Wheelchair Support Platform With Adjustable Tensile Load
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seated appliances for mobility-impaired users, such as wheelchairs, lack adjustable support platforms that can customize the tensile load to prevent pressure sores and maintain stability over time, as canvas slings sag and adjustable straps require frequent readjustment.
Innovation Solution
A support arrangement featuring a reconfigurable connection system with clips or hooks that attach a substantially rigid support plate to the appliance, allowing adjustable tensile load application through threaded screws, providing a stable and customizable base for users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a canvas sling is used as the support base, then the appliance is simple and lightweight, but the sling sags over time causing asymmetric positioning and pressure points
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the support plate tension-adjustable through threaded rods and nuts. The support plate can be dynamically reconfigured to maintain optimal tension levels, transforming from a static canvas sling to a dynamically adjustable rigid plate system that prevents sagging while maintaining reliability over time.
2Adaptability or versatility
If adjustable straps are used to allow tensile load adjustment, then the support can be customized, but the straps work loose and require frequent readjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical strap system with a threaded rod and nut mechanism. This substitution provides a more reliable adjustment system where the threaded connection prevents working loose, eliminating the need for frequent readjustment while maintaining the ability to customize tensile load for different users.
3Reliability
If a rigid support plate is used instead of canvas sling, then the support stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the connection system into modular components: the rigid support plate, multiple threaded rods, and adjustable nuts. This segmentation allows the complex rigid plate system to be assembled and adjusted in discrete steps, making the complexity manageable while maintaining the stability benefits of the rigid structure.
4Reliability
If the support plate is tightly tensioned to prevent sagging, then the stability is improved, but pressure sores may develop from excessive tension
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different tension levels at different locations on the support plate. The adjustable nuts enable localized tension customization, so areas requiring more support can be tightened while other areas maintain lower tension to prevent pressure sores, addressing both stability and comfort needs simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
A support arrangement and corresponding method, is provided for supporting a user in a seated invalid appliance, the arrangement comprising a support member and at least one reconfigurable connection arrangement arranged to enable connection of the support member to the appliance and the application an adjustable tensile load to the support member. The connection arrangement may comprise a bridging element configured to extend between the support member and the appliance, such as a clip or hook. The hook or clip may be S-shaped or C-shaped in cross section. The connection arrangement may be received in an aperture or recess provided in the support member and/or the appliance to bridge the gap there between. The invention is particularly suited for use with wheelchairs or seated sports appliances for a disabled user.