초록 ▼

A stair chair for transporting a person up and down a flight of stairs and over a surface is disclosed. The stair chair comprising a main frame and a glide track assembly to support the stair chair for movement on the flight of stairs. The glide track assembly is pivotally connected to the main fram

A stair chair for transporting a person up and down a flight of stairs and over a surface is disclosed. The stair chair comprising a main frame and a glide track assembly to support the stair chair for movement on the flight of stairs. The glide track assembly is pivotally connected to the main frame for pivotal movement between open and closed positions. The glide track assembly has at least one endless glide track. The stair chair also provides an adjustable glide track resistance and braking device which engages the endless glide track and is configured to infinitely adjust the amount of resistance applied to the endless glide track between 0 to 100% resistance and to set a desired rolling resistance applied to the endless glide track.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A stair chair for transporting a person up and down a flight of stairs and over a ground surface, said stair chair comprising: a main frame; a glide track assembly to support the stair chair for movement on the stairs, and pivotally connected to the main frame for pivotal mov

What is claimed is: 1. A stair chair for transporting a person up and down a flight of stairs and over a ground surface, said stair chair comprising: a main frame; a glide track assembly to support the stair chair for movement on the stairs, and pivotally connected to the main frame for pivotal movement between open and closed positions, said glide track assembly having at least one endless glide track, wherein said at least one glide track comprises teeth; and an adjustable glide track resistance and braking device engaging said at least one endless glide track, said device is configured to infinitely adjust an amount of resistance applied to said endless glide track between 0 to 100% resistance and to set a desired rolling resistance applied to said endless glide track, wherein said adjustable glide track resistance and braking device comprises at least one gear which meshes with said teeth of said at least one glide track. 2. A stair chair according to claim 1, further comprising an actuator connected to said adjustable glide track resistance and braking device to arrest movement of said endless glide track when operated via said actuator. 3. A stair chair according to claim 1, wherein said adjustable glide track resistance and braking device comprises a disc brake. 4. A stair chair according to claim 1, wherein said at least one glide track comprises teeth provided on an exterior surface and wherein said adjustable glide track resistance and braking device comprises at least one gear which meshes with said teeth. 5. A stair chair according to claim 1, wherein said at least one glide track comprises teeth and wherein said adjustable glide track resistance and braking device comprises at least one gear which meshes with said teeth, and a disc brake connected to said at least one gear. 6. A stair chair according to claim 1, wherein said at least one glide track comprises teeth and wherein said adjustable glide track resistance and braking device comprises at least one gear which meshes with said teeth, and a disc brake comprising a rotor which is connected to the at least one gear via an axle. 7. A stair chair according to claim 1, wherein said at least one glide track comprises teeth and wherein said adjustable glide track resistance and braking device comprises at least one gear which meshes with said teeth, and a disc brake comprising a rotor which is connected to said at least one gear via an axle, and an adjustor which adjusts and sets said desired rolling resistance applied to said endless glide track via adjusting a pressure applied to said rotor. 8. A stair chair according to claim 1, wherein said stair chair is collapsible into a reduced profile for convenient storage. 9. A stair chair for transporting a person up and down a flight of stairs and over a ground surface, said stair chair comprising: a main frame; a seating assembly pivotally connected to the main frame for pivotal movement between open and closed positions; a pair of wheels rotatable mounted on the main frame to support the chair for movement over a surface; a glide track assembly to support the stair chair for movement on the stairs, and pivotally connected to the main frame for pivotal movement between open and closed positions, said glide track assembly having a pair of endless glide tracks, wherein said glide tracks have teeth; a latching assembly pivotally connected to and supported between the main frame and the glide track assembly, the latching assembly has a retracted position which releasably holds said glide track assembly in the closed position, and an extended position which releasably holds said glide track assembly in the open position; and an adjustable glide track resistance and braking device engaging said pair of endless glide tracks, said device is configured to infinitely adjust an amount of resistance applied to said pair of endless glide tracks between 0 to 100% resistance and to set a desired rolling resistance applied to said pair of endless glide tracks, and configured to arrest movement of said endless glide tracks when operated via an actuator connected thereto, wherein said adjustable glide track resistance and braking device comprises gears which mesh with said teeth of said glide tracks. 10. A stair chair according to claim 9, wherein the main frame includes left and right support members, a cross member supported by and positioned between the left and right support members, and an height adjustable handle bar slidably accommodated in respective cavities of said left and right support members. 11. A stair chair according to claim 9, wherein the main frame includes left and right support members, a cross member supported by and positioned between the left and right support members; a pair of hand grips releasably positionable in folded and unfolded positions; and an height adjustable handle bar slidably accommodated in respective cavities of said left and right support members. 12. A stair chair according to claim 9, wherein the seating assembly includes a seat, a pair of legs pivotally connected to the seat, and wheels rotatably and pivotably mounted to said legs to support the stair chair for movement over the ground surface when said seat assembly is in said open position which permits the person to sit upon said seat. 13. A stair chair according to claim 9, wherein said pair of endless glide tracks are supported by a plurality of rollers. 14. A stair chair according to claim 9, wherein said pair of endless glide tracks have a patterned exterior surface. 15. A collapsible chair according to claim 9, wherein said latching assembly comprises a first pair of arms pivotably connected to said main frame, a crossbar mounted between said first pair of arms, a second pair of arms pivotally connected to said crossbar and said glide track assembly, and a lever mounted to one of said arms for placing said glide track assembly in the closed and open positions. 16. A stair chair according to claim 9, further comprising an actuator connected to said adjustable glide track resistance and braking device to arrest movement of said endless glide tracks when operated via said actuator. 17. A stair chair according to claim 9, wherein said adjustable glide track resistance and braking device comprises a disc brake. 18. A stair chair according to claim 9, wherein said glide tracks have teeth provided on an exterior surface and wherein said adjustable glide track resistance and braking device comprises gears which meshes with said teeth. 19. A stair chair according to claim 9, wherein said glide tracks have teeth and wherein said adjustable glide track resistance and braking device comprises gears which mesh with said teeth, and a disc brake connected to said gears. 20. A stair chair according to claim 9, wherein said glide tracks have teeth and wherein said adjustable glide track resistance and braking device comprises gears which mesh with said teeth, and a disc brake comprising a caliper, a pair of brake pads, and a rotor which is connected to the gears via an axle, said rotor is engageable by said pair of brake pads via movement of said caliper. 21. A stair chair according to claim 9, wherein said glide tracks have teeth and wherein said adjustable glide track resistance and braking device comprises gears which mesh with said teeth, and a disc brake comprising a caliper having a piston and a pair of brake pads, a rotor which is connected to the gears via an axle, said rotor is engageable by said pair of brake pads via movement of said piston, and an adjustor which adjusts and sets said desired rolling resistance applied to said endless glide tracks via moving said piston from a first location to a second location which adjusts a pressure that at least one of said brake pads applies to said rotor. 22. A stair chair according to claim 9, wherein said stair chair is collapsible into a reduced profile for convenient storage. 23. A stair chair according to claim 9, wherein said adjustable glide track resistance and braking device comprises a mechanical disc brake. 24. A stair chair according to claim 9, wherein said adjustable glide track resistance and braking device comprises a hydraulic disc brake. 25. A stair chair for transporting a person up and down a flight of stairs and over a ground surface, said stair chair comprising: a main frame having left and right support members, a cross member supported by and positioned between the left and right support members, a pair of hand grips releasably positionable in folded and unfolded positions, an height adjustable handle bar slidably accommodated in respective cavities of said left and right support members, and a pair of wheels to support the chair for movement over a surface; a seating assembly pivotally connected to the main frame for pivotal movement between open and closed positions, the seating assembly includes a seat, a pair of legs pivotally connected to the seat, and wheels rotatably and pivotably mounted to said legs to support the stair chair for movement over the ground surface when said seat assembly is in said open position which permits the person to sit upon said seat; a glide track assembly to support the stair chair for movement on the stairs, and pivotally connected to the main frame for pivotal movement between open and closed positions, said glide track assembly having endless glide tracks; a latching assembly pivotally connected to and supported between the main frame and the glide track assembly, the latching assembly has a retracted position which releasably holds said glide track assembly in the closed position, and an extended position which releasably holds said glide track assembly in the open position, said latching assembly comprises a first pair of arms pivotably connected to said main frame, a crossbar mounted between said first pair of arms, a second pair of arms pivotably connected to said crossbar and said glide track assembly, and a lever mounted to one of said arms for placing said glide track assembly in the closed and open positions; and an adjustable glide track resistance and braking device engaging said pair of endless glide tracks, said device is configured to infinitely adjust an amount of resistance applied to said endless glide tracks between 0 to 100% resistance and to set a desired rolling resistance applied to said endless glide tracks, and configured to arrest movement of said endless glide tracks when operated via an actuator connected thereto, wherein said glide tracks have teeth and wherein said adjustable glide track resistance and braking device comprises gears which mesh with said teeth, and a disc brake comprising a rotor which is connected to the gears via an axle, and an adjustor which adjusts and sets said desired rolling resistance applied to said endless glide tracks via adjusting a pressure that is applied to said rotor.