Folding wheelchair
The wheelchair's detachable seat and chassis modules, locked by elastic hooks and cam levers, address the bulkiness issue by enabling compact folding and transport.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-01-25
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-19
AI Technical Summary
Existing tilt-in-space wheelchairs are bulky and inconvenient for transportation due to their bulkiness, despite having parts that can be quickly released or removed.
A wheelchair design featuring a seat module and chassis module that can be easily detached and locked together using elastic hooks, grooves, and cam levers, allowing for compact folding and storage.
Enables the wheelchair to be compactly folded and transported by evenly distributing its bulk and weight, facilitating easier storage and transport.
Smart Images
Figure 2026509423000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to wheelchairs.
Background Art
[0002] The present invention is preferably applicable particularly to tilt-in-space wheelchairs. These are used to prevent pressure points from occurring between the body of the user and the chair and to provide a resting posture for the person sitting in the chair. Such wheelchairs tend to be bulky, particularly difficult to transport in a car trunk or luggage compartment. For the purpose of making the wheelchair less bulky for transportation, it is known to provide parts that can be quickly released or removed. These may include leg rests, arm rests, and rear wheels. It is also known that the struts of the backrest are releasably locked and foldable with respect to the seat for compact storage or transportation. Such functions help reduce the physical size of the wheelchair, but are still inconvenient for making it into a compact form and are often still bulky.
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0003] The object of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is to help address at least one or more of the above problems. However, it should be understood that the object of the present invention itself is not so specific. It simply provides a useful option for the public.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0004] Definition The term "comprises" or "has", when used in this specification in relation to a combination of functions, should not be understood to exclude the selection of additional functions not recited in that combination.
[0005] Terms relating direction used herein, such as "forward" or "rear," indicate the position of the item as it is in its normal use configuration. However, this should not be interpreted as limiting the claims to the wheelchair in that position.
[0006] The present invention preferably, a) A seat module having a pair of seat rails, wherein each seat rail has: • Elastic hooks or grooves at the rear end of the rail or near the rail, • Front seat locking components The seat module to which it is attached, b) A chassis module having a pair of chassis rails, wherein each chassis rail has: · Receiving pins arranged horizontally, and • Front chassis locking components The chassis module to which it is attached, c) A pair of cam levers and A wheelchair equipped with the above-mentioned parts, d) Move the sheet module by hand so that the hook or groove can engage with the pin to form a pivot. e) Swing the seat module downwards around the pivot by hand so that each seat locking component comes into contact with one of the chassis locking components, f) Next, the cam lever is operated by hand to cam-lock the seat locking component and the chassis locking component in a releasable manner, so that the seat module and the chassis module are also releasably locked to each other. It is a wheelchair.
[0007] Optionally, each receiving pin may form part of its respective chassis rail, or it may be attached to its respective chassis rail via a bracket or a pair of mounting plates.
[0008] Optionally, each seat locking component extends downward from its respective seat rail, and each chassis locking component extends upward from its respective chassis rail.
[0009] Optionally, each seat locking component has a recess into which one of the cam levers can be releasedly cam-locked.
[0010] Optionally, each cam lever may be fixed to one of the chassis locking components or integrated with one of the chassis locking components.
[0011] Optionally, each chassis locking component has a rearward-facing inclined surface, and as referred to in part e) of claim 1, when the seat module is swung, the rearward-facing inclined surface comes into contact with one of each of the seat locking components.
[0012] Optionally, each seat locking component has a branched lower end, and when the seat module is swung as referred to in part e) of claim 1, the support portion of each cam lever slots into the branched lower end.
[0013] Optional, a) The backrest module comprises a pair of backrest supports, each support having a lateral seat hook or groove at its end. b) Each seat rail is fitted with a seat pin that extends laterally, The arrangement of these components is such that when the seat module and chassis module are locked together, the support struts are rotatable, allowing the seat pins to swing and engage with the seat grooves or hooks, thereby helping to release the struts into an upright position for supporting the back of a wheelchair user.
[0014] Optionally, in each case, the seat pins form part of the respective seat rails of the seat pins and are attached to the respective seat rails of the seat pins via brackets or a pair of mounting plates.
[0015] Optionally, each hook or groove is substantially elastic.
[0016] Optionally, each hook or groove provides an engagement by snap - fitting with each respective one of the pins.
[0017] Next, several preferred embodiments will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0018] [Figure 1] An isometric view of a wheelchair frame. [Figure 2] A side elevation view of a wheelchair frame. [Figure 3] An isometric view of a wheelchair frame when folded after some parts are removed. [Figure 4] A side elevation view of the wheelchair frame of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] An isometric view of a wheelchair frame with the seat module partially removed from the chassis module. [Figure 6] A side elevation view of the wheelchair frame of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] A side elevation view of the chassis module. [Figure 8] An isometric view of the chassis module of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] An isometric view of the seat module in a folded configuration when removed from the chassis module. [Figure 10] A side view of the seat module of FIG. 9. [Figure 11] An isometric view of a preferred form of the front part of the configuration for locking the seat module to the chassis module. [Figure 12] This is an isometric view of the preferred rear receiving portion of the rocking configuration. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0019] Referring to Figures 1-4, the wheelchair is a foldable, tilt-in-space type. For simplicity of explanation, the upholstery materials for the seat and backrest have been omitted from the drawings.
[0020] The wheelchair comprises a lower chassis module 11 (see, for example, Figures 6, 7, and 8) and an upper seat module 12 (see, for example, Figures 9 and 10). In the assembled wheelchair, these modules are connected to each other by a locking configuration for quick release. Thus, the seat module 12 can be easily detached from the chassis module 11. This makes it possible to distribute the bulk and weight of the wheelchair somewhat evenly to facilitate transport and storage.
[0021] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the wheelchair includes a pair of large rear wheels 13, smaller rear stabilizing wheels or skids 14, leg rests 15, and arm rests 16, all of which can be easily removed by a quick-release locking assembly, helping to make the wheelchair less bulky for transport. After the seat module 12 is folded into a compact configuration as shown in Figure 3, the chassis module 11 and the seat module 12 can be separated.
[0022] Furthermore, in Figures 1 and 2, when the wheelchair is in its normal orientation, the rear of the wheelchair frame 10 is where the rear stabilizing wheels / skids 14 are located, and the front of the frame 10 is where the caster wheel assembly 17 is located.
[0023] As shown in Figure 8, the chassis module 11 includes arc-shaped parallel side rails 18 (e.g., bars) spaced apart by cross bars 19, 20, and 21. Upright mounts 22 are present toward the rear end of each side rail 18. The cross bars 19 straddle the mounts 22. Each mount 22 is branched and receives a receiving pin 23 (the pin 23 is best shown in Figure 12). In other embodiments, the rails may be straight or have some other non-movable shape.
[0024] Referring to Figures 5 and 6, there are mounts 24 near the front end of each side rail 18, and a cross bar 21 spans between these mounts 24. Similarly, an intermediate cross bar 20 spans between mounts 25, also attached to the side rails 18. The cross bars 19, 20, and 21 (along with the backrest cross bar) can be adjusted in length (for example, they may be nested) to adjust the width of the wheelchair.
[0025] Furthermore, in Figure 5, each front end of the side rail 18 has an upright bracket 26 having a shaped, rearward-facing inclined surface 27. A cam lock lever 28 is positioned at a distance from the shaped surface 27 and facing the shaped surface 27.
[0026] Referring further to Figure 5, the mount 29 protrudes downward from the underside of each side rail 18. In each case, the mount 29 has a branch to which a rearward-extending arm 30 is linearly adjustable, and the arm 30 is coupled to a linearly adjustable wheel mounting assembly 31 for detachably mounting the wheel 13. At the distal rear end of the arm 30 is a linearly adjustable quick-release assembly 32 for detachably coupling the stabilizing wheel / skid 14 to the arm 30. In each case, the mount 29 also provides means for adjusting the mounting of the arm 29a of the front caster wheel assembly 17.
[0027] Furthermore, in Figure 5, the seat module 12 has a pair of spaced-apart parallel side rails, such as bars 33. At the front end of each side bar 33 is a mount 34 for a leg rest 15. At the rear end of each side bar 33 is a pair of linearly adjustable "L" shaped plates 35. The base 35a of each L-shaped plate 35 is attached to the opposite side of each side bar 33, so that the legs 36 of the plate 35 protrude upward. A pin 37 (best shown in Figure 9) is attached between the legs 36 so as to extend laterally.
[0028] As also shown in Figures 5 and 6, a cylindrical mount 38 is pivotably attached to each side between the upper ends of each plate 35, and one end of a backrest support 39, which forms part of the backrest 40, is engaged through the mount 38. The backrest support 39 is kept spaced apart by a substantially U-shaped cross bar 41 and a handle assembly 42 that is coupled to the backrest support 39 and spans between the backrest support 39.
[0029] Referring to Figure 4, in each case, the end of the backrest support 39 protruding through the cylindrical mount 38 has an insert 43 made of elastic material. A lateral hook or groove 44 is part of the insert 43, and therefore, when the backrest is moved upward from the folded position shown in Figures 9 and 10, the insert 43 can elastically deform enough for the pin 37 to move and enter the groove 44, where it settles and holds the backrest 40 in its upright position. Optionally, this connection is of the releaseable snap-fit type. Similarly, the backrest / handle assembly can be folded by forcibly disconnecting / unlocking the pin 37 and insert 43 by applying pressure that would not normally be applied to the backrest 40 during normal use.
[0030] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, each side bar 33 has a downwardly projecting locking element 45 behind the front mount 34. For strength and stability, a cross bar 46 extends between the locking elements 45. Each side bar 33 also has a mount 47 between the locking element 45 and the L-shaped plate 35 for detachably attaching an armrest 16. The positions of the locking elements 45 and the mount 47 can be adjusted linearly along the associated side bar 33.
[0031] Furthermore, in Figures 9 and 10, a slot or hook element 48 is present at the rear end of each side bar 33, positioned between the L-shaped plates 35. The rearward-facing recess 49 of the hook element 48 has a substantially "U"-shaped cross-section and extends laterally relative to the longitudinal dimension of the side bar 33. Optionally, the hook element 48 is elastic for snap-fitting.
[0032] Module installation The seat module 12 is attached to the chassis module 11 by engaging (optionally snap-fitting) the hook elements 48 (see Figure 9) of the seat module with the respective receiving pins 23 (see Figure 8) of the chassis module. The seat module 12 is then rotated downward around the axis of the hinge formed by the hook elements 48 and the receiving pins 23. This causes the locking element 45 (see Figure 9) extending downward from the seat module to engage with the upright portion 26 (see Figure 6) of the chassis module 11. The forward-facing surface 50 of the locking element 45 may be shaped to complement the shape of the rear-facing surface 27 of the upright portion 26, resulting in a tight surface-to-surface contact between the two. The locking engagement element 45 has a contact surface or step 51 that engages with the top of the upright portion 26.
[0033] Referring to Figure 11, the locking engagement element 45 has a branched (e.g., fork-shaped) tip that extends from the upright portion 26 and provides clearance for the arm 52 to which the cam lock lever 28 is rotatably coupled. Figure 11 also shows this arm and the lock cam lever in its released position (position P1).
[0034] Figure 12 shows a detailed view of part of the chassis module, including an enlarged view of pin 23.
[0035] When the seat module 12 is lowered and the locking engagement element 45 and the upright portion 26 are in opposition and engaged, the cam lock lever 28 (see Figure 11) rotates from position P1 to locking position P2 (see, for example, Figures 2 and 3) and engages with the groove 45a (see Figure 9) in the locking element 45, thereby locking the seat module 12 to the chassis module 11.
[0036] The substantially arc-shaped side rails 18 provide adjustable and optimal positioning of the upright section 26, and an effective pivot axis for the receiving pins 23 and hook elements 48, resulting in a robust yet quickly detachable coupling of the seat module 12 to the chassis module 11. The arc shape of the rails 18 also allows for adjustment of the seat module's tilt.
[0037] Once the seat module and chassis module are locked together, the backrest 40 can be folded upward and held in place in use by the interaction of the pin 37 (see Figure 9) and the lateral groove 44. The leg rest 15 and armrest 16 can then be fitted into the seat module 12, and the wheels 13 and rear stabilizing wheels / skids 14 can be attached to the chassis module 11.
[0038] When the wheelchair is made compact for transport, the wheels 13, wheel / skid 14, leg rest 15, and armrest 16 can be removed, and the backrest 40 can be moved to its folded position (see Figure 3). After the cam lock lever 28 is moved to the release position P1, the seat module 12 can be tilted upward (see Figures 5 and 6), and then moved forward enough so that the groove 44 and the receiving pin 23 are disengaged, at which point the seat module 12 can be separated from the chassis module 11. Figures 7 and 8 show the chassis module 11 after the seat module 12 has been removed.
[0039] To be understood, the wheelchair frame configuration is adjustable in terms of the width, angle, and height of the handle assembly 42, the position of the rotation axis of the wheels 13, the height of the leg rests 15 and armrests 16, and the angle of the backrest support 39 relative to the side bars 33 of the seat module.
[0040] It should be understood that some embodiments of the present invention are described as examples and that modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.
[0041] From a disclosure standpoint, this Specification assumes and presents that any function referred to herein may be used in combination with any other function referred to herein, either by itself or with any other function referred to herein, even if such combination is not requested.
Claims
1. a) A seat module having a pair of seat rails, wherein each seat rail has: - The rear end of the rail or an elastic hook or groove near the rail, • Front seat locking components The seat module to which it is attached, b) A chassis module having a pair of chassis rails, wherein each chassis rail has: - Receiving pins arranged in the lateral direction, and - Front chassis locking components The chassis module to which it is attached, c) A pair of cam levers and A wheelchair equipped with, the arrangement of the said parts is d) The sheet module is moved by hand so that the hook or groove engages with the pin to form a pivot. e) Swing the seat module downward by hand around the pivot so that each seat locking component comes into contact with one of the chassis locking components, f) Next, the cam lever is operated by hand to cam-lock the seat locking component and the chassis locking component so that they can be released from each other, and as a result, the seat module and the chassis module are also locked to each other so that they can be released from each other. It's a wheelchair.
2. The wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein each receiving pin forms part of the chassis rail of the receiving pin, or is attached to the chassis rail of the receiving pin via a bracket or a pair of mounting plates.
3. The wheelchair according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each seat locking component extends downward from its respective seat rail, and each chassis locking component extends upward from its respective chassis rail.
4. The wheelchair according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein each seat locking component has a recess into which one of the cam levers can be releasably cam-locked.
5. The wheelchair according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein each cam lever is fixed to one of the chassis locking components or integrated with one of the chassis locking components.
6. The wheelchair according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each chassis-locking component has a rearward-facing inclined surface, and as referred to in part e) of claim 1, when the seat module is swung, the rearward-facing inclined surface contacts one of the seat-locking components.
7. The wheelchair according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein each seat-locking component has a branched lower end, and when the seat module is swung as referred to in part e) of claim 1, the support portion of each of the cam levers slots into the branched lower end.
8. a) The backrest module comprises a pair of backrest supports, each support having a lateral seat hook or groove at its end. b) Each seat rail is fitted with a seat pin that extends laterally, The wheelchair according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the arrangement of the components is such that when the seat module and the chassis module are locked together, the support column is rotatable, and swings the seat pin to engage with the seat groove or hook, thereby helping to release the support column into an upright position for supporting the back of the person using the wheelchair.
9. The wheelchair according to claim 8, wherein in each case, the seat pin forms part of each seat rail of the seat pin and is attached to each seat rail of the seat pin via a bracket or a pair of mounting plates.
10. The wheelchair according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein each hook or groove is substantially elastic.
11. The wheelchair according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein each hook or groove provides engagement by snap fitting with one of the pins.
12. a) Each seat locking component extends downward from its respective seat rail, and each chassis locking component extends upward from its respective chassis rail. b) Each seat locking component has a recess into which one of the cam levers can be releasedly cam-locked, c) Each cam lever is fixed to one of the chassis locking components or integrated with one of the chassis locking components. d) Each chassis locking component has a rearward-facing inclined surface, and as referred to in part e) of claim 1, when the seat module is swung, the rearward-facing inclined surface contacts one of the seat locking components. e) Each seat locking component has a branched lower end, and when the seat module is swung as referred to in part e) of claim 1, the support portion of each of the cam levers is slotted into the branched lower end, f) The backrest module comprises a pair of backrest supports, each support having a lateral seat hook or groove at its end. g) Each seat rail is fitted with a seat pin that extends laterally, h) The arrangement for items g) and h) of this claim is such that when the seat module and the chassis module are locked together, the support column is rotatable and helps to swing the seat pin to engage with the seat groove or hook, thereby releasably holding the support column in an upright position for supporting the back of the wheelchair user, i) Each hook or groove is substantially elastic, The wheelchair according to claim 1.