Power assist anti-tip wheel system for invalid carriage

• US 5,904,214 A
• Filed: 07/11/1997
• Issued: 05/18/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David Jung-Ching Lin
• Original Assignee: David Jung-Ching Lin
• Inventors: Lin, David Jung-Ching
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US08/891,679
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 180/15, 180/16, 180/22, 180/907
• US Class Current: 180/15
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/14 Joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/042 Front wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/045 Rear wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/046 at least three driven wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/06 with obstacle mounting facilities, e.g. for climbing stairs, kerbs or steps
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1051 Arrangements for steering
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1089 Anti-tip devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/84 Wheelchairs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 180/907 Motorized wheelchairs

Abstract

Disclosed is a power assist anti-tip wheel system for invalid carriage including at least one connecting support, at least one assist anti-tip wheel, and at least one power driving means. The connecting support is fixedly or detachably connected at one end to a front or a rear side of the invalid carriage. The anti-tip wheel is associated with the connecting support so that it is located in front of or behind the invalid carriage. The power driving means is also associated with the connecting support to drive the anti-tip wheel to rotate when the invalid carriage travels onto a slope or passes a recess or a bulge on a road surface and two drive wheels thereof become suspended and idling. The power driving means can be automatically actuated via a sensing circuit or be manually actuated via a push button. When the anti-tip wheel is driven by the power driving means to rotate, it provides an assistant power source to the invalid carriage and help the same to keep moving forward when the drive wheels of the invalid carriage are idling.

Claims

1. A power assist anti-tip wheel system for invalid carriage, comprising at least one connecting support having one end connected to a front or a rear side of a main frame of said invalid carriage, at least one assist anti-tip wheel connected to another end of said at least on connecting support, and at least one power driving means mounted on said connecting supports to associate with said at least on assist anti-tip wheel, whereby when said invalid carriage passes irregularities on a road surface and causes two drive wheels of said invalid carriage to become suspended and idling, said at least one power driving means can be actuated to rotate said at least one assist anti-tip wheel to help said invalid carriage to contact with the road surface to operate in a normal manner again.

2. A power assist anti-tip wheel system for invalid carriage as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connecting support includes a middle crossbar and two arms separately extending from two ends of the middle crossbar at a right angle with the crossbar.

3. A power assist anti-tip wheel system for invalid carriage as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connecting support is a substantially T-shaped member.

4. A power assist anti-tip wheel system for invalid carriage as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connecting support is a substantially straight bar-like member.

5. A power assist anti-tip wheel system for invalid carriage as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one connecting support is provided near an end connected to said main frame of said invalid carriage with a hole and said main frame of said invalid carriage has at least one hollow connecting section extending from a front or a rear side of said main frame for said at least one connecting support to insert thereinto, whereby said hole on said at least one connecting support shall align with an insertion hole provided on said at least one connecting section of said main frame to allow at least one insertion pin to insert thereinto and thereby detachably lock said at least one connecting support and accordingly the whole power assist anti-tip wheel system to said invalid carriage via said main frame.

6. A power assist anti-tip wheel system for invalid carriage as claimed in claim 2, wherein said at least one connecting support is provided near an end connected to said main frame of said invalid carriage with a hole and said main frame of said invalid carriage has at least one hollow connecting section extending from a front or a rear side of said main frame for said at least one connecting support to insert thereinto, whereby said hole on said at least one connecting support shall align with an insertion hole provided on said at least one connecting section of said main frame to allow at least one insertion pin to insert thereinto and thereby detachably lock said at least one connecting support and accordingly the whole power assist anti-tip wheel system to said invalid carriage via said main frame.

7. A power assist anti-tip wheel system for invalid carriage as claimed in claim 3, wherein said at least one connecting support is provided near an end connected to said main frame of said invalid carriage with a hole and said main frame of said invalid carriage has at least one hollow connecting section extending from a front or a rear side of said main frame for said at least one connecting support to insert thereinto, whereby said hole on said at least one connecting support shall align with an insertion hole provided on said at least one connecting section of said main frame to allow at least one insertion pin to insert thereinto and thereby detachably lock said at least one connecting support and accordingly the whole power assist anti-tip wheel system to said invalid carriage via said main frame.

8. A power assist anti-tip wheel system for invalid carriage as claimed in claim 4, wherein said at least one connecting support is provided near an end connected to said main frame of said invalid carriage with a hole and said main frame of said invalid carriage has at least one hollow connecting section extending from a front or a rear side of said main frame for said at least one connecting support to insert thereinto, whereby said hole on said at least one connecting support shall align with an insertion hole provided on said at least one connecting section of said main frame to allow at least one insertion pin to insert thereinto and thereby detachably lock said at least one connecting support and accordingly the whole power assist anti-tip wheel system to said invalid carriage via said main frame.

9. A power assist anti-tip wheel system for invalid carriage as claimed in claim 1, wherein said power assist anti-tip wheel system includes two connecting supports which support two assist anti-tip wheels and area separately connected to and near two outer ends of the front or the rear side of said main frame of said invalid carriage, so that said two assist anti-tip wheels together with said two drive wheels of said invalid carriage form a four-wheel transmission structure.

10. A power assist anti-tip wheel system for invalid carriage as claimed in claim 1, wherein said power driving means includes a circuit capable of sensing a suspension and idle state of said drive wheels of said invalid carriage and automatically actuating said power driving means to rotate said at least one assist anti-tip wheel when such suspension and idle state of said drive wheels is sensed.

11. A power assist anti-tip wheel system for invalid carriage as claimed in claim 1, wherein said power driving means includes an electrically connected push button or switch provided on said invalid carriage, whereby when said drive wheels of said invalid carriage become suspended and idling, said push button or switch can be operated to manually actuate said power driving means to rotate said at least one assist anti-tip wheel.

12. A power assist anti-tip wheel system for invalid carriage as claimed in claim 1, wherein said power driving means is formed from an electric motor and a set of transmission gears.