MUMBAI, India, Feb. 6 -- Intellectual Property India has published a patent application (202541123397 A) filed by Kalasalingam Academy Of Research And Education, Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, on Dec. 8, 2025, for 'convertible traction motor drive to automate foldable wheel chair propulsion.'
Inventor(s) include Dr. S. Shasi Anand; and Dr. P. Jayakumar.
The application for the patent was published on Feb. 6, under issue no. 06/2026.
According to the abstract released by the Intellectual Property India: "The titled invention discloses a convertible traction motor drive system developed for foldable manual wheelchairs to automate their propulsion, giving users an easier path to powered movement without depending the caregivers or required in case of fully disabled person. The system forms a single assist unit built with traction wheels (1) 10 mounted on a traction wheel axle (12), driven by a small drive motor (10) paired with a gear box (11) and enclosed inside a drive holding enclosure (2). A central axle (4) passes through a central axle supporting hub (3) fixed on the enclosure (2) and is secured using a central axle locking clamp (8), holding both sides of the drive in steady alignment The mid-section of the axle (4) carries an extensible column (5) whose is width is set by turning the knob of an extension axle locking hub (9), allowing the system to match the side-to-side length of different folding wheelchair frames (13). The wheelchair axle holding hub (6) clamps onto the existing rear axle rod of the wheelchair, and its locking joints (7) tighten against the axle surface to prevent twisting or side drift when the assist unit pulls the chair. The assist drive runs on a rechargeable 20 battery pack and is controlled wirelessly using a hand-held remote device (14) for starting, stopping, and adjusting motion. The complete unit is quick to mount, simple to remove, and designed to be economical for users seeking a practical and affordable conversion from manual push to smooth automated pull for everyday travel."
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
