panthera S2 User manual

Instructions for use
Instructions for use
panthera
panthera
S2 Swing

Instructions for use S2 Swing Instructions for use S2 Swing
Panthera Swing
1 2
Contents
Intended use s 1
Adaptation s 3
Maintenance s 8
Safety s 9
Crash test s 11
Intended use
The Panthera wheelchair is designed for those who need an everyday chair which
is easy to drive and provides a comfortable and ergonomic sitting posture. The
chair is designed to allow you to lift it easily in and out of your car. The chassis has
narrow outer dimensions in the most lightweight design currently available. We
have also designed the framework tubing of the chassis to provide you with a
balanced and ergonomically correct grip when you lift the chair in and out of the
car. To be able to make best use of your Panthera you, or an authorized
professional, should adapt it to ensure that you sit correctly, have optimum
mobility and balance the chair according to your capacity. This is why we
recommend that you read these instructions for adapting your Panthera.
It is especially important that you read pages 9-10 in these instructions since
they concern your safety.
Make sure you receive the chair you ordered:
Check the width of the chair. Measure the outer dimensions of the seat. These
should be 36, 39, 42 or 45 cm according to your order.
Check the height of the backrest. Measure the height of the vertical back
tubing. It should be 0.5 cm lower than the height of the back height you
ordered. For example, if you ordered a 30 back, the height of the tubing should
measure 29.5 cm.
Check that you have received the accessories you ordered.
Conduct a technical inspection of the chair:
The rear wheel axles should move smoothly in and out of the casing.
The button at the centre of the hub should spring out when the rear wheels
have been inserted.
All four wheels should touch the ground.
The caster fork can be easily rotated.
The backrest folds down easily.
If any of the points above are not satisfactory please contact us at
Panthera Production AB before proceeding to use the chair.
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Instructions for use S2 Swing Instructions for use S2 Swing
3 4
The leg supports can be rotated inwards, out-
wards, or removed completely from the chair.
To remove the leg support, press the knob on
the inside of the support, see figure 2, and lift
the support up and off.
To rotate the leg support inwards or outwards,
press the knob in and twist the support.
Replace the leg support onto the chair by
inserting the tubing of the upper section of the
leg support down into the hole, twist the
support forward and check that the support
locks into position securely so that it can no
longer be twisted or lifted off.
Figure 1. Button for quick
release hub.
Figure 2. Knob for removing
the leg support.
Figure 3. Band for tightening seat
upholstery.
Figure 4. Screw for the
footrest.
Assembly and dismantling:
When transporting the chair you should remove the
rear wheels and fold down the backrest.
To remove the rear wheels, press in the button at
the centre of the hub as in figure 1. Then pull the
wheel straight out. To insert the wheels, press in
the button and push the axle into the hole in the
casing. Then push the wheel all the way in, release
the button and pull out to check that the wheel is
securely in place and the button springs back out.
To fold down the backrest, pull out the wire
attached to the backrest lock as shown in figure 5
and then fold the backrest forward and down.
When you pull the backrest up again you need only
pull it up to full extent and the backrest will lock
automatically when upright.
Adaptation
When adapting the chair to suit your sitting position and provide the mobility you
require, it is important that you make the following adjustments in the correct or-
der. First, adjust the sitting position and after that, adjust the balance of the chair
according to your mobility requirements. The sequence is important since when
you change your sitting position you also change the balance of the chair.
Consider that the effort you put into adapting your chair will provide long-term
benefits later on. Try out different adaptations for a few days to make sure you
really have found the best sitting posture and balance of the chair.
You should make the following adjustments
in this order:
1) The tension of the seat upholstery
2) The height of the footrest
3) The tension of the calf band
4) The angle of the backrest
5) The tension of the backrest upholstery
6) The balance of the wheelchair
7) The position of the brakes
1) Tension of the seat upholstery
The rear section of the seat upholstery can be tightened
or loosened by adjusting the Velcro band underneath the
seat as shown in figure 3. This allows you to vary your
sitting height by about 2 cm up or down.
2) Height of the footrest
The footrest can be adjusted up or down. Remove the
two screws supporting the footrest on the front of the
frame as shown in figure 4, unscrew using a 3 mm
socket head key. Push the end plug down by placing key
19 around the tubing above and tapping down with a
hammer. You will then be able to move the footrest up
or down to fit into one of the five alternative height po-
sitions. You should adjust the footrest at a height where
your thighs are supported by the seat at the same time as
your feet are supported by the footrest.

Instructions for use S2 Swing Instructions for use S2 Swing
4) Angle of the backrest
The angle of the backrest can be adjusted by first twisting the backrest lock ec-
centric out of the way so that the lock does not get in your way, and then adjusting
the screws to adjust the angle.
Do as follows, see figure 5:
Dismantle the back locking function by pulling the wire (1) and folding the
backrest forward.
Loosen the lock screws (2) and unscrew them a few rotations using socket head
key no. 5.
Twist the backrest lock eccentrics (3) downwards so that the lock faucet does
not fix the backrest in place. Use cap key no. 19. Do this on both sides.
Then adjust the angle of the backrest by first
loosening the lock nuts (4) using cap key no. 13,
and then screw the adjustment screws in or out
(5) using the 5 mm socket head key. If you
unscrew the adjustment screws the backrest will
tilt forward. If you tighten the adjustment screws
the backrest will tilt backwards. It is important
to adjust both sides equally to avoid the backrest
tubing becoming crooked. Test this by putting
the backrest in upright position and checking
that both adjustment screws are touching the
frame. Try out suitable backrest angles and
tighten the lock nuts once you are satisfied.
To reengage the back locking function pull the
backrest into upright position and twist the
backrest lock eccentrics so that the lock faucets spring out into their tracks.
Then tighten the lock screws. Do this on both sides.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
5 6
1
4
2
5
3
Figure 5. Back locking
function.
3) Tension of the heel strap
The tension of the heel strap can be adjusted and will affect how far forward you
place your feet on the footrest. The appropriate tension depends largely on how
long or short your legs are.
5) Tension of the backrest upholstery
The back upholstery can be tightened or loosened by adjusting the Velcro band at
the back. The back upholstery also has a flap fastened with Velcro under the seat
upholstery. This can be moved back or forwards to obtain the required tension in
the lower section of the back upholstery (known as the seat bucket). By adjusting
these things you can form the lower part of the back upholstery to suit the shape
of your back and obtain good support for your lower back. Start by loosening the
band and sit as far back in the chair as you can. Then tighten the band to give you
good support. If it feels as though you are not sitting far back enough in the chair it
may be because the back upholstery flap is fastened too far forward under the seat.
Relax this flap and move it back.

Instructions for use S2 Swing Instructions for use S2 Swing
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Figure 6. Balancing.
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Figure 8. High brakes.
Bild 7. Single hand brake.
Figure 9. Anti-tips.
6) Balancing the wheelchair
The balance of the wheelchair can be adjusted by moving the rear wheels back or
forwards depending on how much ‘rear balance’ you require. The chair will be
lighter at the front with more weight over the rear wheels. This makes the chair
easier to manoeuvre and it will also be easier to tip up onto the rear wheels, for
instance, when negotiating curbs, thresholds and so on. The chair should not be
balanced too far to the rear because this will increase the risk of tipping backwards.
It is important that you take time trying out a balance that suits your body and
driving techniques so that you adapt the chair to be as easy to drive as possible,
without increasing the risk of tipping backwards too much. You should always
have someone standing behind you when you try out the chair after adjusting the
balance. If you still feel unsure about the balance of your chair having tested it
thoroughly you should use anti-tips (accessory). The anti-tips eliminate the danger
of tipping backwards and they are easily removed when you no longer need them.
How to move the rear wheels:
Remove the rear wheels.
Loosen the nut casings (6) with the 22 mm cap key, and the nut to the wheel
attachment (7) using the 15 mm cap key on both sides of the chair.
You will now be able to push the wheel attachment (8) forward or back along
the horizontal frame tubing. It is important that you have the wheel attachment
in the same forward position on both sides of the chair. You can check this by
measuring the distance between the forward section of the vertical tubing and
the rear section of the wheel attachment as shown in figure 6 using a tape
measure or ruler, and check that the distance is the same on both sides.
Tighten the wheel attachments. When you tighten the wheel attachments you
should always first tighten the nuts (6) on both sides, and then tighten the M10
nuts (7) on both sides. This sequence is important to ensure that the wheel
attachments are positioned correctly.
1.
2.
3.
4.
7) Single hand brake (accessory)
This brake is assembled under the seat tubing and can be adjusted in the same way
as the high brake. It is important to check that the brakes are placed at the same
distance on both sides of the frame as shown in figure 7.
N.B! As the air pressure falls, the tyre
becomes worn, or if you change the type
of tyre the effect of the brakes will vary.
You should therefore check the position
of the brakes in these circumstances.
High brakes
The brake should be adjusted to go 3-4 mm into the tyre
when in locked position. If a slight adjustment is required
this can be done by rotating the locking arm adjustment,
see figure 8, so that the brake goes further in/out on the
tyre depending on the direction in which you rotate. If a
major adjustment is needed, loosen the bolt on the inside
of the brake using the 5mm socket key. The brake can then
be pushed forward or back into the desired position and the
clamp then tightened again.
NB! The bolt on the inside of the clamp (under the seat)
should be opened to move the clamp, not the bolt on the
outside of the clamp.
Anti-tips (accessory)
When the anti-tips are folded out you can adjust the distance from the ground
by fixing the wheel tubing in any of the four positions as shown in figure 9.
The anti-tips can be folded away under the
frame by pushing them down and twisting
them in under the seat. When you wish to
fold them out again, make sure that they
reengage into the lock tracks.
When learning how to drive on the rear
wheels you should have the anti-tips
positioned to be able to tip the chair up into
rear wheel balance.

Instructions for use S2 Swing Instructions for use S2 Swing
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Maintenance
Your Panthera is constructed to be virtually maintenance free. A few parts do require
regular checking however. (Naturally you should clean and check the chair more often
if you use it in more extreme environments such as in sand or salt water.)
Once a month you should:
Wipe the chair chassis over with car shampoo or washing-up liquid and a damp
cloth. If very dirty you can use a degreasing agent. Lubricate all moveable parts
with a universal lubricant (5-56, WD-40) after cleaning.
Clean the caster fork casing (between the wheel and the fork). Hair and dust col-
lect here which can damage the bearing. Loosen the nut using key no. 10 while
holding the bolt with key no. 10. Remove the bolt and then the wheel. Clean the
washers between the wheel and the fork and wipe the outside of the wheel bearing
with a cloth. Drop some oil into each bearing. Reassemble the parts.
Lubricate the rear wheel axles. Remove the wheel and distribute some drops of
oil over the axle. You should do this more often if you drive in rain, sand, salt and
slush or if you rarely remove the wheels.
Pump up the tyres. The tyres can be pumped by screwing the top off the valve and
filling with air using an appropriate valve adapter. The tyre can take 8 kg of
pressure.
Check that all the screws and nuts are securely fastened.
Check that the chair has not been damaged. If damage has occurred, contact us
immediately at Panthera Production AB.
Twice a year you should:
Lubricate the ball bearings for the brakes with some drops of oil.
Lubricate the bearings in the joints of the backrest. Remove the nut using cap key
no. 10 and hold the bolt still with key no. 10. Lubricate the bearings with some
drops of oil.
Wash the seat upholstery, the back upholstery and the cushion cover in 40 degrees
machine wash when necessary.
Guarantee and lifetime
The life of a Panthera depends on how much wear and tear it is exposed to and how
thorough you are with maintenance.
Guarantee: We offer a seven year factory guarantee on the chassis. For other parts there
is a guarantee of 12 months.
Max. weight: 36, 39, 42 cm 100 kilos, 45 cm 125 kilos.
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Safety
A Panthera wheelchair is designed to be as easy to drive as possible and because of this
it reacts quickly to the actions you perform. If you perform the wrong actions the chair
can tip backwards if you don’t have anti-tips. The chair can potentially tip up and it is
not possible to issue a warning regarding all the circumstances in which that might occur.
The most important safety measures you can take include ensuring that you have tested
the chair thoroughly and spend time practicing your wheelchair technique.
If you have any questions about wheelchair technique you should contact the person who
prescribed the chair/your therapist. If they are unable to help you, please do not hesitate
to contact us at Panthera Production AB. We have a total of over 100 years’ experience of
daily use of wheelchairs. We would like to include some points here that may be helpful
for your safety.
Balance and tipping capacity
The position of the rear wheels, the angle and the adjustment of the backrest uphol-
stery are the most significant factors affecting the wheelchair’s tendency to tip. After
adapting your chair you should check that you feel safe with the balance of the chair.
If you feel unsure, you should use anti-tips or move the rear wheels further back.
The tipping capacity of the chair is also affected by: hanging a bag on the backrest,
leaning/stretching backwards, worn tyres, poorly pumped tyres and unforeseen chan-
ges in the surface you are driving on.
Warning! The chair can tip up on inclined surfaces when adapted in certain ways so use
anti-tips or move the rear wheels further back if you feel unsure of the chair’s stability.
Brakes
If you use our high brakes you should take care not to knock the brake with
your fingers when pushing on the pushrims.
If you use high brakes and wish to perform a sideways transfer to or from your
Panthera, it is important that you are able to lift yourself over the brake to avoid
sitting on it or getting caught on it.
If you use the single hand brake and are able to stand up, you should be careful
not to open the brakes by mistake with the back of your leg.
Remember that the brakes do not work as effectively on tyres with poor air
pressure or on worn tyres.
If you change to a new brand of tyre you should always check the brakes since
the dimensions may be different.
The brakes are designed as parking brakes and not for braking when in motion.
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Instructions for use S2 Swing Instructions for use S2 Swing
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panthera
Figure 10. Air points.
Leg support
Make sure the leg supports lock securely into position at the front when you
replace them, ensuring that they will not move when you need them in a fixed
position.
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Sitting posture
The wrong sitting posture can cause pressure sores. If you are unsure you
should contact your prescriber straight away.
Check that the side guards do not exert too much pressure on your thighs since
this can cause pressure sores. If the side guards exert too much pressure the
chair is either too narrow or the side guards need to be adjusted.
The seat is designed to be used with a cushion.
Driving
If the distance between the lowest point of the footrest and the surface is small
(less than 40 mm) the footrest can get caught on bumps in the surface and
cause you to fall forwards.
If you are pushed or drive down a curb with the anti-tips folded out they can
get caught on the curb and cause you to fall forwards. If you are unsure you
should fold the anti-tips up under the
chair and ask for help.
Transfers/lifting chair and user
The chair is lightweight and for this
reason it can move sideways when the
brakes are on and you transfer from the
side. If you are unsure you should
practice this activity with your
prescriber or therapist.
If the wheelchair is lifted with you
sitting in it, the chair should always
be lifted holding the frame and not the
backrest, the push handles, the wheels
or any other parts. See figure 10.
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Crash test and transportation in disa-
bled transport vehicles
We would like to make it quite clear that the best alternative for transporta-
tion in a vehicle is to transfer from the wheelchair into a regular passenger
seat with a seatbelt. If this is not possible you may have to remain seated in
your wheelchair which will be attached with the approved attachment facili-
ties and a seatbelt but Panthera Production AB does not recommend this.
This report is based on the results of crash tests conducted on Panthera wheelchairs
in accordance with ISO-7178-19:2001 and ISO-10542:2000.
The crash tests were conducted by: SP Swedish National Testing and Research
Institute.
Test date: February 20, 2003.
Panthera’s wheelchairs have been approved for use in vehicles employed by the
Swedish disabled transportation service Färdtjänst in accordance with the follo-
wing. Below we present details of how to attach the chair in an approved way and
list the materials used in the tests.
The following wheelchair models and materials were used and approved in the
tests mentioned above.
Panthera S2:
Attachment equipment: Unwin Belt 4-point with snap hook
User seatbelt: Unwin 3-point seatbelt, high deflector
Fastening: Unwin low profile rail
Test dummy: Hybrid III dummy (weight 76.3 kg)
Panthera U2:
Attachment equipment: Unwin Belt 4-point with snap hook
User seatbelt: Unwin 3-point seatbelt, high deflector
Fastening: Unwin low profile rail
Test dummy: Hybrid III dummy (weight 76.3 kg)
This crash test was conducted in cooperation with Unwin which produces attach-
ment equipment for wheelchairs. For further information about the belts please
contact Unwin.
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Instructions for use S2 Swing Instructions for use S2 Swing
Figure 12. Attachment point.
Figure 11. Attachment point.
Figure 13. Attachment point around
the back axle.
Figure 14. Attachment point around the
back axle.
Figure 16. Attachment points.
Figure 15. Symbol indicating attachment points for
transportation in disabled service vehicles.
Attaching the wheelchair in the vehicle
The wheelchair should always face the direction in
which the vehicle is driving when the user remains
seated in the chair during transportation.
The wheelchair should always be attached in the
vehicle using a 4-point belt.
The front of the wheelchair is attached with the belts
around the frame at the bearing casings for the castor
wheels. See figures 11 and 12.
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The back of the wheelchair is attached with the snap hook around the back axle.
See figures 13 and 14.
Pull the wheelchair backwards and pull the belts from the snap hook tight so that
the wheelchair is fastened securely and unable to roll forwards or backwards.
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When the chair has been securely fastened, put on the wheelchair brakes if the
chair is equipped with brakes.
We also recommend that the anti-tips should be folded out if the chair is equip-
ped with anti-tips.
Ensure that all the belts and hooks are securely attached and fastened to the
profile rail on the floor of the vehicle and that all the belts are pulled tight.
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Instructions for attaching snap hooks and belts to the wheel-
chair:
Our children’s wheelchairs have 4 stickers with symbols, shown in figure 15.
These symbols indicate where the chair should be attached when transported in
a disable service vehicle. These stickers can be ordered free of charge from us at
Panthera Production AB for use on older wheelchair models etc.
Two of these stickers are on the fork bearing casings at the front of the chair. The
chair should be secured here with belts. See figures 11, 12 and 16.
Two of the stickers are on the back axle of the chair. The chair should be secured
with snap hooks here. See figures 13, 14 and 16.
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Instructions for use S2 Swing Instructions for use S2 Swing
The seat belt may not be held away from the body by any part or
accessory on the wheelchair such as the rear wheels or armrest.
Figure 17. Incorrect attachments.
Figure 18. Approved attachments.
Warning
Panthera Production AB
Gunnebogatan 26, 163 53 Spånga, Sweden
Tel [phone] Fax [phone]
[email protected] www.panthera.se
Bruksanvisning Swing norge - 2006-08-22 Artikelnummer 881 21 03
We recommend that the user whenever possible should sit in a seat in the vehicle
and use the vehicle’s seatbelt.
If the user remains seated in a wheelchair during transportation we recommend
that the back of the wheelchair should be the same height or higher than the user’s
shoulders.
The user should be secured in the vehicle using a 3-point belt. This is to minimise
the risk of head and/or chest injuries in the event of a collision or sudden braking.
The seat belt in the vehicle should have contact with the body and may not be held
away from the body by any part of the wheelchair. See figures 17 and 18.
Loose accessories on the chair should be removed to reduce the risk of injury to
the user or other passengers.
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Wheelchair models tested
The wheelchairs crash tested from Panthera were the following models and dimen-
sions:
Panthera S2:
Chassis S2 complete, width 45
Back complete, width 45, height 40
Foot bar, width 45
Rear wheels standard 24” with titanium pushrims
High brakes
Anti-tips
Side guards with shield
Cushion, width 45, 2.5 cm
Panthera U2:
Chassis U2 complete, width 45
Back complete, width 45, height 40
Foot bar, width 45
Rear wheels standard 24” with titanium pushrims
High brakes, forward position
Anti-tips
Side guards with shield
Cushion, width 45, 2.5 cm
If anything is unclear or if you have any questions about using the wheelchair in
disabled transport service vehicles, please contact Panthera Production AB.
Departures from these results may occur if the chair is of a different model and
dimensions. The height of the back of the chair affects the results significantly.
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