GB2366255A

GB2366255A - Rear entry wheelchair

Info

Publication number: GB2366255A
Application number: GB0021011A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bruce Edward Somerton; Etienne Iliffe-Moon
Original assignee: ILIFFE MOON ETIENNE
Current assignee: ILIFFE MOON ETIENNE
Priority date: 2000-08-26
Filing date: 2000-08-26
Publication date: 2002-03-06
Anticipated expiration: 2020-08-26
Also published as: GB2366255B; GB0021011D0

Abstract

A wheelchair comprises a chassis (10), a pair of ground engageable wheels (13), which can be propelled by an occupant of the wheelchair, a footrest (11), a knee abutment (12) above the foot test (11) and two seat parts (17). The seat parts (17) are movable between inoperative positions in which a person can enter the wheelchair from the rear and operative positions when the seat parts (17) support the person.

Description

<Desc/Clms Page number 1> A WHEELCHAIR This invention relates to a wheelchair, and more particularly, to a rear entry wheelchair.

According to the present invention there is provided a rear entry wheelchair comprising a chassis, a pair of ground engageable first wheels propellable by a person seated in the wheelchair, a pair of ground engageable second wheels or castors, a footrest or rests, a knee abutment above the footrest(s) and two seat parts movable between inoperative positions in which a person can enter the wheelchair from the rear and place his feet on the footrest(s) and operative positions behind the seat of the person so that the person can be supported by the seat parts with his feet on the footrest(s) and his knees against the knee abutment.

Preferred and/or optional features of the invention are set forth in claims 2 to 7, inclusive.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a rear entry wheelchair according to the present invention, with the support arms in a raised position and the seat parts in an operative position.

Figure 2 is a side view of the wheelchair shown in Figure 1 with the support arms in a lower position and the seat parts in an operative position.

Figure 3 is a rear view of the wheelchair of Figures 1 and 2 showing the support arms in a partly raised position and the seat parts in first inoperative positions, and Figure 4 is a perspective view of the wheelchair, with the support arms in a partly raised position and the seat parts in second inoperative positions.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown therein a rear entry wheelchair comprising a chassis 10, a footrest 11 supported by the chassis 10, a knee abutment 12 supported above the footrest 11 by the chassis 10, two large diameter, ground engageable, front wheels 13 supported for rotation by the chassis 10 and two rear castors 14 also supported by the chassis 10.

The chassis 10 comprises two slightly convergent generally horizontal arms 10a which support the rear castors 14 and the footrest 11 and two inclined arms 10b which extend upwardly and rearwardly from the forward end of respective arms 10a and which support bearings for the two front wheels 13. The chassis 10 also comprises two further arms 10c generally upstanding from respective arms 10b. The arms 10c terminate in hand grips 15 and support the knee abutment 12.

The wheelchair also comprises two support arms 16 extending rearwardly

from the chassis arms 10c and two seat parts 17.

The support arms 16 are pivotable relative to the chassis arms 10c between generally horizontal, rearwardly extending positions as shown in Figure 2 and raised rearwardly and upwardly inclined positions (typically inclined to the horizontal by about 60 ) as shown in Figure 1. The support arms 16 are urged towards their raised positions by spring means, preferably by at least one and as shown by two gas springs 18 extending between the chassis arms 10a and the support arms 16, for a purpose which will become apparent hereinafter.

Levers 20 provided on the hand grips 15 are connected to the gas springs 18 by Bowden cables passing through the arms of the chassis 10 in order to lock the gas springs in desired extended positions.

The seat parts 17 are mounted at the rear ends of the arms 16, respectively, for pivotable movement between first inoperative positions (see Figure 3) in which they extend upwardly from the arms 16 or second inoperative positions (see Figure 4) in which they extend downwardly from the arms 16, and operative positions (as shown in Figures 1 and 2) in which they extend towards one another behind the posterior of a person standing on the footrest 11. When in their operative positions and with the support arms in the position as shown in Figure 2, the seat parts lie generally horizontally. In order to allow the seat parts 17 to move to their second inoperative positions, catches (not shown) must be released by a user.

A releasable belt 19 may be provided to secure a person in the wheelchair. In use, a person will pivot the seat parts 17 to one or other of the inoperative positions and will then mount the footrest 11 with the support arms 16 in their raised positions as shown in Figure 1. The seat parts 17 can then be returned to operative positions as shown in Figures 1 and 2 by pivoting them downwards or upwards. The person will then bear against the seat parts 17 and depress levers 20. The arms 16 will pivot downwardly against the urging force of the gas springs 18 under the weight of the person. The gas springs 18 can be locked out in desired extended positions by releasing the levers 20 or can be fully retracted to allow the seat parts to adopt the generally horizontal positions shown in Figure 2.

If the gas springs 18 are locked out in partially extended positions as shown in Figures 3 or 4, the user will be supported between the seat parts 17 and the knee abutment 12 in a "Z-shaped", semi-standing, semi-sitting posture.

Instead of providing the gas springs 18, the inclination of the support arms 16 could be varied relative to the chassis 10 by one or more actuators and typically by rotary actuators (not shown).

The gas springs 18 or actuators will also assist in raising a person from a seated to a substantially standing position.

The embodiments described above are given by way of example only and

various modifications could be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the length of the support arms 16 could be adjustable. The knee abutment could be in two parts and so could the footrest. The two larger diameter front wheels could be replaced by smaller diameter wheels and these could be drivingly connected to hand wheels by, for example, chain and sprocket drives, belt drives or gears. The front wheels could also be propelled by a battery powered motor under the control of a user.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A rear entry wheelchair comprising a chassis, a pair of ground engageable first wheels propellable by a person seated in the wheelchair, a pair of ground engageable second wheels or castors, a footrest or rests, a knee abutment above the footrest(s) and two seat parts movable between inoperative positions in which a person can enter the wheelchair from the rear and place his feet on the footrest(s) and operative positions behind the seat of the person so that the person can be supported by the seat parts with his feet on the footrest(s) and his knees against the knee abutment.
2. A wheelchair as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seat parts are supported for pivotable movement between said inoperative and operative positions.
3. A wheelchair as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the seat parts are supported by respective support arms pivotable relative to the chassis between first, upwardly and rearwardly inclined, positions and second, substantially horizontal, positions.
4. A wheelchair as claimed in claim 3, wherein the support arms are urged towards their first positions by spring means.
5. A wheelchair as claimed in claim 4, wherein the spring means comprises one or more gas springs selectively lockable by a user in any one of a plurality of

<Desc/Clms Page number 7>

extended positions.
6. A wheelchair as claimed in claim 3, wherein the support arms are pivotable by one or more actuators.
7. A wheelchair as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first wheels each have a diameter such that they are directly hand rotatable by a person seated in the wheelchair.
8. A rear entry wheelchair substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.