Ramp construction and elements therefor

• US 6,718,588 B1
• Filed: 03/12/2002
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Excellent Systems A/S
• Original Assignee: Excellent Systems A/S
• Inventors: Frederiksen, Ole
• Primary Examiner(s): Will, Thomas B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Addie, Raymond W.
• Application Number:
  US10/019,622
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 526/562, 526/564, 414/921, 14/695, 404/31, 404/35, 404/40
• US Class Current: 14/69.5
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 69/30 Non-permanently installed loading ramps, e.g. transportable
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 11/002 Ramps
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/10 of other materials, e.g. fibrous or chipped materials, organic plastics, magnesite tiles, hardboard , or with a top layer of other materials
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2011/007 characterised by the supporting structure
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 1/70 Sills; Thresholds

Abstract

For facilitating the passage of wheelchair users over door thresholds it is known to lay out ramp elements across the threshold, this however being an expensive solution even implying that the door cannot be closed. The invention provides for a ramp set suited to be laid out at both sides of the threshold so as to leave the top side thereof uncovered, whereby the door can still be opened and closed. The ramp construction is modular based on the use of light, joinable plastic tile elements of ordinary shape and wedge shape, respectively, and this makes it possible to build up non-costly, tailored ramp constructions in more general, with an associated possibility of reusing the tile elements.

Claims

1. Equipment comprising a number of modular elements for easing the passage of wheelchair users through abrupt differences in level by use of the driving ramp principle, wherein the equipment comprises plural first and second types of elements for modular construction of ramp formations, the first type of elements being a relatively low, wedge-shaped ramp elements with inclined upper surfaces, wherein the inclined surfaces are about 10-20°

to horizontal and wherein greatest heights of the first type of elements is about 10-50 mm, and the second types of elements being a flat tile elements having same heights as the greatest heights of the first type of elements, and further wherein the first and second types of elements are configured as shell elements with top plates having patterns of holes having side walls extending downwards from edges of the top plates and having numbers of support studs provided on and extending downward from undersides of the top plates, and further comprising connectors having head parts and lock parts for connecting vertically aligned holes of two or more elements of either the first type and/or the second type superimposed on top of each other by inserting the connectors through the aligned holes of the superimposed elements.

2. Equipment according to claim 1, wherein the first type of elements are for placing against a low side of a door threshold and is configured with a standard size, wherein the first type of elements are also used at a high side of the threshold with the first type of elements supported by the second type of elements extending outwards in relation to the threshold with the corresponding first type of elements, such that tops of the first type of elements are on opposite sides of the threshold and together form a substantially continuous ramp surfaces.

3. Equipment according to claim 2, wherein two ramp parts at the opposite sides of the threshold are connected with a tractive connection between them in the form of a strip or band extending across the threshold for holding the ramp parts against the opposite sides of the threshold, and for allowing for a total closing of the door.

4. Equipment according to claim 2, wherein one side or both sides of the threshold has steeply-angled sides, wherein ends of the ramp parts abut against the sides of the threshold and are configured with edges cut off at steep angles for accommodating the steeply angled sides of the threshold.

5. Equipment according to claim 2, wherein floor-engaging surfaces of the support studs are provided with friction-promoting parts.

6. Equipment according to claim 2, where the top plates of the shell elements are configured with patterns of the holes, and wherein the connectors further comprise snap-lock couplings for vertical fixing of the superimposed elements to underlying elements by pressing the snap-lock couplings down through the aligned holes.

7. Equipment according to claim 1, wherein the connectors are of at least two different lengths forming longer connectors and shorter connectors, wherein the longer connectors are adapted for a connecting the flat tile elements and thicker ends of the ramp elements, and wherein the shorter connectors are adapted for connecting thinner ends of the ramp elements with the flat tile elements.

8. Equipment according to claim 7, wherein at the thicker ends of the ramp elements are provided with horizontal surfaces.

9. Equipment according to claim 8, wherein along longitudinal dimensions of the ramp elements are slightly longer than corresponding longitudinal dimensions of the flat tile elements for overlying the horizontal surfaces of adjacent lamp elements.

10. Equipment for easing the passage of wheelchair users through abrupt differences in level, e.g. over door thresholds, by use of the driving ramp principle, wherein the equipment comprises element parts for the module construction of ramp formations, primarily relatively low, wedge-shaped ramp elements with suitable slightly inclined upper side, such as with a wedge-angle of 10-20°

and preferably with a greatest height of 10-50 mm, and secondary flat tile elements of the same height as the greatest height of the associated ramp elements, wherein both the ramp elements and the flat tile elements are structurally of the type which are built up as shell elements with a top shell from which edge wall parts extend downwards, and support shell parts with edge wall parts which are configured with recesses for the accommodation of assembly coupling pieces, wherein the top shells are configured with a pattern of through-going holes, wherein equipment comprises coupling pieces for the vertical fixing of elements to underlying elements by the pressing of snap-lock coupling pieces down through respectively associated holes, and wherein the vertically coupling connectors have at least two different lengths, the connectors further comprising “

long”

pieces for connecting the flat tile elements with thicker ends of the ramp elements, and “

short”

pieces for connecting thinner ends of the ramp elements with the flat tile elements.

11. Equipment for easing the passage of wheelchair users through abrupt differences in level, e.g. over door thresholds, by use of the driving ramp principle, wherein the equipment comprises element parts for the module construction of ramp formations, primarily relatively low, wedge-shaped ramp elements with suitable slightly inclined upper side, such as with a wedge-angle of 10-20°

and preferably with a greatest height of 10-50 mm, and secondary flat tile elements of the same height as the greatest height of the associated ramp elements, wherein at their thick ends the ramp elements have thicker and thinner ends, the thicker ends having outer sections with flat horizontal surfaces, wherein in longitudinal directions of ramp structures, the ramp elements are slightly longer than the flat tile elements, and wherein the thinner ends of the ramp elements overlie the outer sections of next adjacent ones of the ramp elements.