Wheel Chair - Wheel Chair Design, Idea, Wheel Chair Ramp, Power Wheel Chair, Motorized, Accessory, Part, Manual, Carrier, Girl, Lightweight, lift, pediatric, child, sport, Kit, Adjustable

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Wheel Chair

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Wheel Chair Design

Wheel Chair Design

Wheel Chair

Wheel Chair Design

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Wheel Chair

A wheelchair is a wheeled mobility device in which the user sits. The device is propelled either manually (by pushing the wheels with the hands) or via various automated systems. Wheelchairs are used by people for whom walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury, or disability. People with both sitting and walking disability often need to use a wheelbench. The earliest record of the wheelchair in England dates from the 1670s [Oxford English Dictionary, (2nd Ed.), 1989, Vol. XX., p. 203.], and in continental Europe this technology dates back to the German Renaissance.

History

There have been many attempts to connect furniture to wheels, dating back to 530 bc when the Greeks placed wheels on a bed, creating the first known wheeled furniture. By 525 ad, the Chinese had placed wheels on chairs. However the first recognisable wheelchair was invented for King Phillip II of Spain. A drawing of the King dated 1595 shows him in a chair with wheels, armrests and footrests. However, it was not able to be self propelled, and perhaps had a closer resemblance to a highchair than a wheelchair of today.

In 1665 one of the first self-propelled vehicles was invented by a German watch maker, Stephan Farfler. But it looked more like a present day handcycle than a wheelchair as it was propelled by hand cranks attached to the front wheel. In 1783, Englishman John Dawson built the first wheelchair that was self propelled by pushing the wheels. His chair also had adjustable leg rests and a reclining backrest.

The modern wheelchair began to take shape in the late 19th century to early 20th century with the advent of push rims for self-propulsion in 1881, and wire spoked wheels replacing wooden ones in 1900.

The 20th century saw a rapid development in wheelchairs, from the first motorized wheels in 1918, to the first folding wheelchair, built in 1933 by Herbert B. Everest, paralyzed in 1919 in a mining accident, and his friend Harry C. Jennings Sr., a mechanical engineer. By the mid 1970s Errol Markheim at Sopur in Germany, Jeff Minnebraker at Quadra in California, and Rainier Kuschall in Europe, had all created lightweight, aluminium, highly-adjustable chairs.

The most recent two decades have seen the progress in the modern wheelchair accelerate. They are lighter and perform better than ever before. There are now many possibilities available to improve the ride, from suspension systems which help to remove vibrations and jolts, to ultra-light weight frames which enable better performance, to special designs for every individualized need and taste.

Types of WheelChair

A basic standard manual wheelchair incorporates a seat and back, two small front (caster) wheels and two large wheels, one on each side, and a foot rest.

Wheelchairs are often variations on this basic design, but there are many types of wheelchairs, and they are often highly customized for the individual user's needs. The seat size (width and depth), seat-to-floor height, footrests/leg rests, front caster outriggers, adjustable backrests, controls, and many other features can be customized on, or added to, many basic models, while some users, often those with specialized needs, may have wheelchairs custom-built.

Various optional accessories are available, such as anti-tip bars or wheels, safety belts, adjustable backrests, tilt and/or recline features, extra support for limbs or neck, mounts or carrying devices for crutches, walkers or oxygen tanks, drink holders, and clothing protectors.

Experiments have also been made with unusual variant wheels, like the omniwheel or the mecanum wheel. These allow more directional movement options.

The electric wheelchair shown on the right is fitted with Mecanum wheels (sometimes known as Ilon wheels) which give it complete freedom of movement. It can be driven forwards, backwards, sideways, and diagonally, and also turned round on the spot or turned around while moving, all operated from a simple joystick.

No clear answer can be given to the question of the rocking chair's origin. Some American myths grant the invention to Benjamin Franklin. This however is highly unlikely as such an event is not mentioned in any of his notes or his autobiography. It is known, however, that rocking chairs did originate in North America or possibly in England c. 1725 as garden chairs and were originally normal chairs with a pair of rockers attached to the bottom. It was not until around 1800 that rocking chairs began to be produced by furniture companies. One of the original (and perhaps first) businesses to produce rocking chairs was the work shop of Duncan Phyfe (fife) who produced furniture that pioneered the Empire style in New York City.

Manual wheelchairs

Manual wheelchairs are those that require human power to move them. There are three types of manual wheelchair: self-propelled, attendant-propelled, and wheelbase. Many manual wheelchairs can be folded for storage or placement into a vehicle, although modern wheelchairs are just as likely to be rigid framed.

Manual or self-propelled wheelchairs are propelled by the occupant, usually by using large rear wheels, from 20-26 inches in average diameter, and resembling those of bicycle wheels. The user moves the chair by pushing on the handrims, which are circular tubing on the outside of the large wheels. The handrims have a diameter that is slightly less than that of the rear wheels. Skilled users can control speed and turning and often learn to balance the chair on its rear wheels - do a "wheelie". The wheelie is not just for show - a rider that can control the chair in this manner can climb and descend curbs and move over small obstacles.

One-arm drive enables a user to guide and propel a wheelchair from one side. Two handrims, one smaller than the other, are located on one side of the chair, left or right. On most models the outer, or smaller rim, is connected to the opposite wheel by a folding axle. When both handrims are grasped together, the chair may be propelled forward or backward in a straight line. When either handrim is moved independently, the chair will turn left or right in response to the handrim used. Another alternative is a lever-drive chair that propels the chair forwards by using a lever that is pumped back and forth. Some chairs are also configured to allow the occupant to propel using one or both feet instead of using the rims. Many of these variants were designed for medical reasons, but are also useful in wheelchair sports: e.g. the one-arm drive enables a wheelchair user to dribble a basketball while moving forward.

Attendant-propelled chairs are designed to be propelled by an attendant using the handles, and thus the back wheels are rimless and often smaller. These chairs are often used as 'transfer chairs' to move a patient when a better alternative is unavailable, possibly within a hospital, as a temporary option, or in areas where a user's standard chair is unavailable. These chairs are commonly seen in airports. Special airplane transfer chairs are available on most airlines, designed to fit narrow airplane aisles and transfer a wheelchair-using passenger to and from their seat on the plane.

Wheelbase chairs are wheeled platforms with specially-molded seating systems interfaced with them for users with a more complicated posture. A molded seating system involves taking a cast of a person's best achievable seated position and the either carving the shape from memory foam or forming a plastic mesh around it. This seat is then covered, framed, and attached to a wheelbase.

Light weight and high cost are related in the manual wheelchairs market. At the low-cost end, heavy, tubular steel chairs with sling seats and little adaptability dominate. Users may be temporarily disabled, or using such a chair as a loaner, or simply unable to afford better. Heavy unmodified manual chairs are common as "loaners" at large facilities such as airports, amusement parks and shopping centers. In a higher price range, and more commonly used by persons with long-term disabilities, are major manufacturer lightweight chairs with more options. The high end of the market contains ultra-light models, fancy seating options and accessories, all-terrain features, and so forth.

Powerchairs

Three general styles of powerchairs exist: rear, center, front wheel driven or four wheel driven. Each style has particular handling characteristics. Powerchairs are also divided by seat type; some models resemble manual chairs, with a sling-style seat and frame, whereas others have 'captain's chair' seating like that of an automobile. Powerchairs run the gamut from small and portable/foldable/disassemblable models to very large and heavy full-featured chairs (these are often called 'rehab' chairs).

Powerchairs may be designed specifically for indoor use, outdoor use, or both. Powerchairs are generally prescribed for persons who have difficulty using a manual chair due to arm, hand, shoulder or more general disabling conditions, and do not have the leg strength to propel a manual chair with their feet. A person with full function of the arms and upper torso will generally be prescribed a manual chair, or find that their insurance will not cover a powerchair.

The user typically controls speed and direction by operating a joystick on a controller. Many other input devices can be used if the user lacks coordination or the use of the hands or fingers, such as chin controls and puff/suck scanners for those with C2-3 spinal cord lesions or head injuries. This controller is the most delicate and usually the most expensive part of the chair. Powerchairs can offer various powered functions such as tilt, recline, leg elevation, seat elevation, and others useful or necessary to health and function.

Powerchairs use electric motors to move the wheels. They are usually powered by 4 or 5 amp deep-cycle rechargeable batteries, similar to those used to power outboard boat engines. These are available in wet or dry options; most these days prefer dry cell batteries[citation needed]. Many powerchairs carry an on-board charger which can be plugged into a standard wall outlet; older or more portable models may have a separate charger unit.

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