Folding and fixing device for a seat of an electric walk-substituting vehicle

• US 7,886,855 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2009
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arthur Wang
• Original Assignee: Arthur Wang
• Inventors: Wang, Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II; J. Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): AVERY, BRIDGET D
• Application Number:
  US12/320,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20100181124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/907, 180/908, 280/642, 280/650, 280/304.1, 280/304.2, 297/53
• US Class Current: 180/65.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/045 Rear wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/08 foldable
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/085 folding up and down, e.g. reducing or expanding the overall height of the wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/0883 having locking means for maintaining a folded or unfolded condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/0891 having rigid supports, e.g. seat or back supports which retain their shape after folding of the wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1051 Arrangements for steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3011 the back-rest being hinged on the cushion, e.g. "portefeuille movement"
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3065 in a longitudinal-vertical plane
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/309 rods
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/84 Wheelchairs
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/007 power-driven
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 180/907 Motorized wheelchairs

Abstract

An electric walk-substituting vehicle includes a chassis, a seat assembly pivoted on upper ends of the connecting rods, a pivotal steering mechanism, and a folding and fixing device, which will fix the connecting rods after the seat assembly is moved to either of raised in-use and lowered not-in-use positions; the seat assembly includes connecting rods pivoted on the chassis; the folding and fixing device includes two position-limiting plates, which are secured on the connecting rods to pivot together with the connecting rods; the position-limiting plates each have first and second holes; the folding and fixing device includes a pressing and moving mechanism with two insertion rods; the insertion rods will pass into the first holes to engage the position-limiting plates after the connecting rods are pivoted to the raised in-use position; the insertion rods will pass into the second holes after the connecting rods are pivoted to the not-in-use position.

Claims

1. A folding and fixing device for a seat of an electric walk-substituting vehicle,

the electric walk-substituting vehicle comprising:

a chassis;

the chassis includes a main part and a footrest part pivotally connected to the main part;

the main part of the chassis having a joining component fixed on each of two sides thereof;

a seat assembly positioned above the main part of the chassis;

the seat assembly being positioned above the main part of the chassis so as to be movable between a raised in-use position and a lowered not-in-use one;

the seat assembly including two connecting rods, which are each pivotally connected at a lower end thereof to one of the joining components on the main part of the chassis;

a steering mechanism pivoted on a front end of the footrest part of the chassis; and

a folding and fixing device for fixing the seat assembly;

the folding and fixing device fixing the seat assembly after the seat assembly is moved to a chosen one of the raised in-use and the lowered not-in-use positions;

the folding and fixing device including;

(a) two position-limiting plates, which are each securely joined on a lower end of one of the connecting rods of the seat assembly;

each of the position-limiting plates having a curved groove on one side thereof, and first and second fixing holes, which are formed on another side of the position-limiting plate, and communicate with the curved groove; and

(b) a pressing and moving mechanism interposed between the joining components fixed on the main part of the chassis;

the pressing and moving mechanism having plural insertion rods;

the insertion rods passing into corresponding said fixing holes of the position-limiting plates through the curved grooves so as to fix the connecting rods of the seat assembly after the seat assembly is moved to a chosen one of the raised in-use and the lowered not-in-use positions.

2. The folding and fixing device for a seat of an electric walk-substituting vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressing and moving mechanism has:

an outlet on each of two sides thereof;

an inner stopping piece facing each of the outlets;

the insertion rods being each passed through a corresponding said outlet;

an elastic element positioned around each of the insertion rods and between a corresponding said outlet and a corresponding said stopping piece;

the insertion rods being biased to stick out from the outlets so as to engage the position-limiting plates at first ends thereof by means of the elastic elements;

two co-moving components, which are joined to other ends of the insertion rods respectively;

each of the co-moving components having a raised portion; and

a moving member for causing motion of the co-moving components;

the moving member having two guiding slots;

the raised portions of the co-moving components being held in the guiding slots of the moving member respectively.

3. The folding and fixing device for a seat of an electric walk-substituting vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressing and moving mechanism has two observation holes, and each of the insertion rods has first and second sections, which are different colors;

the first sections of the insertion rods being exposed through said observation holes respectively when the insertion rods are engaged with the position-limiting plates;

the second sections of the insertion rods being exposed through said observation holes respectively when the insertion rods are disengaged from the position-limiting plates.

4. The folding and fixing device for a seat of an electric walk-substituting vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seat assembly includes a seat, a backrest, and a fast-to-unfasten mechanism;

the backrest being pivoted on the seat;

the fast-to-unfasten mechanism being movable to a fastening position to prevent the backrest from moving relative to the seat.

5. The folding and fixing device for a seat of an electric walk-substituting vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seat assembly includes a seat, and a backrest pivoted on the seat;

the seat having a pivotal piece;

the backrest having a protrusion;

the backrest being pivoted on the pivotal piece of the seat at the protrusion thereof;

the pivotal piece of the seat having a propping edge;

the protrusion of the backrest having a propped edge to contact the propping edge of the seat.

6. The folding and fixing device for a seat of an electric walk-substituting vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the position-limiting plates has a plurality of third fixing holes between the first and the second fixing holes thereof for allowing the seat assembly to be adjusted in position.

7. The folding and fixing device for a seat of an electric walk-substituting vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pressing and moving mechanism has two observation holes, and each of the insertion rods has first and second sections, which are different colors;

the first sections of the insertion rods being exposed through said observation holes respectively when the insertion rods are engaged with the position-limiting plates;

the second sections of the insertion rods exposed through said observation holes respectively when the insertion rods are disengaged from the position-limiting plates.