Wheelchair structure and suspension assembly
AssigneeNext Generation Mobility Pty Ltd
InventorSCOTT GORDON
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to wheelchair improvements and, in particular, to a wheelchair including a monocoque structural skin according to one aspect, and a suspension assembly according to another aspect.
Claims20
A suspension assembly for a wheelchair having a structural component and at least two spaced apart wheels, the suspension assembly including:
- a linkage assembly extending between the structural component of the wheelchair and at least one wheel support component which is oriented substantially horizontally when in a first position, wherein a wheel of the at least two spaced apart wheels is suspended from the wheel support component in a substantially downward and perpendicular orientation relative to the wheel support component, said linkage assembly including at least two vertically disposed linkages pivotably associated with each of the structural member and wheel support member such then when any one of the wheels encounters a surface that causes relative vertical movement between the wheel support member and wheelchair structural component, the wheel support component is moved to a second position which is vertically disposed from said first position whilst maintaining an orientation in which the wheel support component is oriented substantially horizontally and the suspended wheel remains in said substantially downward and perpendicular orientation relative to the wheel support component.
A suspension assembly for one or more wheels of a wheelchair, the wheelchair including a main body having a longitudinal axis and at least one drive wheel, said suspension assembly including:
- a linkage support structure associated with the wheelchair main body and extending along or parallel to said longitudinal axis;
- at least two linkages extending upwardly and transversely outwardly from each of opposed left and right sides of said linkage support structure, each linkage being pivotably connected at a first end to said linkage support structure;
- and
- a left and right wheel suspended substantially downwardly and perpendicularly from a respective left and right wheel support member, wherein a second end of each left side linkage is pivotably connected to said left wheel support member and a second end of each right side linkage is pivotably connected to said right wheel support member, and wherein at least one of said at least two linkages extending from each of left and right hand sides of the linkage support structure is disposed vertically higher than a second of said at least two linkages such then when any one of the wheels encounters a surface that causes relative vertical movement between the right or left wheel support members and linkage support structure, the wheel support members maintain an orientation in which the suspended wheel remains in said substantially downward and perpendicular suspension.
A suspension assembly according to 3, further including a means of self-leveling the suspended wheels after having been vertically disposed.
A wheelchair including a load-bearing, monocoque structural skin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.