Lever-operated wheelchair

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016015580-A1
Application number	US-201514745411-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 20, 2015
Priority date	Jun 20, 2014
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one embodiment, a wheelchair drive mechanism adapted to mount to a wheelchair includes a drive lever adapted to be rotated forward and rearward by a user of the wheelchair, a clutch mechanism associated with the drive lever, wherein actuation of the clutch mechanism causes the drive lever to be coupled to a wheel of the wheelchair such that they rotate together, and a clutch actuation device provided on the drive lever that is operable by the wheelchair user to actuate the clutch mechanism.

First claim

Claimed are:

1 . A wheelchair drive mechanism adapted to mount to a wheelchair, the drive mechanism comprising:
a drive lever adapted to be rotated forward and rearward by a user of the wheelchair; a clutch mechanism associated with the drive lever, wherein actuation of the clutch mechanism causes the drive lever to be coupled to a wheel of the wheelchair such that they rotate together; and a clutch actuation device provided on the drive lever that is operable by the wheelchair user to actuate the clutch mechanism.

2 . The drive mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the drive lever is adapted to be rotatably mounted to an axle of the wheelchair wheel.

3 . The drive mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the clutch mechanism comprises a disc brake.

4 . The drive mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the clutch mechanism comprises a drum brake.

5 . The drive mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the clutch mechanism comprises a friction clutch.

6 . The drive mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the clutch actuation device comprises a clutch lever that mechanically actuates the clutch mechanism when the clutch lever is squeezed by the wheelchair user.

7 . The drive mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the clutch actuation device comprises an electrical switch that electrically actuates the clutch mechanism when the switch is closed by the wheelchair user.

8 . The drive mechanism of claim 7 , wherein the clutch actuation device further comprises a force sensor that measures a force with which the user activates the clutch actuation device.

9 . The drive mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the drive lever comprises a forearm support adapted to support a forearm of the wheelchair user.

10 . The drive mechanism of claim 1 , further comprising a tensioning mechanism that opposes both forward and rearward rotation of the drive lever.

11 . The drive mechanism of claim 10 , wherein the tensioning mechanism comprises a first tensile member that opposes forward rotation of the drive lever and a second tensile member that opposes rearward rotation of the drive lever.

12 . The drive mechanism of claim 11 , further comprising a tension adjustment mechanism that is adapted to simultaneously adjust the tension of the first and second tensile members.

13 . The drive mechanism of claim 1 , further comprising a transmission associated with the wheelchair wheel that is configurable in a freewheeling configuration in which rotation of the drive lever is independent of rotation of the wheelchair wheel and a driving configuration in which forward rotation of the drive lever causes forward rotation of the wheelchair wheel but rearward rotation of the drive lever has no effect on the wheelchair wheel.

14 . The drive mechanism of claim 1 , further comprising a weight that is associated with the drive lever that facilitates harmonic resonance of the lever.

15 . A wheelchair that can be operated by a wheelchair user, the wheelchair comprising:
a wheelchair frame; a wheel axle supported by the frame; a rear wheel mounted to the axle; and a drive mechanism associated with the rear wheel, the drive mechanism including:
a drive lever adapted to be rotated forward and rearward by the wheelchair user,
a clutch mechanism associated with the drive lever, wherein actuation of the clutch mechanism causes the drive lever to be coupled to the rear wheel such that they rotate together, and
a clutch actuation device provided on the drive lever that is operable by the wheelchair user to actuate the clutch mechanism.

16 . The wheelchair of claim 15 , wherein the drive lever is rotatably mounted to the wheel axle.

17 . The wheelchair of claim 15 , wherein the clutch actuation device comprises a clutch lever that mechanically actuates the clutch mechanism when the clutch lever is squeezed by the wheelchair user.

18 . The wheelchair of claim 15 , wherein the clutch actuation device comprises an electrical switch that electrically actuates the clutch mechanism when the switch is closed by the wheelchair user.

19 . The wheelchair of claim 18 , wherein the clutch actuation device further comprises a force sensor that measures a force with which the user activates the clutch actuation device.

20 . The wheelchair of claim 18 , wherein the drive lever comprises a forearm support adapted to support a forearm of the wheelchair user.

21 . The wheelchair of claim 18 , wherein the drive mechanism further comprises a tensioning mechanism that opposes both forward and rearward rotation of the drive lever.

22 . The wheelchair of claim 21 , wherein the tensioning mechanism comprises a first tensile member that opposes forward rotation of the drive lever and a second tensile member that opposes rearward rotation of the drive lever.

23 . The wheelchair of claim 21 , wherein the drive mechanism further comprises a tension adjustment mechanism that is adapted to simultaneously adjust the tension of the first and second tensile members.

24 . The wheelchair of claim 15 , wherein the drive mechanism further comprises a transmission associated with the wheelchair wheel that is configurable in a freewheeling configuration in which rotation of the drive lever is independent of rotation of the wheelchair wheel and a driving configuration in which forward rotation of the drive lever causes forward rotation of the wheelchair wheel but rearward rotation of the drive lever has no effect on the wheelchair wheel.

25 . The wheelchair of claim 15 , further comprising a second drive mechanism associated with another rear wheel of the wheelchair, the second drive mechanism also comprising a drive lever adapted to be rotated by the wheelchair user and a clutch mechanism associated with the drive lever, wherein the clutch actuation device simultaneously actuates the clutch mechanisms of both drive mechanisms.

26 . The wheelchair of claim 15 , wherein the drive mechanism further comprises a weight that is associated with the drive lever that facilitates harmonic resonance of the lever.

27 . A method for a wheelchair user to operate a wheelchair, the method comprising:
the wheelchair user activating a clutch actuation device to actuate a clutch mechanism that couples a drive lever to a wheel of the wheelchair; the wheelchair user rotating the drive lever in a first direction from an initial position while still activating the clutch actuation device; the wheelchair user deactivating the clutch actuation device; and the wheelchair user rotating the drive lever in a second, opposite direction back toward the initial position.

28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein activating a clutch actuation device comprises squeezing a lever or pressing a button mounted to the drive lever.

29 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the lever or button is coupled to an electrical switch that electrically actuates the clutch mechanism.

30 . The method of claim 27 , wherein rotating the drive lever comprises rotating the drive lever against the force applied by a tensioning mechanism that opposes both forward and rearward rotation of the drive lever.

Assignees

• Univ California

Inventors

• Zondervan Daniel
• Reinkensmeyer David
• Smith Brendan

Classifications

• A61G5/025 Primary

  Levers · CPC title

• A61G5/022

  acting on wheels, e.g. on tires or hand rims · CPC title

• A61G5/024

  having particular operating means · CPC title

• A61G5/02

  propelled by the patient or disabled person · CPC title