Manual Wheelchair Anti-topple Kickstand

Votes: 1
Views: 2296
Medical

Manual wheelchair users rarely are faced with the unfortunate circumstance of having tipped over/toppled sideways at home or away, and, more often than not, help comes in the form of a cell phone call to 911 or a wearable emergency alert button or a nearby able-bodied person to get the wheelchair upright and check the occupant for injuries. My design idea applies to chair users with good upper body strength, in instances where no help is immediately available. It is an OPTIONAL armrest accessory in the form of segmented steel-aluminum "kickstands" mounted with screws or welds/solder under both armrest pads. These are mounted on pivoting compression coil springs that extend the kickstands to the ground/floor at an outward/downward angle when the chair user, feeling a tip-over is imminent, releases a securing hook on the front end of the metal sheath holding the retracted kickstand. The momentum of this instant release allows the unfolding of a silicone rubber anti-skid "foot", which holds the kickstand firmly enough in place to either completely avoid the tip-over or allow the user time to grasp a countertop, bathroom wall bar, or other similar structure at arm's length, and serious injury is thus avoided. The cost would add approximately $65 USD (for both added kickstands) to the chair's price point, and would be available for all makes, models, and sizes of manual wheelchairs. As with all wheelchair add-ons, the cost would be covered by Medicare/Medicaid under 'Durable Medical Equipment'. Maintenance of the kickstands consists of simply cleaning with a soft cloth and lubricating the pivoting bases as needed.

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  • ABOUT THE ENTRANT

  • Name:
    Dan Shannon
  • Type of entry:
    individual
  • Profession:
    Engineer/Designer
  • Number of times previously entering contest:
    3
  • Dan's favorite design and analysis tools:
    MS Paint 6.1 for Windows 7 Home
  • Dan's hobbies and activities:
    Reading business magazines, watching TV documentar
  • Dan belongs to these online communities:
    Facebook, Linked In
  • Dan is inspired by:
    Finding simpler and time-saving alternative solutions to existing products, designs, and technology.
  • Patent status:
    none