Powered Wheelchair Joystick Handles
First Claim
1. An ergonomic joystick handle comprising an upper surface that is contoured to the hand of a user, the upper surface having a protrusion adapted to be located between a thumb and fingers of a hand of a user, the upper surface further having upturned outer edges and a pair of support surfaces, one of the support surfaces adapted to support a thumb of a use and the other support surface adapted to support a palm of a hand of a user, both of the support surfaces having contoured troughs adapted to contact and distribute pressure over a maximal surface of the hand of a user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
One embodiment is a handle supporting a users hand having a large surface for the palm, a trough for the thumb, a protrusion between the thumb and first finger and flared edges to keep the hand from sliding. A support surface is coupled to the stem of a wheelchair joystick gimbal and is biased in forward driving. A second embodiment is a wheelchair joystick movable between forward and reverse positions while maintaining the same orientation relative to the user. A supporting surface is pivotally mounted to a gimbal stem fixed to the wheelchair. The handle pivots to remain in a neutral position with movement of the joystick. A bi-directional spring biases the handle toward a neutral position. A third embodiment comprises a pivot coupled to a gimbal stem and a cup coupled to the user. The assembly is completed by placing the cup over the pivot allowing for movement therebetween.
11 Citations
20 Claims
- 1. An ergonomic joystick handle comprising an upper surface that is contoured to the hand of a user, the upper surface having a protrusion adapted to be located between a thumb and fingers of a hand of a user, the upper surface further having upturned outer edges and a pair of support surfaces, one of the support surfaces adapted to support a thumb of a use and the other support surface adapted to support a palm of a hand of a user, both of the support surfaces having contoured troughs adapted to contact and distribute pressure over a maximal surface of the hand of a user.
- 5. A joystick comprising a handle having an upper surface for supporting the hand of a user and it gimbal stem, the handle being pivotally affixed to the gimbal stem by a hinge joint to allow the handle to rotate with respect to the gimbal stem as the gimbal stem moves between a forward position and a rearward position with a neutral position about midway intermediate the forward and rearward positions to allow a wrist of a user to maintain a neutral position when the gimbal stem moves between the forward and rearward positions.
- 14. A joystick assembly comprising a pivot adapted to be coupled to the stem of a gimbal joystick and a cup adapted to be affixed to the arm or hand of a user, the cup comprising a concave bearing surface and the pivot comprising a cylindrical boss, wherein the boss is detachably connected to the cup by the interlining of the boss into the concave bearing surface.
Specification