Lifting device for a wheelchair, and motor vehicle
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsDavid Longin, Gunther Cuypers, Roel Hannes, Eduard De Jong
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lifting device for lifting a wheelchair into and out of a rear loading space of a motor vehicle includes lifting assemblies, fastened within a loading space of the vehicle, each having a pivot bearing; a telescopic lifting arm, connected to the pivot bearings to pivot about an axis in the vehicle transverse direction; a transverse stay which runs in the vehicle transverse direction, connected to free end portions of the lifting arms; and a coupling unit disposed on the transverse stay and configured to couple at least indirectly to the wheelchair.
Claims16
A lifting device for lifting a wheelchair into and out of a rear loading space of a motor vehicle, comprising:
- at least two lifting assemblies fastenable to a floor of the loading space, mutually spaced apart in a vehicle transverse direction, or on mutually opposite loading space side walls of the loading space, each of the lifting assemblies having a pivot bearing fastenable to the floor of the loading space or to one of the loading space side walls;
- at least one telescopic lifting arm, wherein a first end portion is connected to the pivot bearing to be pivotable about a pivot axis that runs in the vehicle transverse direction;
- at least one actuator, which, for pivoting the lifting arm about the pivot axis engages on the lifting arm;
- at least one actuator, which, for telescoping the lifting arm engages on the lifting arm;
- at least one transverse stay which runs in the vehicle transverse direction and which is connected to free end portions of the lifting arms;
- and
- at least one electrically actuatable coupling unit which is disposed on the transverse stay and which, in a coupling state, is coupled at least indirectly to the wheelchair and in an uncoupling state is uncoupled from the wheelchair.
A vehicle, comprising:
- lifting assemblies, fastened within a loading space of the vehicle, each having a pivot bearing;
- a telescopic lifting arm, connected to the pivot bearings to pivot about an axis in a vehicle transverse direction;
- a transverse stay which runs in the vehicle transverse direction, connected to free end portions of the lifting arms;
- and
- a coupling unit disposed on the transverse stay and configured to couple at least indirectly to a wheelchair,
- wherein the coupling unit includes an electromagnet configured to, when in a coupling state, generate a magnetic field to attract the wheelchair.
A vehicle, comprising:
- lifting assemblies, fastened within a loading space of the vehicle, each having a pivot bearing;
- a telescopic lifting arm, connected to the pivot bearings to pivot about an axis in a vehicle transverse direction;
- a transverse stay which runs in the vehicle transverse direction, connected to free end portions of the lifting arms;
- a coupling unit disposed on the transverse stay and configured to couple at least indirectly to a wheelchair;
- an actuator configured to pivot the lifting arm about the pivot axis;
- an actuator configured to telescope the lifting arm;
- and
- an actuation electronics system connected to the actuators and to the coupling unit, configured to hold the wheelchair upright when the wheelchair is being lifted into or out of the loading space, such that rear wheels of the wheelchair roll along a rear portion of the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.