The First Roof Box that Stores a Wheelchair from Both Sides of the Car

Gothenburg, Sweden, May 26, 2007 --(PR.com)-- To bring the wheelchair with them in the car, many users have until now had to remove the wheels from the chair, fold it and place it on the passenger seat. This is difficult, heavy work for a disabled driver. The new roof box from Autoadapt, Roof Spider, eliminates this process. It automatically loads the wheelchair into the roof box from either side of the car.

Roof Spider is designed to carry foldable, manual wheelchairs with a maximum weight of 25 kilos. The roof box weighs only 54 kilos (119 lbs) and adds a mere 47 centimetres (18.5 inches) to the height of the car. It is hardly any larger than a conventional roof box.

"This is a sensation in the car adaptation business. It is the lightest roof box for wheelchairs on the market, and it does not significantly increase the total weight of the car," says Harald Freytag, Market Manager at Autoadapt, an internationally leading product provider in the field of car adaptation for the elderly and disabled.

Roof Spider can be mounted on virtually all vehicle models. It is suitable for those who can transfer from the wheelchair to the car seat, and who can then fold the wheelchair without assistance. The fibreglass box is designed to give the lowest possible air resistance and it is mounted on the roof rack of the car.

The roof box uses the car’s electrical system to open and close. There is also a manual back-up system, should the electrical system of the car fail at any time. A hand control allows the driver to choose the side of the car on which the wheelchair is to be loaded and unloaded.

The lifting device is contained in the roof box and works when lowered in close proximity to the car. When having transferred from the wheelchair to the car seat, the user folds the wheelchair and fastens the lifting device between the sides of the seat, presses the button on the hand control, and the wheelchair is hoisted into the roof box.

Once the roof box is closed, the wheelchair is protected from dust and moisture. Storing the wheelchair in the roof box also ensures that the inside of the car stays clean as well as plenty of storage space left in the luggage compartment.

The concept of loading the wheelchair on either side of the vehicle is completely new. Other roof boxes on the market are all specifically for either driver- or passenger side loading. Roof Spider is unique with this feature. The dual-side system of loading greatly increases the flexibility of use of the roof box.

Roof Spider is CE-marked, crash-tested and it meets all regulatory requirements in the countries where it is sold.

For more information regarding the Roof Spider, please contact:
Autoadapt AB, Sweden
Harald Freytag, Market Manager
E-Mail: harald.freytag@autoadapt.se
Phone: +46(0)302-558 20
Fax: +46(0)302-558 29

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About Autoadapt ab:
Autoadapt is a global leading provider in the field of car adaptation products for the elderly and disabled. They develop products designed and created by skilled and committed staff who focus on the customer, giving greater independence to people with disabilities. With approximately 90 employees, in Birmingham UK and in Stenkullen and Boras, Sweden, turn-over of close to 13 million Euros, and products exported to over thirty countries, Autoadapt is one of the largest European companies in its field.