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INTRODUCTION

 

 

ENGINEERING PROBLEM

 

   The design of this collapsible wheelchair wheel was inspired by folding and collapsing wheelchairs. As technology increases, companies are able to produce wheelchairs that compact smaller and smaller with every version. In most folding wheelchairs, the wheel's diameter is the limiting factor for how small and compact a wheelchair can get when folded. No matter how small the wheelchair frame gets, some dimension of its design will have to be the diameter of its wheels. Simply folding a wheel in half still maintains the same diametric length. Therefore, the wheel must be folded three or more times to successfully achieve a smaller length and frontal area. The purpose of this project is to decrease the amount of space a wheel takes up in a folding wheelchair design.

 

 

FUNCTION STATEMENT

 

   The function of this device is to fold or collapse into a small, lightweight design that can be stored with or attached to a collapsible wheelchair. When needed, the wheel can easily unfold, lock into place, and function as a structural wheel. The focus is on achieving the smallest amount of frontal area by decreasing the diameter of the collapsed wheel.

 

 

REQUIREMENTS

 

  The wheel design will incorporate all of the following parameters:

 

  • The wheel must collapse to less than 50% of its original frontal area.

 

  • The wheel must function as a standard 24-inch wheelchair wheel in everyday situations over various terrain.

 

  • The wheel must contain some form of push rims so wheelchair users can propel the wheel by themselves. Typically, the push rim diameter is 6 inches less than the wheel diameter. Therefore the push rim must have a diameter of 18 inches +/- 2 inches.

 

  • The wheel must be as structurally sound as other wheelchair wheels. Therefore a pair of wheels must be able to support a 250-pound person without fracturing, warping, bending, or buckling. The tire is able to deflect depending on the material used and the weight of the user, but the wheel frame cannot deflect more than 0.050-inch in any location.

 

  • The wheel must weigh less than or equal to 10 pounds.

 

  • The wheel can be collapsed in 3 minutes and assembled within 5 minutes.

 

  • The foldable wheel comes with a user instruction manual for proper use and assembly.

 

 

SCOPE OF EFFECT

 

 

  • Wheelchairs​

    • Ultra-compact, lightweight wheelchairs

      • ​Wheelchairs that are limited in size by the diameter of the wheel when collapsed or folded

 

 

  • Optimizing the Diameter

    • Diameter limits how small the wheelchair assembly can collapsed

    • Thickness of wheel (1 - 2 inches) is so small compared to diameter (24 inches),

      • Thickness can be added to to decrease diameter & reduce the amount of space being occupied

      • Thinkness is not a parameter of concern unless it surpasses the length and height of the collapsed wheel

 

 

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