초록 ▼

A wheelchair assembly includes an occupant seat having a central shaft for mounting the seat on an undercarriage for universal tilting movement, for vertical movement along the shaft axis and for rotation about such axis. The undercarriage has a plurality of ground engaging wheels driven together by

A wheelchair assembly includes an occupant seat having a central shaft for mounting the seat on an undercarriage for universal tilting movement, for vertical movement along the shaft axis and for rotation about such axis. The undercarriage has a plurality of ground engaging wheels driven together by a driving mechanism which includes a drive motor and steered together by a steering mechanism which includes a steering motor. The steering motor may be operatively connected with both the seat and the wheels for turning them together by operation of a control assembly, or the steering motor may be operatively connected with only the seat or with only the wheels for independent operation. Otherwise, the steering mechanism may couple the seat with the wheels while the steering motor is disconnected so that wheel steering may be operated by a manual turning of the seat. An analyzer assembly compares the direction of travel chosen by the seat occupant to the actual orientation of the wheels and then directs the steering motor to align the wheels to the direction chosen, without turning the chair. And, the seat is automatically tilted toward a direction opposite that to which, it tends to lean when the wheelchair moves up an incline or down a decline.

대표청구항 ▼

A wheelchair assembly including a seat having a plurality of ground-engaging wheels, comprising, a undercarriage on which said wheels are mounted for rolling movement about horizontal axes lying parallel to one another, means engaging said wheels for simultaneously driving same in at least one rolli

A wheelchair assembly including a seat having a plurality of ground-engaging wheels, comprising, a undercarriage on which said wheels are mounted for rolling movement about horizontal axes lying parallel to one another, means engaging said wheels for simultaneously driving same in at least one rolling direction, said wheels being mounted for pivotal movement about vertical axes, means engaging said wheels for simultaneously steering same by pivoting said wheels together about said vertical axes, said seat being mounted on said undercarriage for rotary movement about a vertical axis, said steering means being coupled with said seat for effecting the rotary movement thereof, and control means for operating said driving means and said steering means, whereby both said wheels and said seat are moved about their respective axes by said steering means upon actuation of said control means.