Claims
- 1. A powered wheelchair comprising:
- a frame having first and second longitudinal sides connected by a bridge;
- a seat module carried by said frame;
- a first power drive assembly disposed on said frame first longitudinal side, said first power drive assembly comprising:
- a first arm secured to said frame,
- a first motor mounted to said first arm, wherein a longitudinal axis of said first motor is approximately parallel to a longitudinal axis of said first arm, and
- a first wheel operably connected to said first motor;
- a second power drive assembly disposed on said frame second longitudinal side, said second power drive assembly comprising:
- a second arm secured to said frame,
- a second motor mounted to said second arm, wherein a longitudinal axis of said second motor is approximately parallel to a longitudinal axis of said second arm, and
- a second wheel operably connected to said second motor;
- a first resiliently biased suspension secured to a rear portion of said frame first longitudinal side, rearward of said first motor, and secured to said first power drive assembly at a location rearwardly of said first motor;
- a second resiliently biased suspension secured to a rear portion of said frame second longitudinal side, rearward of said second motor, and secured to said second power drive assembly at a location rearwardly of said second motor; and,
- a power supply mounted on said frame for powering said first and second motors.
- 2. The wheelchair of claim 1 wherein said first and second motors comprise electric motors and said power supply comprises at least one battery.
- 3. The wheelchair of claim 1 wherein said frame bridge comprises a pair of spaced supports to which a first end of a respective one of said first and second arms are secured.
- 4. The wheelchair of claim 1 further comprising fasteners for securing said first motor to a second end of said first arm and said second motor to a second end of said second arm, respectively.
- 5. The wheelchair of claim 4 further comprising at least two apertures in each of said first and second arm second ends, said apertures being longitudinally spaced from each other to allow for at least two positions at which said first and second motors can be secured to said first and second arm second ends in order to adjust a center of gravity of the wheelchair.
- 6. The wheelchair of claim 1 wherein said seat module comprises a seat frame secured to said frame of the wheelchair, a seat section, which is substantially horizontally oriented, secured to said seat frame and a seatback section, which is substantially vertically oriented, secured to said seat frame.
- 7. The wheelchair of claim 6 further comprising a first means for adjusting said seat section in relation to a horizontal plane, said means for adjusting extending between said seat frame and said frame of the wheelchair and being secured to both.
- 8. The wheelchair of claim 6 further comprising a second means for adjusting said seatback section in relation to a vertical plane, said means for adjusting comprising cooperating portions of said seatback and said seat frame.
- 9. The wheelchair of claim 1 wherein said first power drive assembly further comprises:
- a gearbox secured to said motor; and,
- an insert secured to said gearbox, said first arm being secured to said gearbox over said insert.
- 10. A powered wheelchair comprising:
- a frame having first and second longitudinal sides connected by a bridge;
- a seat module carried by said frame;
- a first power drive assembly disposed on said frame first longitudinal side, said first power drive assembly comprising:
- a first arm secured to said frame,
- a wedge-shaped first motor mount selectively secured to said first arm at a sloped side of the wedge,
- a first motor mounted to said first motor mount, and
- a first wheel operably connected to said first motor;
- a second power drive assembly disposed on said frame second longitudinal side, said second power drive assembly comprising:
- a second arm secured to said frame,
- a wedge-shaped second motor mount selectively secured to said second arm at a sloped side of the wedge,
- a second motor mounted to said second motor mount, and
- a second wheel operably connected to said second motor; and,
- a power supply mounted on said frame for powering said first and second motors.
- 11. The wheelchair of claim 10 wherein said frame bridge comprises a pair of spaced supports to which a first end of a respective one of said first and second arms are secured.
- 12. The wheelchair of claim 10 further comprising fasteners for securing said first motor mount to a second end of said first arm and said second motor mount to a second end of said second arm, respectively.
- 13. The wheelchair of claim 12 further comprising at least two apertures in each of said first and second arm second ends, said apertures being longitudinally spaced from each other to allow for at least two positions at which said first and second motor mounts can be secured to said first and second arm second ends in order to adjust a center of gravity of the wheelchair.
- 14. A powered wheelchair comprising:
- a tubular frame having first and second longitudinal side members connected by a bridge so as to form an H-shaped configuration, the bridge being disposed perpendicularly to the first and second side members;
- a seat module carried by said frame;
- a vertically extending socket connected to a front end of each of said first and second longitudinal side members of said frame, said socket accommodating a stem of a front caster;
- a first power drive assembly disposed on said frame first longitudinal side member, said first power drive assembly comprising:
- a first swing arm pivotally secured to said frame,
- a first motor mounted to said first swing arm, and
- a first wheel operably connected to said first motor; and,
- a second power drive assembly disposed on said frame second longitudinal side member, said second power drive assembly comprising:
- a second swing arm pivotally secured to said frame,
- a second motor mounted to said second swing arm, and
- a second wheel operably connected to said second motor.
- 15. The wheelchair of claim 14 further comprising:
- a first resiliently biased suspension secured to both said frame first longitudinal side member and said first power drive assembly; and
- a second resiliently biased suspension secured to both said frame second longitudinal side member and said second power drive assembly.
- 16. The powered wheelchair of claim 14 further comprising:
- a power supply mounted on said frame for powering said first and second motors.
- 17. The wheelchair of claim 14 further comprising at least two apertures on each of said first and second swing arms, said apertures being longitudinally spaced from each other to allow for at least two positions at which a respective one of said first and second motors can be secured to said first and second swing arms in order to adjust a center of gravity of the wheelchair.
- 18. The wheelchair of claim 14 wherein said first power drive assembly further comprises:
- a gear box secured to said motor; and,
- an insert secured to said gear box, said first swing arm being secured to said gear box over said insert.
- 19. A powered wheelchair comprising:
- a tubular frame having first and second longitudinal sides connected by a bridge;
- a battery support subframe secured to said frame, said battery support subframe comprising a pair of side rails, one side rail being secured to each of said first and second longitudinal sides of said tubular frame;
- a seat module carried by said frame;
- a first power drive assembly disposed on said frame first longitudinal side, said first power drive assembly comprising a first motor;
- a second power drive assembly disposed on said frame second longitudinal side, said second power drive assembly comprising a second motor;
- a battery mounted on said battery support subframe for powering said first and second motors;
- a first swing arm pivotally secured to a support extending rearwardly from said frame, said first motor being mounted to said first swing arm; and,
- a second swing arm pivotally secured to a support extending rearwardly from said frame, said second motor being mounted to said second swing arm.
- 20. The wheelchair of claim 19, further comprising at least two apertures on each of said first and second swing arms, said apertures being longitudinally spaced from each other to allow for at least two positions at which a respective one of said first and second motors can be secured to said first and second swing arms in order to vary the center of gravity of the wheelchair.
- 21. A powered wheelchair comprising:
- a tubular frame having first and second longitudinal sides connected by a bridge;
- a first support located on said bridge;
- a second support located on said bridge in a manner spaced from said first support, said first and second supports being bounded by said two longitudinal sides;
- a first power drive assembly disposed on said frame first longitudinal side, said first power drive assembly comprising:
- a first swing arm secured to said first support,
- a first motor mounted to said first arm and,
- a first wheel operably connected to said first motor; and,
- a second power drive assembly disposed on said frame second longitudinal side, said second power drive assembly comprising:
- a second swing arm secured to said second support,
- a second motor mounted to said second arm, and a second wheel operably connected to said second motor.
- 22. The powered wheelchair of claim 21 further comprising:
- a first suspension arm connecting said first swing arm to said first support; and,
- a second suspension arm connecting said second swing arm to said second support.
- 23. A powered wheelchair comprising:
- a tubular frame having first and second longitudinal sides connected by a bridge;
- a first support located on said bridge;
- a second support located on said bridge in a manner spaced from said first support;
- a first power drive assembly disposed on said frame first longitudinal side, said first power drive assembly comprising:
- a first swing arm secured to said first support, said first support comprising a pair of spaced arms which define between them a slot for accommodating a portion of said first suspension arm,
- a first motor mounted to said first arm, and
- a first wheel operably connected to said first motor; and,
- a second power drive assembly disposed on said frame second longitudinal side, said second power drive assembly comprising:
- a second swing arm secured to said second support, said second support comprising a pair of spaced arms which define between them a slot for accommodating a portion of said second suspension arm,
- a second motor mounted to said second arm, and
- a second wheel operably connected to said second motor.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/228,584 which was filed on Apr. 15, 1994 and is now U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,348.
US Referenced Citations (14)
Foreign Referenced Citations (8)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0268960 |
Jun 1988 |
EPX |
0312969 |
Apr 1989 |
EPX |
0339500 |
Nov 1989 |
EPX |
2455886 |
Jan 1981 |
FRX |
0311978 |
Dec 1989 |
JPX |
2141980 |
Jan 1985 |
GBX |
2224980 |
May 1990 |
GBX |
9005515 |
May 1990 |
WOX |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
228584 |
Apr 1994 |
|