The Impact of Folding Mechanisms on Electric Wheelchair Storage Space

Storage space is a latent limitation to the users of electric wheelchairs. A non-folding, rigid chair takes up a distinct space in your house, huge trunk in your car, and a lot of space in your hotel rooms or office. The way that a chair collapses or the folding mechanism is what actually determines the amount of space that you can save. We produce folding power wheelchairs made of aluminum, carbon fiber, steel and magnesium and automatic folding mobility scooters at Ningbo Baichen Medical Devices Co., Ltd. Four ways by which folding mechanisms can influence storage space are given below.

Lateral Fold vs. Vertical Fold: Which Saves More Space?

There are two basic types of folding: lateral (side to side), and vertical (front to back). Lateral folding is applied in our power wheelchair models (carbon fiber and aluminum) and it reduces the width of the chair by 60-70 cm to only 30-40 cm. This slendered profile folds behind car seats or even in small closets along the hallways. Vertical folding is used on certain travel chairs, which decreases the length of the chair, but not the width, which may still be too large to fit narrow spaces. Lateral folding usually has superior space utilization to most houses and cars since it addresses the size that normally poses the greatest challenge, width. The half the floor space of similar vertical fold designs is obtained in our lateral designs of folds.

Automatic Folding: Maximum Compactness with Minimal Effort

Automatic folding mechanisms take space savings to another level. Our automatic folding mobility scooter folds at the push of a button, reducing its size by over 60%. The folded package will fit in a car trunk, in an overhead bin in an airline (on approved models), or in a cruise ship cabin closet. The mechanism makes folding always tight and consistent, it does not need any manual fixing, or any loose parts. Automatic folding offers a maximum space-saving and no physical effort to users that require storing their mobility device on a daily basis in tiny apartments or RVs. The folded unit has also been built with inbuilt wheels and rolls in corners like luggage.

Quick-Disassembly as an Alternative Folding Method

Hinges are not all space saving mechanisms. Quick disassembly (QD) systems enable the user to take off the seat, battery and wheels with no tools. This is used by our magnesium power wheelchair. Although it is not a “fold” in the traditional meaning of this word, QD makes the chair collapse to separate parts that fit in the trunk of the car or storage bin more easily than other folding designs. The main frame is now light and small enough to carry, albeit stiff. QD is also recommended to users who travel with a companion to assist in the reassembly process, or those who would like a rigid frame to enhance energy transfer and climbing. The saved storage space is similar to folding designs except that it is disassembled as opposed to using hinges.

Impact on Home and Vehicle Storage Layout

The actual test of a folding mechanism is how it transforms your everyday storage practices. A rigid chair makes you organize your home around the chair. Folding chair fits your home. When folded, our lateral fold carbon fiber wheelchair is positioned in one corner of a hallway and does not obstruct traffic. It can be placed behind a door to the living room or under a bed. The folded chair can be used in a car where the space of a huge suitcase is left to fit the groceries or luggage. In the case of multi vehicle families, any family vehicle, not necessarily the large SUV, can be used to carry the user, a folding chair. This flexibility will drastically decrease the stress levels surrounding planning of travel and organization of the home.

Summary

Folding mechanisms in electric wheelchairs affect storage space by deciding folded size (lateral vs. vertical), making it automatically folding to be as compact as possible, providing an option with quick disassembly, and changing household and car parking arrangements. At Ningbo Baichen Medical Devices Co. Ltd. we are producers of lateral fold, automatic fold, and quick disassembly power wheelchairs, and scooters, which we produce in a 20,000 m2 plant. Call us today and get the folding mechanism that will restore your space.