Passenger lift with passenger sensitive moveable barrier
AssigneeLift-U, Division of Hogan Mfg., Inc.
InventorDavid Johnson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wheelchair lift (100) for a vehicle having a barrier (128) moveable between an access position and a blocking position. The wheelchair lift includes an actuator (152) coupled to the barrier, the actuator adapted to apply an actuation force upon the barrier to move the barrier from the access position to the blocking position. When the barrier is in an unloaded state, the actuation force causes the actuator to move in a first direction resulting in the barrier moving from the access position to the blocking position. When the barrier is in a loaded state, the actuation force causes the actuator to move in a second direction a predetermined amount without causing substantial movement of the barrier.
Claims29
A wheelchair lift for a vehicle comprising:
- (a) a barrier moveable between an access position and a blocking position;
- (b) an actuator coupled to the barrier, the actuator adapted to apply an actuation force upon the barrier to move the barrier from the access position to the blocking position;
- (c) wherein when the barrier is in an unloaded state, the actuation force causes the actuator to move in a first direction resulting in the barrier moving from the access position to the blocking position;
- and
- (d) wherein when the barrier is in a loaded state, the actuation force causes the actuator to move in a second direction a predetermined amount without causing substantial movement of the barrier.
A wheelchair lift for a vehicle comprising:
- (a) a lift platform for supporting and lifting a user;
- (b) a barrier moveably coupled to the lift platform, the barrier having a first position for permitting user ingress or egress from the lift platform and a blocking position for impeding user movement off or onto the lift platform;
- (c) an actuator coupled to the barrier for applying an actuation force in a first direction upon the barrier for moving the barrier from the first position to the blocking position;
- and
- (d) a biasing device interfaced with the actuator, wherein the biasing device is adapted to permit the actuator to move in a second direction toward the biasing device a predetermined amount once the actuation force exceeds a predetermined value.
A wheelchair lift for a vehicle comprising:
- (a) a lift platform for supporting and lifting a user;
- (b) a barrier moveably coupled to the lift platform, the barrier having an unloaded state and a loaded state wherein the barrier supports a predetermined weight, the barrier moveable from a non-blocking position to a blocking position for impeding user access to or from the vehicle;
- (c) an actuator coupled to the barrier, wherein the actuator is adapted to apply an actuation force upon the barrier to move the barrier from the non-blocking position to the blocking position;
- and
- (d) a biasing device interfaced with the actuator to apply a biasing force upon the actuator, wherein when the actuator applies the actuation force and the barrier is in the loaded state, the biasing force is overcome and the biasing device changes in length a predetermined amount to accommodate movement of the actuator.
A wheelchair lift for a vehicle comprising:
- (a) a barrier having a loaded state wherein the barrier supports a predetermined weight and an unloaded state wherein the barrier supports less than the predetermined weight;
- (b) an actuator coupled to the barrier, wherein the actuator is actuatable to change in length to cause the barrier to move from a non-blocking position to a blocking position;
- (c) a biasing device interfaced with the actuator;
- and
- (d) wherein a change in length of the actuator results in contraction of the biasing device a preselected amount without substantial movement of the barrier when the barrier is in the loaded state, and wherein the change in length of the actuator results in movement of the barrier from the non-blocking position to the blocking position without substantial contraction of the biasing device when the barrier is in the unloaded state.
A wheelchair lift for a vehicle comprising:
- (a) a barrier moveable between a first position and a second position, the barrier having a loaded state wherein the barrier at least partially supports an object and an unloaded state;
- (b) an actuator coupled to the barrier at a first location;
- (c) a biasing device interfaced with the actuator at a second location;
- and
- (d) wherein when the actuator is actuated to move the barrier from the first position to the second position and the barrier is in the loaded state, the second location moves and the first location remains substantially stationary such that the barrier remains in the first position;
- and
- (e) wherein when the actuator is actuated to move the barrier from the first position to the second position and the barrier is in the unloaded state, the first location moves and the second location remains substantially stationary such that the barrier transitions from the first position to the second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.