STAIR CLIMBING DEVICE

• US 20100062907A1
• Filed: 08/26/2009
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ulrich Alber GmbH (Invacare Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ulrich Alber GmbH (Invacare Corporation)
• Inventors: Scheck, Franz
• Granted Patent: US 8,061,460 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 482/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/045 Rear wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/063 with eccentrically mounted wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0026 Propulsion aids
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/028 with excentrically mounted wheels

Abstract

A stair climbing device, adapted for a wheel chair, including at least one climbing element which is adapted to be moved on a circular path so that it can get in contact with the next step of a stair and lift or lower the stair climbing device on the next step. The stair climbing device includes a drive motor for providing a driving force for moving the at least one climbing element on the circular path, wherein the movement of the at least one climbing element on the circular path is carried out with a non-constant rotational speed. A gear transmission assembly is provided between the drive motor and the at least one climbing element which gear transmission assembly is adapted to cyclically vary the rotational speed of the at least one climbing element with respect to the rotational speed of the drive motor.

Claims

1. A stair climbing device having at least one climbing element which can be moved on a circular path so that the element can get in contact with the next step of a stair and lift or lower the stair climbing device on the next step, said stair climbing device comprising

a drive motor for providing a driving force for moving the at least one climbing element on the circular path,

wherein the movement of the at least one climbing element on the circular path is carried out with a non-constant rotational speed,

wherein

a gear transmission assembly is provided between the drive motor and the at least one climbing element which gear transmission assembly is adapted to cyclically vary the rotational speed of the at least one climbing element with respect to the rotational speed of the drive motor.

2. The stair climbing device according to claim 1, wherein the gear transmission assembly is a mechanical gear transmission assembly.

3. The stair climbing device according to claim 2, wherein the gear transmission assembly is one of the group comprising:

a Cardan joint, a linkage gear assembly, a chain gear assembly having non-circular chain wheels, a tooth belt gear assembly having non-circular belt pulleys, a cam-roller star gear assembly and a cam gear assembly.

4. The stair climbing device according to claim 1, wherein the gear transmission assembly is a mechanical gear transmission assembly, namely a non-circular gear transmission assembly.

5. The stair climbing device according to claim 4, wherein the non-circular gear transmission assembly has two non-circular gear wheels having different lines of contact or lines of action.

6. The stair climbing device according to claim 4, wherein the non-circular gear transmission assembly has two non-circular gear wheels having the same lines of action or lines of contact.

7. The stair climbing device according to claim 6, wherein the non-circular gear wheels are disposed in mirror imaged lines of action or lines of contact.

8. The stair climbing device according to claim 6, wherein the non-circular gear wheels are disposed with offset lines of action or lines of contact.

9. The stair climbing device according to claim 1, wherein the drive motor is adapted to be driven with cyclically variable rotational speed, wherein the variation of the rotational speed of the at least one climbing element caused by the variation of the rotational speed of the drive motor is superimposed on the variation of the rotational speed of the at least one climbing element caused by the gear transmission assembly.

10. The stair climbing device according to claim 1, wherein two climbing elements are provided.

11. The stair climbing device according to claim 1, wherein the climbing elements are implemented as running wheels mounted on eccentric arms.

12. The stair climbing device according to claim 1, wherein the stair climbing device is a stair climbing device adapted for a wheel chair.