1. Boarding andor access aid for vehicles with passenger transportation, containing a frame (3) with two parallel side parts (4) and an end profile (5) which connects said parts, a step plate (2), which is attached in the side parts (4) along a movement path in such a way that it can be shifted in and out, and drive means driving the step plate (2), which are braced on the frame (3), arranged between the two side parts (4), and present a drive motor (11), where the drive motor (11) is arranged in a rear area of the frame (3), wherein the drive means contain a drive element (10), designed as a chain or belt, which is guided, over at least one deflection roller (35), which is arranged beneath the movement path, and a drive roller (9), which is arranged in an area of the end profile (5) and in a rear area of the frame (3), and coupled with the drive motor (11), where the drive roller presents a larger diameter than the deflection roller (35), and is arranged in an interior space delimited by the frame (3), and the drive roller (9) is associated with a pressing roller (39), which acts from an exterior onto an upper strand (10a) of the drive element (10), in such a way that the upper strand (10a) is arranged in an area which is located between the pressing roller (39) and the deflection roller (35) substantially parallel to the movement path, but beneath said path, and coupling piece (38) for coupling a rolling cart (7) to the drive element (10), wherein the upper strand (10a) and a lower strand (10b) of the drive element (10) extend parallel to one another, the driver roller (9) of the larger diameter and the deflection roller (35) of a smaller diameter are located between the upper strand (10a) and the lower strand (10b) inside the drive element (10) at opposite ends of the latter, the pressing roller (39) is located outside of the drive element (10), and the coupling piece (38) moves together with the upper strand (10a) of the drive element (10).
2. Boarding andor access aid according to claim 1, wherein the drive motor (11) presents a drive shaft (12) which is connected directly to the drive roller (9).
3. Boarding andor access aid according to claim 1, wherein the drive element (10) is a belt which is toothed on its interior side, and the deflection and drive rollers (9, 35) are provided with external toothings.
4. Boarding andor access aid according to claim 1, wherein the side parts (4) are provided with guide rails (27), which are installed for guiding running wheels (8) of an element selected from the group consisting of the step plate (2) and a rolling cart (7) coupled to the plate, and in that the running wheels (8), the deflection roller (35) and the drive roller (9) are rotatable about axes that are arranged parallel to each other.
5. Boarding andor access aid according to claim 4, wherein the drive element is selected from the group consisting of the drive element (10) which is endless, and the drive element with two ends that are connected to an endless drive element (10), and an upper strand (10a) is attached to an element selected from the group consisting of the step plate (2) and the rolling cart (7).
6. Boarding andor access aid according to claim 1, wherein the drive motor (11) is attached to the end profile (5).
7. Boarding andor access aid for vehicles with passenger transportation, containing a frame (3) with two parallel side parts (4) and an end profile (5) which connects said parts, a step plate (2), which is attached in the side parts (4) along a movement path in such a way that it can be shifted in and out, and drive means driving the step plate(2), which are braced on the frame (3), arranged between the two side parts (4), and present a drive motor (11), where the drive motor (11) is arranged in a rear area of the frame (3), wherein the drive means contain a drive element (10), designed as a chain or belt, which is guided, over at least one deflection roller (35), which is arranged beneath the movement path, and a drive roller (9), which is arranged in an area of the end profile (5) and in a rear area of the frame (3), and coupled with the drive motor (11), where the drive roller presents a larger diameter than the deflection roller (35), and is arranged in an interior space delimited by the frame (3), and the drive roller (9) is associated with a pressing roller (39), which acts from an exterior onto an upper strand (10a) of the drive element (10) in such a way that the upper strand (10a) is arranged in an area which is located between the pressing roller (39) and the deflection roller (35) substantially parallel to the movement path, but beneath said path, and the deflection roller (35) is held rigidly in a support bar (6) connecting the two side parts (4), and the pressing roller (39) is attached movably on the end profile (5).
8. Boarding andor access aid according to claim 7, wherein the pressing roller (39), the drive roller (9) and the drive motor (11) are mounted in a bearing block (33), which is attached in such a way that it is swivelable by swiveling pin (40), which has a swivel axis that is parallel to an axis of the pressing roller (39), on an element selected from the group consisting of the end profile (5) and a rear end of the side parts (4).
9. Boarding andor access aid according to claim 1, wherein the drive element (10) is surrounded by a substantially closed housing (42).
10. Boarding andor access aid for vehicles with passenger transportation, containing a frame (3) with two parallel side parts (4) and an end profile (5) which connects said parts, a step plate (2), which is attached in the side parts (4) along a movement path in such a way that it can be shifted in and out, and drive means driving the step plate (2), which are braced on the frame (3), arranged between the two side parts (4), and present a drive motor (11), where the drive motor (11) is arranged in a rear area of the frame (3), wherein the drive means contain a drive element (10), designed as a chain or belt, which is guided, over at least one deflection roller (35), which is arranged beneath the movement path, and a drive roller (9), which is arranged in an area of the end profile (5) and in a rear area of the frame (3), and coupled with the drive motor (11), where the drive roller presents a larger diameter than the deflection roller (35), and is arranged in an interior space delimited by the frame (3), and the drive roller (9) is associated with a pressing roller (39), which acts from an exterior onto an upper strand (10a) of the drive element (10), in such a way that the upper strand (10a) is arranged in an area which is located between the pressing roller (39) and the deflection roller (35) substantially parallel to the movement path, but beneath said path, wherein the drive element (10) is surrounded by a substantially closed housing (42), and the housing (42) presents a longitudinal slit (43), which is open upward and covered with at least one sealing lip.
11. Boarding andor access aid for vehicles with passenger transportation, containing a frame (3) with two parallel side parts (4) and an end profile (5) which connects said parts, a step plate (2), which is attached in the side parts (4) along a movement path in such a way that it can be shifted in and out, and drive means driving the step plate (2), which are braced on the frame (3), arranged between the two side parts (4), and present a drive motor (11), where the drive motor (11) is arranged in a rear area of the frame (3), wherein the drive means contain a drive element (10), designed as a chain or belt, which is guided, over at least one deflection roller (35), which is arranged beneath the movement path, and a drive roller (9), which is arranged in an area of the end profile (5) and in a rear area of the frame (3), and coupled with the drive motor (11), where the drive roller presents a larger diameter than the deflection roller (35), and is arranged in an interior space delimited by the frame (3), and the drive roller (9) is associated with a pressing roller (39), which acts from an exterior onto an upper strand (10a) of the drive element (10), in such a way that the upper strand (10a) is arranged in an area which is located between the pressing roller (39) and the deflection roller 35 substantially parallel to the movement path but beneath said path and on a bottom side of the frame (3), a floor covering an internal space is attached, which floor covering presents a service flap (30), which is swivelable downward, and which extends over at least a part of the drive means.
12. Boarding andor access aid for vehicles with passenger transportation, containing a frame (3) with two parallel side parts (4) and an end profile (5) which connects said parts, a step plate (2), which is attached in the side parts (4) along a movement path in such a way that it can be shifted in and out, and drive means driving the step plate (2), which are braced on the frame (3), arranged between the two side parts (4), and present a drive motor (11), where the drive motor (11) is arranged in a rear area of the frame (3), wherein the drive means contain a drive element (10), designed as a chain or belt, which is guided, over at least one deflection roller (35), which is arranged beneath the movement path, and a drive roller (9), which is arranged in an area of the end profile (5) and in a rear area of the frame (3), and coupled with the drive motor (11), where the drive roller presents a larger diameter than the deflection roller (35), and is arranged in an interior space delimited by the frame (3), and the drive roller (9) is associated with a pressing roller (39), which acts from an exterior onto an upper strand (10a) of the drive element (10), in such a way that the upper strand (10a) is arranged in an area which is located between the pressing roller (39) and the deflection roller (35) substantially parallel to the movement path, but beneath said path, wherein the side parts (4) are provided with guide rails (27), which are installed for guiding running wheels (8) of an element selected from the group consisting of the step plate (2) and a rolling cart (7) coupled to the plate, and in that the running wheels (8), the deflection roller (35) and the drive roller (9) are rotatable about axes that are arranged parallel to each other, and an element selected from the group consisting of the step plate (2) and the rolling cart (7) contains at least three successively arranged pairs of running wheels (8a, 8b, 8c), where a pair (8a), in a front position in a deployment direction, is applied against a lower running rail (37a), a pair (8b), which is in a rear in the deployment direction, is applied on an upper running rail (27b), and a middle pair (8c) of running wheels, which compensates for tolerances and prevents tipping movements, is applied on a lower running rail (27a).
13. Boarding andor access aid according to claim 4, wherein the running wheels (8) are selected from the group consisting of running wheels with a coating of rubber, running wheels with a coating of plastic, running wheels of rubber, and running wheels of plastic.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A lightning detection device, comprising:
a lightning detection circuit operating to generate output signals corresponding to observed electromagnetic pulses;
a microcontroller coupled to the lightning detection circuit, the microcontroller operating to analyze the output signals from the lightning detection circuit and to identify lightning events, the microcontroller generating an output when a lightning event has been detected; and
a channel controller coupled to the microcontroller, the channel controller controlling an equipment interface to disconnect a protected device from a potential surge current source when an output is received from the microcontroller.
2. The lightning detection device of claim 1, further comprising:
an isolation circuit coupled between the lightning detection circuit and the microcontroller, the isolation circuit protecting the microcontroller from signals output from the detection circuit and from a direct lightning strike.
3. The lightning detection device of claim 1, wherein the equipment interface is a relay, the relay operating to connect and disconnect a protected device from a power line.
4. The lightning detection device of claim 1, wherein the equipment interface is a relay, the relay operating to connect and disconnect a protected device from a communication line.
5. The lightning detection device of claim 1, wherein the channel controller or the microcontroller or both control the equipment interface to reconnect the protected equipment to the potential surge current source.
6. The lightning detection device of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor further comprises one or more lightning profiles used to identify output signals from the detection device that correspond to lightning events.
7. The lightning detection device of claim 1, further comprising:
a user interface adapted to warn a user of a lightning event.
8. The lightning detection device of claim 1, wherein the equipment interface is a vehicle interlock that regulates use of an extension apparatus on the vehicle.
9. The lightning detection device of claim 1, further comprising:
a serial driver coupled to the microcontroller, the serial driver receiving serial data from the microcontroller and transmitting the serial data to a protected device.
10. A circuit for detecting lightning events, comprising a processor adapted execute software instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to perform actions comprising:
receiving signals from a lightning detector circuit, the signals corresponding to detected electromagnetic pulses;
identify a group of two or more received signals that occur within a predetermined duration;
determine if the group of two or more received signals corresponds to a known lighting profile; and
generating an output signal if the group of two or more received signals does correspond to a known lighting profile.
11. The circuit of claim 10, further comprising:
a channel controller interface, wherein the output signal is transmitted to a channel controller via the channel controller interface.
12. The circuit of claim 11, wherein the output signal directs the channel controller to activate a particular interface.
13. The circuit of claim 11, wherein the output signal directs the channel controller to deactivate a particular interface.
14. The circuit of claim 11, further comprising:
a serial driver coupled to the processor, wherein the output signal is transmitted to the serial driver.
15. A method for detecting lightning events, comprising:
detecting electromagnetic pulses as radio frequency signals;
generating an output signal corresponding to the electromagnetic pulses;
comparing a series of the output signals to one or more lightning profiles;
generating a control signal, if the series of output signals corresponds to a selected lightning profile; and
triggering a device interface upon receipt of the control signal, the device interface operating to connect and disconnect a device to a conductive element.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the device interface is a relay.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the relay operates to connect and disconnect a device to a line, wire or cable.
18. The method of claim 15, wherein the control signal indicates a channel to be disconnected from a conductive element.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
generating a second control signal, the second control signal indicating that the channel is to be reconnected to the conductive element.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein the control signal comprise disconnection and connection information, the information indicating a channel to be disconnected from a conductive element and a duration for until the channel is reconnected to the conductive element.
21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
generating a warning to a user if the series of output signals corresponds to a selected lightning profile.
22. The method of claim 15, wherein the device interface is located on a vehicle and operates to connect and disconnect an extension apparatus from a power source.