An Inexpensive Reclinable Wheelchair
By Dolber, Amanda; Radoani, Jon; Mollendorf, Joseph C.; NSF 2008 Engineering Senior Design Projects to Aid Persons With Disabilities, pp. 132-133Publication Date: 2011
Paper describes a project to modify an existing wheelchair to enable the user to recline its back. The Inexpensive Reclinable Wheelchair consists of incremental position hinges which are turned into free moving hinges, gas springs, metal tubes, snap buttons, an aluminum bar, and anti-tippers. The incremental position hinges are turned into free moving hinges by removing the springs inside. The wheelchair’s frame is cut apart and the hinges are placed over the end of the now open tubing. The hinge arms are then bolted onto the frame. The addition of gas springs bolted onto the back of the wheelchair frame and to the anti-tippers helps control the speed of reclining. The anti-tippers prevent the wheelchair from tipping backwards. Another safety feature is the aluminum bar added to the back of the chair near the handles to ensure that the back of the seat stays rigid. The last modification is the addition of walker legs that contain predrilled holes and steel tubes. The steel tubes are placed inside the walker legs with the snap buttons inside the tubes. The entire assembly is bolted to the side of the arm rests and the side of the back part of the wheelchair seat. Pressing the snap buttons down allows the user to push back on the wheelchair’s backrest and move through all the predrilled holes, creating an incremental recline. The wheelchair modification was designed by engineering students at the State University of New York at Buffalo at a cost of about 270 dollars.
Published by: Creative Learning Press, Inc. (Website:http://www.creativelearningpress.com)
Link to text: http://nsf-pad.bme.uconn.edu/2008/Chapter%208,%20State%20University%20of%20New%20York%20at%20Buffalo.pdf
ISBN: 1-931280-12-6
