Wheelchair Docking Frame With Movable Latch for Vehicle Clearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing passenger vehicles lack effective systems for safely and efficiently securing wheelchairs to vehicle floors, often resulting in reduced clearance, potential tipping, and the need for aftermarket modifications that can damage vehicle components and introduce contaminants.
Innovation Solution
A wheelchair docking system with a frame that moves between lowered and raised positions, featuring a coupler mechanism, latching mechanisms, and scissor assemblies, allowing secure engagement and adjustment to vehicle tracks without drilling, and includes actuators for controlled movement and release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a wheelchair docking system is installed in a passenger vehicle, then safety and clearance are enhanced by securely attaching wheelchairs to vehicle floors, but the device complexity increases due to the need for frame structures, latching mechanisms, and actuators
Solution Approach 1:
The docking system is divided into separate functional modules: a frame structure with upper and lower portions, a coupler mechanism for wheelchair engagement, a latching mechanism for securing, and actuators for movement control. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, improving overall reliability while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupler mechanism acts as an intermediary component between the wheelchair and the frame structure. It provides a dedicated interface for engagement, transferring loads and forces between the wheelchair and the docking system without requiring direct connection to the vehicle floor, thereby enhancing safety while simplifying the overall attachment process.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the upper portion of the frame is made movable between lowered and raised positions, then adaptability to various vehicle configurations is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the need for scissor assemblies and actuators
Solution Approach 1:
The upper portion of the frame is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to transition between lowered and raised positions. This dynamic capability enables the docking system to adapt to different vehicle configurations and wheelchair types. The movement is achieved through scissor assemblies that provide mechanical advantage and actuators that control the transition, balancing adaptability with controlled complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable frame design allows the same docking system to serve multiple functions: accommodating different wheelchair sizes, fitting various vehicle floor configurations, and providing both storage and active docking capabilities. The scissor assemblies and actuators enable a single device to perform multiple positions and functions, improving versatility without requiring separate systems for each configuration.
3Ease of operation
If a coupler mechanism is used to engage wheelchairs, then the ease of operation is improved by simplifying the docking process, but the device complexity increases due to the additional engagement components
Solution Approach 1:
The coupler mechanism is designed to automatically engage with the wheelchair when the wheelchair is positioned on the docking system. The latching mechanism can be actuated to secure the wheelchair without requiring manual intervention for each component, thereby simplifying the operation for the user while the system handles the complexity of the engagement process automatically.
Data Source
AI summary
A wheelchair docking system including a frame having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion being movable relative to the lower portion between a lowered position and a raised position. A coupler mechanism engages a wheelchair during a docking operation. The system also includes a first latching mechanism being movable between a retracted position and a latching position such that the first latching mechanism is spaced from the coupler mechanism. A second latching mechanism moves the upper portion of the frame between its lowered position and raised position. The first latching mechanism is partially retracted by a wheelchair during the docking operation, and the first latching mechanism is biased to its latching position when the coupler mechanism engages the wheelchair.