How Lightweight Electric Wheelchair Supports Easy Folding and Storage

To most users of electric wheelchairs, it is not only mobility that is a challenge on a daily basis, but what to do with the chair when not in use. The large cumbersome chair occupies your house, compels you to purchase a bigger car, and makes it impossible to make impromptu visits. All this changes with a lightweight electric wheelchair that is intelligently designed to fold. In Ningbo Baichen Medical Devices Co. Ltd., we produce carbon fiber, aluminum, magnesium and steel power wheelchairs and automatic folding mobility scooters. The four reasons why lightweight design helps in easy folding and storage are discussed below.

Ultra-Light Frame Makes Folding Effortless

The first thing needed in easy folding is that it should have a frame that can be lifted. A steel wheelchair of 35-45 kg is hard to fold and carry around even by a strong caregiver. A lightweight chair gets rid of that obstacle.

The weight of our carbon fiber power wheelchair is as much as 60% less than that of steel models- generally less than 18 kg with batteries. This implies that the user or one caregiver can fold the frame, lift it to a car trunk or move it up a flight of stairs without any strain. Most adults can also manage our power wheelchair (20-25 kg), which is made of aluminum. When a chair is not so heavy that it cannot be carried easily, you will really fold it and store it in its place rather than leave it parked in the center of the room.

Simple One-Step or Push-Button Folding Mechanisms

Folding into complicated designs with multiple latches, pins, or tools are counterproductive to a portable chair design. The most successful designs are folding with one continuous movement, or by pushing on a button.

We have a simple center fold design in our carbon fiber and aluminum power wheelchairs: unscrew a safety latch, fold the seat up, and the frame folds in a lateral direction. The whole procedure is less than 10 seconds. To have an even greater convenience, our automatic folding mobility scooter can even be folded automatically at a push of a button using a remote control. The frame, tiller and footrest of the scooter can all be folded at once into a small size. None of the bending, no lifting heavy, no complex instructions--perfect on users with weak or clumsy hands.

Compact Folded Dimensions Fit Small Storage Spaces

An accordion wheelchair can only be of use provided that it fits where you need to keep it. Numerous fold-up chairs continue to occupy the bulk of a car trunk or a closet in a hallway.

Our carbon fiber powered wheelchair is only 30-40 cm across--slim enough to fit behind the front seat of a car, in a closet of a hall, or even under a bed. Automatic folding mobility scooter goes a step further: when folded, it is about the size of a large suitcase, and can fit into most car trunks, or even airlines overhead bag (on approved models). Also our aluminum and magnesium power wheelchairs fold to equally slim profiles. It is recommended to measure the folded dimensions against your car trunk, the apartment closet or the airplane storage capacity before purchasing.

Locking Latches and Self-Standing Design

An unstable chair like one that happens to fold without warning or collapses when put away is a safety risk. Automatic locking and self-standing frames are the best features of folding wheelchairs.

Ningbo Baichen folding power wheelchairs all have positive locking latches, which make a clicking sound when fully folded and when fully unfolded. This will avoid accidental falling during driving or lifting. The bent chair is also upright when standing on its own side frames- no leaning or resting against a wall or anything holding the chair up. In the case of the automatic folding mobility scooter, the folded-up unit consists of embedded wheels, such that you can roll it like a piece of luggage in the airport or lobby of the hotel. Such minor details make it much more convenient to store and transport every day.

Conclusion

Four characteristics of easy folding and storage include ultra-light frame (carbon fiber or aluminum), simple one-step or push button action, small folded size and safe locking latches. Lightweight electric wheelchairs and auto-folding scooters are the products we produce at Ningbo Baichen Medical Devices Co., Ltd. to overcome real world storage issues. Our production space, measuring more than 20,000 m² and 4 assembly lines, provide the solution to all your mobility needs. Call us today and locate the folding wheelchair to match your home and car.