All terrain adapter for a wheelchair
OwnerPatrick S. Doughertyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An all terrain adapter for a wheelchair that removably clamps onto the foot support of the wheelchair and supports a relatively large diameter, slightly inclined swivelling nose gear wheel at an extended distance from the foot support to stabilize the wheelchair when it is being pushed over soft or uneven surfaces and which swivels around when the wheelchair is moved forward to lift the front wheels of the wheelchair clear of the ground.
Claims18
An all-terrain adapter for a wheelchair of the type having a seat frame, including a foot support, and large rear wheels and smaller front wheels mounted to the seat frame for allowing the wheelchair to be rolled over a surface, the adapter comprising:
- a strut for removable attachment at one end to the foot support;
- a single nose gear wheel having a diameter that is at least ten inches;
- a swivel mount for attaching the nose gear wheel to another end of the strut so that the nose gear wheel swivels about an axis that is slightly inclined from the vertical;
- attachment means for attaching and detaching the one end of the strut to the foot support;
- and
- wherein the front wheels of the wheelchair are lifted from the ground and remain suspended above the ground by the action of propelling the wheelchair in the forward direction to cause the nose gear wheel to swivel in a direction that shortens the wheelbase of the wheelchair between the nose gear wheel and the rear wheels.
An all-terrain adapter for a wheelchair of the type having a frame, and large rear wheels and smaller front wheels mounted to the frame for allowing the wheelchair to be rolled over the ground, wherein the adapter comprises:
- a fixture clamped to the wheelchair frame;
- a strut extending at one end from the fixture toward the forward direction of travel of the wheelchair;
- a nose gear wheel assembly including a wheel having a diameter that is at least ten inches and a fork for straddling and rotatably mounting the wheel, the fork having a steering column and a pair of canted legs joined at one end to the steering column so that the wheel has a mechanical trail;
- a swivel mount for attaching the steering column to another end of the strut at a caster angle;
- and
- wherein the front wheels of the wheelchair are lifted from the ground and remain suspended above the ground by the action of propelling the wheelchair in the forward direction to cause the nose gear wheel to swivel in a direction that shortens the wheelbase of the wheelchair between the nose gear wheel and the rear wheels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.