Proposal of design improvements for easier assembly of wheelchairs

Sve osobe s pretrpljenim ozljedama, koje su im uskratile normalan način života, trebale bi imati pravo na njegu i pomoć. Nažalost to nije uvijek moguće. Isto tako određeni broj povrijeđenih želi nastaviti život u što je moguće većoj mjeri kao i prije ozljede pa i ne traže pomoć drugih. Kako bi tim ljudima olakšali izvršavanje svakodnevnih zadaća potrebno je pratiti njihov uobičajeni dan i uočiti prostor za moguća poboljšanja. Jedan takav primjer su invalidska kolica. Konkretno osobe koje iako su u invalidskim kolicima upravljaju s osobnim automobilom i na taj način povećavaju svoju mobilnost. Najveći izazov s kojim se oni susreću jest ulazak i izlazak iz automobila uz potrebu prevoženja invalidskih kolica sa sobom. Sklopiva kolica postoje, no nije iskorišten puni potencijal jednog takvog proizvoda koji bi omogućio dodatnu uštedu prostora i olakšano manevriranje s dijelovima. Nakon analize tržišta invalidskih kolica i uočenih prednosti i mana pokazalo se da je element s najvećim prostorom za prilagodbu upravo kotač. Kako je kotač najveći dio s kojim je najteže rukovati odlučeno je da će se pokušati poboljšati. Postavljanjem funkcijske strukture i morfološke matrice kotača, svakom elementu od kojeg se kotač sastoji dodijeljena je funkcija koju on ispunjava te njihov međusobni odnos prilikom uporabe kotača. Osmišljena su dva koncepta koji obavljaju sve funkcije običnog kotača uz dodatno sklapanje istog. Promatranjem najznačajnijih kriterija, poput isplativosti i složenosti izvedbe, provedeno je vrednovanje svakog koncepta zasebno i njihov međusobni odnos. Usporedbom rezultata utvrđeno je da je koncept 2 izgledniji za nastavak analize i razrade. Izradom modela i analizom opterećenja koncepta 2 dobio se potpuni izgled konačnog proizvoda s pripadajućim dimenzijama. Kotač je ispitivan pod opterećenjem od 750 N što bi odgovaralo nosivosti od 150 kg za dva kotača u paru kako oni i funkcioniraju. Pomoću te analize utvrđeni su materijali potrebni kako bi cijela konstrukcija bila stabilna uz istovremenu uštedu na masi koja je među bitnijim značajkama sklopivog kotača.All persons with injuries sustained, who have deprived them of their normal way of life, should be entitled to care and assistance. Unfortunately, that's not always possible. Also, a number of injured people want to continue their lives as soon as possible, as well as before the injury, and do not seek the help of others. In order to make these people easier to carry out their daily tasks, it is necessary to monitor their normal day and to spot the scope for a possible improvement. One such example is a wheelchair. In particular, persons who are in wheelchairs manage their own car and thus increase their mobility. The biggest challenge they face is getting in and out of the car with the need to ride a wheelchair with them. The folding chair does exist, but the full potential of one such product which could enable additional space saving and easier manoeuvre with parts is not used. Following an analysis of the wheelchair market and the perceived advantages and disadvantages, it has shown that the element with the largest adjustment space is precisely the wheel. As the wheel is the most difficult part of the wheelchair to handle with, it has been decided that it will try to improve. Setting the function structure and the morphological matrix of the wheels, each element of which the wheel is composed got its function which fulfils and their interrelationship when using the wheels has beed defined. Two concepts are designed to perform all functions of the common wheel with additional assembling the same. Observating the most significant criteria, such as the cost-effectiveness and complexity of the performance, evaluation was carried out on a separate basis and a relationship between them. Comparing the results, it has been showed that the concept 2 is more likely to continue analysis and develop. The modelling and analysis of the general concept 2 have obtained a complete look for the final product with the corresponding dimensions. The wheel has been tested under an overload of 750 N, which would correspond to a load capacity of 150 kg for two wheels in pair as they function. Using this analysis materials needed to ensure that the whole structure is stable were determinated while saving the mass which is among the most essential characteristics of the foldable wheel