The ParaLift

A Human-Powered Wheelchair Lift for Vans

Design Team
Chris Balino, Jerry Kim, Ovilia Hanafiah
Nelly Nganga, Alyanna Tenorio

Design Advisor
Prof. Jim Papadopoulos

Wheelchair Access Activist

Paul Bowers
 Introduction

Paul Bowers: paraplegic wheelchair user and driver in LA

Currently uses Braun Swing-A-Way hydraulic lift for

Curbside street parking
Paul Bowers[1]
Disabled parking space
Passenger side-entry of van

Too expensive, obtrusive, and slow

Now unavailable in U.S. and Canada

Braun Swing-A-Way[2]
 Problem Statement

Develop ergonomic human-powered

ParaLift that is space conscious,
low-noise, smoother, simpler, lighter,
and less expensive

To be further evaluated at
Landsberger Rehabilitation Lab at
California State University, Los
Angeles (CSULA)

Concept: pull-up to enter van quickly

Design Specifications

1 Main criteria for human-powered lift

Passenger-side van entry
2 Use in any parking space by wheeling between vehicles
then rotating inward after lifting
3 <1 minute operation unassisted
4 $5,000 manufacturing cost

5 Abilities Expo Boston feedback on typical lifts

6 It is very loud and people look at me all the time
It is so heavy
It takes 5 minutes to get into the car and out of the car
 Research

Vehicles

Sliding door preferred

Commonly converted minivans

for wheelchair users
Dodge Grand
Relevant minivan dimensions[3]
Caravan
Chrysler Town & 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Country Floor to Passenger Floor to Passenger Cargo

Description sliding door sliding door Ground Ramp Ramp
Toyota Sienna ceiling overhead area
(in inches) opening opening clearance length width
height console length
height width
Dodge 58.0 54.5 57.0 31.5 84.0 7.0 50.0 30.0
 Research

Regulations

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

Minimum load = 600 lb with a safety factor of 6 (i.e. 3600 lbs.)
Interlocked with vehicle brakes, transmission, or door
Intended as proof of concept, not destined for general user population

Institutional Review Board (IRB) testing

Completed Human Subject Research Protection (HSRP) certification
Testing safety approved by Jack Price at Environmental Health & Safety
(EHS)
 Design: Counterbalance

Counterweight system reduces users effort

User only pulls up (when entering) or pushes down

(when exiting) the difference between the weight and
counterweight

Counterweight ~ 60% of lift and users weight

Adjustable weight system to accommodate different

users

Weight system[4]
 Design: Safety Features

Safety lips line perimeter of platform and prevent users wheels from rolling off of
platform

Braking system requires both handles on grab bar to be depressed and prevents lift
from engaging unintentionally

Platform safety lips[5] Release handles of braking system[6]

 Design: Finite Element Analysis
Material: 6061-T6 Aluminum
Load: 200 lb on base plate + gravity

Max: 0.066 in

Stowing slider: stress (psi) Stowing slider: displacement (in)

 Design: Finite Element Analysis
Material: 6061-T6 Aluminum
Load: front load 80 lb, back load 150 lb

Max: 3.667e+004 Max: 0.724 in

Platform: stress (psi) Platform: displacement (in)

Design: Phase I Assembly
Column

Grab bar

Cable
force

Lifting/rotating
slider

Stowing
Platform slider
 Design: Lifting Mechanisms

Lifting Teflon flange

Column anchors system slider bearing
and allows for translation
and rotation of platform

Lifting/rotating slider
counterbalanced to
selectable weights for user
and platform Stowing slider
Stowing slider carriage
Stowing slider
counterbalanced to stow lift
in car after parking Stowing slider
rails

Column
Magnified view
 Design: Lifting Mechanisms

Three slider configurations

Lifting Stowing Lifting Stowing Lifting Stowing

slider slider slider slider slider slider
down down up down down up

Deployed Lifted Stowed

 Design: Platform

A-support
A-support connects
platform and base plate to Platform
stowing slider
Stowing slider
Platform lifts and lowers

Once platform is rotated Sliding

into van, guide rail feature rails
allows it to slide in and
stow away
Sliding carriages

Base plate
Design: Platform

Van Van Door

44.0
16.4

36.0

39.6
 Design: Ratcheting Grab Bar

Allows for pull-up motion and rotation into and out of van

Hinge

Grab bar

Column
connection
block

Hinge
connection
block
 Storyboard: Entry
Van Platform
Top
View
User

Grab bar

Stowing slider Gripping

Side Lifting slider tool
View

1: Door opens 2: Platform slides out 3: User rotates platform out

Storyboard: Entry

4: User lowers platform 5: User boards platform 6: User pulls himself up

 Storyboard: Entry

Step 6: user pulls himself up

 Storyboard: Entry

Step 7: user pushes bar

Step 8: user rotates into vehicle

 Storyboard: Entry

Step 9: user stows lift

 Future Work

Implementation Transport to Landsberger Further ParaLift development

Safety lips Rehabilitation Engineering that sparks conversation
Counterweight system lab at CSULA about the disabled
Modification Testing community and their needs
Grab bar Evaluation Changes in regulations that
Platform rotation and Future prototypes consider a broader spectrum
stowing of wheelchair users
Initial testing
Project Management
Questions?
 References

1. http://www.globalmobilityusa.org/our-board-of-directors

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmV-I7V9FYs

3. http://www.rollxvans.com/minivan-dimensions/

4. http://i00.i.aliimg.com/photo/v0/60187845114_1/weight_stack_plates_hot_sale_gym_equipment.jpg

5. http://www.braunability.com/international/personal-use/wheelchair-lifts/swingaway-series

6. http://pad3.whstatic.com/images/thumb/7/79/Fix-Brakes-on-a-Bike-Step-14-Version-2.jpg/670px-Fix-
Brakes-on-a-Bike-Step-14-Version-2.jpg