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A stair-climbing wheelchair has a pair of track assemblies that can be placed in an operative drive mode to propel the wheelchair along ascending and descending paths of travel relative to an obstacle such as a stairway, curb, or the like. Each track assembly includes a guide member with rollers at

A stair-climbing wheelchair has a pair of track assemblies that can be placed in an operative drive mode to propel the wheelchair along ascending and descending paths of travel relative to an obstacle such as a stairway, curb, or the like. Each track assembly includes a guide member with rollers at opposite ends thereof carrying an endless cleated belt. The guide member is arched between its end sections thereby permitting the endless belt to deflect upwardly between the rollers when the endless belt engages an obstacle such as a step, curb or the like. This permits a smooth gradual transition of the wheelchair onto and/or off the top step of a staircase. Preferably, each track assembly also includes an inclined tail section having a separate endless cleated belt. The track assemblies can also be utilized in connection with remote control and/or unmanned motorized vehicles.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A stair-climbing wheelchair having a seat, a frame supporting the seat, and a set of wheels on which the wheelchair can be propelled, the improvement comprising:a spaced-apart pair of elongate track assemblies mounted to said frame extending underneath said seat between said set of wheels in a fr

1. A stair-climbing wheelchair having a seat, a frame supporting the seat, and a set of wheels on which the wheelchair can be propelled, the improvement comprising:a spaced-apart pair of elongate track assemblies mounted to said frame extending underneath said seat between said set of wheels in a front to back direction relative to the wheelchair, in an inoperative storage condition said track assemblies being spaced above a surface on which the wheelchair is supported by said set of wheels and in an operative drive condition said track assemblies engaging a surface on which the wheelchair is supported for purposes of transporting the wheelchair along a path of travel to thereby enable the wheelchair to descend and ascend an obstacle; each of said track assemblies including an elongate guide member carrying an endless belt, said guide member having front and rear end sections each supporting a roller over which said endless belt is mounted for rotation about said rollers, said guide member being upwardly arched between said end sections thereby permitting said endless belt to deflect upwardly between said rollers when said endless belt engages an obstacle; and said frame including a pair of X-shaped members that interconnect said set of wheels of the wheelchair to said seat of the wheelchair, each X-shaped member including a pair of legs that pivot at their interconnection in a scissors like motion to extend said set of wheel of the wheelchair below said track assemblies to place said track assemblies in said inoperative storage condition and to retract said set of wheels above said track assemblies to place said track assemblies in said operative drive condition. 2. A stair-climbing wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein said endless belt on each of said track assemblies extends in a taut condition on said rollers, and wherein at least one of said rollers is movably mounted on said guide member to provide said endless belt with an amount of slack to enable said endless belt to deflect upwardly between said rollers and out of a substantially straight line path when said endless belt engages an obstacle.3. A stair-climbing wheelchair according to claim 2, wherein said at least one roller is resiliently biased by a spring mechanism so that said endless belt is maintained in a taut condition at all times including when said belt is deflected upwardly between said rollers.4. A stair-climbing wheelchair according to claim 3, wherein said at least one roller is mounted and moveable within a slot formed in said guide member, and wherein said spring mechanism resiliently biases said at least one roller in a direction away from the other roller on which the endless belt is mounted.5. A stair-climbing wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein each of said track assemblies includes an upwardly inclined tail section extending from said rear end section of said arched elongate guide member, and wherein each tail section includes a pair of rollers about which an endless belt revolves.6. A stair-climbing wheelchair according to claim 5, wherein said endless belt in said arched elongate guide member and said endless belt in said tail section in each of said track assemblies are separate belts, and wherein one of said rollers of said arched elongate guide member and one of said rollers of said tail section of each of said track assemblies rotate about a common axis.7. A stair-climbing wheelchair according to claim 6, wherein said tail section of each of said track assemblies is offset inwardly of said arched elongate guide member such that said tail sections of said track assemblies are spaced closer together than said arched elongate guide members of said track assemblies.8. A stair-climbing wheelchair having a seat, a frame supporting the seat, and a set of wheels on which the wheelchair can be propelled, the improvement comprising:a spaced-apart pair of elongate track assemblies mounted to said frame extending underneath said seat between said set of wheels in a front to back direction relative to the wheelchair, in an inoperative storage condition said track assemblies being spaced above a surface on which the wheelchair is supported by said set of wheels and in an operative drive condition said track assemblies engaging a surface on which the wheelchair is supported for purposes of transporting the wheelchair along a path of travel to thereby enable the wheelchair to descend and ascend an obstacle; and each of said track assemblies including an elongate guide member carrying an endless belt, said guide member having front and rear end sections each supporting a roller over which said endless belt is mounted for rotation about said rollers; wherein said frame of the wheelchair includes a pair of X-shaped members that interconnect said set of wheels of the wheelchair to said seat of the wheelchair, and wherein each X-shaped member includes a pair of legs that pivot at their interconnection in a scissors like motion to extend said set of wheels of the wheelchair below said track assemblies to place said track assemblies in said inoperative storage condition and to retract said set of wheels above said track assemblies to place said track assemblies in said operative drive condition. 9. A stair-climbing wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein said X-shaped members are caused to be expanded or retracted by a powered expandable and retractable cylinder located under said seat.10. A stair climbing wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein said legs of said X-braces interconnect substantially directly above a peak of said upwardly arched guide members.11. A stair-climbing wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein said endless belts each have a plurality of outwardly extending cleats.12. A stair-climbing wheelchair according to claim 11, wherein said cleats have movable sections which positively grip about the coRNer of steps.13. A stair-climbing wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein each of said track assemblies includes a pair of sensors to determine whether or not a slope of said path of travel is too steep for safe passage, one of sensors being deployed from a front of the wheelchair and one being located adjacent a rear of the wheelchair.14. A stair-climbing wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein said track assemblies include sensors to determine whether or not the wheelchair is in proper alignment with respect to the obstacle to safely descend/ascend the obstacle.15. A stair-climbing wheelchair having a seat, a frame supporting the seat, and a set of wheels on which the wheelchair can be propelled, the improvement comprising:a spaced-apart pair of elongate track assemblies mounted to said frame extending underneath said seat between said set of wheels in a front to back direction relative to the wheelchair, in an inoperative storage condition said track assemblies being spaced above a surface on which the wheelchair is supported by said set of wheels and in an operative drive condition said track assemblies engaging a surface on which the wheelchair is supported for purposes of transporting the wheelchair along a path of travel to thereby enable the wheelchair to descend and ascend an obstacle; and each of said track assemblies including an elongate guide member carrying an endless belt, said guide member having front and rear end sections each supporting a roller over which said endless belt is mounted for rotation about said rollers, said guide member being upwardly arched between said end sections thereby permitting said endless belt to deflect upwardly between said rollers when said endless belt engages an obstacle; wherein said track assemblies include sensors to determine whether or not the wheelchair is in proper alignment with respect to the obstacle to safely descend/ascend the obstacle, wherein said alignment sensors include a pair of gravity roller devices that are located adjacent a front of said wheelchair and that drop as the track assemblies extend over an edge of an uppermost step of the obstacle, and wherein said alignment sensors include a pair of contact sensor that are located adjacent a rear of said wheelchair and that are activated when said track assemblies initially engage a lowermost step of the obstacle. 16. A stair-climbing wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein, when said track assemblies are positioned into said operative drive position, said seat of the wheelchair is tilted rearwardly relative to said track assemblies.17. A stair-climbing wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein the wheelchair has a battery motor that drives said endless belts and wherein said set of wheels of the wheelchair include a pair of rear wheels that are each driven by separate battery powered motors.18. A stair-climbing wheelchair according to claim 17, further comprising a control unit mounted on an armrest of the wheelchair, said control unit including a joystick which is utilized to control operations of said motors and to control switching of said track assemblies between said inoperative storage condition and said operative drive condition.19. A stair-climbing wheelchair according to claim 18, wherein said control unit includes a breath analyzer unit and wherein said frame includes hand bars having an override control unit.20. A stair-climbing wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein the wheelchair has an armrest to which a cellular phone is attached.21. A stair-climbing wheelchair according to claim 1, further comprising a transfer board permanently secured to the wheelchair.22. A stair-climbing wheelchair according to claim 21, wherein said transfer board forms a part of an armrest of the wheelchair and is positionable between a vertically disposed storage position and a horizontally disposed operative position.23. A stair-climbing wheelchair having a seat, a frame supporting the seat, and a set of wheels on which the wheelchair can be propelled, the improvement comprising:a spaced-apart pair of elongate track assemblies mounted to said frame extending underneath said seat between said set of wheels in a front to back direction relative to the wheelchair, in an inoperative storage condition said track assemblies being spaced above a surface on which the wheelchair is supported by said set of wheels and in an operative drive condition said track assemblies engaging a surface on which the wheelchair is supported for purposes of transporting the wheelchair along a path of travel to thereby enable the wheelchair to descend and ascend an obstacle; each of said track assemblies including an elongate guide member carrying an endless belt, said guide member having front and rear end sections each supporting a roller over which said endless belt is mounted for rotation about said rollers, said guide member being upwardly arched between said end sections thereby permitting said endless belt to deflect upwardly between said rollers when said endless belt engages an obstacle; and each of said endless belts having a plurality of cleats, each cleat including a first section that is stationary relative to said endless belt and that projects outwardly from said endless belt and a moveable second section that pivots relative to said first section and said endless belt, said first section functioning as a trigger such that, when said fist section contacts a corner of a step, the second section pivots and is resiliently biased in a direction toward said first section and the step so that the step is simultaneously engaged by both said first and second sections of said cleat and is gripped therebetween.