Curb-climbing power wheelchair
AssigneePride Mobility Products Corporation
InventorsWalter E. Schaffner, James P. Mulhern, Stephen J. Antonishak, Gerald J. White
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A curb-climbing front wheel drive power wheelchair has a frame, a seat connected to the frame, a pair of drive wheels connected to the frame and rotatable about a transverse axis below a portion of the seat supporting the wheelchair occupant's thighs. The power wheelchair also has at least one ground-engaging idler wheel connected to the frame behind the drive wheels and anti-tip wheels forward of the drive wheels, rigidly connected to the motors for pivotal movement.
Claims32
A power wheelchair comprising:
- a. a frame,
- b. a seat removably connected to said frame;
- c. a pair of drive wheels connected to said frame and rotatable about transverse axes below a portion of said seat supporting an occupant's thighs;
- d. motors for driving respective drive wheels, respective motor/drive wheel combinations being pivotally connected to said frame;
- e. at least one ground-engaging idler wheel connected to said frame and located rearward of said drive wheels;
- and
- f. at least one anti-tip wheel forward of said drive wheels and positioned above ground, connected to one of said motors for pivotal movement therewith relative to said frame responsively to changes in drive wheel velocity.
A curb-climbing front wheel drive power wheelchair comprising:
- a. a frame;
- b. a pair of drive wheels;
- c. motors for driving respective drive wheels, respective motor/drive wheel combinations being pivotally connected to said frame;
- d. at least one ground-engaging idler wheel connected to said frame behind said drive wheels;
- e. at least one anti-tip wheel forward of said drive wheels and positioned above ground, rigidly connected to one of said motors for pivotal movement therewith respecting said frame.
A power wheelchair comprising:
- a. a frame;
- b. a pair of drive wheels rotatable about transverse axes relative to said frame;
- c. motors for rotating respective drive wheels;
- d. a pair of anti-tip wheels adjustably positioned above ground and forward of said drive wheels;
- and
- e. means for pivotally unitarily connecting a drive wheel, an associated motor and an associated anti-tip wheel to said frame.
A power wheelchair comprising:
- a. a frame;
- b. a seat supported by said frame;
- c. a pair of drive wheels rotatable about transverse axes below said seat;
- d. motors for driving respective drive wheels pivotally connected to said frame;
- e. anti-tip wheels positioned above ground and forward of said drive wheels, pivotally connected to said frame;
- f. means for transmitting motion of said motor relative to said frame to said anti-tip wheels, for rotation relative to said frame in a common direction with said motor.
A power wheelchair comprising:
- a frame;
- a pair of ground-contacting drive wheels disposed on opposite sides of the frame;
- a suspension mounting each drive wheel on the frame for restricted movement relative thereto;
- at least one ground-contacting rear idler wheel disposed at the rear of the frame;
- a seat mounted on the frame and having a back;
- a pair of motors, each arranged to rotate an associated drive wheel;
- a pair of anti-tip idler wheels mounted to the front of the frame on either side, the anti-tip idler wheels positioned as to be above ground level when the wheelchair is standing on level ground on the drive wheels and rear idler wheels;
- and
- each said anti-tip idler wheel being linked to a respective drive wheel on the same side of the frame such that deceleration of forward movement of the drive wheel tends to cause a downward movement of the anti-tip idler wheel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.