PERSONAL MOBILITY VEHICLE

Abstract: A personal mobility vehicle is described which comprises separable front and rear parts (10), wherein: the front part has at least one ground engaging wheel rotatably mounted thereon; the rear part (10; 40) provides a support for a seat (16; 42), connection means (22, 23) to rotatably mount a pair of ground engaging wheels (20), and drive means (21) arranged to drive the ground engaging wheels, and joining means are provided to join the front and rear parts together.

Description: Title: Personal Mobility Vehicle Description of the Invention The invention relates to a personal mobility vehicle of the kind generally known as a wheelchair or scooter, and in particular to such vehicles which are powered and separable into front and rear parts. According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided personal mobility vehicle comprising separable front and rear parts, wherein: the front part has at least one ground engaging wheel rotatably mounted thereon; the rear part provides a support for a seat, connection means to rotatably mount a pair of ground engaging wheels, and drive means airanged to drive the ground engaging wheels, and joining means are provided to join the front and rear parts together. Preferably the connection means extends rearwardly from a lower portion, or adjacent a lower portion, of the seat support. Preferably the connection means comprises a nailing arm arrangement supporting an axle on which the ground engaging wheels are mounted. The connection means may further comprise upwardly inclined linking means between the axle, or adjacent the axle, and an upper portion, or adjacent an upper portion, of the seat support. The linking means may comprise a linking element located substantially on or adjacent to the mid-line of the vehicle. In the alternative the linking means may comprise two linking elements located to either side of the mid-line of the vehicle. The or each linking element may comprise a rigid member. hi an alternative the trailing arm arrangement is pivotally connected to or adjacent the lower poition of the seat support and the or each linking element comprises a suspension unit. The or each suspension unit may comprise a spring/damper unit. Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of the invention; FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the Figure 1 embodiment; FIGURE 3 is a side view of a second embodiment of the invention, and FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the Figure 3 embodiment. Referring first to Figures 1 and 2 a first embodiment of the invention will be described. A rear part 10 of a personal mobility vehicle of the kind commonly called a wheelchair is illustrated, along with a portion of a front part 11 and a portion of joining means 12. As the present invention relates to the rear part 10 of the vehicle only that part of the vehicle will be described further. The rear part 10 comprises a frame portion 15 and a seat support 16 in the form of a substantially vertical tubular member, which is located on the mid- line of the vehicle, for receipt of a seat stem 13. On a rear part of the seat support 16 a flange 16a is provided. On a rear central portion of the frame part 15 two brackets 17 are provided, to either side of a mid-line of the vehicle, which have substantially horizontal bores therethrough. The rear part 10 further comprises an axle 19, bearing a pair of rotatable ground engaging wheels 20, and a drive unit 21 drivably connected to the wheels 21 via the axle 19. The axle 19 is mounted on the frame part 15 by means of a trailing arm arrangement comprising forw ard arms 22 and rearward arms 23. The forward arms 22 have bores at their forward ends, which when aligned with the bores in the brackets 17, allow for insertion of pins 18 and thus connection of the axle 19 to the frame part 15. The rearward amis 23 have castors, or jockey wheels, 24 rotatably mounted at their rearward ends. The rear part 10 further comprises a flange 25 provided in this case adjacent to a central portion of the axle 19, close to the mid-line of the vehicle. A linking element 26 is connected between the flange 16a and the flange 25 by means of appropriate fastenings (not shown). The linking element 26 is in this case a rigid member. However, if it is desired to provide rear suspension for the vehicle then the rigid linking member 26 is simply replaced by a suspension unit of appropriate kind, for example a spring/damper unit. Provided, the forward hailing amis 22 are connected to the brackets 17 in a pivotal manner this arrangement provides the required suspension. Hence, a rear part of a vehicle as described above provides the advantage that different models within a product range may readily be provided, with and without rear suspension, with minimal additional parts and cost. A second embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. A rear part 40 of a personal mobility vehicle is illustrated, with its forward end to the left and its rear end to the right. The rear part 40 comprises a frame part 41 and a seat support 42, in the form of a generally upright tubular member which is located on the mid-line of the vehicle. The frame part 41 has a bore therethrough from side to side for receipt of a spindle 43, as best shown in Figure 4. The rear part 40 further comprises an axle 44, bearing a pair of rotatable ground engaging wheels 45, and a drive unit 46 drivably connected to the wheels 45 via the axle 44. The axle 44 is attached to the frame part 41 by means of a trailing ami arrangement comprising forward aims 47 and rearward amis 48. The forward amis 47 have bores at their forward ends through which the spindle 43 is passed to either side of the frame part 41. The rearward arms 48 have castors, or jockey wheels, 49 rotatably mounted at their rearward ends. The real- part 40 further comprises a flange 50 on or adjacent to the middle of the axle 44 and a flange 51 on or adjacent to an upper poition of the seat support 42. A linking element 52 is attached to the flanges 50 and 51 by means of appropriate fasteners (not shown). In this case the linking element 52 comprises a suspension unit in the form of a spring/damper unit, hence the rear part 40 described above provides suspension. However, if it is desired not to provide suspension then the suspension unit may be replaced with a rigid member, as described for the rear part 10. Hence, the second embodiment provides the same advantage as described for the first embodiment. Although both embodiments of the invention have been described incorporating a single linking element adjacent to the mid-line of the vehicle, they may both be readily adapted to incorporate tw o such linking elements, one on either side of the mid-line of the vehicle.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A personal mobility vehicle comprising separable front and rear parts, wherein: the front part has at least one ground engaging wheel rotatably mounted thereon; the rear part provides a support for a seat, connection means to rotatably mount a pair of ground engaging wheels, and drive means airanged to drive the ground engaging wheels, and joining means are provided to join the front and rear parts together. 2. A vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the connection means extends rearwardly from a lower portion, or adjacent a lower portion, of the seat support. 3. A vehicle according to claim 2 wherein the connection means comprises a trailing ami airangement supporting an axle on which the ground engaging wheels are mounted. 4. A vehicle according to claim 3 wherein the connection means further comprises upwardly inclined linking means between the axle, or adjacent the axle, and an upper portion, or adjacent an upper portion, of the seat support. 5. A vehicle according to claim 4 wherein the linking means comprises a linking element located substantially on or adjacent to the mid-line of the vehicle. 6. A vehicle according to claim 4 wherein the linking means comprises two linking elements located to either side of the mid-line of the vehicle. 7. A vehicle according to claim 5 or 6 wherein the or each linking element comprises a rigid member. 8. A vehicle according to claim 4 wherein the trailing aπn airangement is pivotally connected to or adjacent the lower poition of the seat support and the or each linking element comprises a suspension unit. 9. A vehicle according to claim 8 wherein the or each suspension unit comprises a spring/damper unit. 10. A vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings. 1 1. A vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings. AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 12 November 1998 ( 12.11.98) ; original claims 1 - 11 replaced by amended claims 1 - 9 (2 pages)] 1. A personal mobility vehicle comprising separable front and rear parts, wherein: (a) the front part has at least one ground engaging wheel rotatably mounted thereon; (b) the rear part provides a support for a seat, connection means which extend rearwardly from a lower portion, or adjacent a lower portion, of the seat support, to rotatably mount a pair of ground engaging wheels, and drive means arranged to drive the ground engaging wheels, and joining means are provided to join the front and rear parts together; characterised in that the connection means comprise a trailing arm arrangement supporting an axle on which the ground engaging wheels are mounted. 2. A vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the connection means further comprises upwardly inclined linking means between the axle, or adjacent the axle, and an upper portion, or adjacent an upper portion, of the seat support. 3. A vehicle according to claim 2 wherein the linking means comprises a linking element located substantially on or adjacent to the mid-line of the vehicle. 4. A vehicle according to claim 2 wherein the linking means comprises two linking elements located to either side of the mid-line of the vehicle. 5. A vehicle according to claim 3 or 4 wherein the or each linking element comprises a rigid member. 6. A vehicle according to claim 2 wherein the trailing arm arrangement is pivotally connected to or adjacent the lower portion of the seat support and the or each linking element comprises a suspension unit. 7. A vehicle according to claim 6 wherein the or each suspension unit comprises a spring/damper unit. 8. A vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings. 9. A vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

Inventors: GOULD ROYSTON MERVYN, GOULD, ROYSTON, MERVYN
Applicants: GOULD ROYSTON MERVYN, SUNRISE MEDICAL LTD, GOULD, ROYSTON, MERVYN, SUNRISE MEDICAL LIMITED
Application year: 1998
Main classification: B62K5
IPC codes: A61G5, B62D61, B62K5, B62K15