Integrated Wheelchair Grip Ring with Phosphorescent Polymer Cover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing grip rings for wheelchairs lack versatility and safety features, particularly in terms of material durability, ease of use, and visibility, especially for users with disabilities or in low-light conditions.
Innovation Solution
A grip ring comprising a substantially rigid central ring integrated with a polymer cover, which can be colored or phosphorescent, and equipped with mounting devices for secure attachment to the wheelchair wheel, allowing for customizable grip patterns and enhanced visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional separate-component grip ring design is used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability and durability are worsened due to potential separation or failure at connection points
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the central ring and polymer cover into a single integrated component formed by injecting polymer material directly onto the central ring within a mold. This eliminates separate connection points that could fail, thereby improving reliability while maintaining manufacturing efficiency through a one-step injection process.
2Strength
If a rigid grip ring structure is used, then structural strength is improved, but ease of operation is worsened due to reduced comfort and grip ability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the central ring rigid for structural strength while covering specific grip areas with a softer polymer material. This creates different local properties: the rigid ring provides overall strength while the softer polymer portions provide comfortable contact points for the user's hands, resolving the contradiction between strength and ease of operation.
3Illumination intensity
If a simple single-color grip ring is used, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but visibility and safety are worsened in low-light conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by incorporating phosphorescent materials into the polymer cover, which absorb and re-emit light to provide visibility in low-light conditions. The mold can be designed with different colored sections that correspond to different grip zones, allowing color coding without requiring separate manufacturing steps for each color zone, thus maintaining manufacturing simplicity while improving visibility.
4Ease of operation
If a textured surface is applied to the entire grip ring, then grip ability is improved, but manufacturing complexity and surface area requirements are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing textured surfaces only on the polymer cover portions that contact the user's hands, while leaving other portions smooth. The mold is designed with textured sections corresponding to grip zones and smooth sections for other areas, allowing selective texturing that improves grip ability without requiring complex texturing across the entire surface area.
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 integrated grip ring provides improved durability, ease of use, increased visibility, and enhanced safety features, such as better grip and braking capabilities, while being adaptable to various wheelchair types and user preferences.
Implementation Method 1
the polymer material is cured within the mold
Implementation Method 2
the cover may be phosphorescent
Data Source
AI summary
A wheelchair grip ring, its components, and a corresponding method for making a wheelchair grip ring are described herein. The grip ring can be mounted to, and removed from, one or more of the wheels of a wheelchair. The grip ring has a substantially rigid central ring, a polymer cover which is integral with the central ring and which covers some, or all, of the central ring. The grip ring can also have one or more mounting devices which connect either the polymer cover or the central ring to the wheel of the wheelchair. The method involves placing the central ring into a mold, and adding a polymer material into the mold. The mold can thus produce a central ring having a polymer cover which is integral with the central ring, and which covers some, or all, of the central ring.