Wheelchair converted vehicle having independent rear suspension and method of manufacturing
AssigneeVantage Mobility International, LLC
InventorsMichael J. Schmidt, Michael J. Weiland, Neil B. O'Leary
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A wheelchair conversion vehicle and a method of manufacturing a wheelchair conversion vehicle include replacing the OEM trailing arm with a trailing arm substitute and substantially reproducing the movement of the rear wheel OEM spindle along first or second arc paths between an upper limit and a lower limit. The upper limit is a distance above the OEM ride height and the lower limit is a distance below the OEM ride height. The conversion vehicle and method of manufacturing further include installing a wheelchair access system to provide wheelchair access to the wheelchair conversion vehicle.
Claims42
A wheelchair conversion vehicle comprising:
- a vehicle body;
- a vehicle sub-frame connected to the vehicle body;
- an independent rear suspension including an OEM trailing arm having a first end and a second end, the OEM trailing arm being pivotally connected to the vehicle body at the first end, the independent rear suspension and the vehicle body defining an OEM ride height;
- a rear wheel OEM spindle fixedly connected to the second end of the OEM trailing arm and ratably connected to the vehicle body, the rear wheel OEM spindle moving through a defined first arc path via the OEM trailing arm pivoting at the first end, the movement of the rear wheel OEM spindle being further characterized by rotation of the rear wheel OEM spindle relative to the vehicle body to define a second arc path of a point on the rear wheel OEM spindle as a center of the rear wheel OEM spindle travels along the first arc path;
- wherein the improvement comprises:
- a trailing arm substitute disposed in place of the OEM trailing arm, the trailing arm substitute being configured and altered, compared to the OEM trailing arm, to not protrude into a side door opening of the wheelchair conversion vehicle and to substantially reproduce the movement of the rear wheel OEM spindle along the first or second arc paths between an upper limit and a lower limit, the upper limit being a distance above the OEM ride height and the lower limit being a distance below the OEM ride height;
- and
- a wheelchair access system configured to provide wheelchair access to the wheelchair conversion vehicle.
A method of manufacturing a wheelchair conversion vehicle comprising:
- providing a vehicle body, a vehicle sub-frame connected to the vehicle body, an independent rear suspension including an OEM trailing arm having a first end and a second end, the OEM trailing arm being pivotally connected to the vehicle body at the first end, the independent rear suspension and the vehicle body defining an OEM ride height, a rear wheel OEM spindle fixedly connected to the second end of the OEM trailing arm and rotably connected to the vehicle body, the rear wheel OEM spindle moving through a defined first arc path via the OEM trailing arm pivoting at the first end, the movement of the rear wheel OEM spindle being further characterized by rotation of the rear wheel OEM spindle relative to the vehicle body to define a second arc path of a point on the rear wheel OEM spindle as a center of the rear wheel OEM spindle travels along the first arc path;
- replacing the OEM trailing arm with a trailing arm substitute, wherein the trailing arm substitute has been altered, compared to the OEM trailing arm, so as not to protrude into a side door opening of the wheelchair conversion vehicle;
- substantially reproducing the movement of the rear wheel OEM spindle along the first or second arc paths between an upper limit and a lower limit, the upper limit being a distance above the OEM ride height and the lower limit being a distance below the OEM ride height;
- and
- installing a wheelchair access system to provide wheelchair access to the wheelchair conversion vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.