This invention relates to a retractable vehicle bearing assembly, and more particularly to a retractable platform for the horizontal movement of a j vehicle such as a car in and out of a confined space such as a garage.

Many homes have garages or car-ports, which can of course be of varying size and shape. However, due to financial or size constraints most garages are of a fairly uniform size, sufficient that a person can park their car in the garage leaving just enough space for them to exit the car safely. However, io many people find that they cannot park in their garages due to space restrictions. For example, the garage could also contain other items that need storing safely; the persons car could be wider than average; the garage narrower than average; or the person could be disabled and require a lot of space for the use of a wheelchair. In such situations, a person is often forced 75 to leave their car outside the garage, defeating the point of having a garage in the first place.

The problems can be particularly acute in the situation where a person requires a large amount of space to position a wheelchair adjacent a car before manoeuvring him or herself into or out of said chair.

20 Some attempts have been made to address some of these problems but have failed to provide a simple, effective and safe mechanism that allows a person to get into or out of a car outside a garage and then move that car into the restricted space of the garage.

The aim of the invention is to provide means that will enable the user

25 (usually the driver of the vehicle) to manoeuvre their vehicle into and out of a confined housing without being in the vehicle - such that the vehicle may be stored in a space that is too small to permit proper access by that driver to the vehicle when therein. It is a further aim to ensure that such a means will be safe and easy to operate, thereby protecting the vehicle from accidental

30 damage yet providing simple and swift storage/retrieval of the vehicle.

A yet further preferred aim of the present invention is to provide an assembly with a safety control system. This could provide fail safe mechanisms so that for example an inexpert operator cannot place a vehicle on

the assembly in such a way that it would either be damaged when the assembly moves or so that the assembly cannot operate if the confined housing has a door that is shut. The fail safe mechanisms might further provide sensors so that the platform cannot be moved too far in or out of the j confined housing.

Therefore according to the present invention there is provided a retractable vehicle bearing ramp assembly adapted for the lateral movement of a vehicle, over a surface, into and out of a confined housing, the ramp assembly comprising a load bearing platform onto which the vehicle is io locatable when the platform is out of the housing, support means to support the platform on the surface and to guide the movement of the platform, and powered drive means in use to move the platform and carried vehicle into and out of the confined housing.

As used herein the term "confined housing" may refer to any enclosed

75 area in which vehicles may be stored. In practice this term relates to a garage or car-port, where vehicles could be stored. However, other confined housings such as compartments within a larger space such as a warehouse could also be included within the meaning.

It is of particular importance that the load bearing platform must be

20 strong enough to support the weight of a vehicle such as a car, and as such must be constructed of a material with high tensile strength, such as a toughened metal, for instance steel. Ideally, the platform will be a solid sheet so that items can be placed over the entirety of the area of the assembly. The sheet can be made to any size that is required, depending on the size of the

25 confined housing. The platform could also take the form of a pair of interconnected runners along which the wheels of a vehicle could run.

The platform is preferably supported by a framework of struts that extend around the periphery of the platform, and preferably the struts extend across the underside of said platform to improve structural rigidity.

30 The driveway or surface that the assembly moves across during use may be uneven or non-planar, so a substantially rigid platform may not work as well as one that is constructed from a plurality of sections linked together in such a way to permit a degree of independent relative movement. Preferably in

such a multi-sectional platform the sections will be hingedly joined together along adjacent edges.

The relative hinging of the adjacent sections may be about axes generally perpendicular or horizontal to the direction of movement of the j platform. A load bearing solid sheet may be part of some or each section of the platform to support the wheels of the vehicle.

The support means preferably includes transport means that may be attached to the platform to allow movement of said platform in to and out of the confined housing. The transport means may comprise any suitable means that io permit movement of the platform in the required direction such as wheels, rollers, ball bearings or caterpillar tracks. However, since the assembly is likely to move in and out of a garage onto a driveway or forecourt, the risk of damaging the ground surface must be minimised. Therefore, it is preferable that the transport means comprises wheels with rubberised outer tyres,

75 although any similar arrangement for reducing potential damage to the ground surface is possible.

The support means may also include a base that locates on the surface within the confined space, the platform being adapted to move relative to the base as the vehicle is positioned in the space. Preferably the base includes

20 guide surfaces to guide the movement of the transport means.

Preferably the guide surfaces include vertical guides that guide the lateral movement of the transport means and platform, and horizontal rails or plates on which the transport means run. Preferably the base will consist of at least two guide rails that are permanently secured to the surface in the confined

25 housing. These guide rails are channel-shaped and preferably the transport means will run along therein. Preferably the rails will be provided with carbon fibre brushes to ensure that dust and other debris are removed from the transport wheels (which may when outside the garage run on a bare surface).

Since in normal operation the assembly may be raised slightly above the

30 ground, it is preferred that the front of the platform is provided with a ramp that extends down to the ground. If a vehicle is to be placed onto the platform it can drive up on to the ramp and onto the platform easily when outside the garage. The ramp could either be manually or automatically positioned. It may be

provided with its own support wheels so that it can run along the ground at a varying angle without causing any damage to the ground surface and thus be permanently stationed.

The movement of the platform in and out of the confined space can be j powered by any suitable drive means. However, it is preferable that an electric winch and pulley system is employed. Generally, the winch would be connected to the base and wires would run to the platform in order that by controlling the direction of the winches rotation, the platform could be pulled in or out. In such a circumstance it is therefore preferable that the assembly is io fitted with suitable cable guards, to conceal and protect the moving parts.

It would also be possible to provide drive motors on the wheels or other transport means such that the platform itself will be driven over the ground or guides. A reversible electric motor connected to one or more drive wheel would allow convenient operation.

75 Alternatively, a hydraulic ram could be employed to facilitate movement of the assembly in and out of the confined space, but it is within the scope of the present invention to employ any system capable of safely moving the platform and carried vehicle in and out of the confined housing.

The assembly may be further provided with an electronic controller

20 which would be able to integrate and coordinate the operation of the drive means. Such a control means could be remotely controlled by a switch operated by the driver of the vehicle. Such a remote switch might take the form of a wireless key fob type transmitter or a control switch on a trailing lead. It is within the scope of the present invention that a key fob for operating the

25 assembly could be coupled to a switch to operate a garage door.

The controller could also integrate the readings from various other sensors and switches provided either on the assembly or in the surrounding area.

Preferably, pressure (or other) sensors are provided in the edge regions

30 of the platform to detect if a vehicle is incorrectly located thereon. Such incorrect location might include the vehicle being driven too far onto the platform or not centrally. If such incorrect location is detected the controller

may interrupt the power supply to the drive means or might provide some other indication to the driver operator.

Additionally, it is preferred that the assembly is provided with an indication panel, potentially receiving information from the sensors, so if a j vehicle is driving onto the platform, it can be known by the driver when to stop on the correct part of the platform. This will prevent the vehicle from being damaged when the platform is extended or retracted.

The confined housing, particularly a garage, will usually have a door or other closure. Preferably a door sensor switch is provided, usually connected io to the electronic controller to deactivate the drive means should such a door not be correctly positioned during movement of the platform. This will prevent the assembly being accidentally extended and thereby colliding with the door.

Further, in situations where the door is electrically operated a reciprocal arrangement could be implemented so that the door cannot be closed unless 75 the platform has been sufficiently retracted.

In order that it may be better understood, but by way of example only, one embodiment of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows an isometric view of the underside of one embodiment 20 of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows an isometric view from above of the same embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 shows a rear end view of the same embodiment of the present invention;

25 Figure 4 shows a front end view of the same embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 5 shows a simplified circuit diagram for the operation of this embodiment; and,

Figure 6 shows an isometric view from the underside of a second 30 embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, there is shown a retractable vehicle bearing ramp assembly, generally indicated 10, for the lateral movement of a vehicle, in to and out of said housing - which is usually a garage. The assembly

comprises a generally planar platform 1 1 attached to the underside of which is a sub-frame 12 including a strut 13 that extends across the beneath of the platform to increase strength. The platform comprises a flat, substantially rectangular, steel plate, and has an area exceeding that of the wheelbase of a j standard car. Ideally the area will exceed that of the area of the car, but only by a relatively small margin to ensure it may be located in a garage.

The platform and connected parts move relative to the surface, but there is also a base that remains stationary on the ground. The base in this embodiment comprises a pair of opposed guidance rails 16. These generally io comprise a planar base plate 36 that lies flat on the ground and an upstanding guide rail 24. In this embodiment a cable guide channel 37 is defined between the guide rail 24 and a second vertical wall 25. The guidance rails 16 are fixed onto the ground (not shown), and remain stationary.

Mounted on the sub-frame 12 onto the lower side of platform 1 1 are axle

75 support blocks 14. Attached to these via fixed axle 19 are support rollers 15, three on each side, adapted to engage with the base plate 36 of the guidance rails 16. Lateral guide rollers 17 are attached by a support frame 18, to the free end of the axle 19, and these provide lateral guidance by running along the upstanding guide rails 24. To spread the force of an item placed onto the

20 platform 1 1 , more support rollers may be provided.

Mounted on to the front of the platform 1 1 (although it has been removed for clarity in Figure 4) is a ramp 20. This is connected by hinges 21 to the leading edge of the platform 1 1 and its angle can vary slightly. When not in use the ramp 20 may be raised onto the platform, and may be lowered

25 mechanically or manually when required.

Movement of the platform 1 1 relative to the fixed guidance rails 16 is facilitated by a pulley and winch system. Two winches 22 are attached to the inner ends of the guidance rails 16, but could be attached at the back of the confined housing. In this embodiment, cables (not shown) are connected

30 around each winch 22 and pulleys 23 at the other end of the guidance rails 16. The cables are connected to the platform 1 1 such that rotation of the winches in one direction move the platform one way and reverse rotation of the winch moves the platform the other way. To protect the cables, these move inside

the cable guide channels 37, which run along the length of the platform 1 1 . Further, the guide rail 24 and second vertical wall 25 provide a structure in between which the pulley 23 can be held.

In this embodiment the cable extends from the top of the winch and is j attached directly to strut 13. When the platform is being retracted, the winches 22 will rotate thus winding in the cable and retracting the platform. The cable further extends from the bottom of the winch and extends along the base of the platform 1 1 along cable guide channel 37 and is threaded through the pulley 23. The cable then doubles back on itself and is attached to strut 13. When o the platform is being extended, the winches 22 rotate in the opposite direction to when the platform is being retracted and pulls the platform out of the confined housing.

The assembly 10 can be controlled by an electrical switch system, with safety features as described above. An example of a simplified cable diagram 5 is shown in Figure 5. The circuit has two sides, a high-powered drive circuit with a 50V supply 33 and a lower powered switching circuit with a 10V supply 34. Of course, any voltage that can safely power the high-powered 33 or low- powered 34 drive circuit is acceptable.

The switching circuit has a winch-out push button 26. When the button 0 26 is pressed a circuit is completed turning on the electromagnet in relay 27. The relay 27 completes a part of the high-powered circuit that causes the winch 22 to rotate in a direction that causes the platform 1 1 to move out of the confined space.

When the platform 1 1 is to be retracted, a winch-in button switch 28 in 5 the switching circuit is pressed, turning on the electromagnet in a second relay 29 and completing a different circuit path in the drive circuit that reverses the current flow to the winch 22 and drives it in the opposite direction, thus retracting the platform 1 1 .

There are a several safety features included in the assembly and best 0 shown in the circuit diagram. A door sensor in the form of a reed switch 30 in the switching circuit is provided on a garage door. When the door is shut or not sufficiently open, the circuit is broken and the magnet 35 is not close enough to the reed switch to complete the circuit, so neither path of the drive circuit can

be closed, and the platform 1 1 cannot be extended or retracted. Further pressure switches 31 and 32 (shown in a simplified form) are provided at the front and back of the platform 1 1 respectively. These pressure switches 31 and 32 provide that should an object or vehicle be placed or parked too near the front or too near the back of the platform, the switching circuit will open thus the winch may not be operated. This mechanism is useful in situations where a vehicle is parked too near the front of the platform so that when the platform is retracted the vehicle would be damaged by the wall of the confined space, or too far back such that a garage door will not close. Further sensors and switches may be provided so that the power to the winches 22 is cut once the platform 1 1 is fully extended or retracted. These would ensure the motors powering the winches are not damaged if the winch-in button 28 or winch-out button 26 are held down for too long, and will prevent the platform 1 1 being extended or retracted too far. In normal use, the driver would approach their garage in their vehicle leaving space for the platform 1 1 . The garage door would then be opened and the winch-out button 26 pressed until the platform is fully extended with the rollers 15 running partially off the base plates 36 onto the ground. The pressure sensor 32 will prevent platform 1 1 from being extended too far out of the confined housing. In certain situations, the opening of the garage door and winching-out of the platform 1 1 could be operated remotely from within the vehicle. The driver then drives up ramp 20 and onto the platform 1 1 . The pressure sensors 31 , 32 help to ensure the vehicle is carefully positioned on the platform 1 1 . Once the vehicle is parked, the driver then exits the vehicle and presses the winch-in button 28 to retract the platform 1 1 . The pressure sensor 31 will prevent the platform 1 1 from being retracted too far into the confined housing. Once the platform 1 1 is fully retracted, the garage door may then be closed, thus opening the door sensor switch 30 and preventing movement of the platform 1 1 . To remove the vehicle from the garage the reverse process may be employed.

Referring to Figure 6 there is shown an alternative embodiment of the retractable vehicle bearing ramp assembly, generally indicated 40. The ramp assembly is constructed from three relatively moveable main sections, which

together define a surface on which to load the vehicle. The sections have a degree of relative movement to permit variations in the surface over which it travels to be accommodated. The three sections are constructed from a framework of struts, generally indicated 50. Two central struts 50a and 50b of j each section connect the three sections through hinges 54 and allow movement relative to adjacent sections.

The assembly 40 comprises a leading section 41 , which first exits the confined space when in use, a rear section 43 that remains substantially within or nearest to the confined housing when extended therefrom and a middle io section 42 therebetween. Each section 41 , 42, 43 comprises a centre region and two side regions, and each side region has a solid sheet 47 on the upper surface to support the vehicle. The side regions of rear section 43 are rigidly attached to (or integral with) the centre region thereof. The side regions of sections 41 and 42 are however formed from separate relatively moveable side

75 parts that are hinged with respect to the adjacent centre region.

The leading section 41 comprises side parts 44 and 45, and a centre region 46. The side parts 44 and 45 are attached to the centre part by hinges 48. Pivotally mounted to the front and rear ends of the side parts 44 and 45 are carriages 51 , which support rollers 52. The carriages 51 are able to pivot when

20 the rollers 52 encounter an uneven surface to allow them to twist out of the plane of the side part to which they are attached.

Ramps 53 are hingedly mounted to the front of the side parts 44 and 45 of the leading section 41 to aid access onto the assembly 40 by a vehicle. When not in use, the ramps 53 may be folded up onto the leading section for

25 storage on the surface of the assembly.

Like the leading section 41 , the middle section 42 is constructed from two side parts 56 and 57, attached to a centre part 55 via hinges 49. The middle section 42 is hingedly attached to the rear section 43 via a pivoting interconnection of the ends of the centre struts 50a and 50b of each. Pivotally

30 mounted to the front and rear ends of the side parts 56 and 57 are carriages 63, which support rollers 64. The carriages 63 are able to pivot when the rollers 64 encounter an uneven surface to allow them to twist out of the plane of the side part to which they are attached.

Pivotally mounted to the front and rear ends of the side regions of rear section 43 are carriages 61 , which support rollers 62. As with the carriages of the leading section 41 and middle section 42, the carriages 61 are able to pivot when the rollers 62 encounter an uneven surface to allow them to twist laterally j out of the plane of the side part, whilst supporting the platform. The side regions of the rear section 43 can in alternative embodiments also be movably connected to the centre region thereof. Also the platform can be constructed from many different configurations of sections, as long as they are able to support the vehicle for powered movement into and out of the housing over the io surface.

Figure 6 further shows a cable guard 60 for use with a winching system (not shown), which is secured to the floor of the confined housing. Obviously, two twin cable guards may be employed if required.

In most respects, the embodiment shown in Figure 6 operates in the

75 same way as the first embodiment previously described, except that the relatively movable sections, parts and roller carriages move with respect to one another in order that the vehicle bearing ramp assembly 40 may pass more easily over uneven or non-planar surfaces.