GB2200084A

GB2200084A - Foldable wheelchair

Info

Publication number: GB2200084A
Application number: GB08800919A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Esko Kotamaki
Original assignee: TUNTURIPYOERAE Oy; TUNTURIPYORA Oy
Current assignee: TUNTURIPYOERAE Oy; TUNTURIPYORA Oy
Priority date: 1987-01-20
Filing date: 1988-01-15
Publication date: 1988-07-27
Also published as: SE8800131L; FI870221A0; SE8800131D0; FI78828B; FI78828C; GB8800919D0; DE3800659A1; FI870221A

Description

2 '20 0 0 8 4 O c-- 1 30/2589101 WHEELCHAIR The invention relates to a

folding wheelchair.

Several wheelchairs are known from the prior art which comprise detachable back wheels and in which the back of the frame portion can be folded against the seat when the chair is folded from its operating position to its transport position. A drawback of these prior wheelchairs is that they take up quite a lot of room in the transport position. They are difficult to fit in the boot of a small car or on the luggage rack of a plane, for instance. Moreover, the folding or unfolding of prior wheelchairs requires the use of both hands and a relatively large force, whereby the chair is difficult to use.

Attempts have been made for a long time to find a solution suited for the elimination of these drawbacks.

Such solutions include the structure described in GB-A-2176156. Some of the drawbacks of wheelchairs now in use can be eliminated by means of the solution of that patent application. However, in that case, the front wheels need to be detached as in other previou S arrangements. The detaching and fastening of the front wheels is difficult if not impossible for the user of the wheelchair to carry out, because both hands are needed and the parts ate often very tightly fitted. This drawback is further aggravated by the fact that when detached the wheels get dirty very easily, e.g. in the legroom of a car or when they f all on the ground. A further drawback is the great number of separate parts, which makes it difficult to get in or out of a car, for instance.

1 1, In accordance with the present invention, a wheelchair comprises back and front wheels attached to a frame portion and arranged to turn freely, the frame portion comprising an upper support, a foot support, and side supports each of which is formed by elongate upper and lower parts which in the operating position of the wheelchair are substantially horizontally positioned, and front and back parts shorter than the upper and lower parts, and interconnecting via joints the upper and lower parts, the upper support being jointed to the side supports, whereby the wheelchair is foldable from an operating position to a transport position and vice versa, wherein the front wheels are fastened to the front parts of the side supports in such a manner that when folding or unfolding the chair the front wheels turn with the front parts to the transport position or the operating position respectively. The invention provides a wheelchair in which all the above drawbacks are eliminated. 20 A major advantage of the solution according to the invention is that the wheelchair can be brought to the transport position and to the operating position by one hand only. The problematic detaching and fastening of the front wheels is totally avoided and, nevertheless, the wheelchair according to the invention takes up very little room when in the transport position while the number of separate parts is small. There are only threeseparate parts, namely the back wheels and the frame portion, which all can be easily placed even in a small space.

A preferred embodiment of a wheelchair according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of the wheelchair; Figure 2 is a side view of the wheelchair; and >fl 1 J A, Figure 3 is a side view of the frame portion of the wheelchairof Figures 1 and 2 in the transport position.

The wheelchair shown in the figures comprises a frame portion 1, back wheels 2, and front wheels 3 arranged to turn freely. The frame portion 1 comprises an upper support 4, a foot support 5, and side supports 6. Each one of the side supports 6 is formed by an elongate upper and lower part 7, 8 substantially horizontally positioned in the operating position of the wheelchair, as appears from Figure 2. Each side support 6 further comprises front and back parts 9, 10 interconnecting the upper and lower parts 7, 8. The front and back parts 9, 10 are shorter than the upper and lower parts 7, 8. A seat 11 is fitted between the side supports 6, and a back 12 is connected to the upper support 4. The side supports 6 are interconnected by a transverse support 13. The back wheels 2 are fastened detachably to the frame portion 1. The frame portion 1 can be folded up when the wheelchair is brought from the operating position to the transport position and correspondingly set up when the wheelchair is brought from the transport position to the operating posit ion.

In order to enable the frame portion 1 to be folded up and set up, the frame portion is provided with joints in the following way. The upper part 7 and the f ront part 9 of the side sup'orts 6 are joined together by p means - of a joint 17. The front part 9 and the lower part 8 of each support 6 are joined together by means of a joint 18. The lower part 8 and the back part 10 of each support 6 are joined together by means of a joint 18. The lower part 8 and the back part 10 of each support 6 are joined together by means of a joint 19. The back part 10 and the upper part 7 of each support 6 are joined together by means of a joint 16. The upper support 4 is fastened adjustably to joint bodies 16a of the joints 16 by means of fastening means 14, 15 in such a manner that the angle of inclination of the back 12 can be adjusted as desired.

In view of the use it is to be preferred that the joint 17 between the upper part 7 and the front part 9 of the side support 6 as well as the joint 19 between the lower part 8 and the back part 10 are support joints in which the parts can be turned in one direction only when the wheelchair is folded from the operating position to the transport position. The other joints may be e.g. of the conventional lap butt type. A suitable locking of the joints is provided in order to ensure that the wheelchair will stay in the operating position. In the example of the figures, the locking is effected by means of displaceable locking sleeves 20 arranged in connection with the joints 19.

After the locking sleeves 20 have been released the wheelchair is folded to the transport position shown in Figure 3 simply by lifting the chair at the upper support simultaneously pushing it forwards so that the upper support as well as the front and back parts 9, 10 are turned forwards. When the front and back parts 9, 10 are turned forwards, the foot support 5 simultaneously turn backwards so that the length of the frame portion is decreased, thus making it easier to fit it in a suitable space. The back wheels 2 are naturally detached as normal.

The freely turnable front wheels 3 of the wheelchair are fastened to the front parts 9 of the side supports 6 in such a manner that the folding of the wheelchair causes the front wheels 3 to be turned with the f ront parts 9 to the transport position shown in Figure 3 and correspondingly to the operating position when the wheelchair is unfolded. Thus,.the front wheels need not fl, t 11 1 be detached, so that the wheelchair is considerably easier to handle as compared with prior solutions.

It is to be noted that gravity causes the front wheels 3 to swing by themselves to the position shown in Figure 3 immediately the wheels 3 are lifted off the ground when the foot support 5 makes contact with the ground during the folding of the chair.

The wheels 3 can be attached to the front parts 9 preferably in such a manner that a sleeve member 21 is attached rigidly to both front parts 9 e.g. by welding, in which sleeve member a support arm 22 of the front wheel 3_ can be mounted in bearings. This embodiment is especially advantageous when the sleeve member 21 is attached to the lower end of the front part 9 of the side support 6 as shown in the figures. It is thereby possible to arrange the sleeve member so as to form part of the joint 18 between the lower part 8 and the front part 9. The sleeve members 21 and the frame portion should be shaped so that the wheels 3 have room enough to turn from the position shown in Figure 2 to the transport position shown in Figure 3.

In other examples, the back wheels can, of course, be fastened in any other known way. If need be, the fastening of the back wheels may be adjustable in the direction of both the height and the length. The joints of the frame portion caln also be effected as desired. The structure and position of the joints may thus differ from those shown in the figures. It can be ensured that the frame portion stays in the operating position in any way known per se, so it is obvious that the sleeve solution shown in the figures is not the only possibility but merely serves as an example.

Claims

1. A wheelchair comprising back and front wheels attached to a frame portion and arranged to turn freely, the frame portion comprising an upper support, a foot support, and side supports each of which is formed by elongate upper and lower parts which in the operating position of the wheelchair are substantially horizontally positioned, and front and back parts shorter than the upper and lower parts, and interconnecting via joints the upper and lower parts, the upper support being jointed to the side supports, whereby the wheelchair is foldable from an operating position to a transport position and vice versa, wherein the front wheels are fastened to the front parts of the side supports in such a manner that when folding or unfolding the chair the front wheels turn with the front parts to the transport position or the operating position respectively.

2. A wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein a sleeve 20 member is attached rigidly to the front part of each side support, a support arm of the corresponding front wheel being mounted in bearings in the sleeve member.

3. A wheelchair according to claim 2, wherein the sleeve member is attached to the lower end of the front part of the side support and the sleeve member is at the same time arranged so as to form part of the joint between the lower part and the front part of the side support.

4. A wheelchair substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Published 1988 at The Patent Office, State House, 88 71 High Holborn, London WC1R 4TP. Further copies may be obtained from The Patent Office, Sales Branch, St Mw7 Cray, Orpington, Kent BR5 3RD. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd. St Mary Cray, Kent. Con. 1/87.

CI