Wheelchair docking system

A docking system for securing a wheelchair into a vehicle in which a docking shoe is firmly attached to either the frame of the wheelchair or to the floor of the vehicle, or both. A firm anchor device, which may be a second docking shoe, is firmly attached to the other of the floor and wheelchair. A docking arm is mounted vertically in the anchor device and the wheelchair is positioned in the vehicle so that the docking shoe and the anchor device are vertically aligned one above the other so that the docking arm can be slidably and releasably locked into the docking shoe. Preferably, the docking shoe includes an electrically operated, spring loaded, release mechanism.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a system for securing wheelchairs and the like into a transport vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The welfare and safety of persons being transported in wheelchairs, three wheeled scooters, power bases and the like is of ever increasing concern and many jurisdictions have enacted stringent safety requirements for devices to secure the wheelchair into the transport vehicle and the occupant into the wheelchair. Numerous structures, most of which are reasonably effective, have been suggested in the prior art, but they frequently require the attachment of a plurality of straps or the like to one or more anchor points in the vehicle. After attachment the straps have to be tightened either by the wheelchair occupant or by an attendant. Frequently, the wheelchair occupant has neither the physical strength nor the manual dexterity to manipulate the necessary straps and the like. This means that the attendant, or vehicle driver must spend several minutes securing each wheelchair in his/her charge into the vehicle. There have been some attempts to provide self attachment devices in the past and attention is directed to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,690,364 and 6,474,916 in which a locking mechanism is secured either beneath or to the rear of a wheelchair and releasably locked to a post similarly mounted, either under or behind the wheelchair, on the floor of the vehicle. While reasonably effective in certain circumstances, problems of automatic unlocking and twisting or rotation of the wheelchair about the vertical post still remain. Thus there is a need for an automatic wheelchair tie-down system that can, if desired, be operated automatically by the attendant from a central location, or that can be operated manually by either the wheelchair occupant or by the attendant.

OBJECT OF INVENTION

Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide a docking system for a wheelchair or the like in a vehicular conveyance that can be operated manually, or automatically from a central location, and in which a vertically oriented docking arm is either securely mounted beneath the seat of the wheelchair so that the free end can engage securely with a floor mounted docking shoe, or in which the vertical docking arm is either permanently or releasably mounted on the floor of the vehicle and is engagable with a docking shoe mounted securely on the wheelchair adjacent the underside of the seat thereof. Preferably, but not essentially, the docking shoe, whether it is on the floor or mounted beneath the wheelchair seat, or both, is provided with a power operated latch mechanism so as to secure and release the vertical docking arm. Conveniently, but not essentially, the vertical docking arm may include a power transmission cable to transmit power to a docking shoe secured beneath the seat of the wheelchair via complementary sliding contacts on the docking arm and the docking shoe.

BRIEF STATEMENT OF INVENTION

By one aspect of this invention there is provided a wheelchair docking system for releasably securing a wheelchair to the floor of a vehicular conveyance, comprising:support frame means adapted for rigid attachment to said wheelchair; docking shoe means, adapted for rigid attachment to either one of said support frame and said floor;anchor means, adapted for rigid attachment to the other of said support frame and said floor; andarm means adapted, when in operative position, for rigid mounting in a vertical plane on said anchor means and adapted for sliding and locking engagement in said docking shoe means.By another aspect of this invention there is provided A method for securing a wheelchair to the floor of a vehicular conveyance, comprising:rigidly attaching a support frame means to said wheelchair;rigidly attaching a docking shoe means, to either one of said support frame and said floor;rigidly attaching anchor means to the other of said support frame and said floor;rigidly mounting arm means on said anchor means so that, when in operative position, said arm means lies in a substantially vertical plane; and moving said wheelchair on said floor so as to vertically align said docking shoe and said anchor means one above the other and so that said docking arm moves into sliding and locking engagement in said docking shoe means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

InFIG. 1there is shown a wheelchair1having a quadrilateral frame2securely mounted to the side frame members3,4of the wheelchair1. Frame2supports a central post mount5(as seen more clearly inFIG. 2). A docking arm6(seen most clearly inFIG. 3) is securely mounted in post mount5in any conventional manner such as screwing or clamping. Arm6is provided with a hammer headed like foot having a sloping leading edge7and a squared trailing face8and is of sufficient length to provide normal ground clearance but to engage a floor docking shoe9which is securely bolted, at any selected position on the floor of a vehicular conveyance (not shown), by means of bolts16. Shoe9is provided with a flared and sloped entry10at one end thereof for sliding engagement with the leading edge7of arm6when the wheelchair is positioned thereabove. Edge7then rides over a spring loaded wedge shaped member11thereby compressing spring12(FIG. 5) and allowing the arm to fully enter the shoe9until the front13thereof abuts the face of the docking shoe9, as seen inFIG. 6, whereupon the arm6clears wedge member11and allows spring12to extend and drive wedge11upwardly so that the vertical face14thereof abuts the rear face8of arm6, thereby locking the arm and shoe together and securely fastening the wheelchair in the vehicle without any possibility of the wheelchair swivelling or twisting about the central axis thereof and without any need to tighten or adjust restraining straps and the like by either the wheelchair occupant or the attendant.

In order to release the wheelchair from the locked position it is merely necessary to raise the free end of the lever15, pivotally mounted about a fulcrum16and engaging with wedge11, from the locked position shown inFIG. 6to the unlocked position shown inFIG. 5. This may be accomplished manually if necessary but it will be appreciated that this is impossible for a wheelchair occupant and somewhat awkward and inconvenient for the attendant. It is preferred, therefore, that the release be effected by the attendant from a central location such as the driver's seat. To facilitate release, a conventional solenoid switch17is mounted beneath end of lever15with the end of plunger18thereof in contact with lever15. Upon activation of solenoid17, plunger18extends from the retracted position shown inFIG. 6to the extended position shown inFIG. 5, thereby forcing wedge11down to the unlocked position shown inFIG. 5and releasing arm6. Power for solenoid17may be provided in any conventional manner such as wires from the control position and the vehicle battery, or from an internal power source which may be actuated by any conventional remote control system40such as a radio signal.

It will be appreciated that the floor docking shoe9may equally well be mounted on the quadrilateral frame2on wheelchair1and the post mount5and arm6may be mounted on the floor of the vehicle. This arrangement has the advantage that the arm6is in the vehicle at a fixed position and this facilitates accurate location of a plurality of wheelchairs in the vehicle. It also allows for somewhat greater ground clearance for the wheelchair when it is not in the vehicle. Power to actuate solenoid17, now located on wheelchair1, may be provided from the wheelchair power supply if so equipped, an internal power supply or by leads passing internally through arm6and contact shoes (not shown) on docking shoe9.

In a third embodiment, docking shoes9may be provided on both the floor of the vehicle and on the quadrilateral frame on the wheelchair so as to provide for maximum ground clearance for the wheelchair and an uncluttered floor in the vehicle. In this embodiment it is, of course, necessary to modify the arm6to provide a sloped leading edge7and a squared trailing face8at each end thereof, as seen inFIG. 7, so that the arm6can be detached from both the wheelchair and the floor.

It will be appreciated that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, numerous variations of the docking shoe are possible and one such variation is illustrated inFIGS. 8 and 9, which show a docking shoe19, having a flared and sloped entry ramp20, similar to entry10, which may be secured to the floor of the vehicle or to the wheelchair as described above. A circular pin21, having a circular flange22, is mounted vertically on shoe19and is provided with an axial, spring loaded, locking pin23, which may be electrically actuated from a central location by the driver or by the wheelchair occupant, by a solenoid switch24. Vertical locator pins25,26may also be mounted on shoe19and positioned so as to permit limited rotation of arm6or to prevent any rotation of arm6, as described in more detail below. In order to cooperate with the modified shoe19, the end of arm6must similarly be modified to provide a part-circular button27having a top28secured to arm6and a lower flange29, the top surface of which is adapted to slidably engage the lower surface of flange22(as seen inFIG. 10). When fully engaged, spring loaded pin23extends through the axial bore31so as to releasably lock button27and arm6to the docking shoe19. It will be appreciated that the position of pins25,26is a matter of choice so as to either permit limited rotation of arm6and hence of the wheelchair, or to preclude angular rotation when pins25,26abut flat face30of button27. In order to release the wheelchair, the pin23is retracted by actuation of solenoid switch24, either by the wheelchair occupant or by the attendant. In order to facilitate smooth mating of button27with flange22, the edge30of button27and the circumferential rim of flange22are preferably bevelled.

It will, of course, also be appreciated that the docking shoe19may equally well be mounted on the wheelchair and the arm6mounted on the floor, as previously described with reference to the previous embodiment. Or, docking shoe19may be provided on both the floor and the wheelchair and a double-ended arm6having a button27at each end thereof, similar toFIG. 7may be provided.