Stair-climbing vehicle for wheelchair

• US 6,158,536 A
• Filed: 06/12/1997
• Issued: 12/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sunwa Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Sunwa Ltd.
• Inventors: Misawa, Rintaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fischer, Andrew J.
• Application Number:
  US08/873,747
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: 180/9.32, 180/9.21, 180/6.7, 180/901, 280/DIG. 10
• US Class Current: 180/9.32
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/42 for inclination
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 3/0808 Accommodating or securing wheelchairs
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/061 for climbing stairs
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/066 with endless belts
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/107 positioning the whole seat forward or rearward
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/075 Tracked vehicles for ascending or descending stairs, steep slopes or vertical surfacesmagnetic or pneumatic ground-engaging parts B62D55/265; chairs or multi-track cycles specially adapted for invalids A61G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 180/901 Devices for traversing vertical surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 280/10 Stair climbing chairs

Abstract

There is provided a stair-climbing vehicle for transporting a wheelchair with a person sitting on. The vehicle comprise a crawler device including a pair of endless belt crawlers disposed on opposite sides of the vehicle; a vehicle body including a driving motor for driving the crawler device to enabling the stair-climbing vehicle to climb up or down a stairway; a load-carrying platform for mounting a wheelchair, said load-carrying platform being provided above the vehicle body capable of pivoting in vertical direction about one end thereof. The load-carrying platform is provided with a inclination sensor. The inclination sensor includes a first inclination sensing element and a second inclination sensing element, each inclination sensing element is a tubular member containing a flowable electrically conductive material and a pair of electrically conductive terminals.

Claims

1. A stair-climbing vehicle for transporting a wheelchair with a person sitting on, the stair-climbing vehicle comprising:

a crawler device including a pair of endless belt crawlers disposed on opposite sides of the vehicle;

a vehicle body including a driving motor for driving the crawler device to enabling the stair-climbing vehicle to climb up or down a stairway;

a load-carrying platform for mounting a wheelchair, said load-carrying platform being provided above the vehicle body capable of pivoting about a horizontal axis relative to said vehicle body;

wherein the vehicle body and the load-carrying platform are connected with each other through an electrical cylinder, the load-carrying platform being provided with an inclination sensor;

wherein the inclination sensor includes a first inclination sensing element and a second inclination sensing element, each inclination sensing element is a tubular member containing a flowable electrically conductive material and a pair of electrically conductive terminals; and

wherein when said inclination sensor is in operation, said electrical cylinder operates to pivot said load-carrying platform in response to an operation signal output by either of said first and second inclination sensing elements, and

when said load-carrying platform is horizontal and said inclination sensor is in operation, one of said first and second inclination sensing elements always operates to output an operation signal to thereby operate said electrical cylinder.

2. A stair-climbing vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first inclination sensing element is inclined forming an angle α

with a horizontal line of the load-carrying platform, wherein the angle α

is within the range of 13°

-18°

.

3. A stair-climbing vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the second inclination sensing element is inclined forming an angle β

with an extended line of the first inclination sensing element, wherein the angle β

is within the range of 5°

-10°

.

4. A stair-climbing vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the flowable electrically conductive material is mercury.

5. A stair-climbing vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the crawler device includes a front operating member and a rear operating member, which are connected with each other and are capable of cooperating into an inverted "V" through a mutually connected point.

6. A stair-climbing vehicle according to claim 5, wherein a rod of an extending/retracting cylinder is connected to the rear operating member near the mutually connected point, such that the front operating member and the rear operating member are normally kept straight, but will be formed into an inverted "V" by cylinder'"'"'s retracting movement, so as to effect a smooth movement of the stair-climbing vehicle from a stairway to a horizontal ground surface, or vice versa.

7. A stair-climbing vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

when said load-carrying platform is horizontal, said flowable electrically conductive material of said first inclination sensing element electrically connects the pair of electrically conductive terminals of said first inclination sensing element, and said flowable electrically conductive material of said second inclination sensing element does not electrically connect the pair of electrically conductive terminals of said second inclination sensing element.

8. A stair-climbing vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

each of said inclination sensing elements operates to output an operation signal when said flowable electrically conductive material connects said pair of electrically conductive terminals.

9. A stair-climbing vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a circuit electrically connected to said first and second inclination elements, including

a motor connected to drive said electrical cylinder,

a power source, and

a switching assembly, selectively connecting said motor to said power source in response to said operation signals output by said inclination sensing elements.

10. A stair-climbing vehicle according to claim 9, wherein

first terminals of said electrically conductive terminals of said inclination sensing elements are connected to a low potential terminal of said power source, and wherein

said switching assembly includes

first and second coils each connected at a first end to a high potential terminal of said power source, and connected at a second end to a second terminal of said electrically conductive terminals of said first and second inclination sensing elements, respectively,

first and second switches having first ends connected to opposite terminals of said motor and having second ends mechanically biased to be connected to said low potential terminal of said power source, moveable to be connected to said high potential terminal of said power source upon respective energizing of said first and second coils,

whereby, when said flowable electrically conductive material connects said pair of electrically conductive terminals of one of said first and second inclination sensing elements, a respective one of said first and second coils is energized to move said second end of a respective one of said first and second switches, to thereby connect one of said terminals of said motor to said high potential terminal of said power source and operate said motor.

11. A stair-climbing vehicle according to claims 10, wherein

said circuit includes a manual switch, wherein

said manual switch makes said inclination sensor operational by connecting said first and second inclination elements to said switching assembly, to allow said switching assembly to selectively connect said motor to said power source in response to said operation signals output by said first and second inclination elements.

12. A stair-climbing vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a manual switch moveable to a first active position, a second active position and a neutral position,

when said manual switch is in the first active position, said electrical cylinder is responsive to said inclination sensor,

when said manual switch is in the second active position, said electrical cylinder is operational, and

when said manual switch is in the neutral position, said electrical cylinder is non-operational.

13. A stair-climbing vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a manual switch, moveable to a first active position, a second active position and a neutral position,

a motor, and

a power source, wherein

said inclination sensor selectively connects said motor to said power source when said switch is in said first active position, said manual switch connects said motor to said power source when said manual switch is in said second active position, and said motor and power source are disconnected when said manual switch is in said neutral position.

14. A stair-climbing vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said tubular members of said first and second inclination sensing elements are elongated about first and second axes, said first axis and a plane parallel to a surface of said load-carrying platform form a first acute angle, said second axis and said plane parallel to said surface of said load-carrying platform form a second acute angle, wherein

said first acute angle is not equal to said second acute angle.

15. A stair-climbing vehicle according to claim 14, wherein

said first acute angle falls within a range of 13 to 18 degrees, and

said second acute angle falls within a range of 18 to 28 degrees.

16. A stair-climbing vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said tubular members of said first and second inclination sensing elements are elongated about first and second axes, said first axis and a plane parallel to a surface of said load-carrying platform form a first angle, said second axis and said first axis form a second angle, wherein

said first angle falls within a range of 13 to 18 degrees, and

said second angle falls within a range of 5 to 10 degrees.