Wheelchair dashboard and side troughs
Our client uses his Class 3 (road legal) wheelchair extensively. Whilst a Class 3 mobility vehicle (i.e. wheelchair or mobility scooter) has a V5 and is allocated a registration number by the DVLA, it isn’t compulsory to display it – but some users of this type of machine do, in order to make it clear to other road users that they have a legal right to be on the road. Our client has had some bad experiences with ignorant drivers and wanted his number plate on the front too, where there is no place to put one.
The solution
Engineer Ian Brocket of the Harrogate and Ripon Group tried a number of possible ideas, and ended up with a dashboard for the number plate made out of a combination of light weight facia-board material and aluminium, which would also carry various items such as a mobile phone, keys, and anything else that could be attached to the velcro which lines the inside of the dashboard. The requirement was that the dashboard should be capable of being folded well out of the way if sitting at a table, also easily removed when not required, and can be folded down to improve the view to the left if needed.
Our client sometimes drops items such as keys and other small items, so there was an additional requirement for some sort of side troughs for both sides of the chair which were made out of facia board material too. These were attached to the accessory rail on each side of the chair, and one side acts as the mounting point for the dashboard.
Inside view of the dashboard showing velcro lining.
The stainless steel mount point for the dashboard showing how it easily returns to its original position after folding.
The dashboard shown folded completely out of the way to allow our client to get up to desk if required.
The benefit
We hadn’t encountered this request before and it was a difficult project due to the number of specific requirements, but our client can now feel confident when out and about.
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