Patents by Inventor Alexandre Tapis

Alexandre Tapis has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8186463
    Abstract: A wheelchair has two central wheels that can be separately driven by a motor. In order to allow the wheelchair to turn around in narrow spaces, the central wheels can be driven in opposite directions of rotation. When the wheelchair is turned around, the front wheels and rear wheels do not constitute a hindrance because they are kept at a distance from the ground by the swiveling wheel. All three wheels are coupled together on each side by a chain. When the front wheels run against an obstacle, the wheelchair climbs over the obstacle with the driven front wheels. This causes the fork of the swiveling wheel to swivel about the rotational axis in the direction of arrow, against the force of a spring, bringing the rear wheels in contact with the ground and also driving the wheelchair's rear wheels. This all-wheel drive allows the wheelchair to overcome relatively high obstacles both forwards and backwards, even when driving slowly and without losing its maneuverability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Degonda Rehab SA
    Inventors: Kurt Hunziker, Samuel Huerlimann, Alexandre Tapis
  • Publication number: 20090321162
    Abstract: A wheelchair has two central wheels (15) which can be separately driven by a motor. In order to allow the wheelchair to turn around in narrow spaces, the central wheels (15) can be driven in opposite directions of rotation. When the wheelchair is turned around, the front wheels (17) and rear wheels (19) do not constitute a hindrance because they are kept at a distance from the ground (25) by the swivelling wheel (21). All three wheels (15, 17, 19) are coupled together on each side by a chain (27). When the front wheels run against an obstacle, the wheelchair climbs over the obstacle with the driven front wheels (17). This causes the fork (22) of the swivelling wheel (21) to swivel about the rotational axis (31) in the direction of arrow (33), against the force of a spring, bringing the rear wheels in contact with the ground and also driving the wheelchair's rear wheels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2006
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Inventors: Kurt Hunziker, Samuel Huerlimann, Alexandre Tapis
  • Publication number: 20070085401
    Abstract: The head support unit may be attached by attachment means (13) to a chair, e.g. a wheel chair. A set screw (15) permits vertical adjustment. The head rest (19) may be horizontally moved by the user into the desired position. This movement takes place without a recognizable movement in vertical direction. The head rest (19) is carried by a slender lever parallelogram (18) which is operatively connected by a flexible Bowden-cable (21) to the motor (23) located at a distance on the chair. This flexible connection (21) permits not only to put the motor (23) at a suitable location away from the head of the user, but does also not hinder a vertical adjustment of the head rest (19) by means of the vertical support bar (11) and the set screw (15).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Publication date: April 19, 2007
    Inventors: Kurt Hunziker, Alexandre Tapis, Andre Degonda