A WHEEL DEVICE FOR A WHEEL CHAIR

摘要

The invention is intended to provide a measuring chair function which will enable the propulsion force applied to a drive ring by the chair user to be measured, and also to provide an electrically operated powerservo on conventional, manually driven wheelchairs. Power or force sensors (2.1) are placed adjacent a respective attachment between drive ring (3) and wheel (4) and function to measure the propulsion force applied on the drive ring by the user. The drive ring is also held by other types of attachment means (2.2) which lack the provision of power or force sensors and which solely provide a force effect in an axial direction and which have the smallest possible effect in the peripheral direction of the drive ring. Each wheel can be substituted for the conventional wheel of a wheelchair and includes quick coupling means to this end. Furthermore, each wheel may be provided with a drive assembly (41) including a motor (64) which can be controlled in response to the measurement signals delivered by the power sensors. A computer unit (56) receives the power signal (55) from each wheel, the wheel speed (57) and also the settings chosen by the user and entered on an instrument panel (8), and calculates useful user information and is effective in controlling the motor in accordance with a variable program, in such instances when the arrangement includes a motor.