Lateral wheelchair movement mechanism
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for use with a wheelchair having a rear portion with rear wheels, comprising:
- a base having a first and a second end;
a pair of lateral wheels connected to said base at said first and second ends, respectively;
said lateral wheels being disposed behind said rear wheels of said wheelchair;
a means for attaching said apparatus to said rear of said wheelchair;
a first lower-linkage having a first and second end, said first end of said lower-linkage being hingedly connected to said first end of said base;
a second lower-linkage having a first and second end, said first end of said second lower-linkage being hingedly connected to said second end of said base;
a first upper-linkage having a first and second end, said first end of said first upper-linkage being hingedly connected to said second end of said first lower-linkage;
a second upper-linkage having a first and a second end, said first end of said second upper-linkage being hingedly connected to said second end of said second lower-linkage;
a pair of secondary linkages transverse to said lateral wheels and hingedly connected to said base; and
a first actuator adapted to provide rotational force to said pair of lateral wheels.
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Abstract
Provided is an apparatus for use with a rear-wheel driven motorized wheelchair. The apparatus enables a motorized wheelchair to be used in areas that would not otherwise be possible. A motorized wheelchair, though very useful and necessary, has several mobility drawbacks. Lateral movement poses a problem to the motorized wheelchair. This apparatus provides a modification to existing rear-wheel driven motorized wheelchairs that allows the user to maneuver in tight spaces by providing a for sideways movement that would not be possible in conventional wheelchair designs.
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Citations
5 Claims
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1. An apparatus for use with a wheelchair having a rear portion with rear wheels, comprising:
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a base having a first and a second end; a pair of lateral wheels connected to said base at said first and second ends, respectively; said lateral wheels being disposed behind said rear wheels of said wheelchair; a means for attaching said apparatus to said rear of said wheelchair; a first lower-linkage having a first and second end, said first end of said lower-linkage being hingedly connected to said first end of said base; a second lower-linkage having a first and second end, said first end of said second lower-linkage being hingedly connected to said second end of said base; a first upper-linkage having a first and second end, said first end of said first upper-linkage being hingedly connected to said second end of said first lower-linkage; a second upper-linkage having a first and a second end, said first end of said second upper-linkage being hingedly connected to said second end of said second lower-linkage; a pair of secondary linkages transverse to said lateral wheels and hingedly connected to said base; and a first actuator adapted to provide rotational force to said pair of lateral wheels. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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Specification