Rollable user-support device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing physical assistance devices, such as rollators and wheelchairs, lack versatility in modes of operation, particularly in transitioning between seated and standing positions, and in controlling wheel movement and orientation, which limits their adaptability for users with varying mobility needs.
Innovation Solution
A user-support device with a rigid frame and a seat that can be positioned in multiple configurations, including a lower rearward seating position, an elevated forward seating position, and a folded position, featuring mechanisms to prevent wheel rolling and swiveling, allowing the device to operate in neutral, chair, and rollator modes, enabling bi-directional movement with adjustable wheel functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the seat is made movable between multiple positions to enhance versatility, then the adaptability for different user needs is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional manipulation mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The device is designed to perform multiple functions by enabling the seat to move between different positions (seated, standing, folded) and the wheels to switch between rolling/swiveling and locked states. This multi-functionality allows a single device to serve various mobility needs without requiring separate specialized equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates dynamic elements including a movable seat with manipulation mechanisms that allow transition between positions, and wheels with controlled rolling and swiveling capabilities. These dynamic features enable the device to adapt its configuration based on user needs while managing complexity through integrated mechanical systems.
2Reliability
If wheel rolling and swiveling are prevented in certain positions to improve safety, then the stability is improved, but the ease of operation decreases due to restricted wheel movement
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel system is designed with dynamic control capabilities, allowing the wheels to transition between locked and unlocked states based on the seat position. This enables the device to provide stability when needed (preventing rolling/swiveling in elevated positions) while maintaining ease of operation when the seat is in appropriate positions for movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The manipulation mechanisms are designed to automatically respond to seat position changes, with the wheel locking/unlocking function activated based on the detected seat configuration. This feedback mechanism ensures safety protocols are followed while minimizing the operational burden on the user.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the device is designed to operate in multiple modes (neutral, chair, rollator) to enhance versatility, then the adaptability is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional manipulation and folding mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The device is engineered to operate in three distinct modes (neutral, chair, and rollator) by coordinating seat position and wheel state. This multi-functionality allows a single device to replace multiple specialized mobility aids, enhancing versatility while consolidating functions into one system.
Solution Approach 2:
The device combines multiple functions (seating, standing support, rolling mobility, swiveling capability) into a single integrated system. By merging these functions and coordinating them through the manipulation mechanisms, the device achieves high versatility without requiring separate independent systems for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
A rollable user-support device comprising a rigid frame with first legs and second legs, each with a rollable and swivelable wheel, a seat with a seat folding mechanism and/or a seat manipulation mechanism. The seat manipulation mechanism can be operable to move the seat, with a user seated thereon, between a lower rearward seating position and an elevated forward seating position, and the seat folding mechanism can be operable to move the seat between the elevated forward seating position and a folded position, at least one of the devices being connected to a swivel prevention mechanism associated with the first wheels. The device can constitute a bi-directional rollable user-support device operable in three modes.