초록 ▼

A wheelchair is adjustable between a compact configuration, in which the center of gravity lies in a vertical plane (50), which intersects wheels (16,116) on a front carrier of the wheelchair and an extended configuration in which the center of gravity lies in a vertical plane spaced substantially f

A wheelchair is adjustable between a compact configuration, in which the center of gravity lies in a vertical plane (50), which intersects wheels (16,116) on a front carrier of the wheelchair and an extended configuration in which the center of gravity lies in a vertical plane spaced substantially from all wheels of the wheelchair.

대표청구항 ▼

A wheelchair comprising a seat, front and rear parts of laterally spaced carriers, a plurality of wheels on each carrier, drive means for driving the carriers and at least some of said wheels, and control means for operating the drive means, wherein the front carriers are mounted for turning relativ

A wheelchair comprising a seat, front and rear parts of laterally spaced carriers, a plurality of wheels on each carrier, drive means for driving the carriers and at least some of said wheels, and control means for operating the drive means, wherein the front carriers are mounted for turning relative to the seat about a front axis, the rear carriers are mounted for turning relative to the seat about a rear axis, the wheels on each front carrier are spaced apart around the front axis, the wheels on each rear carrier are spaced apart around the rear axis, the rear axis is movable upwardly and downwardly relative to the front axis and to the seat, the drive means is arranged for driving said carriers about respective ones of the front and rear axes, the drive means includes means defining a plurality of alternative predetermined configurations of the wheelchair and is arranged for setting the carriers automatically in any selected one of said predetermined configurations, one of said configurations is a compact configuration, another of said predetermined configurations is an extended configuration, in the compact configuration with the wheelchair resting on a horizontal floor, at least one of said wheels on each of said front carriers engages the floor and intersects a vertical plane containing the centre of gravity of the wheelchair and, in the extended configuration of the wheelchair, with the wheelchair resting on the horizontal floor, the centre of gravity lies in a vertical plane spaced from all of said wheels on the front and rear carriers, and the control means includes a microprocessor, means for feeding instructions to said microprocessor for controlling the front and rear carriers and wheels, and the configuration of the wheelchair, and a plurality of transducers for providing electrical signals to the microprocessor to enable the microprocessor to determine the angular positions of the front and rear carriers.