Manual chair power wheels
in [Wheelchairs]
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From: Mike on 19 Dec 2007 18:02 Just found out why we don't see that many (ie: almost none) clip-on power wheels for manual chairs, except for exclusively expensive stuff from big international players. http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5350032-claims.html http://www.wipo.int/pctdb/en/wo.jsp?wo=2000025718 It looks like the Everest and Jennings story all over again. Damn! Just how they managed to get patents on the idea of putting motors on a wheelchair... Grrr! -- ________________.0.________________ The Way of the Chao-Pao! is strong. http://tinyurl.com/382gmp -----------.|.-----------
From: Burgerman on 20 Dec 2007 14:52 "Mike" <Not(a)Arizona.Bay> wrote in message news:Zphaj.78617$cJ3.41520(a)fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk... > Just found out why we don't see that many (ie: almost none) clip-on > power wheels for manual chairs, except for exclusively expensive > stuff from big international players. > > http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5350032-claims.html > > http://www.wipo.int/pctdb/en/wo.jsp?wo=2000025718 > > It looks like the Everest and Jennings story all over again. Damn! > > Just how they managed to get patents on the idea of putting motors on > a wheelchair... Grrr! The main reason is far simpler! Its a crappy idea! If they add enough battery power (and so also weight) and performance to make it have any real use and range it ends up looking exactly like a conventional powerchair!
From: Mike on 20 Dec 2007 15:29 Responding to Burgerman... > "Mike" <Not(a)Arizona.Bay> wrote in message > news:Zphaj.78617$cJ3.41520(a)fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk... >> Just found out why we don't see that many (ie: almost none) clip-on >> power wheels for manual chairs, except for exclusively expensive >> stuff from big international players. >> >> http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5350032-claims.html >> >> http://www.wipo.int/pctdb/en/wo.jsp?wo=2000025718 >> >> It looks like the Everest and Jennings story all over again. Damn! >> >> Just how they managed to get patents on the idea of putting motors on >> a wheelchair... Grrr! > > > The main reason is far simpler! > Its a crappy idea! > If they add enough battery power (and so also weight) and performance to > make it have any real use and range it ends up looking exactly like a > conventional powerchair! > Not necessarily a problem. For those limited jaunts like through the supermarket, and times when power may only be required for certain parts of your day, being able to just clip a pair of power wheels to your manual could be just the job. The advantage here is that the whole thing can be rapidly assembled from the car seat and deployed very much like a manual chair, and indeed used as a manual chair without the batteries fitted, meaning only one set of wheels would need to be carried. This of course only applies to those who may have a need for a lightweight semi-temporary power solution. A sports manual with added power will use significantly less juice than a fully tooled up F55s. Therefore, lighter batteries would work just as well in a shorter range situation. No performance chair I grant you, but still a useful tool for some (like Elaine and me). But, thanks to Invacare and Mr Terry W. Smith, we're not likely to see this kind of thing on the market for some time, so we'll not be able to get an idea of how popular this idea could have been. Hows things with you anyhoo John? -- ________________.0.________________ The Way of the Chao-Pao! is strong. http://tinyurl.com/382gmp -----------.|.-----------
From: Burgerman on 20 Dec 2007 16:11 "Mike" <Not(a)Arizona.Bay> wrote in message news:YgAaj.32058$036.20420(a)fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk... > Responding to Burgerman... >> "Mike" <Not(a)Arizona.Bay> wrote in message >> news:Zphaj.78617$cJ3.41520(a)fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk... >>> Just found out why we don't see that many (ie: almost none) clip-on >>> power wheels for manual chairs, except for exclusively expensive >>> stuff from big international players. >>> >>> http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5350032-claims.html >>> >>> http://www.wipo.int/pctdb/en/wo.jsp?wo=2000025718 >>> >>> It looks like the Everest and Jennings story all over again. Damn! >>> >>> Just how they managed to get patents on the idea of putting motors on >>> a wheelchair... Grrr! >> >> >> The main reason is far simpler! >> Its a crappy idea! >> If they add enough battery power (and so also weight) and performance to >> make it have any real use and range it ends up looking exactly like a >> conventional powerchair! >> > > Not necessarily a problem. For those limited jaunts like through the > supermarket, and times when power may only be required for certain > parts of your day, being able to just clip a pair of power wheels to > your manual could be just the job. > > The advantage here is that the whole thing can be rapidly assembled > from the car seat and deployed very much like a manual chair, and > indeed used as a manual chair without the batteries fitted, meaning > only one set of wheels would need to be carried. > > This of course only applies to those who may have a need for a > lightweight semi-temporary power solution. > > A sports manual with added power will use significantly less juice > than a fully tooled up F55s. Therefore, lighter batteries would work > just as well in a shorter range situation. No performance chair I > grant you, but still a useful tool for some (like Elaine and me). > > But, thanks to Invacare and Mr Terry W. Smith, we're not likely to > see this kind of thing on the market for some time, so we'll not be > able to get an idea of how popular this idea could have been. > > > > Hows things with you anyhoo John? > Fine here thanks! You two as well hopefully? Have you considered that shopping centres usually lend out scooters and wheelchairs powered and otherwise?
From: Mike on 20 Dec 2007 18:17 Responding to Burgerman... [...] >> >> Hows things with you anyhoo John? >> > > > Fine here thanks! You two as well hopefully? Have you considered that > shopping centres usually lend out scooters and wheelchairs powered and > otherwise? > Yup, and yup, but... shouldn't need 'em if we have our own gear. Plus, own gear = go anywhere any time. That, and Elaine needs her own setup anyway to avoid extra pain. We're Going to need to get some stuff from China to make up our own wheels for this project I think. -- ________________.0.________________ The Way of the Chao-Pao! is strong. http://tinyurl.com/382gmp -----------.|.-----------
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