GB2268456A - Vehicle, eg wheelchair for a disabled person, with releasably coupled parts. - Google Patents

Abstract

The vehicle comprises front and rear parts (10, 11) releasably coupled to each other. They are locked in the coupled condition by means of a seat (20) which rests on a pivoted locking member (26). To uncouple the parts, the seat must be removed and the locking member then pivoted forwards. The vehicle may be propelled by motors (16) supplied by batteries in carriers (19) and controlled by handle (21). <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Wheeled Vehicle and method of coupling parts of the vehicle together Description of Invention The present invention relates to a wheeled vehicle and is primarily concerned with a vehicle having a single seat and which is suitable for transporting a disabled person. There is a requirement for such vehicles to be dismantled into pieces which are sufficiently small to be handled conveniently by one person and to be placed in a confined space, for example the luggage boot of a car. It is important that the means for coupling the parts together should be robust and reliable, so that there is no significant risk of the parts of the vehicle becoming uncoupled, whilst the vehicle is transporting a person. To meet this requirement, a variety of complex coupling arrangements have been proposed.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a wheeled vehicle comprises a front body mounted on a pair of front wheels, a rear body mounted on a pair of rear wheels, coupling means for releasably coupling the front and rear bodies together and a seat, wherein the seat cooperates with the coupling means to prevent uncoupling of the front and rear bodies from each other when the seat is in normal use and the seat is movable relative to the front and rear bodies to permit uncoupling of the bodies from each other when the vehicle is out of use.According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle comprising a front body mounted on a pair of front wheels, a rear body mounted on a pair of rear wheels and coupling means for releasably coupling the front and rear bodies together, wherein the coupling means comprises a locking member which is connected with one of the bodies for rocking relative thereto between a locking position and a releasing position for setting the coupling means in a locked condition and in a released condition and wherein the locking member includes right-hand and left-hand limbs and an intermediate portion connecting the right-hand and left-hand limbs together.

Preferably, the first and second aspects of the invention are combined in a single vehicle wherein the seat, when in its normal use position, bears on the locking member and holds the locking member in its locking position.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle comprising a frame mounted on a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels, wherein the frame includes a lower member, a front member extending upwards from the lower member, a rear member extending upwards from the lower member and spaced rearwards from the front member and a top member extending between the front and rear members and spaced upwards from the lower member, wherein the top member is separable from the front and rear members and wherein the top member is incorporated in a demountable seat.

In the preferred vehicle, the top member is the sole connection between the front and rear members adjacent to their upper ends.

The rear member preferably includes right-hand and left-hand limbs and an intermediate portion connection the right-hand and left-hand limbs together. In this case, the seat preferably rests on the intermediate portion of the rear member at laterally spaced positions.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of coupling together front and rear parts of a vehicle, each of said parts having a respective pair of wheels, wherein a pivot on one of said parts is introduced into a first formation on the other of said parts, the pivot is lowered, thereby driving the first formation downwards and rocking said parts in respective opposite directions on their wheels, said rocking is limited by engagement of respective abutments on the front and rear parts when said parts attain a coupled condition, a locking member pivotally mounted on one of said parts is moved into engagement with a coupling element on the other of said parts to lock said parts in the coupled condition and wherein a seat for a person is moved into engagement with the locking member to hold the locking member in engagement with the coupling element.

An example of a vehicle embodying the first to fourth aspects of the invention and which includes parts which can be coupled together by a method according to the fifth aspect of the invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIGURE 1 shows a diagrammatic representation of a side view of the vehicle in the condition of normal use, respective parts of wheels and of a seat backrest being omitted, FIGURE 2 shows on a larger scale, a front view of a front part of the vehicle, the seat being omitted., FIGURE 3 shows on a larger scale a rear part of the vehicle as viewed from the front and rear wheels being omitted, FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic representation of front and rear parts of the vehicle uncoupled from each other, FIGURE 5 is a diagram illustrating the procedure of coupling the front and rear parts of the vehicle together, FIGURE 6 shows a plan view of the front part of the vehicle, FIGURE 7 shows a side view of the front part of the vehicle and FIGURE 8 shows a side view of the rear part of the vehicle, the wheels being omitted.

The vehicle illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises a front body 10 and a rear body 11 which can be coupled together for normal use of the vehicle and which can be uncoupled from each other, in order to facilitate handling, transport and storage of the vehicle. The front body 10 is mounted on a pair of castor wheels 12 and 13. The rear body 11 is mounted on a pair of driven wheels 14 and 15. Respective electric motors 16 and 17 for driving the rear wheels are mounted on the rear body 11. Batteries for supplying power to the motors are supported in right-hand and left-hand battery carriers 18 and 19 which are mounted on the front body 10.

The vehicle further comprises a single seat 20 for accommodating one person. A control handle 21 is supported on the seat and control means is arranged in a known manner for controlling operation of the motors 16 and 17 in accordance with movement of the control handle. The motors incorporate electro-magnetic brakes which are released in accordance with movement of the control handle 21. Separable electrical connectors are included in the electrical circuits of the vehicle to permit separation of the seat and of the batteries from the front and rear bodies.

The front body 10 includes right-hand and left-hand lower frame members 22 and 23, between which the battery carriers 18 and 19 are received.

The lower members 22 and 23 are united by an upstanding front member 24 which may be formed integrally with the lower members and which extends upwards from those members and includes a transverse portion 25 extending across the vehicle from right to left. The lower members 22 and 23 are also connected to each other by a rear member 26 connected with the lower members for rocking relative thereto about a rocking axis 27 which is normally horizontal, when the vehicle stands on a horizontal surface. The rear member 26 includes right-hand and left-hand limbs 28 and 29 which extend upwards from the lower members 22 and 23 and an intermediate portion 30 which extends between the limbs 28 and 29 and which is substantially horizontal, when the vehicle stands on a horizontal surface.

As viewed from one side of the vehicle, the front member 24, the lower members 22 and 23 and the rear member 26 collectively form a channelshaped frame which is open at the top. The seat 20 incorporates frame structure which extends between and connects the front member 24 and the rear member 26 at a level spaced well above that of the lower members 22 and 23.

Accordingly, the assembled frame structure of the front body 10 is essentially of box-form, as viewed from one side of the vehicle. It will be noted that the seat 20 is the sole connection between the front member 24 and the rear member 26 adjacent to upper ends of these members.

A front wheel carrier 31 is connected with the front member 24 for rocking relative thereto about an axis 32 which extends in a direction from front to rear of the vehicle. Adjacent to the axis 32, there is provided on the front member 24 a socket 33 for receiving a leg 34 of the seat 20. The leg 34 can be adjusted upwards and downwards in the socket 33 and a pin is provided for engaging in a selected hole of a row of holes provided in the leg 34, to hold the leg in a selected position relative to the socket. When the pin is withdrawn from the leg, the leg can be drawn completely out of the socket. The leg 34 is connected with the frame structure of the seat 20 for pivoting relative thereto about an axis which extends transversely of the vehicle. Accordingly, the attitude of the seat cushion to the socket 33 can be varied.

The frame structure of the seat 20 rests on the intermediate portion 30 of the rear member 26 at laterally spaced positions. On the seat frame structure, there are provided a left-hand pair of jaws 35 and a right-hand pair of jaws which protrude at the rear of the seat and which partly embrace the intermediate portion 30 of the rear member 26. The open mouth of the jaws 35 faces towards the rear body 11 so that the seat can be withdrawn from the rear member 26 in a forwards direction, once the leg 34 has been withdrawn from the socket 33.

The coupling means for releasably coupling the front body 10 with the rear body 11 includes right-hand and left-hand coupling plates 37 and 38 on the rear body 11 and which protrude forwards towards the front body 10. In the lefthand coupling plate 38, there is a recess 39 for receiving a pivot 40 on the lower member 23. The recess 39 has an open mouth which faces forwards and upwards.

A corresponding recess is defined by the right-hand coupling plate 37 to receive a right-hand pivot corresponding to the pivot 40. The pivot 40 can be withdrawn from the recess 39 through the mouth thereof. A further, upwardly open recess 41 is formed in the left-hand coupling plate 38. This recess is spaced upwards from the recess 39 and receives an abutment pin 42 carried on the front body 10 in a fixed relation to the lower member 23. The lower member has an integral, upwards extension to which the abutment pin 42 is fixed. The abutment pin 42 can be withdrawn from the recess 41 in an upwards direction. The recess 39 provides sufficient clearance for a corresponding upwards movement of the pivot 40. A recess corresponding to the recess 41 is provided in the right-hand coupling plate 37 to receive a right-hand abutment pin corresponding to the pin 42.

During normal use of the vehicle, upwards movement of the abutment pin 42 relative to the left-hand coupling plate 38 is prevented by the rear member 26 which serves as a locking member for the coupling means. A locking pin 43 protrudes laterally from the left-hand limb 29 of the rear member and occupies a slot 44 in the coupling plate 38. The slot 44 has an open mouth which faces forwards and is of arcuate form, the centre of curvature coinciding with the rocking axis 27 of the rear member. When the locking pin 43 is seated in the closed end portion of the slot 44, it prevents upward movement of the frame structure of the front body 10 relative to the coupling plates 37 and 38 and the rear body 11. The locking pin 43 can be withdrawn from the slot 44 by rocking of the rear member 26 relative to the lower members 22 and 23 about the axis 27.The right-hand coupling plate 37 defines a slot corresponding to the slot 44 to receive a right-hand locking pin on the right-hand limb 28 of the rear member 26.

The coupling plates 37 and 38 are substantially flat and mutually parallel. When the vehicle stands on a horizontal floor, the coupling plates are substantially vertical.

In order to uncouple the front body 10 from the rear body 11, the seat 20 and the battery carriers are removed. The rear member 26 is then rocked forwards to withdraw the locking pin 43 from the slot 44. When the rear member 26 is in the releasing position illustrated in Figure 5, the locking pin lies outside the slot 44 and the rear member 26 can be raised relative to the rear body 11, thereby withdrawing the abutment pin 42 from the recess 41. Continued raising of the rear member 26 permits the coupling plates 37 and 38 to rise, the rear body 11 rocking backwards on its wheels until backwards rocking is arrested by engagement of rearwardly protruding stabilisers 45 with the ground. Raising of the rear member 26 causes the front body 10 to rock forwards on its wheels.

Once the pivot 40 is outside the recess 49, the front body 10 can be rolled along the floor away from the rear body 11 and then allowed to rock rearwards until the lower members 22 and 23 rest on the floor. The stabilisers 45 are positioned to the rear of the rear wheels and, when the vehicle parts are uncoupled from each other, rest on the floor to the rear of the rear wheels.

In order to couple the front body 10 with the rear body 11, the front body is rocked forwards, using the intermediate portion 30 of the rear member 26 as a handle and the lower members 22 and 23 are raised from the floor until the pivot 40 lies at a level above that of the mouth of the recess 39. The front body 10 is then drawn towards the rear body 11 and the pivot 40 is introduced into the recess 39 so that the pivots of the front body rest on the coupling plates of the rear body. The rear member 26 is lowered, thereby driving the coupling plates 37 and 38 downwards and rocking the rear body 11 in a forwards direction on its wheels. As this rocking is continued, the abutment pin 42 comes into engagement with the coupling plate 38.Continued rocking drives the abutment pin 42 up a ramp on the coupling plate 38, thereby raising the pivot 40 in its recess 39 until the abutment pin can enter its recess 41. The rear member 26 is then lowered so that the pivot 40 and the abutment pin 42 seat in their respective recesses to establish the coupled condition of the vehicle.

During establishment of the coupled condition of the vehicle, the rear member 26 remains in its releasing position relative to the front body 10. Once the coupled condition has been attained, the member 26 is rocked rearwards so that the locking pin 43 enters the slot 44. Once the locking pin has reached the closed end of the slot 44, the seat 20 is mounted on other parts of the vehicle.

The left-hand jaws 35 and the right-hand jaws on the frame structure of the seat are engaged with the intermediate portion 30 of the rear member and the leg 34 is then inserted into the socket 33 and set in the required position. The jaws of the seat hold the rear member 26 in the locking position in which the locking pin 43 is at the closed end of the slot 44. Accordingly, until the seat has been removed, the front body 10 cannot be uncoupled from the rear body 11.

Furthermore, unless the front body 10 and the rear body 11 are in the proper coupled condition, the seat cannot be fitted to the other parts of the vehicle because the rear member 26 would not be in the appropriate position to receive the jaws of the seat. It will be noted that any downwardly directed load exerted on the seat 20 will lock the vehicle more firmly in the coupled condition.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (10)

1. A wheeled vehicle comprising a front body mounted on a pair of front wheels, a rear body mounted on a pair of rear wheels, coupling means for releasably coupling the front and rear bodies together and a seat, wherein the seat cooperates with the coupling means to prevent uncoupling of the front and rear bodies from each other when the seat is in normal use and the seat is movable relative to the front and rear bodies to permit uncoupling of the bodies from each other when the vehicle is out of use.

2. A vehicle according to Claim 1 wherein the coupling means includes a locking member which is movable relative to the front and rear bodies between a locking position and a releasing position for setting the coupling means in a locked condition and in a released condition and wherein, when the vehicle is in a normal condition for use, the seat engages the locking member and restrains movement of the locking member from the locking position to the releasing position.

3. A vehicle comprising a front body mounted on a front pair of wheels, a rear body mounted on a rear pair of wheels and coupling means for releasably coupling the front and rear bodies together, wherein the coupling means comprises a locking member which is connected with one of the bodies for rocking relative thereto between a locking position and a releasing position for setting the coupling means in a locked condition and in a released condition and wherein the locking member includes right-hand and left-hand limbs and an intermediate portion connecting the right-hand and left-hand limbs together.

4. A vehicle according to Claim 3 further comprising a seat which rests on the intermediate portion of the locking member.

5. A vehicle comprising a frame mounted on a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels, wherein the frame includes a lower member, a front member extending upwards from the lower member, a rear member extending upwards from the lower member and spaced rearwards from the front member and a top member extending between the front and rear members and spaced upwards from the lower member, wherein the top member is separable from the front and rear members and wherein the top member is incorporated in a demountable seat.

6. A vehicle according to Claim 5 wherein the top member is the sole connection between the front and rear members adjacent to their upper ends.

7. A vehicle according to Claim 5 or Claim 6 wherein the rear member includes right-hand and left-hand limbs and an intermediate portion connecting the right-hand and left-hand limbs together and wherein the vehicle further comprises a seat which rests on the intermediate portion of the rear member.

8. A method of coupling together front and rear parts of a vehicle, each having a respective pair of wheels, wherein a pivot on one of said parts is introduced into a first formation on the other of said parts, the pivot is lowered, thereby driving the first formation downwards and rocking said parts in respective opposite directions on their wheels, said rocking is limited by engagement of respective abutments on the front and rear parts when said parts attain a coupled condition, wherein, when said parts are in the coupled condition, a locking member pivotally mounted on one of said parts is moved into engagement with a coupling element on the other of said parts to lock said parts in the coupled condition and wherein a seat for a person is moved into engagement with the locking member to hold the locking member in engagement with the coupling element.

9. A vehicle substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. Any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein or in the accompanying drawings.