Adjustable Width Collapsible Conveyance for Varying User Sizes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rollators and wheelchairs often fail to accommodate users with varying body sizes and conditions, such as those with considerable girth or wearing casts/braces, due to a fixed design that does not allow for adequate adjustment in width or seat positioning.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible personal wheeled conveyance with adjustable crossbars and a seat that can be laterally positioned and locked, allowing for a customizable width and intuitive adjustment to suit different users, including those with prosthetics or therapeutic devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed-width design is used for rollators, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but it cannot accommodate users with varying body sizes and conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The crossbar is designed with adjustable length capability, allowing it to dynamically change its dimensions to accommodate different user body sizes and conditions. The crossbar can be extended or repositioned to provide adequate width for users with considerable girth, casts, or braces, while maintaining a compact form when not in use.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the seat is fixed in position, then the structure is simpler, but it does not allow for intuitive adjustment to suit different users
Solution Approach 1:
The seat is mounted on the adjustable crossbar, inheriting its lateral movement capability. This allows the seat to be dynamically repositioned left or right along the crossbar to accommodate users with prosthetics or therapeutic devices, providing intuitive adjustment without requiring complex separate mechanisms.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the conveyance is designed for narrow width, then it is more maneuverable and easier to store, but it is uncomfortable for users with considerable girth
Solution Approach 1:
The overall width of the conveyance is made dynamically adjustable through the adjustable crossbar. When users with considerable girth need to use the device, the crossbar can be extended to provide adequate width. When not in use or when used by smaller users, the crossbar can be retracted to maintain a compact, maneuverable profile.
Data Source
AI summary
A collapsible personal wheeled conveyance comprises a first and second collapsible side frame, each having ground-contacting wheels, and at least one adjustable crossbar configured to physically connect the two collapsible side frames, the adjustable crossbar(s) having a selectively adjustable length. The adjustable crossbar(s) may be lockable or non-lockable. One or more of the adjustable crossbars may comprise seat-supporting adjustable crossbars. A seat can be configured to move laterally along such a seat-supporting adjustable crossbar to permit selective adjustment of the lateral position of this seat with respect to the side frames. One or more locking mechanisms can serve to lock the seat at a particular position. By one approach the aforementioned seat-supporting adjustable crossbar can include spacing indicia to visually indicate when the seat is centrally located between the first and second collapsible side frames for a particular selected length of the seat-supporting adjustable crossbars.