Wheelchair-accessible vehicles

Abstract

By preventing the wheelchair from coming into contact with the bulge formed in the middle of the floor in the width direction of the vehicle during boarding and alighting, it enables smooth boarding and alighting of the wheelchair. [Solution] The wheelchair-equipped vehicle 1 is equipped with a floor panel 8 having an upwardly bulging portion 8d formed in the middle of the vehicle width direction. On the front side of the floor panel 8 beyond the bulging portion 8d and in the part where the front wheels of the wheelchair roll, a first inclined surface 8e is formed to raise the front wheels until the anchor bar provided in the middle of the wheelchair in the front-rear direction is not in contact with the bulging portion 8d.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle capable of mounting a wheelchair.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle for mounting a wheelchair, in which a back door and a slope are provided at the rear of the vehicle. At the rear of this vehicle, a tailgate is provided below the back door so as to be openable and closable. The slope is attached to the surface of the tailgate on the vehicle interior side via a rotation axis extending in the left - right direction, and in a state where the back door is open, it is deployed outside the vehicle from an opening provided at the rear of the vehicle and is bridged between the opening and the ground. The slope is used when a passenger sitting in the wheelchair gets on and off in a seated state. <00,00011> Also, when a wheelchair is mounted on the vehicle, the slope is set to a standing posture, while when no wheelchair is mounted on the vehicle, the slope is folded forward and can be used as the floor surface of the luggage compartment.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, when making it possible to mount a wheelchair at the rear like the vehicle of Patent Document 1, there is a demand to make the floor as low as possible in order to improve the boarding and alighting performance of the wheelchair and the living comfort of the wheelchair passenger.

[0006] However, in vehicles where the differential gear is located at the rear, such as rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive vehicles, space must be provided below the floor to accommodate the differential gear, making it difficult to lower the overall floor height.

[0007] Therefore, considering that differential gears are generally located in the middle of the vehicle width, it is conceivable that a bulge would be formed only in the middle of the floor in the vehicle width direction to avoid interference between the part of the rear axle where the differential gear is housed and the floor, while lowering the sides in the vehicle width direction where wheelchair wheels pass, thereby improving the ease of getting in and out of the wheelchair and the comfort of the wheelchair occupant. Other reasons may also lead to the formation of a bulge in the floor panel.

[0008] However, when loading a wheelchair into a vehicle, once the wheelchair is loaded, it is necessary to secure it by engaging an anchor bar located in the middle of the wheelchair in the front-to-rear direction with a hook mechanism on the floor. Since this anchor bar protrudes downward from the wheelchair body and is located in the middle of the wheelchair in the width direction, if a bulge is formed in the floor to avoid interference with the differential gear as described above, there is a risk that the anchor bar and the bulge will come into contact when getting in or out of the wheelchair. If the anchor bar and the bulge come into contact, it will become difficult to get in or out of the wheelchair.

[0009] This disclosure is made in view of the above points, and its purpose is to enable smooth boarding and alighting of wheelchairs by preventing the wheelchair from coming into contact with the bulge formed in the middle of the floor in the width direction of the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To achieve the above objective, one aspect of this disclosure may include a wheelchair-carrying vehicle in which an opening for loading and unloading a wheelchair is formed at the rear of the vehicle body, and the wheelchair loaded through the opening is configured to be loaded in the passenger compartment behind the driver's seat. The wheelchair-carrying vehicle has a floor panel that extends forward from the lower edge of the opening formed at the rear of the vehicle body, and has an upwardly bulging portion formed in the middle in the width direction of the vehicle.

[0011] A first inclined surface is formed in the floor panel on the vehicle side of the bulge and in the part where the front wheels of the wheelchair roll, for raising the front wheels until the anchor bar provided in the middle of the wheelchair in the front-rear direction is not in contact with the bulge.

[0012] With this configuration, when loading a wheelchair into a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, the front wheels of the wheelchair roll along the first inclined surface of the floor panel, causing the front wheels to rise. This prevents the wheelchair's anchor bars from contacting the protruding parts of the floor panel, allowing the wheelchair to be loaded into the designated position. Similarly, when unloading a wheelchair from a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, the front wheels of the wheelchair roll along the first inclined surface of the floor panel, causing the front wheels to rise. This also prevents the wheelchair's anchor bars from contacting the protruding parts of the floor panel. Therefore, since the wheelchair's anchor bars do not come into contact with the protruding parts of the floor panel when loading or unloading the wheelchair, smooth loading and unloading of the wheelchair is possible.

[0013] Furthermore, the portion of the floor panel that is outside the bulge in the vehicle width direction may be formed lower than the bulge and may be the portion on which the wheelchair wheels roll. This allows the wheelchair to be positioned at a lower level, thereby improving the comfort of the wheelchair occupant.

[0014] Furthermore, the floor panel may have a second inclined surface that extends downward from the front end of the first inclined surface toward the front of the vehicle. That is, when a wheelchair is placed in a wheelchair-carrying vehicle, once the front wheels of the wheelchair pass the first inclined surface, the front wheels reach the second inclined surface and roll along it. Since this second inclined surface extends downward toward the front of the vehicle, the front wheels of the wheelchair roll downward toward the front. As a result, the wheelchair's position approaches horizontal, allowing the wheelchair user to assume a more comfortable posture.

[0015] Furthermore, the floor panel may have a third inclined surface that slopes upward from the front end of the second inclined surface towards the front of the vehicle. For example, by forming the third inclined surface so that the front wheels of the wheelchair reach the third inclined surface when the wheelchair has moved forward to a predetermined mounting position, it is possible to prevent the wheelchair from moving too far forward.

[0016] Furthermore, the portion housing the differential gear of the rear axle may be located below the bulging portion of the floor panel. That is, in the case of rear-wheel drive vehicles and four-wheel drive vehicles, the differential gear is located at the rear of the vehicle, and the portion housing the differential gear of the rear axle has a shape that bulges upward. In this embodiment, the bulging portion of the floor panel can be formed to avoid the portion housing the differential gear of the rear axle, so that the floor panel as a whole can be made lower to avoid the differential gear.

[0017] The portion of the floor panel that is rearward from the bulging portion may be sloped so that it is lower towards the rear of the vehicle. This allows the floor panel to be shaped like a slope, further improving the ease of getting in and out of wheelchairs.

[0018] The first inclined surface may be formed such that the position of the front end of the first inclined surface is higher than the upper end of the bulging portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] As described above, since the anchor bar of the wheelchair during boarding and alighting can be prevented from contacting the bulging portion formed in the middle portion in the vehicle width direction of the floor, the wheelchair can be boarded and alighted smoothly.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle equipped with a wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the rear side portion of a vehicle equipped with a wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the case where the slope is in the deployed state. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 showing the state in which a wheelchair is mounted. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a view seen in the direction of the Y arrow in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the bulging portion. [Figure 6] [[ID=2,5]]FIG. 6 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 showing the state in which a wheelchair is mounted. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 showing the state in which a wheelchair is being mounted. [[ID=,30]] [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 showing the state in which the front wheel of the wheelchair is rolling on the first inclined surface.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. Note that the following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses. [[ID=,41]]

[0022] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle 1 equipped with a wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention. In each figure, the front side of the vehicle 1 equipped with a wheelchair is indicated as "front", the rear side as "rear", the right side as "right", and the left side as "left". The vehicle width direction of the vehicle 1 equipped with a wheelchair is the left-right direction.

[0023] Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5 show the case without the wheelchair 50 being loaded, while Figures 3 and 6 show the case with the wheelchair 50 loaded in the predetermined loading position. Figures 7 and 8 show the state of the wheelchair 50 in the process of being moved to the predetermined loading position.

[0024] Figure 1 shows the foldable ramp device 20 in its stored position. Although not shown, the ramp device 20 can also be stored in an upright position. Figures 2 to 7 show the foldable ramp device 20 deployed outside the vehicle and stretched between the vehicle body 2 and the ground. The foldable ramp device 20 can be of a conventional, well-known structure. Alternatively, the ramp device 20 may be a sliding type that is deployed and stored by sliding.

[0025] The wheelchair-accessible vehicle 1 has a body 2 to which front doors (not shown) and other parts can be opened and closed. The passenger compartment R formed inside the body 2 is equipped with front seats 3 and rear seats 6. The front seats 3 are located in the front part of the passenger compartment R, slightly forward of the center in the front-to-rear direction, and include, for example, a driver's seat on the right and a passenger seat on the left. The rear seats 6 are located behind the front seats 3 and consist of a so-called bench seat that is continuous from left to right, or seats that are separate on the right and left sides. The space behind the rear seats 6 in the passenger compartment R is designated as a cargo compartment R2. The rear seats 6 may be omitted.

[0026] The floor panel 8, which constitutes the floor surface of the vehicle body 2, has a front panel section 8a, an intermediate panel section 8b, and a rear panel section 8c. The front panel section 8a constitutes the front part of the floor panel 8 and is the part to which the front seats 3 are attached. The intermediate panel section 8b extends rearward from the rear end of the front panel section 8a and is the part to which the rear seats 6 are attached. The intermediate panel section 8b extends substantially horizontally in the front-rear direction. The rear panel section 8c extends rearward from the rear end of the intermediate panel section 8b and is the part that forms the floor surface of the cargo area R2 behind the rear seats 6, for example. The floor panel 8 may be made of a single sheet of material or may be made by combining multiple sheets of material.

[0027] The rear seat 6 is equipped with a conventional sliding mechanism, which allows its position to be adjusted in the front-to-back direction. The rear seat 6 is also equipped with a conventional folding mechanism and a flip-up mechanism. Figures 2 and 3 show the rear seat 6 folded by the folding mechanism and flipped up by the flip-up mechanism (storage state). By flipping up the rear seat 6 to the storage state, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, it becomes possible to load a wheelchair 50 from the intermediate panel section 8b to the rear panel section 8c, and the wheelchair 50 loaded in the predetermined loading position is placed on the intermediate panel section 8b and the rear panel section 8c. The space in the vehicle compartment R in which the wheelchair 50 can be loaded is called the wheelchair loading space R1. When the rear seat 6 is unfolded, the unfolded rear seat 6 is positioned in the front part of the wheelchair loading space R1, and in this state, the wheelchair 50 cannot be loaded. The wheelchair space R1 may also accommodate luggage and other items in addition to the wheelchair 50, or it may accommodate both the wheelchair 50 and luggage. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the area behind the unfolded rear seat 6 is designated as the luggage compartment R2, but the area behind the unfolded rear seat 6 may be designated as the wheelchair space R1 without providing a luggage compartment R2.

[0028] The roof portion 2a of the vehicle body 2 extends continuously at approximately the same height from above the front seats 3 to behind the rear seats 6, that is, to the rear of the vehicle body 2. This makes it possible to accommodate an occupant 51 seated in a wheelchair 50 in the wheelchair space R1. An example of a vehicle having such a vehicle body 2 is a minivan-type vehicle, which may be a light vehicle or a regular car.

[0029] An opening 2b is formed at the rear of the vehicle body 2. The opening 2b is an entrance for the occupant 51 to get in and out of the wheelchair 50 while seated. Therefore, it is a large opening 2b, and the lower edge of the opening 2b is formed by the rear edge of the rear panel 8c. In other words, the rear panel 8c extends forward from the lower edge of the opening 2b.

[0030] Furthermore, the upper edge of the opening 2b is formed by the rear edge of the roof portion 2a. This increases the vertical dimension of the opening 2b, allowing the occupant 51 to board and alight the wheelchair 50 while remaining seated. In addition, in this embodiment, the rear panel portion 8c slopes downward towards the rear, which further increases the vertical dimension of the opening 2b. Although not shown, the left edge of the opening 2b is formed by the rear edge of the left side wall of the vehicle body 2, and the right edge of the opening 2b is formed by the rear edge of the right side wall of the vehicle body 2. The opening 2b can be used not only for boarding and alighting the wheelchair 50, but also for storing luggage in the passenger compartment R or for unloading luggage from the passenger compartment R.

[0031] As described above, the vertical dimension of the opening 2b is long, so the rear of the vehicle body 2 is provided not only with a back door 7 for opening and closing the opening 2b, but also with a tailgate 15. The upper edge of the back door 7 is supported so as to be rotatable around an upper shaft 7a that extends in the vehicle width direction relative to the upper edge of the opening 2b, i.e., the rear edge of the roof portion 2a. Examples of members having the upper shaft 7a include hinges, and the upper edge of the back door 7 is attached to the rear edge of the roof portion 2a via the hinges.

[0032] A window glass 7b is provided in the upper part of the back door 7. The rearward view of the vehicle is ensured through the window glass 7b. The lower edge of the back door 7 when closed is separated upward from the lower edge of the opening 2b, and the part of the opening 2b below the lower edge of the back door 7 is closed by the tailgate 15.

[0033] The tailgate 15 is composed of a member that is elongated in the left-right direction. The lower edge of the tailgate 15 is supported so as to be rotatable around a lower shaft 15a that extends in the vehicle width direction relative to the lower edge of the opening 2b, i.e., the rear edge of the rear panel portion 8c. An example of a member having a lower shaft 15a is a hinge, and the lower edge of the tailgate 15 is attached to the rear edge of the rear panel portion 8c via the hinge.

[0034] As shown in Figure 2, the tailgate 15 in the open position is positioned to protrude rearward from near the lower edge of the opening 2b and to tilt downward toward the rear. Although not shown, latch mechanisms are provided on both the left and right sides of the tailgate 15 in the closed position. When the tailgate 15 is closed, the latch mechanisms engage with strikers fixed to the vehicle body 2, holding the tailgate 15 closed. The latch mechanisms can be operated from the outside by an operating handle (not shown), and the tailgate 15 can be opened by operating the operating handle. The back door 7 is configured to be able to engage with and disengage from the upper part of the closed tailgate 15 by the latch mechanism and striker. The back door 7 can also be opened from the outside by operating an operating handle (not shown). Such configurations of the back door 7 and tailgate 15 are conventionally known.

[0035] At the rear of the vehicle body 2, a ramp device 20 is provided, which is attached to the interior surface of the tailgate 15 and forms a wheelchair access passage S (shown in Figure 2) for boarding and alighting. Figures 2 and 3 show the ramp device 20 deployed outside the vehicle to form the access passage S, creating an inclined access passage S. In this state, the wheelchair 50 can be boarded and alighted using the ramp device 20. The wheelchair 50 can be boarded by moving forward and alighted by moving backward.

[0036] The wheelchair-accessible vehicle 1 is either a rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive vehicle. Therefore, the wheelchair-accessible vehicle 1 is equipped with a rear axle 41 for transmitting driving force to the left and right rear wheels 40 (only the right rear wheel is shown in each figure). The rear axle 41, although not shown, includes a left drive shaft connected to the left rear wheel 40, a right drive shaft connected to the right rear wheel 40, a differential gear 41a disposed between the left and right drive shafts, and a casing 41b that houses the left and right drive shafts and the differential gear 41a. Since the outer diameter of the differential gear 41a is larger than the outer diameter of the left and right drive shafts, the vertical dimension of the left-right intermediate portion (the portion housing the differential gear 41a) of the casing 41b of the rear axle 41 is set to be longer than the vertical dimensions of the left and right portions of the casing 41b. Therefore, the middle section of the casing 41b of the rear axle 41 is raised upward compared to the left and right sections.

[0037] On the other hand, the rear panel portion 8c of the floor panel 8 is designed to be as low as possible to accommodate a wheelchair 50, and therefore slopes downwards towards the rear. Lowering the rear panel portion 8c in this way may cause it to come into contact with, or interfere with, the portion of the rear axle 41 casing 41b that houses the differential gear 41a. A fuel tank (not shown) is located in front of the rear axle 41 below the rear panel portion 8c.

[0038] In this embodiment, a bulge 8d is formed in the middle of the rear panel 8c in the vehicle width direction, and below the bulge 8d on the floor panel 8 is the portion of the rear axle 41 that houses the differential gear 41a. The formation of the bulge 8d prevents the middle portion of the casing 41b of the rear axle 41 from interfering with the rear panel 8c, even when the suspension is in full stroke. In other words, the size of the bulge 8d and the height of the bulge 8d from the reference plane are set so that even if the casing 41b of the rear axle 41 moves to the upper limit of its range of motion, the middle portion of the casing 41b in the left-right direction does not come into contact with the rear panel 8c. The bulge 8d can also be called a bulge-shaped portion.

[0039] The portion of the rear panel section 8c of the floor panel 8 that is further rear than the bulge 8d is inclined so that it is positioned lower towards the rear. The front end of the deployed ramp device 20 is continuous with the portion of the rear panel section 8c that is further rear of the vehicle than the bulge 8d.

[0040] The bulge 8d is positioned between the front wheel 52 on the right side of the wheelchair 50 and the front wheel 52 on the left side of the wheelchair 50, and is located in an area where the left and right front wheels 52 of the wheelchair 50 do not roll when getting on or off the wheelchair 50. Furthermore, the rear of the wheelchair 50 is provided with rear wheels 54 on both the left and right sides. The bulge 8d is positioned between the right rear wheel 54 and the left rear wheel 54 of the wheelchair 50, and is located in an area where the left and right rear wheels 54 of the wheelchair 50 do not roll when getting on or off the wheelchair 50. Therefore, the bulge 8d does not come into contact with the left and right front wheels 52 or the left and right rear wheels 54 when getting on or off the wheelchair 50.

[0041] An anchor bar 53 is provided in the middle of the wheelchair 50 in the front-to-rear direction. The anchor bar 53 is a component that prevents the wheelchair 50, when mounted on the wheelchair-carrying vehicle 1, from moving forward from its predetermined mounting position. Specifically, a hook mechanism 60 having a shape that opens to the rear is provided in the middle of the rear panel portion 8c of the floor panel 8 in the left-to-right direction. When the wheelchair 50 is mounted in the predetermined mounting position, the hook mechanism 60 engages with the anchor bar 53 from the front to hold the wheelchair 50. When lowering the wheelchair 50, the anchor bar 53 is disengaged from the hook mechanism 60 by moving the wheelchair 50 backward.

[0042] Since the anchor bar 53 protrudes downward from the middle of the wheelchair 50 in the left-right direction, there is a risk that it may interfere with the bulge 8d of the rear panel 8c when getting on or off the wheelchair 50. In this embodiment, a first inclined surface 8e is formed in front of the bulge 8d of the rear panel 8c of the floor panel 8, and in the area where the front wheels 52 of the wheelchair 50 roll, to suppress interference between the anchor bar 53 and the bulge 8d. Since the front of the wheelchair 50 is provided with front wheels 52 on both the left and right sides, the area of ​​the rear panel 8c where the front wheels 52 of the wheelchair 50 roll is the right side and left side of the bulge 8d of the rear panel 8c, and is the outer part in the vehicle width direction of the floor panel 8 compared to the bulge 8d. This outer part in the vehicle width direction of the floor panel 8 compared to the bulge 8d is formed lower than the bulge 8d. The areas on which the left and right front wheels 52 of the wheelchair 50 roll are the right side and left side of the bulging portion 8d of the rear panel portion 8c, and a first inclined surface 8e is formed on both of these areas.

[0043] The first inclined surface 8e is a surface for raising the left and right front wheels 52 of the wheelchair 50 until the anchor bar 53, which is located in the middle of the wheelchair 50 in the front-rear direction, is not in contact with the bulge 8d. The first inclined surface 8e is formed such that the position of the front end of the first inclined surface 8e is higher than the upper end of the bulge 8d. That is, Figure 7 shows the state in the process of placing the wheelchair 50, with the anchor bar 53 positioned behind the bulge 8d. If the wheelchair 50 is moved further forward from the state shown in Figure 7, it will reach the state shown in Figure 8. In Figure 8, the wheelchair 50 has moved forward until the anchor bar 53 is directly above the bulge 8d. At this time, the left and right front wheels 52 of the wheelchair 50 are rolling on the first inclined surface 8e, so the front of the wheelchair 50 rises, and the anchor bar 53 rises accordingly, so the anchor bar 53 passes a predetermined distance above the upper surface of the bulge 8d. Thus, the inclination angle and height position of the first inclined surface 8e are determined so that the anchor bar 53 passes a predetermined distance above the upper surface of the bulge 8d. The front end of the first inclined surface 8e is positioned in the front-rear direction so that the front of the wheelchair 50 does not drop until the anchor bar 53 has passed over the bulge 8d. In other words, the first inclined surface 8e is a guide surface that guides the front wheels 52 of the wheelchair 50 so that the anchor bar 53 does not come into contact with the bulge 8d.

[0044] As shown in Figure 4, the rear panel portion 8c of the floor panel 8 has a second inclined surface 8f that extends forward from the front end of the first inclined surface 8e while sloping downward. The position of the second inclined surface 8f in the front-rear direction is determined so that when a wheelchair 50 is placed on it, the front wheels 52 roll on the second inclined surface 8f when the anchor bar 53 has passed the bulge portion 8d. This allows the front of the wheelchair 50 to be lowered without the anchor bar 53 coming into contact with the bulge portion 8d, bringing the riding posture of the wheelchair 50 closer to a natural posture. Also, because the second inclined surface 8f extends forward while sloping downward, the front wheels 52 of the wheelchair 50 roll forward as they move downward. As a result, the posture of the wheelchair 50 approaches horizontal, allowing the wheelchair 50 to be in a more comfortable position.

[0045] The rear panel portion 8c of the floor panel 8 has a third inclined surface 8g formed thereon, which is inclined so that it is positioned higher towards the front from the front end of the second inclined surface 8f. By forming the third inclined surface 8g so that the front wheels 52 of the wheelchair 50 reach the third inclined surface 8g when the wheelchair 50 has moved forward to a predetermined mounting position, it is possible to prevent the wheelchair 50 from moving too far forward.

[0046] The first inclined surface 8e, the second inclined surface 8f, and the third inclined surface 8g are formed continuously in the front-rear direction, and when the wheelchair 50 is placed on it, the front wheels 52 roll over each surface in the order of the first inclined surface 8e, the second inclined surface 8f, and the third inclined surface 8g. Therefore, the wheelchair 50 can be smoothly moved to the predetermined loading position. The second inclined surface 8f and the third inclined surface 8g may be provided as needed, and the second inclined surface 8f and the third inclined surface 8g may be omitted, or only the third inclined surface 8g may be omitted.

[0047] The first inclined surface 8e, the second inclined surface 8f, and the third inclined surface 8g are each composed of flat surfaces. The inclination angles of the first inclined surface 8e, the second inclined surface 8f, and the third inclined surface 8g are not particularly limited, but for example, the inclination angle of the first inclined surface 8e can be set to 10° or more and 15° or less, the inclination angle of the second inclined surface 8f can be set to 2° or more and 5° or less, and the inclination angle of the third inclined surface 8g can be set to 5° or more and 15° or less.

[0048] When lowering the wheelchair 50, the front wheels 52 of the wheelchair 50 roll on the first inclined surface 8e, causing the front of the wheelchair 50 to rise, and consequently the anchor bar 53 also rises, so the anchor bar 53 does not come into contact with the bulging portion 8d. When lowering the wheelchair 50, its own weight can be used to smoothly move it to the inclined surface of the ramp device 20.

[0049] (Effects of the embodiment) As described above, according to this embodiment, by forming a bulge 8d on the rear panel portion 8c of the floor panel 8, the rear panel portion 8c can be lowered while avoiding interference between the portion of the rear axle 41 housing the differential gear 41a and the rear panel portion 8c.

[0050] A first inclined surface 8e is formed in front of the bulging portion 8d in the rear panel portion 8c of the floor panel 8, and outward in the vehicle width direction, thereby raising the front of the wheelchair 80 when getting on or off. As a result, the anchor bar 53 does not interfere with the bulging portion 8d, and the wheelchair 50 can get on and off smoothly.

[0051] Furthermore, the floor panel 8 has a second inclined surface 8f that slopes downward from the front end of the first inclined surface 8e and extends forward. As a result, after the anchor bar 53 passes the bulging portion 8d, the wheelchair 50 approaches a horizontal position. This allows the occupant 51 of the wheelchair 50 to assume a comfortable posture.

[0052] Furthermore, the floor panel 8 has a third inclined surface 8g that slopes upward from the front end of the second inclined surface 8f towards the front. Therefore, when the wheelchair 50 moves forward to a predetermined mounting position, the front wheels 52 of the wheelchair 50 reach the third inclined surface 8g, and the third inclined surface 8g can prevent the wheelchair 50 from moving too far forward.

[0053] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative in all respects and should not be interpreted restrictively. Furthermore, any modifications or changes that fall within the equivalent scope of the claims are all within the scope of the present invention. For example, the rear seat 6 can be omitted. The present invention can also be applied to a vehicle with three rows of seats. Moreover, the bulge 8d does not have to be a bulge that avoids contact with the portion of the casing 41b of the rear axle 41 that houses the differential gear 41a, but may be any bulge formed on the floor panel 8. [Industrial applicability]

[0054] As described above, the present invention can be used in wheelchair-accessible vehicles that have a space for carrying wheelchairs at the rear of the vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1. Wheelchair-accessible vehicles 2b opening 8 Floor Panels 8d bulge 8e 1st slope 8f 2nd slope 8g 3rd slope 41 Rear axle 41a Differential gear 50 wheelchairs

Claims

1. A wheelchair-accessible vehicle having an opening formed at the rear of the vehicle body for loading and unloading a wheelchair, and configured to allow the wheelchair loaded through the opening to be positioned behind the driver's seat in the passenger compartment, The floor panel is provided with an upward-bulging portion formed in the middle of the vehicle width direction, extending forward from the lower edge of the aforementioned opening, A wheelchair-carrying vehicle, wherein a first inclined surface is formed in the floor panel on the front side of the vehicle beyond the bulge, and in the part where the front wheels of the wheelchair roll, for raising the front wheels until an anchor bar provided in the middle of the wheelchair in the front-to-rear direction is not in contact with the bulge.

2. In the wheelchair-equipped vehicle according to claim 1, A wheelchair-accessible vehicle, wherein the portion of the floor panel that is outside the bulge in the vehicle width direction is formed to be lower than the bulge and is the portion on which the wheelchair wheels roll.

3. In the wheelchair-equipped vehicle according to claim 1, A wheelchair-accessible vehicle, wherein the floor panel has a second inclined surface that slopes downward from the front end of the first inclined surface and extends toward the front of the vehicle.

4. In the wheelchair-equipped vehicle according to claim 3, A wheelchair-accessible vehicle, wherein the floor panel has a third inclined surface formed thereon, which is inclined so as to be positioned higher from the front end of the second inclined surface toward the front of the vehicle.

5. In the wheelchair-equipped vehicle according to claim 1, A wheelchair-accessible vehicle, wherein the portion housing the differential gear of the rear axle is located below the bulging portion of the floor panel.

6. In the wheelchair-equipped vehicle according to claim 1, A wheelchair-accessible vehicle, wherein the portion of the floor panel rearward from the bulging portion is sloped downward towards the rear of the vehicle.

7. In the wheelchair-equipped vehicle according to claim 1, A wheelchair-accessible vehicle, wherein the first inclined surface is formed such that the position of the front end of the first inclined surface is higher than the upper end of the bulging portion.

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