Patent ID: 6017046
Filing Date: 2000-01-25
Classification: A61G,F16H,Y10T

Abstract:
A drive system for use in association with a wheelchair, the drive system including:at least one input gear system positioned on a first axis of rotation, the at least one input gear system having at least two gears, each of the gears having teeth defining peaks and valleys, one of at least one peak of each of the at least two gears corresponding to each other or at least one valley of each of the at least two gears corresponding to each other;means for powering the at least one input gear system;at least one drive gear system positioned on a second axis of rotation and selectably engageable with the at least one input gear system, the at least one drive gear system having at least two gears, each of the gears having teeth defining peaks and valleys, the opposite, relative to the input gear system, of the at least one peak or at least one valley of the at least two gears of the at least one drive gear system corresponding to each other;a positioning member, the positioning member positioning the desired one of the at least two gears of the at least one drive gear with at least one of the two gears of the at least one input gear system through transversely slidable movement of at least one of the at least one drive gear system and the at least one input gear system along their respective axis of rotation, to, in turn, engage the desired gear of the at least one drive gear system to the desired gear of the at least one input gear system, and to, in turn, facilitate engagement and synchronization upon altering of the positioning member to engage an alternate drive gear and an input gear during rotation of same; andmeans for transferring movement of the drive gear system to a wheel.