Wheeled chair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wheeled chairs for transporting patients face difficulties in ease of use, storage, accommodating different sizes, and securing medical equipment like oxygen bottles and charts, with limitations in brake systems and footrest functionality.
Innovation Solution
The design includes pivotable armrests, adjustable footrests, integrated oxygen bottle holders, and a brake system with interlocking pedals, along with features like pivotable mechanisms and biasing members to enhance usability, storage, and compatibility with various sizes and medical equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the armrest is made fixed and rigid, then the armrest provides stable support, but the armrest cannot be adjusted to accommodate patients of different sizes or preferences
Solution Approach 1:
The armrest is made pivotable about a horizontal axis, allowing it to dynamically change position between a raised configuration (providing support for entering/exiting) and a lowered configuration (clearing the path for sliding off). This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by allowing the armrest to serve different functions at different times.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the chair includes multiple features and attachments, then the chair becomes more functional and versatile, but the chair becomes more complex and difficult to use and store
Solution Approach 1:
The chair is divided into modular components (frame, seat, backrest, armrests, footrests, attachments) that can be independently positioned, adjusted, or removed. This segmentation allows the chair to maintain versatility while reducing complexity through standardized interfaces and independent functionality of each module.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple components (armrests, footrests, attachments) are made movable or adjustable rather than fixed, allowing them to be positioned as needed and stowed when not in use. This reduces the effective complexity during storage while maintaining full functionality during use.
3Area of stationary object
If the footrests are positioned close together, then the chair has a compact footprint for storage, but the footrests cannot accommodate patients of different sizes or provide adequate space for medical equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The footrests are made movable relative to each other and to the chair frame, allowing them to be positioned close together for compact storage and spread apart or adjusted to different heights when accommodating patients of different sizes or when needing to fit medical equipment between them.
Data Source
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AI summary
A wheeled chair for transporting patients includes a number of different improved aspects, such as the brake, the armrests, the footrests, the storage of the chairs, and the attachments of objects to the transport chair, such as oxygen bottles, IV poles, and/or charts, as well as other aspects. Some aspects make the chair easier to get into and out of; other aspects make it easier to store; other aspects make it easier to use the footrests; still other aspects make it easier to accommodate patients of different size; and other aspects make it easier to carry a chart and/or an oxygen bottle on the transport chair. In other embodiments, any one or more of these various aspects may be combined in any manner with any one or more of the other aspects.