2 Types of Wheelchair Platform Lifts

by Kevin Smith Author

Wheelchair platform lifts are machines that help people with mobility issues move from one floor to another. This can be anyone who has had brain or spinal injury, someone with muscle dystrophy, amputees, and the elderly.

 

If you've been to your grandparent's house, you may have noticed a moving chair built on the staircase that they used when coming down to greet you. There are many types of platform lifts that are suitable for homes and buildings. Here are 2 common types:

 

Vertical Platform Lifts

Vertical platform lifts (VPLs) are elevation devices that allow a person to travel upwards and downwards to different floors. Most VPLs are made up of 2 basic components: the platform and the drive mechanism. The platform is what a person stands or sits on. The drive mechanism allows the movement of the overall machine.

 

Some VPLs are installed outside, near a house's outer walls and within proximity to the front door. The location is why most technicians and distributors call them porch or deck lifts.

 

There are also VPLs that are utilized indoors. These usually come with an enclosure and are built inside a hoist-way which works similarly to a commercial elevator. Indoor VPLs are commonly seen in homes, schools, churches, hospitals, and other public buildings where people with mobility issues frequent.

 

Inclined Platform Lifts

Inclined platform lifts (IPLs) are staircase transport mechanisms that let people, especially those in a wheelchair, move to different floors. A person can use them by either sitting on a bolted seat or by moving their mobility device (scooters, rollators, and wheelchairs) onto the platform.

 

IPL components are similar to a VPL. The only difference is that platforms of inclined lifts are typically foldable. This distinct feature is designed to allow other people to access the stairs when the lift equipment isn't in use.

 

This type of wheelchair lift has 2 variants depending on the kind of staircase it's installed on. Straight IPLs are used for riding in a linear direction towards the next floor and only stop once they reach the destination. Curved IPLs, on the other hand, are utilized for flights of stairs and can be stopped on the desired floor.

 

Wheelchair platform lifts are useful machines that help people with mobility issues move from floor to floor. If you're interested to learn more about this equipment, you can begin your search online or reach out to a manufacturer.

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Created on Jun 25th 2019 01:27. Viewed 372 times.

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