GB2372696A

GB2372696A - A wheelchair with reclining and detachable seat elements

Info

Publication number: GB2372696A
Application number: GB0123362A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark Underwood; Ian Harris
Original assignee: JCM Seating Solutions Ltd
Current assignee: JCM Seating Solutions Ltd
Priority date: 2000-09-29
Filing date: 2001-09-28
Publication date: 2002-09-04
Also published as: GB0123362D0

Abstract

A wheelchair with a supportive seat 10 comprising a support structure 12, one or more seat elements (fig 1a, 14) mounted onto the structure which has means 16 for removably mounting the seat onto a seat receiving member 18. Preferably, the seat can be tilted between an upright position and an inclined position and the seat members are on pivotally connected support members 22, 24 allowing the seat elements to be individually movable relative to one another. Also, the wheelchair may be provided with wheel engaging brake means (fig 7, 702) operated by a switch means (fig 7, 712), a height adjustable handle 34 which may also be used to tilt the seat, a hydraulic (fig 1b) stand which allows the wheelchair to be raised, rotated and lowered, front swivel wheels (fig 6, 602), a pelvic girdle support (fig 5a, 530), and a movable thoracic support means (fig 5b, 526).

Description

SUPPORTIVE SEAT

The present invention relates to a seat, particularly but not exclusively to a seat adapted for supporting a disabled person, particularly a person who has a paraplegic or quadriplegic disability and particularly a paraplegic or quadriplegic child.

Conventionally, paraplegics and quadriplegics are seated in a modified seat which partially encapsulates the user. These seats are usually mounted on a conventional wheelchair. The chairs are often custom made to suit a particular user. Also, these seats are bulky and partially block the vision of a user in the seat due to their dimensions. Particularly if children are seated in such seats, their vision is substantially blocked. The weight of these chairs makes them difficult to handle. Furthermore, conventional seats for paraplegics and quadriplegics are unnecessarily complicated and expensive to manufacture.

It is therefore desirable to provide an improved seat which addresses the above described problems and/or which offers improvements generally.

According to the present inventions, there are provided a supportive seat, a base, a receiving member and a brake means as described in the accompanying claims.

In an embodiment of the invention there is provided a supportive seat comprising a support structure, one or more seat elements mounted onto said structure, the structure further comprising means for removably mounting said seat onto a seat receiving member. This allows the supportive seat to be mounted onto any means which comprises a seat receiving member. The supportive seat can thus be conveniently mounted onto a stand, a trolley, into the car, or on any other suitable carrier.

The structure may comprise a means for moving the seat elements into an inclined position. This allows the seat

element to be conveniently reclined and returned to the original approximately upright position. This is particularly useful if the person wishes to recline and rest.

In an embodiment of the invention the support structure may comprise a first and second support member which are pivotally interconnected. A positioning means may be provided between said first and second support member to position the second support member relative to the first support member. The positioning means may comprise an extendable arm which is pivotally connected to both the first and second support member. The positioning means may further comprise a securing means for securing the positioning means in a tilting position. The securing means may comprise a clamping device which prevents the extendable arm from pivoting relative to the first and second support member. The support structure may comprise a foot and/or leg support. Preferably this foot and/or leg support is provided on the second support member.

In another embodiment of the invention the support structure may comprise a means for receiving a handle member. The handle member may comprise a handgrip portion and an end portion. The end portion may be engageble with the handle receiving means. The handle member may be shaped such that the handgrip portion is situated in a plane which is inclined relative to the plane in which the end portion is located. This particular feature allows adjustment of the height and inclination of the handle member by slotting the handle member into the receiving means either in a first position or a reverse position. By reversing the handle member before slotting the handle member into the receiving means the height of the hand grip relative to the ground is reversible from a low position to a high position or vice versa.

The handle is removable and allows operation of the

supportive seat by one hand. If the supportive seat is mounted on a wheelchair, the handle allows the operator to walk alongside the wheelchair. The height of the handle can be simply adjusted by reversing the height which causes the handle to be in its higher or lower position. Further, the handle allows an operator to conveniently tilt the seat by releasing the securing means and tilting the seat by an upwards or downwards movement of the handle.

According to another embodiment of the invention one or more seat elements are individually movable relative to one another. The seat elements may comprise a pelvic girdle support and/or a back support and/or a head support and/or neck support and/or a buttocks support and/or femurs support. The seat elements may also comprise combinations of the aforesaid supports.

The pelvic girdle support rests closely against the pelvis of the user of the supportive seat. This locks the pelvis in place in a position in which the pelvis is tilted forward as if the user were standing. In this particular advantageous position, the body is well balanced and no energy is wasted, which reduces the energy consumption of the user whilst seating.

In an embodiment of the invention different materials may be used in the seat elements. For example, the seat elements supporting the buttocks may comprise a no slip or low slip fabric which is applied partially over the surface of the buttock support to prevent the user from sliding out of the seat. Further, the buttock support may comprise a ramp or a step to prevent the user from sliding. To that effect the front part of the seat may be slightly higher than the rear part which is situated closest to the pelvic girdle support.

The seat elements may further comprise thoracic support means for limiting the lateral movement or sideways movement of the user. The thoracic support means are preferably

provided on the seat element supporting the back of the user. The thoracic support means may comprise at least one movable member which is slidably arranged in a guide member and movable in a direction perpendicular to said guide member. The thoracic side support means may comprise a movable member comprising a side support member which is rotatably mounted onto the movable member. The side support member may comprise a spherical connection member which is rotatably mounted inside an aperture provided on said movable member. Preferably, the connection member is at least partially rotatably mounted inside said aperture. The connection member may further comprise a releasable gripping member for holding said connection member in a desired position. In this way the side support members can be conveniently located and adapted to the needs of a particular user.

In another embodiment of the invention, the mounting means may comprise one or more attachment members which engage with the seat receiving member. The mounting means may further comprise one or more engaging members which engage with the receiving members of the receiving means. The engaging members may comprise one or more tubes which can be slotted into corresponding receiving members which may be formed by hollow tubes. Releasable securing means may be provided for securing the mounting means onto the receiving means. In a particular embodiment, the attachment members may comprise hooks and the securing member may comprise one or more releasable clamps which can secure a hook into its attached position.

In yet another embodiment, the receiving means may comprise one or more receiving members for receiving the engagement members of said mounting means. These receiving members may comprise hollow tubes which are of a suitable dimension for receiving the engaging members. The receiving means may further comprise a holding member for receiving

the attachment members of said mounting means. In a particular embodiment, the attachment members are attachable to a holding member which consists of a flat metal plate.

In this way the mounting means can be clamped onto the receiving means.

In an embodiment of another invention, there is provided a base comprising a receiving member as hereinbefore described. In an embodiment of yet another invention there is provided a receiving member as hereinbefore described.

In another embodiment of the invention the base may comprise a pair of wheels, the base may further comprise at least one further rotation means such as a further wheel. A pair of wheels may be removably mounted onto said base. The further rotation means may also be removable. In a preferred embodiment the further rotation means may comprise a pair of swivel wheels. In this way a similar configuration to the wheel configuration of a conventional wheelchair is achieved.

In another embodiment of the invention the base may comprise a support for supporting the base from the ground. The receiving member may be rotatably mounted onto said base. The base may further comprise a positioning means for adjusting the height of the receiving member. The receiving member may also be rotatably mounted onto said base.

In yet another embodiment of the inventions there is provided a wheelchair comprising a base as hereinbefore described, a receiving member as hereinbefore described and a supportive seat as hereinbefore described. eniently manipulate and manoeuver the wheel chair as herein before described.

In a further embodiment of the invention there is provided a chair comprising a supportive seat as hereinbefore described and a base as hereinbefore described.

In another embodiment, the base may comprise a brake

means. The brake means may comprise one or more blocking members for blocking rotation of said wheels and a switch means for switching said blocking members between a wheel disengaging position in which the wheels are released and freely rotatable and a wheel engaging position in which the wheels are blocked and non-rotatable. The base may further comprise a wheel support member for receiving said wheels. The blocking members may be slidably arranged on said support member, said blocking members being slidable into said wheel engaging position and said wheel disengaging position.

In yet another embodiment, the base may comprise a tilt prevention means to prevent the base from tilting or tipping too far. The tilt prevention means may comprise an elongated member. The elongated member may be removably mounted onto said base. Upon tilting of the base, the elongated member may make contact with the ground to prevent the base from further tilting or tipping. The elongated member may comprises one or more wheels to allow the base to be tilted and simultaneously moved forward or backward. This may be useful when moving the wheelchair base onto a pavement or over a step in height.

In a further embodiment of the invention there may be provided a brake means as hereinbefore described. The brake means may be adapted to blocking movement of wheels.

There is thus provided a wheelchair, a chair, a seat for transporting a person, a base for receiving said seat, a receiving member for receiving said seat and a brake means for blocking movement of the wheels.

In an embodiment of the invention the wheelchair or chair is essentially modular. The chair can be taken apart into a supportive seat and a base, whereby the supportive seat can be located onto a different base to support the supportive seat from the ground. The base may comprise wheels or may be stationary. The seat structure of the

supportive seat, particularly the seat elements are shaped so as to provide maximum comfort and support to a user. The supportive seat can thus be used in a wide range of applications ranging from a stationary chair to a mobile chair which is adaptable to indoor and outdoor use and any terrain. This provides a significant cost saving to the user.

In an embodiment of the invention the wheelchair comprises a base frame and a seat which is removably mountable on said base frame. The base frame may comprise a set of rear wheels which are removably mounted on the base frame. A front wheel can be mounted on the base frame, or alternatively a set of front heels can be mounted on the frame.

The seat can comprise mounting means for mounting the seat onto the base frame. For that purpose, the base frame comprises receiving means which can engage with the mounting means of the seat. The seat comprises a frame portion on which the mounting means are provided. In a preferred embodiment the frame portion comprises a first frame portion which is fixedly connected to the seat and a second frame portion pivotally connected to the first frame portion and fixedly connected to the mounting means of the seat. An adjustable arm is provided between said first frame portion and said second frame portion such that the seat can be tilted relative to the second frame portion and secured in this position. This allows the person in the seat to be located in different positions which can be convenient for example when eating or resting.

The seat comprises a supporting seat which actively supports the user. This supporting seat comprises various elements for supporting particular body parts. The supporting elements comprise a neck support, a back support, a support for the femurs and buttocks and a lateral support

for providing thoracic support. All of these elements are individually adjustable so that users with varying disabilities can be accommodated and actively supported. The structure of the various elements is specifically adapted such that the seat can provide support on places of the user's body only where this is necessary. This allows for a seat which is less bulky in comparison to conventional seats, particularly conventional seats which are adapted to paraplegics and quadraplegics. The seat is adjustable so that users with different disabilities can be adequately supported.

In an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a base frame comprising receiving means, and a seat comprising mounting means for removably mounting said seat onto said base frame. The base frame may consist of various configurations. The base frame may comprise a set of rear wheels and one or more front wheels so that a wheelchair is formed. The three wheeled wheelchair is particularly advantageous when used on rough terrain such as the beach, footpaths, and other coarse road surfaces. For that purpose tyres can be selected which are air inflated and have a suitable tyre tread. Alternatively, a set of front wheels is provided which are preferably swivel wheels similar to existing wheel chairs. These wheels allows the wheel chair to be conveniently manoeuvred in confined spaces.

In an alternative embodiment the base may comprise a snow board so that the user can be transported in the snow.

Further, the base may comprise a support similar to the support as commonly used for office chairs. This base allows the supportive seat to be moved to different height positions. Further, the supportive seat may be rotatable.

The seat further comprises receiving means for receiving a handle. The handle comprises essentially a handle portion and a handle frame portion comprising an end portion which is removably mountable into the receiving

member. The handle portion and the end portion are in different planes which are inclined relative to one another so that by slotting the handle into the receiving member the handle can be positioned either in a high position or in lower inclined position relative to the seat. This arrangement has the advantage that the person transporting or operating the seat can use the handle in a convenient way either in a high position or a lower position.

The wheelchair may comprise a brake means. The brake means comprises one or more blocking members for blocking rotation of said wheels and a switch means for switching said blocking members between a wheel disengaging position to release said wheels and a wheel engaging position to block said wheels. The blocking members are slidably arranged on the base with the blocking members being slidable into said wheel engaging position and said wheel disengaging position.

Each blocking member may comprise one or more extension members such as a pin to block the operation of the wheel.

The extension members may engage with openings or apertures provided on the wheel.

The switch means may comprise a rotatable member which may be in the form of a swivel plate which is operable by a lever. The lever may engage with a guide member to guide the lever between a first position corresponding to the wheel engaging position and a second position corresponding to the wheel disengaging position. The brake means may comprise one or more control rods for connecting the swivel plate to the blocking members. The control rods may be connected to the blocking members and the swivel plate by means of a ball and socket arrangement.

An advantage of the brake means is that the structure is compact and can be mounted directly onto the base frame without the need for a special structure which extends towards the outer perimeter of the wheels. Such an external

structure is observed in conventional wheelchairs. In these conventional chairs, a clamp or grip means is provided which clamps or grips onto the tyre of the wheels to keep these in place. The brake means as herein described is very effective since it enables the rotation of the wheels to be blocked directly by acting on the wheel itself rather than on the tyre.

In yet another embodiment, the base may comprise a tilt prevention means to prevent the wheelchair from tilting or tipping too far. The tilt prevention means comprises an elongated member which is removably mountable onto the base of the wheelchair. Upon tilting the wheelchair to a maximum tilt angle, the elongated member touches the ground which prevents any further tilting. In this way the chair can be tilted up with the front wheel (s) to move the chair onto a step in height (such as formed by the pavement). Tipping of the chair is thus prevented by the elongated member. The elongated member may comprise a tube which can engage with the base and which extends from the base.

The seat may further comprise foot supports which are mounted onto the frame portion. The foot supports may comprise straps to hold the feet of the user in place.

The present invention will now be described by way of example only with the reference to the following drawings in which : Figure 1 presents a diagrammatic perspective view of part of a supportive seat according to an embodiment of the invention, Figure la presents a diagrammatic perspective view of part of a supportive seat according to an embodiment of the invention, Figure lb presents a diagrammatic perspective view of a support base according to another embodiment of the invention, Figure 2 presents a diagrammatic perspective view of

part of a supportive seat according to another embodiment of the invention, Figure 3 presents a diagrammatic perspective view of part of a supportive seat according to an embodiment of the invention, Figure 4 presents a diagrammatic perspective view of part of a supportive seat according to another embodiment of the invention; Figure 5a presents a diagrammatic perspective view of a wheelchair according to another embodiment of the inventions; Figure 5b presents another diagrammatic perspective view of the wheelchair of Figure 5a, Figure 5c presents another diagrammatic perspective view of the wheelchair of Figs. 5a, 5b, Figure 6 presents a diagrammatic perspective view of a wheelchair according to another embodiment of the invention, and Figure 7 presents a diagrammatic perspective view of part of a base.

The embodiments of the inventions as shown in Figs. 1, la and lb are similar. Therefore identical reference numerals were used for similar parts. The supportive seat 10 comprises a seat support structure 12 having seat elements 14 mounted onto said structure 12, said structure 12 further comprising means 16 for removably mounting said seat 10 onto a seat receiving member 18. The seat receiving member 18 is mounted onto a base 20 which supports the supportive seat 10 from the ground. In the embodiment as shown in Fig. 1 the base is in the form of a wheel base 21.

In the embodiment of Fig. lb the base 20 is in the form of a support base 23 which is similar to the seat supports as applied to conventional office furniture. The support 23 comprises a hydraulic piston 40 and a five star base 42. The seat receiving member 18 comprises a pair of receiving

members 44 in the form of hollow tubes and a plate or flat bar 46 which interconnects the tubes. The seat support structure 12 is mountable onto the support base 23 by sliding the mounting means 16 onto the seat receiving member 18. The support 23 allows the supportive seat 10 to be positioned at the desired height and also allows rotation of the supportive seat 10.

The seat support structure comprises a first support member 22 and second support member 24. The members 22,24 are pivotally interconnected by means of pivot pin 26, the seat members 14 being provided on said second support member 24 and the mounting means 16 being provided on said first support member 22. A positioning means 28 is provided between the respective support members 22,24. The positioning means comprises a link member 30 which is extendable and which is pivotally connected to the respective support members 22,24. Further, a releasable securing member 32 is provided for locking the positioning member in place. In this way the supportive seat can be tilted and secured in any desired position. The supportive seat further comprises receiving members 36 and a handle 34.

The handle 34 can be slotted into the receiving means 36.

The supportive seat 10 is thus mountable onto a wheel base 21 and a support base 23. A handle 34 can further be slotted into the seat support structure to manipulate the seat during manoeuvring, rotating or tilting.

The mounting means 200 and receiving member 202 are presented in more detail in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. The mounting means comprises two hook shaped attachment members 204 which are provided on two releasable securing members 206. The attachment members 204 can engage with a plate 208 which is provided on the seat receiving means 202. The mounting means further comprises two engagement members 210 which can be slotted into corresponding hollow tubes 212 of the seat receiving means 202. The plate 208 is similar to bar 46 of

Fig. lb and the hollow tubes are similar to the receiving members 44.

The support structure is mountable on the base 201 in a similar way to Fig. lb. To securely mount the seat support structure onto the base 201, the engagement members 210 are slotted into tubes 212 and the attachment members 204 are arranged to hook onto the connection member 208. The securing members 206 are positioned such that the attachment members 204 are secured. To release the seat support structure from the base 201, the securing members 206 are released so that the attachment members 204 are released from the connection member 208. The support structure is then removed from the base 201.

A detail of another seat element 400 is presented in Figure 4. This seat element 400 is a lateral support member which is particularly suitable for supporting the thoracic cage of the user and for limiting its lateral movement. The seat element 400 comprises a movable member 402 which is slidably arranged in a guide member (not shown) which is provided in or on the seat element supporting the back of the user. The movable member 402 is also movable in a direction perpendicular to the guide member. The thoracic support member 400 further comprises a side support member 404 which is rotatably mounted onto the movable member 402.

The side support member comprises a connection member (not shown) which is of a semi-spherical shape and which is rotatably mounted at least partially inside an aperture 406 provided on the movable member 402. A gripping member 408 is provided over the part of the connection member which extends through the opening 406. Further, a securing member 410 is provided on the gripping member 408 to secure the gripping member thereby releasably securing the connection member in its desired position. In this way the side support members can be conveniently adapted to the particular physical requirements of the user of the supportive seat.

In another embodiment of the invention there is provided a wheelchair 500 which comprises a supportive seat 502 which is releasably mounted onto a base 504. Further, a handle 506 is releasably mounted onto the supportive seat as hereinbefore described. The supportive seat 502 comprises mounting means as hereinbefore described which allow the supportive seat to be releasably mounted onto a receiving member which is provided on the base 504.

The base 504 comprises a pair of releasable rear wheels 508. Figure 5a also presents a single front wheel 510 which can be releasably mounted to the base 504. This is achieved by two engagement members 512 which can be conveniently slotted into a pair of wheel receiving members 514 (Fig.

5c). Spring catches 516 are provided on the portions 512 which engage with hollow tubes 518 to prevent the front wheel 510 from accidentally being released from the base 504.

The base 504 further comprises a stand 520 which is pivotally connected to the base 504. The stand 520 is movable between a supporting position in which the base is supported from the ground as shown in Figure 5b, and a collapsed position in which the stand is moved to a position in which the stand is approximately horizontal as presented in Figure 5a.

Figures 5a, 5b further clearly show various seat elements of the supportive seat 502. The supportive seat comprises a head/neck support 522, a spine or back support 524, the thoracic supports 526 as hereinbefore described and a buttocks support 528. Further, a pelvic girdle support 530 is also provided for positioning the pelvic girdle of the user in a desired position. Also shown in Figures 5a and 5b are foot supports 532 for supporting the feet of the user. The foot supports are provided with straps 534 for positioning the feet of the user. Finally a strap 536 is provided on the seat for strapping the user onto the seat.

In yet another embodiment of the invention the front wheel 510 may be exchanged by a pair of swivel wheels 602 in a similar fashion as presented in Figure 5c. These swivel wheels have the particular advantage that the wheelchair 600 is now suitable for being manoeuvred in confirmed spaces such as indoors, whereas the front wheel allows convenient outdoor use of the the wheelchair.

The wheelchair as presented in Figs. 5a-c and Fig. 6 can be easily formed by mounting the supportive seat 502 onto the base 504. The wheels can further be mounted onto the base and the wheelchair is ready for use. If it is desirable to mount the supportive seat 502 onto a support stand 23 as presented in Fig. lb, the mounting means are released and the seat 502 is mounted onto the receiving member of the support stand 23. Furthermore, the wheelchair 500 can be taken apart by removing the supportive seat from the base and removing the wheels. In this way the wheelchair is suitable for transportation.

Fig. 7 shows part of a base 700 which is similar to the base as hereinbefore described. The base 700 has end portions 704,706 for receiving wheels (not shown). The base 700 is further provided with a brake means 702. The brake means 702 comprises two blocking members 708,710 for blocking rotation of said wheels and a switch means 712 for switching said blocking members 708,710 between a wheel disengaging position to release said wheels and a wheel engaging position to block said wheels.

The blocking members 708,710 are slidably arranged on the base 700 with the blocking members 708,710 being slidable into said wheel engaging position and said wheel disengaging position. Each blocking member 708,710 comprises an extension member in the form of a pin 714 which is adapted to block the operation of the wheel. The pins 714 engage with openings or apertures which are provided on the inside of the wheel.

The switch means 712 comprises a rotatable member in the form of a switch plate or swivel plate 716 which is operated by a lever 718. The lever 718 engages with a guide member 720 to guide the lever 718 between a first position corresponding to the wheel engaging position and a second position corresponding to the wheel disengaging position.

The switch means comprises control rods 722 and 724 which connect the swivel plate 716 to the blocking members 708, 710. The control rods 722,724 are connected to the plate 716 and the blocking members 708,710 via ball and socket arrangements 726.

In use, operation of the lever 718 from a first position to a second position rotates the swivel or switch plate 716 which moves the position of the blocking members 708,710 from a wheel disengaging position to a wheel engaging position or vice versa.

Where, in the foregoing description, certain features are disclosed in combination with each other, it is to be understood that these features are not necessarily intended to be limited to use in combination for the purposes of the invention in general, and it is hereby stated that features disclosed herein are to be treated independently selectable for the purposes of the inventions claimed.

Claims

1. A supportive seat comprising a support structure, one or more seat elements mounted onto said structure, said structure further comprising means for removably mounting said seat onto a seat receiving member.

2. Supportive seat according to claim 1, wherein the structure comprises tilting means for moving said seat elements between an approximate upright position and an inclined position.

3. Supportive seat according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the structure comprises a first support member and a second support member, said members being pivotally interconnected, the seat members being provided on said second support member, the mounting means being provided on said first support member, a positioning means being provided to position the respective support members relative to one another.

4. Supportive seat according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the support structure comprises means for receiving a handle member for operating said supportive seat.

5. Supportive seat according to claim 4, wherein the handle member comprises at least one handle end portion which is engagable with the handle receiving means, said handle member further comprising a hand grip portion, said hand grip portion and said end portion being arranged such that by reversing the handle member the height of the hand grip relative to the ground is reversible from a low position to a high position or vice versa.

6. Supportive seat according to any of the preceding claims wherein one or more seat elements are individually movable relative to one another.

7. Supportive seat according to any of the preceding claims wherein the seat elements comprise thoracic support means for providing lateral thoracic support, said thoracic support means comprising a movable member being slidably arranged on a guide member, said movable member being movable in a direction parallel to said guide member and a direction perpendicular to said guide member.

8. Supportive seat according to claim 7, wherein the thoracic support member comprises a side support member which is rotatably mounted onto said movable member.

9. Supportive seat according to claim 8, wherein said side support member comprises a connection member, said connection member being rotatably mounted at least partially inside an aperture provided on said movable member.

10. Supportive seat according to claim 9, wherein the connection member comprises a releasable gripping member for holding said connection member in a desired position.

11. Supportive seat according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the mounting means comprises one or more attachment members for attaching said mounting means to said seat receiving member, said mounting means further comprising one or more engaging members for engaging with the seat receiving means.

12. Supportive seat according to claim 11, wherein the mounting means comprises one or more releasable securing members for securing said attachment members.

13. A seat receiving means suitable for receiving a supportive seat according to any of claims 1 to 12

14. Seat receiving means according to claim 13, wherein the seat receiving means comprises one or more receiving members for receiving said engaging members of said mounting means.

15. Seat receiving means according to claim 14, wherein the receiving means comprise a reception member for receiving for the attachment members of said mounting means.

16. A base comprising a seat receiving means according to any of claims 13 to 15 for receiving a supportive seat according to any of claims 1 to 12.

17. Base according to claim 16, wherein the base comprises a pair of wheels, said base further comprising a further rotation means.

18. Base according to claim 17, wherein the base comprises a brake means.

19. Base according to claim 18, wherein the brake means comprises one or more blocking members for blocking rotation of said wheels and a switch means for switching said blocking members between a wheel disengaging position to release said wheels and a wheel engaging position to block said wheels.

20. Base according to claim 19, wherein the base comprises a wheel support member for receiving said wheels, the blocking members being slidably arranged on said wheel support member, said blocking members being slidable into said wheel engaging position and said wheel disengaging position.

21. Base according to any of claims 17 to 20, wherein the further rotation means is removably mountable

onto said base.

22. Base according to claim 17 to 21, wherein the further rotation means comprises a wheel.

23. Base according to any of claims 17 to 22, wherein the further rotation means comprises at least one swivel wheel.

24. Base according to any of claims 16 to 23, wherein the base comprises a stand for standing said base from the ground in a stationery position, said stand being movable between a supporting position and a collapsed position.

25. Base according to claim 24, wherein said base comprises a support member for supporting said base from the ground.

26. Base according to claim 25, wherein the support member comprises means for adjusting the height and/or rotational position of the seat receiving member.

27. A wheelchair comprising a supportive seat according to any of claims 1 to 12 and a base according to any of claims 17 to 26.

28. A chair comprising a supportive seat according to any of claims 1 to 12 and a base according to claim 16.

29. A brake means for blocking rotation of wheels mounted on a wheel support member, said brake means comprising one or more blocking members for blocking rotation of said wheels and a switch means for switching said blocking members between a wheel disengaging position to release said wheels and a wheel engaging position to block said wheels.

30. Brake means according to claim 29, wherein the blocking members are slidably arranged on said wheel support member, said blocking members being slidable into said wheel engaging position and said wheel disengaging position.