Pushchair to wheelchair link
‘Pushchair Link’ for attaching a pushchair to a parent’s wheelchair.
A new parent who is an active wheelchair user asked REMAP for a solution to link her baby’s pram pushchair combo to her wheelchair, so that she can safely propel both her own wheelchair and the pram/ pushchair.
The pram/pushchair is a Mamas & Papas Vardo Pixel with swivel wheels at the front and non-swivel/removeable wheels at the back.
The parent’s wheelchair is a Permobil TiLite ZRA.
The Challenge
The linking bracket solution needed to be:
• Easy to fit and remove.
• Securely fit to the wheelchair without affecting parent’s safe use of the wheelchair.
• Allow safe forwards, backwards and turning movement.
• Be safe to use on pavements, paths, road crossings, shops and other level/accessible indoor and outdoor community spaces.
The solution
Our volunteer engineer Paul designed a ‘Pushchair Link’ that attaches to the wheelchair footplate and secures safely to the pushchair rear axle with a bespoke bracket.
Paul made the ‘Pushchair Link’ with shaped aluminium plates riveted together and a plywood, leather lined U-shaped rear axle holder.
The aluminium plate of the ‘Pushchair Link’ hooks over the rear edge of the wheelchair footplate and is clamped securely in place. The rear pushchair wheels and axle fit into the bespoke bracket. The rear wheels of the pram are then released and stored in the pushchair pocket. A safety strap is clipped in place to prevent the pushchair from becoming detached from the ‘pushchair link’.
The axle position is height adjustable by ½ an inch up or down.
The ‘Pushchair Link’ becomes a rigid extension of the wheelchair, as the parent steers the wheelchair the pushchair front wheels will swivel and move in the direction of travel; forwards, backwards, left, right.
The benefit
The ‘Pushchair Link’ becomes a rigid extension of the wheelchair, as the parent steers the wheelchair the pushchair front wheels will swivel and move in the direction of travel; forwards, backwards, left, right.
The parent can now take her baby out in the pushchair and safely manoeuvre both wheelchair and pushchair. The family are delighted with the REMAP solution engineered by Paul.
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