Abstract:
A system is set forth for locating a handicapped individual in a vehicle compartment. In one embodiment, a seat is mounted on telescoping rails to telescope outside of the vehicle to seat the individual. The seat is thereafter pushed as guided by the rails to the stowed position inside the vehicle. In another embodiment, a ramp is provided for rolling a wheelchair-bound individual onto a turntable in the vehicle. The individual while still in the wheelchair is secured to the turntable and the turntable is fixed inside the compartment.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to devices to accommodate ingress and egress of into and out of vehicles.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    Typically handicapped persons in wheelchairs have had to exit their wheelchairs to occupy a vehicle such as a van, automobile or limousine. This can be difficult and strenuous for the handicapped person.  
           [0003]    Along these same lines, it may be difficult for handicapped persons and others, such as brides wearing gowns and the like, to seat themselves such a van, automobile or limousine. They must stoop to enter the vehicle and then turn around and position themselves in the seat. This can be difficult due to a physical handicap, the clothing being worn or simply due to the effort required.  
           [0004]    There is, accordingly, a need for a vehicle which can accommodate handicapped individuals and others who also have difficulty or it is inconvenient to enter the vehicle prior to taking one seats.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    There is therefore set forth according to the present invention systems to accommodate positioning a handicapped individual into a vehicle for transportation thereof. In one embodiment, a seat is mounted on telescoping rails to telescope the seat from a stowed position inside the vehicle to a position through the door to the outside of the vehicle. From the stowed position, the vehicle&#39;s door is opened and the seat is telescoped to move the seat to an expended position outside of the vehicle. If desired the seat itself may be rotatably mounted on the rails. The seat in the extended position is rotated and the handicapped individual is seated in the seat and buckled in place. The seat, positioned to face forwardly with respect to the vehicle, is moved as guided by collapsing of the telescoping rails, back to the stowed position. In the stowed position the seat is pinned or otherwise fixed against movement.  
           [0006]    In another embodiment, a turntable is provided in the vehicle compartment to receive a wheelchair. A ramp is provided for rolling of the wheelchair up the ramp and onto the turntable. The turntable is rotated to face the individual forward and the turntable is fixed in position. The wheelchair is chocked and the individual is buckled in place.  
           [0007]    In either embodiment, the vehicle may be provided with a hydraulic raising and lowering system to raise and lower the vehicle compartment for reception of the individual. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a vehicle shown as a limousine incorporating the system and method of the present invention;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a side view of a portion of the vehicle of FIG. 1 showing entry into the vehicle for a person occupying a wheelchair;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a top view of a portion of the vehicle of FIG. 2 showing a turntable for the person occupying the wheelchair;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is a side view showing a wheelchair positioned on the turntable prior to rotation of the turntable to face forward;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is a illustration of an hydraulic system for raising and lowering the vehicle to accept the wheelchair;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 6 is a top view of a portion of a vehicle including a further embodiment of means and a method for accommodating a handicapped individual or other individual who may have trouble entering the vehicle into the seat; and  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 7 is a side view of a portion of a seat of FIG. 6. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]    Turning to the drawings, a vehicle  10  is shown which includes the system and method according to the present invention. The vehicle in  10  may include a roof extension  12  to raise the roof and accommodate an individual in a wheelchair. Alternatively, the vehicle can include the system and method of the present invention and not require the extension  12 . Furthermore, it is to understood that the vehicle, while shown as a limousine, could be a van, automobile, truck, bus or the like.  
         [0016]    Turning to FIGS. 2 and 3, at at least one side of the vehicle  10  there is included a door  14  for the individual to enter and leave the cabin  16 . When the door  14  is open, an opening  18  is defined for entry into and exit from the cabin  16  of the vehicle  10 . Disposed in the floor  20  of the cabin  16  is a turntable  22  as best shown in FIG. 3. The turntable  22 , with reference to FIG. 4, is journalled over a support plate  24  for rotation about an axis A for turning the person occupying a wheelchair  26  from a side facing direction to a forward facing direction as hereinafter described. The support plate  24 , in turn, may be fastened to a support beam  28  for the vehicle  10 . A pin  30  couples the turntable  22  to the support plate  24  to prevent rotation of the turntable  22 .  
         [0017]    To provide for a person in a wheelchair to enter the vehicle  10  through the opening  18  and become positioned on the turntable  22 , the system and method includes a ramp structure  32  including portable upper and lower ramp segments  34   a,b.  The upper ramp segment  34   a  has a forward edge  36  adapted to couple to the running board  38  of the vehicle  10  when the door  14  is opened as shown in FIG. 2. The upper ramp segment  34   a  includes two upper panels  40   a,b  which are coupled by a hinge, not shown, so that they may be folded for storage in the trunk of the vehicle  10 . When unfolded, the upper panels  40   a,b  present the upper ramp segment  34   a.    
         [0018]    Opposite the forward edge  36  of the upper ramp segment  34   a,  legs  42  are provided to support a trailing edge  44  for the upper ramp segment  34   a  above the ground. The lower ramp segment  34   b  is likewise hinged by hinges (not shown) and includes lower panels  46   a,b.  As illustrated in FIG. 2, the lower panels  46   a,b  like the upper panels  40   a,b,  may be folded together for storage into the trunk of the vehicle  10 . A forward edge  36  of the lower ramp segment  34   b  couples to the trailing edge  44  of the upper ramp segment  34   a  whereas the trailing edge  44  of the lower ramp segment  34   b  rests on the ground. To support the lower panels  46   a,b,  portable support blocks  48  may be deployed prior to unfolding the lower panels  46   a,b.    
         [0019]    As can be appreciated, when the upper and lower ramp segments  34   a,b  are unfolded and deployed, the ramp  32  is defined to pass and guide an individual in a wheelchair up to and through the opening  18  into the cabin  16  of the vehicle.  
         [0020]    As shown in FIG. 3, at the floor  20  of the vehicle, between the turntable  22  and ramp  32 , spaced traction surfaces  50  may be provided to give added traction between the wheels of the wheelchair and the floor  20  of the vehicle  10 , which may be carpeted. An individual in a wheelchair is urged up the ramp  32  through the opening  18  into the cabin  16  to become positioned on the turntable  22  as shown in FIG. 4.  
         [0021]    With reference to FIG. 3, the turntable is provided with a pair of spaced and removable support posts  52  adapted to be removably connected and to upstand from the turntable  22 . The support posts  52  are diametrically opposed on the turntable  22  and upstand therefrom somewhat corresponding to the diameter of the wheels of the wheelchair. The turntable  22  also includes spaced hole patterns  54   a - d  positioned to reside forward and aft of the wheels  56  of a wheelchair  26  disposed on the turntable  22 . Chocks  58  are provided and include pins received in the holes of the hole patterns  54   a - d  for chocking the wheels of the wheelchair  26  when positioned on the turntable  22 .  
         [0022]    With reference to FIGS.  2 - 4 , when it is desired to receive a person in a wheelchair into the vehicle  10 , the door  14  is opened and the upper and lower ramp segment  34   a,b  are removed from the trunk. The upper panels  40   a,b  for the ramp  32  are deployed with the forward edge  36  thereof engaging the running board  38  for the vehicle  10  and the legs  42  positioned to support the upper ramp segment  34   a.  Thereafter the lower panels  46   a,b  are unfolded, deployed and connected to the upper ramp segment  34   a  as well as supported by the support blocks  48 . In this position, the upper and lower ramp segments  34   a,b  define the ramp  32 . The individual in the wheelchair  26  is rolled up the ramp  32  onto the turntable  22  between the support posts  52  as shown in FIG. 4. The chocks  58  are pinned to the turntable  22  by inserting pins in the holes of the hole patterns  54   a - d  to chock the wheels of the wheelchair. Thereafter a seatbelt  60  connected to the support post  52  is extended about the individual in the wheelchair  26  and secured. If desired, strapping (not shown) may be extended between the support posts  52  and the wheelchair wheels  56  to further secure the wheelchair  26  to the turntable  22 . The pin  30  is pulled to release the turntable  22  from the support plate  24 , and the turntable  22  is rotated about axis A to turn the individual in the wheelchair  26  from a side facing position to a forward facing position. The phantom lines in FIG. 3 show the position of the support posts  52  when the turntable  22  is thusly rotated. The pin  30  is re-inserted to fix the turntable  22  relative to the support plate  24  in the forward facing direction. The ramp  32  is disassembled and returned to the trunk of the vehicle  10  and the door  14  is closed. In this position, the individual in the wheelchair  26  is supported on the turntable  22  in the cabin  16  in a forward directed position. As can be appreciated, the vehicle  10  can easily accommodate an individual in a wheelchair without the individual having to get out of the wheelchair.  
         [0023]    Turning to FIG. 5, if desired or required, the vehicle  10  may be provided with a hydraulic lowering system  62  including hydraulic lifts  64  disposed proximate each wheel  65  for the vehicle  10  for raising and lower the vehicle  10  relative to the ground. A hydraulic pump  66  disposed in the trunk of the vehicle  10  and pumping hydraulic fluid from a reservoir  68  supplies pressurized fluid to the hydraulic lifts  64 . The pump  66  is powered from the vehicle&#39;s battery  70  by a suitable electric connection. A control valve  72  controls the supply and release of hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic lifts  64 . Accordingly, to lower the vehicle, hydraulic fluid is vented from the hydraulic lifts  64  by the control valve  72 , the fluid vented back to the reservoir  68 . When lowered, the ramp  32  may be deployed to receive an individual in a wheelchair  26 . After the individual has been positioned in the cabin  16  as described above, and the ramp disassembled and stowed, the control valve  72  is operated to supply pressurized hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic lifts  64  to raise the vehicle for operation thereof.  
         [0024]    Turning to FIGS. 6 and 7, another embodiment of the present invention is shown. Accordingly to this embodiment, the cabin  16  includes a bench seat  74  which terminates short of the opening  18  to define a recess  76  to receive a removable chair  78 . The chair  78  is mounted on a turntable  22  supported upon a support plate  24  for rotation about an axis A as hereinafter described. With reference to FIG. 6, the turntable  22  may be rotated from a forward directed position as shown in FIG. 6 to a side directed position, 90 degrees from the position shown in FIG. 6 to receive a passenger. One or more removable pins, not shown, are provided for securing the turntable  22  to the support plate  24  against rotation.  
         [0025]    To provide for movement of the seat  74  into and out of the cabin  16 , a carriage  80  is provided. The carriage  80  includes a plurality of telescoping rails  82   a - d  which are adapted to telescope into one another to permit the seat  74  to be positioned in the recess  76  and to extend from the vehicle  10  as shown in FIG. 6. When the seat  74  is moved on the carriage  80  into the recess  76 , a suitable pin or locking device (not shown) is used to lock the seat  74  into position.  
         [0026]    The seat  74  also includes a pair of removable arm rests,  84   a,b.  Sleeves  86   a - d  are disposed on either side of the seat  74  and are secured to the turntable  22 . Rods  88   a - d  are adjustably received in the corresponding sleeves  86   a - d  with pairs thereof secured to the arm rests  84   a,b.  Pins  90 , when the rods  88   a - d  are received in the sleeves  86   a - d  secure the rods  88   a - d  in position. A seatbelt  60  is secured to the turntable  22 .  
         [0027]    To position a handicapped person in the cabin  16  or to seat someone else who may be physically handicapped or who may be wearing a gown or the like in the vehicle  10 , the seat  74  is released from the cabin  16  and slid outwardly through the opening  18  by the carriage  80  to an extended position as shown in FIG. 6. Thereafter, the turntable  22  is released from the support plate  24  and the seat  74  is rotated approximately 90 degrees to seat the individual standing outside the vehicle. The arm rests  84   a,b  may be removed form the seat  74 . The person sits in the seat  74  and is buckled therein with the seat belt  60 . The arm rests  84   a,b  are replaced and the seat  74  is swivelled by the turntable  22  to the forward facing position as shown in FIG. 6. The seat  74  containing the individual is then urged back into the cabin  16  with the rails  82   a - d  received one by the other in a telescoping fashion as the seat  74  is repositioned into the recess  76 . The seat  74  is then pinned and fixed. The door  14  is closed and the vehicle  10  may be operated.  
         [0028]    If desired, and accordingly to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 6 and  7 , the vehicle  10  may include the hydraulic lowering system  62  described above.  
         [0029]    While I have disclosed and claimed certain embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that the invention is subject to many variations and modifications without departing from the spirt and scope if the appended claims.