Stairlift levelling arrangement

• US 5,720,364 A
• Filed: 05/28/1996
• Issued: 02/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stannah Stairlifts Limited
• Original Assignee: Stannah Stairlifts Limited
• Inventors: Glover, Douglas William
• Primary Examiner(s): NOLAND, KENNETH W
• Application Number:
  US08/656,259
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 187/201, 187/200, 187/245, 182/2, 182/12
• US Class Current: 187/201
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 9/0838 Levelling gears

Abstract

A stairlift comprises a carriage for movement along a fixed rail the angle of inclination of which varies along its length. A seat is pivotally mounted to the carriage and an actuating device is used for turning the seat relative to the carriage. A control device of the stairlift responds to the position of the carriage along its rail and the stored data representing the desired angle between the seat and carriage at different positions along the rail, to control the actuating device so as to maintain the seat substantially level as the carriage moves along the rail.

Claims

1. A stairlift comprising a carriage for movement along a fixed rail, a seat pivotally mounted to the carriage, an electric motor for turning the seat relative to its carriage, an electronic memory programmed with data representing the desired angle between the seat and the carriage at different positions of the carriage along the rail and electronic control means responsive to the position of the carriage along its rail and to the data stored in the electronic memory, to control the electric motor so as to maintain the seat substantially level.

2. A stairlift as claimed in claim 1, comprising a closed-loop servo control system in which said electric motor is included.

3. A stairlift as claimed in claim 1, in which said electronic control means is arranged to determine the position of the carriage along its rail from a count related to the turns made by a drive motor of the carriage.

4. A stairlift as claimed in claim 1, in which said electronic control means is arranged to make linear interpolations between successive items of the stored data to provide an uninterrupted demand signal to said electric motor.

5. A stairlift as claimed in claim 1, comprising means responsive to the seat tilting, relative to the carriage, to more than a predetermined angle, to lock the seat to the carriage.

6. A stairlift as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a controller for preprogramming the electronic control means with said data representing the desired seat-to-carriage angle at different positions of the carriage along its rail.

7. A stairlift as claimed in claim 6, in which the control means comprises means to self-level the seat at successive points along the rail and then to write the corresponding carriage position data and seat-to-carriage angle data into said electronic memory.