Patent Application
20250179805
The object of the present application is to provide a modular ramp, as well as a street furniture set provided with said modular ramp.
More specifically, the invention proposes the development of a modular ramp configured from a plurality of units made of an environmentally sustainable material, intended for the passage of pedestrians, urban mobility vehicles (UMV), such as bicycles and scooters, or other vehicles for personal use, such as wheelchairs.
Nowadays, there are platforms (made of concrete, metal, plastic material) forming part of the street furniture that can be found on public roads, facilitating access to a bus, which act as an extension of the pavement in height.
These ramps, since they protrude from the pavements, are sometimes located in the lanes intended for the passage of urban mobility vehicles, so ramps are provided that allow users of the bicycle lane to circulate on such platforms. When platforms are separated from the pavement, ramps also serve an assistance function to facilitate mobility for wheelchair users.
The ramps being currently used consist of a metal body with predetermined dimensions. Due to their size, it is difficult for operators to handle them during assembly since they are made up in a single piece. Furthermore, due to their size and weight, they require several operators to handle them, while it is necessary to use a crane or special machinery to lift, lower and place the ramp on site. Another drawback of these metal ramps is the fact that, as they are made of metal plates, they generate noise that can be annoying every time a bicycle or scooter rides thereon.
Also, since the ramps currently used take up a considerable amount of space during storage and transport, their costs become higher.
Furthermore, the applicant is currently unaware of any invention that has all of the features described in this specification.
The present invention has been developed with the aim of providing a modular ramp which is configured as a novelty within the field of application and solves the aforementioned drawbacks, further contributing other additional advantages that will be obvious from the description below.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a modular ramp suitable for the passage of urban mobility vehicles, pedestrians or other vehicles for individual use, such as wheelchairs, comprising a structure with an inclined upper surface, characterised in that it comprises a plurality of units arranged in a matrix in rows and columns, each of the units formed by an internally hollow monobloc with a polygonal floor plan and with an upper surface inclined with respect to the lower base, being made of an injectable plastic material, and wherein each of the units has coupling means configured to couple one unit to another adjacent unit.
Due to these features, the result is a ramp that facilitates installation operations during its placement on public roads, since, as it is made up of multiple individual units that can be fitted to one another, it means that the operator has to handle less weight, and makes its transport and storage easier. In this way, it is not necessary to use a crane or special machinery for unloading, lifting, lowering and placing the ramp on the public road.
Furthermore, depending on the maximum height or width of the ramp, the operator at the same placement point can adapt the ramp to such dimensions by placing a certain number of units, something that is not possible in the case of a metal ramp made up of a single piece since it cannot be divided into portions. This last aspect also forces the ramp manufacturer to have a variety of ramps with different dimensions, which requires them to have a larger storage area.
According to another aspect of the invention, the coupling means among different units comprise a tongue and groove system consisting of a plurality of hidden protuberances extending from an area reduced in thickness and a plurality of cavities present in an extension, which are provided for inserting the protuberances. This means that no additional attachment elements are required, making assembly quick, simple and efficient.
In some units, the coupling means are located on at least one side of the monobloc.
Preferably, in some units the coupling means are located on two opposite sides of the monobloc.
Advantageously, it comprises attachment means configured to keep the structure of the modular ramp attached to the ground.
Preferably, the attachment means may consist of through holes made in units designed for inserting a rod or screw element intended to be anchored to the pavement.
Advantageously, the upper surface of the units has a non-slip relief, so that in the event that the surface is wet, the risk of urban mobility vehicles slipping undesirably, with the consequent risk of suffering an accident, is reduced.
Additionally, the modular ramp includes drainage means configured for circulating a fluid between units. Preferably, such drainage means consist of a plurality of slits made in the lower part of the monobloc of each unit acting as a channel to evacuate the water that may flow through the lower portion of the ramp.
Preferably, the slits of the units may be aligned with one another such that they define multiple linear paths.
Preferably, the plastic material of the units consists of recycled elastomer material. This makes it possible to create an environmentally sustainable ramp.
It is another object of the invention to provide an urban furniture set comprising a platform and at least one modular ramp, as described above, on one side of the platform.
Thus, the modular ramp described represents an innovative structure with structural and constituent features heretofore unknown for its intended purpose, reasons which, taken together with its usefulness, provide it with sufficient grounds for obtaining the requested exclusivity privilege.
Other features and advantages of the modular ramp object of the present invention will become apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the attached drawings, in which:
In view of the aforementioned figures, and in accordance with the adopted numbering, a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention is disclosed, which comprises the parts and elements indicated and described in detail below.
Moreover, the terms first, second, third, and the like in the description and in the claims are used to distinguish between similar elements and not necessarily to describe a sequential or chronological order. The terms may be interchanged under appropriate circumstances and the embodiments of the invention may operate in sequences other than those described or illustrated herein.
As can be seen in
The modular ramp, generally indicated by reference (1), comprises a plurality of units (2, 20, 200, 2000) that are arranged in a matrix in rows and columns, in this case four rows and four columns. Each of the units (2, 20, 200, 2000) is formed by an internally hollow monobloc with a polygonal floor plan and an inclined upper surface (21, 201, 2001, 20001) with respect to the lower base (22, 202, 2002, 20002), and wherein each of the units (2, 20, 200, 2000) has coupling means configured to couple one unit to an adjacent unit, which is explained below. As shown, the units (2, 20, 200, 2000) have a monobloc body with different heights, i.e., with a different height so that when they are coupled and assembled together they build a continuous inclined upper surface.
The units (2, 20, 200, 2000) are made of an injectable plastic material, such as recycled elastomer material (rubber) and to provide rigidity and absorb certain deformations to adapt to the ground, each of the units is internally provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs (26, 206, 2006, 20006), as can be clearly seen in
With particular reference to the coupling means, these comprise a tongue and groove system consisting of a pair of hidden protuberances (3) with an oval contour extending from an area reduced in thickness by way of a step (23, 203, 2003, 20003) which is hidden when the ramp is assembled, and a pair of cavities (4) present in an extension (204, 2004, 20004), also with an oval contour and sized for inserting the protuberances (3) using a snap fit, which is also hidden when the ramp is assembled.
In the case of the unit (2), which is located in the lower portion of the ramp, the coupling means are located only on one of the sides of the monobloc, while in the units (20, 200, 2000) of the modular ramp, such coupling means are located on two opposite sides of the monobloc, which according to the position represented in
Furthermore, attachment means are provided configured to keep the structure attached to the ground, which consist of through holes (6) made transversely in units, intended for inserting a threaded rod or anchoring element (not shown) that is attached to the ground where the modular ramp (1) rests. These attachment or anchoring means are perfectly hidden when the ramp is assembled, so they do not involve any kind of obstacle for bicycles and/or scooters or even pedestrians.
Advantageously, the upper surface (25, 205, 2005, 20005) that is inclined in each of the units (2, 20, 200, 2000) has a non-slip relief.
Additionally, the modular ramp includes drainage means configured for circulating fluid between units, for example, rainwater or water from public road cleaning tasks, which consist of a plurality of slits (5) made in the lower portion of a number of ribs (26, 206, 2006, 20006) that make up the monobloc of the unit.
The details, shapes, dimensions and other secondary elements, used to manufacture the modular ramp of the invention, may be suitably replaced with others that do not depart from the scope defined by the claims included below.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| U202332153 | Dec 2023 | ES | national |
