AU2005100261B4

AU2005100261B4 - Mobility solution

Info

Publication number: AU2005100261B4
Application number: AU2005100261A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Dongning Zhang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-03-27
Filing date: 2005-03-27
Publication date: 2005-08-18
Anticipated expiration: 2013-03-27
Also published as: CN100478242C; AU2005100261A4; CN1836963A

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT MOBILITY SOLUTION The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: >MOBILITY SOLUTION Many mobility scooters and wheelchairs have the anti-tip wheels on back of the scooter or the wheelchair for safety purpose. However the anti-tip wheels start to work when the scooter or the wheelchair has tipped over.

D

D The mobility solution in accordance with this invention comprises a scooter or a wheelchair has one main frame, one seat frame, one seat, at lease one support frame and at least one pole, and at least one flexible joint between the seat frame and the main frame to allow one dimensional angle movement between the seat frame and the main frame around the axis of the flexible joint, and the support frame join to the main frame or the seat frame with at least one flexible joint between the support frame and the seat frame or the main frame to allow one dimensional angle movement between the support frame and the seat frame or the main frame around the axis of the flexible joint, and at least one pole with two flexible joint ends join the support frame and the seat frame, and the pole may be a length fixed pole or a length limited spring pole for the situation which the support frame join to the main frame with at least one flexible joint between the support frame and the main frame to allow one dimensional angle movement between the support frame and the main frame around the axis of the flexible joint, or the pole must be the length limited spring pole for the situation which the support frame join to the seat frame with at least one flexible joint between the support frame and the seat frame to allow one dimensional angle movement between the support frame and the seat frame around the axis of the flexible joint, and the main frame has at least three wheels which are not in a same line to support the main frame on the ground, and a front wheel of the main frame may be a turning steering wheel for a scooter or a swivel castor for a wheelchair, and the support frame has at least one support wheel, and the support wheel of the support frame may support the part load from the seat frame through the pole between the support 2

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frame and the seat frame, and the axis of the flexible joint of the seat frame and the main frame is located nearly in parallel with the location line of the two rear wheels and in between the location line of the two rear wheels and the front wheel, and the axis of the flexible joint of the support frame and the main frame or the seat frame is located nearly in parallel with the axis of the flexible joint of the seat frame and the main frame, and a seat may fix or latch on D or flexibly join to the seat frame.

For the situation which the support frame join to the seat frame with at least one flexible joint between the support frame and the seat frame to allow one dimensional angle movement between the support frame and the seat frame around the axis of the flexible joint, and a fixed pole with two flexible joint ends join the support frame and the seat frame, the support frame and the seat frame are like a single structure which has been claimed in my previous patent applications SCOOTER WITH MULTIFUNCTION CHAIR on 2004-11-8 SINGLE REAR CENTRE DRIVE WHEEL SCOOTER on 2004-11-9 in Australia.

The support frame join to the seat frame with the flexible joints and a spring pole is good for the scooter application. The scooter can be separated easily by disconnecting the flexible joints (actually a pivot) between the seat frame and the main frame. The separated parts are small and light for portability. The spring pole may also absorb the shock due to the uneven ground to make the driver feel comfortable. More important, the distance between the support wheel and the main frame may increase and the heavy centre may be lower due to the heavy load or driving on slope, so that the scooter may support the driver more safely.

The support frame join to the main frame with the flexible joints is good for both scooter and wheelchair application. The simple joint structure between the support frame and the main frame is strong and good for transfer the turning and pushing or pulling force. It is 3

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very important for wheelchair application which the whole structure may often turn on spot. With the similar structure, the support frame and the seat frame may be separated easily from the main frame S for portability.

The two rear wheels on the main frame can be two swivel castors if 0 the support wheel on the support frame is a drive wheel and located in back of the two rear wheels for a scooter application. The main S frame may be extended for the axle of the two rear wheels close to the support wheel, for the support wheel being a drive wheel and two rear wheels being ordinary wheels.

The optional position limiter between the seat frame and the main frame may be very important for wheelchair application. For the user might not be able to support part of his weight with foot on the main frame, the optional position limiter must be used to prevent the seat frame tilting up or forward too much for the disabled people.

For driver may walk normally or be able to support his weight with foot on the main frame, the optional position limiter is optional.

The invention may be better understood with reference to the illustrations of embodiments of the invention which:- Figure 1 is a side view of a concept scooter or wheelchair parts, for the support frame join to the seat frame.

Figure 2 is a side view of a concept scooter or wheelchair and the support frame join to the seat frame.

Figure 3 is a top view of a concept scooter or wheelchair and the support frame join to the seat frame, and the seat is not showing.

Figure 4 is a side view of a concept scooter or wheelchair parts, for the support frame join to the main frame.

Figure 5 is a side view of a concept scooter or wheelchair and the support frame join to the main frame.

Figure 6 is a top view of a concept scooter or wheelchair and the support frame join to the main frame, and the seat is not showing.

0 A Figure 7 is a top view of a concept scooter or wheelchair with two D support frames join to the main frame, and two spring poles, and S two front wheels on the main frame, and the seat is not showing.

Figure 8 is a side view of a concept scooter and the support frame join to the main frame, and the main frame extended for the two real wheels close to the support wheel, and support wheel used as drive wheel.

Figure 9 is a top view of a concept scooter and the support frame join to the main frame, and the main frame extended for the two real wheels close to the support wheel, and support wheel used as drive wheel, and the seat is not showing.

In all figures, 110 is the main frame, 120 is the seat frame, 130 is the support frame, 140 is the pole, 150 is the optional position limiter, 180 is the seat, 100 is the pivot like flexible joint between 110 and 120, 101 is the front wheel on 110, 102 are the rear wheels on 110, 103 is the support wheel on 130, 105 is the pivot like flexible joint between 130 and 120, 106 is the spherical joint which might be a pivot between 120 and 140, 107 is the spherical joint which might be a pivot between 130 and 140, 108 is the pivot like flexible joint between 130 and 110. The wider wheel means drive wheel.

Figure 10 is the examples of different pivot like flexible joint. 1 is a spring steel or rubber plate to allow one dimensional angle movement between two parts. 1 can be good for pulling force. 2 is a preformed rubber joint to allow one dimensional angle movement between two parts. 2 is good for either pulling or pushing force as well as a comfortable buffer for the structure. Normally two of 2 arranged in a same pivot line and apart from each other may Sprovide excellent one dimensional angle movement like a pivot joint.

The flexible joint may be in many other different formats.

0 Figure 11 is the parts of a simplified scooter design, the seat frame D 120 and the pole 140 and the limiter 150 and the key 201 are S identical or similar for a wheelchair design.

Figure 12 is the parts of a simplified wheelchair design. The support frame 130 is similar for the simplified scooter design.

Figure 13 is a top view of a simplified scooter design. The seat and the optional position limiter are not showing.

Figure 14 is a side view of a simplified scooter design. The seat 180 is removed from the seat frame 120.

Figure 15 is a top view of a simplified wheelchair design. The seat and the optional position limiter are not showing.

Figure 16 is a side view of a simplified wheelchair design.

Figure 17 is a top view of a simplified scooter design with extended main frame 110 so the rear wheels 102 close to the support wheel 103 and 103 is a driving wheel. The seat and the optional position limiter are not showing.

Figure 18 is a side view of a simplified scooter design with extended main frame 110 so the rear wheels 102 close to the support wheel 103 and 103 is a driving wheel.

Figure 19 is a side view of a simplified scooter design with extended main frame 110 so the rear wheels 102 close to the support wheel 103 and 103 is a driving wheel. And the seat 180 is support on the seat frame 120 with a pivot 109, and a pole 160 joint D to the seat 180 and the main frame 110 with two pivots on both A ends of 160, 160 may be arranged in parallel with 109 and 100 line, so the seating plane of the seat 180 may keep in parallel with the S floor of the main frame 110 while the support wheel 103 is on an S uneven ground.

S Figure 20 is a side view of a simplified scooter design with extended main frame 110 so the rear wheels 102 close to the support wheel 103 and 103 is a driving wheel. And the seat 180 is support on one end of the extended 150, and 150 joint to 120 with a pivot 109, so the seating plane of the seat 180 may keep nearly in parallel with the floor of the main frame 110 while the support wheel 103 is on an uneven ground.

The scooter or wheelchair is in a portable design. The whole structure can be separated into several parts by only unplug a few keys and unlatch some of the pivot joints. Some of the key 201 are marked in Figure 11.

The seat 180 is latched on the seat frame 120 with the latch 121 and the latch 122 as marked in Figure 11. To install 180, plug the slots in front of 180 into 121 on 120, then put 180 down to latch the slots in rear of 180 into 122 on 120. A lock may be used to lock 180 on 122 for both safety and security purpose. There is a toolbox in 120 underneath 180. The toolbox may be accessed after lift the back of 180 up. The toolbox is not showing in the figures. To remove 180, open the lock if there is any, lift the back of 180 up off 122 first, and then pull 180 off 121.

The optional position limiter 150 stops the seat frame 120 going up or forward too much for user safety. 150 stops 120 going down too much to protect the scooter or wheelchair structure.

Claims

1. A mobility vehicle has one main frame and one seat frame and one seat and at lease one support frame and at least one pole, and at least one flexible joint between the seat frame and the main frame to allow one dimensional angle movement between A the seat frame and the main frame around the axis of the flexible D joint, and the support frame join to the main frame with at least n one flexible joint between the support frame and the main frame to allow one dimensional angle movement between the support frame and the main frame around the axis of the flexible joint, and the pole with two flexible joint ends join the support frame and the seat frame, and the pole may be a length fixed pole or a length limited spring pole, and the main frame has at least three wheels which are not in a same line to support the main frame on the ground, and the front wheel of the main frame may be a turning steering wheel or a swivel castor, and the support frame has at least one support wheel, and the support wheel of the support frame may support the part load from the seat frame through the pole between the support frame and the seat frame, and the axis of the flexible joint of the seat frame and the main frame is located nearly in parallel with the location line of the two rear wheels and in between the location line of the two rear wheels and the front wheel, and the axis of the flexible joint of the support frame and the main frame is located nearly in parallel with the axis of the flexible joint of the seat frame and the main frame, and the seat may fix or latch on or flexibly join to the seat frame.

2. A mobility vehicle substantially as herein before described with reference to the description and/or figures of the accompanying drawings. DONGNING ZHANG 20 MAY 2005