Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61G—TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
  • A61G5/00—Chairs or personal conveyances specially adapted for patients or disabled persons, e.g. wheelchairs
  • A61G5/04—Chairs or personal conveyances specially adapted for patients or disabled persons, e.g. wheelchairs motor-driven
  • A61G5/041—Chairs or personal conveyances specially adapted for patients or disabled persons, e.g. wheelchairs motor-driven having a specific drive-type
  • A61G5/045—Rear wheel drive
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61G—TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
  • A61G5/00—Chairs or personal conveyances specially adapted for patients or disabled persons, e.g. wheelchairs
  • A61G5/04—Chairs or personal conveyances specially adapted for patients or disabled persons, e.g. wheelchairs motor-driven
  • A61G5/047—Chairs or personal conveyances specially adapted for patients or disabled persons, e.g. wheelchairs motor-driven by a modular detachable drive system
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61G—TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
  • A61G5/00—Chairs or personal conveyances specially adapted for patients or disabled persons, e.g. wheelchairs
  • A61G5/10—Parts, details or accessories
  • A61G5/1054—Large wheels, e.g. higher than the seat portion
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61G—TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
  • A61G5/00—Chairs or personal conveyances specially adapted for patients or disabled persons, e.g. wheelchairs
  • A61G5/10—Parts, details or accessories
  • A61G5/1005—Wheelchairs having brakes
  • A61G5/1013—Wheelchairs having brakes engaging the wheel
  • A61G5/1018—Wheelchairs having brakes engaging the wheel on the running surface

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an autonomous and removable powertrain particularly suitable for assisting the advancement of a wheelchair for the disabled.
• 3,688,857 discloses an improvement in electric power units for wheelchairs partially overcoming the drawbacks mentioned above.
• the propulsion unit which is here again supported by a carrier trolley separate from the wheelchair, can be coupled to the latter in a semi-automatic manner, the disabled person having the means of controlling and carrying out himself coupling or uncoupling of said propulsion unit.
• this device turns out to be very bulky and very heavy; it is therefore difficult to handle and, in any case, very discreet.
• REPLACEMENT SHEET very bulky support frame due to the relatively large weight and size of the supply battery. Indeed, like the two armchairs proposed in the earlier patents mentioned above, the wheelchair described in this latter patent becomes, after coupling of the removable powertrain, an electric chair in its own right; in this sense, the chair is driven and guided only by electrical means.
• the starting torque which is normally supplied by the drive motor or motors of the friction members acting on the wheels of the chair must be sufficiently high; it is therefore understood that the power of the motors used, generally series wound motors, are relatively powerful, which effectively requires having a substantial power supply on the chair.
• a disengageable propulsion unit can be mounted on the back of a wheelchair without using a trolley or the like; this device, which once again transforms the chair into an exclusively electric chair, has the disadvantage of being difficult to handle and in any case cannot be installed by a disabled person alone.
• the battery carried by the chair remains very bulky for the same reasons developed above.
• REPLACEMENT SHEET outdoor travel wishes to use a manual wheelchair for reduced travel, especially since boarding a car is necessary. Indeed, in the latter case, the size and weight of the chair, especially if it is powered, becomes a very delicate problem if the disabled person is not helped.
• the present invention relates to an autonomous propulsion unit which can be removably mounted on the back of a generally manual wheelchair, and comprising a set of one or two motors mounted head to tail at the ends. respective of a linear rigid frame or a rigid frame for laterally driving rollers or the like which can be brought into positive support on the rear wheels of said chair, in order to cause their rotation, characterized, on the one hand, in that said chassis or said frame is provided with at least one carrying handle and includes adequate means for rapid attachment to the armatures of the back of said chair, on the other hand, in that said means for fixing the chassis or the frame cooperate, as the case may be where appropriate, with a device for coupling and uncoupling the rollers from their support on said rear wheels, and, in addition, in that said one or more
• REPLACEMENT SHEET roller drive motors cooperate with control means operating in such a way as to essentially provide assistance with the advancement of said wheelchair. Since there is no attempt to permanently drive the wheelchair positively, it is clear that the motors intended for driving the rollers or the like, acting by friction on the rear wheels, can be considerably less powerful and require a lower power supply, and therefore lighter. It then becomes possible, in accordance with a complementary characteristic of the present invention, to ensure that the means of electrical supply of the motors are arranged, on the linear chassis or the rigid carrying frame, between said motors, so as to produce a particularly light, compact and handy aligned assembly. Likewise, it is preferable that the motor control means are arranged, preferably between said motors, on the same linear chassis, or on the same rigid frame.
• the motor torque applied to each wheel of the chair derives directly from the torque positively applied to the handrails by the disabled person, which moreover causes a jerky advancement which may prove to be unpleasant for the user;
• the engine torque which is supplied to the wheels does not depend on the manual torque couple transmitted to the handrails, but is normally obtained by a set of suitable contactors, preferably providing all-or-nothing operation with a propulsion unit. In fact, this engine torque even depends exactly, conversely, the resistive torque acting on the engines, for example due to the nature of the terrain or the intensity of the braking caused on one or both wheels by l 'user.
• the electric power supply of the drive motor of a roller or the like is supplied to this motor only when the latter receives beforehand a driving torque provided by the first movement, either of the disabled on the handrail or on the wheel on which said roller acts, either by accompanying it pushing or pulling the chair; conversely, the supply is automatically cut off as soon as said motor is subjected to a preset maximum torque.
• a manual wheelchair equipped according to the invention with simple advancement assistance can, without learning or apprehension, be used by any occasionally accompanying person who would then have no difficulty in
• certain handicapped people who temporarily or even definitively need more assistance for training their wheelchair, can keep their original manual wheelchair as long as possible.
• the propulsion unit according to the invention can advantageously be enclosed in an envelope of the type of a bag, or a suitcase, leaving no outside impression on the user's handicap to the outside observer.
• the protective casing of the propulsion unit according to the invention in addition to its contribution as regards the trivialization of the engine by hiding it from observers, can be advantageously used to fix the propellant assembly for example in the back of the chair so that the drive and control elements, emerging from the same bag, can perform their function while retaining overall ease of handling and above all its very temporary nature.
• connection of the propulsion unit via the bag is relatively precarious; this is why it will be preferred to add a rigid fixing system between the chassis of the manual wheelchair and the linear rigid chassis, or the rigid frame, supporting the motorization with its transmission and control members; it is obvious that these fixing means, which are also universal, will be such that they allow very easy mounting and dismounting of the propulsion unit on any manual chair.
• the powertrain according to the invention constitutes a decisive advance in the field of mobility aid for the disabled in wheelchairs, insofar as the very temporary addition of a motorization which is a priori not very visible contributes to the comfort of the disabled person and his entourage, while keeping the latter in his original chair, thus avoiding the physical and psychological trauma of switching from a manual chair to an electric chair, heavy and often unsightly.
• Figure 1 is a perspective representation of a manual chair equipped with a propulsion unit arranged in a flexible protective envelope
• Figure 2 is a schematic view of the propulsion unit of Figure 1, showing the particular distribution of the various elements composing said powertrain,
• FIG. 3a is a partial view of a manual chair showing an element for rapid fixing of the propulsion unit installed on a vertical frame of the backrest,
• FIG. 3b is an enlarged top view of a quick fastening element making it possible to adapt the propulsion unit to any frame of the back of a manual wheelchair
• FIG. 4 is a more detailed view of a propulsion unit, which may or may not be enclosed in a bag, and which is provided with a device for coupling and uncoupling the drive rollers of the large wheels of the chair,
• FIGS. 5 to 7 are diagrams showing the principle of operation and adjustment of the previous coupling and uncoupling device.
• the propulsion unit 1 which is intended to assist in the advancement of a perfectly arbitrary manual wheelchair 2, is fixed to the two substantially vertical uprights 3 of its back 4, so as to rest, by its drive rollers 5, on the rear wheels 6 of said chair 2.
• the propulsion unit 1 is placed inside of a flexible envelope 7 from which the drive rollers 5 emerge laterally as well as, according to FIG. 2, fastening elements 8 cooperating with the vertical uprights 3 of the backrest 4.
• the flexible envelope 7 has the function of protecting the group propellant 1 against external aggressions, such as dust or bad weather, while constituting a discreet covering revealing only the banal shape of a bag.
• the powertrain 1 more particularly consists of two engines 9 mounted head to tail at the respective ends of a linear rigid chassis, or of a rigid frame 15, so that each end of the axis 10 , which supports a roller 5, is turned outwards and can be found directly above the rear wheels 6 of the chair 2, if necessary in an adjustable manner.
• the two motors 9 are advantageously identical, and for example, they will be direct current electric motors developing an effective power of 100 watts under a direct voltage of 12 volts.
• the space between the two motors 9 is advantageously used to place one or two batteries 11 mounted in parallel to supply the said motors 9 with electronic control means 12.
• the batteries 11 can be of any type, but that they are advantageously rechargeable. It is quite important to note that the batteries 11 are in fact very compact, since the energy
• LOCATION SHEET required by the motors 9 is relatively low due to the fact that they contribute, in principle, only to assistance with advancement, and not to a permanent drive as known on conventional electric wheelchairs. On the other hand, it is clear that the maximum resisting torque can be obtained naturally due to too much effort to produce, or by voluntary feedback of the user on the handrails of the manual wheelchair 2.
• the management of the two motors 9 of the powertrain 1 is carried out by means of two contactors 13 and 14 independent of each other, each contactor 13, 14 being fixed to the end of a flexible connection wire interface to the electronic control means 12.
• contactors 13, 14, advantageously of the type of capacitive proximity detectors, can be fixed on the armature of the chair at the places most accessible to the disabled person, for example on each side of the chair 2, at level of the seat and in front of the rear wheels 6, so that, during the movements made by the arms to propel the chair 2, the hands naturally pass near said contactors 13, 14.
• the motors 9 are all or nothing controlled with a preferential choice of reduced accessible speeds, which makes it possible to provide assistance with continuous advancement at user, just limited by a predetermined resistive torque, the excess of which will immediately stop the supply of said motors 9.
• a control logic is as follows:
• the first contactor 13 is intended to manage the on-off function of the two motors 9, as well as the transition from stopping to first speed, and vice versa,
• the second contactor 14 manages the transition from first speed to second speed, and vice versa.
• the electronic control means 12 are designed so that simultaneous pulses on the contactors 13, 14 cause the rotors of the two motors 9 to short-circuit, with the advantage of causing braking of the wheelchair 2. It should be noted that the control means 12 are also provided so that only the pulses on the contactors 13, 14 whose duration exceeds 0.4 seconds are taken into account, which makes it possible to avoid the drawbacks associated with the change. unwanted engine speed 9, due to involuntary contact of the disabled person's hands with said contactors 13, 14; it was in fact possible to determine that the duration of an involuntary contact was generally greater than the abovementioned limit duration.
• the rigid frame 15 is advantageously provided with two carrying handles 16 facilitating the positioning of the propulsion unit 1 on the manual chair 2, and its removal.
• the propulsion unit 1 protected or not by its flexible envelope 7 is rapidly joined to the backrest 4 of the armchair 2 by means of the fastening elements 8, for example of the type of runners sliding on lugs 17 integral with two quick fastening systems 18, which are locked by an thumb screw 19 to the vertical uprights 3 of said backrest 4.
• each of the two quick fastening systems 18 is produced from a molded cylindrical part, preferably made of a composite material having a certain elasticity, the cylindrical part 20 having a vertical opening sufficient to be clipped onto the one of the vertical frames 3 of the backrest 4. It is obvious that the gap between the two slides 8 secured to the rigid frame 15 of the propulsion unit 1 is adjustable so as to be able to adapt to the backrest of practically all the armchairs
• FIG. 4 details the coupling and uncoupling device according to the invention: this first comprises a control lever 24, mounted for rotation about an axis parallel to that of the rollers 5; at the end of said lever 24 is arranged a gripping member 25 easily manipulated by the disabled person; the control lever 24 acts, by means of a known transmission system of
• REPLACEMENT SHEET the person skilled in the art, on a piston 26 sliding substantially horizontally in a sheath 27 secured to the linear frame or the rigid frame 15; this piston 26 extends towards the backrest 4 of the chair 2 by a rod 28, the length of which can be adjusted, and which normally comes to bear, in the so-called engaged position, on the upper part of one of the two plates support 21 of the quick fixing device 18, preferably perpendicular to said plate 21; on the side of the rigid frame 15, opposite the backrest 4 relative to the spindle 23 provided to support the propulsion unit 1 on the support plate 22, there is a connecting rod 29 mounted for rotation around an axis offset at the rear of that of said spindle 23, this rod 29 having the role of transmitting the movement of the rod 28, extending the piston 26, to a second rod 30 normally fixed to the right of said rod 29 to come to bear, in the so-called disengaged position, against the lower part of the support plate 21 of the quick fixing device 18; the rod 30 is of adjustable length; in addition, the position of the end of
• the adjustments proposed on the coupling and uncoupling device described above fulfill the following three objectives: - according to FIG. 5, the angle between the support plate 21 and the axis passing through the roller 5 and the spindle 23 varies according to the chairs; by adjusting the length of the rod 28, extending the piston 26, it is possible to reduce this angle to a given predetermined value so that, when the control lever 24 is pushed back towards the rear of the chair 2, so-called engaged position, the support of the rod 28 on the plate 21 contributes to positively pushing the rollers 5 in contact with the rear wheels 6. - according to FIG.
• the length of the rod 30, which is actuated by means of the rod 29, allows the control of the so-called disengaged position of the power unit 1; in fact, when the control lever 24 is brought back towards the front of the chair 2, the rod 30 is pushed against the lower part of the support plate 21 of the quick fixing device 18, which must release the rollers 5 from their contact on the rear wheels 6, simply because the pins 23 being locked in
• the adjustment of the length of the rod 30 makes it possible to decouple the rollers 5 with a high position such that the effort to be provided on the control lever 24 remains reasonable.
• the exemplary embodiment of the coupling and uncoupling device described above is not limitative of the invention which includes, of course, any similar device having the function of allowing the disabled person to couple and uncouple the rollers 5 of their support on the rear wheels 6, this using a control lever 24 with three positions: a so-called engaged contact position, a raised position called disengaged and an intermediate position for the removal of the powertrain 1 from the back of the back of the wheelchair 2 2.
• the invention is not only intended for the equipment of wheelchairs for the disabled, and can equally prove to be useful for the transport of any valid person, or even constitute an aid for the advancement of trolleys, shopping carts. and the like.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Handcart (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9403160

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (8)

Families Citing this family (4)

Citations (5)

• 1990
  • 1990-12-12 FR FR9015566A patent/FR2670381B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1991
  • 1991-12-12 EP EP92902184A patent/EP0561986B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1991-12-12 DE DE69104064T patent/DE69104064T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1991-12-12 WO PCT/FR1991/001004 patent/WO1992010157A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 1991-12-12 ES ES92902184T patent/ES2065164T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1991-12-12 AU AU91448/91A patent/AU9144891A/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (5)

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