Compact Wheelchair With Detachable Rear Wheels
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wheelchairs are bulky even in their collapsed state due to extending wheels and hubs, making them difficult to store and display in retail spaces, as they exceed typical shelf dimensions.
Innovation Solution
A wheelchair design with detachable rear wheel assemblies and quick release devices that allow the chassis to fold into a compact package, reducing dimensions by over 30% compared to prior art designs, enabling easier storage and display on retail shelves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If wheels and hubs are made detachable to reduce bulk, then storage compactness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wheelchair is divided into detachable modules: the chassis and the wheels are separate components that can be easily separated from each other. This segmentation allows the wheels to be removed for compact storage while maintaining the structural integrity and functionality of the chassis when wheels are attached.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheelchair design incorporates dynamic reconfigurability through quick-release mechanisms that enable users to transition between different configurations (with wheels attached or detached). This dynamic capability allows the same device to serve both transportation and compact storage needs without requiring multiple separate products.
2Ease of operation
If wheelchair is made collapsible to improve storage, then ease of storage is improved, but stability during use deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the wheels from the collapsible chassis, the invention allows the chassis to be folded into a compact configuration for easy storage while the wheels remain as stable, separate components. When wheels are reattached to the collapsed chassis, the complete assembly achieves both compact storage capability and operational stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The quick-release mechanisms are pre-configured on the chassis to enable rapid wheel attachment and detachment. This preliminary preparation of connection interfaces allows users to quickly transition between storage and use modes without compromising the stability of the assembled configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A wheelchair (100) includes a chassis (101) defining a seat (102), a backrest (103), one or more armrests (104,105), and an undercarriage (106). One or more front caster wheels (118,119) are coupled to, and selectively detachable from, the undercarriage. One or more rear wheel assemblies (120,121) each include a rear wheel (125), an axle (127), and a mounting post (129) extending distally from the axle at a substantially orthogonal angle relative to the axle. One or more quick release devices (130,131) couple each mounting post of each rear wheel assembly to the undercarriage such that the each the one or more rear wheel assemblies is selectively detachable from the undercarriage.