EP3122304A2

EP3122304A2 - A wheelchair of self propelled type for disabled people, provided with a reclining backrest that allows the user to put his ankles when it is sitting back to front

Info

Publication number: EP3122304A2
Application number: EP15736320.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Stefano Troncone; Alexander TRONCONE
Original assignee: Troncone Engineering SRLS
Current assignee: PANDHORA S.R.L.
Priority date: 2014-03-26
Filing date: 2015-03-24
Publication date: 2017-02-01
Also published as: WO2015145475A2; WO2015145475A3

Abstract

The wheelchair is a movable device on wheels used by people who cannot walk independently due to illness, injury or disability. In the world of disability, it's known the ability of some wheelchair users to dabble in stunts and have fun with the wheelchair. Nowadays, on the market there are several models of wheelchairs suitable for the most discerning guests, superlight wheelchairs, racing wheelchairs, sport wheelchairs, electronic wheelchairs, hand bikes. However, none of said wheelchairs is intentionally designed and built for recreational purposes. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a wheelchair for disabled person which has all the characteristics of a traditional ultra light wheelchair Fig.1,4, of the standard self propelled type, but which, at the same time, also converts itself into a playful object, Fig. 2,3,5. In particular, it is a wheelchair for disabled people, of self propelled type, provided with an adjustable reclining back which allows the user, when it is sitting back to front, to rest his ankles, allowing the user to easily keep balanced on just the two self propelled wheels (4) so as the user turns his wheelchair, on which is constantly forced to stay, in a fun device by which he can test his skills, in particular his balance ability.

Description

A WHEELCHAIR OF SELF PROPELLED TYPE FOR DISABLED PEOPLE, PROVIDED WITH A RECLINING BACKREST THAT ALLOWS THE USER TO PUT HIS ANKLES WHEN IT IS SITTING BACK TO FRONT

DESCRIPTION

THECHNICAL FIELD: The wheelchair is a movable device on wheels, used by people who cannot walk independently due to illness, injury or disability.

In the world of disability, it's known the ability of some wheelchair users to dabble in stunts and have fun with the wheelchair. Some disabled people, in fact, especially younger ones, convert their limitation in something different, amazing, demonstrating that a disabled person is not different from the others.

These real athletes, stuntmen, acrobats, do not allow the wheelchair to place itself between them and their physical activity. Sports freestyle, even extreme, become an activity not only for the able bodied, who, moreover, often does not reach the levels achieved by numerous particularly audacious disabled persons.

The audacious disabled generally make use of lightweight wheelchairs, often with a sports specific equipment. Many users make changes to their wheelchair just to make it suitable to their particular needs.

BACKGROUND ART: Nowadays, on the market there are several models of wheelchairs suitable for the most discerning guests and made with frame structure and materials that make them particularly strong and well performing.

Among them, we find superlight wheelchairs, racing wheelchairs, sport wheelchairs, electronic wheelchairs, hand bikes.

However, none of said wheelchairs is intentionally designed and built for recreational purposes: the disabled, in fact, can convert a conventional wheelchair in a means of entertainment and fun only by using his power of invention and imagination.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a wheelchair for disabled person which has all the characteristics of a traditional ultra light wheelchair Fig.1,4, of the standard self propelled type, but which, at the same time, also converts itself into a playful object, Fig. 2,3,5. In particular, it is a wheelchair for disabled people, of self propelled type, provided with an adjustable reclining back which allows the user, when it is sitting back to front, to rest his ankles.

It is composed by: a seat (8) placed on a frame (6) consisting of two parallel elements L shaped rotated clockwise by about ninety degrees, on which are fixed a pair of rotating wheels (5) in the front part and a pair of self propelled wheels (4) in the rear part, equipped with handrails (12) for self propelling; some support tubes (10), connected to the side edges of the backrest (1); a backrest (1), hinged to the frame (6) by two connecting elements (9), placed at the sides of the seat (8), connected at one extremity, by top hinges (2) around the midpoint of the support tubes (10) of the backrest (1) and at opposite extremity by lower hinges (3) connected to the frame (6) allowing rotation, and then the positioning, of the backrest (1) towards both the above part of the seat (8) and the under part of the seat (8); some connecting elements (9) which connect the backrest (1) and the seat (8), provided with fixing system (11) fixing the backrest (1) to the frame (7) when it is positioned below the seat (8), eliminating the possibility to rotate downward.

Fig. 1,2,3„4,5,6, Fig. 8.

When the backrest (1) is placed towards the bottom part of the seat (8) and fixed to the frame (6), by means of the locking system (11), the user can sit back to front and hold up the ankle on the backrest (1 ) with the heels positioned under the seat (8) allowing the user to be able to grip the handrails (12) of the self propelled wheels (4) for self propelling, allowing in any case to run, although sitting back to front 1 Fig. 2.3.

When the user is sitting back to front, with the backrest (1) positioned under the seat (8) and fixed to the frame (6), with the ankles resting on the backrest (1) and the heels positioned under the seat (8 ), the center of gravity of his body falls in the area of the axis passing through the two self propelled wheels (4) practically enabling the user to be able to grip the handrail (12) of the self propelled wheels (4) and be able to easily keep balanced on just the two self propelled wheels (4) Fig. 3.

This means that, in this unconventional position, the user can turn his wheelchair, on which is constantly forced to stay, in a fun device by which testing their skills, in particular his balance ability Fig. 3. Just as in the freestyle, the user can experience his wheelchair in a completely new way and challenge his skills.

One of the most significant point of view, however, is that the new wheelchair configuration is characterized by active and ergonomic sitting, it can bring maximum benefit in terms of reduction of spine and shoulders upset.

It helps to keep a neutral ergonomic position, allowing the user to move and change position, to maintain the correct posture, the improve the load distribution, to reduce the cargo on the back and to ensure spinal posture in physiological structure; the compulsion to remain permanently in the same position, in fact, is unfavorable and uncomfortable for all, especially for a disabled person.

Nowadays there are some ergonomic chairs which offer to the user a support for resting the ankles or knees. For example, there is the chair presented in the patent document with publication number n. GB 2202138 A, Kvalheim ANDREW Magnar; Elemming PEDERSEN MAERSK Kvalheim ANDREW MAGNA, September 21st, 1988 .21.09.1988, which shows a chair for supporting a person in a sitting position in the ■ conventional manner and also in a position for knees resting.

Unlike the wheelchair for disabled people, of self propelled type, equipped with an adjustable reclining back which allows the user, when it is sitting back to front, to rest his ankles, presented in this patent, this chair is positioned on a column structural support for conventional chairs, fixed to a piston of gas spring type, placed on the base with wheels.

This chair is not suitable for use by a disabled person: in fact, a disabled person cannot remain steady on a chair like this, as there are no lateral supports which contain the legs spreading apart laterally. We have to remember that we are talking about people with disabilities with no control of the legs, which remain unrestricted and tending to spread apart laterally.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION: The invention introduced in this patent, instead, is composed of a seat (8) placed on a frame (6) consisting of two parallel L shaped elements rotated clockwise by about ninety degrees, on which are fixed a pair of rotating wheels (5) in the front part and a pair of self propelled wheels (4) in the rear part; in fact the frame (6) consisting of two parallel L shaped elements rotated clockwise by about ninety degrees which constitute the frame (7), forces the legs to be enclosed laterally and then avoiding to spread apart laterally Fig. 1. Same circumstance occurs when the user is back to front, with the ankles on the backrest (1) and the heels positioned under the seat (8); in fact the two connecting elements (9), placed laterally to the seat (8) contain the legs and avoid they spread apart laterally Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Furthermore, a column structural support for conventional chairs does not allow the installing of self propelled wheels (4) provided with handrails (12) for self propelling, that instead would permit to a disabled person to move independently.

The devices submitted with documents with publication number n. D2 EP 0 470 544 Al, NAGEL ELISABHET, DE February 12^th, 1992, 02.12.1992 and publication n. D3 US 2010/288575 Al, IRVINE James Graham US, November 18, 2010, 2010.11.18 regard traditional devices for mobility of disabled persons, with a support for the ankles or knees; the document with publication n. DE 40 18 724 CI May 16^th, 1991 , 16.05.1991, instead, concerns a multipurpose chair that allows the user to sit in different positions.

The invention presented in this patent is different not only because it enables the user, when he is sitting back to front, to grab the handrail (12) of the self propelled wheels (4) and move himself and enables to easily keep balanced on the only two self propelled wheels (4): in effect, it differs as it is a wheelchair for disabled people which also offers the advantage of transportability: in fact, the backrest (1), hinged to the frame (6) by connecting elements (9), can rotate moving towards both part, above the seat (8), ensuring a size reduction of the wheelchair that make it transportable, and toward the under side of the seat (8) allowing the user to employ the wheelchair also sitting on the contrary, with the ankles on the backrest (1) and the heels positioned under the seat (8), Fig. 7.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS: Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1: Side view of the wheelchair in standard mode with the user seated in, with the hands on the handrail (12) of the self propelled wheels (4).

Fig. 2: Side view of the wheelchair with the seat back (1) tilted backwards and the user sitting back to front, with the ankles resting on it.

Fig. 3: Side view of the wheelchair with the backrest (1) reclined backwards and the user sitting back-to-front, with the ankles resting on it, thanks to the fact that the center of gravity of his body falls in the area of the axis passing through the two self propelled wheels (4) is able to easily stay in balance on two self propelled wheels (4) with rotating wheels (5) raised (13) from the ground and the hands on the handrail (12) of the self propelled wheels (4).

Fig. 4: Perspective view of the wheelchair in standard mode.

Fig. 5: Perspective view of the wheelchair with the seat back (1) reclined backwards and so situated below the seat (8) and enlargement of the particular fastening system (11) which fixes the backrest (1) to the frame (6) when it is positioned below the seat (8), eliminating the possibility to rotate downward.

Fig. 6: Side view of the wheelchair with the kinematics of rotation of the backrest (1) situated below the seat (8).

Fig. 7: Side view of the wheelchair with the kinematics of rotation of the backrest (1) situated above the seat (8).

Fig. 8: exploded perspective view of the wheelchair including all the essential elements for assembly.

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Claims

A wheelchair of self propelled type for disabled people, provided with a reclining backrest that allows the user to put his ankles when it is sitting back to front, comprising:

a seat (8) placed on a frame (6) consisting of two parallel elements L shaped rotated clockwise by about ninety degrees, on which are fixed a pair of rotating wheels (5) in the front part and a pair of self propelled wheels (4) in the rear part, equipped with handrails (12) for self propelling;

the support tubes (10), connected to the side edges of the backrest (1);

a backrest (1), hinged to the frame (6) by two connecting elements (9), placed at the sides of the seat (8), connected at one extremity, by top hinges (2) around the midpoint of the support tubes (10) of the backrest (1) and at opposite extremity by lower hinges (3) connected to the frame (6) allowing rotation, and then the positioning, of the backrest (1) towards both the above part of the seat (8) and the under part of the seat (8);

some connecting elements (9) which connect the backrest (1) and the seat (8), provided with a fixing system (11) which fixes the backrest (1) to the frame (7) when it is positioned below the seat (8), excluding the possibility it can rotate downwards, characterized in that the backrest (1), hinged to the frame (6) by connecting elements (9), can rotate both moving towards the part above the seat (8), guaranteeing a reduction of the wheelchair size, making it transportable, and toward the under part of the seat (8) allowing the user to employ the wheelchair also sitting back to front, with the ankles put on the backrest (1) and the heels positioned under the seat (8).

2. A wheelchair of self propelled type for disabled people, provided with a reclining backrest that allows the user to put his ankles when it is sitting back to front, as claimed in claim 1, characterized by the fact that, when the backrest (1) is placed towards the under part of the seat (8) and is fixed to the frame (6), by means of locking system (11), it allows the user, when he is sitting back to front, to rest ankles on the backrest (1) with the heels positioned under the seat (8) allowing the user to grip the handrail (12) of the self propelled wheels (4) for self propelling, allowing the self propelling even when the user is sitting back to front.

3. A wheelchair of self propelled type for disabled people, provided with a reclining backrest that allows the user to put his ankles when it is sitting back to front, according to one or more preceding claims, characterized by the fact that, when the user is sitting back to front, with the backrest (1) positioned in the under part of the seat (8) and fixed to the frame (6) by means of the locking system (11), with the ankles resting on the backrest (1) and the heels positioned under the seat (8), its center of gravity falls in the area of the axis passing through the two self propelled wheels (4), allowing the user to grip the handrail (12) of the self propelled wheels (4) and he is able to easily maintain balance on just two self propelled wheels (4).

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