Patent ID: 8915513

Claim:
A reverser mechanism for propelling a wheelchair, the wheelchair having a rear axle on which rear wheels are mounted, and handrims connected to the rear axle for propelling the wheelchair in a forward or reverse direction, the reverser mechanism comprising: a directional rotating module connected to each of the rear wheels, respectively, and configured to be mounted on the rear axle, a drive module disposed within the directional rotating module and configured to be mounted on the rear axle, a set of planetary gears disposed within the directional rotating module, and a lock adapted for selectively coupling and decoupling the directional rotating module and the drive module between a coupled state and a decoupled state, wherein when the modules are mounted on the rear axle and decoupled from each other in the decoupled state, rotation of the handrims moves the rear wheels in a direction opposite to a direction of rotation of the handrims, and wherein when the modules are coupled to each other in the coupled state, rotation of the handrims moves the rear wheels in the same direction as the direction of rotation of the handrims.