CZ2009675A3 - Wheelchair - Google Patents

Abstract

The wheelchair includes a support frame (3) with a seat (4). Two main wheels (9) are attached to the sides of the support frame (3). The support frame (3) is arranged substantially in the longitudinal axis of the wheelchair and is formed by at least one tube. The supporting frame (3) has at least a horizontal part and a downwardly curved part where a seat (4) is attached to the horizontal part of the supporting frame (3). In the area below the seat cushion (4), the axle (5) is attached to the support frame (3) and is arranged horizontally transversely. The main wheels (9) are rotatably mounted to the axle (5) on both sides of the seat cushion (4) symmetrically. In the front and at the bottom, the support frame (3) is provided with a stabilizing chassis for wheelchair stabilization and a footrest (1).

Description

Field of the invention

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a wheelchair construction, and more particularly to a wheelchair with manual drive.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A large number of wheelchair types are currently being produced. Wheelchairs are basically divided into manual wheelchairs and electric wheelchairs. In particular, wheelchairs with a manual drive then have a large number of variants and also vary according to their use. Wheelchairs have a different design for use indoors, eg in health care, and for outdoor use.

However, the vast majority of the aforementioned trucks, including the electric trucks mentioned above, have a common concept. The aim is to meet the requirements for the robustness of the truck, so that the trucks are provided with a support frame, mostly metal, which is essentially formed by two longitudinal frame members arranged symmetrically on both sides of the truck. a cage arranged substantially around the circumference of the wheelchair. A seat with a backrest is then arranged on this cage. In the case of a hand-operated trolley, two large wheels are then arranged on the sides of the support frame, which are manually driven by a person sitting on the trolley,

Small stabilizing wheels are then mounted in the front of the cross connection of the two longitudinal frame members. In the case of an electric wheelchair, the two large wheels are not used, but instead are usually used two smaller wheels, complementing the two wheels already located at the front of the chassis.

Another solution is described in US 6,311,999, which provides a truss structure of a support frame to which the wheels of the stabilizing bogie are attached at the front, the seat cushion to it from above and the axle with wheels below. The disadvantage of this solution is, besides the disadvantages described below, common for all mentioned solutions, also its demanding construction, in particular the complexity of the seat gripping enabling its adjustment according to the user's needs, which significantly increases its production costs.

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The common disadvantage of all described wheelchairs is their weight and consequently limited possibilities of handling the wheelchair, especially during its transport, high production costs and thus their high purchase price, which is especially dependent on disabled persons. mostly on disability pension, especially important.

At present, new wheelchair concepts are emerging, which are based on the principle that their frame is made of plastic, mostly by molding. An example is WO2006 / 026810, which describes a wheelchair with a shell structure which is made of plastic together with a seat. The wheelchair of the present invention describes a lightweight construction suitable for use in, for example, swimming pools, seaside areas and the like. A similar concept is described in published application DE102007057363 A1. The disadvantage of such wheelchairs is their simplicity of construction, which is not suitable for everyday use, especially for driving on unevenness, when the whole plastic structure is heavily stressed and there is a risk of its damage and thus injury to the person sitting on the wheelchair. Another disadvantage is that this type of wheelchair does not provide sufficient comfort to the user, the seat and backrest are fixed and do not allow individual adjustment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above disadvantages are overcome by a wheelchair according to the invention comprising a support frame with a cushion, main wheels and a stabilizing bogie at the front, where an axle connected to the frame is arranged below the cushion, the main wheels being arranged symmetrically on both sides of the cushion and rotatably connected the end of the axle to enable the carriage to travel, the main object of the invention is that the support frame is formed by a central tube arranged in the longitudinal axis of the wheelchair and includes a horizontal part to which the seat is attached from above; which is attached to this horizontal part of the central tube by means of a connecting sleeve or connected to it via the seat cushion, and on the other hand comprises a downwardly curved part to which a stabilizing bogie with at least one front wheel for stabilizing the wheelchair is attached trolley and footrest.

The main wheel axle is particularly preferably attached to the supporting frame under the seat to provide the user with an individual opportunity to find the greatest stability and driving comfort of the wheelchair. However, it is also possible to fix the axle for a certain application • · · ·· ·

- 3 to the support frame firmly at or beyond the center of gravity of the whole wheelchair, no other attachment point shall be excluded if the nature of the wheelchair use so requires. However, the possibility of sliding the axle of the main wheels relative to the support frame instead of the fixation allows for the above-mentioned individual adjustment for the user and thus for maximum comfort and variability of adjustment for different users. However, it is important to ensure that the axle attachment to the support frame after positioning is firm and that it is not accidentally displaced. However, this will be done by any designer with experience in the manufacture of wheelchairs and similar vehicles.

According to one preferred embodiment, the axle of the main wheels to the support frame is attached by a sleeve, for example a handlebar stem. This ensures that the axle can be easily moved relative to the support frame to find the most suitable position. Further, the main wheel axle may, according to a further preferred embodiment, be fastened to the cushion at both its transversely opposite ends by beams, and in order to be able to shift the axle of the main wheels relative to the support frame, it is also suitable to move the axle fixation to the cushion. By attaching the axles of the main wheels to the support frame and the cushion at the same time, a particularly high stability of the axle to the support frame and a particularly high rigidity of the entire wheelchair structure are ensured. It will be appreciated that the axle of the main wheels may be attached to the seat at any point between the support frame and the seat edge. According to another preferred embodiment, the axle of the main wheels can be attached to the support frame via a seat and need not be directly connected to the support frame. In such a case, however, it is advisable to ensure adequate rigidity of the seat. Obviously, the possibility of a particular embodiment of fixing the axles of the main wheels to the supporting frame or to the cushion or, alternatively, to the frame and cushion at the same time is numerous and it is not the aim of this application to describe them in detail here. this area.

The support frame is formed from at least one tube. According to a preferred embodiment, the seat is fastened to the support frame by means of suitable sleeves arranged around the support frame and bolted to the seat. According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the cushion is integrally formed with the backrest, with only the cushion being connected to the support frame.

According to another preferred embodiment of the wheelchair, the support frame is formed from one tube which is bent downwardly in the front part of the cushion, where a stabilizing undercarriage and a foot rest are fixed to it at the bottom of the cushion, up, where the backrest is attached to it. According to another convenient «··«

In the 4 embodiment, the support frame is formed of two tubes, the first tube being bent down in the front part of the seat, where the stabilizing undercarriage and the footrest are fixed to it at the bottom, while at the rear end of the seat the tube is fitted with a pin through which it with a second pipe to which the backrest is attached. This makes it possible to adjust the inclination of the backrest to the seat. For purposes of this application, flail is in particular any suitable technical element which allows the two parts to be movably attached to each other with the possibility of securing the selected position, but it may also be a non-positioning element, i.e. securing the backrest to the desired position. Particularly preferably, the pin is then designed to fold the backrest to the seat, for example, when transporting a wheelchair in a car or other means of transport, etc.

It is now worth mentioning the magnitude of the angle between the horizontal portion of the support frame, i.e. the support portion of the support frame, since it serves to support the cushion and / or axle and / or backrest and the downwardly curved portion of the support frame, i.e. substantially front of the support frame. The angle between the substantially horizontal portion of the support frame and the downwardly curved portion of the support frame may be 90 ° to 130 °. Preferably, this angle is of any magnitude in the range of 95 ° to 130 °, even more preferably 105 ° to 115 ° and particularly preferably 110 °.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the wheelchair, the stabilizing bogie fastened to the support frame in its front part is designed as a cross beam to which the front wheels are fixed at its ends to stabilize the wheelchair. Preferably, the beam is attached to the support frame by means of a sleeve, allowing the beam to be moved along the frame and thereby adjusting the inclination of the seat. Obviously, since the seat cushion can also have a different position from the horizontal as a result of adjusting the position of the stabilizing bogie relative to the support frame. For this reason, it is necessary to understand the horizontal part of the support frame on which the cushion is provided only as being essentially horizontal, ie not literally. More preferably, the stabilizing bogie beam is formed from a tube and is provided on the support frame by means of a suitable handlebar stem. According to a further very advantageous embodiment, two further stems are inserted into the two opposite ends of the beam tube, the front fork forks being fastened to the sleeves of both stem. As is well known in the art, the front wheels may be substantially smaller in size than the main wheels because they serve to ensure the stability of the wheelchair while standing, when the person is sitting on and off, or when the entire wheelchair is moving.

According to yet another preferred embodiment, a foot rest holder is inserted into the lower end of the frame. Particularly preferably, the holder is configured to change the position of the foot rest relative to the seat to meet the individual requirements of the occupant of the wheelchair. According to yet another preferred embodiment, the footrest can be integrated in a transversely arranged beam. In such a case, it is advantageous to provide in its upper part suitable footrests, which may be formed, for example, by flattening the beam, widening it, attaching the appropriate surfaces, etc. According to yet another preferred embodiment, the beam serves as a rear foot rest, i.e.. supports the foot in the area above the ankle, providing increased comfort to the user.

According to another preferred embodiment, the stabilizing bogie is formed by one front wheel attached to the support frame in the longitudinal axis of the wheelchair. It is known that three points are sufficient to provide a stable position, but it is advantageous to ensure that in such an arrangement it is proposed to mount the axle of the main wheels to the center of gravity of the entire carriage so as to ensure its maximum stability. Surely any expert skilled in the design of wheelchairs or similar wheelchairs will calculate and propose the best possible mounting point. According to one preferred embodiment, the front wheel is provided in the lower end of the support frame. In this embodiment, the footrest is fastened to the lower part of the support frame, preferably again in sliding or tilt adjustment. Preferably, the beam is provided on the support frame by means of a suitable stem.

It is important to realize that the preferred embodiments described above can be combined with each other as long as their nature permits. An advantage of the present invention is the high variability of wheelchair options to suit exactly the customer's requirements or, conversely, allows the user to customize an existing wheelchair according to his requirements, etc. Another great advantage of the wheelchair of the invention is the ability to use existing components such as Their components are usually designed for use in very demanding conditions and are therefore suitable for this use. Furthermore, it is possible to use common components used, for example, in the automotive industry, such as seat mounting brackets, etc. Last but not least, it is possible to assemble a wheelchair without welding, that is to say by screwing only. which further reduces production time and costs. Thus, the manufacture of a wheelchair according to the present invention is considerably cheaper than existing concepts and is possible even with comparable or even substantially higher utility vehicles.

- 6 characteristics to achieve noticeably lower production costs and, for example, significantly reduce the wheelchair's sales price.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The essence of the wheelchair solution according to the invention, including its preferred embodiments, will be more clearly understood from the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of a basic embodiment of a wheelchair according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a view of a possible preferred embodiment of a wheelchair according to the invention; Fig. 3 is a side view of a wheelchair.

Examples

The wheelchair of the present invention shown in Fig. 1 comprises a support frame J disposed substantially along the longitudinal axis of the wheelchair, which support frame J is formed by a tube of circular cross section comprising a substantially horizontal portion and a downwardly curved lower portion. A seat 4 is attached to the horizontal part of the support frame 3. The seat 4 is in this case attached to the support frame 3. The backrest 10 is in this exemplary embodiment attached to the seat or can be formed with it as an integral part, e.g. laminated into a mold or through a subframe attached to the seat. A stabilizing undercarriage and footrest J are attached to the support frame at its bottom. Furthermore, an axle 5 is fastened to the horizontal part of the support frame by means of a connecting sleeve 6, eg of a suitable bicycle stem, 6. . provided on the support frame, the axle 5 is displaceable substantially within the limits given both by the needs for changing the position of the center of gravity of the wheelchair and by other requirements given by the particular user. The main wheels 9 with the drive rims 21 are then attached to the axle 5 to the axle 5. The cushion 4 is furthermore preferably connected to the axle 5 by means of struts 8 to increase the rigidity of the carriage structure, thereby ensuring that the ends of the axle are raised.

As already mentioned, a stabilizing bogie with at least one front wheel is provided at the front of the support frame 3 at the bottom thereof. The stabilizing bogie is in the example ♦ · φφφφ

The embodiment according to FIG. 1 consists of a transverse beam 16 connected to the frames, for example by screwing or the like, to which the swivel front wheels 2 are attached at its ends. In this particular example, a foot rest J is provided in the lower end of the metal tube. however, according to another embodiment, it may be at the end of the bogie (not shown). In this case, the footrest 1 is attached, for example by means of a stem, to the support frame a little higher.

Fig. 2 is again a view of a wheelchair according to another embodiment of the invention. The support frame is here formed from a bent tube of appropriate diameter to which all other components are preferably screwed. It is therefore advantageous to select the respective tube diameters, not only in relation to this embodiment, forming the support frame 3, the axle beam 16, or the foot rest J, so that commercially available connection components can be used, which are advantageously described bicycle racks. . Moreover, they are produced in a wide assortment, which makes it possible to choose the most advantageous stem for a specific application. The advantage of this solution is a substantial saving of production costs, since it is only a large percentage of the implementation time that is just assembly. Another advantage is weight saving by simplifying the design. On the support frame 1 is placed in the front, a foot rest 11, which is supported here by the bicycle stem. This is inserted into the lower mouth of the support frame

3- It is of course possible to mount this tube in another way, but I recommend the above mentioned because of the availability of both price and wide range of bike components.

On the support frame, the tube ,5, preferably also by the stem, is carried in the usual place of the tube forming the beam 16. In this side, the holders 11 of the front wheels 2 are inserted. As already mentioned, the support frame solution in the longitudinal axis of the wheelchair The central front wheel, which can be mounted at the location of the bracket 15. The support 16 preferably serves, in addition to supporting the front wheels, as a back support for the user's legs.

The seat cushion is attached to the central tube by clamps 20. These are recommended to be standardized as a car part because of their cost. The coupling sleeve 6, again preferably by the stem, is attached to the support frame, or the entire trolley, to the axles of the main wheels (9. This can be reinforced by bringing it into the cushion 4 by struts 8. This is a preferred solution. fastened by a pin 12 over the stem to the upper end of the support frame, similar to the front wheel brackets 11,

The setting parameters can be changed very easily by the user in the wheelchair according to this embodiment. The center of gravity can be changed by moving the A-AI axle_5. The inclination of the backrest 10 in the range D-D1 can be easily adjusted in the pin 12. In the rear position behind D (by tilting the seat 4) the truck is folded into the transport position. The layout is also enhanced by the already commonly used main wheel quick links 9, which connect them to the axle 5. By sliding the holder 15 in the direction B-B1, the inclination of the seat 4 in the direction or direction is simply adjusted. at an angle in the C-Cl direction. Although this adjustment is customary in existing trucks, the solution according to the invention substantially simplifies this adjustment.

Of course, all of the components described in the description or in the examples can be changed. Also the interconnection of parts is only recommended and can be replaced in another way, but the principle of construction is always essentially the same. It is evident that in the exemplary embodiments the described joints of the individual components of the wheelchair, in particular the support frame with the stabilizing chassis, seat, possibly even the backrest, the axle and the support by way of imagination, are only one possible embodiment. The parts can be connected instead of stem using specially designed and manufactured couplings, it is also possible to use other commonly manufactured components that are suitable for the given purpose or it is also possible in some cases to be fixed, eg by welding. The stems used for bicycles are given here only as a possible exemplary embodiment and not in any limiting sense, as well as the exemplary embodiments mentioned. As already mentioned, for example, the support frame may be formed by a single curved tube and the backrest may then be connected via a suitable joint, e.g., said pin, to the support frame or may be part of the seat or be suitably attached thereto. It is important here to realize the essence of the invention given by the claims. It is also clear that the shapes of the wheelchair components presented here may be different, depending on the design of the designer or designer, but will always have the same or very similar function, and thus the interpretation of protection is always given by the terms of the claims in connection with particular terms and not shape or by the specific design of the components or their joints. It is, of course, also possible to apply this concept to electrically powered wheelchairs, where the drive train can be provided under the seat and connected to an axle, which may be, for example, two half-axles, etc. others. However, any such embodiment will still fall within the scope of the present invention.

It is, of course, possible to manufacture the individual components of the wheelchair from any suitable material. The support frame can advantageously be made of materials commonly used for the production of bicycles, e.g. steel, aluminum or aluminum. aluminum alloys, etc. The advantage of aluminum alloys is their relatively low specific weight and hence the overall low weight of the wheelchair according to the invention. Likewise, the tubes used need not only have a circular cross-section, but also oval ones are suitable and the use of square or rectangular cross-sections is not excluded.

Claims (8)

PATENT CLAIMS Wheelchair comprising a support frame (3) with a seat (4), main wheels (9) and a front anti-roll bar, wherein an axle (5) connected to the support frame (3) is arranged below the seat (4), the main wheels ( 9) are arranged symmetrically on both sides of the seat (4) and are pivotally connected to the ends of the axle (5) to allow the carriage to travel, characterized in that the support frame (3) is formed by a central tube arranged in the longitudinal axis of the wheelchair a horizontal part to which the cushion (4) is attached from above, while in the region below the cushion (4) a transverse axle (5) is attached thereto, the axle (5) being fixed to this horizontal part of the central tube by a connecting sleeve ( 6) or is connected to it via an attachment to the cushion (4) and on the other hand comprising a downwardly curved part to which a stabilizing bogie with at least one front wheel (2) is attached at its bottom and also the footrest (1) is attached to it. Wheelchair according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling sleeve (6) is displaceably disposed on the horizontal part of the central tube of the support frame (3) to adjust the position of the axle (5) with respect to the seat (4). Wheelchair according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the axle (5) is connected to the seat (4) by struts (8) at each end thereof. Wheelchair according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the lower part of the support frame (3) is fastened by a support (15) to a beam (16), at the ends of which two front wheels (2) are provided, the footrest (1) is attached to the central tube of the support frame (3). Wheelchair according to claim 4, characterized in that the central tube has a circular cross-section and both the holder (15) and the connecting sleeve (6) are cycling stems. Wheelchair according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a front wheel (2) is provided at the lower end of the central tube of the support frame (3), while a foot rest is attached above the lower part of the support frame (3). (1). Wheelchair according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a backrest (10) is connected to the end of the horizontal part of the central tube of the support frame (3) by means of a pin (12). Wheelchair according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the horizontal part of the central tube of the support frame (3) forms an angle of 90 ° to 130 ° or more preferably 105 ° to 115 ° with the downwardly curved part.