Wheelchair Passenger Station

• US 20080079252A1
• Filed: 09/25/2007
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeda Company LLC (Braun Corporation), University of Pittsburgh of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education
• Original Assignee: Valeda Company LLC (Braun Corporation)
• Inventors: Girardin, Jean-Marc, Shutter, Andrew, Esteireiro, Joe
• Granted Patent: US 7,854,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/755
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 3/0808 Accommodating or securing wheelchairs

Abstract

The inventions described and claimed herein are systems or components for a rear facing wheelchair passenger station and include a forward excursion barrier for preventing forward movement of a wheelchair, lateral excursion barriers for preventing undesired movement of a wheel chair, wall side flip seats which are adapted to convert the wheelchair passenger station for use by non-wheelchair persons, hand holds, high friction floor material for assisting in the prevention of movement of the wheelchair, and an electro-pneumatic control system.

Claims

1. A wheelchair passenger station for a transport vehicle, the wheelchair passenger station comprising:

a forward excursion barrier which is adapted to prevent forward movement of a wheelchair relative to the vehicle;

at least one moveable chair engaging support to restrict lateral movement of the wheelchair, the moveable chair engaging support comprising at least one pivot arm which is configured to pivot a portion of the moveable chair engaging support into engagement with the wheelchair.

2. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 1, wherein the forward excursion barrier includes a head restraint portion, a wheelchair stop portion, and a depressed portion disposed therebetween, the depressed portion being configured to receive various styled wheelchairs having structure which is laterally oriented and which is disposed rearward of a back rest of the wheelchair, the depressed portion allowing the wheelchair back rest to abut the wheelchair stop of the forward excursion barrier.

3. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 1, wherein the portion of the moveable chair engaging support that engages with the wheelchair is a contact member, the contact member being pivotally attached to the pivot arm at a free end to more effectively engage with an uneven surface of the wheelchair.

4. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 3, wherein the contact member pivots relative to the pivot arm along a generally vertical axis.

5. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 3, wherein the contact member pivot relative to the pivot arm along multiple axes.

6. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 1, wherein the proximal end of the pivot arm is attached to a rotary actuator to effect the pivoting movement of the pivot arm.

7. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 6, wherein the wheelchair passenger station further comprises at least one proximity switch to detect a rotative position of the movable chair engaging support.

8. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 7, wherein the proximity switch to detect when the movable chair engaging support is in a stored position.

9. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 7, wherein the wheelchair passenger station further comprises a proximity switch to detect when the movable chair engaging support is in a fully extended position.

10. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 7, wherein a signal from the proximity switch is used to trigger an indication to a vehicle operator regarding the rotative position of the moveable chair engaging support.

11. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 6, wherein the rotary actuator is pneumatically powered.

12. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 11, wherein the wheelchair passenger station further comprises a pressure sensor to measure a pressure of compressed air which is supplied to the rotary actuator, the pressure of compressed air providing an indication of whether adequate force is being applied to the wheelchair by the movable chair engaging support.

13. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 6, wherein the rotary actuator is attached to a floor surface of the vehicle.

14. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 1, wherein the movable chair engaging support has a stored position, in which the pivot arm is aligned generally parallel with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

15. A wheelchair passenger station for a transport vehicle, the wheelchair passenger station comprising:

a forward excursion barrier which is adapted to prevent forward movement of a wheelchair relative to the vehicle;

at least one moveable chair engaging support having a stored position, and intermediate position, and a chair engaging position;

the movable chair engaging support being remotely located in the stored position to provide lateral access into the wheelchair passenger station;

the movable chair engaging support being movable from the stored position to the intermediate position, where the movable chair engaging support is laterally spaced from at least a portion of the wheelchair;

the movable chair engaging support being movable from the intermediate position to the chair engaging position, where the movable chair engaging support engages with the wheelchair to restrict lateral movement of the wheelchair.

16. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 15, wherein the forward excursion barrier includes a head restraint portion, a wheelchair stop portion, and a depressed portion disposed therebetween, the depressed portion being configured to receive various styled wheelchairs having structure which is laterally oriented and which is disposed rearward of a back rest of the wheelchair, the depressed portion allowing the wheelchair back rest to abut the wheelchair stop of the forward excursion barrier.

17. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 15, wherein the movable chair engaging support extends from the forward excursion barrier.

18. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 17, wherein the movable chair engaging support is at least partially disposed within a recess in the forward excursion barrier in the stored position.

19. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 17, wherein the movable chair engaging support moves from the stored position to the intermediate position at least partially by rotation.

20. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 19, wherein the rotation of the movable chair engaging support is effectuated by a rotary actuator.

21. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 20, wherein movable chair engaging support further comprises at least one proximity switch to detect at least one rotative position of the movable chair engaging support.

22. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 21, wherein a signal from the proximity switch is used to trigger an indication to a vehicle operator regarding the rotative position of the moveable chair engaging support.

23. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 21, wherein the proximity switch detects when the movable chair engaging support is disposed in the intermediate position.

24. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 20, wherein:

the movable chair engaging support moves from the intermediate position to the wheelchair engaging position at least partially by lateral movement;

the lateral movement of the movable chair engaging support is effectuated by a linear slide;

the rotary actuator is connected to the linear slide and the movable chair engaging support is connected to the output shaft of the rotary actuator.

25. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 17, wherein the movable chair engaging support moves from the intermediate position to the wheelchair engaging position at least partially by lateral movement.

26. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 25, wherein the lateral movement of the movable chair engaging support is effectuated by a linear slide.

27. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 26, wherein movable chair engaging support further comprises at least one proximity switch to detect at least one lateral position of the movable chair engaging support.

28. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 27, wherein a signal from the proximity switch is used to trigger an indication to a vehicle operator regarding the lateral position of the moveable chair engaging support.

29. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 27, wherein the proximity switch detects when the movable chair engaging support is disposed in the intermediate position.

30. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 26, wherein the linear slide is pneumatically powered.

31. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 30, wherein the wheelchair passenger station further comprises a pressure sensor to measure a pressure of compressed air which is supplied to the linear slide, the pressure of compressed air providing an indication of whether adequate force is being applied to the wheelchair by the movable chair engaging support when the movable chair engaging support is in the wheelchair engaging position.

32. A wheelchair passenger station for a transport vehicle, the wheelchair passenger station comprising:

a forward excursion barrier which is adapted to prevent forward movement of a wheelchair relative to the vehicle;

a first lateral barrier which is disposed on an aisle side of the wheelchair passenger station;

a second lateral barrier which is disposed on a wall side of the wheelchair passenger station;

the first and second lateral barriers being movable to engage with the wheelchair from opposite sides to prevent lateral movement of a wheelchair relative to the vehicle;

the first lateral barrier also being moveable to a remote location to allow lateral access to the wheelchair passenger station by a wheelchair passenger;

a control system comprising a vehicle operator control panel and a wheelchair passenger control panel; and

,

the vehicle operator control panel providing a vehicle operator with control over the movement of the first and second lateral barriers and providing the vehicle operator with at least one indication regarding the position of the first lateral barrier and at least one indication regarding the position of the second lateral barrier.

33. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 32, wherein the forward excursion barrier includes a head restraint portion, a wheelchair stop portion, and a depressed portion disposed therebetween, the depressed portion being configured to receive various styled wheelchairs having structure which is laterally oriented and which is disposed rearward of a back rest of the wheelchair, the depressed portion allowing the wheelchair back rest to abut the wheelchair stop of the forward excursion barrier.

34. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 32, wherein the control system further comprises a programmable logic controller for controlling the movement of the first and second lateral barriers in response to input from the vehicle operator and for communicating with the vehicle operator control panel.

35. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 34, wherein the control system further comprises at least one proximity switch for providing the programmable logic controller with a signal which is indicative of the position of the first lateral barrier and at least one proximity switch for providing the programmable logic controller with a signal which is indicative of the position of the second lateral barrier.

36. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 34, wherein the control system further comprises at least one pressure sensor for providing the programmable logic controller with a signal which is indicative of the force being exerted on the wheelchair by the first lateral barrier and at least one pressure sensor for providing the programmable logic controller with a signal which is indicative of the force being exerted on the wheelchair by the second lateral barrier.

37. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 34, wherein the control system further comprises at least one sensor providing the programmable logic controller with a signal which is indicative of whether a wheelchair passenger is positioned in the wheelchair passenger station.

38. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 32, wherein the control system provides an indication to the vehicle passengers when either or both of the first and second lateral barriers are moving.

39. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 38, wherein the indication is visual.

40. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 38, wherein the indication is auditory.

41. A wheelchair passenger station for a transport vehicle, the wheelchair passenger station comprising:

a forward excursion barrier which is adapted to prevent forward movement of a wheelchair relative to the vehicle, wherein the barrier is not adapted to be physically attached to the wheelchair;

a first lateral barrier which is disposed on an aisle side of the wheelchair passenger station;

a second lateral barrier which is disposed on a wall side of the wheelchair passenger station;

the first and second lateral barriers being adapted to move generally towards each other for engaging with a wheelchair by compression to prevent lateral and rearward movement of a wheelchair relative to the vehicle;

the first lateral barrier being movable between a storage position, at least one intermediate position, and a wheelchair engaged position; and

,

the second lateral barrier pivoting between a storage position and a wheelchair engaged position.

42. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 41, wherein the forward excursion barrier includes a head support, which is adapted to support the head of a wheelchair passenger during a rapid vehicle braking event.

43. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 41, wherein the wheelchair passenger station further comprises at least one sensor for detecting a position of the wheelchair.

44. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 43, wherein a first sensor detects whether the wheelchair is in close proximity to the forward excursion barrier and a second sensor detects whether the wheelchair is in close proximity to the first lateral barrier.

45. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 43, wherein the wheelchair passenger station is adapted to automatically position the first and lateral barriers in the wheelchair engaging position when the sensor detects the presence of the wheelchair.

46. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 41, wherein the first and second lateral barriers each provide a force of approximately 50 to 75 pounds of force on the wheelchair when placed in the wheelchair engaged position.

47. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 41, wherein the wheelchair is rear-facing in the vehicle.

48. The wheelchair passenger station of claim 41, wherein the first and second lateral barriers are controlled by an electro-pneumatic control system.