Front wheel/rear wheel drive convertible wheelchair

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6290011
  • Patent Number
    6,290,011
  • Date Filed
    Monday, November 1, 1999
    25 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, September 18, 2001
    23 years ago
Abstract
A powered wheelchair for disabled persons is provided that has a frame that has a first end and a second end. A seat support is coupled to the frame between the first and second ends. A pair of swivel wheels is coupled to the frame proximate the first end and a pair of motor driven wheels is connected to the frame proximate the second end. A motor is coupled to each of the driven wheels. The motors are adapted to allow a change in the rotational direction of the driven wheel to which it is coupled, wherein the rotational direction of the motors may be changed when the wheelchair is converted from a rear wheel drive wheelchair to a front wheel drive wheelchair. At least one battery is coupled to the motors, the battery providing power to the motors. An electronic controller is coupled to the motors and the battery. The controller has a user interface that is used to direct the speed and direction of the wheelchair. A seat assembly is reversibly coupled to the seat support and extends upwardly above the frame. The seat assembly has an extension member coupled thereto that is adapted to be reversed in direction relative to the seat support. The seat assembly further includes a seat base having a front edge. The seat base may thus be located so that the front edge is located generally over the swivel wheels to provide a rear wheel drive wheelchair and may be reversed so that the front edge is located generally over the driven wheels to provide a front wheel drive wheelchair. The rotational direction of the driven wheels may be reversed so that a forward command from the controller results in a different rotation when the wheelchair is in a rear wheel drive configuration as compared to a forward command when the wheelchair is in a front wheel drive configuration.
Description




STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT




Not Applicable.




CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS




Not Applicable.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to motor driven wheelchair for disabled persons. More specifically, the invention relates to a motor driven wheelchair that is convertible from a front wheel drive wheelchair into a rear wheel drive wheelchair and vice versa.




One of the options available to physically impaired persons is the powered wheelchair. The powered wheelchair offers increased mobility and convenience to these individuals. Two basic types of powered wheelchairs are the rear wheel drive type and the front wheel drive type. Each of these types of wheelchairs offers certain advantages and disadvantages.




A rear wheel drive wheelchair is typically easier to steer that a front wheel drive wheelchair. In other words, a rear wheel drive wheelchair is much easier to steer in a straight line. Also, it is generally understood that rear wheel drive wheelchairs are safer to operate at higher speeds, as compared to front wheel drive wheelchairs. These attributes make the rear wheel drive wheelchair more suitable for use in outdoor-type settings.




A front wheel drive wheelchair, on the other hand, is typically easier to maneuver in tight surroundings. A front wheel drive wheelchair has a smaller turning radius than a comparable rear wheel drive wheelchair. Thus, a front wheel drive wheelchair is typically preferred for indoor use. Purchasers of powered wheelchairs have heretofore selected, at the time of purchase, a wheelchair having the drive wheels best suited for their needs. This requires a wheelchair purchaser to elect at the time of purchase either a wheelchair that is best used either indoors or outdoors.




To accommodate the desires of different purchasers, the retailer of these wheelchairs will typically stock both front wheel and rear wheel drive wheelchairs. When a customer is shopping, he or she may then be shown a front wheel drive wheelchair and a rear wheel drive wheelchair, and will be allowed to select which of the two wheelchairs “feels” the best and seems best suited to the customer's needs. This practice requires the dealer to stock and display both types of wheelchairs which occupy a large amount of space and which are costly to keep in stock.




A powered wheelchair is therefore needed that is convertible, by the retailer or wheelchair customer, from a front wheel drive wheelchair to a rear wheel drive wheelchair. If the wheelchair is then configured for front wheel drive, and the customer would prefer a rear wheel drive wheelchair, the retailer or wheelchair customer could convert the wheelchair to a rear wheel drive configuration.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




It is an object of the present invention to provide a powered wheelchair for disabled persons that can be easily converted from a front wheel drive wheelchair into a rear wheel drive wheelchair.




It is another object of the present invention to provide a powered wheelchair for disabled persons that has an adjustable footplate and that can be converted from a front wheel drive wheelchair into a rear wheel drive wheelchair.




According to the present invention, the foregoing and other objects are obtained by powered wheelchair for disabled persons that has a frame. The frame has a first end and a second end. A seat support is coupled to the frame between the first and second ends. A pair of swivel wheels is coupled to the frame proximate the first end and a pair of motor driven wheels is connected to the frame proximate the second end. A motor is coupled to each of the driven wheels. The motors are adapted to allow a change in the rotational direction of the driven wheel to which it is coupled, wherein the rotational direction of the motors may be changed when the wheelchair is converted from a rear wheel drive wheelchair to a front wheel drive wheelchair. At least one battery is coupled to the motors, the battery providing power to the motors. An electronic controller is coupled to the motors and the battery. The controller has a user interface that is used to direct the speed and direction of the wheelchair. A seat assembly is reversibly coupled to the seat support and extends upwardly above the frame. The seat assembly has an extension member coupled thereto that is adapted to be reversed in direction relative to the seat support. The seat assembly further includes a seat base having a front edge. The said seat base may thus be located so that the front edge is located generally over the swivel wheels to provide a rear wheel drive wheelchair and may be reversed so that the front edge is located generally over the driven wheels to provide a front wheel drive wheelchair. The rotational direction of the driven wheels may be reversed so that a forward command from the controller results in a different rotation when the wheelchair is in a rear wheel drive configuration as compared to a forward command when the wheelchair is in a front wheel drive configuration.




Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS




In the accompanying drawings which form a part of the specification and which are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of the wheelchair of the present invention, shown in a front wheel drive configuration;





FIG. 2

is a is a side elevation view of the wheelchair of

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 3

is a side elevation view similar to

FIG. 2

, shown in a rear wheel drive configuration;





FIG. 4

is a top cross sectional view taken along line


4





4


of FIG.


3


and showing a partially exploded view of the components;





FIG. 5

is a schematic view of the wiring configuration for a rear wheel drive mode for the wheelchair of

FIG. 1

; and





FIG. 6

is a schematic view of the wiring configuration for a front wheel drive mode for the wheelchair of FIG.


1


.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION




Referring initially to

FIGS. 1 and 2

, a powered wheelchair embodying the principles of this invention is broadly designated in the drawings by reference numeral


10


. Wheelchair


10


is used by disabled persons to travel both inside and outside, and provides disabled persons increased mobility. As best seen in

FIG. 4

, wheelchair


10


includes a frame


12


on which the components of chair


10


are mounted. Frame


12


includes a center tubing member


14


that has a first end


16


and a second end


18


. Tubing


14


is preferably made of a square steel tubing, defining an open interior portion. A first connecting hole


20


is disposed through tubing


14


generally adjacent first end


16


and a second connecting hole


22


is disposed through tubing


14


generally adjacent second end


18


.




A first support arm


24


is pivotally coupled to tubing


14


adjacent first end


16


. Support arm


24


extends above tubing


14


and is oriented perpendicularly thereto. Pivotally held on each outer end of arm


24


is a caster fork


26


. A swivel caster wheel


28


is rotatingly coupled to each fork


26


. Wheels


28


are preferably pneumatic tires, it being understood that other types of wheels would be suitable as well. Wheels


28


are therefore free to pivot about a vertical axis


30


, as seen in FIG.


4


.




A second support arm


32


is rigidly coupled to tubing


14


generally adjacent second end


18


. Arm


32


extends perpendicularly to tubing


14


and is mounted to extend above tubing


14


. A motor mount


34


is coupled to each outer end of arm


32


. As best seen in

FIGS. 4-6

, a gearbox


36


is mounted on each motor mount


34


. A drive axle


38


extends outwardly from each gearbox


36


, generally perpendicularly to tubing


14


. Also coupled to each gearbox


36


is an electric motor


40


. As seen in

FIGS. 5 and 6

, each motor


40


has an electrical conduit


42


extending therefrom that has a quick-disconnect type electrical coupling


44


on its terminal end. Quick-disconnect


44


matingly fits with another coupling extending from a controller to electrically couple each motor


40


to the controller, as is more fully discussed below. Each drive axle


38


has a drive wheel


46


mounted thereto. Drive wheels


46


are preferably ten inch diameter pneumatic tires, it being understood that other types and sizes of wheels would also be suitable.




A battery tray


48


is rigidly connected to tubing


14


between arms


24


and


32


. Tray


48


provides a stable surface which holds a pair of batteries


50


. Batteries


50


are preferably twelve volt 30 A/hr deep cycle batteries and are used to provide power to wheelchair


10


. Further, batteries


50


are preferably rechargeable, with a range of up to 23 miles, depending on conditions.




As best seen in

FIGS. 4

, a seat support


52


is provided on wheelchair


10


. Support


52


includes a round seat post


54


that is rigidly secured to a rectangular plate


55


that is in turn rigidly secured to tubing


14


. The position of post


54


relative to wheels


28


and


46


is important to allow wheelchair


10


to be operated in either a front wheel drive mode or a rear wheel drive mode. Post


54


determines the location of the occupant of wheelchair


10


. Therefore, to allow wheelchair


10


to be operated in either mode, post


54


is located between the wheels


28


and


46


and slightly closer to the rotational axis for wheels


46


than support ann


24


for wheels


28


. The exact location of post


54


depends on a number of factors, such as the weight of the rider, the weight of batteries


50


, and the height of the seat. The seat is located such that there is an acceptable weight distribution on wheels


28


and


46


in either the front wheel drive mode or the rear wheel drive mode.




A round tubing member


56


is telescopingly disposed over the outside of post


54


, as best seen in

FIGS. 2 and 3

. Member


56


is preferably bolted to post


54


in one of a number of positions. The positioning of member


56


on post


54


determines the height of the seat of wheelchair


10


, and may be adjusted according to the desires of the user. A decorative and protective hood


57


is attached to frame


12


to hide the working components of wheelchair


10


from view, such as motors


40


and batteries


50


. Hood


57


is preferably a thin plastic material and is preferably removably attached to frame


12


such as by a series of hook and loop fastening devices.




As best seen in

FIGS. 2 and 3

, a seat assembly


58


is removably coupled to tubing member


56


. The lower end of seat assembly


58


has an extension member


60


extending therefrom. Member


60


is preferably a swivel-lock mechanism. Member


60


extends over tubing member


56


and is equipped with a locking handle


62


. Handle


62


is operable, as is known to those of skill in the art, to selectively lock seat assembly


58


in place relative to tubing member


56


. In other words, in one position, handle


62


allows seat assembly


58


to rotate about tubing member


56


. In a second position, handle


62


locks seat assembly


58


in place, the importance of which is further discussed below. Seat assembly


58


further has a padded seat base


64


with a front edge


66


located directly above swivel-lock


60


. As known to those of skill in the art, a seat back


68


is attached to base


64


and extends upwardly therefrom. Similarly, a pair of arms


70


are attached to seat base


64


to provide support for the arms of the user of wheelchair


10


.




As best seen in

FIG. 1

, an electronic controller


72


is coupled to one of the arms


70


on seat assembly


58


. Controller


72


is preferably programmable and is equipped with a joystick


74


that is used to operate wheelchair


10


, such as by dictating the speed and direction of the wheelchair. A suitable controller is the model DL WHEELCHAIR CONTROLLER, made by Dynamic of Christchurch, New Zealand, it being understood that other models and makes of controllers would be suitable as well. An electrical wiring harness


76


is electrically coupled to controller


72


and extends downwardly therefrom. Harness


76


is electrically coupled to each battery


50


and ultimately to each motor


40


. Although not shown, harness


76


is also preferably provided with a disconnect coupling between controller


72


and batteries


50


, so that seat assembly


58


may be removed from seat support


52


after the disconnect in harness


76


is uncoupled. To facilitate the electrical coupling to the motors


40


, harness


76


is provided with a first harness plug


78


, labeled “A” in

FIGS. 5 and 6

, and a second harness plug


80


, labeled “B” in

FIGS. 5 and 6

. Plugs


78


and


80


are designed to matingly fit with quick disconnects


44


that extend from motors


40


. As seen in

FIG. 6

, a pair of electrical jumpers


82


are used to reverse the polarity of motors


40


when wheelchair


10


is being converted from a rear wheel drive configuration to a front wheel drive configuration, as is more fully discussed below. Each jumper


82


is equipped with end plugs


84


that are designed to matingly fit with quick disconnects


44


and plugs


78


and


80


.




As best seen in

FIG. 4

, wheelchair


10


includes a footplate


86


that is removably connected to tubing


14


. More specifically, footplate


86


includes a generally rectangular footrest


88


, upon which the user of wheelchair


10


may place his or her feet. Extending rearwardly from footrest


88


is a connecting end


90


. End


90


is preferably rigidly secured to footrest


88


, such as by welding, and is preferably made from a square steel tubing. A series of connecting holes


92


are disposed through end


90


and are generally evenly spaced from one another. Footplate


86


is connected to wheelchair


10


by placing end


90


within either first end


16


or second end


18


of tubing


14


. When wheelchair


10


is in a rear wheel drive configuration, end


90


is placed within first end


16


such that first connecting hole


20


is in alignment with the desired connecting hole


92


. It can be seen that the location of footplate


90


relative to wheelchair


10


can be adjusted by aligning a different hole


92


with hole


20


. To couple footplate


86


to tubing


14


, a releasable pull-pin


94


is provided. Pin


94


is placed through hole


20


and the aligned hole


92


. In use, pin


94


is preferably secured to tubing


14


so that pin


94


always remains on wheelchair


10


, eliminating the possibility of pin


94


becoming lost. Alternatively, when wheelchair


10


is in a front wheel drive configuration, end


90


is placed within second end


18


of tubing


14


, and hole


22


is aligned with the desired hole


92


. Pin


94


is then placed through the holes to hold footplate


86


on wheelchair


10


.




Although not shown, it is known to those of skill in the art to replace footplate


86


with leg-riggings that are coupled directly to the seat assembly


58


. In this construction, the leg-riggings travel with seat assembly


58


. In other words, when seat


58


is repositioned 180 degrees from rear wheel drive configuration to front wheel drive configuration, the leg-riggings will automatically be repositioned as well.




As best seen in

FIG. 4

, wheelchair


10


is also provided with a rear anti-tip wheel frame


96


. Frame


96


has a generally U-shape member


98


which has a pair of anti-tip wheels


100


coupled thereto. Wheels


100


are preferably two-inch, solid rubber wheels, it being understood that other sizes and types of wheels would be suitable as well. Member


98


is preferably formed from square steel tubing. Rigidly secured in the middle of member


98


and extending rearwardly therefrom is a connecting leg


102


that is sized to fit within tubing


14


. Leg


102


can be secured to member


98


using any suitable attaching mechanism, such as by welding. A hole


104


is disposed through leg


102


that is designed to align with second connecting hole


22


in tubing


14


. Only one hole


104


is provided so that frame


96


is properly located relative to tubing


14


on wheelchair


10


. In use, frame


96


is installed when wheelchair


10


is in a rear wheel drive configuration, as shown in FIG.


3


. To secure frame


96


in place, leg


102


is placed within tubing


14


and a releasable pull-pin


106


is placed through holes


22


and


104


.




Wheelchair


10


is convertible from a rear wheel drive configuration, as shown in

FIG. 3

, to a front wheel drive configuration, as shown in FIG.


2


. To complete this conversion, anti-tip frame


96


is removed from tubing


14


by removing pull-pin


106


. When pull-pin


106


is removed, leg


102


is free to slide within tubing


14


. Frame


96


is thus removed merely by sliding it outwardly away from tubing


14


.




It is also necessary to relocate footplate


86


from first end


16


to second end


18


. This relocation is accomplished by removing pull-pin


94


from engagement within holes


20


and


92


. Connecting end


90


is then free to slide within first end


16


of tubing


14


. After footplate


86


has been completely removed from tubing


14


, pull-pin


94


is preferably placed back within hole


20


so that it is not loose on wheelchair


10


. Footplate


86


is then moved to the other end of wheelchair


10


and connecting end


90


is aligned with second end


18


of tubing


14


. End


90


is placed within tubing


14


on second end


18


such that footplate


86


is in the desired location and hole


22


is aligned with one of the connecting holes


92


. Pull-pin


106


is then placed through holes


22


and


92


to secure footplate


86


in place.




In order to transform wheelchair


10


from a rear wheel drive to a front wheel drive wheelchair, the polarity of motors


40


also needs to be reversed. This is needed so that when the user indicates, through joystick


74


, a desired forward movement, wheelchair


10


will travel forward rather than backward. To accomplish this, seat assembly


58


is removed from wheelchair


10


by releasing locking handle


62


. Hood


57


is then removed from frame


12


by pulling upwardly, releasing the hook and loop fastening devices. The removal of hood


57


allows access to the electrical connection of harness


76


to motors


40


. As best seen in

FIG. 5

, when wheelchair


10


is in a rear wheel drive configuration, harness plug


80


is coupled to the motor


40


that is driving the left-hand wheel


46


and harness plug


78


is coupled to the motor


40


that is driving the right-hand wheel


46


. To convert motors


40


to a front wheel drive operation, plugs


78


and


80


are removed from disconnects


44


. An electrical jumper


82


is then connected between harness plug


78


and the disconnect


44


associated with the motor


40


driving the left-hand wheel


46


, as shown in FIG.


6


. Similarly, another jumper


82


is connected between harness plug


80


and the disconnect


44


associated with the motor


40


driving the right-hand wheel


46


. The use of jumpers


82


reverses the polarity of motors


40


so that operation of joystick


74


on controller


72


signals motors


40


to operate in the intended direction. What is important in this procedure is that the controller


72


and the motors


40


communicate properly so that when a forward command is given, wheelchair


10


will travel in a forward direction. The hood


57


and seat assembly


58


are then reinstalled on wheelchair


10


.




It is also possible to reverse the direction of the motors


50


through controller


72


. To accomplish this, a controller


72


must be used that allows the polarity of motors


50


to be switched through a switch or button on controller


72


.




Seat assembly


58


also needs to be relocated to a position facing the opposite direction. To accomplish this, locking handle


62


of swivel-lock


60


is released, allowing seat base


64


, back


68


and arms


70


to rotate together about tubing member


56


. After seat assembly


58


has been moved from the position shown in

FIG. 3

to the position shown in

FIG. 2

, handle


62


is engaged to lock the seat in place. In the rear wheel drive configuration, front edge


66


of seat base


64


is located generally over wheels


28


, and in the front wheel drive configuration, front edge


66


is located generally over wheels


46


. While the seat has been described as using a swivel-lock for member


60


, other mechanisms may be used to attach seat assembly


58


to scat support


52


. The mechanism merely needs to allow seat assembly to be relocated to face 180 degrees in the opposite direction. For example, seat support


52


could include a square post, with a corresponding piece of square tubing on seat assembly


58


.




Finally, it is desirable to reprogram controller


72


when converting from a rear wheel drive configuration to a front wheel drive configuration. This is accomplished by accessing the programmable features of controller


72


. A change is made in the program to compensate for the different characteristics between a rear wheel drive wheelchair and a front wheel drive wheelchair. The basic change involves a change in the top speed attainable by the wheelchair. Preferably, wheelchair


10


in a front wheel drive mode will operate at only about eighty-five percent of the full speed of wheelchair


10


in a rear wheel drive mode, depending on user preferences, this percentage may be more or less. The changing of programs may also be accomplished by providing two programs within controller


72


and providing controller


72


with a switch that allows the dealer or user to toggle between programs by merely operating the switch.




All of the above changes are preferably accomplished at the wheelchair dealership. However, with proper instruction, the above changes could also be executed by the user of wheelchair


10


in the home environment. Wheelchair


10


, as described above, offers one wheelchair that can operate in either a front wheel drive mode or a rear wheel drive mode. This allows a retailer of wheelchairs to stock a single model, while being able to accommodate the desires of a variety of wheelchair purchasers. Moreover, the wheelchair purchaser is provided with a wheelchair that can be converted to a wheelchair providing different characteristics, if the needs of the purchaser change in the future.




From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure. It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.




Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.



Claims
  • 1. A powered wheelchair for use by disabled persons, comprising:a frame, said frame having a first end and a second end, said frame including at least one tubing member having a first end and a second end; a seat support coupled to said frame between said first end and said second end; a pair of swivel wheels coupled to said frame proximate said first end; a pair of motor driven wheels coupled to said frame proximate said second end; a pair of motors, each of said motors being coupled to a corresponding driven wheel, said motors being adapted to allow a change in the rotational direction of the driven wheel to which it is coupled, wherein the rotational direction of said motors may be changed when said wheelchair is converted from a rear wheel drive wheelchair to a front wheel drive wheelchair; at least one battery coupled to said motors, said batteries providing power to said motors; an electronic controller coupled to said motors and said at least one battery, said controller having a user interface usable to direct the speed and direction of the wheelchair; a seat assembly reversibly coupled to said seat support and extending upwardly above said frame, said seat assembly having an extension member coupled thereto and adapted to be reversed in direction relative to said seat support, said seat assembly further including a seat base having a front edge, and at least one footplate adapted to be removably received within either said first end or said second end of said tubing member of said frame, and a first coupling mechanism associated with said frame and said footplate, said first coupling mechanism removably coupling said footplate to said tubing member, wherein said footplate may be coupled to said first end of said tubing member when said seat is positioned to provide a rear wheel drive wheelchair and wherein said footplate may be repositioned to said second end of said tubing member when said seat is positioned to provide a front wheel drive wheelchair, and wherein said seat base may be located so that said front edge is located generally over said swivel wheels to provide a rear wheel drive wheelchair and wherein said seat base may be reversed so that said front edge is located generally over said driven wheels to provide a front wheel drive wheelchair, and wherein the rotational direction of the driven wheels may be reversed so that a forward command from the controller results in a different rotation when the wheelchair is in a rear wheel drive configuration as compared to a forward command when the wheelchair is in a front wheel drive configuration.
  • 2. The wheelchair of claim 1, wherein said extension member is a swivel-lock mechanism.
  • 3. The wheelchair of claim 2, wherein said first coupling mechanism is applicable and releasable by hand without the use of any tools.
  • 4. The wheelchair of claim 3, wherein said footplate includes a connecting end shaped to matingly connect with said tubing member, said connecting end having at least one first hole passing therethrough, and wherein said first coupling mechanism includes a second hole passing through said tubing member proximate said first end and located to align with said first hole, and a third hole passing through said tubing member proximate said second end and located to align with said first hole, said coupling mechanism further including a releasable pull pin being disposed through either said first and second holes or said first and third holes when the wheelchair is in an assembled condition.
  • 5. The wheelchair of claim 4, wherein said connecting end has a plurality of said first holes spaced therealong so that the position of said footplate relative to said frame can be adjusted.
  • 6. The wheelchair of claim 5, wherein said controller is programmable, and wherein said controller has at least one program usable when said wheelchair is in a front wheel drive configuration and at least one program usable when said wheelchair is in a rear wheel drive configuration.
  • 7. The wheelchair of claim 1, further comprising an anti-tip frame usable when the wheelchair is in a rear wheel drive configuration, said anti-tip frame being generally u-shaped with a rearwardly extending connecting leg shaped to matingly and removably fit within said second end of said tubing member.
  • 8. The wheelchair of claim 1, wherein said seat support is nearer to the rotational axis of said driven wheels than the rotational axis of said swivel wheels.
  • 9. A powered wheelchair for use by disabled persons, comprising:a frame, including at least one tubing member having a first end and a second end; a seat support coupled to said frame between said first end and said second end; a pair of swivel wheels coupled to said frame proximate said first end; a pair of motor driven wheels coupled to said frame proximate said second end; a pair of electric motors, each of said motors being coupled to a corresponding driven wheel, said motors having a quick-disconnect terminal that allows the polarity of each motor to be easily changed; at least one battery coupled to said motors, said battery providing power to said motors; a seat assembly rotatably coupled to said seat support and extending upwardly above said frame said seat assembly including a swivel-lock mechanism that is adapted to secure said seat assembly in place relative to said seat support, said seat assembly further including a seat base having a front edge, and at least one footplate adapted to be removably received within either said first end or said second end of said tubing member of said frame, and a first coupling mechanism associated with said frame and said footplate, said first coupling mechanism removably coupling said footplate to said tubing member, wherein said footplate may be coupled to said first end of said tubing member when said seat is positioned to provide a rear wheel drive wheelchair and wherein said footplate may be repositioned and coupled to said second end of said tubing member when said seat is positioned to provide a front wheel drive wheelchair, and wherein said seat base may be rotated and locked in place with said swivel-lock mechanism so that said front edge is located generally over said swivel wheels to provide a rear wheel drive wheelchair and wherein said seat base may be rotated and locked in place with said swivel-lock mechanism so that said front edge is located generally over said driven wheels to provide a front wheel drive wheelchair, and wherein the polarity of said motors may be changed when said wheelchair is converted from a rear wheel drive wheelchair to a front wheel drive wheelchair.
  • 10. The wheelchair of claim 9, further comprising a programmable electronic controller coupled to said quick disconnects of said motors, said controller having a user interface usable to direct the speed and direction of the wheelchair, said controller having at least one program usable when said wheelchair is in a front wheel drive configuration and at least one program usable when said wheelchair is in a rear wheel drive configuration.
  • 11. The wheelchair of claim 10, wherein said footplate includes a connecting end shaped to matingly connect with said tubing member, said connecting end having at least one first hole passing therethrough, and wherein said first coupling mechanism includes a second hole passing through said tubing member proximate said first end and located to align with said first hole, and a third hole passing through said tubing member proximate said second end and located to align with said first hole, said coupling mechanism further including a releasable pull pin being disposed through either said first and second holes or said first and third holes when the wheelchair is in an assembled condition.
  • 12. The wheelchair of claim 11, wherein said connecting end has a plurality of said first holes spaced therealong so that the position of said footplate relative to said frame can be adjusted.
  • 13. The wheelchair of claim 12, further comprising an anti-tip frame usable when the wheelchair is in a rear wheel drive configuration, said anti-tip frame being generally u-shaped with a rearwardly extending connecting leg shaped to matingly and removably fit within said second end of said tubing member.
  • 14. The wheelchair of claim 13, wherein said seat support is nearer to the rotational axis of said driven wheels than the rotational axis of said swivel wheels.
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Number Name Date Kind
D. 397645 Schaffner Sep 1998
4951766 Basedow et al. Aug 1990
5435404 Garin, III Jul 1995
5772237 Finch et al. Jun 1998
5944131 Schaffner et al. Aug 1999
5996716 Montiglio et al. Dec 1999
6070898 Dickie et al. Jun 2000
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