GB2474584A - Collapsible stairs and lift arrangement for use by disabled persons - Google Patents

Abstract

A set of stairs 1 which have steps 2 which can move upward and/or downward to be positioned coplanarly and establish a platform (Fig 3) allowing a disabled person's wheelchair to directly access. Each step 2 is supported by its own individual scissor structure 3 which can raise and lower the step separately from the others. The scissor structure 3 is also associated with a mechanism which raises and lowers all the steps in the coplanar arrangement simultaneously thus moving the platform and the disabled person from a lower level to an upper level. Preferably the mechanism is a motor 4 and spindle 5 however pneumatic or hydraulic systems can also be used.

Description

STAIRS ADAPTABLE FOR USE BY DISABLED PERSONS

The present invention relates to stairs adaptable for use by disabled persons, designed to allow disabled people who move in a wheelchair to pass from one level to another autonomously, without the help of third parties and without any type of difficulty. The device is also valid for mothers with trolleys whether of babies, shopping, etc. or for any other similar application.

The object of the invention is to transform stairs into a lifting platform so that the disabled person's wheelchair may overcome the impassable obstacle of the stairs in their position of normal use. The platform into which the stairs can be transformed may also lower and thus allow the disabled person in their wheelchair from accessing both the upper level or plane and lower floor level or plane.

The architectural barrier stairs involve for disabled people who move in wheelchairs enormously limit their mobility, since when they come across stairs on their route it is impossible to overcome this barrier.

Measures are adopted with said problem such as ramps, specific elevators devised for said purpose, etc. as means alternative to stairs to enable the movement of the disabled persons in wheelchairs between different levels, although said solutions only partly resolve the problems.

However, systems are known based on the construction of transformable stairs, wherein their steps can adopt a coplanar position, thus allowing access to a platform which can raise and/or lower to be positioned in correspondence with the level of an upper floor or with the level of a lower floor, and hence allow the wheelchair of disabled person to move without problems.

Specifically, European patent 0654006 discloses a stairs/lifting apparatus assembly for persons with the stated purpose, wherein the steps of the stairs are connected with articulated elements forming a mechanism that makes it possible to have all steps on the same plane, so that in combination with a platform associated to the assembly of the mechanism, the wheelchair can pass from one level to another, after positioning the chair on the initial platform through the platform formed by the steps in their coplanar position.

This European patent discloses several alternatives as regards the materialization of the stairs and the elements to position the steps in one or another way, although always with the common denominator of a great complexity of the set of elements intervening, connection and form of carrying out the positioning of the platform which, joined to the initial platform, involves a high volumetric occupation and, therefore, more space for the implementation of the stairs, which is infeasible in certain places.

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided stairs adaptable for use by disabled persons, which is provided to allow wheelchairs wherein disabled persons move may pass from a lower level to a higher level and vice-versa, levels that are interlinked by the stairs, which have steps able to move upward and/or downward to be positioned coplanarly and establish a platform the chair of a disabled person can directly access, this allowing, due to horizontal raising and/or lowering of this platform, the passage of one level to another of floors, characterized in that each step is supported by a scissor structure, in each case, associated to a mechanism preferably constituted by a motor and a spindle, making it possible to simultaneously raise and/or lower, and in controlled fashion, all the steps to form the platform of direct access of the disabled person's chair.

The actuation mechanism of each step may alternatively be formed by pneumatic and/or hydraulic elements.

The stairs preferably incorporate an articulated safety handrail.

The stairs claimed has been devised to resolve the aforementioned problem, also being executed in an easy and simple fashion and with a structure occupying a reduced space, which enables its implementation in any part where its use is necessary.

The adaptable stairs of the invention is constituted by a plurality of steps, as is conventional, but in this case with the capacity to move vertically upward and/or downward, in an independent and synchronized manner, to establish a platform that the wheelchair of a disabled person can access, so that it can be positioned at a higher level or a lower level with respect to the floor, after upward and/or downward movement of said platform formed by said moving steps.

Based on these characteristics, the stairs of the invention have a series of special characteristics wherefrom the aforementioned advantages are derived.

One of the characteristics of the stairs of the invention consists of the raising/lowering structure of each step being physically independent with respect to the remaining ones, although they will be synchronized, and it is materialized, in each case, with a kind of scissor mechanism whose arms are actuated to raise and/or lower the respective step, using a mechanism formed by an electric motor with a spindle which extends or retracts the support scissors of the step, raising or lowering it.

Evidently, that actuation mechanism can be replaced by hydraulic and/or pneumatic means that perform the same function. Likewise, it is possible to have an alternative mechanism with the location of the machinery housed in the side boxes, so that it avoids occupation of the space under the stairs.

By a suitable movement control of the different drive motors of the different steps, it is achieved that each one of these lowers until the lower end level, i.e. until they are coplanar with the plane of the lower step and fitting into the floor, all steps being coplanar to establish a platform at floor level, to which the wheelchair of a disabled person or handicapped person can access without problems, so that maintaining the horizontality of said platform, it can occupy, by raising, the higher level by the simultaneous actuation of all the scissors and with the same intensity, therefore allowing the disabled person to access that higher level.

Obviously, the movement of a higher level to another lower one shall be carried out inversely.

Finally, it should be stated that the stairs can be complemented with an articulated safety or protection handrail, for cases where there is a risk of falling frontally during the raising and/or lowering operations of the platform forming the set of steps of the stairs.

To complement the description that will be made below and in order to aid towards a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention in accordance with an example of preferred embodiment thereof, a set of drawings is attached as an integral part of said description, wherein, with an illustrative and non-limiting character, the following has been represented: Figure 1.-Shows a representation corresponding to a front schematic perspective of an embodiment of the stairs, viewing the first step level with the plane of the floor represented in broken lines.

Figure 2.-Shows a representation corresponding to a rear perspective of the same stairs of the previous figure, viewing part of the supporting scissor structures of the steps.

Figure 3.-Shows a representation corresponding to a perspective such as that of figure 1, with the steps in lowering position, forming the platform coplanarly with the floor.

Figure 4.-Shows a representation corresponding to a side elevation of a step with the scissor structure extended and the actuation mechanism.

Figure 5.-Corresponds to a perspective detail of part of the actuation mechanism of the scissors of each step, fundamentally constituted by a motor and a spindle.

Figure 6.-Shows a representation corresponding to a side view of the scissors of a step in folded position.

In the mentioned figures stairs (1) can be seen with a plurality of steps (2) able to move independently in vertical direction. Each step (2) is supported by a scissor structure (3) which is removable and extensible to raise and/or lower, respectively.

Said scissor structures (3) are actuated by a mechanism preferably formed by a motor (4) and a spindle (5), so that it runs through a nut located and fixed in a trolley formed by a central block (6) which will incorporate the corresponding pitch nut of the spindle (5), with a cross-arm (7) at the end whereof are established articulations (9) of the scissors (3), so that depending on the direction of rotation of the spindle (5) and, therefore, of the direction of movement of said trolley (6), the corresponding scissors (3) shall extend or retract to produce, in the action of extension, the raising of the respective step (2), whilst in the retraction action the lowering of the step (2) shall occur. As is evident and can be seen in figure 5, the articulations (9) incorporate end wheels for sliding along corresponding guides (11) established in the corresponding side support profiles.

In accordance with said characteristics, when the stairs (1) are in the position of use as is seen in figures 1 and 2, and wherein it can be appreciated that the step (2) is level with the floor (8), as represented in figures 1 and 3, in the case of a disabled person in a wheelchair wanting to go to a place of higher level, it will be necessary to actuate drive motors (4) of the different scissor structures (3) supporting the steps (2), logically carrying out a control of the movement of the motors to achieve that all the steps (2) are positioned coplanarly at the same level, forming a lower platform (10) level with the lower step (2), as seen in figure 3, in which platform a wheelchair of a disabled person can be located to subsequently raise said platform (10), i.e. all the steps (2) simultaneously with the aforementioned control of the motors, which can be achieved with the appropriate synchronization, said platform (10) reaching the higher level that the wheelchair can directly access and transit.

Claims (4)

1. CLAIMS1. Stairs adaptable for use by a disabled person, for allowing a wheelchair in which the disabled person moves to pass from a lower level to a higher level and vice-versa, said levels being interlinked by the stairs, the stairs having steps able to move upward or downward to be positioned horizontally coplanarly so as to establish a platform directly accessible by the wheelchair of the disabled person, this allowing, due to raising or lowering of this platform, the passage from one of the levels to the other, wherein each step is supported by a scissor structure, in each case, associated with an actuation mechanism for simultaneously raising or lowering, in a controlled fashion, all the steps to form the platform accessible by the disabled person's wheelchair.
2. 2. Stairs adaptable for use by disabled persons, according to claim 1, wherein the actuation mechanism of each step comprises a motor and a spindle.
3. 3. Stairs adaptable for use by disabled persons, according to claim 1, wherein the actuation mechanism of each step comprises pneumatic and/or hydraulic elements.
4. 4. Stairs adaptable for use by disabled persons, according to preceding claims, wherein the stairs incorporates an articulated safety handrail.