Wheel chair carrying minibus
AssigneeH. P. Bus Corporation of America
InventorWilliam S. Ricci
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle of the "Volkswagen" minibus type with sliding side doors and rear engine drive has a tray-like subframe affixed centrally in a cut out portion of the main frame. The subframe has a front wall, a rear wall, one side wall and a planar bottom at a level well below the conventional floor level. A normally upstanding wheel chair ramp is pivoted to the bottom, on a fixed axis at the level thereof, in an opening in the opposite side wall of the rectangular subframe. The track for the side door has a section along the ramp. The lowered floor level brings the eyes of the patient down to window level.
Claims11
In a vehicle of the "Volkswagen minibus" type having at least one side door slideable in a lower track, and conventional height seats, windows and floor the combination of:
- wheel chair support means on said vehicle, said means comprising:
- lowered floor means, located between the conventional driver's seat and the conventional passenger seats within said vehicle, said lowered floor means including a side wall, an opposite side wall with a ramp opening and a planar bottom, said bottom extending from side to side of said vehicle at a predetermined level below the level of said conventional floor and
- wheel chair ramp means, including a normally upstanding wheel chair ramp mounted on a fixed pivot located substantially at the lowered level of said planar bottom in the ramp opening in said side wall, for pivoting downwardly when the adjacent side door is slideably opened to an inclined position to support a wheel chair,
- said wheel chair being supported at the level of said lowered bottom when wheeled up said ramp onto said bottom in order that the eyes of the occupant thereof will be at the level of the windows of said vehicle.
In a vehicle of the Volkswagen minibus type having engine in rear, rear wheel drive, sliding side doors with tracks therefor, conventional height seats and floor and controls extending under said floor to said engine and rear wheels the combination of:
- wheel chair support means, said means comprising:
- a lowered floor means, located between the driver's seat and the passenger seats of said vehicle, said means having a planar bottom, below the level of said conventional floor and extending from side to side of said vehicle,
- gear shift control rod means, extending under said bottom, including a pair of universal joint sections and a horizontal section therebetween;
- and ramp means, including a wheel chair ramp mounted on a fixed pivot substantially at the level of said bottom and normally extending upwardly therefrom, said ramp having a section of one of said sliding door tracks thereon,
- whereby said sliding door may be closed along said track section when said ramp is in normal upward position and said ramp may be lowered for supporting a wheel chair when said sliding door is in open position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.