Patent Application
20110304121
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a quick-release mechanism, and more particularly to an innovative one which enables assembly, positioning and disengagement of an assembly structure and wheelchair.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
The currently available wheelchairs are categorized into human-operated and electrical wheelchairs. In order to meet the expectations of the users who intend to update human-operated wheelchair to electrical one without any waste, an auxiliary drive device has been developed and installed onto existing wheelchairs for driving auxiliarily its movement.
However, it is observed from actual application that, the assembly structure of said auxiliary drive device is inconvenient to be combined with or disengaged from the wheelchair, so there is still a big room for improvement. In the present invention, a quick-release mechanism enables assembly, positioning and disengagement of the assembly structure and wheelchair, making it possible to transport, store and carry the wheelchair, or when the auxiliary drive device cannot be used in special circumstances, it can be disassembled, allowing it to resume the operating state of a human-operated wheelchair so as to meet the user demands.
Thus, to overcome the aforementioned problems of the prior art, it would be an advancement if the art to provide an improved structure that can significantly improve the efficacy.
Therefore, the inventor has provided the present invention of practicability after deliberate experimentation and evaluation based on years of experience in the production and development of related products.
The enhanced efficacy of the present invention is as follows:
The “quick-release mechanism” of the present invention mainly comprises an exterior sleeve, expansion link section, elastic part and brake. It is characterized in that the driving section of the brake can drive the expansion link section, making it in a positioning or release state. With this simple structure, the users can dismantle or operate the device easily in either positioning or release mode.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
Two expansion link sections 20 are arranged at interval into the holding space 11 of the exterior sleeve 10. A positioning end 21 is formed externally onto the expansion link section 20, and can be protruded from the end port 12 of the exterior sleeve 10.
A threading portion of driving section 22 includes a driven portion 220 and a through-hole 221. The driven portion 220 is arranged onto the expansion link section 20, and the through-hole 221 passes through the exterior sleeve 10.
At least one elastic part 30 is arranged into the holding space 11 of the exterior sleeve 10, enabling resettability of the expansion link section 20.
A brake 40 includes an adjusting portion 41 and two driving sections 42. These two driving sections 42 are extended obliquely and symmetrically to define a tapered reducing end 421 and a tapered expanding end 422. The adjusting portion 41 is formed at either tapered reducing end 421 or tapered expanding end 422 of two driving sections 42. These two driving sections 42 are sleeved vertically onto the threading portion of driving section 22 in a limited state.
When the adjusting portion 41 of the brake 40 is pushed, the driving section 42 of said brake 40 is mated with the driven portion 220 of the threading portion of driving section 22, such that the brake 40 can push the expansion link section 20 to control the actuating state of the positioning end 21 in a positioning or release mode.
Of which, the adjusting portion 41 is formed at the tapered reducing end 421 of two driving sections 42, and the elastic part 30 is linked to inner ends of two expansion link sections 20, such that the expansion link section 20 is pushed elastically towards the end port 12 of the exterior sleeve 10. When the adjusting portion 41 of the brake 40 is pressed, the expansion link section 20 is in a recessed state, such that the positioning end 21 of the expansion link section 20 is disengaged from the assembly position 07, and the elastic part 30 is pressed to accumulate elastic force. When the pressing state is released, the expansion link section 20 is pushed elastically by the elastic part 30 to move outwards.
Referring to
Based on above-specified structural configuration, the present invention is operated as follows:
The assembly state of said quick-release mechanism A and assembly position 07 is shown in
Additionally, the technical characteristics of the present invention are described in detail. In the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the adjusting portion 41 is formed at the tapered reducing end 421 of two driving sections 42, or at tapered expanding end 422 of two driving sections 42. In such a case, the brake 40 can be released in a reverse way (by pulling the adjusting portion 41 other than by pressing the adjusting portion 41), thus dismantling easily the assembly structure 05.
