Merry-go-round for wheel chairs

• US 6,171,198 B1
• Filed: 02/18/1999
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: University of Puerto Rico
• Original Assignee: University of Puerto Rico
• Inventors: Serrano, David, Aviles, Eilleen, Santana Lopez, Felix J., Valentin, Victor M., Lizama Troncoso, Mauricio Ambal
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kien T.
• Application Number:
  US09/252,001
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 472/14, 472/21, 472/24, 472/29, 472/36, 472/43, 104/53, 14/695, 414/921, 414/537, 414/540, 414/543
• US Class Current: 472/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 1/12 rotated by the passengers themselves

Abstract

A merry-go-round with a frame supported for rotation by a plurality of driven wheels, the merry-go-round having a space for a wheel chair and a space for a non-wheel chair bound person. Each separate space on the merry-go-round is associated with a respective crank assembly such that a person in that space can drive one of the driven wheels through a crank. A plurality of smaller wheels secured to the underside of the frame provide additional support for the merry-go-round. The person in the non-wheel chair bound space can stand on the frame, or in an alternate embodiment can sit on a chair. Because the merry-go-round has spaces for both wheel chairs and non-wheel chair bound people, both can use the merry-go-round at the same time.

Claims

1. A merry-go-round comprising:

a rotatable platform defining at least one space for accommodating at least one individual on a wheel chair;

a ramp for loading in the space the individual on the wheel chair; and

at least one manually driven drive assembly for rotating the platform about an axis of rotation.

2. The merry-go-round of claim 1, wherein the platform defines a first space for accommodating the at least one individual on the wheel chair and a second space for accommodating at least one other individual and wherein the drive assembly includes at least one rotatable crank positioned to permit rotation of the crank by at least one of the individuals.

3. The merry-go-round of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of wheels coupled to the platform to permit rotational movement of the platform on a surface.

4. The merry-go-round of claim 3, wherein at least one of the wheels is coupled to the crank to permit driving of the at least one wheel by rotation of the crank.

5. The merry-go-round of claim 4, wherein the drive assembly further comprises a first rotatable crank positioned to permit rotation of the first crank by the individual at the first space and a second rotatable crank positioned to permit rotation of the second crank by the individual at the second space.

6. The merry-go-round of claim 3, wherein the platform further defines a third space for accommodating another individual on a wheel chair and a fourth space for accommodating an additional individual.

7. A merry-go-round comprising:

a rotatable support having at least one ramp for loading onto the rotatable support at least one individual on a wheel chair, the rotatable support defining at least one space associated with the ramp for accommodating the individual on the wheel chair;

a plurality of wheels coupled to the rotatable support to permit rotation of the rotatable support about an axis of rotation; and

at least one passenger controlled drive assembly for driving at least one of the wheels to thereby rotate the rotatable support about an axis of rotation.

8. The merry-go-round of claim 7, wherein the passenger controlled drive assembly comprises a rotatable crank positioned on the rotatable support to permit rotation of the crank by arm movement of the individual on the wheel chair and a transmission coupled to the rotatable crank to drive the at least one driven wheel in response to rotation of the crank.

9. The merry-go-round of claim 8, wherein the transmission comprises a chain and a plurality of rotatable sprockets for engaging the chain.

10. The merry-go-round of claim 8, wherein the rotatable support further comprises a platform and at least one frame on the platform, the rotatable crank being mounted on the frame so that the rotatable crank is above a wheel chair seat when the wheel chair is at the space on the rotatable support.

11. The merry-go-round of claim 7, wherein the rotatable support further defines at least one second space for accommodating at least one non-wheel chair bound individual.

12. The merry-go-round of claim 11, wherein the passenger controlled drive assembly comprises

a rotatable crank positioned on the rotatable support to permit rotation of the crank by a individual at the second space and

a transmission coupled to the rotatable crank to drive the at least one driven wheel in response to rotation of the crank.

13. The merry-go-round of claim 12, wherein the transmission comprises a chain and a plurality of rotatable sprockets for engaging the chain.

14. The merry-go-round of claim 12, wherein the rotatable support comprises a support arm adjacent to the crank, the support arm being capable of being grasped by the individual at the second space.

15. The merry-go-round of claim 12, wherein the rotatable support further comprises a platform and at least one frame on the plafform, the rotatable crank being mounted on the frame so that the crank is positioned above the platform at a height permitting rotation of the crank by arm movement of an individual on the platform at the second space.

16. The merry-go-round of claim 7, wherein the plurality of wheels comprise the at least one driven wheel and at least one supporting wheel.

17. The merry-go-round of claim 7, wherein the at least one driven wheel is offset such that the driven wheel does not interfere with the loading of the individual on the wheel chair.

18. The merry-go-round of claims 7, wherein at least some of the wheels rotate about a respective axis that intersects the axis of rotation of the rotatable support.

19. The merry-go-round of claim 7, wherein the rotatable support further comprises a hinge permitting movement of the ramp between a wheel chair loading position and a merry-go-round riding position.

20. The merry-go-round of claim 7, further comprising a seat on the rotatable support for allowing an individual to sit while riding the merry-go-round.

21. A merry-go-round comprising:

a rotatable platform;

a plurality of wheels coupled to the rotatable platform to permit rotation of the rotatable platform about an axis of rotation;

first and second support members on the rotatable platform, the first and second support members being spaced a sufficient distance apart from one another to place an individual on a wheel chair on the platform between the support members; and

at least one manually driven drive assembly for driving at least one of the wheels to thereby rotate the rotatable platform about the axis of rotation, the drive assembly comprising

a movable drive actuator coupled to at least one of the first and second support members to permit movement of the actuator by arm movement of the individual in the wheel chair, and

a transmission coupled between the moveable drive actuator and the at least one driven wheel.

22. The merry-go-round of claim 21, wherein the moveable drive actuator is a crank rotatably coupled to the first and second support members.

23. A merry-go-round comprising:

a rotatable platform defining at least one space for accommodating at least one individual in a wheel chair;

at least one wheel chair fastener movable between a wheel chair loading position and a wheel chair fastening position for selectively fastening the wheel chair to the platform when the fastener is in the wheel chair fastening position; and

at least one manually driven drive assembly for rotating the platform about an axis of rotation.

24. The merry-go-round of claim 23, wherein the fastener comprises a ramp for loading onto the rotatable platform at least one individual on a wheel chair and a hinge permitting movement of the ramp between the wheel chair loading position and the wheel chair fastening position.

25. A merry-go-round comprising:

a rotatable support having at least one ramp for loading onto the rotatable support at least one individual on a wheel chair, the rotatable support defining at least one space associated with the ramp for accommodating the individual on the wheel chair;

a plurality of wheels coupled to the rotatable support to permit rotation of the rotatable support about an axis of rotation; and

at least one passenger controlled drive assembly for driving at least one of the wheels to thereby rotate the rotatable support about an axis of rotation.

26. A merry-go-round comprising:

a rotatable platform defining at least one compartment for accommodating at least one individual on a wheel chair; and

a ramp for loading in the at least one compartment the individual on the wheel chair.

27. The merry-go-round of claim 26, wherein the platform defines a first compartment for accommodating the at least one individual on a wheel chair and a second compartment for accommodating at least one other individual.

28. The merry-go-round of claim 27, wherein the platform further defines a third compartment for accommodating another individual on a wheel chair and a fourth compartment for accommodating an additional individual.

29. The merry-go-round of claim 26, further comprising a plurality of wheels coupled to the platform to permit rotational movement of the platform on a surface.

30. The merry-go-round of claim 26, further comprising a ramp hinge permitting movement of the ramp between a wheel chair loading position and a merry-go-round riding position.

31. A merry-go-round comprising:

a rotatable support having at least one ramp for loading onto the rotatable support at least one individual on a wheel chair, the rotatable support defining at least one compartment associated with the ramp for accommodating the individual on the wheel chair; and

a plurality of wheels coupled to the rotatable support to permit rotation of the rotatable support about an axis of rotation.

32. The merry-go-round of claim 31 wherein the rotatable support further defines at least one second compartment for accommodating at least one non-wheel chair bound individual.

33. The merry-go-round of claim 31, wherein the plurality of wheels comprise at least one driven wheel and at least one supporting wheel.

34. The merry-go-round of claim 33, wherein the at least one driven wheel is offset such that the driven wheel does not interfere with the loading of the individual on the wheel chair.

35. The merry-go-round of claim 31, wherein the rotatable support includes a hinge permitting movement of the ramp between a wheel chair loading position and a merry-go-round riding position.

36. The merry-go-round of claim 31, wherein the rotatable support comprises first and second support members on a rotatable platform, the first and second support members being spaced a sufficient distance apart from one another to place an individual on a wheel chair on the platform between the support members.

37. A merry-go-round comprising:

a rotatable platform defining at least one compartment for accommodating at least one individual in a wheel chair; and

at least one wheel chair fastener movable between a wheel chair loading position and a wheel chair fastening position for selectively fastening the wheel chair to the platform when the fastener is in the wheel chair fastening position.

38. The merry-go-round of claim 37, wherein the fastener comprises a ramp for loading onto the rotatable platform at least one individual on a wheel chair and a hinge permitting movement of the ramp between the wheel chair loading position and the wheel chair fastening position.