Patent Application
20210361499
The present invention relates to a retractable ramp assembly for access to vehicles, particularly to public transport and private vehicles, suitable to be mounted on the floor of a door of the vehicle and capable of adopting two end positions, a first resting position, wherein the ramp is folded in the vehicle, and a second operative position, wherein it is extended on an inclined plane from the floor of the vehicle to the surface of the ground on which the latter is located.
Today, the majority of public transport vehicles, such as trams, trains and buses, are equipped with automatic concealable or retractable ramps to facilitate access to said vehicles for people in wheelchairs, with reduced mobility, people pushing baby pushchairs, shopping carts, etc. Examples of these types of ramps are those described in the patent document ES2187314 and in the utility model document ES1075682.
In general, ramp assemblies are formed by a structure or framework that is fixedly mounted to the vehicle, or in the lower portion thereof or integrated into the floor of the vehicle, in an area adjacent to a passenger entry and exit door. A platform is provided inside the framework that, when activated by the conductor or by other position control means of the vehicle, is pushed by movement transmission means from the rear portion of the framework until it emerges horizontally through the front portion, the front portion being the one which is oriented towards the exterior where there are passengers, and it is inclined until the front portion of the platform rests on the surface on which the passengers are waiting. In order to move the platform with respect to the framework, the platform and the framework are provided with bearings and guide channels. As such, the platform can change from an end resting position, wherein it is confined inside the framework, without protruding from the vehicle, to an operative ramp position, wherein it is arranged inclined outside the framework between the passenger waiting surface and the floor of the vehicle.
A common situation in which the use of a concealable or retractable ramp is essential arises in train and tram stations, wherein there is a significant separating space in the horizontal direction and especially in the vertical direction between the surface on which the people wishing to access the vehicle are located, for example, a station platform, and the floor of the vehicle. The ramp bridges this separating distance so that passengers can walk up the ramp in order to access the vehicle and walk down the same in order to disembark.
One problem that some ramps of this type have is that in the operative ramp position, the highest rear side of the platform is not at the level of the floor of the vehicle, but rather there is a height difference, which although may seem small, is not negligible when it regards facilitating normal access of wheelchairs, pushchairs or people who have difficulty walking, since going up this height difference entails greater effort and can even result in a hindrance to accessing the vehicle and cause tripping and falls.
Patent document ES2137856 proposes to solve this problem by including means that enable the rear portion of the platform to be automatically raised to the level of the inner floor of the vehicle, in a phase immediately after the extraction of the platform outside the resting position thereof, and the leveling of the front portion thereof with respect to the ground (or to the surface where passengers that wish to board the vehicle are waiting). Said document describes how the structure or framework secured to the chassis of the vehicle comprises therein a mobile frame linearly linked to the platform, which moves in the movements thereof towards the exterior in order to place the front portion thereof at ground level. The frame has a motorised shaft, which extends horizontally and parallel to the front side of the aforementioned frame, and said shaft entails rods, which are integral and transverse to the same, that are joined by the opposite ends thereof to a second shaft, which is parallel to the above shaft, that in turn extends along the rear side of the platform, to which it belongs, this second shaft being an idler shaft. The motorised shaft carries out an axial rotation of 90°, which enables the horizontal rods to be placed in a vertical position in order to raise the rear portion of the platform, to the level of the inner floor of the vehicle, in combination with the idler shaft of the platform. Furthermore, it mentions that the rods can be adjusted in length to adapt the dimension thereof to the gap to be bridged between the shaft and the level of the inner floor of the vehicle, although details are not provided as to how the length is adjusted. For the insertion or folding of the platform in the structure of framework, where it is retracted, the movements of the bodies described is reversed, the assembly returning to its inner resting position. As is to be expected, in this case the rods, which are short in length, are subjected to high stress.
Another patent document that proposes to solve the same problem is ES2314514-T3, wherein it describes a deployable access ramp for local and long distance public transport vehicles with a platform, which in the retracted state is disposed in a housing which is disposed below the vehicle floor in the area behind a step of the threshold plate, wherein the actuating and guide means for the platform are arranged, and which can be deployed from the housing moving to a position of use for which the rear end of the platform is articulated via first guide levers articulately joined to the platform in a transport element guided in the housing, movable with the actuating means in the direction of deployment. The first guide levers can be folded up to a final position in the last phase of the movement of deployment starting from an extended position extending substantially in the direction of deployment, wherein it forms a neutral position with the transport element, such that the rear end of the platform rises and is immobilised in the folded up position. At the rear end of the platform they are articulated with an end guide elements, and which other end of the guide elements is connected respectively to the transport element by an articulation, which is displaceably guided in an oblong hole extending in the transport element in the direction of deployment. The oblong hole is sized such that in the extended position of the first guide lever the articulation is located at the front end of the oblong hole, and in the final folded up position the articulation is located at the rear end of the oblong slot. In the path of the corresponding guide element in the area of the last phase of the movement of deployment, an inclined surface is disposed in the housing, which abuts against the guide element and raises to allow the unlocking of the neutral position between the first guide lever and the transport element and to initiate the folding up of the first guide lever. The guide element has, on the lower face at the front end, an inclined surface oriented upwards, which abuts against the inclined surface of the housing.
Patent document ES2303829-T3 also proposes an alternative solution in order to raise the rear end of the platform. This document describes a foldaway ramp comprising a supporting structure fitted in a housing under the floor of the vehicle, a platform that can be moved between a retracted position and an extracted position with respect to said supporting structure, parallel to the floor of the vehicle, electric actuator control elements to perform the movements of said platform between the retracted and extracted positions, and cam-type elements to actuate the slant of said platform, during the final phase of the displacement towards the extracted position, from a position parallel to said floor to a position which is slanted downwards, wherein the front edge of the platform rests on the ground, and the return to said retracted position, by effect respectively of raising and lowering the rear side of said platform operated by said cam elements. Said cam elements include slippery surfaces with an upward slant located close to the front edge of said support structure and have a curved profile; and elements with a shape complementary to that of said sliding surfaces articulated at the rear edge of said platform and that work together by means of friction contact with said sliding surfaces. Said sliding surfaces and said complementary elements are located at the height of the ends of the front side of the support structure and the rear side of said platform, respectively. In addition, the cam elements also include mutual stop portions that can be removed from the platform in the downward slanted position. These mutual stop portions that can be removed include cavities located close to the front edge of the support structure, in front of said sliding surfaces, and stop protrusions adjacent to said complementarily shaped elements and that fit in said cavities. The complementarily shaped elements are at the ends of an articulated profile element at the rear edge of the platform.
It would be desirable to have an alternative ramp assembly that enables the vertical separation between the floor of the vehicle and the rear side of the platform to be minimised when it is in the operative position, unfolded and inclined on the ground where there are passengers who wish to access the vehicle, which does not entail major changes to the current ramps and the integrity of the elements that withstand the operation of minimising the gap, including the articulations, are not compromised due to the stresses to which they are subjected during the movement in which the rear side of the platform is raised.
For the purpose of providing an alternative solution, a retractable ramp assembly for people to access vehicles, particularly to public transport vehicles, suitable to be mounted integrated in the floor of the vehicle and flush at the top with the same in an area adjacent to a door of the vehicle and capable of adopting two end positions is disclosed: a resting position, wherein an access platform, which is essentially rectangular and that forms part of the ramp assembly, is hidden inside the vehicle, and an operative ramp position, wherein the platform is arranged on an inclined plane from the floor of the vehicle to a surface located at a lower height level from which people access the vehicle. The ramp assembly object of the invention comprises:
Essentially, the ramp assembly of the invention is characterised in that the framework comprises a base that supports at least one lower bearing for the movement and lower support of the platform while the platform moves inside and with respect to the framework, the at least one lower bearing being located in the vicinity of the front opening and with the rotation shaft thereof oriented according to a direction parallel to the rear side of the platform, and in that the lifting mechanism comprises:
According to another characteristic of the invention, the wedge is fixedly joined to the rocker piece in a section located between the articulations thereof, and wherein the inclined wedge surface intended to come into contact with the lower bearing forms an inclined plane with an angle comprised between 30° and 50°, preferably 40°, and wherein the base of the inclined plane is oriented parallel to the floor of the vehicle when the platform is or moves from the end resting position to any position before a lifting position.
In accordance with another characteristic of the invention, the wedge comprises an additional inclined surface adjacent to the inclined wedge surface with which it forms an obtuse angle, preferably between 115° and 135°, and that is parallel to the surface of the upper face of the rocker piece, the additional inclined surface constituting the surface on which the rocker piece rests on the lower bearing when the ramp adopts the operative ramp position, a position in which the additional inclined surface is arranged parallel to the floor of the vehicle. As such, in the operative ramp position, the additional inclined surface is arranged horizontally (parallel to the floor of the vehicle, considering that it circulates on flat ground), and therefore, the stresses created by the raising of the rear side of the platform to the level of the floor of the vehicle are transferred to the base of the frame.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the movement transmission means comprise a sliding unit to which the at least one rocker piece is articulately joined, said sliding unit being configured as a guided plate and longitudinally movable along the framework on a plane parallel to the floor of the vehicle and to the base of the framework.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the framework comprises an essentially flat front frame that is arranged according to a plane perpendicular to that of the floor of the vehicle, which configures the oblong front opening configured for the platform to pass through it when moving from one end position to the other; an essentially flat and rectangular-shaped upper cover, which is intended to be flush with the bottom of the floor of the vehicle and with dimensions such that the movement transmission means and the platform are hidden under the upper cover when the platform is in the resting position; and an oblong threshold piece, which is arranged adjacent to the upper cover, contained in a plane perpendicular to that of the front frame and arranged joined or coupled to said frame, with dimensions such that the at least one rocker piece is hidden under the threshold piece when the platform is in the operative ramp position and in the lifting position.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the upper cover is configured by way of a hatch for the inspection of the components of the ramp assembly arranged below the same and to provide access for the maintenance thereof.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the ramp assembly comprises a single rocker piece provided with several wedges that are separated from each other and at least as many lower bearings as there are wedges.
Alternatively, the ramp assembly can comprise several rocker pieces with at least one wedge in each of the rocker pieces, and at least as many lower bearings as there are wedges. Furthermore, according to another variant, the ramp assembly can comprise a single rocker piece provided with a single wedge, and several lower bearings, in which case the wedge has a continuous configuration that extends in the transverse direction of the platform and covers the distance between the two lower bearings located at the ends, such that all the lower bearings come into contact with the inclined wedge surface and with the additional inclined surface adjacent to the same.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the ramp assembly comprises lateral protective barriers coupled to the lateral sides of the platform, formed by rectangular flat portions configured as levers wherein the fulcrums thereof correspond to rotation shafts arranged along the lateral sides of the platform, wherein the lateral protective barriers are capable of moving from a non-protective position, in which the lateral protective barriers are folded down on the platform, to a protective position, in which the lateral protective barriers are oriented according to a plane essentially perpendicular to the platform, when the corresponding outermost lever arms of the platform are pressed with a foot.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the framework comprises lateral guides arranged in collaboration with lateral channels, which have a profile comprising a curved or inclined section, located between a straight front section and a straight rear section that is longer and wider than the straight front section, such that the curved or inclined section joins a guide contact surface that extends from a rear lower height to a front upper height close to the front opening of the framework. These lateral guides help the front side of the platform incline upwards when it is close to passing through the oblong front opening of the framework in order to adopt the operative ramp position.
In accordance with another characteristic of the invention, the framework is provided with an assembly of lateral channels for the coupling of the lateral sides of the platform through respective lateral bearings, and at least one base that supports at least one lower bearing for the movement and lower support of the platform while the platform moves inside and with respect to the framework.
The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of non-limiting example, a preferred embodiment of the ramp assembly object of the invention. In said drawings:
The ramp assembly comprises an access platform 3 for people to access the vehicle, a framework 2 or support structure, movement transmission means and a lifting mechanism. These components are described in detail below.
The access platform 3 for people to access the vehicle is rectangular shaped, which means that a front side 31, which is that which rests on the surface on which the people wishing to access the vehicle are located, a rear side 32, which is the closest to the floor of the vehicle in the operative ramp position, and two lateral sides 33 and 34, can be identified. The lower face of the platform 3, which is opposite the surface that can be walked on by the passengers, preferably comprises a series of longitudinal protrusions or ribs 35 that define a contour formed by a flat surface flanked by two end sections with opposite inclinations. The ribs 35 are aligned with lower bearings 6 provided in the framework 2, such that when the platform 3 exits through the front opening 20, the contact of the ribs 35 with the lower bearings 6 means that the front portion of the platform 3 is raised slightly and that when it is practically outside, it is inclined downwards until it rests on the ground. The platform 3 is movable with respect to the framework 2 that is described below.
The framework 2 is capable of being fixedly mounted, integrated in the floor of the vehicle and flush at the top with the same in an area adjacent to a door of the vehicle, and the dimensions are suitable for housing the platform 3 therein. The framework 2 is provided with an oblong front opening 20, which extends in a direction parallel to the rear side 32 of the platform, for the platform 3 to pass through it from one end position to the other, with an assembly of lateral channels 4 (see
The movement transmission means are linked to the rear side 32 of the platform 3, which move linearly along the framework 2 moving closer to and further from the front opening 20. The movement transmission means can be seen in
The function of the lifting mechanism is to minimise the height difference between the floor of the vehicle and the rear side 32 of the platform 3 in the operative ramp end position.
The lifting mechanism, especially shown in
The wedge 9 is fixedly joined to the rocker piece 8 in a section located between the articulations 81, 82 thereof, in a fitting made in the lower face of the rocker. The inclined wedge surface 91 intended to come into contact with the lower bearing 6 forms an inclined plane with an angle comprised between 30° and 50°, preferably 40°, wherein the base of the inclined plane is oriented parallel to the floor of the vehicle when the platform 3 is or moves from the end resting position to any position before a lifting position.
As shown in detail in
As such, the inclined surface 91 of the wedge 9 shown in the figures shows an increasing inclination in the direction of approach of the wedge 9 to the lower bearing 6 when starting from the resting position and the platform moves to adopt the operative ramp position, in other words, when the platform 3 is emerging to the exterior of the framework 2, going from right to left in
Considering the sequence of the movement of the platform 3 in
In particular, the preferred embodiment of the ramp assembly 1 shown in the figures comprises a rocker piece 8 that extends transversally, in other words, in a direction parallel to the rear side 32 of the platform 3, said rocker piece being provided with several wedges 9 that are separated from each other, four wedges 9 in the drawings, and at least as many lower bearings 6 as there are wedges 9.
Furthermore, as can be seen in
It is especially advantageous for the ramp assembly 1 to comprise lateral protective barriers 30 coupled to the lateral sides 33, 34 of the platform 3, formed by rectangular flat portions configured as levers wherein the fulcrums thereof correspond to rotation shafts arranged along the lateral sides 33, 34 of the platform 3. The lateral protective barriers 30 are capable of moving from a non-protective position, in which the lateral protective barriers 30 are folded down on the platform 3, to a protective position, in which the lateral protective barriers 30 are oriented according to a plane essentially perpendicular to the platform 3, when the corresponding outermost lever arms of the platform are 3 pressed with a foot.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18382192.5 | Mar 2018 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/ES2019/070187 | 3/20/2019 | WO | 00 |
