Invacare Corporation

Dale A Pulver

Roland A Mentessi

A wheelchair is provided, having a recline mechanism for the chair back and wherein the seat is repositioned forward in response to recline to reposition the user's weight relative to the supporting wheels. The chair is also independently equipped with a weight-shifting tilt mechanism. Moreover, a bilateral tracking mechanism (i.e., controlled motion is transmitted to both sides) is used to reposition the seat. This avoids torque due to uneven loading of the chair. Back canes of the chair and/or brackets on the chair back are slotted to enable infinite adjustment of chair arms, ventilator trays, and other accessories.

Weight-shifting reclining and tilting wheelchair seat

The power wheelchair includes an anti-tip assembly extending from the frame. The anti-tip assembly includes a plate secured to the frame via a dampening mechanism. A first arm extends from the plate and is mounted thereto for a limited amount of relative movement. A grounding engaging wheel disposed on a distal end of the arm is urged toward the ground surface by a biasing spring interposed between the arm and the plate. As the wheelchair begins to tip, anti-tip or resistive forces are generated initially by the biasing spring. This resisting force continues in a linear fashion until relative movement between the arm and the plate ceases. Thereafter, further resistive forces are provided by the dampener as movement of the plate toward the frame is resisted in a linear fashion by the dampener.

Anti-tip assembly for power wheelchair

A mid-wheel drive or front wheel drive power wheelchair includes a front stabilizer extending from the frame. It includes a first arm pivotally mounted to the frame at a first or upper end and a stabilizer wheel is mounted adjacent a second end. A second arm of the stabilizer assembly is pivotally connected at opposite ends to the stabilizer wheel axis and lower end of the shock assembly associated with the suspension arm. The first arm includes a dampening cylinder surrounded by a spring. The spring force preload can be selectively altered and, independently, the height of the stabilizer wheel may be adjusted.

Growing community of inventors

University Heights, OH, United States of America

Dale A Pulver