shown in FIG. 4C.