IMPROVEMENTS IN PASSENGER CARRYING VEHICLES

Abstract: A passenger carrying vehicle for accommodating an invalid wheelchair and its occupant has a rear door (37) and incorporates a pair of spaced longitudinal chassis members (1), and a local floor region positioned below the chassis members and extending rearwardly substantially from the backs of the seats in front of the rear most seats to define a support for the wheelchair and its occupant. The local floor region comprises a floor panel (21) supported by at least one cross-member (2, 10) which acts as a brace between the chassis members (1), and a suspension cross-member (9) co-operates with existing mounting points on the chassis members (1) and with a third mounting point on and is adapted to carry suspension means (5) and brake means (8) for the vehicle.

Description: IMPROVEMENTS IN PASSENGER CARRYING VEHICLES This invention relates to vehicles of the kind adapted to accommodate an invalid wheelchair and its occupant. It is known to adapt passenger carrying vehicles for, example vans, estate cars, station wagons and the like having rear doors, to accommodate a wheelchair and its occupant by providing a ramp at the rear of the vehicle to facilitate movement of a wheelchair into and out of the vehicle when the rear door is open. In my EP-A-0 390 431 I disclosed a passenger carrying vehicle for accommodating an invalid wheelchair and its occupant in which the vehicle has a rear door and incorporates a pair of spaced longitudinal chassis members, a local floor region positioned below the chassis members and extending rearwardly substantially from the backs of the seats in front of the rear most seats to define a support for the wheelchair and its occupant, and a transverse beam positioned below the local floor region and interconnecting the chassis members to brace the chassis members and support the floor region. In the vehicle of EP-A-0 390 431 the transverse beam also defines a mounting for parts of the suspension assemblies of the vehicle. According to one aspect of this invention, in a passenger carrying vehicle for accommodating an invalid wheelchair and its occupant having a rear door and incorporating a pair of spaced longitudinal chassis members, and a local floor region positioned below the chassis members and extending rearwardly substantially from the backs of the seats in front of the rear most seats to define a support for the wheelchair and its occupant, the local floor region comprises a floor panel supported by at least one cross-member which acts as a brace between the chassis members, and a suspension cross-member co-operating with existing mounting points on the chassis members and with a third mounting point on said one cross-member is adapted to carry suspension means and brake means for the vehicle. Preferably the floor panel is supported by front and rear cross-members between which the suspension cross-member is disposed. In such a construction the third mounting point may be located on the rear cross-member. Each front and rear cross-member may be of generally U-shaped outline having a transverse centre section which traverses the panel, and a pair of upwardly directed limbs which straddle the walls of the panel and are secured at their upper ends to the chassis members. When the vehicle normally has a pair of front seats, and two single rows of rear seats, the floor panel extends forwardly from the back of the front seats. According to another aspect of any invention, a passenger motor vehicle of the kind having a rear door is adapted to receive an invalid wheelchair and its occupant by the steps of:- a) removing the rear seats, the fuel tank, the mountings between a pair of spaced longitudinally extending chassis members and the rear suspension assemblies, and a section of the floor between the chassis members from a point substantially coincident with the backs of the seats in front of the rear most seats to the rear of the vehicle; b) replacing the floor with a panel of generally channel-shaped outline which comprises a well between the chassis members and of which the base which lies below the remainder of the floor of the vehicle defines a support for the wheelchair and its occupant; c) taking front and rear beams of generally U-shaped section and securing the free upper ends of the limbs of each beam to the chassis members to act as a brace therebetween and with a centre section interconnecting the limbs traversing the base of the panel; and d) fitting a suspension cross-member to co-operate with existing mounting points on the chassis members and with a third mounting point on one of the beams to carry suspension means and brake means for the vehicle. The vehicle may also be further adapted by replacing the roof of the vehicle with a roof panel which slopes upwardly from the front of the vehicle towards the rear in order to increase the headroom in the region of the rear passenger section. In a further modification in which the vehicle is of the kind having a wrap-round bumper, at least a centre section of the bumper is removed for at least the width of the panel, and the rear door is provided with an extension which depends downwardly and conforms to the configuration of the remainder of the bumper. Plastics mouldings may also be fitted to the vehicle on at least one side of the panel in order to accommodate the re-located spare wheel, speakers, and tools. One embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which :- Figure 1 is a cut-away side elevation of a passenger carrying vehicle adapted to accommodate an invalid wheelchair and its occupant; Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the position of rear cross members, and optional raised roof; and Figure 3 is a view of a modified rear suspension sub frame. The vehicle illustrated in the drawings has been adapted from a standard vehicle of the passenger carrying type such as a van, estate car, or station wagon having separate rear seats to the rear of the driver's and passenger's front seats, and a rear door, conveniently a door hinged at its upper edge for movement about a generally horizontal axis. The vehicle is adapted by removing the rear seats and removing a section of the floor 760mm wide, equal about the centre line for a length extending from the rear of the vehicle, to a position substantially 300mm in front of the rear of the front seats. The fuel tank and the rear suspension sub frame are also removed. This presents a construction in which an open space is exposed between chassis members 1 for a substantial length of the vehicle. At or adjacent to their rear ends the chassis members 1 are braced by a rear cross-member comprising a transverse metal beam 2 generally of U-shaped outline and having a pair of spaced substantially parallel limbs 3 which are integral at their lower ends with a centre section 4. The upper free ends of the limbs 3 are welded to the lower faces of the chassis members 1 so that the beam lies in a plane substantially normal to a plane containing the chassis members with the centre section 4 spaced below the chassis members. The rear suspension sub frame is stripped down. Existing suspension arms 5, anti roll bar 6, rubber mounts 7 and brake parts 8 are fitted to a new suspension cross member 9 (Figure 3) designed to pick up on original left and right mounting chassis points. A third mounting point is moved to a new point on the rear cross member 2. A third cross member 10 is welded in place at the front of the lowered floor section. This cross-member 10 is generally of U-shaped outline comprising a pair of spaced substantially parallel limbs 11 which are integral at their lower ends with a centre section 12. The upper ends of the limbs 11 are welded to the chassis members 1. Side walls 20 are welded to the inner faces of the limbs 3, 11 of the rear and front cross members 2 and 10, and a floor panel 21 is welded to the centre sections 4, 12 of the cross members 2 and 10. A new fuel tank 22 is positioned under a lowered floor defined by the panel 21 and up one side of it. The new suspension sub frame 9 illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings is then bolted in place. A first flap 30 is hingedly connected to the rear of the panel 21 for movement about a transverse axis between an upwardly directed closed position in which it closes the rear end portion of the floor of the vehicle and a downwardly directed lower position to define a ramp. A second flap 31 is fitted behind the flap 30 to give a continuous slope from the ground to the lowered floor. This flap 31 folds over the first flap 30 for storage when the first flap is closed. The roof of the vehicle may be replaced by a roof panel 35, suitably a moulding of plastics material, which slopes upwardly from the front of the vehicle towards the rear. This increases the headroom towards the rear of the passenger compartment. This may be fitted with a glass vision panel. The floor panel 21 defines a support for a wheelchair and its occupant 36 and the chair can be wheeled up the ramp and into the vehicle when a rear door 37 is open. The position of the floor 21 is chosen so that the occupant of a wheelchair will be seated substantially at the same height in the vehicle as other rear passengers who can be seated on opposite sides of the wheelchair, suitably on special seats 38 of a reduced width. In Figure 1 of the drawings, the conventional wrap-round bumper, which normally surrounds the rear of the vehicle and portions of the rear wings, is removed. The rear door 37 of the vehicle for closing a rear aperture comprises a tail gate which is hingedly connected to the vehicle at its upper end by means of a horizontal hinge mechanism. The tail gate is extended at its lower edge for its full width by means of a fabricated metal extension 39. When the tail gate is closed, the extension 39 co¬ operates with rear end of the flap 30. The vehicle is also provided on one side with a modified side panel in the form of plastics moulding 40. This side panel 40 is adapted to provide storage accommodation for a spare wheel 41 , and speakers and tools.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A passenger carrying vehicle for accommodating an invalid wheelchair and its occupant having a rear door (37) and incorporating a pair of spaced longitudinal chassis members (1) , and a local floor region positioned below the chassis members and extending rearwardly substantially from the backs of the seats in front of the rear most seats to define a support for the wheelchair and its occupant, in which the local floor region comprises a floor panel (21) supported by at least one cross-member (2, 10) which acts as a brace between the chassis members, characterised in that a suspension cross-member (9) co-operating with existing mounting points on the chassis members (1) and with a third mounting point on said one cross-member is adapted to carry suspension means (5) and brake means (8) for the vehicle. 2. A vehicle according to Claim 1 , in which the floor panel (21) is supported by front and rear cross-members (2, 10) between which the suspension cross-member (9) is disposed. 3. A vehicle according to Claim 2, in which the third mounting point is located on the rear cross-member (2) . 4. A vehicle according to Claim 2 or Claim 3, in which each front and rear cross-member (2, 10) is of generally U-shaped outline having a transverse centre section (4, 12) which traverses the panel, and a pair of upwardly directed limbs (3, 11) which straddle the walls of the panel (21) and are secured at their upper ends to the chassis members (1) . 5. A passenger motor vehicle of the kind having a rear door is adapted to receive an invalid wheelchair and its occupant by the steps of:- a) removing the rear seats, the fuel tank, the mountings between a pair of spaced longitudinally extending chassis members (1) and the rear suspension assemblies, and a section of the floor between the chassis members from a point substantially coincident with the backs of the seats in front of the rear most seats to the rear of the vehicle; b) replacing the floor with a panel (21) of generally channel- shaped outline which comprises a well between the chassis members (1) and of which the base which lies below the remainder of the floor of the vehicle defines a support for the wheelchair and its occupant; c) taking front and rear beams (2, 10) of generally U-shaped section and securing the free upper ends of the limbs (3, 11) of each beam to the chassis members to act as a brace therebetween and with a centre section (4, 12) interconnecting the limbs traversing the base of the panel; and characterised by d) fitting a suspension cross-member (9) to co-operate with existing mounting points on the chassis members (1) and with a third mounting point on one of the beams (2, 10) to carry suspension means (5) and brake means (8) for the vehicle. 6. A vehicle according to Claim 5, comprising replacing the roof with a roof panel (35) which slopes upwardly from the front of the vehicle towards the rear in order to increase the headroom in the region of the rear passenger section. 7. A vehicle according to Claim 5 or Claim 6, including removing for at least the width of the panel (21) at least a centre section of a wrap round, bumper and the rear door (37) is provided with an extension (39) which depends downwardly and conforms to the configuration of the remainder of the bumper. 8. A vehicle according to any of Claims 5-7, in which plastics mouldings are also fitted to the vehicle on at least one side of the panel (21) in order to accommodate a re-located spare wheel, speakers, tools and the like.

Inventors: BROTHERWOOD RODNEY JOHN, BROTHERWOOD, RODNEY, JOHN
Applicants: BROTHERWOOD RODNEY JOHN, BROTHERWOOD, RODNEY, JOHN
Application year: 1996
Main classification: B62D21
IPC codes: B60G25, B62D21, B62D25