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US 6,543,798 B2Granted
Anti-tip caster suspension for a wheelchair
AssigneePride Mobility Products Corporation
InventorsWalter E. Schaffner, Walter A. Watkins, Gerald J. White, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An anti-tip suspension for a wheelchair having rear casters is defined. The suspension includes a rocker arm support, a rocker arm and a spring. The rocker arm is pivotally attached to the rocker arm support so that it is rotatable with respect to the rocker arm support. The spring engages the rocker arm and rocker arm support, biasing them away from one another. The rocker arm includes a rotation limiter that limits the rotation of the rocker arm with respect to the rocker arm support in one direction.
Claims28
A caster and suspension assembly, comprising:
- a rocker arm support;
- a rocker arm having a pivot axis, the rocker arm pivotally attached to the rocker arm support such that the rocker arm may be pivoted relative to the rocker arm support about the pivot axis;
- a caster swivelably attached to the rocker arm;
- a resilient member having a pair of spaced-apart ends, one end engaging the rocker arm support and the other end engaging the rocker arm;
- and
- a rotation limiter engaging the rocker arm support, the rotation limiter limiting the rotation of the rocker arm relative to the rocker arm support in one direction, the assembly having an unloaded configuration wherein the resilient member biases the rocker arm into engagement with the rotation limiter.
3 more elements
A caster and suspension assembly, comprising:
- a rocker arm support, the rocker arm support having a spring support;
- a rocker arm, the rocker arm having a caster support, a spring support and a pivot axis, the caster support and spring support being rigidly attached to one another, one of the spring supports being spaced from the other, the rocker arm being pivotally attached to the rocker arm support for rotation of the rocker arm relative to the rocker arm support about the pivot axis;
- a spring engaged with and extending between the spring supports;
- and
- a caster swivelably attached to the caster support;
- the rocker arm support including a rotation limiter, the rotation limiter limiting the rotation of the rocker arm relative to the rocker arm support in one direction, the assembly having an unloaded configuration wherein the spring biases the rocker arm into engagement with the rotation limiter.
3 more elements
A suspension for a wheelchair, comprising:
- a support beam having a pair of opposing ends, the beam adapted to pivotally attach to a wheelchair such that the opposing ends are located adjacent opposite sides of the wheelchair;
- a pair of rocker arms each having a caster support, a spring support and a pivot axis, the caster and spring support being rigidly attached to one another, the spring support on each rocker arm being in spaced-apart relation to a corresponding spring support on the support beam, the rocker arms being pivotally attached to the support beam at corresponding opposite ends such that the rocker arms may be rotated relative to the support beam about their respective pivot axes;
- a pair of springs each engaged with and extending between a corresponding pair of spring supports on the rocker arms and support beam;
- a pair of casters each swivelably attached to a corresponding caster support;
- and
- a rotation limiter located on each end of the support beam, each rotational limiter engagable with the corresponding rocker arm for limiting the amount of rotation of the rocker arm relative to the support beam in one direction, the suspension having an unloaded configuration wherein each spring biases the corresponding rocker arm into engagement with the corresponding rotation limiter.
3 more elements
A rear-caster wheelchair having a longitudinal axis, a front end and a rear end, comprising:
- a pair of casters;
- a caster suspension attached to the wheelchair adjacent its rear end, the suspension including
- a rocker arm support;
- a rocker arm having a pivot axis, the rocker arm pivotally attached to the rocker arm support such that the rocker arm may be pivoted relative to the rocker arm support about the pivot axis, at least one of the casters being swivelably mounted to the rocker arm;
- a spring having a pair of spaced-apart ends, one end engaging the rocker arm support and the other end engaging the rocker arm;
- and
- a rotation limiter engaging the rocker arm support, the rotation limiter limiting the rotation of the rocker arm relative to the rocker arm support in one direction, the assembly having an unloaded configuration wherein the spring biases the rocker arm into engagement with the rotation limiter.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.