Motorized wheelchair

• US 7,581,604 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2007
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kanto Auto Works Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kanto Auto Works Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Torita, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, HAU VAN
• Application Number:
  US11/715,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20070261897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 180/6.5, 180/6.48, 180/16, 180/24.02, 180/24.12, 180/251, 180/907, 180/65.1, 280/304.1, 280/250.1
• US Class Current: 180/6.5
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/14 Joysticks
• 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 5/10 Parts, details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1054 Large wheels, e.g. higher than the seat portion
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 19/003 Multidirectional wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2310/305 by screwing
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/84 Wheelchairs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 180/907 Motorized wheelchairs

Abstract

A motorized wheelchair having transmission rollers to transmit the rotation of rear wheels to front wheels while being disposed at a transmission position between circumferential surfaces of front and rear wheels, a roller supporting arm for rotatably and oscillatingly supporting the transmission rollers in the front-rear direction of the wheelchair, and transmission roller pressure-contact springs for urging the roller supporting arm in a direction of the transmission position. An operation lever constrains the roller supporting arm in an interlocking manner in the direction away from the transmission position when being at the regular position, and releases the constrains when the operation lever being at the working position so as to allow the transmission rollers to be disposed at the transmission position.

Claims

1. A motorized wheelchair having right and left motorized rear wheels, and omni-directional front wheels having a plurality of rollers rotatable in a direction orthogonal to an alignment direction of wheels disposed for direction change around the circumference thereof, comprising:

an operation lever provided on a body frame and operable between a regular position and a working position, a pair of transmission rollers for transmitting the rotation of the rear wheels to the front wheels while being disposed at a transmission position between circumferential surfaces of the rear wheels and the front wheels, a pair of roller supporting arms provided on the body frame so as to be movable between a neutral position and a transmission position while the transmission rollers are supported rotatably and oscillatingly in the front-rear direction of the wheelchair, and transmission roller pressure-contact springs for urging the roller supporting arms in the direction of the transmission position so that the transmission rollers are pressure-contacted with the circumferential surfaces of the wheels when at the transmission position,

wherein the operation lever constrains the roller supporting arms in an interlocking manner in a direction away from the transmission position when at the regular position, and the constraint of the roller supporting arm is released when the operation lever being moved to the working position.

2. The motorized wheelchair according to claim 1,

wherein the operation lever is fixed to a rotary shaft pivotably supported by the body frame;

the roller supporting arms have a first link arm for rotatably supporting the transmission rollers by a tip portion of the first link arm and a second link arm urged by the transmission roller pressure-contact springs while a tip portion of the second link arm is pivotably attached to a base end portion of the first link arm, and a base end portion of the second link arm is fixed to the rotary shaft; and

elastic bodies for regulating the turning position of the first link arm with respect to the second link arm interposed between the first link arm and the second link arm so that the transmission rollers can be oscillated in the front-rear direction of the wheelchair at the neutral position, and

wherein the second link arm is turned in the direction away from the transmission position when the operation lever being at the regular position, and constrained, and the constraint of the second link arm is released by the operation lever being moved to the working position.

3. The motorized wheelchair according to claim 1,

wherein the operation lever is pivotably attached to the body frame;

a pair of upper and lower roller supporting arms are constituted of two first link arms for rotatably supporting two transmission rollers at tip portions of the first link arms, the transmission rollers performing transmission at the transmission position on the upper and lower sides of the closest position between the circumferential surfaces of the wheels, and two second link arms urged by the transmission roller pressure-contact springs while tip portions of the second link arms are pivotably attached to base end portions of the first link arms, and base end portions of the second link arms are pivotably attached to the body frame, and elastic bodies for regulating the turning position of the first link arm with respect to the second link arms are interposed between the first link arms and the second link arms so as to oscillate the transmission rollers in the front-rear direction of the wheelchair at the neutral position, and

wherein the second link arms are turned in the direction away from the transmission position when the operation lever being at the regular position, and constrained, and the constraint of the second link arm is released when the operation lever being at the working position.

4. The motorized wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein a base frame having the front wheels, the operation lever, and the roller supporting arm is mounted on a mounting part for a caster type front wheel of the body frame of the rear wheel drive type motorized wheelchair in place of the caster type front wheel.

5. The motorized wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein each roller of the front wheels has a half-spindle shape in which the diameter is continuously reduced from a base end portion to a tip portion, and the tip portion of each roller is partially inserted into a recess formed in the base end portion of the adjacent rollers so that the tip portion can be brought close to the base end portions of the adjacent rollers.