EP0156835A1

EP0156835A1 - Invalid chair based on composite materials

Info

Publication number: EP0156835A1
Application number: EP84903351A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Michel Berger; Charles Baert
Original assignee: COMPOSITES AQUITAINE SA
Current assignee: COMPOSITES AQUITAINE SA
Priority date: 1983-09-15
Filing date: 1984-09-11
Publication date: 1985-10-09
Also published as: IE55704B1; CA1229785A; IT8467921A0; IT1179122B; WO1985001205A1; IE842355L; AU3392284A; IT8467921A1

Abstract

Fauteuil d'infirmes, ou fauteuil roulant, à base de matériaux composites comprenant notamment un siège fixé entre deux flancs (1) latéraux, chacun d'eux comportant une roue motrice (7) munie d'une main courante (9), une roue (6) de maintien et de direction et un appui-pied (5). Les deux flancs (1) et les deux roues motrices (7) de même que les appuis-pieds (5) et des moyens pour maintenir écartés les flancs (1) et replier ce fauteuil, sont réalisés totalement ou partiellement, en des matériaux composites.Wheelchair, or wheelchair, based on composite materials comprising in particular a seat fixed between two lateral flanks (1), each of them comprising a driving wheel (7) provided with a handrail (9), a wheel (6) support and direction and a footrest (5). The two sides (1) and the two driving wheels (7) as well as the footrests (5) and means for keeping the sides (1) apart and folding this chair, are made wholly or partially, of composite materials .

Description

Disabled armchair based on composite materials

The present invention relates to an armchair for firms, or a wheelchair, based on composite materials. Such armchairs consist essentially of a seat supported by drive wheels which are optionally provided with a handrail, and by support and steering wheels. These chairs generally include footrests. They can possibly be foldable on themselves, so, for example, to be able to be stored in a trunk of car, thanks to crossed bars pivoting one with respect to the other around a common axis located in the middle of them. The ends of these bars are fixed by a pivoting device to the side walls of the chair or to structures integral with them. These currently known armchairs are produced from a tubular structure in chromed metal most generally. But such a structure is cumbersome: therefore the disabled person, or his companion, often has great difficulty in folding and then lifting such a chair when it proves necessary.

One of the aims of the present invention is therefore to provide a wheelchair, or wheelchair, which is both robust and as light as possible.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an armchair whose folding and deployment are as simple and safe as possible.

A further object of the invention is to provide an armchair of this type at a relatively moderate cost.

These and other aims, which will appear later, are achieved by a disabled chair, or wheelchair, based on composite materials comprising in particular a seat fixed between two lateral flanks, each comprising in particular a wheel. drive unit possibly fitted with a handrail, a holding and steering wheel and a footrest, and means for keeping these lateral flanks apart and folding this chair. According to the present invention, the two lateral flanks and the drive wheels are made of comoosite material. De Dréfërence chaσue driving wheel is made by asse blaqe of two half-wheels sui¬ vant a plane perpendicular to their axis.

Advantageously, the footrest of each flank is made of such a composite material.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the means for holding the two lateral flanks and scarves and folding the chair are, at least partially, made of a composite material.

Advantageously, these means are constituted by at least a set of two polygons which are articulated with one another, on the one hand, and each on a side, on the other hand, and which cooperates with other means known in themselves for ensure the stability and folding of the chair as well as move it away from the sides.

Preferably, these means consist of two sets of two polygons each.

Advantageously, these means consist of two sets of two polygons each, each set being articulated on the sides and the two polygons of the same set being articulated with one another. Preferably, the polygons of the same set are hinged together according to a common side.

Advantageously, these polygons are trapezoids which are articulated by their large base on the corresponding flank and between them by their small base. Preferably, these means comprise, in addition to two sets of two polygons each, a bar parallel to the sides and joining the points of articulation of the polygons of the same set together.

Advantageously, such a disabled chair also includes a device for locking it in the unfolded position which makes it possible to block at least one articulation between two polygons of the same assembly in such a way that these are in the extension of one another.

Preferably, the polygons are made of a composite material.

Each element of such a infirmary chair which is made of a composite material, comprises two walls, or skins, consisting of a filamentary frame embedded in an organic material, between which is disposed a cellular material such as a foam or a honeycomb structure material. The description which follows and which does not have any limiting character, should be read with reference to the appended figures among which:

- Figure 1 shows a schematic side view of a disabled chair according to the present invention, - Figure 2 is a rear view of the same chair, and

- Figure 3 is a schematic bottom view of the chair shown in Figure 2.

The description below relates to a disabled chair in the unfolded position, that is to say in the phase of use by a disabled person.

Such a wheelchair includes sidewalls on each of these sides and, for reasons of convenience, most of the description will refer to only one of these sidewalls. Thus, the sidewall 1 comprises a base part 2, a front vertical part 3 and a rear vertical part 4.

Each flank 1 consists of two walls, or skins, joined in a composite material which delimit a space which can be filled with a cellular material such as a foam or a material with a honeycomb structure.

The front vertical part 3 is extended, forwards, by a folding footrest 5 and, downwards, by a wheel 6 for holding and steering. Drive wheels 7 are each mounted on an axis 8 crossing the rear vertical part 4, in a manner known per se, and optionally have on their part

WIPO exterior a handrail 9, the distance to the wheel can vary at the discretion of the user disabled.

These drive wheels are obtained by bonding with each other two half-wheels 7a and 7b which are shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2 (the wheel being shown diagrammatically in section along a radius).

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, this infirmary chair also includes means which allow it to be folded, and thereby even deployed, and which make it possible to keep the two sides apart. These means comprise at least one assembly composed of two polygons 10 and 11 which are articulated with one another, on the one hand, and each on a side, as shown in FIG. 2, as well as other means known in themselves coo - performing with this set.

This assembly is, for example, arranged perpendicular between the two rear vertical parts 4 and at a level lower than that of the seat. Thus, each polygon is articulated, on the one hand, on the corresponding vertical rear part and, on the other hand, with the other polygon along a common side, preferably.

This set of two polygons can also be made of a composite material.

The composite material used to make different elements of a disabled chair according to the present invention can be the same for all or different depending on the specific constraints for each element. In general, for the walls, or skins, these elements are a composite material with a filamentary structure, while the gap between these walls is filled with a composite material with a cellular structure. The composite material with filamentary structure consists of a filamentary reinforcement (carbon, polyamide, glass fibers, etc.) embedded in an organic material (polyester resin, epoxy, acrylic, etc.). composite with honeycomb structure generally a polyurethane or epoxy foam, for example, or a material with honeycomb structure. This material composite generally has a thickness of between 1 and 2 cm. For example, each flank 1 has a thickness of about 1.5 cm and is formed of two walls, or skins, contiguous with

0,075cm each thickness approximately connected by a material with honeycomb structure whose alveolar cells have horizontal generatrices parallel to the axes 8 of the driving wheels.

In the present exemplary embodiment, this infirmary chair comprises two sets of two polygons each 10, 11 and 12, 13. The second set is arranged at a level below that of the seat and perpendicularly between the front vertical parts 3.

These polygons are trapezoids which are articulated by their large base on the corresponding vertical part of the corresponding flank and between them by their small base. Thus, the polygons of each set are re¬ foldable on themselves thanks to the hinges 14 and 15 respec¬ tively, arranged substantially in the middle of each set. These means for keeping the sides 1 apart and allowing the folding of the chair, further comprise, according to this embodiment, a bar 16 parallel to the sides 1 and connecting the hinges of articulation of the polygons of each set together, as well as 'a device 17 making it possible to block one of these hinges (the hinge 14 in the present example) so that the two polygons of each set are in the extension of one another.

Obviously, a disabled chair according to the present invention also includes all the elements that are usually encountered on such a chair: in particular armrests 18 and handles 19 arranged on the vertical part 4 in order to allow an accompanying person. push and steer the chair.

WIPO

Claims

1. Disabled chair based on composite materials comprising in particular a seat which is fixed between two lateral flanks each of them comprising a driving wheel optionally provided with a handrail, a hand and steering wheel, a footrest, and means for keeping these flanks apart and folding this chair, characterized by the fact that the two flanks (1) and the drive wheels (7) are made of composite material.

2. Armchair according to claim 1, characterized in that each driving wheel (7) is produced by assembling two half-wheels (7a, 7b) along a plane perpendicular to the axis (8) of each wheel.

3. Chair according to claim 1, characterized in that said footrest (5) of each side (1) is made of a composite material.

4. Chair according to claim 1, characterized in that said means for holding the two sides (1) apart and folding said chair are, at least partially made of a composite material.

5. Chair according to claim 4, characterized in that said means are constituted by at least one set of two polygons which are articulated between them, on the one hand, and each on a side (1) on the other hand, and which cooperate with other means known in themselves to ensure the stability and the folding of said chair as well as the spacing of said sides (1).

6. Chair according to claim 5, characterized in that said means are constituted by two sets of two polygons each.

7. Chair according to claim 5, characterized in that said means consist of two sets of two polygons each, each set being articulated on the sides and the two polygons of the same set being hinged together.

8. Armchair according to claim 7., characterized in that the polygons of the same set are hinged together according to a common side.

9. Chair according to claims 5 to 8, charac- terized in that said polygons are trapezoids which are articulated by their large base on the corres¬ pondant side and between them by their small base.

10. Chair according to claims 5 to, carac¬ terized in that said means further comprises a bar (16) parallel to the sides (1) and joining the points of articulation (14, 15) of the polygons of a even together between them.

11. Armchair according to claims 1 to 10, ca¬ characterized in that it also comprises a device for locking it in the unfolded position which makes it possible to block an articulation between two polygons of the same set at least, so that these are an extension of each other.

12. Chair according to claims 1 to 11, characterized in that said polygons are made of a composite material.

13. An armchair according to claims 1 to 12, ca¬ characterized in that the elements made of composite material comprise two adjoining walls in a filamentary frame embedded in an organic material, between which is arranged a cellular material.

14. Armchair according to claim 13, caracté¬ ized in that said cellular material is a foam or a material with honeycomb structure.

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