IMPROVED CENTRAL OVERHEAD RIG WITH CONTROL PANEL IN VEHICLES FOR TRANSPORTING DISABLED PEOPLE
TECHNICAL FIELD
5
The invention pertains to the technical field of vehicles and vehicle accessories intended for transporting people. In particular, the present invention relates to a device comprising two or more essentially parallel bars which can be easily attached to a ceiling in the interior of a vehicle suitable for transporting able and/or disabled 10 people, and to which a number of panels can be easily attached, these panels possibly comprising any combination of the following devices: control buttons and/or indicator lights for wheelchair and/or wheelchair passenger securing means, ventilation means, audio speakers, lighting, emergency buttons, emergency hammer, video screens, etc. The present device is versatile in the choice of panels 15 and can be easily installed in a modular way and in a way which increases the comfort, safety and felling of safety of the passengers.
BACKGROUND
20 Transporting one or more wheelchair passengers poses considerable problems with regards to ensuring their safety, comfort, well-being and feeling of well-being and equality. Furthermore, vehicles specifically manufactured for transporting wheelchair passengers can be very costly, and not economically or commercially viable. To address the need for transport vehicles for wheelchair passengers, a particularly 25 economical approach is to adapt vehicles which already exist or which are manufactured in a production line for other types of transport, such as able passenger transport or goods transport, to the needs for wheelchair passengers' transport, rather than to manufacture these vehicles on a large-scale production line. Such adapted vehicles can be custom made to the specific needs of the 30 transport of one or more wheelchair passengers, one or more able passengers, or a combination of able and disabled passengers.
However, making said custom made vehicles is a labor intensive work, since different types of vehicle may require different accessories and different techniques. 35 In the case of wheelchair passenger transport, accessories such as wheelchair and wheelchair passenger securing systems need to be installed along with other security measures, control buttons, indicator lights, dashboard controls, etc. Furthermore, the type and size of the vehicle is not always the same, resulting in the need for 1039040 2 accessories which are versatile in the sense that they can be installed in as many types of vehicles as possible.
There is therefore an existing need of versatile accessories for accommodating 5 wheelchair passengers. These accessories may comprise one or more foldable chairs, an adapted floor or floor plate, a wheelchair lift, wheelchair securing means such as wheelchair hooks attached to retractors in the floor or floor plate, wheelchair passenger securing means such as a safety-belt system which can be used by both an able passenger and a wheelchair passenger, etc. From this list, it is clear that a 10 lot of accessories are necessary to accommodate wheelchair passengers. This multitude of accessories may confuse an accompanying person, i.e. a person helping a wheelchair passenger to be installed correctly for transport, e.g. the driver of the vehicle, as to how to correctly and safely accommodate the wheelchair passenger. Since the transport is not always done by the same person, the transport vehicle and 15 system for securing wheelchair passengers should be safe in a way which is independent from who is driving the car and/or who is assisting the wheelchair passengers in their securement.
One special difficulty which arises is how the different securing systems can be 20 operated from the interior of the van, i.e. from within the passenger compartment, such that the assisting person does not need to move too many times from passenger compartment to e.g. the driver compartment to control the securing means. Another problem is that in prior art vehicles, the wheelchair and/or wheelchair securing means for securing a wheelchair and its passenger had to 25 operated one at a time, that the accompanying person had to kneel down or at least bend over to operate the wheelchair and/or wheelchair securing means and/or that the accompanying person sometimes had to use great force to remove the securing means from the wheelchair and/or its passenger after transport or even was not able to do this and had to e.g. cut the straps of the securing means. The latter problem is 30 very common since e.g. the wheelchair securing hooks and/or retractors can get very tightened because of accelerations and decelerations during transport. Therefore, it is a good idea to have control buttons and preferably also indicator lights for the securing means located within the passenger compartment. However, since the vehicles are custom made, i.e. adapted from existing vehicles, rather than 35 manufactured in a production line, it should be noted that it is not straightforward to integrate the control buttons and indicator lights with the interior of the passenger compartment, and this for every type of vehicle. Furthermore, it is necessary to integrate these well, since badly integrated control buttons and/or indicator lights 3 are prone to misuse, abuse or even vandalism, and may result in an unsafe transport. It may also lead to a feeling of insecurity by the passengers. Therefore, a professional, integrated set of control buttons and/or indicator lights increases passenger comfort and wellbeing. Furthermore, the indicator lights allow the 5 wheelchair passenger himself to monitor his securement status, thereby offering him a safer feeling and a certain degree of control.
To attain well-integrated buttons and/or lights in earlier custom-made transport vehicles, the ceiling had to be stripped from its cover, the buttons, lights and wiring 10 had to be incorporated in the ceiling frame and the cover had to be replaced. It is clear that such a labor-intensive procedure is costly and not always very versatile, since it could not be performed with all possible vehicles.
Furthermore, since the interior of vehicles for wheelchair passenger transport may 15 depend from one vehicle to the other, there is a need for a device which is easily installable in a transport vehicle, versatile in its placement, versatile in its functionality, but which also results in an well-integrated set of control buttons, indicator lights, and other passenger-comfort improving components.
20 The present invention aims to resolve at least some of the problems mentioned above.
The invention thereto aims to provide an improved central overhead rig with one or more control panels in vehicles for transporting disable people. The rig is easy to 25 attach the ceiling of a vehicle and its dimensions, preferably its longitudinal dimension, can be easily chosen. Furthermore, one or more panels can be attached to the rig with an easy to attach/detach mechanical system, in a modular way. These panels may contain control buttons and/or indicator lights, e.g. for the wheelchair and wheelchair passenger securing means, an audio speaker, a video screen, 30 lighting, a ventilator, an emergency hammer, electrical components etc., or a combination and/or multitude thereof. The rig of the present invention also offers the possibility of easily accommodating the electrical wiring which may be necessary if a control panel comprises an electrical component.
35 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an improved overhead rig with one or more control panels which can be easily installed in the interior of a vehicle for transporting 4 wheelchair passengers, preferably in the passenger compartment, preferably to the ceiling, and preferably above an aisle in the passengers compartment, which may be essentially central; the rig comprising a front longitudinal end and a back longitudinal end. Preferably, the rig can be installed in vehicles such as mini busses, 5 city busses, touring cars, ambulances, trains, trams, airplanes and such. More preferably, the rig can be installed in a mini bus or van.
Therefore, the present invention provides a rig for attachment to a ceiling of an interior of a vehicle for transporting wheelchair passengers, said rig comprising a 10 longitudinal direction, a front longitudinal end and a back longitudinal end, said rig preferably comprising at least two bars, essentially parallel to each other and/or oriented along said longitudinal direction, said rig preferably comprising one or more panels, each of said panels preferably comprising mechanical rig attachment means for attaching said panels to said bars, whereby said mechanical rig attachment 15 means preferably comprise one or more snap-fit connectors for attaching said panels to said bars, said rig preferably comprising electrical wiring at least partly along one of said bars and preferably located between said two essentially parallel bars and above said panels, whereby at least one of said panels preferably comprises one or more electrical and/or electronic components, said electrical wiring preferably 20 connected to said electrical and/or electronic components and/or extending from said rig near said front and/or said back longitudinal end, characterized in that said electrical and/or electronic components preferably comprise one or more control buttons and/or indicator lights for wheelchair and/or wheelchair passenger securing means.
25
In an embodiment, said bars are partly or completely made from Aluminium.
In an embodiment, said bars comprise a set of notches, recesses and/or protrusions for easy mechanical attachment and/or detachment of said panels and/or for 30 accommodating electrical wiring between electrical and/or electronic components in one or more panels and said front and/or back longitudinal end.
In an embodiment, said snap-fit connectors of said panels are attached to and/or around said set of notches, recesses and/or protrusions of said bars.
In an embodiment, said electrical wiring is located at least partly in said set of notches and/or recesses for accommodating electrical wiring of said bars and/or whereby said electrical wiring is connected, preferably near said longitudinal end, to 35 5 a control unit, such as a programmable logic controller, preferably attached to said rig, e.g. via a printed circuit board and preferably with input/output connections.
In an embodiment, said panels are partly or completely made from a rigid plastic.
5
In an embodiment, said rig comprises ceiling attachment means for attaching said bars to said ceiling. In a preferred embodiment, said ceiling attachment means comprise a set of nails, screws and/or bolts and/or said ceiling attachment means comprise at least two beams located along said two bars and between said bars and 10 said ceiling, and comprising a pre-determined height for regulating a distance between said panels and said ceiling, hereby also regulating a volume of a cavity bound by said panels, said bars, said beams and said ceiling. In a more preferred embodiment, said beams are at least partly made from Aluminium.
15 In an embodiment, said panels comprise lighting, a ventilator and/or ventilation system, an emergency hammer, an audio speaker, a video screen, a foldable video screen, or any combination thereof.
In an embodiment, said panels comprise an essentially flat bottom surface and/or 20 slanted or upstanding side faces, whereby each of said panels has a same width, and whereby said bottom surface of each of said panels is located at or near a same height.
In an embodiment, one or two of said panels which is nearest to said front or said 25 back longitudinal end of said rig comprises a slanted or upstanding front or back side face.
In a second aspect, the present invention provides a vehicle comprising a rig as described in this document.
30
In a further aspect, the present invention provides a panel, a bar and/or electrical wiring for use in a rig as described in this document.
Therefore, the present invention provides, but is not limited to: 1. A rig for attachment to a ceiling of an interior of a vehicle for transporting wheelchair passengers, said rig comprising a longitudinal direction, a front longitudinal end and a back longitudinal end, said rig comprising at least two 35 6 bars, essentially parallel to each other and/or oriented along said longitudinal direction, said rig comprising one or more panels, each of said panels comprising mechanical rig attachment means for attaching said panels to said bars, whereby said mechanical rig attachment means comprise one or more 5 snap-fit connectors for attaching said panels to said bars, said rig comprising electrical wiring at least partly along one of said bars and located between said two essentially parallel bars and above said panels, whereby at least one of said panels comprises one or more electrical and/or electronic components, said electrical wiring connected to said electrical and/or electronic 10 components and/or ending or extending from said rig near said front and/or said back longitudinal end, characterized in that said electrical and/or electronic components comprise one or more control buttons and/or indicator lights for wheelchair and/or wheelchair passenger securing means.
2. A rig according to point 1, whereby said bars are partly or completely made 15 from Aluminium.
3. A rig according to any of the points 1 or 2, whereby said bars comprise a set of notches, recesses and/or protrusions for easy mechanical attachment and/or detachment of said panels or for accommodating electrical wiring between electrical and/or electronic components in one or more panels and 20 said front and/or back longitudinal end.
4. A rig according to any of the points 1 to 3, whereby said snap-fit connectors of said panels are attached to and/or around said set of notches, recesses and/or protrusions of said bars.
5. A rig according to any of the points 1 to 4, whereby said electrical wiring is 25 located at least partly in said set of notches and/or recesses for accommodating electrical wiring of said bars, and/or whereby said electrical wiring is connected, preferably near said longitudinal end, to a control unit attached to said rig.
6. A rig according to any of the points 1 to 5, whereby said panels are partly or 30 completely made from a rigid plastic.
7. A rig according to any of the points 1 to 6, comprising ceiling attachment means for attaching said bars to said ceiling.
8. A rig according to point 7, whereby said ceiling attachment means comprise a set of nails, screws and/or bolts.
35 9. A rig according to any of the points 7 or 8, whereby said ceiling attachment means comprise at least two beams located along said two bars and between said bars and said ceiling, and comprising a pre-determined height for regulating a distance between said panels and said ceiling, hereby also 7 regulating a volume of a cavity bound by said panels, said bars, said beams and said ceiling.
10. A rig according to point 9, whereby said beams are at least partly made from Aluminium.
5 11. A rig according to any of the points 1 to 10, whereby said panels comprise lighting, a ventilator and/or ventilation system, an emergency hammer, an audio speaker, a video screen, a foldable video screen, or any combination thereof.
12. A rig according to any of the points 1 to 11, whereby said panels comprise an 10 essentially flat bottom surface and/or slanted or upstanding side faces, whereby each of said panels has a same width, and whereby said bottom surface of each of said panels is located at or near a same height.
13. A rig according to any of the points 1 to 12, whereby one or two of said panels which is nearest to said front or said back longitudinal end of said rig 15 comprises a slanted or upstanding front or back side face.
14. A vehicle comprising a rig according to any of the points 1 to 13.
15. A panel, a bar and/or electrical wiring for use in a rig according to any of the points 1 to 13.
20 DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
Figures la-lb show two parallel bars of a rig according to the present invention in perspective, seen from the front longitudinal end, without (fig. la) and with (fig. lb) electrical wiring.
25
Figures 2a-2b show a front view of a panel and electrical wiring whereby one set of wiring is connected to electrical and/or electronic components attached to this panel.
Figures 3a-3b show how a panel is attached to bar by snap-fit connectors which 30 are hooked around a protrusion.
Figures 4a-4d show a panel and a series of panels from the bottom and the top.
Figure 5 shows a panel at the front longitudinal end in detail from the front, 35 comprising an essentially flat bottom surface, upstanding side faces and an upstanding front face.
8
Figures 6a-6d show a rig according to the present invention in a top front view (fig. 6a), a bottom front view (fig. 6b), a bottom back view (fig. 6c) and a top back view (fig. 6d).
Figure 7 shows the interconnections of the components of the rig with other 5 components or accessories of the transport vehicle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns an improved overhead rig with one or more control 10 panels which can be easily installed in the interior of a vehicle for transporting wheelchair passengers, preferably in the passenger compartment, preferably to the ceiling, and preferably above an aisle in the passengers compartment, which may be essentially central; the rig comprising a front longitudinal end and a back longitudinal end.
15
Unless otherwise defined, all terms used in disclosing the invention, including technical and scientific terms, have the meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. By means of further guidance, term definitions are included to better appreciate the teaching of the 20 present invention.
As used herein, the following terms have the following meanings: "A", "an", and "the" as used herein refers to both singular and plural referents unless 25 the context clearly dictates otherwise. By way of example, "a compartment" refers to one or more than one compartment.
"About" as used herein referring to a measurable value such as a parameter, an amount, a temporal duration, and the like, is meant to encompass variations of +/-30 20% or less, preferably +/-10% or less, more preferably +/-5% or less, even more preferably +/-1% or less, and still more preferably +/-0.1% or less of and from the specified value, in so far such variations are appropriate to perform in the disclosed invention. However, it is to be understood that the value to which the modifier "about" refers is itself also specifically disclosed.
"Comprise," "comprising," and "comprises" and "comprised of" as used herein are synonymous with "include", "including", "includes" or "contain", "containing", "contains" and are inclusive or open-ended terms that specifies the presence of what 35 9 follows e.g. component and do not exclude or preclude the presence of additional, non-recited components, features, element, members, steps, known in the art or disclosed therein.
The recitation of numerical ranges by endpoints includes all numbers and fractions 5 subsumed within that range, as well as the recited endpoints.
The expression "% by weight" (weight percent), here and throughout the description unless otherwise defined, refers to the relative weight of the respective component based on the overall weight of the formulation.
10
In a first aspect, the invention provides a rig for attachment to a ceiling of an interior of a vehicle for transporting wheelchair passengers, said rig comprising a longitudinal direction, a front longitudinal end and a back longitudinal end. The rig may be attached to the ceiling of the passenger compartment of a transport vehicle, 15 preferably above the aisle, where it can be reached by someone who helps to secure a wheelchair passenger. The aisle, and thus also the rig, may be located centrally. Further, the rig comprises a longitudinal direction, a front longitudinal end and a back longitudinal end. The longitudinal direction is essentially the direction of the longest dimension of the rig, e.g. when the rig would have the general shape of a 20 thin rectangular-like slab with a thickness smaller than its width and its width smaller than its length, the longitudinal direction would be the direction of its length. In many cases the longitudinal direction thus defined with respect to the rig will coincide with the longitudinal dimension of the vehicle in which it may be installed. The front longitudinal end should in this case be understood as the end of the rig 25 which is closest to the front of the vehicle, while the back longitudinal end is then the end which is closest to the back of the vehicle. In case the longitudinal directions of the rig and the vehicle do not coincide, e.g. because the rig is to be installed diagonally or transversally with respect to the vehicle's longitudinal direction, the front longitudinal end may be more generally understood as the longitudinal end of 30 the rig which is nearest to the driver's seat of the vehicle, while the back longitudinal end may be understood to denote the end of the rig which is furthest away from the driver's seat. The idea of having a rig which has a size along a direction, which is larger than the sizes of the rig along other directions, is that the rig can be kept small and light, while still serving its purpose of providing an easy-to-install device 35 to which many accessories can be attached which are useful and even needed in vehicles for transporting wheelchair passengers, the necessary accessories being within reach throughout the vehicle. The rig preferably comprises at least two bars, essentially parallel to each other and/or oriented along said longitudinal direction.
10
These at least two bars create a longitudinal space between them which can be used to house accessories or parts of accessories, preferably those parts which do not have to be touched and/or seen by a passenger or accompanying person, but which are necessary for the good operation of the accessories. Said rig preferably 5 comprises one or more panels. These panels are slab-like devices, i.e. the size of the panel along one direction, i.e. its thickness, is smaller than the sizes of the panel along the other two directions. The thickness of the panel may vary, but is preferably smaller than 20cm, more preferably smaller than 15cm, even more preferably smaller than 10cm, still more preferably smaller than 5cm, most 10 preferably smaller than 3cm, but preferably larger than 0.01cm, more preferably larger than 0.1cm, even more preferably larger than 0.3cm, yet even more preferably about 2cm, most preferably the thickness of the panel is such that it is large enough to support its own weight and to resist humanly applied pressures, such as beats, hard pushes, headbutts, etc. Preferably, the panels are preferably 15 rectangular-like, rhomboid-like, trapezium-like, and/or have any other shape which allows two neighbouring panels to fit along their corresponding longitudinal edges and thus form a joining complex. This adds to the modularity of the rig, i.e. it makes it very easy to enlarge the rig by simply adding another panel, or to diminish the rig by removing a panel, and this without compromising the functionality, strength, 20 outlook, etc. Preferably, the transverse edges of the panels are parallel and lie along the longitudinal direction is the panel is attached to the bars. Each of said panels preferably comprises mechanical rig attachment means for attaching said panels to said bars. A rig according to the present invention can be easily installed in a vehicle for wheelchair passenger transport. Therefore, the rig comprises different 25 components which can be installed easily and which can be attached to each other easily. The at least two bars can be easily attached to the ceiling of the vehicle, and due to the said mechanical rig attachment means, the panels can be easily attached to the bars. Furthermore, since mechanical rig attachment means may be easily disconnected, the panels may be easily disconnected from the bars, e.g. for repairs, 30 for rearrangement of the panels, etc. Preferably, said mechanical rig attachment means comprise one or more snap-fit connectors for attaching said panels to said bars. Snap-fit connectors are easy in use, easy and cheap to produce, and can be made strong enough for the present invention. Furthermore, they are easily detachable. Also, they may be attached to the panel such that they hook to the bars 35 of the rig from the inside, i.e. between the at least two bars, such that once the panel is hooked to the bars by means of the snap-fit connectors, these connectors are hidden from the interior of the vehicle and may not be loosened by any person unless he or she has a snap-fit unhooking device. Hereby, the snap-fit connection 11 between panel and bars may be made vandalism-proof. Alternatively, the snap-fit connectors are hidden from the interior of the vehicle, e.g. by a rubber cover strip, but may be loosened manually for easy reparation and/or rearrangement. Preferably, said rig comprises electrical wiring at least partly along one of said bars 5 and preferably located between said two essentially parallel bars and above said panels. Preferably, at least one of said panels comprises one or more electrical and/or electronic components, said electrical wiring preferably connected to said electrical and/or electronic components and/or extending from said rig near said front and/or said back longitudinal end. The electrical wiring can be used to provide 10 the electrical and/or electronic components of the rig with electrical power and may also be used to transfer electrical signals between these components of the rig and electrical and/or electronic accessories located in other parts of the vehicle. The electrical wiring can be hidden from view and from reach in the cavity bound by the bars and panels. Furthermore, the electrical wiring may be located at least partly 15 along at least one of the bars, and may be attached to it, thereby providing a connection via said front and/or back longitudinal ends of the rig. Preferably, said electrical and/or electronic components comprise one or more control buttons and/or indicator lights for wheelchair and/or wheelchair passenger securing means. Since the rig can be installed above the whole of the aisle of the passenger compartment 20 of the vehicle, it is possible to attach panels to the rig comprising control buttons and/or indicator lights for wheelchair and/or wheelchair passenger securing means at the location where these wheelchair and/or wheelchair passenger securing means are. An accompanying person helping to secure a wheelchair and wheelchair passenger is then able to push the wheelchair to a vacant wheelchair 25 accommodating place in the vehicle, and press one or more control buttons in the panel of the rig on the ceiling of the vehicle, hereby controlling the wheelchair and wheelchair passenger securing means for said wheelchair accommodating place. Furthermore, the indicator lights may indicate, per wheelchair accommodating place, whether the wheelchair and/or its passenger are safely secured.
30
In an embodiment, said bars are partly or completely made from Aluminium. Aluminium is light and strong and is well-suited to be used for at least part of the bars, which have in the first place a supporting function as they support the panels comprising the accessories of the transport vehicle.
In an embodiment, said bars comprise a set of notches, recesses and/or protrusions and/or, preferably longitudinal, grooves for easy mechanical attachment and/or detachment of said panels and/or for accommodating electrical wiring between 35 12 electrical and/or electronic components in one or more panels and said front and/or back longitudinal end and/or for attaching said bars to said ceiling by said mechanical ceiling attachment means. In an embodiment, said snap-fit connectors of said panels are attached to and/or around said set of notches, recesses and/or 5 protrusions of said bars. In an embodiment, said electrical wiring is located at least partly in said set of notches and/or recesses and/or grooves for accommodating electrical wiring of said bars. If the mechanical attachment means are snap-fit connectors, the bars may comprise one or more recesses, which may be holes, into which the snap-fit connector can be plugged, and/or one or more protrusions around 10 which snap-fit connectors may be hooked. Also, the electrical wiring which may run from the electrical and/or electronic components integrated in one or more panels towards the front and/or back longitudinal end of the rig, may be e.g. fit into one or more longitudinal grooves along at least one of the bars or may be attached to the bars by hooking the wiring into a set of notches and/or protrusions attached to at 15 least one of the bars, etc. In a preferred embodiment, said electrical wiring is connected, preferably near said longitudinal end, to a control unit, such as a programmable logic controller, and preferably attached to said rig, e.g. via a printed circuit board, said control unit preferably comprising input/output connections. The control unit can act as a centralized input/output and/or decision making unit, 20 whereby the signals from the control buttons of the rig, from possible sensors in the vehicle and/or from all other electrical and electronic components of the rig or the vehicle (dashboard, relay boxes, adapters) are received by the control unit, processed, and appropriate control signals are sent out, such as signals for locking and/or unlocking the securing means, increase audio level, unfold a video screen, 25 start ventilation, turn on/off the lighting, turn on/off the indicator lights or change their color, etc. In a particularly preferred embodiment, at least one relay box is attached to said control unit, whereby the relay box is located near the driver or a passenger of said vehicle, and said relay box has optional control buttons and indicator lights for electronically controlling and monitoring client-specific 30 applications and/or accessories to the vehicle. Having such a relay box allows to incorporate extra options into a vehicle comprising a rig with a control unit, without the necessity of e.g. dismantling the rig or detaching/replacing any rig components.
In an embodiment, said panels are partly or completely made from a rigid plastic. 35 Plastic panels can be custom made in any desired shape e.g. by extrusion and subsequent moulding, and are cheaper, easier to produce, easier to handle, lighter, etc. than e.g. metal panels. The panels need to have a minimal degree of rigidity 13 such that they can carry their own weight without deforming, and are able to withstand humanly applied pressures, as described before.
In an embodiment, said rig comprises ceiling attachment means for attaching said 5 bars to said ceiling. In a preferred embodiment, said ceiling attachment means comprise a set of nails, screws and/or bolts and/or said ceiling attachment means comprise at least two beams and/or profiles located along said two bars and between said bars and said ceiling, and comprising a pre-determined height for regulating a distance between said panels and said ceiling, hereby also regulating a 10 volume of a cavity bound by said panels, said bars, said beams and said ceiling. In a more preferred embodiment, said beams and/or profiles are at least partly made from Aluminium. The attachment means should be capable of securely attaching the rig with all its components to the ceiling and/or roof of the vehicle. Mechanical attachment means such as nails, screws and/or bolts may be preferred since they 15 can be detached easily for repairs or rearrangements to the rig and/or vehicle. Furthermore, to regulate the height at which the panels will be located, one can introduce beams and/or profiles in between the bars and the ceiling of a length such that the height of the panels is as desired. Another advantage of using such beams and/or profiles, is that it is easier to regulate the distance between the at least two 20 essentially parallel bars. Still another advantage of using such beams and/or profiles, is that one can increase or decrease, as desired, the volume of the cavity bound by panels, bars and beams and/or profiles. This may be very beneficial if the panels comprise components with are thicker or thinner than average, e.g. if a panel would comprise a ventilator, this ventilator could have a thickness which is larger than the 25 height of the bars; in this case, placing a set of beams and/or profiles between the bars and the vehicle ceiling increases the available volume within said cavity for this ventilator. As with the bars, it may be beneficial to use beams and/or profiles, partly made from Aluminium, since it is light and strong.
30 In an embodiment, said panels comprise lighting, a ventilator and/or ventilation system, an emergency hammer, an audio speaker, a video screen, a foldable video screen, etc. or any combination thereof. In an embodiment, said rig comprises lighting, attached to a side of at least one of said bars, whereby said side faces said interior, said lighting, preferably one or more LEDs, preferably connected to a power 35 source by said electrical wiring. The rig can thus be used for housing a multitude of accessories which can be found in other transport vehicles, i.e. vehicles not especially equipped for transporting wheelchair passengers in their wheelchair.
14
In an embodiment, said panels comprise an essentially flat bottom surface and/or slanted or upstanding side faces, whereby each of said panels has a same width, and whereby said bottom surface of each of said panels is located at or near a same height. These upstanding or slanted side faces may help to provide a continuous or 5 almost continuous transition between the panels and/or rig and the ceiling cover, hereby also helping to close the cavity bound by the panels, bars, beams and/or profiles at the transverse edges of the rig. An essentially flat bottom surface will help avoiding people bumping their heads against the rig. Panels having the same width and whose bottom surfaces are located at essentially the same height help avoiding 10 people bumping their head, and are easier to be applied in a modular way. Furthermore, such panels form a rig which looks like one complete and joint structure, hereby improving professional outlook and the comfort and feeling of wellbeing of the passengers.
15 In an embodiment, one or two of said panels which is nearest to said front or said back longitudinal end of said rig comprises a slanted or upstanding front or back side face. Such an upstanding or slanted front or back side face may help to provide a continuous or almost continuous transition between the panels and/or rig and the ceiling cover, hereby also helping to close the cavity bound by the panels, bars, 20 beams and/or profiles at the front or back longitudinal edge of the rig.
In a second aspect, the present invention provides a vehicle, preferably mini bus or van, comprising a rig as described in this document.
25 In a further aspect, the present invention provides a panel, a bar and/or electrical wiring for use in a rig as described in this document.
The invention is further described by the following non-limiting examples which further illustrate the invention, and are not intended to, nor should they be 30 interpreted to, limit the scope of the invention.
EXAMPLES
Figures la-lb show two parallel bars (3a, 3b) of a rig (1) according to the present 35 invention in perspective, seen from the front longitudinal end (2a), without (fig. la) and with (fig. lb) electrical wiring (4). Mechanical ceiling attachment means (5), e.g. sheet metal screws, are also shown. The bars (3a, 3b) comprise a number of protrusions (6) which serve different purposes. In the shown embodiment, 15 protrusions (6a) and (6b) can be used by the mechanical attachment means (5) to attach the bars (3a, 3b) to the ceiling of the vehicle. The protrusions (6b) and (6c) form a longitudinal groove (7) into which the electrical wiring (4) can be placed. Protrusions (6c) also provide an edge for attaching the snap-fit connectors (8) of the 5 panels (9). Longitudinal notches (10a, 10b, 10c) are provided on the protrusions (6a, 6b, 6c) e.g. for easy positioning of the mechanical ceiling attachment means (5) and the panels (9). The electrical wiring (4) is seen to be capable of connecting electrical and/or electronic components at different positions along the rig to the front of the rig. The bars in the figures are shown as two single-piece bars, but in a 10 possible embodiment according to the present invention, each of these bars may be built up from a set of lined-up bars.
Figures 2a-2b show a front view of a panel (9) and electrical wiring (4) whereby one set of wiring (11) is connected to electrical and/or electronic components (12) 15 attached to this panel (9). In this case, the electric and/or electronic components are two sets of control buttons and indicator lights for wheelchair securing means (12a, 12b) for two wheelchair securing positions, e.g. two positions (left and right) at the front of the passenger compartment of the vehicle, and lighting (12c). The panel (9) comprises snap-fit connectors (8) for attachment of the panel to the bars (3a, 3b), 20 and a grating (13) for ventilation and/or airconditioning, both of the passenger compartment and the cavity between panels, bars, beams and/or profiles of the rig and ceiling of the vehicle. The panel (9) comprises an essentially flat bottom surface (15) and slightly upstanding side faces (14a, 14b) e.g. for a better integration of the rig and/or panels in the vehicle's ceiling. The panel (9) comprises longitudinal 25 grooves (16) which are pressed against the bars when the panel is attached to the bars (3a, 3b) and which comprises a series or holes (17) at the positions of the snap-fit connectors (8) in order to be able to detach the connectors (8) if necessary. The grooves (16) can be covered with, preferably rubber, cover strips (18). The panel (9) further comprises inter-panel attachment means (19) at the longitudinal 30 edges of the panel (9), in this embodiment a set of hooked protrusions which are capable of hooking into a corresponding set of hooked protrusions of a neighboring panel (noit shown in figs. 2a-2b).
Figures 3a-3b show how a panel (9) is attached to bar (3a) by snap-fit connectors 35 (8) which are hooked around protrusion (6c). The side of groove (16) of the panel (9) is pressed against the corresponding side of the bar (3a). A protrusion (20) is provided on the panel (9) which is pressed against its corresponding side of the bar (3a), and which provides better attachment and better placement of the panel (9) to 16 the bar. A longitudinal cover strip (18), preferably made of rubber, covers at least part of the longitudinal groove (16) in the panel (9).
Figures 4a-4d show a panel (9a) and a series of panels (9, 9a-9e) from the bottom 5 and the top. Panel (9a) as shown in figs. 4a-4b comprises an essentially flat bottom surface (15), upstanding side faces (14a, 14b), electrical and/or electronic components (12a-12c, 21a) which comprise control buttons and indicator lights (12a, 12b) for two sets of securing means, lighting (12c) and audio-speakers (21a), a grating (22) underneath the speakers (21a), longitudinal grooves (16), inter-panel 10 attachment means (19), snap-fit connectors (8), electrical wiring (11a) connected to the securing means and lighting (12a, 12b, 12c), electrical wiring connected to the speakers (21a) (not shown), etc. Figures 4c-4d show a bottom and top view respectively of a set of panels (9, 9a-9e) which can be attached to the bars of the rig in a modular way, i.e. each panel separately. Panel (9e) at the front longitudinal end 15 (2a), and shown in closer detail from the front in fig. 5, comprises an essentially flat bottom surface (15), upstanding side faces (14a, 14b) and an upstanding front face (23). The front ends of the electrical wiring (4) are connected to plugs (24) for the electrical wiring which can be connected to other electrical and/or electronic accessories and/or power source of the transport vehicle. The plugs (24) may be 20 attached to a printed circuit board (24a) to which a control unit (24b) such as a programmable logic controller (PLC) can be also connected and some input/output devices such as a USB connection or UTP connection. The control unit can be programmed to make decisions about the electrical/electronic components of the rig (e.g. indicator lights) and of the vehicle (e.g. wheelchair securing means) based on 25 the input it receives from the electrical/electronic components of the rig (e.g. the control buttons) or of the vehicle (e.g. radio volume control or lighting control button). In a preferred embodiment, said panel (9e) comprises at least one hole or notch in is bottom surface, side edge or longitudinal front or back edge for providing an easy-to-reach input/output connection between the control unit and the rest of 30 the vehicle, via which all electrical signals can pass between rig components and the rest of the vehicle, and via which the control unit may be programmed, without the necessity of dismantling or rearranging the rig components such as the panels.
Panel (9) comprises a ventilation grating (13) and control buttons and indicator 35 lights for wheelchair and wheelchair passenger securing means (12a, 12b) for wheelchair accommodating positions in the front of the passenger compartment, and lighting (12c). Panel (9a) is attached to panel (9) with inter-panel attachment means (19) and comprises audio-speakers (21a), a grating (22), and a second set of control 17 buttons and indicator lights for wheelchair and wheelchair passenger securing means (12a, 12b) for wheelchair accommodating positions in the middle of the passenger compartment, and lighting (12c). Panel (9b) comprises ventilation and/or airconditioning means (25), grating (26) and a third set of control buttons and 5 indicator lights for wheelchair and wheelchair passenger securing means (12a, 12b) for wheelchair accommodating positions in the back of the passenger compartment, and lighting (12c). Panel (9c) comprises an emergence hammer (27) and an emergence-hammer fitting recess (28).
10 Figures 6a-6d show a rig according to the present invention in a top front view (fig. 6a), a bottom front view (fig. 6b), a bottom back view (fig. 6c) and a top back view (fig. 6d). The rig (1) comprises a front (2a) and back (2b) longitudinal end, two parallel bars (3a, 3b), ceiling attachment means (5), electrical wiring (4), audio speakers (21a), ventilation and/or airconditioning system (25), control buttons and 15 incator lights for wheelchair and/or wheelchair passenger securing means (12a, 12b), lighting (12c), ventilation grating (13), rubber covering strips (18), etc. as discussed above.
Figure 7 shows the interconnections of the components of the rig with other 20 components or accessories of the transport vehicle. The rig (1) comprises a set of panels comprising electric and/or electronic components (29) attached to the ceiling via the panels, bars and optionally beams and/or profiles and connected via the electrical wiring to a control unit (30). A maximum of 2 audio speakers are connected (31) to e.g. the vehicle's radio (32). The control buttons and indicator 25 lights (12a, 12b) are connected (35) to a power source (34) such as a car battery, to a set of wheelchair and wheelchair passenger securing means (33), and to a dashboard module (36). This dashboard module (36) is connected (37) to a signalization lamp and/or start interrupter device (38) which is capable of signalizing danger or interrupting the vehicle starter when e.g. control buttons (12a, 12b) 30 and/or securing means (33) are in a state which signals an incorrectly or non-secured wheelchair passenger, and the dashboard module (36) is, e.g. via a CANbus adapter (39), connected (40) to a radio (32) and the speakers (21a). A relay box (42) may be connected (41) to the electrical and/or electronic components of the rig via the control unit (30) to control e.g. the signals sent to or coming from pre-35 determined, but possibly client-specific electrical/electronic components attached to the rig. For instance, if a certain client already has a custom made vehicle, but requires a different or an extra electrical/electronic component to be installed, e.g. a foldable video screen, a panel containing this video screen may be introduced to the 18 rig without too much burden, the control unit can then be reprogrammed to receive video control signals from the relay box and to send signals to the video screen.
It is supposed that the present invention is not restricted to any form of realization 5 described previously and that some modifications can be added to the presented example of fabrication without reappraisal of the appended claims.
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