Electric wheelchair

• US 9,278,036 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2012
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: B-Free Limited
• Original Assignee: Siu Lun Lee
• Inventors: Lee, Siu Lun
• Primary Examiner(s): Rocca, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): KNUTSON, JACOB D
• Application Number:
  US13/583,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20140202777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 180/9.1, 180/9.32, 180/9.5, 180/9.52, 180/8.2, 180/907, 180/8.7, 180/6.7, 180/326, 280/5.22
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/14 Joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/42 for inclination
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/726 for automatic deactivation, e.g. deactivation of actuators or motors
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/04 motor-driven A61G5/06 takes precedence; motor-operated rests A61G5/12; for vehicles with handlebars, equipped with three or more wheels B62K5/003, B62K5/023
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/046 at least three driven wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/061 for climbing stairs
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/066 with endless belts
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1075 tilting the whole seat backwards tilting forwards for standing-up or sitting-down aids A61G5/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/14 Standing-up or sitting-down aids

Abstract

An electric wheelchair comprising a movable seat part (1), a body part (2) served as a support for the seat part, a seat adjustment mechanism (3) arranged under the seat part, a bottom part (4), and a crawler moving mechanism (5). The crawler moving mechanism (5) comprises two sets of crawlers arranged respectively at both sides underneath the bottom part, and each of which comprises a front crawler and a rear crawler. The bottom part (4) is comprised of a front portion and a rear portion, which are movably connected with a coupling arrangement and capable of deflection with respect to each other. The crawler moving mechanism (5) further comprises movable stretching crawlers arranged respectively at outside of the front crawler, and fixed stair-climbing crawlers arranged respectively at outside of the rear crawler, wherein a free end of the fixed stair-climbing crawler forms a specific angle relative to the rear crawler.

Claims

1. An electric wheelchair, comprising:

a movable seat part fixedly connected with a bull gear in a geared motor;

a body part serving as a support for the seat part;

a seat adjustment mechanism arranged under the seat part for maintaining balance of the seat part, the bull gear driving the seat adjustment mechanism by means of a connecting device;

a bottom part arranged under the body part, and being comprised of a front portion and a rear portion, which are movably connected with a coupling arrangement and capable of deflection in a specific range of angles with respect to each other;

a crawler moving mechanism comprising two sets of crawlers arranged respectively at sides underneath the bottom part, the set of crawlers comprising;

a front crawler;

a rear crawler;

a movable stretching crawler arranged at an outside of the front crawler; and

a fixed stair-climbing crawler arranged at an outside of the rear crawler;

wherein a pulley at one end of the movable stretching crawler is fixedly connected with a pulley at a front end of the front crawler, and a free end of the movable stretching crawler is rotatable in forward or backward directions with respect to a fixed end of the movable stretching crawler within the range of 360°

by means of a control lever; and

wherein a pulley at one end of the fixed stair-climbing crawler is fixedly connected with a pulley at a rear end of the rear crawler, while a free end of the fixed stair-climbing crawler is inclined at a specific angle relative to the rear crawler; and

components for driving the set of crawlers arranged in the bottom part.

2. An electric wheelchair of claim 1, wherein the moveable stretching crawlers are driven by a second geared motor.

3. An electric wheelchair of claim 2, wherein the geared motor for driving the seat adjustment mechanism comprises an anti-reverse helical gear.

4. An electric wheelchair of claim 1, wherein the set of the crawlers of the crawler moving mechanism is respectively driven by a separate electric engine.

5. An electric wheelchair of claim 1, wherein at both sides of bottom of the movable seat part a set of rollers is respectively arranged, by which the movable seat part is supported on the body part, while the set of rollers moves along a sliding path formed on the body part by means of a control device, thereby driving the seat part to move.

6. An electric wheelchair of claim 5, wherein the control device for controlling the set of rollers comprises a further control lever in electrical connection with a second geared motor of the seat adjustment mechanism and a safety locking device arranged at the body part.

7. An electric wheelchair of claim 6, wherein the safety locking device is a dual wing safety locking device comprising a case, a pair of locking elements respectively mounted on a wall of the case and under an action of a spring, and two pinions of which one is configured as a small motor;

wherein each of the locking elements has a portion with small gear teeth for respectively engaging with one of the pinions, and a portion with bull gear teeth for engaging with teeth of an arc-shaped bottom edge of a vertical plate of the seat portion while the safety locking device is in a locking state, when the safety locking device is in an unlocking state, the portion with bull gear teeth is driven by the small motor to disengage with the teeth of the arc-shaped bottom edge of the vertical plate of the seat portion and locked in an initial position by the respective springs.

8. An electric wheelchair of claim 6, wherein the geared motor for driving the seat adjustment mechanism comprises an anti-reverse helical gear.

9. An electric wheelchair of claim 6, wherein the geared motor for driving the seat adjustment mechanism comprises an anti-reverse helical gear and a dual wing safety locking device.

10. An electric wheelchair of claim 1, wherein the components for driving the set of crawlers include a storage battery, and a driving device powered by the storage battery.

11. An electric wheelchair of claim 10, wherein the driving device comprises at least one electric engine.

12. An electric wheelchair, comprising:

a movable seat part;

a body part serving as a support for the seat part;

a seat adjustment mechanism arranged under the seat part for maintaining balance of the seat part, the seat adjustment mechanism includes a balance sensing device comprising a balance weight, and a support for supporting and allowing a swing of the balance weight;

the support being equipped with a circuitry for electrical connection with a geared motor for the seat adjustment mechanism and for electrical connection with a storage battery;

a bottom part arranged under the body part, and being comprised of a front portion and a rear portion, which are movably connected with a coupling arrangement and capable of deflection in a specific range of angles with respect to each other;

a crawler moving mechanism comprising two sets of crawlers arranged respectively at sides underneath the bottom part, the set of crawlers comprising;

a front crawler;

a rear crawler;

a movable stretching crawler arranged at an outside of the front crawler; and

a fixed stair-climbing crawler arranged at an outside of the rear crawler;

wherein a pulley at one end of the movable stretching crawler is fixedly connected with a pulley at a front end of the front crawler, and a free end of the movable stretching crawler is rotatable in forward or backward directions with respect to a fixed end of the movable stretching crawler within the range of 360°

by means of a control lever; and

wherein a pulley at one end of the fixed stair-climbing crawler is fixedly connected with a pulley at a rear end of the rear crawler, while a free end of the fixed stair-climbing crawler is inclined at a specific angle relative to the rear crawler; and

components for driving the set of crawlers arranged in the bottom part.

13. An electric wheelchair, comprising:

a movable seat part;

a body part serving as a support for the seat part;

a seat adjustment mechanism arranged under the seat part for maintaining balance of the seat part and being driven by a first geared motor, the first geared motor for driving the seat adjustment mechanism comprising an anti-reverse helical gear and a dual wing safety locking device;

a bottom part arranged under the body part, and being comprised of a front portion and a rear portion, which are movably connected with a coupling arrangement and capable of deflection in a specific range of angles with respect to each other;

a crawler moving mechanism driven by a second geared motor that is independent of the first geared motor, said crawler mechanism comprising two sets of crawlers arranged respectively at sides underneath the bottom part, the set of crawlers comprising;

a front crawler;

a rear crawler;

a movable stretching crawler arranged at an outside of the front crawler; and

a fixed stair-climbing crawler arranged at an outside of the rear crawler;

wherein a pulley at one end of the movable stretching crawler is fixedly connected with a pulley at a front end of the front crawler, and a free end of the movable stretching crawler is rotatable in forward or backward directions with respect to a fixed end of the movable stretching crawler within the range of 360°

by means of a control lever; and

wherein a pulley at one end of the fixed stair-climbing crawler is fixedly connected with a pulley at a rear end of the rear crawler, while a free end of the fixed stair-climbing crawler is inclined at a specific angle relative to the rear crawler; and

components for driving the set of crawlers arranged in the bottom part.