Motor vehicles – Special wheel base – Collapsible or knockdown for storage or transport
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-11
2003-03-11
English, Peter C. (Department: 3616)
Motor vehicles
Special wheel base
Collapsible or knockdown for storage or transport
C180S209000, C180S216000, C180S907000, C280S638000, C280S149200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06530445
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to personal mobility vehicles and more particularly to a personal mobility vehicle having a variable wheelbase.
2. Background of the Related Art
The popularity of personal mobility vehicles has dramatically increased over the last serveral decades. This increase in the popularity of personal mobility vehicles is due to many factors including the advent of new structural techniques and materials, as well as a more aging population. Although the population especially in the United States of America is moving towards a more senior age distribution, many of these seniors are very active and mobile. This desire for mobility and activity is present despite physical or health infirmities.
Various types of personal mobility vehicles have been designed and sold in the prior art for different types of applications and activities. When a personal mobility vehicle is used indoor or in confined spaces, the personal mobility vehicle is typically designed with a short wheelbase. The short wheelbase provides a reduced turning radius for the personal mobility vehicle for negotiating smaller confined spaces indoors.
When a personal mobility vehicle is to be used outdoors, a longer wheelbase is desirable. The longer wheelbase provides more stability and a better ride for the personal mobility vehicle.
Some in the prior art have attempted to develop a variable wheelbase personal mobility vehicle for use in both confined spaces and in non-confined spaces. The following U.S. patents are representative of some of the attempts of the prior art to provide a variable wheelbase personal mobility vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. Re. 33,675 to Young discloses a motorized wheel chair comprising a chassis having two rear wheels and one front wheel mounted thereon. The front wheel is steerable by a handlebar. The rear wheels are driven by an electric motor coupled to a gearbox, for reducing the speed of the wheel chair. The gearbox drives a friction drive assembly that is engageable with the rear wheels and also is coupled to the handlebar such that one of the rear wheels will be disengaged depending upon which direction the handlebar is turned. The device is provided with a switch that cuts power to the device when a change in surface elevation of a desired amount is detected either in front of or behind the device. A second switch may be provided to stop the vehicle upon contact with a foreign object. A third switch may be activated remotely to stop the device. Also, the chassis is adjustable in length, such that as a child grows the device may be adjusted accordingly.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,664,450 to Udden et al. discloses that electrically powered four-wheeled single vehicles especially for disabled persons and invalids and specifically made for out-door use must have such stabilizing qualities that under all circumstances there is no risk for the chair to turn over even if it will have to pass over different kinds of obstacles such as curbs. A further object of such vehicles is to provide a simple and safe steering operation so that the forces from the obstacles to be passed over must not he transmitted to the steering handle, since patients in many cases have considerably reduced power to control such forces by hand. These objects are realized in the invention substantially by the fact that the vehicle comprises a rear and a front portion which are swingably connected to each other by means of telescopic pipes or the like running substantially in parallel with the ground and in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. To meet the requirement of a safe and unaffected steering operation the front wheels are neutrally positioned in a way that the extension of the swivel axles will cut the contact surfaces between the corresponding wheels and the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,449 to Ostrow discloses a generally rectangular shaped support frame provided with ground-engaging wheels upon which almost any type and size of conventional chair may be readily mounted so as to provide mobile means for transporting non-ambulatory persons. Certain of the ground engaging wheels are capable of being rotated manually by the person using the converted wheel chair in order to propel the chair in two embodiments of the invention, electrically in a third embodiment and selectively manually or electrically or both manually and electrically in a fourth embodiment thereof. A retractable foot rest is also incorporated in the support frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,540 to Minnebraker discloses a wheelchair capable of being constructed in several different sizes from components of standard size in order to permit users of different sizes and users with one or more handicaps to utilize such wheelchairs. The wheelchair includes a main frame and a foot support assembly which can be telescopically adjustably affixed to the main frame. In addition, a seat section can be telescopically adjustably affixed to the main frame such that the seat is located at a selected height and the foot support section can extend outwardly from the frame for a selected distance to accommodate users of differing height. The rear wheels are mounted with respect to the main frame such that the rear wheels can be located in several different positions in order to change the overall center of gravity and the wheelbase of the wheelchair. In this way, the wheelchair can be used for conventional wheelchair movement, as well as for athletic activities. A pair of front wheels are also adjustably mounted with respect to the main frame in order to change the angle of the wheelchair and the seat relative to the ground or other supporting surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,327 to Mowat et al. discloses a connecting assembly for a light weight vehicle having mutually engaging hook and latch portions. The hook portion comprises engaging hooks to engage and lift the latch means. The engaging portion further includes a shoulder to cause the subsequent disengagement of the latch and engaging portions. Support hooks receive the latch portion upon its disengagement from the engagement hooks. A levered handle causes displacement of the latch portion from the support hooks.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,151 to Kielczewski discloses an improved wheelchair adapted to provide enhanced mobility for the occupant together with making ground level activities available. The wheelchair comprises a main frame together with an extension frame telescopically secured to the main frame. A seat is secured to the extension frame so that when the extension frame is moved away from the main frame, the seat is lowered, and when the extension frame is brought back to the main frame, the seat is raised. Means are provided for further enhancing stability in the form of a mechanism to selectively move the drive wheels apart for wider wheel tracking. A rear wheel caster is provided with a selectively operable torsion limiter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,721,321 to Haury et al. discloses a sports wheelchair including a frame portion having left and right side frame portions. Rear wheel assemblies are connected with the left and right side frame portions such that the rear wheels are connectable to the frame in any one of a plurality of positions and with an adjustable camber. A pair of front wheel assemblies selectively interconnect the front wheels with the frame with any one of a plurality of adjustable heights and positions. An operator supporting seat having a segmented center portion and an outer portion is selectively interconnected with the left and right side frame portions. A folding mechanism enables the left and right side frame portions to be folded together for easier transportation and storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,925 to Haury et al. discloses a sports wheelchair including a frame portion having left and right side frame portions. Rear wheel assemblies are connected with the left and right side frame portions such that the rear wheels are connectable to the frame in any one of a plurality of positions and with an adjustable camber. A pair of front wheel assem
Dwyer, Jr. Edward J.
Flowers Michael J.
Hanker, Jr. Edward J.
Hoskin Mark J.
Jarema, III Stephen
Electric Mobility Corporation
English Peter C.
Frijouf, Rust & Pyler, P.A.
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