Abstract:
A lightweight, optionally foldable wheelchair (10) which allows the user maximum control over both travel direction and seat position. The wheelchair is driven manually by an arrangement of drive gears, which are actuated by a drive gear selector (44) and operated by rotating a pair of opposed handwheels (32, 34), one of which is contacted by each of the occupant's hands. One of four or more different gears may be selected, including a "Forward Only" and a "Reverse Only" gear, which allow travel only in the direction selected. A dual function shift lever (42) supports the drive gear selector and may be activated to disengage the drive gears and engage a seat positioning gear (142). When the seat positioning gear is engaged, rotation of the handwheels by the wheelchair occupant will activate a set raising mechanism which moves the seat from a horizontal sitting position to a substantially vertical position toward the rear of the wheelchair.
Abstract:
A transportation apparatus for transporting an invalid onto a raised surface is disclosed. The transportation apparatus includes a backrest and leg support pivotably connected to a seat portion. The seat portion is slidably connected to first and second spaced apart slide rails. Each slide rail includes a plurality of telescoping members. At least one middle leg and at least one rear leg depends downwardly from the seat portion. At least one middle wheel is connected to the middle leg and at least one rear wheel is connected to the rear leg. The middle wheel and rear wheel define a middle and rear rotation axes, respectively. At least one front wheel is operatively connected to the leg support. The middle leg is movable to adjust the vertical position of the middle wheel, and the rear leg is movable to adjust the vertical position of the rear wheel. The plurality of telescoping members slide the seat portion in a substantially horizontal direction in relation to the rear rotation axis or the middle rotation axis.
Abstract:
Disclosed is a clutched wheel which can be clutched through the engagement between a latch jaw and a latch bar during rotation thereof in two directions to enable rotation thereof in one direction only, and can selectively rotate in one direction or two directions by inserting or separating a clutch pin mounted a frame thereto or therefrom. The clutched wheel (7) includes an outer wheel (41) and an inner wheel (40); the outer wheel having a tire member (11), a latch jaw (17), and a rotary ball passage (20), the tire member (11) surrounding the outer wheel and being in direct contact with the ground; and the inner wheel (40) having a latch bar (27), a clutch pin guide hole for inserting or separating the rotary ball passage and the clutch pin (38) thereto or therefrom, and a bearing embedded inside. The clutched wheel can rotate in one direction by applying and fixing clutch power to the clutch pin (38) through interaction between the latch jaw (17) and the latch bar (27) pulled by a pulling band or in two directions by separating the clutch pin (38) from the wheel.
Abstract:
A wheel assembly for a wheelchair having a two-gear arrangement, in which a hypocycloidal gear provides a ratio lower than 1:1. A shift member (38), located on the wheel assembly, has hand operated shift portions (70, 72) and is capable of moving perpendicular to the wheel axle between two positions. The shift member can be moved while the user is seated in the wheelchair and the wheelchair is not moving. The wheel assembly includes a hand rim (14) connected to a housing (18) within which is a gear assembly (22). The gear assembly includes two spaced cage plates (86, 88) which are joined by fixed shafts (92A-92A) having unidirectional rollers (92, 92) positioned thereon around the periphery thereof. The rollers have an exterior surface portion which engages with the interior surface of the housing to readily permit movement in the forward direction, but to prevent movement in the rear direction, unless the hand rims are used to rotate the housing relative to the gear assembly. The cage plate has rubbing elements which interact with the interior surface of the housing to produce an additional braking force for downhill terrain.
Abstract:
A small and lightweight brake system in which hill start and hill climbing are facilitated and a stabilized brake power can be obtained under any situation including traveling under rainy weather. The brake system being provided on the rotary shaft of a wheel 101 and regulating rotation of the wheel 101 through a brake drum 3 rotating together with the rotary shaft, comprises a lock shoe 30 where a wedge engages the inner circumferential surface of the brake drum 3 during rotation thereof in any one of forward or reverse direction to regulate rotation of the brake drum 3 in the forward or reverse direction.
Abstract:
A wheelchair training system that comprises: a platform (110) that receives the wheelchair; two elongated parallel rollers (250) that are mounted on the platform (110) and are in tangential contact with two rear wheels (150, 160) of the wheelchair such that the two rollers (250) spin when the two rear wheels (150,160) rotate; and a spinning resistance control system (300) mounted on the platform (110) includes a magnet (310) that moves in different positions so that an overlapping area between a magnetic field generated from the magnet (310) and end of the two rollers (250) varies due to the magnet (310) being moved to the different positions. The magnetic field of the magnet (310) induces an eddy current in the two rollers (250) and generates a resistive force against rotation of the two wheels (150,160).
Abstract:
The invention relates to a powered wheelchair (100) for transporting a person, comprising a seat frame (40) for supporting the person, a pair of opposing main wheel assemblies (20, 30), including a first main wheel assembly (20) and a second main wheel assembly (30) connected to the seat frame (40), and a third main wheel assembly (50) arranged spaced apart from the pair of opposing main wheel assemblies (20, 30) and connected to said seat frame (40). The powered wheelchair further comprises a support wheel arrangement (10) for supporting the powered wheelchair (100), said support wheel arrangement (10) having a main beam (12) and a front support wheel unit (14) capable of being applied to a ground surface (95). The main beam (12) is rotatably connected to said third main wheel assembly (50) at a third connection point (C 3 ) and connected via a guiding mechanism (80) to the first main wheel assembly (20) at a first connection point (C 1 ). The main beam (12) has a first portion (16) adapted to cooperate with said guiding mechanism (80) when said first portion (16) passes through a part of the guiding mechanism (80) upon movement of the main beam (12) relative to the guiding mechanism (80), to maintain said support wheel arrangement in a supporting position (S), in which the front support wheel unit is applied to the ground surface (95).
Abstract:
A freewheel hub device comprises two locking rings (10, 28) with axial grooves (13, 29) formed in the locking rings and being essentially V shaped in cross-section. The groove walls of one locking ring (10) form a first and a second wedge surface (13a and 13b), and one groove wall of the other locking ring (29) forms a third wedge surface (29a). A roll holder (14) with rolls (15), which extend into the grooves (13, 29) of the locking rings (10, 28), is mounted in the locking rings (10, 28). A hub (45) is rotationally arranged in the roll holder (14) and has a circumferential surface (47) for cooperation with the rolls (15). The locking rings (10, 28) and the roll holder (14) are turnable relative to each other in a limited manner and can take three differ3nt setting positions relative to each other, in which the wedge surfaces (13a, 13b, 29a) in different combinations force the rolls (15) into engagement with the circumferential surface (47) of the hub (45) to prevent the rotation of the hub in one direction (A), the other direction (B) or both directions (A and B), and a fourth setting position, in which the hub (45) can rotate freely in both directions.
Abstract:
The invention provides a propulsion, braking and anti-rollback control assembly for use in manually propelled vehicles such as wheelchairs. In one embodiment, the invention provides a wheelchair with a control lever assembly and related force conveyance connecter that propel, brake and steer the wheelchair in a mechanically advantageous way while minimizing rollback. A seat-activated auxiliary braking system is also provided. Additionally, the invention provides a selective anti-rollback disengagement system that facilitates selective rollback.
Abstract:
Die Erfindung betrifft einen Rollstuhl mit einem Rahmen und zwei Antriebsrädern, die sowohl manuell durch auf sie in nacheinander abfolgenden Anschubphasen eingeleitete Kräfte als auch mittels wenigstens eines elektrischen Hilfsantriebes antreibbar sind. Erfindungsgemäß ist vorgesehen, dass an Gelände-Steigungs-oder Gefällstrecken vom Hilfsantrieb die Funktion einer Haltebremse übernehmbar ist, indem der Geschwindigkeitsverlauf jedes der Antriebsräder detektiert wird und dann, wenn beide Antriebsräder eine vorgegebene Geschwindigkeit bis zum Stillstand unterschreiten, der Hilfsantrieb so zugeschaltet wird, dass der Rollstuhl im Stillstand für ein Zeitintervall verharrt.