BECK, Adam (45 Taylor Way, Tividale, West Midlands B69 1JP, GB)
EDWARDS, Paul (13 Linden Road, Wrens Nest Estate, Dudley DY1 3HD, GB)
BECK, Adam (45 Taylor Way, Tividale, West Midlands B69 1JP, GB)
CLAIMS
1. A step assembly for facilitating access to a vehicle, the assembly comprising: mounting means; a platform; and a pivot arm pivotably mounted on the mounting means by means of a mounting pivot, the platform being pivotably mounted on the pivot arm by means of a platform pivot, whereby the platform can move from a stored position out to an extended position by rotation of the pivot arm, and wherein the pivot axis of the mounting pivot is between vertical and horizontal relative to the platform, such that the extended position is offset from the stored position vertically and longitudinally of the platform.
2. A step assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the platform is arranged to move from the stored position to the extended position by movement having components in longitudinal, forwards, and vertical directions relative to the platform.
3. A step assembly according to any preceding claim, further comprising a second arm, mounted on a second mounting pivot and on which the platform is also mounted by a second platform pivot.
4. A step assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the rotational axis of the platform pivot is offset from normal relative to the platform.
5. A step assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the rotational axis of the or each platform pivot is substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the or each mounting pivot.
6. A step assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the orientation of the platform is arranged to be maintained substantially constant when moving between the stored position and the extended position.
7. A step assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the stored position and/or the extended position of the platform is adjustable.
8. A step assembly according to claim 7, wherein the angle of the pivot axis of the or each mounting pivot and/or the or each platform pivot is adjustable relative to the platform is adjustable thereby to adjust the vertical offset between the stored and extended positions.
9. A step assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the or each mounting pivot is arranged to be hingedly mounted on the vehicle.
10. A step assembly according to claim 9, wherein the angle of the pivot axis of the mounting pivot and/or platform pivot is adjustable by an adjustment member.
11. A step assembly according to claim 8, wherein the angle of the arm relative to the vehicle is adjustable.
12. A step assembly according to any preceding claim, further comprising actuation means arranged to control movement of the platform between the stored and extended positions.
13. A step assembly according to claim 3 wherein the pivot axes of the two arms are offset relative to each other in both a longitudinal direction and a fore/aft direction of the platform. 03088
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14. A step assembly according to claim 3, wherein the arms are of equal length.
15. A vehicle including a step assembly according to any foregoing claim.
16. A vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the extended position of the platform is about midway between the floor of the vehicle and the surface on which the vehicle is standing.
17. A step assembly substantially as described herein, with reference to any one or more of the accompanying figures. |
A STEP FOR A VEHICLE
The present invention relates to a step for a vehicle. It is particularly applicable, but by no means limited to, an extendable step for a van, coach or minibus.
Typically vehicles such as vans, minibuses or people carriers, have access doors in the side or back for passengers or the driver to gain access to the interior. It can often be difficult for people to step into the vehicle because the floor of the vehicle can be high off the ground. Where a vehicle has a high floor, it is often provided with a step, which is positioned at an intermediate position between the ground and the floor of the vehicle. This step allows people to step more easily into or out of the vehicle because they do not have to step the full height of the floor of the vehicle from the ground.
Known steps include a step which is permanently mounted to the vehicle and pivots from a stored to an extended position. For example, it is known to provide a step that swings in a horizontal plane from a stored to an extended position. Such steps however may be stored in a position which is too low, giving insufficient ground clearance. Other known steps swing down about a horizontal axis, but this can be weak and complex.
According to a first aspect on the invention, there is provided a step assembly for facilitating access to a vehicle, the assembly comprising: mounting means; a platform; and a pivot arm pivotably mounted on the mounting means by means of a mounting pivot, the platform being pivotably mounted on the pivot arm by means of a platform pivot, whereby the platform can move from a stored position out to an extended position by rotation of the pivot arm, and wherein the pivot axis of the mounting pivot is between vertical and horizontal relative to the
platform, such that the extended position is offset from the stored position vertically and longitudinally of the platform.
An advantage of the step assembly of the present invention is that the platform can be stored in a safe position which is not too low to the ground or project too far out from the vehicle which can be dangerous and cause damage, whilst the extended position is low enough to the ground to aid the stepping of people into and out of the vehicle. The step assembly of the present invention also has a benefit that in the extended position the arms are resistant to the stepping force of the user as they will not allow the platform to move in the direction of the stepping force of a typical user stepping onto the step assembly. Thus the step assembly is structurally strong to allow the force of a person stepping onto it without it collapsing or moving back towards the stored position.
It is understood that a side of the vehicle may be a lateral side, i.e. the left or right side, or may be the front or back side of the vehicle.
The platform may be arranged to move from the stored position to the extended position by movement having components in longitudinal, forwards, and vertical directions relative to the platform.
The step assembly may comprise two arms, each arm being mounted to a respective mounting pivot, such that there are two mounting pivots, and to the platform via a respective platform pivot, such that there are two platform pivots.
In an embodiment comprising just one arm, the platform may be connected to an orientation control mechanism, which keeps the platform orientated in the same direction as it moves from the stored position to the extended position.
The rotational axis of the platform pivot may be offset from normal to the platform. The rotational axis of the platform pivot may be substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the mounting pivot.
A benefit of offsetting the pivot axis of the platform pivot relative to normal and/or the platform pivot having a rotational axis substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the mounting pivot is that the platform is maintained at a fixed angle, such a horizontal, during extension from the stored position to the extended position.
The platform may be arranged to be maintained substantially horizontal, parallel to the floor of the vehicle and/or the ground when in the stored position and in the extended position and/or positions between the stored position and the extended position. The angle of the platform in that case does not change relative to the vehicle during extension.
The mounting pivot may be hingedly mounted to the mounting means, and the platform pivot may be hingedly mounted on the platform. The stored position and/or the extended position of the platform, and the vertical offset between the two, may be adjustable. The vertical offset may be adjustable by adjusting the angle of the pivot axis of the mounting pivot relative to the mounting means and the platform pivot relative to the platform. The stored position and/or extended position of the platform and/or the vertical offset may be adjustable by adjusting the angle of the arm relative to the vehicle.
The angle of the pivot axis of the mounting pivot and/or platform pivot and/or the angle of the arm relative to the vehicle may be adjusted by an adjustment member, such as a screw adjustor.
An advantage of the adjustable stored position and/or extended position of the platform and/or the adjustable angle of the pivot axes is that the step assembly can be used for different sized vehicles, or in different situations. The same step assembly can be produced, without having to expensively custom build the step assembly for each type of vehicle or situation.
The stored position of the platform may be lower than the floor level of the vehicle. The extended position of the platform may be substantially below the floor level of the vehicle. The extended position of the platform may be about midway between the floor of the vehicle and the ground. The step assembly may further comprise actuation means arranged to control extension and/or retraction of the platform to and/or from the stored and extended positions. The actuation means may be arranged to act on the arm. The actuation means may be hydraulic or electrical.
The actuation means may be automatically or manually operated. The actuation means may be operated by a switch on the side of the vehicle and/or inside the vehicle, or controlled remotely.
In an embodiment comprising two arms, the pivot axes of the two arms may be offset relative to each other in both a longitudinal direction and a fore/aft direction of the step.
The arms may be of equal length.
The offset position of the pivot axes of the two arms has a benefit that the platform can be maintained closer to the vehicle when in the stored position, as the arms can be maintained parallel to the side of the vehicle. A further advantage is that the offset position of the pivot axes of the two arms is that it provides more space in between the two mounting pivots.
Such space can be used to accommodate the actuation means, and/or other components of the step assembly.
The skilled man will appreciate that any of the preferred/optional features discussed above can be applied to any aspects or embodiments of the invention, where appropriate.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following figures.
Figure IA shows a plan view of the step assembly according to an embodiment of the invention in a stored position; Figure IB - shows the step assembly of Figure IA in perspective view;
Figure 2A - shows a cross-section of the mounting pivot of the step assembly of Figure IA; Figure 2B - shows the mounting pivot of Figure 2 A in perspective view;
Figure 3 - shows a plan view of the step assembly of Figure IA in an extended position;
Figure 4A - shows a front view of the step assembly of Figure IA in the stored position; Figure 4B - shows a front view of the step assembly in the extended position; and
Figure 5A - shows a schematic side view of the step assembly in a stored position; Figure 5B - shows a schematic side view of the step assembly in an extended position.
With reference to Figures 1-5, the step assembly 1 comprises a mounting bracket 3 which is mounted to the side region of a van 4 via bolts, directly beneath an access door of the van and a platform 55 supported on the mounting bracket by two pivot arms 27. The side of the van 4 is represented by the dotted line 4. The van has a side which extends longitudinally of the vehicle and vertically. The van has an opening in the side which faces laterally to the side of the vehicle.
The mounting bracket 3 comprises two mounting plates 5a, 5b which are shaped to allow their mounting to a typical van 4, and a mounting support bar 7. The two mounting plates 5a, 5b are longitudinally spaced apart along the side of the van 4, and each arranged vertically and perpendicular to the side of the van 4. The two mounting plates 5a, 5b are connected by the mounting support bar 7 which extends from one mounting plate 5a to the other mounting plate 5b.
The mounting support bar 7 is non-linear in shape comprising a central portion 9b which is angled, in this case at an angle of around 20-30° to the side of the van 4 and a two flanking straight portions 9a, 9c extending longitudinally parallel to the side of the van 4, and offset from each other in the direction perpendicular to the side of the van.
Each mounting plate 5a, 5b has a mounting pivot 11 attached to it which comprises a yoke 12 and a mounting pin 29. The mounting pivots 11 are spaced apart both longitudinally and laterally relative to the side of the van 4. The yokes 12, shown in more detail in Figures 2 A and 2B, are substantially C-shaped with opposing upper 15 and lower 17 jaws protruding from a back wall 19. The jaws 15, 17 define a mouth 21 with three substantially flat walls 23a, 23b, 23c.
One of the pivot arms 27 is pivotably mounted in the mouth 21 of each yoke 12 by the mounting pin 29. The arms 27 are straight bars with a square cross section. The two arms 27 are equal in length and are parallel to each other. The arms 27 each have a mounting end 31 which is pivotably engaged in the mouth 21 of each yoke via the mounting pin 29, and a distal end 33 which is pivotably connected to a platform support bar 35 via platform pivots 37.
The two mounting pivots 11 are hingedly connected to the respective side plates 5a, 5b by means of a pin 13 which extends longitudinally parallel to the side of the van 4 such that the mounting pivots 11 can pivot up and down about a horizontal axis relative to the van 4. The longitudinal pins
13 extend parallel to the side of the van through the back walls 19 of the yokes and relatively closer to the upper jaw 15 than the lower jaw 17. The jaws 15, 17 are angled so that they face slightly downwards relative to the van 4, at an angle which is adjustable.
The back walls 19 of the yokes are adjacent to the mounting support bar 7 of the mounting bracket 3. For each mounting pivot 11 a mounting pivot adjustment screw 25 extends laterally, perpendicular to the side of the van through the mounting support bar 7 and contacts the back wall 19 of the yoke below the longitudinal pin 13 which hingedly mounts the mounting pivot 11 to the mounting plate 5a, 5b. In addition, for each mounting pivot 11, a secondary mounting pivot adjustment screw 26 extends vertically and contacts the upper jaw 15 of the yoke.
Each mounting pin 29 lies in a vertical plane perpendicular to side of the vehicle, with its upper end further out from the vehicle centre line than its lower end, at an angle which is adjustable by adjustment of the yoke 12 in which it is supported. The adjustment screws 25, 26 enable this adjustment. Each arm 27 is pivotably mounted on the respective mounting
pin and therefore adjustably maintained at an inclined angle of between about 0° to about 20° off horizontal relative to the van 4, such that the arm 27 pivots about an axis of rotation of between about 0° to about 20° off vertical relative to the van 4.
The platform pivots 37 comprise yokes 38 with a platform pivot pin 51 supported therein. The yokes 38 are of similar shape and have the same features as the mounting pivots 11. The arms 27 are pivotably mounted in the mouth of the platform pivots 37 by the platform pivot pin 51.
The yoke 38 of each platform pivot 37 is hingedly mounted to the platform support bar 35 by a longitudinal platform mounting pin 53 which extends parallel to the side of the van through the platform pivot 37 back wall and relatively closer to the upper jaw than the lower jaw. A platform adjustment screw (not shown) extends laterally through the platform support bar 35 and contacts the back wall of each platform pivot yoke 38, so the pivot axis defined by platform pivot pin 51 is adjustable.
Both platform pivot 37 jaws are angled to face upwards relative to the van 4. As can best be seen in Figures 5 A and 5B, the angle which the platform pivot 37 jaws are angled upwards relative to the van 4 is adjusted so that it corresponds to the angle that the mounting pivot 11 jaws 15, 17 are angled downwards, i.e. both angles are equal and between about 0° to about 20° off horizontal relative to the van 4. This ensures that the platform 55 is maintained in a horizontal plane.
The platform pivot pins 51 are therefore also inclined at an angle of between about 0° to 20° off vertical relative to the van 4. The pivot axis of the arms 27 about the respective platform pivot pins 51 is parallel to the pivot axis of the arms 27 about the mounting pins 29.
The pivot axis of all four pivot pins of the mounting pins and the platform pivot pins 51 are parallel to each other, such that the platform 55 stays at a horizontal angle relative to the van when the step assembly 1 is in an extended or stored position, and as it moves between these positions, again as can best be seen in Figures 5 A and 5B.
The platform support bar 35 is substantially the same shape as the mounting bracket support 7. The platform support bar 35 holds the platform 55 in a horizontal position relative to the van 4. The platform 55 is a very generally rectangular board with rounded corners 57. Its front edge is straight and parallel to the side of the van, and its rear edge is shaped so that it has a recess 59, so as to follow the shape of the platform support bar 35.
A hydraulic actuator 39 comprising a cylinder 41 and a piston rod 43 is pivotably connected to the mounting support bar 7 via the cylinder 41 of the hydraulic actuator 39. The hydraulic actuator 39 occupies a space between the two mounting pivots 11. The piston rod 43 of the hydraulic actuator 39 is pivotably connected to a support hinge link 45. The support hinge link 45 is pivotably connected to the mounting support bar 7 and has a tension spring 48 acting between the link 45 and the support bar 7. The step assembly is therefore biased towards its stored position. The rod 43 of the hydraulic actuator 39 is also pivotably connected to one end of an arm link 47, the other end of which is pivotably connected to one of the arms 27.
The hydraulic actuator 39 is controlled by a hydraulic control system which in turn is controlled via operating controls (not shown) .
The platform 55 of the step assembly 1 has an extended position and a stored position. The stored position is as shown in Figure 1 where the
arms 27 extend along and substantially parallel to the side of the van 4. The extended position is as shown in Figure 3, where the arms 27 are extended laterally, perpendicular to the side of the van 4, projecting outward away from the side of the van 4. In the extended position, the platform 55 is held further away from the side of the van 4. In the extended position, the platform 55 is held lower to the ground relative to the stored position of the platform 55. In the extended position, the mounting pivots 11 are laterally aligned with the platform pivots 37.
As can best be seen in Figures 5 A and 5B, the arms 27 lie, and are pivotable, in a plane which is angled to the horizontal, at an angle which is selected by adjustment of the mounting pivots 11 and platform pivots 37. The arms 27 swing outwards in this plane from the stored to the extended positions. Therefore the movement of the platform 55 from the stored position to the extended position, and vice versa, has three components of motion. That is longitudinally, along the side of the van 4; outward movement away from the side of the van 4, which can be considered as the forward direction of the step; and vertically, movement from a higher position to a lower position. The amount of vertical movement, and hence the vertical distance between the stored and extended positions, is therefore adjustable by adjustment of the angle of the plane of the arms 37.
The platform 55 is moved from a stored position to the extended position by the action of the hydraulic actuator 39 which upon command from a controller, extends the piston rod 43 of the hydraulic actuator 39 to rotate the arm 27 that it is linked to, from the stored position, against the side of the van 4, to a position where the arm 27 is extended, away from the side of the van 4.
The platform 55 position can be adjusted for different situations or vehicles by altering the angle of the pivot axes of the arms 27 relative to the van 4 and the platform 55. The pivot axis of the arms can be adjusted by screwing or unscrewing the mounting pivot adjustment screws 25. The angle of the platform 55 can also be correspondingly adjusted by screwing or unscrewing the platform pivot adjustment screws. When the pivot axes are adjusted, all four pivot axes of the mounting pins 29 and platform pivot pins 51 should be parallel to ensure that the platform 55 is maintained in a horizontal position relative to the van 4 as it moves.
In this embodiment the vehicle is a van 4, however in alternative embodiments the vehicle may be any suitable vehicle including for example, a car, minibus, people carrier, sports utility vehicle (SUV) ; 4X4 vehicle, campervan, caravan, trailer, truck, lorry, aircraft; boat.
In this embodiment the described step is on the lateral side of a vehicle, where the lateral direction of the vehicle is the fore/aft direction of the step assembly 1, and the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is the longitudinal direction of the step assembly 1. If the step assembly is mounted to the vehicle at the rear, then the fore/aft direction of the step is the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and the lateral direction of the vehicle is the longitudinal direction of the step assembly 1.