Electric Winch to Aid Transfer of Four-Wheeled Walker Into and Out of a BMW Mini Boot
The client has limited mobility and strength and finds it difficult to load and unload her four-wheeled walker in her BMW Mini car boot. Due to the very small boot, there do not appear to be any commercial solutions for the standard BMW Mini, although there are solutions for the Mini Countryman which is a much larger car!
A bespoke designed and made 12v electric hoist on an extendable arm plus support frame was installed in her boot using the rear seat anchor brackets as fixture points. The winding drum operates using a nylon strap as the lifting medium terminating in a substantial plastic clip to fix and tighten around the folded four-wheeled walker. The winch has an overload protection device and also an anchor to prevent the swinging arm from damaging the car when driving.
The Challenge
The client has limited mobility and strength but is able to drive a BMW Mini car. To be able to walk anywhere, she requires use of a folding four-wheeled walker and so when she reaches her destination in the car, the walker must be easily accessible from her car’s boot.
The BMW Mini has an exceptionally small boot and for this reason there are no commercial solutions. (Solutions are available for the BMW Mini Countryman which is a much bigger car).
Safety considerations are as follows:
- The winch is fitted with an overload cutout device set at 1.5 times the weight of the client’s walker – when activated, the winch can only be lowered.
- The winch lifting head is fitted with an anchor to curtail random swinging movement of the hoist arm when the car is being driven – such movement could injure passengers and damage the car. The hoist is fitted with a prominent warning sign to ensure the anchor is used.
- There is a 15 amp overload switch for electrical safety.
The solution
The solution completely solves the client’s problem and she is delighted with it!
The benefit
The client relied on her father accompanying her on car journeys and lifting the walker in and out of the boot on her behalf. She is now completely independent on car journeys. The client is very pleased with the solution and has indicated she will make a donation to REMAP.
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