Stair-Climbing Conveyance With Alternating Ground Contact Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wheelchairs are unsuitable for navigating staircases or other obstacles, as they either cause damage to the stairs or lack stability when attempting to ascend or descend, and existing solutions like track-based drive systems or wheel clusters are inefficient and prone to damage.
Innovation Solution
A conveyance with a rotating linkage system that includes epicyclic gearsets, adjustable ground engaging arrangements, and steerable wheels, allowing for controlled movement and adaptation to different heights and footprints, enabling safe navigation of obstacles like staircases without damaging them.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If track-based drive systems are used to enable wheelchair users to negotiate staircases, then accessibility is improved, but significant damage is caused to the corners of the stairs
Solution Approach 1:
The ground engaging arrangement is divided into multiple ground engaging elements (wheels, tracks, or treads) that can independently contact different steps. This segmentation allows the conveyance to distribute its weight and climbing forces across multiple contact points rather than concentrating force on single staircase corners, thereby reducing damage while maintaining staircase negotiation capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs different ground engaging elements with specialized local properties - some elements are designed specifically for contacting and gripping step surfaces while others provide stability. The ground engaging elements can be selectively engaged or disengaged based on the terrain, allowing optimal local interaction with staircase surfaces without causing damage
2Adaptability or versatility
If wheel clusters are used to ascend or descend staircases, then mobility on stairs is improved, but the conveyance lacks stability and is prone to tipping
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyance uses multiple ground engaging arrangements (front and rear) with multiple ground engaging elements each, rather than a single wheel cluster. This segmented configuration distributes the stabilizing function across multiple independent contact points, preventing tipping while maintaining stair mobility
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyance employs a differential ground engaging arrangement where front and rear ground engaging arrangements can be independently controlled. This allows the system to actively balance and counteract tipping forces by adjusting the engagement and force distribution between front and rear elements, providing active stability compensation during stair traversal
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional wheelchairs are designed with fixed configurations, then manufacturing is simplified, but they cannot negotiate obstacles like staircases or kerbs
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyance is divided into modular components - chassis, multiple independent ground engaging arrangements, and control systems - that can be manufactured separately using standard processes and then assembled. This modular segmentation maintains manufacturing simplicity while enabling complex obstacle negotiation capabilities through the combination of standardized modules
Solution Approach 2:
The ground engaging arrangements are designed as multi-functional elements that can operate in different modes (wheels for flat ground, tracks for soft terrain, treads for stairs) using the same basic mechanical structure. This universality allows a single conveyance design to handle multiple terrains and obstacles without requiring completely different mechanisms for each function
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The conveyance maintains stability and avoids damage to obstacles while navigating, ensuring gentle and controlled movements, and can be adjusted for various terrain and obstacles, including staircases, with the option to convert to a hybrid manual mode for extended use.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the ground engaging arrangements may be associated with a pinion epicyclic gear set. The pinion epicyclic gear sets may be controllable to control the attitude of the ground engaging arrangements.
Data Source
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AI summary
A conveyance for surmounting obstacles is described including: a first ground engaging arrangement; and a second ground engaging arrangement; the first and second ground engaging arrangements are operable to move in an alternating sequence of movements to enable the conveyance to surmount obstacles; the conveyance is statically balanced alternately by one then the other of the ground engaging arrangements throughout the sequence of movements; each ground engaging arrangement includes a forwardly disposed portion and a rearwardly disposed portion which are spaced apart from one another; and each ground engaging arrangement further includes an obstacle accommodating region located between the forwardly disposed portion and the rearwardly disposed portion which can accommodate a portion of an obstacle being surmounted in use.