Abstract:
A sunshine angle adjustable solar energy electric wheel chair, a solar energy cell is mounted on the electric wheel chair so as to charge up a storage battery, left and right horizontal pipes for mounting the cell are supported by four lifted stand pipes, the height of the lifted stand pipes is adjusted, i.e. the sunshine angle may be adjusted at six azimuth, so that the charging current is maximized.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a vehicle for the aged and the disabled, and more particularly to a super energy-saving solar powered wheel chair with an adjustable sunshine angle. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Presently, the electric wheel chair has a serious power wasting problem internationally, and one of the resolutions is to use solar energy. Two inventions about applying solar energy to electric wheel chairs have been filed for patents. However, (1) a solar battery is not mature enough, that is, it is heavy, expensive, and has a low efficiency and a low elasticity; and (2) the structure of the electric wheel chair is not mature, that is, it is too power wasting, such that there is no successful products in the market yet. Because the two inventions cannot solve a basic contradiction, that is, the electric energy provided by the solar battery does not match an electric energy required by the electric wheel chair seriously. An area on a right upper part of the electric wheel chair capable of being used to mount the solar battery is maximally 0.8 m 2 , and if the area barely exceeds 0.8 m 2 , the solar battery may hit the people from front or back, or from left or right. According to an efficiency of the current solar battery, the solar battery of 0.8 m 2  can only provide the electric energy of 80 W. However, the electric energy required by the current international common electric wheel chair is hundreds of watts, and a power of a driving motor is usually 300 W×2 or 320 W×2. Due to the contradiction between supply and demand with such a great disparity, definitely, no successful solar powered wheel chair comes into the market. 
         [0003]    However, till the year of 2008, the situation is greatly changed. In one aspect, a new-type thin solar battery is about to come into the market, which has a light weight, an excellent elasticity, and a price as low as that of the thermal power. In another aspect, a high power-saving electric wheel chair is proposed. The sample of the invention is highly power saving, such that although a silicon plate battery is still adopted, the actual effect of supper energy saving is obtained. If a new-type thin solar battery is further adopted, it is possible to create an electric wheel chair being more practical being foldable, more efficient having an adjustable sunshine angle, more energy saving being five times of the energy saving performance of internationally certificated products, and more inexpensive. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention is directed to a super energy-saving solar powered wheel chair with an adjustable sunshine angle, to eliminate disadvantages of the current electric wheel chairs. 
         [0005]    The present invention provides an electric wheel chair, which includes a wheel chair frame, stand pipes, horizontal support pipes, and main stand pipes. Back wheels, a front steering wheel, and a front universal wheel disposed on a lower part of the wheel chair frame, and a left arm-rest pipe, a right arm-rest pipe, and arm-rests disposed between the stand pipes and the main stand pipes. The front ends of the left and the right arm-rest pipes are bent as elbows, a hand control direction device is installed on the left elbow, and a speed-adjusting turning handle and a hand pull brake handle integrated in a two-in-one manner is mounted on the right elbow. The electric wheel chair is characterized in that the sunshine angle is adjustable and the electric wheel chair is super energy saving. 
         [0006]    Two double-vertical plates are respectively fixedly connected to the two main stand pipes, and another two double-vertical plates are respectively fixedly connected to the elbows of the left and the right arm-rest pipes and the stand pipes. Fixing sleeves are respectively connected to the two pairs of double-vertical plates, and 4 lift pipes are inserted into the four sleeves. A connection hole exists between the lift pipe and the sleeve, and the lift pipe and the sleeve are connected through a spring plunger, such that the lift pipes are flexibly lifted and located. During traveling, the sunshine angle may be adjusted respectively according to six directions, to maximize the solar energy charging current to battery. In the six directions, front and back directions are back inclined, non inclined, front inclined, and left and right directions are left inclined, non inclined, and right inclined. Two batteries respectively hung on the left and the right of the wheel chair which are used for backup and are charged during traveling. One battery may be fully charged in 5 hours, and the other battery is charged in 3 hours for storage. Left and right horizontally mounted connection pipes are respectively connected between top ends of the two lift pipes on the left side and between top ends of the two lift pipes on the right side, in which the lift pipe and the horizontally mounted connection pipes are connected through a universal spindle coupling. A new-type thin solar battery plate, not only covers on the left and the right horizontally mounted connection pipes, but also extends nylon zipper elastic straps from both sides. After passing round the left and the right horizontally mounted connection pipes, each pair of the elastic straps are locked through the nylon zipper, such that the new-type thin solar battery is elastically bound and connected. When the wheel chair frame is unfolded, the new-type thin solar battery is tightened from the two sides by the elastic straps; and while the wheel chair frame is folded, the new-type thin solar battery is released, and is folded together. A power supply line connection device is disposed under the new-type thin solar battery, and a power supply line leads to a controller box from the connection device, and is connected to a power connection of a battery box through a charging plug. 
         [0007]    In addition, in the present invention, the new-type thin solar battery may be replaced with a low-power silicon plate solar battery, the silicon plate solar battery is integrally mounted on the left and the right horizontally mounted connection pipes, screws are aligned with mount holes of the silicon plate battery for fastening the silicon plate battery, and the sunshine angle may be adjusted according to the six directions by using the four lift pipes, to maximize the charging current. The connection of the power supply line is also the same, in which the power supply line leads to the charging controller through the connection device, and is connected to the power connection of the battery box through the charging plug, except that the silicon plate battery cannot be folded and is mounted in a manner of rigid connection instead of elastic connection. 
         [0008]    The present invention is a super energy-saving foldable electric wheel chair with an adjustable sunshine angle and adopting a new-type thin solar battery, and thereby having advantages of being highly power saving, having a low weight, being capable of traveling for a long distance, having a low cost, being foldable, having a small battery, being capable of entering an elevator and entering houses by driving, having a strong grade climbing capability, and having a speed between 7-10 kilometers, such that the wheel chair is quite suitable for being used by the aged and the disabled. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a schematic structural view of a super energy-saving electric wheel chair with an adjustable sunshine angle and adopting a new-type thin solar battery; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a schematic constitutional view of a hand control direction device; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of mount positions of a back wheel direct driving motor and a disk brake; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of a cross folding device and a hung-up battery box of a foldable electric wheel chair with an adjustable sunshine angle and adopting a new-type thin solar battery. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a back view of a cross folding device of a foldable electric wheel chair with an adjustable sunshine angle; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is another schematic structural view of a super energy-saving electric wheel chair with an adjustable sunshine angle and adopting a new-type thin solar battery in which an intellectual control rod  40  is installed on a right elbow  12  to replace switches  18  and a switch box  181 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a schematic view in which a lift pipe and a horizontally mounted connection pipe are connected through a universal spindle coupling; 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a schematic view in which a structure adopting a new-type thin solar battery and with an adjustable sunshine angle is back inclined; 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a schematic view in which a structure adopting a new-type thin solar battery and with an adjustable sunshine angle is not inclined in a front and back direction; 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a schematic view in which a structure adopting a new-type thin solar battery and with an adjustable sunshine angle is front inclined; 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is a schematic view in which a structure adopting a new-type thin solar battery and with an adjustable sunshine angle is left inclined; 
           [0020]      FIG. 12  is a schematic view in which a structure adopting a new-type thin solar battery and with an adjustable sunshine angle is not inclined in a left and right direction; 
           [0021]      FIG. 13  is a schematic view in which a structure adopting a new-type thin solar battery and with an adjustable sunshine angle is right inclined; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 14  is a schematic structural view of a super energy-saving electric wheel chair with an adjustable sunshine angle and adopting a silicon plate solar battery being not inclined in the front and back direction and the left and right direction. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0023]    The present invention provides a super energy-saving solar powered wheel chair with an adjustable sunshine angle, and a solar battery used by the wheel chair includes two types: 1. a new-type thin solar battery foldable; and 2. a low-power silicon plate solar battery not foldable. The electric wheel chair includes a wheel chair frame  1  as shown in  FIG. 1 , stand pipes  1 . 1 , horizontal support pipes  1 . 2 , main stand pipes  1 . 3 , back wheels  3 , a front steering wheel  4 , a front universal wheel  4 . 1 , a left arm-rest pipe  5 , a right arm-rest pipe  6 , and arm-rest  2 . Front ends of the left and the right arm-rest pipe  5  and  6  are bent to form elbows, and a speed-adjusting turning handle  14  and a brake handle  15  integrated in a two-in-one manner are installed on a right elbow  12 . The electric wheel chair is characterized in that a sunshine angle is adjustable, and the electric wheel chair is super energy saving. By adopting a new-type thin solar battery having a low weight having advantages of excellent elasticity and low cost, the electric wheel chair will be more efficient having an adjustable sunshine angle, more practical being foldable, and more energy saving. Double-vertical plates  32  are respectively fixedly connected to the two main stand pipes  1 . 3 , and double-vertical plates  33  are respectively fixedly connected to the elbows of the left and the right arm-rest pipes  5  and  6  and the stand pipes  1 . 1 . Fixing sleeves  34  are respectively connected to the double-vertical plates  32  and  33 , and  4  lift pipes  34 . 1  are inserted into the four sleeves  34 . A connection hole  34 . 2  exists between the lift pipe  34 . 1  and the sleeve  34 , and the lift pipe  34 . 1  and the sleeve  34  are connected through a spring plunger  34 . 3 , such that the lift pipes  34 . 1  are flexibly lifted and located, and the sunshine angle may be adjusted respectively according to six directions, to maximize a charging current. In the six directions, front and back directions are back inclined, non inclined, front inclined referring to  FIGS. 8 ,  9 , and  10 , and left and right directions are left inclined, non inclined, and right inclined referring to  FIGS. 11 ,  12 , and  13 . 
         [0024]    In four seasons of each year and in the morning, at noon, and in the afternoon of each day, the position of the sun changes, such that the adjustment of the sunshine angle in response to the change is quite meaningful for improving a charging efficiency. Daily charging test verifies that as soon as the sunshine angle is adjusted, a charging current displayed on an ampere meter is immediately increased by 10%-20%, and an efficiency of a modern solar battery is merely 15%. The continuous adjustment of the sunshine angle in response to the changes of the position of the sun is just the most important advantage of the present invention, because only the electric wheel chair has more strong points than other vehicles: its speed is low, the changes of the traveling direction is less, the environment is clear, and the manual adjustment may be performed at any moment. The charging efficiency is approximately 30% higher than that of a household water heater being fixed at an angle of 45 degrees. Particularly, at noon of summer and autumn, the stronger the sunshine is, the more difficult for the solar battery fixed at the angle of 45 degrees to entirely receive the vertical incident solar rays. On the contrary, if the adjustable sunshine angle is adopted, the solar battery may basically entirely receive the vertical incident solar rays when lying without fixed angle of 45 degree. 
         [0025]    Left and right horizontally mounted connection pipes  35  are respectively connected between top ends of the two lift pipes  34 . 1  on the left side and between top ends of the two lift pipes  34 . 1  on the right side, in which the lift pipe  34 . 1  and the horizontal mount connection pipe  35  are connected through a universal spindle coupling  35 . 1 , and the connection manner is as shown in  FIG. 7 . A supporting plate  35 . 2  of the universal spindle coupling  35 . 1  is welded with the horizontal pipe  35 , and a screw  35 . 4  extended from a universal ball  35 . 3  of the spindle coupling penetrates through the lift pipe  34 . 1 , and is fasten by a screw nut. A new-type thin solar battery  36  covers on the left and the right horizontally mounted connection pipes  35 , and the left and right sides of the new-type thin solar battery not only covers on the left and the right horizontally mounted connection pipes  35 , but also extends nylon zipper elastic straps  41  from both sides. After passing round the left and the right horizontally mounted connection pipes  35 , each pair of the elastic straps  41  are locked through the nylon zipper, such that the new-type thin solar battery  36  is elastically bound and connected. When the wheel chair frame is unfolded, the new-type thin solar battery  36  is tightened from the two sides by the elastic straps  41 ; and while the wheel chair frame is folded, the new-type thin solar battery is released, and is folded together. A power supply line connection device  37  is disposed under the new-type thin solar battery  36 , and a power supply line leads to a controller box  38  from the connection device  37 , and is connected to a power connection of a battery box  9  through a charging plug. 
         [0026]    The new-type power-saving thin solar battery shall be accompanied by power-saving driving device and braking device, as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0027]    For the driving device, a speed adjusting turning handle  14  is installed on the right elbow  12 , there are two mounting vertical boards  19  of the rear wheels at the lower end of the left and right main vertical pipes  1 . 3  respectively, the rear wheels  3  with motors  30  are secured on the vertical boards  19  by bolts and nuts, the said motors  30  are DC and brushless motors with stepless adjustable speed, low rotation speed, and high torque, the housing of the motors  30  are integrated with the steel wheel plates  31 , so as the two motors  30  can directly drive the two real wheels  3 ; 
         [0028]    For the braking device, two disc brakes  20  are installed on the left and right rear wheels, the disc brake includes a disc brake sheet  21 , a brake clamp  22  and a brake rod  23 , the disc brake sheet  21  is installed by the side of the motor  30  by means of tightly screwing the female screw of the disc brake sheet  21  in the male screw on the end-cover of the motor  30 , the brake clamp  22  and the brake rod  23  are fixed on the vertical board  19  via the connecting plate  27  with screws; a hand pull brake handle  15  is installed on the right elbow  12 ; the two disc brakes  20  are connected to the brake handle  15  through a delta-shaped conversion plate  26  via a braking steel wire, the upper end of the delta-shaped conversion plate  26  is connected to the brake handle  15  via the main steel wire  24 , the left and right lower ends of the delta-shaped conversion plate  26  are connected to the left and right brake rods  23  via the left and right branch steel wires  25  respectively, by means of a single hand to pull brake handle  15  or by means of a small electric device to pull the main steel wire  24 , the brake rods  23  are tightly pulled so that the two brake clamps  22  tightly clip the two brake sheets  21 , and the two rear wheels  3  are braked simultaneously; 
         [0029]    The foldable new-type thin solar battery charging device needs to match with the foldable electric wheel chair frame. As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , a cross folding device is disposed in the wheel chair frame  1 , its base is two front cross pipes  1 . 41  and two rear cross boards  1 . 42 , the upper end of the two front cross pipes  1 . 41  and two rear cross boards  1 . 42  are connected by welding to the left and right horizontally supporting pipes  1 . 44  of the cushion  7 . 1 , the lower ends of the two front cross pipes  1 . 41  and two rear cross boards  1 . 42  are connected by welding to the left and right short pipes  1 . 45 , which may rotate around its inner pipe at a small angle; two cross fold positioning boards  1 . 43  make the fold and interaction between the two rear cross boards  1 . 42  and the left and right main vertical pipes  1 . 3  keep stable by means of four slip-connecting screws  1 . 48 , the cross points of the two front cross pipes  1 . 41  and the two rear cross boards  1 . 42  are also connected to each other via the slip-connecting screws  1 . 48 , there is an inner pipe fixing screw  1 . 47  out of the two ends of the left and right short pipes  1 . 45  respectively, the screws tightly fix the inner pipes and non-turning outer pipes, there are totally four hook-shaped supporters  1 . 46  which are welded at the front and rear of the left and right horizontally supporting pipes  1 . 2  and at the bottom planes tightly close to the supporting pipes  1 . 2 , and used to support the left and right horizontally supporting pipes  1 . 44  of the cushion  7 . 1 , two long flat vertical plates  1 . 49  are welded beneath each of the two left hook-shaped supporters and the two right hook-shaped supporters  1 . 46  respectively for hanging and unhanging the left and right battery boxes  9  conveniently, therefore the electric wheel chair is foldable even with batteries. 
         [0030]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , a safety belt  28  is mounted on a back cushion  7  of the wheel chair. A manual push brake  29  is mounted on left and right on the lower part of the main stand pipe  1 . 3  of the wheel chair. A controller box  8  and a solar energy charging controller  38  are installed on a back surface of the back cushion  7  of the wheel chair, and are fixed by using screw bolts. 
         [0031]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , a switching case  18 . 1  is installed on the right arm-rest pipe  6 , two switches  18  for positive or inversion running of the motors and the power display are installed on the switching case  18 . 1   
         [0032]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , a hand control direction device is mounted on the left elbow  10 . The hand control direction device includes a fixing plate  11 , a hollow bearing  13 , a vertical hand control rod  16 , and a hand control direction handle  17 . The vertical hand control rod  16  inserting through the hollow bearing  13 , its upper end is connected to the hand control direction handle  17 , and its lower end is connected to the front steering wheel  4 . For connection between the vertical hand control rod  16  and the front steering wheel  4 , an inner screw thread on a tail end of the vertical hand control rod  16  matches a screw rod on an upper end of a main shaft of the front steering wheel  4 , the screw rod is screwed into a top end of the inner screw thread, and is screwed into a positioning screw through a hole. 
         [0033]    In addition, an intellectual control rod  40  is installed on the right elbow  12  referring to  FIG. 6 , to replace the left and the right motor reverse switches  18  and the switch box  18 . 1 , and interacts with the hand control direction handle  17 . The intellectual control rod is particularly used for coarse adjustment, that is, adjustment of the magnitude of the current, and the general traveling direction of the electric wheel chair, for example, forwarding or reversing, left- or right-hand rotation in place. The hand control direction handle  17  is particularly used for fine adjustment, that is, the accurate adjustment on the particular direction of the left and the right traveling direction of the electric wheel chair. The intellectual control rod  40  must interact with the speed adjusting turning handle  14  and the brake handle  15  both integrated in a two-in-one manner. When a user intends to brake, the right hand quickly leaves the intellectual control rod  40  and moves to the brake handle  15 , the thumb pushes the speed adjusting turning handle  14  to enable the wheel chair to keep forwarding, and the other four fingers tightly hold the brake handle  15  and get ready for braking at any moment, so as to shorten the time and the distance for transiting to the brake, and thereby ensuring traveling safety.