The invention pertains to electric wheelchair propulsion systems, in particular, those with two motors to enable a user to propel in both forward and rearward directions.
Electric propulsion systems for wheelchairs are known in the art. Such electric propulsion systems allow users to propel the wheelchair electrically by controlling the actuation of an electric motor. Existing electric propulsion systems for wheelchairs are heavy and mechanically complex, thereby increasing the cost to manufacture and repair. There is a need in the wheelchair industry for a lightweight propulsion system with a simpler mechanism for providing electric power to propel a wheelchair. The present invention is directed to improved propulsion systems for wheelchairs.
The invention provides a wheelchair propulsion system. The propulsion system has a first and a second torque transfer hub rotatably mounted to a respective first and second drive wheel of the wheelchair, and an elongated axle tube arranged between the first and second hubs. First and second motors are arranged within the axle tube extending from opposing ends thereof. First and second drive axles are insertable into bores of the first and second hubs respectively, and are operatively connected to the first and second motors respectively. The first and second motors control the movement of the first and second drive wheels respectively. Means are provided to control the actuation of the motors. Actuation of the motors drives a rotation thereof, transferring a torque to the drive axles. The drive axles in turn transfer a torque to the hubs, thereby rotating the drive wheels.
In some embodiments, the first and second drive axles are operatively connected to the first and second motors by first and second couplers. The first coupler is arranged to connect the first drive axle to the first motor and the second coupler is arranged to connect the second drive axle to the second motor. The drive axles lock into position within the axle tube by engaging with the couplers, ensuring proper alignment with the couplers and the motors.
In some embodiments, the first and second drive axles are operatively connected to the first and second motors without first and second couplers. In such embodiments, a first and a second torque transfer profile are arranged on a respective surface of an end of the first and second motors. The first and second torque transfer profiles are shaped to engage with the first and second drive axles respectively, operatively connecting the first motor with the first drive axle and the second motor with the second drive axle.
An aspect of the invention provides a hub for mounting to a wheel of a wheelchair. The hub comprises a torque receiving member mounted within the hub. The torque receiving member is shaped to engage with a drive axle, in particular, to engage with a torque transfer member on the drive axle. The torque receiving member may comprise a torque bushing fitted within the hub, or may be integrally formed within the hub.
Further aspects of the invention and features of specific embodiments of the invention are described below.
Exemplary embodiments are illustrated in referenced figures of the drawings. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive.
system of
the propulsion system of
Referring to
The propulsion system 10 has an elongated, hollow axle tube 12 dimensioned to be arranged between a pair of drive wheels 14a, 14b below a seat 18 of the wheelchair 16. First and second motors 22, 24 are arranged within the axle tube 12. The first motor 22 extends from a first end 18 of the axle tube 12 to a first point 19 within the axle tube 12 to rotate the first drive wheel 14a. The second motor 24 extends from a second opposing end 20 of the axle tube 12 to a second point 21 within the axle tube 12 to rotate the second drive wheel 14b. The motors 22, 24 may be any suitable electric motors including for example brushed or brushless planetary gear motors and direct drive motors.
Means are provided to control the actuation of the motors 22, 24. As shown schematically in
The input device 100 may for example be a man-machine interface (MMI) such as in the form of a joystick, accelerometer, remote control, and/or an mobile phone application which can be wired or wirelessly connected to the controller 102 (e.g., by Bluetoothâ„¢ or Wi-Fi connectivity), or a brain-machine interface (BMI) provided in the form of a computer chip implanted in the brain of the user for sending commands to the controller 102.
First and second rotatable torque transfer hubs 26, 28 are mounted within a centerbore 30, 32 of each of the drive wheels 14a, 14b. The first and second torque transfer hubs 26, 28 each have a central bore 34, 36 for receiving a respective first and second drive axles 38, 40 therethrough. The first and second drive axles 38, 40 are insertable through the central bores 34, 36 for engagement with a respective first and second couplers 42, 44 at first ends 45, 47 of the drive axles 38, 40. First and second couplers 42, 44 engage with the respective first and second motors 22, 24 at one end 54, 56, and the respective first ends 45, 47 of the first and second drive axles 38, 40 at their opposite ends 58, 60, thereby connecting the axle tube 12 to the first and second torque transfer hubs 26, 28.
First and second axle housings 46, 48 may be arranged to connect the axle tube 12 at their first ends 49, 51, and to the torque transfer hubs 26, 28 at their second, opposite ends 53, 57. The first and second axle housings 46, 48 provide a space for receiving at least the respective first and second couplers 42, 44 and a length of the first and second drive axles 38, 40. The first and second drive axles 38, 40 extend through the central bores 34, 36 of the torque transfer hubs 26, 28 into the first and second axle housings 46, 48 for engagement with the first and second couplers 42, 44 so as to secure the first and second drive axles 38, 40 in a lock position. The locking of the first and second drive axles 38, 40 ensures proper alignment of the couplers 42, 44 to the respective motors 22, 24, allowing the axles 38, 40 to rotate.
Mechanical bearings 50, 52 and/or torque receiving members 62, 64 may be provided to facilitate the rotation of the drive axles 38, 40 and thereby the first and second torque transfer hubs 26, 28. The mechanical bearings 50, 52 may be arranged within the first and second axle housings 46, 48 and/or within the central bores 34, 36 of the torque transfer hubs 26, 28 dimensioned to surround a length of the drive axles 38, 40.
As shown in
In some embodiments, the torque receiving members 62, 64 may be integrally arranged at the outer ends 82, 84 of the central bores 34, 36 of each of the torque transfer hubs 26, 28, as shown in
The torque transfer member 86, 88 may be arranged at any point along the length of the drive axles 38, 40. In some embodiments, the torque transfer members 86, 88 may be integrally formed on the surfaces of the drive axles 38, 40. For example, a length of the drive axles 38, 40 may be contoured with one or more flat faces for engagement with the torque receiving members 62, 64. This embodiment omits the need for the nut 66, 68.
First and second mounting brackets 94, 96 may be arranged to secure the wheelchair propulsion system 10 to a frame 98 of the wheelchair 16. First and second mounting brackets 94, 96 may be mounted at any suitable locations on the wheelchair propulsion system 10, such as the first and second axle housings 46, 48. The mounting 25 brackets 94, 96 may be secured to any suitable positions along the frame 98 of the wheelchair 16.
Referring to
The drive axles 38, 40 may comprise a releasable mechanism. For example, the drive axles 38, 40 may each comprise a push button 90, 92 at their second ends 70, 72. The activation of the push buttons 90, 92 releases the drive axles 38, 40 out of engagement from the first and second couplers 42, 44, allowing the torque transfer hubs 26, 28 to disengage from the axle tube 12 and the axle housings 46, 48, allowing the drive wheels 14a, 14b to be removed from the wheelchair 16 without using any tools.
In some embodiments, means are provided to move the couplers 42, 44 in a longitudinal direction of the axles tube 12 between an extended position in which the couplers 42, 44 engage the respective drive axles 38, 40 so as to rotatably drive the torque transfer hubs 26, 28, and a retracted position in which the couplers 42, 44 disengage from the respective drive axles 38, 40 to disconnect the source of rotational power to the torque transfer hubs 26, 28. Such means may include any suitable disconnect devices, such as an electromechanical disconnect device.
The propulsion system 10 operates according to the following method. The motors 22, 24 are actuated, under the control of the controller 102 which receives from the input device 100 an input from the user. The actuation of the motors 22, 24 drive a rotation thereof, transferring a torque to the respective drive axles 38, 40. The drive axles 38, 40 transfer a torque to the respective torque transfer hubs 26, 28 so as to rotate the respective drive wheels 14a, 14b. The drive wheels 14a, 14b may also be manually propelled by a user by controlling the movement of the drive wheels 14a, 14b.
Additional features may be incorporated with the propulsion system 10 to enhance the functionality of the wheelchair 16. These features include for example a braking system such as a regenerative braking system, accelerometer, cruise control, autopilot capability, Global Positioning System (GPS), wireless battery charging, regenerative battery charging, Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, voice activation and speakers.
The wheelchair propulsion system 10 may be mechanically simplified to reduce the number of component parts. This can be done in many different ways. The following are non-limiting examples of some of those ways.
In some embodiments, the axle tube 12 and the first and second axle housings 46, 48 are integrally formed to form a housing. In example embodiments, the housing is formed of two cross-sectional portions comprising a first housing section and a second housing section. The first housing section may comprise a first cross-sectional portion of each of the axle tube 12 and the first and second axle housings 46, 48, and the second housing section may comprise a second cross-sectional portion of each of the axle tube 12 and the first and second axle housings 46, 48. The first and second cross-section portions may have the same shape and/or size, or different. The first and second cross-section portions may be joined together to form the housing after the first and second motors 22, 24, and first and second couplings 42, 44 and/or mechanical bearings 50, 52 (if present) are placed therein.
In some embodiments, separate components for the first and second couplings 42, 44 are not required. The first and second couplings 42, 44 may be integrally formed on the first and second motors 22, 24 respectively.
In some embodiments, the first and second motors 22, 24 are connected to the respective first and second axle housings 46, 48 with fasteners means such as screws. In other embodiments, the first and second motors 22, 24 are connectable to the respective first and second axle housings 46, 48 without fastener means. In example embodiments, as illustrated in
Throughout the foregoing description and the drawings, in which corresponding and like parts are identified by the same reference characters, specific details have been set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding to persons skilled in the art. However, well known elements may not have been shown or described in detail or at all to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the disclosure.
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the scope thereof. Accordingly, the description and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense.
This application is a continuation of PCT application No. PCT/CA2022/051027 filed 28 Jun. 2022, which claims priority from U.S. application No. 63/216,126 filed 29 Jun. 2021 and entitled WHEELCHAIR PROPULSION SYSTEM which is hereby incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. For purposes of the United States of America, this application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119 of U.S. application No. 63/216,126 filed 29 Jun. 2021 and entitled WHEELCHAIR PROPULSION SYSTEM.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/CA2022/051027 | Jun 2022 | US |
Child | 18304613 | US |