U.S. patent application number 15/249265 was filed with the patent office on 2016-12-15 for wheelchair securement system and device.
This patent application is currently assigned to Valeda Company (d/b/a "Q'STRAINT"), Valeda Company (d/b/a "Q'STRAINT"). The applicant listed for this patent is Valeda Company (d/b/a "Q'Straint"), Valeda Company (d/b/a "Q'Straint"). Invention is credited to Joseph ESTEIREIRO, Jean-Marc GIRARDIN, Patrick GIRARDIN.
Application Number | 20160361212 15/249265 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50397069 |
Filed Date | 2016-12-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160361212 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
GIRARDIN; Jean-Marc ; et
al. |
December 15, 2016 |
Wheelchair Securement System and Device
Abstract
The restraint and retractor assembly described and claimed
herein are for securing a wheelchair to a support while the
wheelchair is in transit. In one embodiment, the system includes at
least one securement assembly having a configuration in which a
portion of the wheelchair is secured in the vehicle. In this
embodiment, the securement assembly includes a retractor secured to
the vehicle and a restraint that has both of its ends secured to or
near the retractor and a middle segment extends to and from a spool
in the retractor, a middle segment is connected to the wheelchair
by a connector and passes through an opening in the connector,
providing a double length of flexible webbing to secure the
wheelchair to the support surface.
Inventors: |
GIRARDIN; Jean-Marc; (Fort
Lauderdale, FL) ; ESTEIREIRO; Joseph; (Miramar,
FL) ; GIRARDIN; Patrick; (Fort Lauderdale,
FL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Valeda Company (d/b/a "Q'Straint") |
Fort Lauderdale |
FL |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Valeda Company (d/b/a
"Q'STRAINT")
Fort Lauderdale
FL
|
Family ID: |
50397069 |
Appl. No.: |
15/249265 |
Filed: |
August 26, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
14211934 |
Mar 14, 2014 |
9445957 |
|
|
15249265 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61G 3/0808 20130101;
B60P 7/0823 20130101; A61G 3/08 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A61G 3/08 20060101
A61G003/08; B60P 7/08 20060101 B60P007/08 |
Claims
1. A securement assembly for securing a wheelchair during transit,
the securement assembly comprising: a retractor adapted to be
secured to a support, and a connector for engaging a wheelchair, a
flexible restraint extending between the retractor and the
connector, the restraint comprising a material having a first end
affixed to a spool within the retractor, the flexible restraint
having an opposite end affixed directly or indirectly to the
support at a location at or near the retractor, and the restraint
having a middle segment adapted to moveably pass from the retractor
spool and through an opening in the connector as the connector is
pulled away from the retractor, and the middle segment being
adapted to pass through the opening in the connector and onto the
spool as the connector is moved toward the retractor.
2. The securement assembly of claim 1, wherein the connector having
a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the
connector is adapted to engage a connection point on the
wheelchair, and wherein middle segment of the restraint is adapted
to pass through the second end of the connector.
3. The securement assembly of claim 2, wherein the connector is
selected from the group consisting of a J-Hook, S-hook,
Caribiner-hook, Wire-hook, Narrow Hook and male-female buckle.
4. The securement assembly of claim 1, wherein the wheelchair
connector comprises a bearing surface, and a portion of the middle
segment contacts the bearing surface, as the connector moves toward
and away from the retractor.
5. The securement assembly of claim 4, wherein the bearing surface
is an external surface of a clip carried by the connector.
6. The securement assembly of claim 4, wherein the bearing surface
is adapted to rotate freely around a portion of the connector.
7. The securement assembly of claim 4, wherein the connector is a
hook that includes a first end and a second end, wherein the first
end of the hook is adapted to connect to a portion of the
wheelchair, and the bearing surface is disposed at the second end
of the hook.
8. The securement assembly of claim 1, further comprising a
restraint connector, the opposite end of the restraint being
attached to the restraint connector, and the restraint connector
being secured to the support at the same location that the
retractor is connected to the support.
9. The securement assembly of claim 1, wherein the restraint
connector is secured to a portion of the retractor.
10. A securement assembly for securing a wheelchair during transit,
the securement assembly comprising: a retractor adapted to be
secured with an anchor to a floor in a vehicle, the retractor
carrying a spool and a restraint adapted to wind around and unwind
from the spool, a hook for engaging a wheelchair carried by a
distal end of the restraint, the hook being selected from the group
consisting of S-hook, J-hook, Caribiner-hook, Wire-hook, Narrow
Hook and male-female buckle, the restraint comprising flexible
material having a proximal end affixed to the spool, the distal end
of the restraint affixed directly or indirectly to the floor at a
location at or near the retractor, and the restraint having a
middle segment adapted to moveably pass from the spool through a
portion of the connector as the connector is pulled away from the
retractor, and the middle segment being adapted to pass to the
spool through the portion of the connector as the connector is
moved toward the retractor.
11. The securement assembly of claim 10 wherein the flexible
material is selected from the group consisting of: webbing, cable,
wire, synthetic line and rope.
12. The securement assembly of claim 11 wherein the retractor is
affixed by an anchor to an L-track carried by the floor, and the
distal end of the restraint is affixed to said anchor.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to and is a continuation of
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/211,934 filed on Mar. 14, 2014,
and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/798,914 filed on
Mar. 15, 2013, both of which are incorporated herein by
reference.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable.
THE NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT
[0003] Not Applicable.
INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT
DISC
[0004] Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND
[0005] Technical Field
[0006] The embodiments described and claimed herein relate
generally to wheelchair securement methods, systems, and devices
for vehicles.
[0007] Background Art
[0008] Traditionally, two different types of tie-down assemblies
(also referred to as tie-downs), have been used to secure a
wheelchair inside a vehicle: retractor type tie-downs and manual
belt type tie-downs. Both of these types of tie-downs are briefly
discussed below, along with their drawbacks.
[0009] Retractor type tie-downs are often limited by the strength
or material of the restraint being used, and are limited in the way
they are currently designed because only one length of the
restraint is used when securing the wheelchair. Because of these
limitations, the majority of retractors are generally limited to
securing a wheelchair having a mass of a 100-120 kg when using two
retractors in the rear of the wheelchair. If a wheelchair above
these limits is to be secured, three or more retractor tie-downs
are required in the rear of the securement area. If the restraint
strength is increased, the restraint generally becomes thicker and
this means the retractor needs to increase in size to house this
restraint (which makes them heavier and more difficult to install
or use) or the amount of restraint available is significantly
reduced, reducing their reach and limiting their use to very small
vehicle installations. In such a scenario, the only way to secure
heavy wheelchairs is to use more than two retractors. The
disadvantages of using more than two retractors include more
clutter on the vehicle floor, which could also result in other
passengers tripping over the clutter, additional installation of
more tie-downs, which results in more time and cost, improper use
of the retractors as it requires drivers or operators to discern
when to use multiple retractors on wheelchairs of certain weights,
and the arrangement of using more than two retractors is not
aesthetically pleasing.
[0010] Manual belt type tie-downs are often stronger than the
retractor type as the design allows the restraint to be doubled,
and as a result they can often secure wheelchairs up to a mass of
around 140 kg using two tie-downs in the rear of the location. If a
wheelchair above these limits is to be secured, three or more
tie-downs are required. Manual tie-downs require more technical
operation in order to properly secure a wheelchair as the operator
must perform additional steps of adjusting, tightening and locking
the restraint, and storing the excess restraint. Tightening of the
manual tie-downs require the use of an over-center buckle, ratchet,
or similar mechanism which requires two hands and considerable
effort, which may, at times, prove to be difficult for many
individuals. As such, manual tie-downs are considered more
cumbersome to use with the increased risk of improper use, and are,
therefore, generally not favored. Further, they are less compact
than retractors and take up more storage room. Also, where the
vehicle footprint is small and/or the wheelchair tie-down securing
locations are low, these tie-downs often need to be very short in
length and the minimum length for these systems are inhibited by
the buckle or adjuster mechanism from being reduced further in
length. When wheelchairs exceeding 140 kg are used, currently three
or more tie-downs are required. As noted above, using more
tie-downs can lead to increased clutter, misuse, and increased
installation costs.
[0011] There is a growing concern that wheelchairs are increasing
in mass and size, while restraints, tie-downs, and/or securement
systems used to secure such wheelchairs have not been properly
designed or tested with these larger wheelchairs in mind. For
example, some powered wheelchairs can have a mass as high as 200
kilograms (kg), and as a result, standard testing procedures for
wheelchair restraints using an 85 kg surrogate wheelchair are not
representative of the actual wheelchair masses that may be used in
the market.
[0012] In addition to the increase in size and mass of wheelchairs
in recent years, vehicles are also becoming smaller. As such, the
environment and space for securing wheelchairs in these kinds of
vehicles is becoming ever more challenging. Personal wheelchair
accessible vehicles are often designed to carry one or two
wheelchairs, with one sitting behind the other. Fitting the
wheelchair into these vehicles often requires the wheelchair to sit
on a 10 degree slope, or require that the tie-downs angles used to
secure a given wheelchair are set very steep to fit within the
space.
[0013] To explain by way of an example, standards such as the
ISO10542 recommend a maximum rear tie-down angle of 45 degrees. In
reality though, the rear tie-down angles are often at 50-55
degrees. This type of geometry can significantly increase the
loading in the rear tie-downs, which means that often times, even
with a 85 kg wheelchair, current retractor tie-down technology is
not suitable or strong enough to work in this environment. The only
options available in such a scenario are to revert to a manual belt
type tie-down (which are slightly stronger) or modify the vehicle
layout which is both time consuming and very costly.
[0014] Further, if a heavy wheelchair is to be secured in a small
vehicle, then there is often insufficient room to install more than
two tie-downs. Often, in these situations the rear tie-downs from
the front wheelchair position clash with the front tie-downs from
the rear wheelchair positions. This results in either the comfort
of the wheelchair passenger being compromised or having to utilize
costly vehicle conversions, for example by installing the tie-down
retractors under the vehicle floor.
[0015] In view of these market changes (e.g., introduction and use
of heavier wheelchairs and smaller vehicles), there is an increased
demand for tie-downs to be tested with heavier wheelchairs, and a
push that standards declare the maximum wheelchair mass that a
restraint can secure. An example of such a standard is the UK PAS
2012. When tested to such standard, traditional retractor tie-downs
are limited to securing a wheelchair of mass of around 100-120 kg
and a belt type tie-down of around 140 kg. If a wheelchair above
these limits is to be secured, three or more tie-downs are required
in the rear.
[0016] Accordingly, there is a need for stronger `heavy duty`
securement systems that can be used to secure heavier wheelchairs
in smaller vehicles having limited or challenging installation
space, and that be used to reduce the number of tie-down assemblies
for securing such wheelchairs.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0017] In a first embodiment, a securement assembly for securing a
wheelchair in a vehicle is provided. The securement assembly
comprises a retractor secured to the vehicle and a restraint. In
the first embodiment, the restraint webbing has one end affixed to
and extending from the spool of retractor, has an extendable middle
segment slidably passing through an opening of a hook for
connecting the webbing and the retractor to the wheelchair, and has
an opposite end of the webbing is secured to the vehicle at least
near or directly underneath the retractor.
[0018] In a second embodiment the securement assembly comprises a
retractor, a restraint webbing, and a wheelchair connector. The
restraint has a both ends secured to and extending from the spool
of retractor, an elongated and extendable middle segment slidably
passing through an opening of a hook used to connect the webbing
and the retractor to the wheelchair.
[0019] Other embodiments are contemplated that could include a
combination of the features discussed herein and other features
which are known in the art, all of which are contemplated as
falling within the claims even if such embodiments are not
specifically identified and discussed herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEW OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] These and other features, aspects, objects, and advantages
of the embodiments described and claimed herein will become better
understood upon consideration of the following detailed
description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a first embodiment
of an exemplary securement system used to secure a wheelchair in a
vehicle;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a first embodiment
of a securement assembly in the securement system;
[0023] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a second
embodiment of the securement assembly;
[0024] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a first embodiment
of a wheelchair connector; and,
[0025] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bearing surface for the
wheelchair connector shown in FIG. 4.
[0026] It should be understood that the drawings are not
necessarily to scale and that the embodiments are sometimes
illustrated by graphic symbols, phantom lines, diagrammatic
representations and fragmentary views. In certain instances,
details which are not necessary for an understanding of the
embodiments described and claimed herein or which render other
details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. It should be
understood, of course, that the inventions described herein are not
necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated.
Indeed, it is expected that persons of ordinary skill in the art
may devise a number of alternative configurations that are similar
and equivalent to the embodiments shown and described herein
without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims.
[0027] Like reference numerals will be used to refer to like or
similar parts from Figure to Figure in the following detailed
description of the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] Referring first to FIG. 1, one embodiment of a wheelchair
securement system 10 is shown for securing a wheelchair 14 and its
occupant 12 in a vehicle. As shown in FIG. 1, the wheelchair
securement system 10 includes an occupant restraint system 16,
wheelchair securement assemblies 18a, 18b, 18c, and 18d (or
tie-down assemblies 18a, 18b, 18c, and 18d), mounting brackets 20a,
20b, 20c, and 20d, and 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d. In one embodiment,
each wheelchair securement assembly 18a, 18b, 18c, and 18d includes
a retractor, a restraint, and a wheelchair connector. As shown in
FIG. 1, the securement assembly 18a includes a retractor 24a, a
restraint 26a; the securement assembly 18b includes a retractor
24b, and a restraint 26b, and a wheelchair connector 28b; the
securement assembly 18c includes a retractor 24c, a restraint 26c,
and a wheelchair connector 28c; and the securement assembly 18d
includes a retractor 24d, a restraint 26d and a wheelchair
connector 28d.
[0029] The wheelchair securement system 10 as shown is
fully-equipped to secure a wheelchair and its occupant. The system
10 is intended to be disposed in a vehicle such as a bus, car, van,
train, aircraft, boat, or the like. The system 10 can be mounted to
the vehicle in many different ways and orientations. In one
embodiment, the system 10 is mounted to a portion of a floor of the
vehicle by way of anchorage in the form of mounting brackets 20a,
20b, 20c, and 20d that are designed to fit at various locations
along a floor anchorage such as L-track, A-Track or other floor
anchorage integral to or carried by a floor or other support that
is designed to carry a wheelchair during transit In another
embodiment, the system 10 is mounted to a barrier, backwall, or a
sidewall (not shown) in the vehicle by way of mounting brackets
20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d. The system 10 can be oriented in a way that
the wheelchair is secured in a forward, rearward, or sideways
direction. In addition, the system 10 can include four tie-down
assemblies as shown, or three tie-down assemblies, as described in
U.S. Pat. No. 8,414,234, which is incorporated herein by reference
in its entirety. Even further, the system can include controls for
changing the state of one or more of the retractors from an
unlocked state to a locked state in the manner similar to that
described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,452,170, which is incorporated herein
by reference in its entirety.
[0030] In operation, each securement assembly 18a, 18b, 18c, and
18d works in conjunction with the other securement assemblies in
system 10 to adequately secure the wheelchair 14 to the inside of a
vehicle. Generally speaking, securement assemblies 18a, 18b, 18c,
and 18d each operate in a secured configuration or in an unsecured
configuration. FIG. 1 illustrates the wheelchair 14 in the secured
configuration. In the secured configuration, each securement
assembly 18a, 18b, 18c, and 18d is connected to a portion of the
wheelchair 14 such that each securement assembly secures, in part,
a portion of the wheelchair to the vehicle. In the secured
configuration, as shown, each wheelchair connector 28a, 28b, 28c,
and 28d is adapted to connect its respective restraint 26a, 26b,
26c, and 26d to a corresponding frame member of wheelchair 14. Each
restraint 26a, 26b, 26c, and 26d first extends from its respective
retractor 24a, 24b, 24c, and 24d to a corresponding wheelchair
connector, loops around or loops through its respective wheelchair
connector, and then extends back towards its respective retractor.
Each retractor 24a, 24b, 24c, and 24d, in turn, is connected to its
respective mounting bracket 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d via anchors 22a,
22b, 22c, and 22d. And each mounting bracket 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d
is adapted to mount its respective securement assembly 18a, 18b,
18c, and 18d to an inside surface of the vehicle.
[0031] Each component shown in FIG. 1 is discussed in detail below.
It should be understood that while the discussion below expressly
refers to the wheelchair connector 28a, the securement assembly
18a, the restraint 26a, the retractor 24a, the anchor 22a, and the
mounting bracket 20a, the discussion below is also applicable to
each of wheelchair connectors 28b, 28c, and 28d, securement
assemblies 18b, 18c, and 18d, restraints 26b, 26c, and 26d,
retractors 24b, 24c, and 24d, anchors 22b, 22c, and 22d, and
mounting brackets 20b, 20c, and 20d.
[0032] Wheelchair connector 28a may be any of a variety of
connectors adapted to connect a portion of the restraint webbing
26a to a portion of the wheelchair 14. In one embodiment, the
wheelchair connector 28a is a universal fastener or anchor wherein
one end of the fastener is configured to connect to most types of
wheelchairs and the other end of the fastener connects to the
restraint 26a. For example, the wheelchair connector 28a may be an
S-hook or a J-hook fastener. In another embodiment, the wheelchair
connector 28a is simply a portion of the restraint webbing 26a that
loops around a frame member of the wheelchair. In this embodiment,
the restraint webbing 26a would have a connector at its terminal
end that would connect at, near, or to the retractor 24a. That
connector could be a male tongue that would mate with a female
buckle near, at, or on the retractor 24a.
[0033] Generally speaking, restraint webbing 26a (like each of
restraints 26b, 26c, and 26d) is any type of restraint that extends
away from a retractor to a wheelchair connector, loops around the
portion of the wheelchair connector, and then extends back towards
its respective retractor. In one embodiment, the restraint webbing
26a is a webbing or a strap that is housed within the retractor 24a
that is adapted to pass through an opening in the retractor 24a,
and that extends away from the retractor 24a to the wheelchair
connector 28a, loops around a portion of the wheelchair connector
28a, and the extends back towards the retractor 24a. In this
embodiment, the restraint material is webbing or strap. In another
embodiment, the restraint can be rope, cord, or cable.
[0034] As a general matter, retractor 24a (like each of retractors
24b, 24c, and 24d) comprises a housing that defines an interior
space in which a restraint is housed, and includes an opening
through which a portion of the restraint 26 passes or extends. In
one embodiment, the retractor 24a includes a retractor spool
disposed within the housing, wherein the restraint is wound on the
retractor spool, wherein a portion of the restraint is adapted to
pass from the retractor spool through the opening. The retractor
24a may be any retractor, including Q'straint's QRTMAX, QRT Delux,
QRT Standard, or QER-4000 retractor products.
[0035] Anchor 22a (like each of anchors 22b, 22c, and 22d) may be
generally any type of fastener or anchor that allows a securement
system and/or a retractor to be connected to a mounting bracket or
to the inside surface of a vehicle. In the embodiment of FIG. 1,
the anchor 22a is a slide and click disk shaped anchor for use in
"L-Track" system that that has extended length (not shown), and
allow the retractor to connect to a mounting bracket 20a at various
locations along the length of the "L-Track". The anchor may be a
bolt, a screw or other form of connection.
[0036] Mounting brackets 20a (like each of mounting brackets 20b,
20c, and 20d) allows a securement system (e.g., securement system
18a) to be installed to a vehicle. In FIG. 1, mounting bracket 20a
is an "L-track" that is flush mounted to the floor of vehicle. In
another embodiment, mounting bracket may a surface rail track for
surface mounted installations. In yet another embodiment, mounting
bracket may be bracket that allows securement system 18a to be
installed on a barrier, seating module, or sidewall of the vehicle.
Other embodiments are also possible.
[0037] It should be understood that the system 10 illustrated in
FIG. 1 is exemplary in nature. As such, system 100 may not
necessarily include the occupant shoulder restraint system 16, and
may include other components or features not shown. For instance,
in one embodiment, securement assemblies 18a, 18b, 18c, and 18d
connect directly to the inside of the vehicle without first
connecting to mounting brackets 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d. As another
example, in one embodiment, wheelchair connector 28a is part of the
securement assembly 18a, whereby the restraint webbing 26a itself
connects to the wheelchair. As yet another example, in one
embodiment, system 10 may include only two or three of the four
securement assemblies 18a, 18b, 18c, and 18d shown in FIG. 1.
[0038] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the exemplary
securement assembly 18a from FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the
securement assembly 18a includes the retractor 24a, the restraint
webbing 26a, and a restraint 38, each of which is discussed in turn
below. While the preferred (and commonly used) material for the
restraint is webbing, other flexible material may be used, such as
cable, rope and any other flexible and elongate material.
[0039] Retractor 24a comprises a housing 30. The housing 30 defines
an interior space in which a restraint is housed, and includes an
opening (not shown in FIG. 2) through which the restraint passes as
it winds on an off a spool inside the housing 30 of the retractor
24a. As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 30 includes a laterally
extending tongue 40 which includes a hole 42 through which an
anchor 22a can be affixed thereby allowing the retractor 24a to be
mounted to the mounting bracket 20a (shown in FIG. 1) or an inside
surface of the vehicle.
[0040] Restraint webbing 26a generally is adapted to form a closed
loop around a portion of the wheelchair connector 28a As discussed
below in connection with FIGS. 6 and 7, wheelchair connector 28a is
any type of connector that is adapted to connect to a portion of
the wheelchair 14. As shown in FIG. 2, in the secured
configuration, the restraint webbing 26a extends from the retractor
24a towards the wheelchair connector 28a, loops around a portion of
the wheelchair connector 28a, and then extends back towards the
retractor 24a, thereby forming a closed loop around a portion of
the wheelchair connector. This arrangement of having the restraint
webbing 26a extend from the retractor 24a, loop around and extend
back towards the retractor 24a has several advantages, some of
which are discussed below
[0041] First, the closed loop arrangement advantageously increases
the strength of the securement assembly 18a to enable heavy
wheelchairs, such as powered wheelchairs, to be secured or
wheelchairs to be secured in a challenging environment without
having to redesign the wheelchair installation space. In
particular, the closed loop arrangement increases the retractor
effective strength by doubling the restraint webbing 26a between a
wheel chair and a vehicle, while maintaining the core functionality
of the retractor 24a--such as its size, self tensioning etc.
[0042] The closed-loop arrangement is different from a tongue and
buckle restraint that is typically used in prior art manual belt
type tie-downs because a tongue and buckle loop does not increase
the capacity of a retractor--it merely acts as a securement hook.
Second, the closed-loop arrangement minimizes the clutter on the
vehicle floor compared to the prior art 4 tie-downs or 2 manual
belt tie-downs which are traditionally needed to secure heavier
wheelchair. Third, the closed-loop arrangement increases the speed
of installation compared to the installation of 4 tie-downs or
installation of 2 manual belt-tie downs, and reduces the amount of
floor anchorages required in the vehicle floor compared to 4
tie-downs. Fourth, the closed-loop arrangement minimizes the
likelihood of misusing securement assembly 18a given that restraint
webbing 26a can be used to secure heavier wheelchairs. Fifth, the
overall dimensions of the restraint webbing 26a are maintained and
hence no increased amount of space within the vehicle is required.
This is a significant advantage as installation space is becoming
limited as vehicles are getting smaller. Sixth, in one embodiment,
the securement assemblies are used on the rear for all wheelchair
weights up to the retractor limit. As such, the securement
assemblies described herein are advantageously used where steep
rear tie-down angles or vehicle floor angles exist given that these
angled arrangements often increase the load in the tie-downs or
restraints beyond their capability.
[0043] Returning to FIG. 2, the restraint webbing 26a includes a
first end 32 affixed to the spool of the retractor 30, an
extendable middle segment 34, and an opposite end 36, which,
preferably, is attached to the structure in which the wheelchair is
to be secured at the same location as the tongue 40 retractor 24a.
As shown in FIG. 2, the first end 32 is connected to the extendable
middle segment 34, which in turn is connected to the opposite end
36. In a secured configuration of the securement assembly 18a, the
restraint webbing 26a at least in part forms a closed loop
extending through an opening in the wheelchair connector 28a. As
shown in FIG. 2, the loop begins at first end 32 and extends to the
opposite end 36.
[0044] As a general matter, the first end 32 comprises a portion of
the restraint webbing 26a that is generally disposed inside the
retractor 26a and is fixed to a spool (not shown) therein. The
extendable middle segment 34 generally comprises a portion of the
restraint webbing 26a that is adapted to loop through an opening in
the wheelchair connector 28a. The opposite end 36 generally
comprises a portion of the restraint webbing 26a that is disposed
at the point of connection of the retractor 24a to the vehicle.
This arrangement takes advantage of the same connecting hardware
used fasten both the retractor 24a and the opposite end 36 of the
webbing.
[0045] The terminal segment 36 could, alternatively be connected to
a portion of the outside surface of the housing 30. In yet another
embodiment, the terminal segment 36 could be connected to a portion
on an inside surface of the housing 30. In still yet another
embodiment, the opposite end 36 may be connected to the restraint,
near but at a location that is different from the location where
the retractor 24a is fastened to the structure to which the
wheelchair is being secured.
[0046] Restraint connector 38 is any type of connector or anchor
that is capable of forming a connection between to the opposite end
36 of the restraint 26a and the structure to which the wheelchair
is being secured. As shown in FIG. 2, the restraint connector 38
forms a tongue that is aligned with the tongue 40 of housing 30. In
this embodiment, the anchor 22a can be used to anchor both the
opposite end 36 and the tongue 40 to the mounting bracket 20a. It
should be understood that connector 38 may take many different
forms. For example, in one embodiment, the restraint connector may
comprises a female portion of a buckle and the opposite end may
carry a male portion of the buckle such that the male and female
portions mate, whereby the restraint webbing form an openable loop.
As another example, in one embodiment, the restraint connector 38
is integrally attached to a part (such as the housing 30) of the
retractor 24a.
[0047] It should be understood that the securement assembly 18a in
FIG. 2 is exemplary in nature, and may include other components,
and may be configured in different ways. For example, securement
assembly may not include a restraint connector 38, such that the
opposite end 36 is adapted to attach to a surface that is located
near but separate from the location where the retractor 24a is
connected to the structure to which the wheelchair is being
secured.
[0048] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment
of securement assembly 18b. In this embodiment, both ends (not
shown) of the restraint webbing 26b pass through the opening 44 in
the retractor housing 30b, and the webbing 26b also passes through
an opening in the wheelchair connector 28b, such two parts of the
extendable middle segment extend from the housing 30b. In this
embodiment the opposite end 36 may be affixed through an inside
surface of the housing to the tongue by which the housing is
affixed to the anchor. In an alternative version, similar to FIG.
3, the opposite end 36b may be affixed to the spool (not shown), in
which case the amount of length of the webbing that passes through
the opening of the hook 28b would be relatively small, i.e., only
enough to account for the differing rates taken up by winding both
ends of the webbing around the same spool in the retractor.
[0049] FIG. 4 depicts one possible embodiment of a wheelchair
connector 28a. The wheelchair connector 28a comprises a J-hook 62
having a first end 58 and a second end 60. As shown, the extendable
middle segment 34 of the restraint webbing 26a is adapted to pass
through an opening in the second end 60 of the wheelchair connector
28a. To reduce webbing friction between the wheelchair connector
28a and the distal segment 34 of the restraint 26a, a sleeve
bearing (FIG. 5) can be place on the second end 60 of the
wheelchair connector 28a. The clip 64 of FIG. 5 is one example of
such a bearing. The clip 64 comprises a C-shaped clip that includes
a curved outside surface 66 and a curved inside surface 68 to fit
loosely around the bent wire that forms the second end 60 of the
connector 28a. The inside surface 68 of the clip 64 is adapted to
connect to the second end 60 of the hook 62 shown in FIG. 4. The
clip 64 is adapted to rotate freely around the second end 60 of the
hook 62 such that the inside surface 68 comprises a bearing surface
that allows the clip 64 to rotate freely. In another embodiment,
the clip 64 is attached fixedly to the second end 60 of the hook 62
such that the outside surface 66 acts as the bearing surface for
the restraint webbing 26a. As webbing may tend to fray, placement
of a low-friction material or a sleeve bearing on the connector at
the opening will enhance the life of the webbing that passes
through the opening in the connector 28a, each time the restraint
is used.
[0050] It should be noted that the connector shown and described
herein is a J-hook, it should be noted that many different
connector may be used, including a variety of other hooks or
multi-component assemblies, so long as they safely and quickly
connect the restraint to as structural component of the wheelchair
to be secured. Possible alternative connectors include: S-hooks,
Caribiner-hooks, Wire-hooks, Narrow Hooks and male-female buckles,
and many others. Similarly, while the restraint shown herein is the
usual fabric-based webbing (as is commonly seen in seat belts, but
perhaps heavier), other tension-carrying materials are suitable,
and include cable, wire, synthetic line and rope.
[0051] Although the inventions described and claimed herein have
been described in considerable detail with reference to certain
embodiments, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the
inventions described and claimed herein can be practiced by other
than those embodiments, which have been presented for purposes of
illustration and not of limitation. For example, the embodiments
shown herein include webbing as the flexible restraint material,
which is commonly used in vehicle restraint systems, but this is
only exemplary, and those skilled in the art will be aware that
other flexible restraining materials may be used. Therefore, the
spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to
the description of the embodiments contained herein.
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