US 6,149,359 AGranted

Retractable wheelchair anchor

AssigneeKinedyne Corporation

InventorEdgardo Cardona

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Abstract

A wheelchair anchor for use in a vehicle is movable between a retracted position in which it takes up a relatively small amount of floor space within the vehicle and an extended position in which it provides a plurality of anchor points to which one or more wheelchairs may be secured. An elongated track plate is secured to the floor of the vehicle so that it extends transversely to the direction of vehicle motion, and a beam assembly made up of three beams telescopingly engaged with one another is slidable along the track plate between a retracted position adjacent a first end of the track plate and an extended position wherein the beam is slid toward the opposite, second and the track plate. The distal end of the beam assembly is securable to the track plate adjacent the midportion of the track to maintain the beam assembly in the retracted position adjacent the first end of the track, and is alternatively securable to the track adjacent the second end to maintain the beam assembly in the extended position. Mounting brackets are disposed on the different segments of the beam assembly so that when the beams are in the extended position the brackets are spaced from one another to allow wheelchair restraint straps to be connected to the brackets.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An anchor for securing a wheelchair within a vehicle, the anchor comprising:

an elongated plate securable to the floor of a vehicle and having a longitudinal axis;
and
a beam assembly comprising:
a first beam slidingly engaged with the plate for movement along the longitudinal axis between a retracted position adjacent a first end of the plate and an extended position wherein the first beam is slid toward a second end of the plate, the first beam having a first mounting bracket disposed adjacent a first end thereof;
a second beam slidingly engaged with the first beam for movement along the longitudinal axis between a retracted position and an extended position relative to the first beam;
and
a third beam slidingly engaged with the second beam for movement along the longitudinal axis between a retracted position relative to the second beam and an extended position relative to the second beam, the third beam having a second mounting bracket disposed adjacent a distal end thereof;
the distal end of the third beam securable to the plate at a first location adjacent a midportion of the plate to maintain the first, second and third beams in their respective retracted positions adjacent the first end of the plate, and the distal end of the third beam alternatively securable to the plate at a second location adjacent the second end of the plate to maintain the first, second and third beams in their respective extended positions wherein the first and second mounting brackets are spaced from one another to allow connection with wheelchair restraint straps.

5 more elements

An anchor for securing a wheelchair within a vehicle, the anchor comprising:

an elongated plate securable to the floor of a vehicle and having a longitudinal axis;
a first beam slidingly engaged with the plate for movement along the longitudinal axis between a retracted position adjacent a first end of the plate and an extended position wherein the first beam is slid toward a second end of the plate, the first beam having a first mounting bracket disposed adjacent a first end thereof;
a second beam slidingly engaged with the first beam for movement along the longitudinal axis between a retracted position relative to the first beam and an extended position relative to the first beam;
and
a third beam slidingly engaged with the second beam for movement along the longitudinal axis between a retracted position relative to the second beam and an extended position relative to the second beam, the third beam having a second mounting bracket disposed adjacent a distal end thereof, the distal end securable to the plate at a first location adjacent a midportion of the plate to maintain the first, second and third beams in their respective retracted positions adjacent the first end of the plate, and the distal end alternatively securable to the plate at a second location adjacent the second end of the plate to maintain the first, second and third beams in their respective extended positions wherein the first and second mounting brackets are spaced from one another to allow connection with wheelchair restraint straps.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.