This is a non-provisional application based upon U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/821,670, entitled “WHEELCHAIR WITH ACTUATOR CONTROLLED TILTING”, filed Mar. 21, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to wheelchairs, and, more particularly, to adjustable tilt wheelchairs.
Wheelchairs are well-known devices that are used to transport people who have difficulty walking on their own. A typical wheelchair includes a seat that is supported by a chassis with two or more wheels. Many wheelchairs have adjustable back supports to allow adjustment of the seated position of the wheelchair occupant. In many instances, adjustment of the back support is difficult because the occupant is currently seated in the wheelchair.
What is needed in the art is a wheelchair with an adjustable back support that can be easily adjusted.
The present invention provides a wheelchair with a tilt actuator that can adjust a tilt angle of the wheelchair while allowing collapse of the wheelchair.
In some exemplary embodiments provided according to the present invention, a wheelchair includes: a chassis configured to collapse in a width direction of the wheelchair; at least one wheel carried by the chassis; a seat assembly including a seat and a back support carried by the chassis, the back support defining a tilt angle relative to the seat and being pivotable to adjust the tilt angle; and a tilt assembly carried by the chassis and including at least one tilt actuator coupled to the back support, the at least one tilt actuator being configured to pivot the back support and adjust the tilt angle. The chassis is collapsible in the width direction while carrying the at least one actuator to reduce a width of the wheelchair.
In another exemplary embodiment, a wheelchair includes a chassis configured to collapse in a width direction of the wheelchair. The chassis includes a pair of chassis halves that are coupled to one another, with at least one of the chassis halves being movable in the width direction independently of the other chassis half. A pair of wheels are carried by a respective one of the chassis halves, with the pair of wheels defining a common rotational axis. A seat assembly includes a seat and a back support carried by each of the chassis halves. The back support defines a tilt angle relative to the seat and is pivotable to adjust the tilt angle. A pair of arm rests are coupled to a respective one of the chassis halves and are disposed on opposite sides of the seat. A tilt assembly is carried by the chassis and includes a pair of electrically powered tilt actuators. Each of the tilt actuators are coupled to the back support and a respective one of the chassis halves. Each of the tilt actuators are configured to coactively and simultaneously pivot the back support and thereby to adjust the tilt angle. The chassis is collapsible in the width direction while carrying the at least one tilt actuator to reduce a width of the wheelchair. Each of the tilt actuators include a mounting point that is below the seat of the seat assembly and defines a pivot axis that is below and rearward of the rotational axis of the at least one wheel. The back support is pivotable across a range of tilt angles between 90° and 180°. The tilt actuators are configured to pivot the back support across the entire range of tilt angles. A battery tray is coupled with and carried by a corresponding single one of the chassis halves. The battery tray is positioned below the seat and immediately adjacent to the corresponding chassis half. A battery is carried by the battery tray and electrically coupled to each of the tilt actuators. A tilt controller mounted to a forward end of one of the arm rests is electrically coupled to the battery and each of the tilt actuators. The tilt controller includes at least one activation switch allowing manual operation of the pair of tilt actuators by a wheelchair occupant with limited dexterity. The tilt controller is configured to output control signals to the pair of tilt actuators that cause the pair of tilt actuators to selectively pivot the back support either backward or forward to a selected tilt angle within the entire range of tilt angles.
In some exemplary embodiments, a method of collapsing a wheelchair is provided. The method includes: unlocking a pair of chassis halves from each other, the chassis halves together forming a chassis, the chassis carrying a back support, a seat, and at least one tilt actuator coupled to the back support and configured to adjust a tilt angle of the back support relative to the seat; and moving the chassis halves together in a width direction to reduce a width of the wheelchair without disconnecting the at least one tilt actuator from the back support.
One possible advantage that may be realized by exemplary embodiments disclosed herein is that the wheelchair can be collapsed without significant disassembly, providing a convenient way to store and/or transport the wheelchair when it is unoccupied.
Another possible advantage that may be realized by exemplary embodiments disclosed herein is that the tilt actuator can be controlled by a controller to precisely and reliably pivot the back support to one or more defined positions.
Yet another possible advantage that may be realized by exemplary embodiments disclosed herein is that the back support can be pivoted to a wide variety of positions to, for example, position a wheelchair occupant for transfer out of the wheelchair or position a wheelchair occupant to an accessible position for medical care.
The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of exemplary embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.
Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to
The chassis 110 carries the various components of the wheelchair 100. The chassis 110 may include multiple frame members, such as a side frame and a cross frame. A pair of front wheels 18 may be mounted to the chassis 110 on a front axle 17 by a bearing 16 and connect to the chassis 110 via a fork 19. The front wheels 18 may be, for example, casters that can pivot about a stem of the fork 19, with bearings 21 being provided to promote smooth pivoting. A fork stem lock 22 may be associated with the stem of the fork 19 to lock the wheels 18 in position, when desired.
A pair of rear wheels 15 can be mounted to the chassis 110 by rear axle bolts 12, which can have an axle cap 12a, and an associated rear axle bearing 13. In some embodiments, the rear wheels 15 have a larger diameter than the front wheels 18. The rear wheels 15 can include a rim with a handrim attached to the rim by one or more spacers 11. An anti-tipping mechanism 14 may also be associated with one or both of the rear wheels 15 to reduce the risk of the wheelchair 100 tipping during use. A wheel lock 23 may be coupled to one or both of the rear wheels 15 to lock movement of the wheels 15, when desired.
The seat assembly 120 may include an optional headrest pillow 1, which may be a neck support pad, at a top that is coupled to a headrest 2. The headrest pillow 1 and headrest 2 may support a neck and head of an occupant using the wheelchair 100. A back support 3, which may include upholstery and also be referred to as a “backrest,” is coupled to the headrest 2 and is pivotably coupled to the chassis 110. A seat 24, which may also include upholstery, is coupled to the chassis 110. Upholstery screws 25 may be used to hold the upholstery against the back support 3 and the seat 24. A pair of arm rests 26, which may include pads 26a, are coupled to the chassis 110, with the arm rests 26 disposed on opposite sides of the seat 24. The arm rests 26 can be mounted on a slide tube 30 with an arm release button 29 that allows the arm rests 26 to slide off the chassis 110 and be removed from the wheelchair 100 during, for example, transportation or storage of the wheelchair 100. A pair of removable leg rests 20 can also be mounted to the chassis 110 to provide rests for an occupant's legs and feet during use. A spreader bar 8 and one or more associated spreader bar knobs 7 for locking the spreader bar 8 may be mounted to a rear of the back support 3.
Referring still to
To control tilting of the back support 3, a tilt controller 6 is provided that is electrically coupled to the tilt actuators 10. The tilt controller 6 may be electrically coupled to the tilt actuators 10 by, for example, a wire 5 that is at least partially held within a wire loom 4. The tilt controller 6 may be a two-way switch that allows a user to tilt the back support 3 backwards and forwards by pressing respective buttons on the tilt controller 6. Pressing the forward button, for example, may cause the tilt actuators 10 to each extend a respective actuator rod 38 to force the back support 3 forward so the back support 3 is more upright, i.e., closer to forming a 90° tilt angle with the seat 24. Pressing a backward button, in contrast, can cause the tilt actuators 10 to retract the actuator rods 38 and force the back support 3 rearward so the back support 3 is less upright, i.e., closer to forming a 180° tilt angle with the seat 24. Thus, an occupant in the wheelchair 100 can conveniently control tilting of the back support 3 to a desired tilt utilizing the tilt controller 6 without requiring assistance from a care provider to manually adjust the back support 3. In some embodiments, the actuator mounts 9 act as mechanical stops to prevent excessive retraction of the actuator rods 38; in such embodiments, the actuator mounts 9 contact the body of the tilt actuators 10 when the actuator rods 38 are fully retracted.
In some embodiments, the tilt controller 6 is mounted to, or adjacent to, one of the arm rests 26 for easy accessibility by an occupant in the wheelchair 100. The tilt controller 6 can be mounted to either arm rest 26, depending on the needs of the normal rider of the wheelchair 100. For example, if the normal rider of the wheelchair 100 has limited dexterity in their right hand, the tilt controller 6 can be mounted to the left arm rest 26 so the occupant can control the tilt of the wheelchair 100 using their left hand. In some embodiments, both arm rests 26 are equipped with a respective tilt controller 6 so an occupant can use either hand to adjust the tilt of the wheelchair 100. Such configurations may be useful in, for example, hospital settings where the wheelchair 100 is likely to be used by many different riders throughout its service life. The tilt controller 6 can also be placed at other locations on the wheelchair 100, such as one of the leg rests 20, depending on the occupant's physical capabilities. The wheelchair 100 may include a controller mount on each arm rest 26 and/or other locations on the wheelchair 100 that couples to the tilt controller 6 and holds the tilt controller 6 in the mounting location, allowing the tilt controller 6 to be placed in a variety of different locations of the wheelchair 100.
The tilt controller 6 may include at least one activation switch, such as a joystick and/or buttons, that can be used to control tilting of the back support 3. When a user activates the activation switch, the tilt controller 6 can output control signals to the tilt actuator(s) 10 that cause the tilt actuator(s) 10 to pivot the back support 3 and adjust the tilt angle. The activation switch(es) included in the tilt controller 6 may be adjusted, as needed, for use by a wheelchair occupant. For example, a tilt controller including a joystick may be desired by a user who has limited dexterity and is unable to reliably press buttons. It should thus be appreciated that the tilt controller 6 can be configured in many different ways to control the tilt actuator(s) 10 and adjust the tilt angle of the back support 3.
Referring now to
In some embodiments, the tilt controller 6 includes a memory 37 that allows the tilt controller 6 to be programmable. For example, the tilt controller 6 may be configured to store one or more defined tilt angles in the memory 37. The defined tilt angle(s) may be programmed into the memory 37 by a user and/or by the manufacturer to allow for easy, reproducible adjustment of the back support 3 to various positions. Exemplary tilt angles may be, but are not limited to, the first tilt angle illustrated in
From the foregoing, it should be appreciated that the wheelchair 100 provided in accordance with the present disclose allows an occupant, or other user, to conveniently and easily adjust a tilt angle of the wheelchair 100 using the tilt controller 6 and tilt actuator(s) 10. Control of the tilt actuator(s) 10 by the tilt controller 6 allows an occupant or other user to adjust the tilt angle of the wheelchair 100 without having to, for example, pivotably unlock the back support 3 from the chassis 110 and manually tilt the back support 3 before pivotably re-locking the back support 3. Further, the tilt angle can be gradually adjusted by the tilt controller 6 and tilt actuator(s) 10 to find a position of the back support 3 that is comfortable for the occupant and/or conducive for medical help to move the occupant. Since the tilt controller 6 can be easily operated by an occupant without assistance, an occupant can independently adjust the tilt of the wheelchair 100 to improve their comfort whenever it is desired. Thus, the wheelchair 100 provided according to the present disclosure allows easy and convenient adjustment of the tilt angle of the wheelchair 100.
Referring now to
A pivot lock 703, illustrated as a screw, may be tightened or loosened to lock or unlock, respectively, the collapse bars 701A, 701B from each other. When the collapse bars 701A, 701B are unlocked, the collapse bars 701A, 701B can be pivoted together about the pivot 702 to collapse the wheelchair 100 in the width direction W, as can be seen in
As can be appreciated from
While some known wheelchairs include an actuator to tilt the back support, such wheelchairs are large and bulky. This makes transportation and storage of the wheelchairs difficult for many users and/or their healthcare providers. Particularly, known wheelchairs with actuators to tilt the back support are unable to collapse in the width direction, which makes it difficult to place the wheelchair in a transport vehicle, such as a car. The wheelchair 100 provided according to the present invention, on the other hand, has a chassis 110 that is collapsible in the width direction W while the tilt actuator(s) 10 is carried by the chassis 110. The chassis 110 being collapsible allows the width of the wheelchair 100 to be considerably reduced, making it easier to transport and/or store the wheelchair 100. Further, it is relatively easy to collapse the wheelchair 100 because the tilt actuator(s) 10 does not need to be removed in order to collapse the chassis 110. In this respect, the wheelchair 100 provided according to the present invention is easy to transport and can be transported in common passenger vehicles, such as in the trunk.
Referring now to
While this invention has been described with respect to at least one embodiment, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.
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Healthline Lightweight Folding Transport Wheelchair taken from https://www.walmart.com/ip/HEALTHLINE-Removable-Lightweight-Inch-Manual-Ultra-Legrests-Full-Detachable-Light-Elevating-Medical-Transport-Comfortable-Arm-Folding-20-Wheelchair/284554360 (1 page). |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20200297560 A1 | Sep 2020 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62821670 | Mar 2019 | US |