Stylized Adaptive Mobility Device
AssigneeUniversity of Maine System Board of Trustees
InventorsVincent Caccese, Elizabeth Depoy, Stephen Gilson, Ryan Michael Beaumont, James Everett Alexander, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An adaptive mobility device enables disabled users to ambulate with more security. The device includes a frame including two rear forks for a pair of rear wheels, and a pivotable front fork and wheel, steerable with a steering mechanism that alters the front wheel angle in response to pivoting of the forearms support bar. The support bar may optionally contain forearm rests on which the user may support his or her weight while reaching the handgrips for steering the device. The steering mechanism may provide for adjustment of the steering ratio.
Claims20
An adaptive mobility device comprising:
- a frame having right and left frame portions joined at a forward vertex defining a midline plane and joined by a cross member extending between the right and left frame portions rearward from the vertex, the frame defining a space for a user rearward of the cross member;
- a pair of rear forks, one attached to each of the right and left frame portions for supporting a pair of rear wheels rotatable about an axis approximately normal to the midline plane;
- a front fork assembly having a central shaft pivotably supported by the frame at said vertex, and forks extending from the central shaft for rotatably supporting a front wheel steerable by altering the pivot angle of the front fork assembly;
- a user weight support system including a forearm support bar mounted to a post pivotably supported by the cross member, and at least one hand grip mounted in a position suitable for gripping with a user's hand when the user's forearm is supported on the forearm support bar;
- and
- a steering mechanism for altering the pivot angle of the front fork assembly in response to a pivoting motion of the forearm support bar,
- wherein the wheels have a diameter that is more than 40% of the height of the device.
An adaptive mobility device comprising:
- a frame having right and left frame portions joined at a forward vertex defining a midline plane and joined by a cross member extending between the right and left frame portions rearward from the vertex, the frame defining a space for a user rearward of the cross member;
- a pair of rear forks, one attached to each of the right and left frame portions for supporting a pair of rear wheels rotatable about an axis approximately normal to the midline plane;
- a front fork assembly having a central shaft pivotably supported by the frame at said vertex, and forks extending from the central shaft for rotatably supporting a front wheel steerable by altering the pivot angle of the front fork assembly;
- a user weight support system including a forearm support bar mounted to a post pivotably supported by the cross member, and at least one hand grip mounted in a position suitable for gripping with a user's hand when the user's forearm is supported on the forearm support bar;
- and
- an adjustable steering mechanism for altering the pivot angle of the front fork assembly in response to a pivoting motion of the forearm support bar, the adjustable steering mechanism further configured to adjust the steering ratio.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.