A removably mounted wheelchair lift device that can elevate the wheelchair and its user. The lift device has a novel lifting mechanism which has an upper plate, a lower plate, a knee plate, an upper interior link, an upper exterior link, a lower interior link, a lower exterior link and a transfer link. The various parts of the lifting mechanism are pivotally attached to one another in a manner which provides a linear and precise extension and retraction. Extension and retraction of the lifting mechanism is achieved by a rotary electric motor and gear drive which introduce a torque between adjacent parts of the lifting mechanism. The lifting mechanism maintains a parallel relationship between its top and bottom plates throughout its range of motion. The lift device may also be used in other applications where the level or angle of the equipment or surfaces being supported must remain constant regardless of height. Other applications may include, but are not limited to, supporting hospital beds, medical operation tables, manufacturing work stations, office work stations, pallet stand, and other warehouse and storage applications.

The present disclosure includes methods of operating a wheelchair configured to reposition an occupant between a lowered and a raised position. The wheelchair can include a frame, a seat moveable relative to the frame, a drive wheel, one or more pairs of arm assemblies, and one or more sensors. The arm assembly includes a wheel configured to move from a first spatial location when the wheelchair is operating on flat, level ground to a second spatial location that is different than the first spatial location. Arm limiters can selectively engage the arm assembly based on at least one of a seat position, position of the arm assembly, and surface conditions of ground surface. The arm limiters can limit the range of motion of the arm assembly and sometimes other operational aspects of the chair. The methods adjust the maximum operational speed of the wheelchair when the seat is in an elevated position based on sensor data relating to one or more of the arm limiter position and the position of the frame.

The present invention relates to a scissors lift comprising a bottom frame, a top frame and a scissors mechanism arranged between said bottom frame and said top frame to displace said bottom frame and said top frame relative to each other by transfer of an actuation force. The scissors mechanism comprises a central hollow scissors arm delimited between opposite scissors arm surfaces, wherein said central hollow scissors arm has a bottom pivotal connection connecting it to said bottom frame and a top pivotal connection connecting it to said top frame. Further, the mechanism comprises two passive scissors arms being pivotally connected to said bottom frame and pivotally connected to said top frame. Each of said two passive scissors arms are pivotally connected to said central hollow scissors arm on said opposite scissors arm surfaces of said central hollow scissors arm. Further, the scissors lift comprises a motor providing said actuation force, said motor located between said opposite scissors arm surfaces of said central hollow scissors arm. Thereby, the motor may be protected and at least partially enclosed by the scissors lift and even by the central hollow scissors arm, allowing a safer and/or more easily maintained scissors lift.

A motorized lifting and transfer chair includes a base having a front portion and an opposing rear portion, where the rear portion has a pair of foot rests. The chair also includes a plurality of wheels mounted to the base configured to be selectively locked, and a vertical post assembly secured proximate to the rear portion of the base and extending upwards from the base. In addition, the chair includes a seating platform cantilevered from the vertical post assembly, where the seating platform comprises two portions with an aperture formed along two adjacent edges of the two portions and the two portions are configured to swing open and closed about the vertical post assembly. The chair includes a motorized device that raises and lowers the seating platform, and a latch is configured to secure the two portions of the seating platform closed.

A support device includes a wheel, a base member, a leg coupled to the wheel and the base member, the leg including an upper leg segment, a lower leg segment positioned below the upper leg segment, a joint positioned between the upper leg segment and the lower leg segment, the joint including a cam defining a non-circular perimeter, and an actuator coupled to one of the upper leg segment and the lower leg segment, the actuator including an engagement member that is engaged with the non-circular perimeter of the of the cam of the joint, where the actuator selectively moves the engagement member to move the cam and the upper leg segment and the lower leg segment about the joint.

The wheelchair accessible seating locations provide new immersive experiences to people using wheelchairs in viewing an event at a venue while being ADA-compliant. These wheelchair accessible seating locations can be moved along one or more principal axes, such as the x-axis, the y-axis, and/or the z-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system to provide some examples, as the people using wheelchairs is viewing the event. These wheelchair accessible seating locations can oscillate along the one or more principal axes to generate vibrations to create the experience of touch to the people using wheelchairs to provide these new immersive experiences to the people using wheelchairs in viewing the event. These movements of the wheelchair accessible seating locations can coincide with, for example, be synchronized to, the event to provide the people using wheelchairs with a substantially similar immersive experience as other spectators of the event that are seated in the seats within the venue.

A mobile patient support chair to assist in bathing of a patient by a carer with little or no upper body strength comprises a chair pivotally mounted in a support frame comprised of four legs each ending in a wheel. The chair frame comprises groups of support panels which can be locked in support positions and rotated through 90 degrees to provide access to the patient's legs, buttocks and back. Additionally the chair is balanced to allow easy rotation into a fully backwards lying position, and a fully forward lying position. In the fully forward lying position flexible retaining strips are placed across the patient to retain them in place. Additionally the wheels may be step-climbing wheels to assist in climbing small steps found in bathroom entrances and shower cubicles.

A strain gauge assembly includes a member and a strain gauge supported by the member spaced. The strain gauge further includes a bearing surface and a contact surface spaced from the bearing surface. When the member is subject to a predetermined bending force, the bearing surface contacts the contact surface wherein at least a portion of the bending force bypasses the strain gauge and instead is transferred from the bearing surface to the contact surface.

A device for supporting a wheelchair includes a frame and a support system. The first end of the frame is attached to an axle of the wheelchair. The second end of the frame is attached to a wheel for allowing translation of the device over a surface. The support system is coupled to the frame and may be positioned to catch a back of the wheelchair upon reclining of the wheelchair during a wheelie. The position of the support system with respect to the frame is adjustable in order to catch the wheelchair at varying angles of reclining. As the user of a wheelchair develops skill in performing a wheelie, the position of the support system may be moved further away from the wheelchair.

A powered wheelchair includes a seat, a first leg, a second leg, and a control unit. The first leg includes a first inertial measurement unit configured to determine a position of the first leg and a first leg actuator configured to adjust a position of the first leg. The second leg includes a second inertial measurement unit configured to determine a position of the second leg and a second leg actuator configured to adjust a position of the second leg. The control unit is operable to determine a global orientation of the powered wheelchair by averaging the position of first leg and the position of the second leg, and automatically adjusting the position of the first leg with a first leg actuator and the position of the second leg with the second leg actuator based on the global orientation to maintain the seat in a pre-selected position.