Abstract:
A docking mechanism for mounting in a vehicle movably supports a separable chair. The docking mechanism has a turntable, fixed in the vehicle, carrying arms with an articulated lifting device to move the chair vertically and horizontally along the arms. In operation, the chair is maneuvered over the lifting device, outside the vehicle, and raised vertically then moved horizontally along the arms to a stowed position inside the vehicle. The chair has powered supporting wheels which are steerable and retractable for stowing. In this manner, an occupant of the chair may enter and exit a vehicle without leaving the chair.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    This invention relates to the field of mobile chairs to be used to transport the occupant across the ground and as a seat in a motor vehicle, as well as a comfortable stationary chair for sitting.  
           [0003]    2. Background of the Invention  
           [0004]    Those people who have lost the ability to stand and walk, either temporarily or permanently, usually wish to remain a part of active society and move about on their own terms. If their condition limits them to a sitting position, some type of wheelchair is necessary for independent movement. The motorized wheelchair reduces the physical effort for locomotion allowing a wider range of travel. This conventional wheel chair presents certain obstacles to freedom of movement, most notably, caused by an abrupt change in elevation of the surface over which the wheelchair is traveling. Of course, the problem of stair steps or building access has been addressed by legislative action. However, obstacles still remain in situations where the wheelchair must interact with other forms of transportation. This is especially true in relation to private vehicular transportation.  
           [0005]    Further, the conventional wheelchair is not suited for regular seating in an automobile and this requires the user to change from the wheelchair to the car seat. Conversely, extensive modifications of an automobile must be completed before a conventional wheelchair can be used in a car. Each of these options has it&#39;s obvious drawbacks.  
         DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART  
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,416,272 issued to Suehiro et al discloses a wheelchair and lift mechanism to be used with an automobile. As shown, the automobile has a deeply recessed door sill, much like a van, with a lifting mechanism mounted at a substantially higher level inside the vehicle. The lifting mechanism has a movable base that slides toward the door sill. The lifting mechanism has arms that engage each side of the back of the chair and pivot upwardly to lift the chair to the level of the floor pan. As the chair is lifted, the wheels retract and rotate laterally to reduce the depth of the undercarriage to accommodate the chair so that it approximates a seat in the vehicle. The size of the lifting mechanism and the under-the-seat space occupied restricts the thickness of the seat because of the limited head room in the vehicle. The chair is drawn into the van by a worm gear or other mechanism mounted on the movable base of the lift mechanism. The chair is latched in the base and the base is rotated to face the chair forward in the vehicle.  
           [0007]    Logan, U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,614, teaches the use of a ramp to provide access for a wheelchair into a mini-van. The wheelchair has an adjustable frame to accommodate the passenger and the head room in the interior of the van.  
           [0008]    Another lifting mechanism and wheelchair is taught by Jones et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,465, in which a user can move from a wheelchair located outside the vehicle to the driver&#39;s seat. In this arrangement, the driver&#39;s seat is mounted on a pivot post built into the car along the rear edge of the door opening. The seat is powered to pivot inwardly and outwardly about the pivot post and move vertically to adjust the car seat level with the wheelchair.  
           [0009]    A turn table mounted on rails in the vehicle is disclosed in Ladetto et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,884. The turn table rotates a vehicle seat from facing forward to facing the door to aid in getting in a van.  
           [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,653 to Waite discloses another chair and lift mechanism for loading a wheelchair into a vehicle. This system uses a door post for raising the wheelchair for entry into the auto. The wheels of the wheelchair are retracted into the sides of the seat in a converging orientation to reduce the footprint of the seat inside the vehicle.  
           [0011]    All these conventional systems are very complicated, particularly in the lifting and landing gear-like devices, for stowing the wheelchair wheels. And the lifting mechanisms impinge on the design of the chair.  
           [0012]    What is needed in the art is a mechanically elegant and comfortable chair, in the nature of a bucket seat found in some luxury automobiles, that may be occupied for long periods of time and used as a wheelchair or an automobile seat. An occupant of such a chair would not be forced to leave his/her seat for car travel or independent locomotion and other normal activities. Further, the chair requires a simple dock mounted in the auto, without extensive modification of the auto, for proper placement of the seat within the automobile.  
         SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
         [0013]    It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a chair and dock system for use in a passenger automobile in which the docking mechanism requires little modification to an existing automobile and the chair is quite similar to other seating in the car.  
           [0014]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a very comfortable chair that is wheeled. The wheels are powered, preferably, though non-powered wheels may be used. The wheels are also retractable to reduce the height of the chair. The sitting position of the chair is adjustable by movement of the back and seat relative to each other. The wheelchair is in the nature of a luxury seat found in automobiles and airplanes.  
           [0015]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide a rotating dock for supporting and securing the chair in the vehicle. The dock is adapted to be mounted on the floor pan of an automobile and will rotate at least 90 degrees from a normal seating orientation, relative to a car, to a side facing position.  
           [0016]    It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a flexible drive system in the nature of a chain and sprocket system on the dock to move the chair relative to the dock. 
       
    
    
       [0017]    Other objectives and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.  
       SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 is a partial cut-away of a perspective of an automobile with the chair and dock system of this invention;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective of the chair in FIG. 1;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 3 is a detail side view of the docking mechanism and stabilizer brackets in the lowered position;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4 is a detail side view of the docking mechanism and stabilizer brackets in the raised position;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 5 is a detail side view of the docking mechanism in transition from vertical movement to horizontal movement;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 6 is a rear view, partially in section, of the chair locking system;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 7 is a side view of the locking system for the chair and docking mechanism;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 8 is a side view partially in section of a modification of the conveyor system; and  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 9 is a side view partially in section of the conveyor system. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0027]    In FIG. 1, the vehicle  10  has a front  11  and a rear  12 . The vehicle may be any conventional style, including cars, vans, SUVs, and trucks. Because of differing body construction in conventional vehicles, the distance between the floor pan  13  and the bottom edge of the door opening is not the same in all vehicles. In the instant invention it is essential that the dock  14  clear the bottom edge of the vehicle door opening  15 . The mounting plate  16  may be made in various thicknesses or shims may be added between the floor pan  13  and the mounting plate  16  to arrive at the correct height. As shown in FIG. 1, the arms  17  of the dock must be of sufficient length to extend through the door opening  15  and, at least, beyond the vehicle body to allow the chair to back onto the lift portion  19  on the dock. The mounting plate  16  should be mounted in the floor pan  13  so that the chair  18  may rotate from outside the vehicle through the door opening to a conventional seating arrangement as shown. Since the floor pan is designed to support passengers and their seats, no major alteration of the vehicle construction is contemplated for installing this system.  
         [0028]    As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the chair  18  is supported on four wheels, the wheels  20 ,  21 ,  22  and  23  are shown as located at the four corners of the chair. The set of wheels  20 ,  21  on the left side of the chair are duplicated on the right side. The rear wheels of the chair may be powered, as illustrated by motor  24  on wheel  21 . Of course, the front wheels or all four wheels could be powered by different layouts and gearing using one, two or more motors. Wheel  21  is mounted by axle  25  on shaft  27 . Each wheel is supported on an axle at the bottom of a vertical shaft  26 ,  27 , and  28 . The vertical shafts extend and retract into vertical pylons  29 ,  30 , and  31  with the axles as a stop. The shafts and pylons may be integral portions of a jack or other hydraulic, mechanical or electrical lift device (not shown) to vertically extend and retract the wheels. The lift devices may be individually powered, powered by pairs or all four may be powered by one engine.  
         [0029]    The front wheels  20  and  22  are steerable by rotating the shafts within the pylons. The steering may be accomplished by the controls  100  mounted on one of the arm rests, eg. a joystick or left and right buttons. The controls  100  also direct the raising and lowering of the wheels with up and down buttons or similar devices. The conveyor mechanism may also be commanded by the controls  100 . The lifting mechanism and conveyor may also be operated from controls in the vehicle, if desired.  
         [0030]    The dock  14  has a active conveyor mechanism  32  that cooperates with the lifting portion  19  to permit the occupant of the chair to enter and exit the vehicle without leaving the chair  18 . The conveyor mechanism  32  has a motor  33  mounted on a shaft  34  between the interior ends of the arms  17 . The shaft  34  carries drive wheels or sprockets  35 ,  36  at each end adjacent to each arm  17 . The drive wheels move linked chains or flexible drive belts  37 ,  38  which extend parallel with the arms  17 . Another shaft  39  connects the exterior ends of the arms  17  and includes rotary drive mechanisms or sprockets  40 ,  41  at each end of the shaft adjacent the exterior ends of the arms  17 .  
         [0031]    These drive mechanisms are connected with and powered by the chains or flexible drive belts  37 ,  38 . The drive mechanisms  40 ,  41  engage the lift portion  19  of the dock to raise and lower the chair relative to the arms  17  when the chair is in contact with the lift portion. Drive mechanisms  140  and  141  also operate in reverse to displace the chair from the seating position in the vehicle to the exterior ends of the arms  17 . The drive mechanisms may be in the nature of gears, sprocket wheels or pinions and the lift portion  19  in the nature of channeled or slotted tracks or racks so that as the drive mechanisms are turned by the flexible belts or chains, the lift portion is translated or moved in response. The ends of the flexible drive lines are connected to stub shafts which extend from the arms  17  as illustrated by stub shaft  105  in FIG. 2. Idler pulleys  106  are located between the stub shafts and the drives  35  and  36 . The idler pulleys  106  are attached to springs  107  which move the idler pulley as the flexible drive shortens to take up slack. The springs  107  are attached to the exterior ends of the arms. The arms  17  have a channel members  50  forming the upper margin, shown in FIGS.  3 - 5 . The channel members have a vertical web  52  with an upper flange  51  and a lower flange  53  extending outwardly on the same side and parallel to each other. The channel members  50  have a downwardly opening section  51  forming the exterior ends of the arms. Support wheels mounted on the lifting portion roll in the channel members in contact with flanges  53  during movement of the lift portion  19 . The brackets  60  are movably mounted on the exterior ends of the arms  17 . The brackets have a horizontal edge with four support wheels that travel in the horizontal portion of the channels  50 . One set of these support wheels  61  and  62  is shown in FIGS.  3 - 5 . These wheels operate to allow horizontal movement of the lift portion  19  and the chair  18  to translate the chair from the interior of the vehicle to the exterior and vice versa. The stops  63 , one in each channel, prevent the brackets from separating from the arms  17 .  
         [0032]    The brackets  60  have a leading edge  64  that parallels the vertical members  90  of the lift portion  19 . The leading edge of each bracket has two sets of wheels  65 ,  66  and  67 ,  68  that contact opposite sides of a flange  92  on the vertical member  90 . The brackets allow the lift portion  19  to move vertically and prevents the lift portion from tipping as the chair is hoisted off the ground.  
         [0033]    The lift portion  19 , as shown in FIGS.  3 - 5 , is a L-shaped frame with vertical members  90  and horizontal members  91 . There are two such L-shaped frames spaced apart approximately the same distance as the arms  17 . The horizontal members  91  carry guide wheels  93  connected to each member by a bracket  94 . As the lift portion is moving vertically, the guide wheels engage the channel portions  54 , as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. As the guide wheels approach the horizontal channels, they engage wheels  95  which smooth the transition from vertical movement to horizontal movement of the lift portion  19 . The wheels  95  are rotatably mounted on the exterior ends of the arms  17 .  
         [0034]    As the wheeled chair engages the lift portion, the bottom surface  96  of the seat of the chair is above the arms  17  and the rear surface of the back of the seat contacts the vertical members of the lift portion  19 , as shown in FIG. 6. The arms  17  have inwardly extending pins  97 ,  98  which are disposed under brackets  99 , as shown in FIG. 7. There is a duplicate set of pins on the other arm  17 . These pins are captured by the box brackets  99  as the chair is lowered to be supported by the lift portion  19 . Movement of the handle  108 , as shown in FIG. 8, will close the bottom of the box brackets  99  with a movable slide  109 . The movable slide  109  is connected to the handle  108  by a spring loaded lever mechanism  110 . By securing the chair to the lift portion with laterally spaced pins, tipping of the chair relative to the lift portion is prevented upon lifting the chair out of ground contact.  
         [0035]    In a loading scenario, as shown in FIG. 1, the chair will initially be backed onto the lift portion using the powered wheels and steering mechanism. Once in place, the chair will be lowered to contact the horizontal members of the lift portion. The handle will be operated to lock the pins in place securing the chair to the lift portion. The chair is lifted off the ground as the active conveyor mechanism  32  begins to move. The conveyor mechanism initially exerts a lifting force on the lifting portion. When the chair has reached the limit of vertical movement, the wheels may be retracted. Of course, this may be done simultaneously with the movement of the chair.  
         [0036]    With the chair at the appropriate level in relation to the dock, the continued movement of the conveyor mechanism translates the chair horizontally along the arms  17  and into the vehicle until the outer drive mechanisms are near the forward edge of the seat. The turntable is then rotated to place the chair in the normal vehicle seating arrangement.  
         [0037]    With regard to FIGS.  8 - 9 , the lift porting  19  may be horizontally translated by a stopper  111  located on the inside of the arms  17  to engage the flexible conveyor system  32 . As the lift portion  19  reaches the limit of vertical travel, the stopper is moved into engagement with the drive by the bracket  60  The stopper provides a positive connection between the lift portion and the conveyor for horizontal movement in both directions.  
         [0038]    It is to be understood that while we have illustrated and described certain forms of my invention, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification.