Lifting device, method for lifting and lowering loads, and motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a lifting device, to a method for lifting and lowering loads, and to a motor vehicle equipped with the lifting device. The lifting device (10) is used for lifting and lowering loads (1) on a motor vehicle and comprises at least one firm or compactable load-receiving element (20) and, located beneath the latter, a plurality of fluid-receiving chambers (30), which are arranged in at least one plane (31, 32), for receiving fluid and, when fluid is received or fluid is dispensed, change their volume and thus their respective height (33) and are thereby capable of changing the height position of the load-receiving element (20) and of a load (1) received on the load-receiving element (20).

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Lifting device, method for lifting and lowering loads and motor vehicle

[0003] The invention relates to a lifting device, a method for lifting and lowering loads, and a motor vehicle equipped with the lifting device.

[0004] It is known that getting into motor vehicles can be difficult for people with walking disabilities, especially if they require wheelchairs or walking aids. Loading and unloading heavy loads into and out of motor vehicles can also cause physical problems.

[0005] To facilitate these processes, various devices are known, such as ramps or mechanically or electrically operated lifts.

[0006] However, such devices have the disadvantage of being relatively large in volume and weight, making their transport in motor vehicles problematic. If these devices are intended as stationary installations, the disadvantage of limited availability arises.

[0007] DE102021122696A1 discloses a land vehicle comprising a ramp that can be provided in an access area of ​​the land vehicle designed for the entry and / or exit of persons, for overcoming a height difference between a ground area surrounding the land vehicle and an interior of the land vehicle, wherein the ramp comprises an inflatable air cushion.

[0008] Such ramps have the disadvantage that, due to the incline of the ramp, there is a risk of accidents when driving or walking on them.

[0009] The present invention is based on the objective of providing a lifting device, a motor vehicle equipped with this lifting device, and a method for lifting and lowering loads, with which loads can be lifted and lowered in a simple, space-saving, weight-saving, and flexible manner.

[0010] This problem is solved by the lifting device according to claim 1, by the motor vehicle according to claim 10 and by the method for lifting and lowering loads according to claim 9.

[0011] Advantageous embodiments of the lifting device are specified in dependent claims 2-8. A first aspect of the invention is a lifting device for raising and lowering loads on a motor vehicle, comprising at least one fixed or solidifiable load-bearing element and several fluid receiving chambers arranged in at least one plane below it for receiving fluid, which change their volume and thus their respective height when receiving or discharging fluid and are thereby able to change the height position of the load-bearing element and a load held on the load-bearing element.

[0012] Accordingly, the lifting device is designed to increase the volume and thus the height of the fluid intake chambers when fluid is taken in, thereby raising a load arranged on the load-bearing element, and to decrease the volume and thus the height of the fluid intake chambers when fluid is discharged from them, thereby lowering a load arranged on the load-bearing element.

[0013] The load in question can be understood to be at least one object and / or one person. The strength of the load-bearing element refers to its bending and / or torsional strength, either inherent in the element or imparted by suitable measures. The load-bearing element can consist of a fixed, rigid base or platform, or it can comprise several segments that are movable relative to one another.

[0014] The arrangement of the fluid intake chambers beneath the load-bearing element relates to the lifting device in its operational configuration when lifting and lowering loads. The shapes of the fluid intake chambers can be changed by receiving and discharging fluid. The fluid intake chambers may include valves for supplying and / or discharging fluid.

[0015] The increase in volume of the fluid receiving chambers is made possible by a low flexural stiffness of the material of the fluid receiving chambers, which allows a change in shape of the fluid receiving chambers when filled with fluid, such as air.

[0016] The material forming each fluid intake chamber can be a material insensitive to sharp objects, e.g. PVC, soft PVC (PVC-P) or woven, coated fabrics such as Kevlar, possibly with reinforcing elements.

[0017] For example, the material used for the fluid collection chambers could be that of an inflatable boat or a lifting cushion. The fluid collection chambers could, for instance, be designed as pneumatic cushions. The fluid collection chambers could be supported directly or indirectly on the ground. At least two of the fluid collection chambers could be filled with fluid separately, or several fluid collection chambers could be fluidically connected in such a way that they could be filled with fluid simultaneously.

[0018] The lifting device serves, for example, to move the load-bearing element to the height of a vehicle's access area and to ground level, thus overcoming the height difference between the vehicle's access area and ground level, to facilitate or enable entry and / or exit from vehicles. If necessary, a small step and thus a minimal height difference between ground level and the surface of the load-bearing element may remain, which can, however, be overcome even by a person with walking difficulties.

[0019] The lifting device may include a pumping device, which may be located inside the vehicle, or outside the vehicle, and / or may be powered by a vehicle-specific energy supply such as a battery.

[0020] The lifting device facilitates entry and exit for people using walking aids such as wheelchairs, walkers or crutches, as it allows them to enter and / or drive onto the lifting device as easily as possible and be raised to the level of the access area or lowered to ground level, where they can easily leave the lifting device.

[0021] The fluid collection chambers can be arranged in multiple planes. Each plane, characterizing the arrangement of the fluid collection chambers in a given plane, runs through the center of the fluid collection chambers.

[0022] Depending on the design and intended stroke, one fluid intake chamber per level may be sufficient, for example, in the case of relatively low heights of the fluid intake chambers, and / or skillful clamping of the fluid intake chambers.

[0023] If the fluid collection chambers are arranged on multiple levels, these levels can be horizontally aligned in the operating position of the lifting device. However, it is not impossible that there may also be levels of fluid collection chambers arranged perpendicular to each other.

[0024] Furthermore, at least two fluid collection chambers arranged in the same plane and adjacent to each other can share at least one common fluid collection chamber boundary wall. At least some of the fluid collection chambers can each have an elongated shape. These fluid collection chambers can be tubular, sack-like, or of a similar elongated shape.

[0025] Furthermore, the fluid receiving chambers can be oriented at an angle to each other in at least two adjacent fluid receiving chamber planes. This angled arrangement can be implemented, for example, at an angle of 70°–110°, such as 90°. This allows for nesting of fluid receiving chambers, enabling a load introduced from above to be supported by mutually supporting fluid receiving chambers. This also has the advantage that if a fluid receiving chamber fails due to leaking fluid, only minimal overall compliance of the lifting device is noticeable. The lifting device can also include at least one position sensor to determine the orientation or inclination of the load-bearing element. Such a position sensor can be either a vehicle-mounted version or an integrated version within one or more fluid receiving chambers.

[0026] An advantageous embodiment of the lifting device provides that the lifting device includes a control device for controlling the supply and / or discharge of fluid into and / or out of the fluid receiving chambers. The control device serves for the successive supply and / or discharge of fluid into and / or out of the fluid receiving chambers in at least two adjacent fluid receiving chamber layers.

[0027] Furthermore, the control device can be configured to allow different fluid intake chambers of at least one plane to be supplied with different fluid volume flows and / or to allow different fluid volume flows to flow out of the fluid intake chambers of at least one plane when the inclination of the load-bearing element is detected above a defined inclination limit.

[0028] The control device can also include the function of a regulating device to automatically keep the inclination within a permissible, low range.

[0029] Furthermore, the lifting device can include a center of gravity detection device for detecting the center of gravity axis of a load located on the load-bearing element. The control device is configured to supply the fluid intake chambers located closer to the center of gravity axis with more fluid than those located further away, in order to counteract uneven weight distribution on the load-bearing element and thus prevent impermissible tilting of the load-bearing element. In a supplementary embodiment of the lifting device, it can be provided that it includes a flexible connecting element, for example in the form of a wide strap or cloth, which is connected or connectable to the load-bearing element and to an entry area of ​​the vehicle.This flexible connecting element can be used, for example, to prevent the feet of people in wheelchairs from getting under the entry area and becoming trapped when lifting the load-bearing element.

[0030] Furthermore, in the event that the entire lifting device is stowed in a vehicle intermediate floor, the connecting element allows one end of the connecting element to remain as a winding core in the intermediate floor or to be fixed there, and the remaining area of ​​the connecting element leads outwards and downwards over one or more steps of the entry area and is attached with its other end to the lifting device or to the load-bearing element.

[0031] Furthermore, the lifting device may include a measuring device for determining the distance of the lifting device itself to a curb; for the purpose of supplying a defined fluid volume into specific fluid receiving chambers in order to adapt the shape of the lifting device to the shape and size of the curb.

[0032] The control device can be configured to direct different fluid flow rates into different fluid intake chambers on at least one level at a defined distance from a curb, and / or to allow different fluid flow rates to flow out of the fluid intake chambers on at least one level. This makes it possible to measure the geometry of a pickup point when a vehicle equipped with the lifting device approaches it. This allows the geometric dimensions of any gap between the curb and the vehicle, or the vertical distance between the curb, gutter, and vehicle, to be determined.Similarly, some fluid intake chambers can be supplied with fluid to close this gap between the curb and the vehicle, thereby achieving greater stiffness of the lifting device than if the lifting device merely bridged the gap between the curb and the vehicle.

[0033] The lifting device can also include a leak detection system that uses reference pressure measurements in individual fluid collection chambers to determine which chamber might be leaking. This allows for targeted fluid replenishment and / or early servicing. External fluid collection chambers are particularly critical in this regard, as damage to these can allow fluid to escape unhindered. The upper and lower surfaces of the lifting device and the fluid collection chambers are subject to high mechanical stress as a result.

[0034] If pressure monitoring is solely for the purpose of achieving defined pressure conditions in the fluid receiving chambers for optimal alignment of the load-bearing element, a comparatively low level of measurement effort is required. In this case, one or a few large, external fluid receiving chambers pressurized with a reference pressure are sufficient. If the reference pressure changes over a defined time interval without any change in the load within these fluid receiving chambers, this may indicate a service issue.

[0035] If fluid is to be supplied to leaking fluid receiving chambers to improve the stability of the lifting device, then the pressure change of individual fluid receiving chambers should be monitored in the static state - with or without a stationary load.

[0036] The load-bearing element can comprise several mechanically interconnected load-bearing element parts, which are movably arranged about at least one axis running parallel to the plane of the load-bearing element. In this embodiment of the lifting device, the load-bearing element is therefore multi-part.

[0037] The plane of the load-bearing element is the flat surface of the load-bearing element in its operating arrangement or orientation for lifting and lowering loads.

[0038] The axis can be aligned parallel to an entry side of the vehicle, so that the load-bearing element and its fluid intake chambers arranged on it can roll out and in perpendicular to this entry side, and the lifting device can thus be stored in a rolled-up form on or in the vehicle.

[0039] The load-bearing element components have a high bending stiffness, so that under an expected payload, which can be represented, for example, by a person in a wheelchair, and its distribution on the load-bearing element components, no impermissible deflection of the load-bearing element occurs.

[0040] For example, the load-bearing element components can be designed as lamellae and aligned parallel to each other. Smaller load-bearing element components, for improved stowage, can be interconnected elements similar to a grid of tiles, with a greater surface area than thickness. The connection between the load-bearing element components can be made via the top, bottom, or surrounding sides. A non-stretchable connection beneath load-bearing element components arranged without gaps can be advantageously used, allowing the components to support each other and resulting in minimal deflection under load. The size of the individual load-bearing element components depends on the required stowage volume. The largest possible dimension for the required stowage volume should be aimed for to ensure minimal deflection when driven over.

[0041] Another embodiment of the load-bearing element provides that the load-bearing element comprises several mechanically interconnected load-bearing element parts, which are designed by several load-bearing fluid receiving chambers.

[0042] This embodiment thus represents a variant of the lifting device in which fluid receiving chambers are not only located below the load-bearing element, but the load-bearing element itself comprises several load-bearing fluid receiving chambers.

[0043] By cleverly aligning and subdividing the pressure cushions created by these load-bearing fluid chambers, sufficient stability of the load-bearing element can be achieved. This design offers the particular advantage of low weight and space requirements when stowed in less expansive spaces. This is especially beneficial when the lifting device or its load-bearing element cannot be stowed in, on, or under the vehicle due to its large surface area.

[0044] Depending on the orientation of the load-bearing fluid intake chambers, these can also be used by supplying fluid to unroll the rolled-up load-bearing element formed from the load-bearing fluid intake chambers and thus extend it in a plane.

[0045] An embodiment of the lifting device designed with load-bearing fluid intake chambers provides that the surface of the load-bearing element is formed solely by load-bearing fluid intake chambers aligned parallel to each other.

[0046] Another embodiment of the lifting device with load-bearing fluid chambers provides that the load-bearing element comprises load-bearing fluid chambers arranged parallel to one another, forming the load-bearing surface of the load-bearing element, and further load-bearing fluid chambers arranged essentially perpendicular to these load-bearing fluid chambers forming the load-bearing surface. In this embodiment, when the lifting device is in use, the further load-bearing fluid chambers extend from the side of the entry area in the vehicle, so that when fluid is supplied to these further load-bearing fluid chambers, they can be moved from a coiled state to an uncoiled state, thereby carrying the load-bearing fluid chambers forming the load-bearing surface with them and thus forming the load-bearing element, which extends essentially in one plane.

[0047] The load-bearing element may further comprise at least one coil spring and / or a belt to enable or facilitate retraction of the load-bearing element. If necessary, retraction of the load-bearing element can occur automatically using the coil spring.

[0048] The clock spring can be supported by one or more straps, provided these are loosely placed on the lifting device starting from the vehicle, led around it under the lifting device back to the vehicle, and fixed there.

[0049] As fluid escapes from the fluid collection chambers, the coil springs dictate the movement: The outer end of the lifting device initiates the winding motion, rotating upwards and then towards the vehicle, while the upper belts support this movement with even tension. Once the lifting device is wound up to the vehicle, the belt can compress the package and also lift it relative to the fixed points of the lower belts.

[0050] In a special embodiment, it is provided that at least some of the load-bearing fluid intake chambers are made of drop-stitch material.

[0051] If the load-bearing element is designed with flexible load-bearing fluid chambers as described above, stowage, for example, in a tube-shaped cavity is also conceivable. This cavity can also be rotated 90° in the direction of travel of the vehicle. This would allow a connecting element intended as pinch protection to remain permanently in its position or to be inserted into a keder in the area of ​​the vehicle's access or a step there only when needed.

[0052] The aforementioned tubular cavity could be located inside the vehicle. This tubular cavity could have a ring-shaped element at its opening, through which the compressed lifting device could be drawn into the tubular cavity with minimal wear.

[0053] The insertion and removal can be accomplished using simple pulling elements.

[0054] The lifting device thus provides a fluid-supported rigid plane or surface on which a load, in the form of an object and / or a person, can be positioned and raised and lowered. The lifting device, or load-bearing element, can be moved and positioned from within a vehicle, and the load-bearing element can be placed on the ground, a road surface, or a sidewalk. This leaves only a minimal step height to the waiting position, for example, for a wheelchair, determined by the height of the load-bearing element itself and any fluid collection chambers located beneath it. In this way, a wheelchair user can easily access the surface formed by the load-bearing element.A fluid is then introduced into an elastic system consisting of several fluid collection chambers located beneath the load-bearing element. This causes the fluid collection chambers to expand and increase in height, raising the load-bearing element, including the wheelchair and the person inside, to the level of the vehicle's passenger compartment. The wheelchair can then be easily rolled into the vehicle from this elevated position.

[0055] The lifting device described here, when carried in a motor vehicle, only needs to be moved in and out of the vehicle and roughly positioned; it requires no cantilever arms or similar structures for lifting loads of up to 300 kg. The direct support of the fluid-bearing load-handling element on the floor eliminates the need for a bulky and cumbersome construction. If ambient air is used as the fluid, both special leakage protection measures and the space required for carrying a liquid within the vehicle are unnecessary.

[0056] The lifting mechanism's full-surface contact with the ground prevents slippage of point bearings on uneven surfaces, a problem that can sometimes occur with conventional systems. The lifting mechanism requires very little storage space in the vehicle. As an accessory, it can be easily deployed to the desired location and semi-automatically demonstrates its advantages: lightweight, compact size, ability to overcome significant height differences, and usability on various locations and vehicles.

[0057] Another aspect of the present invention is a method for lifting and lowering loads, in which a described lifting device is provided, a load is arranged on the load-bearing element, and the volume and thus the respective heights of the fluid-bearing chambers are changed by fluid intake or fluid discharge into or from the fluid-bearing chambers, thereby changing the height position of the load-bearing element and a load held on the load-bearing element.

[0058] If necessary, the alignment or leveling of the load-bearing element should preferably be carried out near the ground.

[0059] The invention is further enhanced by a motor vehicle comprising at least one described lifting device. The motor vehicle can be at least partially autonomously operated and / or at least partially electrically powered.

[0060] In an advantageous embodiment, the motor vehicle is a bus, a minibus or a van.

[0061] The lifting device can be stored, for example, in a vehicle's intermediate floor when packed away.

[0062] The vehicle can be designed in such a way that, when stationary, it can tilt around a longitudinal axis to adapt to any inclination of the load-bearing element. The vehicle may also be equipped with an air suspension system.

[0063] On slightly sloping roads, a reasonable proportion of the incline reduction could then be taken over by the vehicle.

[0064] Furthermore, the vehicle may be equipped with a pump or a fluid reservoir to supply fluid to the fluid intake chambers. Equipping the vehicle with a pump would have the additional advantage that it could be powered by the vehicle's electrical system.

[0065] The invention will be explained below with reference to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0066] They show

[0067] Figure 1: the loaded lifting device in perspective view before use,

[0068] Figure 2: the lifting device in perspective view during use, Figure 3: the lifting device in perspective view before use on a curb,

[0069] Figure 4: the lifting device in perspective view when used at a curb, and

[0070] Figure 5: an alternative embodiment of the lifting device in perspective view when used on a curb.

[0071] First, the general structure of the lifting device 10 is explained using Figures 1-5.

[0072] The lifting device 10 comprises a load-bearing element 20, which, in the embodiments shown in Figures 1-4, has several load-bearing element parts 21 designed as lamellae 22, which are mechanically connected to one another, so that the load-bearing element 20 is bendable about the longitudinal axis of the lamellae 22 and can therefore be stored with a small volume requirement. To enable this bendability and stowability, the load-bearing element 20 includes two further load-bearing fluid receiving chambers arranged parallel to each other on its upper surfaces, which stiffen when fluid is supplied and thereby also fix the load-bearing element parts 21 to one another and consequently also lead to a stiffening of the load-bearing element 20.

[0073] Figure 5 shows an alternative embodiment in which the load-bearing element 20 is designed as a rigid plate which additionally has stiffening elements 24 arranged parallel to each other on its upper side.

[0074] The load-bearing element 20 is designed to be loaded from above with a load 1, which is only indicated in Figure 1. This load 1 can be, for example, the weight of a person, an object, or the weight of a combination of a person and an object, such as a wheelchair user.

[0075] The lifting device 10 shown in Figures 1-5 comprises several fluid receiving chambers 30 below the load-bearing element 20. These fluid receiving chambers 30 are arranged in at least one plane, as shown in Figure 1 in a horizontal plane 31.

[0076] The fluid receiving chambers 30 indicated in a horizontal plane 31 in Figure 1 are non-expanded fluid receiving chambers 41 in the state shown here. Due to the non-expansion of the fluid receiving chambers 30, they have a small volume and consequently also a small height 33, so that it is easy to move the load 1 onto the load-bearing element 20, for example by driving onto it.

[0077] By expanding the fluid receiving chambers 30 through the introduction of fluid into their cavities, their respective heights 33 are altered, as illustrated in Figure 2. It is also evident that expanded fluid receiving chambers 40 are arranged in several horizontal planes 31 below the load-bearing element 20. The orientation of the fluid receiving chambers 30 directly below the load-bearing element 20 is perpendicular to the orientations of the fluid receiving chambers 30 in the horizontal planes 31 below. This change in orientation improves the stiffness of the entire lifting device 10. Due to the dense and regular arrangement of the fluid receiving chambers 30, they are also arranged in several perpendicular planes 32 relative to one another. Adjacent fluid receiving chambers 30 can share common fluid receiving chamber boundary walls 34.

[0078] It is evident that the expansion of the fluid receiving chambers 30 has significantly increased the height of the lifting device 10, so that the top of the load-bearing element 20 is at the same height level as an entry area of ​​a motor vehicle 60 indicated next to the lifting device 10, so that a load (not shown) can be easily moved from the load-bearing element 20 to the entry area 60 or vice versa.

[0079] When using the lifting device 10, there may be a distance or gap between the entry area of ​​a motor vehicle 60 and a curb 50 bordering a footpath 51, as shown in Figures 3-5.

[0080] In such a situation, the lifting device 10 allows only some of the fluid receiving chambers to be supplied with fluid, so that only a subset of the fluid receiving chambers 30 form expanded fluid receiving chambers 40. In this way, it is possible to adapt the shape of the lifting device 10 to the shape and size of a gap between the entry area of ​​a motor vehicle 60 and the curb 50.

[0081] Alternatively or additionally, individual fluid intake chambers 30 can be supplied with relatively little fluid, so that these fluid intake chambers only increase their height section by section when fluid is added, as illustrated in Figure 3 by the fluid intake chambers arranged in the plane directly below the load-bearing element 20. In this situation, it is evident that the height difference between the walkway 51 and the top of the load-bearing element 20 is minimal, so that the load-bearing element 20 can be easily walked or driven over.By expanding more fluid receiving chambers 30 than shown in Figure 3 and / or by completely expanding fluid receiving chambers shown in Figure 3, the load-bearing element 20 can then be raised so that it forms a step in relation to the surface of the walkway 51 and reaches the height level of the entry area of ​​a motor vehicle 60, so that a load located on the load-bearing element 20, which is not shown here, can be easily transported from the load-bearing element 20 to the entry area of ​​a motor vehicle 60, or transported in the opposite direction.

[0082] A corresponding situation is shown in Figure 5, where only the load-bearing element 20 has an alternative embodiment already described, with a rigid plate as a surface and rigid reinforcement elements 24.

[0083] Reference symbol list

[0084] load

[0085] Lifting device

[0086] Load-bearing element

[0087] Load-bearing element part

[0088] Lamella further load-bearing fluid absorption chamber

[0089] stiffening element

[0090] Fluid collection chamber

[0091] Horizontal plane

[0092] Vertical plane

[0093] Height of the fluid intake chamber

[0094] Fluid intake chamber boundary wall

[0095] Expanded fluid intake chamber

[0096] Non-expanded fluid receiving chamber

[0097] curb

[0098] sidewalk

[0099] Entry area of ​​a motor vehicle

Claims

Patent claims 1. Lifting device (10) for lifting and lowering loads (1) on a motor vehicle, comprising at least one fixed or solidifiable load-bearing element (20) and several fluid receiving chambers (30) arranged below it in at least one plane (31, 32) for receiving fluid, which change their volume and thus their respective height (33) when receiving or discharging fluid and are thereby able to change the height position of the load-bearing element (20) and a load (1) received on the load-bearing element (20), characterized in that the lifting device (10) includes a control device for controlling the supply and / or discharge of fluid into or out of thefrom the fluid receiving chambers (30), wherein the control device is configured to allow different fluid receiving chambers (30) of at least one plane (31,32) to be supplied with different fluid volume flows at a defined distance to a curb (50) and / or to allow different fluid volume flows to flow out of the fluid receiving chambers (30) of at least one plane (31,32).

2. Lifting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the fluid receiving chambers (30) are arranged in several levels (31, 32).

3. Lifting device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least some of the fluid receiving chambers (30) each have an elongated shape.

4. Lifting device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fluid receiving chambers (30) are aligned at least two mutually adjacent fluid receiving chamber planes (31, 32) at an angle to each other.

5. Lifting device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the load-bearing element (20) comprises several mechanically connected load-bearing element parts (21) which are movably arranged about at least one axis running parallel to the plane of the load-bearing element (20).

6. Lifting device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the load-bearing element (20) comprises several mechanically connected load-bearing element parts (21) which are designed by several load-bearing fluid receiving chambers.

7. Method for lifting and lowering loads, in which the lifting device 10 according to one of claims 1-6 is provided, a load (1) is arranged on the load-bearing element (20), and by fluid intake or fluid discharge into or from the fluid intake chambers (30) the volume and thus respective heights (33) of the fluid intake chambers (30) are changed and thereby the height position of the load-bearing element (20) and a load (1) received on the load-bearing element (20) is changed.

8. Motor vehicle comprising a lifting device (10) according to any one of claims 1-6.

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