Patent · US Expired

One-handed drive wheelchair having relative speed control for rear wheels

US6279934A · kind A · utility

11Cited by
7References
20Claims
0Family size

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 14, 2000
Grant dateAug 28, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 14, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61G5/0825
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A drive shaft (78) extends across a wheelchair (12), transverse to a centerline (122) of the wheelchair (12). A first wheel (56) is rotatably mounted to one end of the drive shaft (78) and a second wheel (58) is fixedly mounted to the other end of the drive shaft (78), for rotating with the drive shaft (78). A drive wheel (66) is fixedly mounted to the drive shaft (78) on an opposite end of the drive shaft (78) from the second wheel (58) and adjacent to the first wheel (56). The drive wheel (66) is of a slightly smaller diameter than that of the first and second wheels (56, 58), being three to fifteen percent smaller. The drive shaft (78) has a plurality of linkage sections (92-100) which are rotatably connected such that the drive shaft (78) may be collapsed with a wheelchair frame (14). A coupling sleeve (84) is slidably mounted on the drive shaft (78) for sliding across a portion of the adjacent sections (92-100) of the drive shaft (78) to rigidly fix the sections (92-100) of the drive shaft (78) in coaxial alignment. A dual brake (46) may be selectively applied to frictionally lock one of or both of the first and second wheels (56, 58) from rotating. The first and second wheels…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.