FR2779636A1 - Powered wheelchair support frame - Google Patents

Abstract

The wheelchair (1) comprises a frame. The frame is made of tubular members joined and fixed together with bolts to form the support frame. To this can be mounted the drive motors (15a,b) the wheels (14a,b) the seat (4) and the control unit (16). This is mounted on a square member (17) that allows sliding adjustment of the boxes' position to suit different users.

Description

The invention relates to a support for attaching accessories to an armchair.

rolling

  manual, in addition to or in replacement of traditional wheels.

  Wheelchairs for people with reduced mobility are generally-

  either manual or electric.

  An electric wheelchair is of course of undeniable interest, but it is clear that a manual wheelchair also has advantages, in addition to a lower cost, such as maneuverability, lightness, easy folding, etc. This is why we looked for means in the form of kits, adaptable to

  some manual wheelchairs to make them electric.

  to However, the known means are often expensive and / or bulky and / or adaptable only on certain armchairs and / or non-transformable, etc. This is why the inventor sought in particular a simple, removable, inexpensive means, adaptable to almost all existing manual chairs, for

  transform a manual wheelchair into an electric wheelchair.

  In addition, the inventor who has already imagined accessories for wheelchairs

  wheels, such as multiple wheels or low pressure wheels of the "all-terrain" type

  rain ", looked for a unique way capable not only of allowing a trans-

  training of a manual wheelchair in an electric wheelchair, but also of equipping said manual wheelchair with various practical and / or playful and / or sporting accessories, the means of electric propulsion becoming accessories among others, unless

  of course to use the invention only for an electrical transformation.

  The invention therefore relates to a support for attaching accessories to a manual wheelchair, in addition to or in replacement of traditional wheels, and which is particularly remarkable in that it comprises two uprights connected to each other at

  neighborhood of one of their ends directed upwards, by at least one gap

  height rod, each upright being provided with at least two fixing means for fixing

  substantially vertical at two separate points on the rear part of the chair frame and a fastening means for the said accessory (s), located in the vicinity

  from its other end pointing down.

  For example, the means of fixing each upright to the chassis of the wheelchair

  winch are arranged respectively at its lower end and in the vicinity of its

middle part.

  According to one embodiment, the means for fixing the accessories constitutes

  also one of the means of fixing the upright to the chassis.

  The attachment attachment means and one of the attachment attachments

  that amount to the frame are constituted, for example, by a pin, while the other

  The means of attachment to the frame is in the form of a hook intended to hang on the corresponding amount of the traditional handle for handling the chair. As required, the support may include at least one other spacer serving as a stiffener, the spacer (s) being, for example, adjustable in length

to adapt to various armchairs.

  Many accessories are obviously possible and, for example-

  o pie, said accessories are in the form of an axis provided with at least one wheel or cylinder, the ends of the axis being provided with arms arranged to

fix to the support uprights.

  A very particular and interesting embodiment for motorizing a manual wheelchair is remarkable in that the accessories are presented under the

  form of two separate motorized wheels, each wheel and its motor being improved

  swam to attach to the end of one of the support posts, while the motor

  of each wheel is connected to a general control unit.

  The control unit can, for example, be arranged in a controlled manner.

  ble on an arm arranged perpendicularly on one of the uprights of the support.

  If the invention relates to the support as specified above, the invention of course also relates to a wheelchair provided with such a support intended to be

  equipped with accessories, in particular like those mentioned above.

  The invention will be well understood and other features will appear on reading

  ture of the description which follows and which refers to the attached drawings in the-

which:

  - Figures 1 and 2 show a manual chair with a support according to the

  vention, equipped with driving wheels, - Figures 3 and 4 show a support according to two embodiments, - Figures 5 and 6 show a support equipped respectively with a pair of wheels, for example of the "all terrain" type, and of two sets of three

so-called "stairlift" wheels.

  In Figures 1 and 2, there is shown a traditional chair 1 provided with a

  support 2 according to the invention and from which the traditional wheels have been removed here.

  The support 2, which can be seen according to variants in FIGS. 3 and 4, pre-

  feels a general shape of U. The references for Figures 1, 2 and 3 and 4 are the same for the elements.

  identical or similar elements, the embodiments shown being very similar.

  The support 2 comprises two vertical tubular uprights 2a, 2b connected between

them by a spacer 2c.

  The uprights 2a, 2b are fixed to the chair in the embodiments shown

  presented, by hooks such as 3a, 3b (Figures 1, 2, 3, 4) intended to come into contact

  hook on the uprights 4a, 4b (figures 1, 2) of the handles of the chair 1.

  The uprights 2a, 2b are also fixed by their ends to the chassis of the chair and in particular to the side rails 5a, 5b of said chassis (Figures 1 and 2) whose

  armchairs are generally provided, in particular to serve as lift handles

is lying.

  The accessories are also fixed to the ends of the uprights 2a, 2b, such as for example the pair of wheels 6 (FIG. 5) of the low pressure type, in particular for sandy soil, or the triangle wheel assemblies 7 (FIG. 6) provided for handle the chair on a staircase. The wheels 6, or sets of wheels 7, are arranged on an axis respectively 8 and 9 provided at its ends with arms 1 Oa, 1 Ob and respectively 11a, 11b which are fixed to the respective uprights 2a, 2b of the support. It will be readily understood that the arms 1Oa, 1 Ob; 1 a, 1 b can fit into the uprights 2a, 2b, or vice versa the uprights can fit into the arms, said uprights possibly being provided for this purpose with rods or tubes

  finer 12a, 12b, as shown in Figure 3.

  To fix the uprights 2a, 2b to the side rails 5a, 5b, as well as to fix

  the arms 10a, lob; 1 a, 1 1b to the uprights, it is advantageous to use bro-

  ball ches such as those shown in 13a, 13b in FIG. 4, the same pins

  can possibly ensure both the fixing of the amounts to the chair and

that of the accessories to the uprights.

  Furthermore, if the embodiments of FIGS. 3 to 6 show a

  height rod 2c formed by a U which either fits on the uprights 2a, 2b (Figure 3), or

  enter them (Figures 4, 5, 6), the ends of the U being for example

  views then of rods or tubes similar to rods 12a, 12b of FIG. 3, the support

  of the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2 has the advantage of a width adjustment.

  To this end, as shown in said Figures 1 and 2, the uprights 2a, 2b

  are bent at their ends to form the spacer 2c, said ends re-

  curved being joined by a connecting element 2d in which can slide and fix the above-mentioned curved ends (or vice versa the connecting element

  slides and is fixed in said curved ends).

  In addition, in the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, the accessory (s) here consist of two drive wheels 14a, 14b fixed to the ends of the uprights respectively 2a, 2b, said wheels being motorized by electric motors

  15a, 15b connected to a control box 16 with handle

  ment (at least one battery which can be provided for example in an

swam between said wheels).

  The control box 16 is arranged in an adjustable manner on an arm 17 i5 fixed perpendicularly and pivotally on one of the uprights of the support, here

the amount 2b.

  The control unit allows the two motors to be actuated at will and

  so to direct the chair in this way.

  The arm 17 is pivotally mounted, either vertically or horizontally

  as shown in order to fall back on the support 2 for reasons of space-

  ment when said support is not used.

  To attach the wheels to the uprights 2a, 2b, for example, end caps are used

  18a, 18b in L, or as shown in Figure 4, in inverted T, the hori-

  zontales of these end pieces being fixed to the motors 15a, 15b.

  If in the embodiment shown, the tips 18a, 18b are fitted

  tees in or on the ends of the side members 5a, 5b of the chair frame, they can of course be fixed by their vertical parts in the same way as fixed

uprights without end caps.

  The end pieces 18a, 18b shown also make it possible to provide one or more stiffeners such as 19 (Figures 2 and 4) thus constituting one or more spacers

  additional. The said stiffener (s) in the form of a U here (which is not obligatory

  roof) can be fitted as shown in the horizontal parts of the

  ends, but they can also be fixed on the uprights 2a, 2b or on the green parts

  tical tips 18a, 18b (inward or outward).

  Many variations can be imagined without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, it is clear that other accessories can and are already planned,

  such as a single wheel or cylinder, one or more studded or tracked wheels,

  held by skates or skis, replacing the front wheels, etc.

  In addition, it is also clear that the support 2 could be lower and fixed to the

  only by the hooks shown, and to another part of the chair, etc.

  Finally, it is clear that traditional wheels can of course be used.

  together with certain accessories and they are generally used for

  i0 accessories other than motorized wheels.

Claims (8)

  1) Support (2) for fixing accessories (6; 7; 14a, 14b) for wheelchairs   manual (1), in addition to or in replacement of traditional wheels, characteristic   laughed in that it comprises two uprights (2a, 2b) interconnected in the vicinity of one of their ends directed upwards, by at least one spacer (2c), each   upright being provided with at least two fixing means for a sensitive fixing-   vertical at two separate points on the rear part of the chair frame (1) and a fixing means for the said accessory or accessories, arranged in the vicinity of its   other end pointing down.   2) Support according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixing means   tion of each post to the frame of the chair are fitted respectively to its   lower end and in the vicinity of its middle part.   3) Support according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the   attachment attachment means is also one of the attachment means mounting to the chassis.   4) Support according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the   attachment means of the accessories and one of the attachment means of each upright   to the chassis are constituted by a pin (13a, 13b) while the other means of fixing   tion to the chassis is in the form of a hook (3a, 3b) intended to hang   the corresponding amount (4a, 4b) of the traditional handle for handling the winch.   ) Support according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the sup-   port comprises at least one other spacer serving as a stiffener (19).   6) Support according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the or   the spacers are adjustable in length to adapt to various armchairs.   7) Support according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the   accessories are in the form of an axis (8,9) provided with at least one wheel (6,7) or cylinder, the ends of the axis being provided with arms (1Oa, 10b; 11a, 11b)   arranged to be fixed to the uprights (2a, 2b) of the support (2).   8) Support according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the   accessories are in the form of two separate and motorized wheels (14a, 14b)   sées, each wheel and its motor (15a, 15b) being arranged to be fixed at the end of one of the uprights (2a, 2b) of the support (2), while the motor of each wheel is   connected to a general control unit (16).   9) Support according to claim 8, characterized in that the control box   mande (16) is arranged in an adjustable manner on an arm (17) arranged perpendicularly   rement on one of the uprights (2b) of the support (2).   ) Wheelchair (1) provided with a support (2) according to one of claims   1 to 6, said support (2) being fitted with accessories (8; 9; 14a, 14b) according to one of the vendications 7 to 9.