Appeal No. 2000-1489 Page 6
Application No. 09/188,421
out of the doorway for providing access to the doorway of
the vehicle.
As shown in Figures 1 to 3 of Vartanian, a wheel chair
access ramp 10 is positioned in a vehicle doorway 15 on the
edge of floor 16 thereof. A ramp member 12, comprising a
movable plate 11 is connected to the deployable ramp sections
by means of a heavily spring-biased hinge 19. Plate 11 is
lockable to a base plate 18, attached to the vehicle doorway.
The ramp member 12 has first ramp panel or section 13, and a
second ramp panel or
section 14, connected together by a knuckle 30. When ramp
member 12 is either stowed or deployed, first ramp panel 13 is
hingeably attached relative to base plate 18 along the lower
edge of the doorway opening by spring biased mounting means
40, hinge 19 and movable plate 11, which is locked to base
plate 18 in these
positions. In the access position, however, movable plate 11
is unlocked from base plate 18, whereupon both hinge leaves
21,23 of hinge 19 can be pivoted away from base plate 18
around a vertical axis defined by rod 41. Plate 11 slides
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Last modified: November 3, 2007