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Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cwjcc!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!apple!ems
From: ems@Apple.COM (Mike Smith)
Newsgroups: sci.energy,sci.electronics,sci.med
Subject: Re: Electric cars?  Start with wheelchairs.
Keywords: electirc cars wheelchairs batteries
Message-ID: <3706@internal.Apple.COM>
Date: 19 Aug 89 01:30:53 GMT
References: <3659@internal.Apple.COM> <5481@ttidca.TTI.COM>
Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 36

In article <5481@ttidca.TTI.COM> hollombe@ttidcb.tti.com (The Polymath) writes:
>In article <3659@internal.Apple.COM> ems@Apple.COM (Mike Smith) writes:
>}A friend is in an electric wheelchair.  ...
>
>}It has no built in charger.  Why?  If she is at school (she
>}teaches) she must monitor her power usage.  If it get's too
>}low she is stuck.  ...
>
>What keeps your friend from buying a trickle charger and carrying it with
>her?  They're small, light weight and inexpensive.  Available at most auto
>parts stores.

Chairs do not use the standard means of charging.  Their is a 'funny
connector' that the charger plugs into.  Lets a single 12v charger
charge 2 12v batteries that are used in series as a 24v source to 
the chair.  The alternative is to unbolt the battery covers and 
undo the cables at the batteries.  UCK.  It would be possible to 
put the funny connector onto a 'small' charger, but remember that 
the chair is not mobile while the charger is connected and that the
person in the chair is there because she has very limited use of 
her arms.  i.e. no significant force or movement at odd angles.
So you need something that the average 'good Sam' passing by can't
screw up or be confused by (which isn't the standard connector on
the chair ...).  What you need is a regular wall outlet plug on 
a 12ft or so cable that is hooked into a permanently affixed object
on the chair that automatically does all the 'plugging' when it 
senses 110 VAC on it's input cable.

-- 

E. Michael Smith  ems@apple.COM

'If you can dream it, you can do it'  Walt Disney

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