GB2244030A - Wheelchair with pivoting footrests - Google Patents

Abstract

A wheelchair footrest (19) pivots about an upright axis (22) and is normally held against pivoting by a latch (24). The latch slides towards and away from the pivot axis and has a handle (27) protruding laterally of the wheelchair. Exerting a rearwardly directed force on the handle releases the latch and then swings the footrest away from a longitudinal centreline of the wheelchair. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Wheelchair 3escriptlon of the Invention The present invention relates to a wheelchair of the kind comprising a frame supported on wheels, a seat on the frame and a pair of foctrests mounted cn the frame for pivoting relative to the frame about respective pivot axes which are spaced apart laterally of the chair. To facilitate access by an invalid to the seat, it is generally desirable to pivot the footrests away from each other to provide between the footrests a space to accommodate the fet and legs of the user. Once the user is seated in the wheelchair, the footrests are returned to respective positions in which they lie close together and immediately in front of the seat.

The present invention provides a convenient mechanism for latching each footrest in its posItion of use.

According te the present invention, each footrest of a wheelchair of the kina described has an arm extending upwardly from the footrest and across the pIvot axis, a pivot supporting the arm for pivoting relative t the frame about the pivot axis and a latch bolt for releasably restraining pivoting of the arm relative to the frame, the frame has a fixed abutment for the latch bolt, the latch bolt is guided for reciprocation along a path transverse to the pivot axis and the latch bolt has a handle protruding laterally outwardly of the wheelchair in a direction transverse to said path and transverse to the pivot axis.

The handle protrudes in this direction when the footrest is in its normal position for use. When the footrest is pivoted out of this positicn, the handle may pivot with the footrest.

When the footrest is in the normal position of use, the handle is preferably positicned to the rear of the pivot axis.

In the preferred wheelchair, at least that portion of the arm which extends across the pivot axis is hollow, the latch bolt is substantially L-shaped, one limb of the latch bolt 15 constituted by the handle and the other limb slides inside the arm.

A portion of the latch bolt which slides inside the arm may be hollow and contain a latch spring.

An example of a wheelchair embodying the present invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, whereIn: FIGURE 1 shows diagrammatically a perspective view of the wheelchair, FIGURE 2 shows a latch bolt and associated parts from above, FIC-LTRE 3 shows the parts of Figure 2 as viewed in the direction of te arrow III of Figure 2 and FIGtTRE 4 shcws a cross section of those parts in the plane IV - IV of Figure 3.

The wheelchair shown in Figure 1 comprises a frame 10 which is fabricated from lengths of hollow, metal tube which are secured together by welding. The frame is supported on ground-engaging wheels and, by way of example, there is represented in Figure 1 of pair of rear wheels 11 and 12 and a pair of front wheels 13 and 14. The rear wheels are larger wheels and the front wheels are incorporated in castors to permit the wheelchair to be steered. Provision (not illustrated) is made for driving of the rear wheels by hand and/or by means of an electric motor.

The frame 10 supports a seat 15 incorporating a cushion and a backrest. The frame may also support arm rests, although these are not shown in Figure 1. The arm rests may be demountable.

The frame 10 incorporates respective, tubular uprights 16 and 17 at the front corners of the frame. The castors incorporating the front wheels are mounted on the lower ends of the uprights. There is also mounted on the upright 16 an arm 18 carrying a footrest 19. The footrest is carried on a lower end portion of the arm 13 and this end portion is preferably rectilinear, there being a telescopic connection between the footrest and the arm so that the height of the footrest above the ground can be adjusted.The arm extends upwardly from the footrest and an intermediate portion of the arm is curved so that an opposite end portion of the arm extends across the tcp of the upright 16 and is at least approximately horizontal, The upper end portion 21 of the arm 18 is rectilinear and there is secured to this end portion at its underside a pivot 20 which extends downwardly from the end portIon 21 and is receIved in the upright 16 to connect the arm 18 with the frame iO for pivoting relative thereto about an axis 22 which coincides with a longitudinal axis of the upright 16. A strut 23 extends from the lower rectilinear portion of the arm 18 to the upright 16. This strut has a concave seat to receive the upright and merely rests against the upright so that the strut can slide around the upright when the arm pivots relative to the frame.

Latching means is provided for releasably latching the arm 18 in a datum position with respect to the frame.

In the datum position the arm supports the footrest 19 in its normal position of use, that is directly in front of the seat 15. When the arm is in its datum position, the end portion 21 extends from front to rear of the wheelchair. The latching means comprises a latch bolt 24 which slides in the end portion 21 of the arm and an abutment 25 which is fixed with respect to the frame 10 and and which projects upwardly from a horizontal part of the frame adjacent to the upright 16. The particular abutment shown in the drawing is in the form of a cylindrical pin.

The latch bolt 24 is generally L-shaped and comprises a first limb 26 which is aligned with the end portion 21 of the arm and a second limb 27 which is transverse to the first limb and is preferably at right angles thereto. The limb 27 projects from the limb 26 in a direction which is laterally outwards of the wheelchair when the arm 18 is in the datum position. The limb 27 constitutes a handle of the latch on which a user of the wheelchair can conveniently exert a rearwardly directed force to slide the latch along a rectilinear path which extends in the direction of the length of the end portion 21 of the arm. Travel of the latch bolt along this path is limited by a pin and slot connection between the latch bolt and the arm 18. In the particular example illustrated, the Limb 25 of the latch bolt has a slot 28 arranged with its length extending along the limb 26.A pin 29 which is fixed with respect to the arm 18 extends through this slot and thereby limits travel of the latch bolt. The pin 29 extends through the end portion 21 and also through the pivot 20 and secures the pivot to the arm 18.

The limb 26 of the latch bolt is hollow and contains a latch spring 30 which is a coiled compression spring. One end portion of the spring bears on a washer which rests against the pin 29. An opposite end portion of the spring bears on a further washer which rests against a circlip 31 mounted in the limb 26 at the open end thereof, which is the end remote from the limb 27. The spring 30 urges the latch bolt inwardly of the arm 18 to the limIt of the travel permitted by the slot 28 and the pin 29.

In the limb 26 of the latch boit, adjacent to the limb 27, there is formed a recess 32 for receiving the abutment 25. The recess has an open mouth facing laterally of the latch bolt and generally in the direction in which the limb 27 projects from the limb 26. A further portion of the recess extends generally along the limb 26 of the latch bolt. When the abutment is present in this further portion, the abutment prevents pivoting of the latch bolt and arm 18 relative to the frame about the axis 22. If the latch bolt is driven rearwards until the abutment 25 is aligned with the open mouth of the recess 32, then pivoting of the latch bolt and arm 18 relative to the frame is permitted in a direction such that the limb 27 moves laterally inwardly of the wheelchair and the footrest 19 moves laterally outwardly.It will be noted that the limb 27 is disposed rearwardly of the pivot axis 22 and therefore rearwardly directed pressure exerted cn the limb 27 will move the latch bolt rearwardly relative to the arm 18 and will also pivot the arm about the axis 22 from its datum position.

The latch bolt 24 has, at a position between the limbs 26 and 27 and at the insIde of the corner defined by those limbs a surface 33 which is inclined to the lengths of both limbs. When the arm 18 is pivoted towards its datum position, with the latch bolt held by the spring 30 in its innermost position, the inclined surface 33 comes into contact with the abutment 25. Continued pivoting of the arm towards the datum position exerts a caming action on the latch bolt so that the surface 33 slides on the abutment and the latch bolt moves outwardly of the arm 18 until the open mouth of the recess 32 is maligned with the abutment. Pivoting of the arm 18 into the datum position can then be completed. It will be noted that the user is not required to exert force on the limb 27 during return of the arm 18 to the datum position.

The latch bolt 24 is preferably formed by casting aluminium or an aluminium alloy. The surface of the latch bolt may be hardened by anodising. The arm 13 and the frame 10 also are preferably formed of aluminium tubIng.

The wheelchair comprises a further foctrest 34 carried on an arm arranged in the same manner as is the arm 18 for pivoting about a further pivot axis which is spaced laterally of the wheelchair from the axis 22. The footrest 34 pivots relative to the frame in the direction opposite to that in which the footrest 19 pivots relative to the frame. In other respects, the arrangement for latching the footrest 34 against pivoting corresponds to that hereinbefore described with reference to the footrest 19.

The features disclosed in the fcregoing description, or the following claims, or the acccmpanylng drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed functicn, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as apprcpriate, may, separately cr in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (9)

1. A wheelchair comprising a frame supported on wheels, a seat on the frame and a pair of footrests mounted on the frame for pivoting relative to the frame about respective pivot axes which are spaced apart laterally of the chair, wherein each footrest has an arm extending upwardly from the footrest and across the pivot axis, a pivot supporting the arm for pivoting relative to the frame about the pivot axis and a latch bolt for releasably restraining pivoting of the arm relative to the frame, wherein the frame has a fixed abutment for the latch bolt and where in the latch bolt is guided for reciprocation along a path transverse to the pivot axis and the latch bolt has a handle protruding laterally outwardly of the wheelchair in a direction transverse to said path and transverse to the pivot axis.

2. A wheelchair according to ClaIm 1 wherein the arm is hollow and the latch bolt slides inside the arm.

3. A wheelchair according to Claim 2 wherein the latch bolt is substantially L-shaped, one limb is constituted by the handle and the other limb slides inside the arm.

4. A wheelchair according to Claim 3 wherein the latch bolt has, adjacent to the apex of the L, a surface which is inclined to both limbs to co-operate with the abutment upon pivoting of the arm towards a position in which it can be latched, so that co-operation of the inclined surface with the abutment drives the latch bolt along said path.

5. A wheelchair according to any one of Claims 2 to 4 wherein that portion of the latch bolt which slides in the arm is hollow and contains a latch spring.

6. A wheelchair accordIng to any one cf Claims 2 to 5 wherein a portion of the latch bolt which slides in the arm has a longitudinal slot and wherein there is fixed with respect to the arm a stcp which extends into the slot to limit trave of the latch bolt along said path.

7. A wheelchair according to Claim 6 wherein the stop has the form of a pin which extends along the pivot axis and secures the arm to the pivot.

8. A wheelchair having a footrest connected with a frame cf the wheelchair substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

9. Any novel feature of combination of features disclosed herein or in the accompanying drawing.