TWM527319U - A mobile chassis and a wheelchair using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention provides a self-balancing mobile chassis, and a wheelchair that uses such chassis. The chassis comprises a frame and a motor assembly. The frame includes plural legs. In one embodiment, the motor assembly comprises two wheels that are independently driven such that collaborative motions of the two wheels enable the chassis to be rotatable as well as linearly movable. The chassis further includes one or more actuators connected between the frame and the motor assembly. When the chassis is deployed to be movable, the actuators lower the two wheels to touch a flat surface so as to lift up the frame without the legs touching the flat surface, causing the chassis to be self-balanced by maneuvering the two wheels. When the chassis is not deployed for moving, the actuators cause the two wheels to be positioned above or rest on the flat surface so that the legs hold the chassis to be stationary. The wheelchair is realizable by including the chassis, a shell covering for covering the chassis to provide an external aesthetic look to the wheelchair, and a seat mounted on the chassis.

Description

Mobile base and wheelchair using the same

This creation is about a mobile base with a roller and a wheelchair that can be used by people with physical disabilities to use the base.

For people with physical disabilities who often need to use a wheelchair, increasing their mobility is equivalent to improving their employment, living standards and social interaction. However, the appearance of conventional electric wheelchairs is generally large, heavy, and cumbersome, and thus difficult to apply to a work environment. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a wheelchair that is small in size, light in weight, and highly mobile.

This creation provides a multi-wheeled motion base with vertical extension. The mobile transport device in the form of a wheelchair is realized by the base provided by this creation.

The base of the present invention includes a frame for supporting the load carried by the base, and a motor assembly for providing a driving force for moving the base. The frame has a plurality of legs for supporting the frame when the frame is placed on a flat surface. The motor assembly is coupled to the frame and includes a first roller and a second roller. The first roller and the second roller are independently driven such that the cooperative action of the first roller and the second roller allows at least the base to be rotated and linearly movable. The base further includes one or more actuators having a first end and a second end in common. The vertical distance between the frame and the two rollers can be adjusted by varying the length of the one or more actuators between the first end and the second end. In particular, when the base is located on a flat surface, the following two results can be achieved by changing the length described above. When the base is set to be movable When moving, the two rollers touch the flat surface to lift the frame and the legs are not in contact with the flat surface, thereby allowing the frame to self-balance by mobilizing the first roller and the second roller. When the frame is set to be immovable, the two rollers are either positioned above the flat surface or on a flat surface such that the legs at least partially support the base, thereby securing the base.

In an embodiment, the motor assembly further includes a first motor for driving the first roller, a second motor for driving the second roller, and a motor assembly arm having a plurality of arm ends, wherein each An arm end is attached to the frame whereby the motor assembly is attached to the frame. In more detail, the first motor and the second motor can be independently controlled to drive the first roller and the second roller, thereby generating a cooperative action. In addition, the first motor and the second motor are fixed to the motor assembly arm, and the first roller and the second roller are substantially aligned with each other.

Preferably, the base includes more than one sensor for measuring the orientation and acceleration of the base. The measurements taken by the one or more sensors can be used to control the cooperative action of the two rollers, thereby achieving self-balancing of the base.

With the base of the present invention, a wheelchair can be further realized by a cover for covering the base and a seat for the user to ride, wherein the cover is provided with an aesthetic appearance for the wheelchair, and the seat can be used. Ride.

Hereinafter, other aspects of the embodiment of the present creation will be described with reference to the drawings.

100‧‧‧ Wheelchair

110‧‧‧Base/Action Base

130‧‧‧ Covering the outer casing

140‧‧‧ seats

200‧‧‧Base/Action Base

210‧‧‧Frame

215a, 215b‧‧‧ feet

220‧‧‧Motor assembly arm

222‧‧‧arm end

223‧‧‧Hinges

230‧‧‧Roller/first wheel

231‧‧‧Rotary axis

235‧‧‧Roller / second wheel

236‧‧‧Rotary axis

240‧‧‧Motor/First Motor

245‧‧ ‧ motor / second motor

260a, 260b‧‧ ‧ actuator

262‧‧‧ first end

263‧‧‧ second end

280‧‧‧Metal housing

281a, 281b, 281c, 281d‧‧‧ cylinder

500‧‧‧Reference vertical direction

510‧‧‧flat surface

1A and 1B are respectively a perspective view and a bottom view of a wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present creation; and 2A to 2D are diagrams showing a two-wheeled and self-balancing action according to an exemplary embodiment of the present creation. The base, the base in the figure is set to be movable, and the two roller systems are lowered and brought into contact with the flat surface, wherein the 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D views respectively show the side view of the base. , a front view, a top view, and a perspective view; and FIGS. 3A-3D show a base when the base is set to be immovable and the two rollers are raised onto a flat surface or on a flat surface, wherein 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D show a side view, a front view, a top view, and a perspective view of the base, respectively.

In order to reduce the weight of the wheelchair and reduce the size of the wheelchair while increasing the operability of the wheelchair, the author of the present creation found a two-wheeled self-balancing personal transporter that can be used in such a wheelchair. For example, examples of such personal transporters can be found in Chinese patents CN 203186511 U, CN 203958471 U and US Pat. No. 7,958,961 B1. Since the personal transporter uses only two rollers, it has the potential to be lightweight and small in size. By operating the two rollers independently, the transporter can be simply driven to move and rotate linearly back and forth. In addition to the various advantages of personal transporters, the direct use of personal transporters in wheelchairs can also create disadvantages. Since wheelchairs are generally used by users with physical disabilities, the design of a wheelchair using only two rollers can cause stability problems, which in turn poses a risk to the user. In order to ensure the stability of the wheelchair, it is necessary to continuously perform the self-balancing procedure at the cost of high power consumption, and therefore it is necessary to increase the weight of the battery pack mounted on the wheelchair, resulting in the inability to maintain the weight. Hereinafter, a wheelchair developed by the personal transporter improved by the present invention will be described.

One aspect of this creation is to provide a two-wheeled self-balancing action base. According to the base disclosed in the present invention, a mobile transport device in the form of a wheelchair can be realized. While one of the applications of the base is to develop a wheelchair for use by a limb-impaired user, the base provided by the present creation should not be limited to being used only to construct the wheelchair. The base can also be used to construct other mobile transport devices that require light weight, small size, and high operability.

1A and 1B show a wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 1A is a perspective view, and FIG. 1B is a bottom view. An innovative mobile base 110 is employed in the wheelchair 100, and the base 110 is enclosed in a covered area. The housing 130 is used to drive the wheelchair 100 to move and to rotate and change the direction of movement of the wheelchair. More specifically, the base 110 uses only two rollers and has a self-balancing mechanism for maintaining the balance of the wheelchair 100. The cover outer casing 130 is used to cover the base 110 to provide an aesthetic appearance of the wheelchair 100. For example, the cover outer casing 130 can be made of fiberglass because the glass fibers have the advantage of being lightweight. In the wheelchair 100, the seat 140 is mounted to the base 110 for the user to ride. The wheelchair 100 can be equipped with optional auxiliary elements, examples of which include: a lever input device for the user to manipulate the direction of the wheelchair 100; additional for communicating manipulation information to the base 110 via wireless connectivity An input device; and an additional device or additional component for supporting a user's body part or limbs that can be coupled to the base 110 when the user has special needs, for example, for supporting the user's arm, foot or head Department of equipment or components.

Hereinafter, the action base 110 of the present creation will be exemplarily described with reference to FIGS. 2A to 2D and 3A to 3D. 2A-2D and 3A-D3D two sets of figures show two-wheel self-balancing action base 200: when the base 200 is set to a movable state (Fig. 2A - Fig. 2D); And, when the base 200 is set to a non-movable state (Fig. 3A - Fig. 3D). In the two sets of drawings, FIGS. 2A and 3A show a side view of the base 200, FIGS. 2B and 3B show a front view of the base 200, and FIGS. 2C and 3C show the base 200. The top view, and the 2D and 3D views show a perspective view of the base 200.

For purposes of illustration, a flat surface 510 (not part of the base 200) is shown in Figures 2A and 3A as a reference surface that the base 200 is parked during operation. A reference vertical direction 500 perpendicular to the flat surface 510 is also shown. In the present specification and the drawings, the positioning and directional terms such as "upper", "lower", "raised", and "decline" are explained with reference to the reference vertical direction 500 described above.

The base 200 includes a frame 210 for supporting the load carried by the base 200. For example, the load may be the seat 140 shown in Figure 1A. The frame 210 includes a plurality of legs 215a, 215b for supporting the frame 210 when the frame is seated on the flat surface 510 (as shown in Figure 3A). Although the 2D map Two legs 215a, 215b are shown in Fig. 3D, but the frame 210 of the present creation is not limited to having only two legs.

The base 200 further includes a motor assembly for providing a driving force for moving the base 200. The motor assembly is a motor(s), a roller(s), and other components such as power transmission components, and is configured to move the base 200. The motor assembly includes a plurality of rollers that are capable of simultaneous rotation or that are rotatable independently of one another. As a preferred solution and advantage of the present invention, the rollers are composed of a first roller 230 and a second roller 235 that can be independently driven, so that the cooperation between the first roller 230 and the second roller 235 can at least allow The base 200 rotates and moves linearly. The two independently driven rollers 230, 235 can achieve the principle of rotation and linear movement of the base, similar to the operation of a personal transporter (for example, see U.S. Patent No. 7,958,961 B1). In one of the practical embodiments of the base 200, the motor assembly further includes a first motor 240 for driving the first roller 230, a second motor 245 for driving the second roller 235, and a motor assembly arm 220. The first motor 240 and the second motor 245 can be independently controlled to drive the first roller 230 and the second roller 235 to generate a cooperative action. Further, the first motor 240 and the second motor 245 are fixed to the motor assembly arm portion 220, and the rotation shaft 231 of the first roller 230 is substantially aligned with the rotation shaft 236 of the second roller 235. Motor assembly arm 220 has a plurality of arm ends (one of which is labeled 222). Each arm end is rotatably coupled to the frame 210, thereby attaching the motor assembly to the frame 210. In an embodiment, each arm end (eg, arm end 222) is rotatably coupled to frame 210 through a hinge (eg, hinge 223). In another embodiment, the motor assembly arm 220 is a U-shaped tube (as shown in Figures 2D and 3D) and the number of arm ends is two.

Moreover, the present author utilizes more than one actuator (e.g., actuators 260a, 260b) to connect the frame 210 to the motor assembly. Although two actuators 260a, 260b are shown in FIGS. 2B and 3B, the number of actuators in the present creation is not limited to two. The one or more actuators have a first end 262 and a second end 263. The first end 262 and the second end 263 are coupled to the frame 210 and the motor assembly arm 220, respectively. In one embodiment, the first end 262 is through the hinge. The connection between the frame 210 and the connection between the second end 263 and the motor assembly arm 220 is therefore a rotatable connection between the elements. More than one actuator causes the length between the first end 262 and the second end 263 to be a controllable length. In one embodiment, each actuator can extend and contract along the body of the actuator, and more than one actuator can be extended and contracted in the same direction simultaneously, thereby changing and controlling the length described above. . By varying the length described above, more than one actuator can be used to adjust the vertical distance between the frame 210 and the two rollers 230, 235 to achieve the following effects.

When the base 200 is on the flat surface 510 and is set to be movable, the first roller 230 and the second roller 235 are in contact with the flat surface 510, thereby lifting the frame 210 and leaving the legs 215a, 215b Touch the flat surface 510 (as shown in Figure 2A). This arrangement allows the base 200 to self-balance by mobilizing the first roller 230 and the second roller 235.

When the base 200 is on the flat surface 510 and is set to be in a non-movable state, the first roller 230 and the second roller 235 are located above the flat surface 510 or on the flat surface 510 such that the legs 215a 215b at least partially supports the base 200 (as shown in FIG. 3A, wherein, as an illustrative example, the two rollers 230, 235 are located on the flat surface 510). Therefore, the base 200 is fixed. In the special case where the two rollers 230, 235 are located above the flat surface 510, the base 200 is fully supported by the legs 215a, 215b.

Since the base 200 is supported by the two rollers 230, 235 when the base 200 is set to the movable state, as described above, it is necessary to achieve self-balancing by controlling the two rollers 230, 235. In order to achieve self-balancing effects, the base 200 further includes more than one sensor for measuring the orientation and acceleration of the base 200. Examples of the one or more sensors described include solid state gyros and accelerometers. The measurement results of more than one sensor can be used to control the cooperative action of the two rollers 230, 235 after being processed and analyzed.

Since the base 200 is intended to be used to construct a mobile transport device in the form of a wheelchair, preferably, the first motor 240, the second motor 245, and more than one actuator are electrically powered by more than one battery.

In one embodiment, the base 200 further includes more than one circuit board, more than one circuit board includes more than one processor, and the one or more processors are used to control the first motor 240, the second motor 245, and More than one actuator, and the one or more processors can be used to process measurements taken by more than one sensor. As an alternative, more than one board system further includes more than one wafer for providing wireless connectivity (eg, Bluetooth).

In order to secure more than one circuit board, the base 200 may have a metal housing 280 mounted to the frame 210. Metal housing 280 can also be used to secure more than one battery that provides power to various components in base 200 (eg, two motors 240, 245 and actuators 260a, 260b).

In an example of manufacturing the base 200, the frame 210, the motor assembly arm 220, or both are made of stainless steel tubing.

Since the base 200 is for carrying a load such as the seat 140, the base 200 preferably has means for fixing the load to the base 200. In one embodiment, the frame 210 has a plurality of cylinders 281a-281d mounted thereon, the cylinders 281a-281d corresponding to holes in the load, thereby securing the load to the frame 210.

The details of the sample prototype of the base 200 are described below as a practical example of an embodiment of the base 200 of the present creation. The frame 210 and the motor assembly arm 220 are made of a stainless steel tube having a diameter of 25.4 mm. Two rollers (i.e., first roller 230 and second roller 235) are used in the sample prototype. Each of the two rollers 230, 235 is made of a solid rubber tire having a diameter of 307 mm and a width of 72 mm, thereby allowing the base 200 to rotate in a circle having a diameter of about 70 cm. The wheelchair 100 with the base 200 of the present invention has the advantage of being elegantly space-saving compared to the 150 cm rotating circle of a conventional electric wheelchair. The first motor 240 and the second motor 245 are direct current motors. First motor 340 and second motor 245 horse The shaft centers are directly connected to the first roller 230 and the second roller 235, respectively. Two actuators (i.e., actuators 260a, 260b) are employed in the sample prototype. The actuators 260a, 260b are linear actuators, and each actuator has a contracted length of approximately 230 mm and an extended length of approximately 370 mm. When the actuators 260a, 260b are in the contracted state, the two rollers 230, 235 are not in contact with the ground. When the actuators 260a, 260b extend almost to the limit, the two rollers 230, 235 will project downwardly from the legs 215a, 215b of the frame 210 by approximately 150 mm. The wheelchair 100 using the prototype of the base 110 has an extremely light weight of 40 kg compared to the current existing electric wheelchair of more than 80 kg. In addition, the creators of the present creation have found further advantages of the wheelchair 100. Since the self-balancing control implemented through the base 110 can ensure that the seat 140 is maintained horizontal, even when the wheelchair 100 is used on a slope or a hillside, the user of the wheelchair 100 will automatically be in an upright position.

The embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure may be implemented by a general purpose or special computer device, a computer processor, or an electronic circuit, which may include, but is not limited to, a digital signal processor (DSP), a specific application integrated circuit. (application specific integrated circuit, ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA), and other programmable logic devices configured or programmed according to the teachings of the present invention. Computer instructions or software programs executed in general purpose or specialized computer devices, computer processors, or programmable logic devices can be readily prepared by practitioners in the software or electronics field based on the content of the present invention.

Although the above description is directed to a two-wheel embodiment, the present work can be applied to embodiments having any number of wheels. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described in the specification are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the scope of the following patent application and is not limited by the above description, and should include any scope of the scope of the patent application or equivalent to its scope.

200‧‧‧Base/Action Base

210‧‧‧Frame

215a, 215b‧‧‧ feet

220‧‧‧Motor assembly arm

222‧‧‧arm end

223‧‧‧Hinges

230‧‧‧Roller/first wheel

235‧‧‧Roller / second wheel

240‧‧‧Motor/First Motor

260a‧‧‧Actuator

280‧‧‧Metal housing

281a, 281b, 281c, 281d‧‧‧ cylinder

Claims (21)

A motion base includes: a frame for supporting a load carried by the base; a motor assembly for providing a driving force for moving the base, wherein the motor assembly is coupled to the frame and includes a plurality of a roller that rotates in synchronization with each other or independently of each other such that the cooperative action of the rollers allows at least the base to be rotated and linearly movable; and one or more actuators having a first end and a common a second end, the first end and the second end are respectively connected to the frame and the motor assembly, wherein a length between the first end and the second end is controlled by the one or more actuators So that: (a) when the base is on a flat surface and is configured to be movable, the rollers touch the flat surface to lift and hang the frame over the flat surface, thereby mobilizing the rollers The frame is self-balancing; and (b) when the frame is on a flat surface and is set to be immovable, the rollers are either suspended from the flat surface or located Tan upper surface, such that the frame at least partially supports the base, whereby the stationary base. The mobile base of claim 1, wherein the rollers comprise a first roller and a second roller. According to the action base described in claim 2, further comprising: a first motor for driving the first roller; a second motor for driving the second roller, the first motor and the second motor being independently controllable to drive the first roller and the second roller, thereby generating a cooperative action; and a motor assembly arm a plurality of arm ends, each of the arm ends being coupled to the frame to connect the motor assembly to the frame, the first motor and the second motor being fixed to the motor assembly arm, and The first roller is substantially aligned with the rotational axis of the second roller. The mobile base of claim 3, wherein the arm end is rotatably coupled to the frame via a hinge. The mobile base of claim 3, wherein the first end and the second end are rotatably coupled to the frame and the motor assembly arm through a plurality of hinges, respectively. The mobile base according to claim 3, wherein the motor assembly arm portion is a U-shaped tube, and the number of the arm ends is two. The mobile base of claim 3, wherein the motor assembly arm is made of a stainless steel tube. The mobile base of claim 3, wherein the first motor, the second motor, and the one or more actuators are electrically driven. The action base according to claim 1, further comprising: one or more sensors for measuring the orientation and acceleration of the base, wherein the measurement results of the one or more sensors can be used for control The cooperative action of the rollers thereby achieving self-balancing of the base. The mobile base of claim 9, wherein the one or more sensors comprise more than one solid state gyroscope and more than one accelerometer. The action base according to claim 3, further comprising one or more circuit boards, the one or more circuit boards including more than one processor, wherein the one or more processors are used to control the first motor, The second motor and the one or more actuators are used to process the measurement results. The mobile base of claim 11, further comprising a metal housing mounted to the frame for accommodating more than one battery and the one or more circuit boards. The mobile base of claim 11, wherein the one or more circuit boards further comprise more than one wafer for providing wireless connectivity. The mobile base of claim 13, wherein the one or more wafer systems provide Bluetooth-based wireless connectivity. The action base of claim 1, wherein the frame further comprises a plurality of cylinders mounted on the frame, the column systems corresponding to holes in the load, whereby the load is Fixed on the frame. The mobile base of claim 1, wherein the frame is made of a stainless steel tube. A wheelchair for carrying a person, the wheelchair comprising: according to any one of claims 1 to 16 The base; a cover for covering the base to provide an aesthetic appearance for the wheelchair; and a seat mounted to the base for the person to ride. The wheelchair of claim 17 further comprising a joystick input device for manipulating the wheelchair. The wheelchair of claim 17 further comprising an additional plurality of input devices for communicating manipulation information to the base via wireless connectivity. The wheelchair of claim 17 further comprising an additional plurality of components attachable to the base for providing support to the person's arms, feet, body or head. The wheelchair of claim 17, wherein the covering outer casing is made of fiberglass.