FR2784292A1 - Mobility aid for elderly or handicapped person comprises wheeled frame with seat and propulsion unit attachment - Google Patents

Abstract

The mobility aid consists of a frame with two side members (1), front and rear wheels (6, 7), a seat (3) and a handle (2). It can be fitted with a propulsion unit attachment (18) comprising a chassis (19) with a coupling for the frame, a rear driven wheel (20) and a front steerable wheel (21) controlled by a handlebar (22). Without the attachment, the aid can be used as a support for walking and can be fitted with carrying baskets.

Description

 The present invention relates to a utility assembly, intended more particularly for the use of persons with reduced mobility such as the elderly or the physically disabled permanently or temporarily, usable in particular in public places such as shopping centers, museums.

 Developments for people with reduced mobility in public places are painful and problematic, in particular due to the journeys to be made in spaces whose layout is not adapted to them. In addition, in general, wheelchairs or walking aids used by most people with reduced mobility often have a very medical aspect that does not fail to attract the eye and arouse curiosity able-bodied people circulating in these places thus causing discomfort for people with reduced mobility. As a result, people with disabilities or reduced mobility give up frequenting public places.

 One means of remedying this situation in shopping centers has been proposed in document FR-A2.756.730 in the form of a set which includes a wheelchair coupled to a shopping trolley and which is made available to people. who want it. The utility unit produced in accordance with this document is very handy and allows people with reduced mobility to find ease of development in shopping centers. However, the wheelchair of this assembly retains an overall architecture and a size close to that of a wheelchair of the conventional type. This size then makes the utility assembly incompatible for use in small stores in which the aisles extending between the shelves have a reduced width. In addition, the wheelchairs awaiting use that cannot be nested one inside the other are arranged side by side or in single file, and occupy too much floor space for these small stores.

 Problems similar to those mentioned above are encountered in museums in which classic and medical wheelchairs are made available to people with reduced mobility. These wheelchairs are too large in size to allow the disabled person to circulate without hitting an obstacle in aisles of reduced width or where traffic is high. In addition, the wheelchairs awaiting use being bulky, the number of wheelchairs is reduced. There is then a risk that there will no longer be an available wheelchair so that the person with reduced mobility must move, if he can, on his own. However, the length of the aisles to be traversed and the numerous standing stations which the observation of the exposed objects requires are particularly painful for the person with reduced mobility. It also happens that the person with reduced mobility decides not to use the medical-looking chair made available to him for the psychological reasons explained above.

 By the invention, it is intended to propose a utility assembly having a versatile basic structure having a reduced bulk so as to be adapted to various public places. The structure of the utility units must also allow the space necessary for their storage awaiting use to be limited. The utility package must also be adapted, in addition to disabled people with a wheelchair, to any person whose mobility is reduced due to age, illness, accident and who has the ability to travel independently on short distances only. The appearance of the chair will therefore be very little medical so as not to discourage these people. The utility set will thus be trivialized both because of the variety of people using it and the diversity of public places in which it will be encountered.

 The invention proceeds from observations having revealed that a person with reduced mobility goes to a public place generally accompanied by a person helping him to move his wheelchair or the assistant in his displacements. It is therefore possible to simplify the structure of the utility assembly. Furthermore, the conditions for the use of the utility package are perfectly defined in the public places in which they are made available and constitute constraints that are much less demanding than those that must be met by an all-purpose wheelchair of the conventional type.

 The subject of the invention is a utility assembly for people with reduced mobility comprising a structure which comprises two substantially vertical lateral parts resting on the ground by front and rear wheels and supporting a seat in the middle part and an operating handle in the upper part, the seat comprising a rigid element from which is fixed a plate slightly inclined downwards on the rear side of the structure, the rigid element and the operating handle extending transversely between the lateral parts to rigidly brace them, each lateral part comprising a front foot and a rear foot each having one end connected to the seat and a free opposite end fitted with the corresponding wheel, the rear feet extending freely relative to each other from the seat and the front feet being separated by a distance less than that separating the rear feet so that two struct They can be fitted horizontally into each other.

 Thus, the architecture of the utility assembly according to the invention departs from that of wheelchairs, walkers, and other traditional walking assistance devices and allows the utility assembly to benefit from a space requirement. reduced both in use and during storage of several utility assemblies due to the possible nesting thereof.

 Preferably, the front foot and the rear foot of each lateral part converge towards each other at the level of the seat. Nesting of structures is thus favored.

 According to an advantageous characteristic, the operating handle is connected to the lateral parts so that its projection on the ground is between the front and rear wheels. It is thus possible to use the structure in the manner of a walker, the person with reduced mobility then leaning on the operating handle located directly above the support surface of the structure defined by the front wheels and back. The seat allows people with reduced mobility to sit when they want to rest.

 Advantageously also, the operating handle is formed of a substantially horizontal bar and disposed relative to the plate so as to form a seat back. The structure is thus relatively simple.

 According to a particular characteristic, more specifically suitable for use in a shopping center, a stop extends from the rear side of the tray so that the tray constitutes a support for a basket and / or the structure comprises a support frame for a basket. extending under the tray. In small stores, such as convenience stores, baskets are most commonly made available to customers to transport their purchases. The utility assembly then makes it possible to transport such baskets without them hampering the development of people with reduced mobility.

 According to another particular characteristic, the utility assembly comprises a propulsion device comprising a chassis provided with means for coupling to the structure, a motorized wheel mounted on the chassis, and a steering wheel surmounted by a handlebar and pivotally mounted on the chassis opposite the motorized wheel, the coupling means cooperating with a front part of the structure so that the steering wheel constitutes the sole point of support on the ground of said front part of the structure when the propulsion is coupled to the structure, and preferably, the structure comprises a step mounted on a horizontal axis placed between its front feet, the step being able to pivot between two substantially vertical and horizontal positions and being equipped with a stop in projecting from a lower face, and the chassis of the propulsion device comprises a hooking element for the horizontal axis of the step so that, when the step is in vertical position, the hooking element can be engaged on the horizontal axis and, when the step is in horizontal position, the stopper opposes the release of the horizontal axis from 1 'hooking element. The utility assembly can thus be easily adapted for use by people wishing to move alone.

 Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge on reading the following description of particular non-limiting embodiments of the invention.

Reference will be made to the appended drawings, among which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a utility assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention, the utility assembly acting as a basket-carrying walker,
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of the utility assembly according to the first embodiment in the absence of a basket,
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a utility assembly according to a second embodiment of the invention, comprising a propulsion device,
FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the propulsion device,
FIG. 5 is a partial view with cutaway of the coupling system of the propulsion device to the structure supporting the seat,
FIG. 6 is a schematic elevation view of a variant of the propulsion device in the coupled position,
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing two utility assemblies nested one inside the other in the storage position.

 We can see in Figures 1 and 2 a basket holder walker comprising a tubular metal structure which has two side parts with the general reference 1 and extending substantially vertically.

 The lateral parts 1 are rigidly braced by an operating handle 2 in the upper part and a seat 3 in the middle part.

 Each lateral part 1 comprises a front leg 4 and a rear leg 5 each having an end 4, 1, 5, fixed to the seat 3 and an opposite end, free 4, 2, 5 provided with a corresponding wheel 6, 7. In this embodiment, the front and rear legs 4.5 converge towards each other so that their ends fixed to the seat 3 are welded to one another. The front wheels 6 are separated by a distance 1 less than the distance L separating the rear wheels 7. The front wheels 6 are steered while the rear wheels 7 are fixed.

 The seat 3 is here formed of a semicircular plate 12 made of rigid material, such as wood, the rounded edge of which is secured to a metal profile on which the ends are fixed 4.1, 5.1 so that the projection on the ground of the plate is between the front 6 and rear 7 wheels of the structure. The plate 12 is slightly inclined downwards from the rear side of the structure.

 From the end 5.1 of each rear leg 5 extends an upright 8, the free end of which is connected to the free end of the other upright 8 by means of a horizontal bar forming the operating handle. 2. The uprights 8 and the rear legs 5 are here made in one piece. The uprights 8 are bent backwards so that the operating handle 2 is offset rearwards relative to the plate 3 so that it forms a backrest for the seat 3 and so that its projection on the ground is between- the front 6 and rear 7 wheels.

 The structure thus forms a stable walker, the person with reduced mobility exerting forces on the operating handle 2 directly above the support surface of the structure. The person with reduced mobility can also sit in seat 3 when he is tired.

 From the uprights 8 extends backwards a frame formed by a U-shaped rod 9 connecting the uprights 8 to each other. The U-shaped stem 9 has slightly divergent branches.

 The seat 3 can then receive a basket P which, due to the inclination of the plate forming the seat 3, abuts against the U-shaped rod 9. It will further be noted that the U-shaped rod 9 also provides a holding function back of the user preventing him from sliding between the operating handle 2 and the plate 12.

This is particularly useful for small users.

 A frame 10 extends plumb with the seat 3 from the front legs 4. The frame 10 is formed by two converging rods 10.1 extending backwards and slightly downward from the front legs 4. The free ends of the rods are connected to each other by a U-shaped rod 10.2 with convexity directed upwards.

 The frame 10 can thus receive a basket P which, due to the inclination of the rods 10.1, abuts against the U-shaped rod 10.2.

 The walker thus provides an additional basket carrier function.

 It is understood that due to the respective spacings of the front wheels 6 and the rear wheels 7 and the inclination of the seat 3, it is possible to fit horizontally into one another two walkers according to the invention. The walkers awaiting use then occupy a limited floor space.

 Identical or analogous elements will bear an identical reference in the following description.

 With reference to FIGS. 3 to 7, the utility assembly according to the invention comprises a tubular metallic structure comprising, as before, two lateral parts 1 braced at the top by an operating handle 2 and at substantially the middle part by a seat generally designated in 3.

 Each lateral part comprises front and rear legs 4.5 having ends 4.1, 5.1 welded to a rigid element 11 of the seat 3 and an opposite free end 4.2, 5.2 associated with a corresponding wheel 6.7. The front and rear feet diverge from each other from the rigid element 11. The distance separating the front wheels 6 is less than the distance separating the rear wheels 7.

A post 8 extends upwards and backwards from the end 5.1 of the rear leg 5 and is connected to the other post 8 by a horizontal bar forming the operating handle 2. The post 8 is here made in one piece with the rear foot 5.

 The rigid element 11 is a horizontal beam supporting a wooden platform 12 slightly inclined downwards from the rear side of the structure by means of a jack 13 whose body is fixed to the rigid element 11 and the rod is fixed to the plate 12. The jack, here pneumatic, makes it possible to adapt the height of the seat 3 to the size of the person with reduced mobility and possibly to raise the person when the latter wishes to see an object lying high up. It is possible to provide for a deployment of the jack on the order of fifteen centimeters.

 The seat 3 here also includes a backrest 14 formed from a vertical wooden board fixed to the upright 8.

 The structure also includes a step 15 mounted on a horizontal axis 16 extending between the front legs 4 to pivot between a position in which the step extends substantially vertically and a position in which it extends substantially horizontally . The step 15 includes a projecting lower face from which extends a stop 17 parallel to the horizontal axis 16 and in front thereof. The stop 17 is here formed of a metal section welded along the underside of the step 15.

 There is thus formed a chair for reduced mobility that can be pushed through the operating handle 2 by a person accompanying the person with reduced mobility.

 There is provided at the rear of the plate 12 a hook 25 for hanging the handle of a basket, in particular in the case of use in a shopping center. One can also provide a receptacle, for example of wire mesh, fixed by one side to the rigid element 11 on the rear side of the structure.

 For people with reduced mobility wishing to move on their own, there is a propulsion device, generally designated at 18, which can be coupled to the chair.

 The propulsion device comprises a chassis 19 on which is fixed an electric motor not shown connected to a battery and associated with a wheel 20. A steering wheel 21 is pivotally mounted around a substantially vertical axis on the chassis 19 opposite of the wheel 20. A handlebar 22 is integral with the upper end of a curved upright 26 and mounted on the steering wheel 21 so as to be able to tilt about a horizontal axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the steering wheel 21. The curvature of the upright 26 is oriented forward. The upright 26 is provided at its lower end, articulated to the wheel 21, with a shoe 23 intended to come and rub on the steering wheel 21 when the handlebar 22 is tilted forward. On the handlebars 22 are arranged the controls of the drive motor of the wheel 20 such as an on / off switch cutting off the power to the motor, a forward / reverse control and an accelerator.

 The chassis 19 comprises on its upper part means for coupling to the front part of the chair. These coupling means comprise a gutter 24, here formed of a C-shaped section, extending perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the propulsion device passing through the wheels 20 and 21 so that the gutter 24 has its longitudinal opening oriented towards the motorized wheel 20 for receiving the axis 16. The gutter 24 is arranged on the chassis 19 so that the height relative to the ground of its lower internal face 28 is greater than the height relative to the ground of the axis 16 measured when the chair rests on its front and rear wheels. Ramps 27 are arranged adjacent to the opening of the gutter 24 to facilitate the introduction of the axis 16 into the gutter 24 and participate in the lifting of the front part of the chair as will be explained in more detail below. after. The lifting of the front part of the chair can also be obtained by a rising configuration of the upper part of the chassis from the rear to the front.

 To attach the propulsion device to the chair, the user seated on the chair with the running board in an upright position, must bring the propulsion device under the chair by inserting the motorized wheel 20 under the step 15 and pulling the rear propulsion system. The axis 16 then comes into contact with the ramps 27 so that the front part of the chair is raised, which takes off the front wheels 6 of the chair from the ground. The axis 16 is then engaged in the gutter 24 to rest on the lower internal face 28 thereof.

 The shaft 16 is then in abutment against the frame 19 via the gutter 24 so that the front wheels 6 of the chair are lifted off the ground. The wheel 21 then constitutes the sole support point on the ground of the front part of the utility assembly. The utility unit is thus very handy.

 The user then switches the step to its horizontal position so that the stop 17 comes to oppose any disengagement of the shaft 16 from the gutter 24, the vertical wall of the gutter 24 then extending between the 'shaft 16 and the stop 17 (see in particular Figure 5).

 If the user sits on a chair already coupled to a propulsion device, the user swivels the handlebars to the right or to the left and, if necessary, tilts it forward. Due to the curvature of the upright 26, the space opposite the seat 3 is thus cleared and the user can easily access the seat 3.

 To uncouple the propulsion device from the chair, the user brings the step to its vertical position so that the horizontal axis 16 can be released from the gutter 24 by pushing the propulsion device 18 forward.

 In the standby position for use, the chairs can be fitted horizontally into one another as shown in FIG. 7.

 As a variant, as shown in FIG. 6, the propulsion device can be arranged so that, when the device is coupled to the chair, the drive wheel 20 is plumb with the seat 3. The turning radius of 1 The utility assembly is then reduced and the utility assembly is likely to turn almost on the spot. To do this, the distance separating the driving wheel 20 from the gutter 24 is substantially equal to the distance separating the beam 11 from the axis 16, measured in a horizontal direction.

 Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described and it is possible to make variant embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

 In particular, the coupling means can be formed of any device allowing the temporary or permanent attachment of the chair and the propulsion device, both in forward and in reverse.

Claims (10)

 1. Utility assembly for persons with reduced mobility comprising a structure comprising two substantially vertical lateral parts (1) which rest on the ground by front and rear wheels (6,7) and which are rigidly braced by a seat (3) in part middle and an operating handle (2) in the upper part, the seat (3) comprising a rigid element (11) extending transversely between the lateral parts and supporting a plate (12), each lateral part (1) comprising a foot front (4) and a rear foot (5) each having one end (4.1,5.1) connected to the seat and an opposite opposite end (4.2,5.2) equipped with the corresponding wheel, characterized in that it comprises a propulsion device (18) comprising a chassis (19) provided with coupling means (24) to the structure, a motorized wheel (20) mounted on the chassis, and a steering wheel (21) surmounted by a handlebar (22) and mounted pivoting on the chassis (19) opposite d e the motorized wheel (20), the coupling means cooperating with a front part of the structure so that the steering wheel (21) constitutes the sole point of support on the ground of said front part of the structure when the device of propulsion is coupled to the structure.  2. Utility assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the structure comprises a step (15) mounted on a horizontal axis (16) placed between its front feet (4), the step can pivot between two positions substantially vertical and horizontal and being equipped with a stop (17) projecting from a lower face, and in that the chassis (19) of the propulsion device (18) comprises an attachment element (24) of the axis horizontal (16) of the step (15) so that, when the step is in vertical position, the hooking element can be engaged on the horizontal axis and that, when the step is in position horizontal, the stop (17) opposes the release of the horizontal axis (16) out of the attachment element (14).  3. Utility assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the propulsion device (18) being coupled to the structure, the motorized wheel (20) extends substantially in line with the seat (3).  4. Utility assembly according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the handlebar (22) is mounted on the steering wheel (21) by means of a curved upright (26) with curvature oriented towards the before.  5. Utility assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the front foot (4) and the rear foot (5) of each side part (1) converge towards each other at the seat (3 ).  6. Utility assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating handle (2) is formed of a substantially horizontal bar and disposed relative to the plate (12) so as to form a seat back (3 ).  7. Utility assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the structure comprises a frame (10) for supporting a basket (P) extending under the plate (12).  8. Utility assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plate (12) is fixed to the rigid element (11) by means of a telescopic member (13) such as a pneumatic cylinder.  9. Utility assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plate (12) is slightly inclined downwards from the rear side of the structure and the front legs (4) are separated by a distance (1) lower than that (L) separating the rear legs (5) so that two structures can be fitted horizontally into one another.  10. Utility assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rear feet (5) extend freely relative to each other from the seat (3) and the operating handle (2 ) is connected to the side parts (1) so that its projection on the ground is between the front and rear wheels (4,5).