Topic: mobility scooters

[piersdad]

With the aging population and the baby boomers just starting to retire mobility scooters should be more than just a disabled persons transport.

Most of today’s mobility scooters are built and sold by large multi-corporation businesses.
The design of them varies from atrocious rip offs designed by a perambulator engineer to ones designed by a formula one  engineer.
and one thing in common is a very high price for what you get

So have they actually asked the users about what they want from a mobility scooter.

Good points-

They have made  very nice seats that swivel  and can be removed to make transport easier.
They have mobility scooters that dismantle to small parts.

There are fast ones and slow ones and even off road 4 wheel drive mobility scooters.
The gearbox design   is  generally good enough for the purpose but not to my knowledge any where near the standard of a cheap motorbike gear box  system.

They also all have one standard feature.
A adjustable steering column that can be moved  back and forward to assist the driver to get in and out of the scooter.
When up right the steering is just like a push bike and very nice but it means that any thing on the handle bars has to move with the steering so limiting  any load here.

Moving the steering column towards the rider converts it to tiller steering and the very few people I have seen using this mode  find it very disconcerting and uncomfortable.
as well the spindly bit of steering column has to have a 200 kg disabled person   swinging on it to get in and out  of the scooter.
For goodness sake!
 Tiller steering went out in automobiles in 1902.

Have not the designers of mobility scooters gone past this error yet.

The sensible way to go is a light weight frame in the front that supports the top of the steering handle bars and has an adjustable clamp that allows the steering column to move back and forwards to the convenient position to suit the disablement of the driver.
This makes the handle bars so much   sturdier   for some one using them to pull themselves up on or off the mobility scooter.

As well the lightweight frame will enable many different sorts of attachments  that are not limited to the weight restrictions of a moving handle bar.

Attachments that would then be able to be used are.

Large grocery carrier.
Walking stick holder
Any other heavy disability items even a light weight wheel chair.
Special clip on windshield and other weather protection.
Pet carrier.
Even on the larger ones a grand child carrier.


With this sort of frame there is no limit to the accessories that could be attached to the front of the scooter and as well they are in full view of the driver.

So here is my design of the scooter of the future
It opens the way for not only disabled people using them but also able bodied people will enjoy them as well due to the appearance being more that just a disabled persons transport
   
 It is no bigger than a large scooter and would fit through any supermarket entrance or manoeuvre in the narrow isles.
Groceries can be carried in the front  where the lid opens forward to form a large carrying space

So what is needed is independent suspension so that curbs and other bumps do not jolt the driver about.
Amp meter as well as a voltage indicator as the combination gives a more accurate picture of how far the scooter will travel between charges.
All steering, suspension joints to be sealed for life as disabled persons can not afford maintenance.
This is one of my attempts at a mobility scooter a bit primitive but more convenient than the manufactured ones.

the above scooter was stolen @## so i had to make a new one

the bare chassis of the new one  i have nearly finished



and the front



 note the 2 disc brakes that make it stand on its nose if wanted to
also the cross  stay high up acts as a antiroll devise as well as allowing the front to move independantly

so here is the nearly finished  scooter just a paint away and the screen to put on


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Some where in the future there will be a market for small mobile electric vehicles for one person to get to the supermarket and back even if they are not disabled or are partially disabled
Already some places people use golf carts for the same purpose.

[Otto Puzzell]

My wife is also disabled, and we are looking to purchase one of these. The biggest obstacle now is the apparatus needed to load and unload it from her car (which is equipped with hand controls). When I'm with her, I can break it down and load/unload it, but she trying to maintain a bit of independence, as well.

[piersdad]

depending on the size of the car  some people have a low wrack at the back and you park the scooter beside the ramp and standing beside it power it on low speed onto the ramp  then lock it and raise the inclined bit to the ramp.
it would have about 100 to 150mm clearance from the ground.
after this she  if she can walk using sticks or the car as support  she can then get into the car.
mt wife has disabled leg( stroke) and uses a left hand acellerator ( we drive on the left here) and it is cable operated and as a nice addition it has a cam operated drive that gives a logrithmic movement
ie slow action of the accelerator at first then rapid movement as foot movement  progresses.
do a surf and get some ideas
there are some extremely light ones that have limited range and ok for just stopping at the mall and shopping  ie 4 km range

[Ultra]

Welcome to the Feature Writers club!

 

[piersdad]

thanks was hooked on electric vehicles since 50 years ago and only stopped making electric cars when it sent me broke and wife threatened divorce.
so just cycles and scooters now