Wheelchair suspension
AssigneeInvacare Corporation
InventorJames H. Molnar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wheelchair includes a pivoting drive assembly having a drive wheel, a motor drive connected to the drive wheel, and a first pivoting linkage fixedly attached to the motor drive. The pivoting drive assembly is pivotally coupled to a frame at a first frame pivot axis such that the drive wheel, motor drive, and first pivoting linkage pivot about the first frame pivot axis as a unit. The wheelchair further includes a second pivoting linkage and a front caster assembly. The second pivoting linkage is pivotally coupled to the frame at a second frame pivot axis. The first pivoting linkage is pivotally coupled to the front caster assembly at a first front caster pivot axis and the second pivoting linkage is pivotally coupled to the front caster assembly at a second front caster pivot axis.
Claims22
A wheelchair comprising:
- a frame;
- a pivoting drive assembly that includes:
- a drive wheel;
- a motor drive connected to the drive wheel;
- and
- a first pivoting linkage fixedly attached to the motor drive, wherein the pivoting drive assembly is pivotally coupled to the frame at a first frame pivot axis such that the drive wheel, motor drive, and first pivoting linkage pivot about the first frame pivot axis as a unit;
- a second pivoting linkage pivotally coupled to the frame at a second frame pivot axis;
- and
- a front caster assembly, wherein the first pivoting linkage is pivotally coupled to the front caster assembly at a first front caster pivot axis and the second pivoting linkage is pivotally coupled to the front caster assembly at a second front caster pivot axis.
A wheelchair comprising:
- a frame;
- first and second independent pivoting assemblies coupled to opposite sides of the frame, wherein each of the first and second pivoting assemblies includes:
- a drive wheel;
- a motor drive connected to the drive wheel;
- a first pivoting linkage fixedly attached to the motor drive, wherein the first pivoting linkage is pivotally coupled to the frame at a first frame pivot axis such that the drive wheel, motor drive, and first pivoting linkage pivot about the first frame pivot axis as a unit;
- a second pivoting linkage pivotally coupled to the frame at a second frame pivot axis;
- and
- a front caster assembly, wherein the first pivoting linkage is pivotally coupled to the front caster assembly at a first front caster pivot axis and the second pivoting linkage is pivotally coupled to the front caster assembly at a second front caster pivot axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.