Modular Mobility Support System with Adjustable Width and Drive Unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rollators lack stability against tipping and slipping, especially under lateral loads, which can lead to falls, and are difficult to transport and maintain due to their fixed design and weight distribution.
Innovation Solution
A modular mobility support system with a drive unit, a central module, and side modules that can be easily coupled and decoupled, allowing for adjustable width and weight distribution, featuring a drive unit that compensates for inertia and includes additional weights for enhanced stability and maneuverability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the rollator has a small footprint to ensure maneuverability and portability, then it is easy to transport and maneuver, but it tips over easily under lateral loads
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is divided into modular components that can be adjusted or reconfigured. The width adjustment mechanism segments the frame into adjustable lateral dimensions, allowing the user to widen the stance for stability or narrow it for maneuverability depending on the situation.
Solution Approach 2:
The rollator incorporates dynamic width adjustment capability, allowing the lateral dimensions to change during use. The frame can be adjusted between a narrow configuration for tight spaces and a wide configuration for enhanced stability, making the stability characteristic adaptable rather than fixed.
2Weight of moving object
If the rollator weighs between 5 and 10 kg for portability, then it is easy to transport, but it tips over due to small lateral force
Solution Approach 1:
The rollator allows dynamic adjustment of its effective weight distribution through width adjustment. By widening the lateral stance, the center of gravity is positioned more favorably, increasing resistance to tipping without requiring additional weight. The system adapts its stability characteristics to match the operational requirements.
3Reliability
If the rollator has locked wheels to prevent movement, then it provides braking function, but it slips when not subjected to sufficiently high vertical force
Solution Approach 1:
The width adjustment mechanism dynamically modifies the vertical force distribution on the wheels. By adjusting the lateral width, the system optimizes the weight distribution and vertical loading on the braking wheels, ensuring sufficient grip for reliable braking without requiring excessive overall weight.
4Ease of manufacture
If the rollator has a fixed design, then it is simple to manufacture, but it is difficult to adapt to different users and situations
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is segmented into modular sections with standardized interfaces, allowing for easy adjustment of width and configuration. This modular approach maintains manufacturing simplicity through standardized components while enabling adaptability to different user requirements and situational needs.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a mobility support system (100), comprising: a drive unit (112), which is designed to drive at least one wheel (121, 122, 131, 132) of the mobility support system (100); a modular structural frame, wherein the modular structural frame comprises a central module (110) and at least one side module (120, 130), wherein the drive unit (112) is arranged in the central module (110) and/or the at least one side module (120, 130), and wherein at least one wheel (121, 122; 131, 132) is associated with the side module (120, 130); and the central module (110) and the at least one side module (120, 130) each have at least one interface, by means of which the central module (110) can be mechanically and/or electronically reversibly coupled to the at least one side module (120, 130).