Occupant restraint system for a wheelchair occupant in a vehicle

Abstract

Occupant restraint system (100) for a wheelchair occupant in a vehicle, wherein the system (100) comprises: a pivot support (106) connected to the vehicle structure; a retaining bracket (108) which is pivotably connected to the swivel support (106) and is designed to swivel between a stowed position above a wheelchair / occupant receiving area in the vehicle and an extended position which is in front of a wheelchair / occupant when it is positioned in the wheelchair / occupant receiving area in the vehicle; an occupant restraint belt connected to the restraint bar (108); wherein the restraint bar (108) comprises a pair of articulated hip arms (110) extending rearward from the restraint bar (108) toward the wheelchair / occupant receiving area; and wherein the occupant restraint belt comprises a lap belt (116) with ends that are each connected to one of the two articulated hip arms (110).

Description

[0001] The present description refers to a vehicle occupant restraint system for wheelchair users.

[0002] There is a widely recognized need to provide access to mobility services for passengers with physical disabilities. Many passengers with physical disabilities use wheelchairs, and there is a need to provide wheelchair accommodations within mobility services. Many existing systems and procedures exist for securing wheelchair users and their wheelchairs in vehicles. However, these systems face numerous challenges.

[0003] Existing vehicle occupant restraint systems for wheelchair users, which may be designed for a wider range of vehicles, may require modifications to the wheelchair and / or the vehicle in which the wheelchair user will be transported. Specialized wheelchair and vehicle modifications may be acceptable for a vehicle that can be personalized for the wheelchair and vehicle owner; however, such systems are not suitable for vehicles intended for shared use.

[0004] Typical existing wheelchair occupant restraint systems are based on occupant restraint belt systems that can be anchored to the back of the occupant. One problem with these systems is that the wheelchair in which the occupant sits generally includes armrests and large wheels, which block direct access to the occupant's torso and hip area from a rear-positioned anchor point. For these systems to be used, the belts must be routed through the wheelchair. In some systems, for example, the belt must be threaded under the wheelchair armrest and between the spokes of the wheelchair wheels. These systems are quite difficult and complicated to operate and therefore require significant manual interaction, often necessitating assistance from someone other than the wheelchair user.Interaction with another person may require unwanted contact between the wheelchair user and the other person, which may intrude on the wheelchair user's personal space.

[0005] DE 32 04 665 A1 describes a restraint system for a wheelchair and the wheelchair user in a vehicle.

[0006] US 5 758 582 A describes a restraint device for securing a passenger on a moving unit.

[0007] The task can be considered to be to specify an occupant restraint system for a wheelchair user in a vehicle that does not require any modification of a wheelchair, that can be used with wheelchairs with a wide variety of configurations, and that can minimize the need for the involvement of any person other than the wheelchair user.

[0008] According to the invention, an occupant restraint system for a wheelchair user in a vehicle comprises a swivel support connected to the vehicle structure, a restraint bar pivotably connected to the swivel support, which is designed to pivot between a stowed position above a wheelchair / occupant receiving area in the vehicle and a deployed position located in front of a wheelchair / occupant when it is positioned in the wheelchair / occupant receiving area in the vehicle, and an occupant restraint belt connected to the restraint bar.

[0009] In this way, a wheelchair occupant can be secured in a vehicle with occupant restraint belts that are presented to the occupant from the front, thus avoiding the problems of occupant restraint systems that are presented to the occupant from the rear, for example where the belt(s) have to be threaded through the wheelchair to adequately secure the occupant.

[0010] In one embodiment, the swivel support establishes a swivel connection to the retaining bracket on opposite sides of the wheelchair / occupant receiving area.

[0011] In one embodiment, at least one of the pivot connections comprises a ratchet and locking pin.

[0012] In one embodiment, the occupant restraint belt comprises a shoulder strap which is connected to the restraint bracket at a distal end of the shoulder strap and to a vehicle structure at a proximal end of the shoulder strap.

[0013] In one embodiment, the proximal end of the shoulder strap is connected to the vehicle structure at a position behind and above the wheelchair / occupant receiving area.

[0014] According to the invention, the restraint bar comprises a pair of articulated hip arms that extend from the restraint bar to the rear in the direction of the wheelchair / occupant receiving area.

[0015] According to the invention, the occupant restraint belt comprises a pelvic belt with ends that are each connected to one of the two articulated hip arms.

[0016] In one embodiment, the system further comprises at least one ratchet mechanism in one of the two articulated hip arms, which is connected to a corresponding end of the pelvic belt.

[0017] In one embodiment, at least one of the two articulated hip arms is pivotably connected to the retaining bracket.

[0018] In one embodiment, at least one of the two articulated hip arms is slidably connected to the retaining bracket. Fig. 1 a perspective view of an exemplary vehicle occupant restraint system for a wheelchair user according to the present disclosure in a first configuration; Fig. 2. Another perspective view of the vehicle occupant restraint system of Fig. 1 in a second configuration; Fig. 3 Another perspective view of the vehicle occupant restraint system of Fig. 1 in the second configuration is; Fig. 4 a closer perspective view of the vehicle occupant restraint system of Fig. 1 in the second configuration is; and Fig. Figure 5 is another perspective view of the vehicle occupant restraint system of Fig. 1 in the first configuration.

[0019] Referring to the drawings, where identical reference numbers correspond to identical or similar components in the individual figures, Fig. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary vehicle occupant restraint system 100 for a wheelchair user according to the present disclosure in a first configuration. The first configuration corresponds to a stowed configuration in which the system 100 is open to allow a wheelchair 102 to be positioned in a desired position. The wheelchair is secured in the desired position by a wheelchair restraint system 104. It is understood that the vehicle occupant restraint system 100 of the present disclosure can be operated with any type or configuration of wheelchair and wheelchair restraint system 104.

[0020] The vehicle occupant restraint system 100 includes a pivoting support 106 on opposite sides of the wheelchair and the wheelchair occupant (not shown). The pivoting support 106 is connected to the structure and serves as a structural support for a restraint bar 108, which is pivotally connected to the pivoting support 106. The restraint bar 108 includes articulated hip arms 110, which are adapted to be positioned on either side of the hip area of ​​a wheelchair occupant. Optionally, the vehicle occupant restraint system 100 may include a front reaction surface 112. The vehicle occupant restraint system 100 further includes a shoulder belt 114 and a lap belt 116. One end of the shoulder belt 114 is connected to the vehicle, preferably at a vertically oriented point above and behind the wheelchair and the occupant.The other end of the shoulder strap 114 can be connected to one of the articulated hip arms 110 so that it crosses the torso of a wheelchair user in an extended configuration. The proximal ends of the articulated hip arms 110 are connected to the restraint bar 108, and the ends of the pelvic belt 116 extend from and into the distal ends of the articulated hip arms 110. As shown by hidden lines in . Fig. As illustrated in Figure 4, the ends of the pelvic belt 116 are attached to the articulated hip arms 110 via one or more ratchet mechanisms 118. The ratchet mechanisms 118 allow the extended length of the pelvic belt 116 to be adjusted to the size and shape of a wheelchair occupant. The articulated hip arms 110 may also include pivot and / or sliding joints 112, which allow each of the articulated hip arms 110 to flexibly adapt to wheelchair occupants of different sizes and shapes.

[0021] The swiveling of the retaining bracket 108 from the stowed configuration (as in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 5 shown) into the deployed configuration (as shown in the Fig.The transition between the stowed and deployed configurations (2-4) can be achieved in a variety of ways. The vehicle occupant restraint system for a wheelchair occupant of the present disclosure is not limited to a method or system that could enable transitions between the stowed and deployed configurations. In an exemplary embodiment, the pivotable connection between the pivot support 106 and the restraint bracket 108 can rely on a motor-controlled pivot (not shown) and / or a manually operated, ratcheting pivot mechanism (not shown). In the case of a motor-controlled pivot, a user interface, such as a button or a software application on a user-accessible device, can trigger the operation of the motor-controlled pivot.Alternatively, other systems or sensors can trigger the operation of the vehicle occupant restraint system, such as a vision system that detects the positioning of the wheelchair and occupant, and / or other sensors. In response to the signal from the vision system, the positioning of the wheelchair and occupant can be determined so that the vehicle occupant restraint system can transition from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration when the occupant is positioned accordingly. In this way, the system can provide the possibility of properly restraining the occupant in the wheelchair without manual intervention. Alternatively, the vehicle occupant restraint system 100 can be manually reconfigured, either by the wheelchair occupant or with the assistance of another person. For example, a wheelchair occupant can manually pull the restraint bar 108 from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration.The pivoting connection between the pivot support 106 and the restraint bar 108 can be a ratchet connection (not shown) that allows rotation from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration and then holds the restraint bar 108 in position. Furthermore, the pivoting connection can include a release mechanism (not shown) that allows the occupant to release the restraint bar 108 from the deployed configuration and then lift it back into the stowed position. The pivoting connection can be pre-tensioned against the pull of gravity in the direction of the stowed configuration, for example, by using a torsion spring (not shown), to assist in lifting the restraint bar 108 from the deployed configuration to the stowed configuration.

Claims

[1] Occupant restraint system (100) for a wheelchair occupant in a vehicle, the system (100) comprising: a pivot support (106) connected to the vehicle structure; a restraint bar (108) pivotally connected to the pivot support (106) and configured to pivot between a stowed position above a wheelchair / occupant receiving area in the vehicle and a deployed position located in front of a wheelchair / occupant when positioned in the wheelchair / occupant receiving area in the vehicle; an occupant restraint belt connected to the restraint bar (108); wherein the restraint bar (108) includes a pair of articulated hip arms (110) extending rearwardly from the restraint bar (108) toward the wheelchair / occupant receiving area; and wherein the occupant restraint belt comprises a lap belt (116) with ends each connected to one of the two articulated hip arms (110). [2] The system (100) of claim 1, wherein the pivot support (106) provides a pivotal connection with the restraint bar (108) on opposite sides of the wheelchair / occupant receiving area. [3] The system (100) of claim 2, wherein at least one of the pivot connections comprises a ratchet and locking pin. [4] The system (100) of claim 1, wherein the occupant restraint belt comprises a shoulder belt (114) connected to the restraint bracket (108) at a distal end of the shoulder belt (114) and to a vehicle structure at a proximal end of the shoulder belt (114). [5] The system (100) of claim 4, wherein the proximal end of the shoulder belt (114) is connected to the vehicle structure at a position located rearward and above the wheelchair / occupant receiving area. [6] The system (100) of claim 1, further comprising at least one ratchet mechanism in one of the two articulated hip arms (110) connected to a corresponding end of the lap belt (116). [7] System (100) according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the two articulated hip arms (110) is pivotally connected to the retaining bar (108). [8] System (100) according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the two articulated hip arms (110) is slidably connected to the retaining bar (108).

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