Doug Garven
Permobil’s TiLite CR1 ultralightweight wheelchair and its designer, Permobil Principal Product Manager Doug Garven, have won two international awards.
In a June 11 news announcement, Permobil said Garven and the CR1 won gold in the A’Design Award & Competition’s 2023-2024 Product Engineering and Technical Design Award category.
The A’Design Award is described as “an international, juried design accolade established to recognize and promote good designs worldwide.” More than 100 categories are available to enter. The A’Design Awards program is based in Como, Italy.
Garven and the CR1 also won a gold International Awards Associate MUSE Design Award in the category of Product Design — Medical Devices. The MUSE Design Award is described as “an international design competition dedicated to recognizing excellent and original design work from across the globe. With a mission to honor, celebrate, and elevate outstanding design innovators, MUSE also serves as a key stage to unveil up-and-coming stars in architecture, interior, product, landscape, lighting, furniture and fashion design worldwide.” The program is based in New York.
TiLite CR1
“It is an honor for us to be the recipient of both of these awards and it is without a doubt a career highlight,” said Garven, who spent five years working on the CR1. “It is fantastic that our commitment to leading-edge design and innovation at Permobil is recognized in this way.
“Our vision was to create the ultimate, daily-use chair. We drew inspiration from previous designs, Formula 1 race cars and even elements from the stealth fighter jet F-22 Raptor.”
The CR1 uses carbon fiber, “ensuring exceptional strength while maintaining a lightweight design,” the Permobil announcement said. “The tubes are also molded around a foam core for added support and endurance.”
A dual-angled front end enables wheelchair riders to move closer to objects and when performing transfers; that additional bend in the frame also allows the caster arms to attach to the frame further back for improved maneuverability. The backrest folds down to improve transportability, while the CR1’s ergonomic design “prioritizes user comfort, providing a customized fit and reducing fatigue during prolonged use for a smooth and enjoyable mobility experience.”
The chair has a transport weight of 9 lbs. and is available in seat widths of 13 to 18 inches and seat depths from 13 to 19 inches. Front seat heights range from 17.5 to 20.75 inches with available seat slope of 7, 10, or 13 degrees. The CR1’s weight limit is 231 lbs.
Permobil, based in Sweden, has American headquarters in Lebanon, Tennessee.
