JP7601368B2 - Step-eliminating ramp - Google Patents

Description

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Shin-ei Techno Co., Ltd. published this information in the Shin-ei Techno catalog "Diamond Slope 10+ (Ten Plus)" published on September 23, 2020, and the Shin-ei Techno catalog "Diamond Slope 10+ (Ten Plus)" published on October 14, 2020. Shin-ei Techno Co., Ltd. wholesaled the product to Wellfun Co., Ltd. on October 1, 2020.

The present invention relates to an improved step-eliminating ramp that can be installed at steps in buildings, such as the upper steps of entrances and doorways, to eliminate these steps and make it easier for wheelchairs and care walkers to get over the steps.

It is common to install wedge-shaped components called step-eliminating ramps at steps in buildings, such as the step-up frame of an entrance or an entrance to a room, to eliminate the step and make it easier for wheelchairs or care walkers (hereinafter referred to as "wheelchairs, etc.") to get over the step. One example of such a step-eliminating ramp is shown in Patent Document 1.

This conventional step-eliminating ramp is made of a rubber member formed into an approximately wedge shape, and the step can be easily overcome by a wheelchair or other device passing over the tread that slopes gently downward from the top end of the back surface, which is positioned adjacent to the step, to the front end that contacts the floor surface.

Registered Utility Model No. 3177598 (Fig. 1)

Step-eliminating ramps are used in places such as the steps at entrances and thresholds at room entrances, as mentioned above. However, there are many different widths for steps and room entrances.

To accommodate these various types of step-eliminating locations, step-eliminating ramps of an appropriate length are required, but there is a problem in that trying to accommodate this would result in a significant increase in the number of products available. As a result, many users have been waiting for the arrival of a step-eliminating ramp with an adjustable length that would allow one set of step-eliminating ramps to be used in multiple locations.

In addition, if a large ramp for eliminating steps is manufactured using relatively heavy rubber, it becomes too heavy to carry and is not suitable for practical use.

One solution to this problem would be to divide the step-eliminating ramp into several pieces and join a suitable number of these together, but a heavy wheelchair or similar device may travel on the joined step-eliminating ramp. In such cases, the tread surface must have the same flatness as a single piece, and the joints must be strong enough so that they do not come loose or become deformed when the wheels of a wheelchair or similar move over them. This is why such joined step-eliminating ramps have not been put to practical use until now.

The present invention was made in consideration of the problems of the conventional examples, and aims to provide a joint-type step-eliminating ramp that can accommodate step sections of various lengths and widths, is compact and easy to carry even if it is long, and is particularly capable of withstanding the weight of a wheelchair or the like moving over the joints.

The step-eliminating slope 10 recited in claim 1 is constructed by connecting a plurality of slope segments (FIGS. 10 to 12). That is,
The step-eliminating slope 10 is formed in a substantially wedge shape and is composed of a plurality of slope segments 10a to 10c arranged side by side so that their opposing side surfaces 12 are in contact with each other in order to eliminate the step at a step portion X of a building,
A locking protrusion 20 is formed on either one of the opposing side surface 12 of the first slope segment and the opposing side surface 12 of the second slope segment opposed to the opposing side surface 12 of the first slope segment;
The other opposing side of the second slope segment is formed with a locking groove 30 into which the locking protrusion 20 is inserted and engaged, the locking groove 30 opening into the opposing side surface 12 and bottom surface 13 of the second slope segment,
The locking protrusion 20 is formed in a generally trapezoidal shape such that its width W in the front-rear direction increases toward the tip 21,
The locking groove 30 is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape, the same as the locking protrusion 20, such that the inner dimension W in the front-rear direction becomes larger toward the inner end 31 in accordance with the locking protrusion 20 .
The opposing side surface 12 on which the locking protrusion 20 is formed is an inclined surface inclined at an inclination angle α in a direction opposite to the protruding direction of the locking protrusion 20 with respect to a perpendicular line S erected on the bottom surface 13,
The opposing side surface 12 in which the locking groove 30 is formed and which contacts the opposing side surface 12 in which the locking protrusion 20 is formed is an inclined surface that matches the opposing side surface 12 in which the locking protrusion 20 is provided,
An outer surface 23 of the tip 21 of the locking protrusion 20 and outer surfaces 24 on both sides thereof are inclined surfaces inclined inward at inclination angles α and β with respect to a perpendicular line S erected on the bottom surface 13 so that the area of the top surface side of the locking protrusion 20 is smaller than that of the bottom surface 13 side,
The inner surface 33 of the inner end 31 of the locking groove 30 and the inner surfaces 34 on both sides thereof are inclined surfaces that match the outer surface 23 of the tip 21 of the locking protrusion 20 and the outer surfaces 24 on both sides thereof.
The upper surface 25 of the locking protrusion 20 and the ceiling surface 35 of the locking groove 30 are characterized by being inclined downward toward the climbing entrance 17 side of the slope segment .

As a result, when the first and second slope sections are connected, the tread side, which is the ceiling surface 35 of the locking groove 30, is blocked by the tread 11, so that the entire tread 11 of the joined first and second slope sections becomes a flat surface.
The engagement between the locking groove 30 and the locking protrusion 20 is formed so that the front-to-rear width W of the locking protrusion 20 increases as it approaches the tip 21, and the locking groove 30 is formed so that the inner dimension W in the front-to-rear direction increases as it approaches the inner end 31 to match the locking protrusion 20, and since the engagement of the locking protrusion 20 is performed from the bottom opening 36 of the locking groove 30, it will not fall off even if a load G force of a wheelchair or the like is applied to this joint, and will not hinder their movement.

Furthermore, the engagement between the locking projection 20 and the locking recess 30 is wedge-shaped, which strengthens the engagement force, and the locking projection 20 and the locking recess 30 will not come off even if a load G is applied from above to the engagement portion.

According to these inventions, multiple slope segments are joined together, so they can be used for step sections of various lengths, and even if they are made long, they have the advantage of being compact and easy to carry. Furthermore, because the joints are wedge-shaped, they have the advantage of being able to withstand the weight of a wheelchair or other object moving over them.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a step-eliminating slope according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a bottom view of FIG. 1 . FIG. 4 is an exploded view of FIG. FIG. 13 is an exploded bottom view of the case where two slope segments of the present invention are used. FIG. 13 is another exploded bottom view of the use of two slope segments of the present invention. FIG. 11 is yet another exploded bottom view of the use of two slope segments of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1 . FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of a locking protrusion and a locking groove according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the locking protrusion and the locking groove of the present invention before engagement. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the locking protrusion and the locking groove of the present invention when engaged with each other. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view in the Z direction of FIG.

The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiment. The present step-eliminating slope 10 is composed of a set of multiple slope segments 10a-10c, and two or more of these that can be connected are selected and connected to be used at a length that matches the length of the step portion X at the location of use. In the embodiment in Figures 1-3, three slope segments 10a-10c are shown as one set, but this is not limited to three, and two may be used as shown in Figures 5-7, or four or more may be used, although not shown.

As can be seen from FIG. 4, in one set of slope segments 10a-10c, some are placed at the ends and some are placed on the inside, with the one placed on the inside being the first slope segment 10a, the one to the right of it being the second slope segment 10b, and the one to the left of it being the third slope segment 10c.

The slope segments selected from a set of slope segments 10a to 10c have locking protrusions 20 and locking grooves 30 that can be connected as a male-female pair. The slope segments are joined together by the engagement of the locking protrusions 20 and locking grooves 30 provided on the opposing side surfaces 12 of each of the slope segments.

When there are three slope segments 10a-10c in a set (Figs. 1-4), the first slope segment 10a located in the center is long horizontally, with a locking protrusion 20 on one side 12 and a locking groove 30 on the other side 12.

The second slope segment 10b, located at the right end, has a lateral length shorter than that of the first slope segment 10a, has a locking protrusion 20 on the opposing side surface 12 that faces the opposing side surface 12 of the first slope segment 10a, and the other side surface is finished to be flat.

The third slope segment 10c located at the left end has a horizontal length that is shorter than the horizontal length of the second slope segment 10b, one side of which is finished to be flat, and an engagement groove 30 is provided on the opposing side 12 that faces the opposing side 12 of the first slope segment 10a. In the figure, there is one first slope segment 10a located in the center, but there may be two or more.

The side shape of the slope segments 10a to 10c is wedge-shaped as described above, and the gradient θ of the slope segments 10a to 10c (the angle between the tread surface 11 and the bottom surface 13; see FIG. 1) is set to an angle that is easy for a wheelchair to get over (for example, in the range of 10 to 15 degrees), and is set to 14 degrees in this embodiment. The angle between the front surface 14 and the bottom surface 13 is formed as an acute angle close to a right angle, so that when the slope segments are placed adjacent to the step portion X, the tread surface 11 side of the front surface 14 will be in contact with it, and the bottom surface 13 side will be slightly separated from it.

In addition, the tread surface 11 has a diamond pattern embossed 11d formed over its entire surface (see the circle in Figure 1), and multiple shallow grooves 16 (four in this case) are engraved at regular intervals along the entire length.

The height H (Fig. 1) of the step-eliminating slope 10 is set to be the same as or slightly lower than the height of the step X as described above, and is set to 3 cm in this embodiment. The bottom surface 13 (Fig. 3) of the step-eliminating slope 10 has multiple recesses 15 formed vertically and horizontally in multiple rows and columns to remove material.

Figures 1 to 4 show the case where three slope segments are selected, and Figures 5 to 7 show the case where two slope segments are selected. When three slope segments are selected, a first slope segment 10a having an engaging protrusion 20 on one opposing side surface 12 and an engaging groove 30 on the opposing side surface 12 on the opposite side is selected, a second slope segment 10b having an engaging protrusion 20 on one opposing side surface 12, and a third slope segment 10c having an engaging groove 30 on one opposing side surface 12 are selected. Then, the engaging protrusion 20 of the second slope segment 10b is fitted into the engaging groove 30 of the first slope segment 10a, and then the engaging protrusion 20 of the first slope segment 10a is fitted into the engaging groove 30 of the third slope segment 10c, to form a single longest step-eliminating slope 10.

When two slope segments are selected, the combination shown in Figure 5 selects the first slope segment 10a and the second slope segment 10b, and the locking protrusion 20 of the second slope segment 10b fits into the locking groove 30 of the first slope segment 10a, resulting in a step-eliminating slope 10 of the second length. The locking protrusion 20 of the first slope segment 10a is not used, so it is cut out as necessary. The cutting line is indicated by L.

In the case of FIG. 6, the first slope section 10a and the third slope section 10c are selected, and the locking protrusion 20 of the first slope section 10a is fitted into the locking groove 30 of the third slope section 10b, resulting in a step-eliminating slope 10 of the third length.

In the case of FIG. 7, the second slope section 10b and the third slope section 10c are selected, and the locking protrusion 20 of the second slope section 10a is fitted into the locking groove 30 of the third slope section 10b, resulting in a step-eliminating slope 10 with the shortest length.

The locking protrusions 20 and locking grooves 30 provided on the slope segments will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 12. In this embodiment, the locking protrusions 20 are provided in multiple locations (three locations in this example) on the opposing side surfaces 12 of the slope segments. As can be seen from Figure 8, the front surface 14 of the wedge-shaped slope segments is thick and the rear end is thin on the climbing entrance 17 side, so the locking protrusions 20 on the front surface 14 side of the slope segments are made large and thick, and are successively smaller and thinner toward the climbing entrance 17 side. However, the protruding length T from the side surface 12 is made to be the same length. The upper surface 25 of the locking protrusions 20 is formed parallel to the tread surface 1, so each upper surface 25 is inclined downward toward the climbing entrance 17 side with respect to the bottom surface 13.

The planar shape of the locking protrusion 20 is trapezoidal as shown in FIG. 9, with the base 22 that contacts the opposing side surface 12 being narrow and the trapezoidal shape becoming wider toward the tip 21.

As can be seen from FIG. 12, the opposing side surface 12 on which the locking protrusion 20 is formed is inclined at an inclination angle α in the opposite direction to the protruding direction of the locking protrusion 20 with respect to a perpendicular line S erected on the bottom surface 13. The outer surface 23 of the tip 21 of the locking protrusion 20 is also inclined parallel to the inclined surface inclined at the inclination angle α (the inclined opposing side surface 12 on which the locking protrusion 20 is formed).

The outer surfaces 24 on both sides of the locking protrusion 20 are also inclined inward at an inclination angle β with respect to a perpendicular line S erected on the bottom surface 13. In other words, they are inclined inward so that the width W in the front-to-rear direction of the top surface 25 is narrower than that of the bottom surface 13. The inclination angle β may be equal to or different from the inclination angle α.

The upper surface 25 of the locking protrusion 20 is formed stepwise lower than the tread surface 11. This step is represented by D. The bottom surface of the locking protrusion 20 is formed flush with the bottom surface 13 of the slope segment.

The locking grooves 30 are recessed in a plurality (three places in this example) at the same intervals, positions and shapes as the locking protrusions 20. As can be seen from Fig. 8, the slope segment is made large and deep on the front surface 14 side where it is thick, and gradually becomes smaller and shallower toward the climbing entrance 17 side. However, the recess depth from the opposing side surface 12 is made the same as that of the locking protrusions 20. The opposing side surface 12 where the locking grooves 30 open is an inclined surface that matches the opposing side surface 12 on which the locking protrusions 20 are provided.

The shape of the locking groove 30 is made the same as that of the locking protrusion 20 as described above, and its planar shape is trapezoidal as shown in FIG. 9, with the opening portion 32 of the side surface 12 being narrow and becoming wider toward the inner end 31. The inner surface 33 of the inner end 31 is formed to be slightly inclined inward from the bottom surface 13 toward the tread surface 11 in accordance with the locking protrusion 20. The ceiling surface 35 of the locking groove 30 is blocked by the tread surface 11, and the thickness of this portion (blocked tread surface portion) is represented by D. The thickness D of the tread surface blocking portion and the step D of the locking protrusion 20 are the same size. The bottom surface of the locking groove 30 opens into the bottom surface 13 of the slope division body. This portion is called the bottom surface opening 36.

Since the locking protrusion 20 and the locking groove 30 have the above-mentioned shape, the locking protrusion 20 is inserted from the bottom opening 36 of the locking groove 30 and engages integrally. When the locking protrusion 20 engages integrally with the locking groove 30, the tread surfaces 11, bottom surface 13, front surface 14, and climbing entrance 17 of the two engaged slope segments are flush and matched, and their opposing side surfaces 12 are in contact without any gaps.

When using the step-eliminating slope 10 configured as described above, as shown in FIG. 1, the step-eliminating slope 10 is placed at the corner of the step portion X with the front surface 14 of the step-eliminating slope 10 pressed against the vertical surface of the step portion X.

A gap may occur between the bottom surface 13 of the step-eliminating ramp 10 and the floor surface C due to slight unevenness on the floor surface C, but because the step-eliminating ramp 10 is made of an elastic rubber material, the bottom surface 13 of the step-eliminating ramp 10 conforms to the shape of the floor surface C, filling the gap and eliminating wobbling. In addition, the tread surface 11 has diamond-patterned unevenness 11d formed over its entire surface, and shallow grooves 16 are engraved along its entire length, providing a high anti-slip effect.

When a heavy wheelchair moves over the installed step-eliminating ramp 10, the wheels may pass over the engagement point. In this case, the wheels apply a large load G to the engagement point. The outer surfaces 23 and 24 of the locking protrusion 20 are inclined so that the area of the top surface 25 side is smaller than that of the bottom surface 13 side, and the inner surfaces 33 and 34 of the locking groove 30 are also inclined to match this. This load G causes the locking protrusion 20 to be pushed into the locking groove 30 like a wedge, making the engagement between the two even stronger.

In addition, the opposing side surface 12 where the locking protrusion 20 and the locking groove 30 engage is also inclined with respect to the perpendicular line S. Therefore, when the load G is applied to the sloped section on the opposing side surface 12 side that covers one of the opposing side surfaces 12, the opposing side surface 12 that covers one of the opposing side surfaces 12 from above shifts slightly downward, and as shown in FIG. 12, the locking groove 30 side presses the locking protrusion 20 side, forcing the locking protrusion 20 into the locking groove 30.

Conversely, when the load G is applied to the sloped section of one of the opposing sides 12, the side 12 shifts slightly downward relative to the opposing side 12 covering it from above, and deforms in a direction slightly separating it from the side 12 covering it from above. This applies a force in a direction to pull the locking protrusion 20 out of the locking groove 30, but because the locking protrusion 20 and the locking groove 30 are trapezoidal in shape, the locking protrusion 20 is pressed against the narrow side opening 32, and as described above, the connection between the two is strengthened.

In addition, because the top surface 25 of the locking protrusion 20 and the ceiling surface 35 of the locking groove 30 are inclined toward the entrance 17 of the slope section, the locking groove 30 (locking protrusion 20) of the slope section to which the load G is applied tries to deform slightly toward the entrance 17 relative to the locking protrusion 20 (locking groove 30) of the adjacent slope section, and the outer side surfaces 24 on the front surface 14 (entrance 17) side are pressed against each other, enhancing the connection between the two as described above.

As a result, multiple slope segments can be joined together to suit the installation location, and even when used as a single step-eliminating slope 10, the weaknesses at the joints are overcome, making it practical to use.

10: step-eliminating slope, 10a, 10b, 10c: slope division body, 11: tread surface, 11d: diamond pattern unevenness, 12: (opposing) side, 13: bottom surface, 14: front surface, 15: recessed hole, 16: shallow groove, 17: climbing entrance, 20: locking protrusion, 21: tip, 22: base, 23: outer surface of tip, 24: outer surface of side, 25: upper surface, 30: locking recess, 31: rear end, 32: opening of side, 33: inner surface of rear end, 34: inner surface of side, 35: ceiling surface, 36: bottom opening, C: floor surface, D: step (thickness), G: load, H: height, L: resection line, S: perpendicular line, T protruding length, W: width in front-to-back direction (inner dimension), X: step portion, α, β: inclination angle, θ: gradient

Claims (1)

A step-eliminating slope is formed in a substantially wedge shape and is composed of a plurality of slope divisions arranged side by side so that their opposing sides are in contact with each other to eliminate the step at a step portion of a building.
A locking protrusion is formed on either one of an opposing side surface of the first slope segment and an opposing side surface of the second slope segment opposed to the opposing side surface of the first slope segment,
The other of the opposing sides of the second slope segment is formed with a locking groove into which the locking protrusion is inserted and engaged, the locking groove opening on the opposing side surface and bottom surface of the second slope segment being formed,
The locking protrusion is formed in a generally trapezoidal shape such that its width in the front-rear direction increases toward its tip,
The locking groove is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape having an inner dimension in a front-to-rear direction that is larger toward the inner end in accordance with the locking protrusion, the trapping groove having the same shape as the locking protrusion ,
the opposing side surface on which the locking protrusion is formed is an inclined surface inclined at an inclination angle in a direction opposite to a protruding direction of the locking protrusion with respect to a perpendicular line erected on the bottom surface,
the opposing side surface on which the locking groove is formed and which contacts the opposing side surface on which the locking protrusion is formed is an inclined surface that matches the opposing side surface on which the locking protrusion is provided,
the outer surface of the tip of the locking protrusion and the outer surfaces of both sides of the tip of the locking protrusion are inclined inward at an inclination angle with respect to a perpendicular line erected on the bottom surface so that the area of the top surface side of the locking protrusion is smaller than that of the bottom surface side,
the inner surface of the inner end of the locking groove and the inner surfaces of both sides of the inner end of the locking groove are inclined surfaces that match the outer surface of the tip portion of the locking protrusion and the outer surfaces of both sides of the tip portion of the locking protrusion,
A step-eliminating slope characterized in that the upper surface of the locking protrusion and the ceiling surface of the locking groove are inclined downwardly toward the entrance side of the slope segment .

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