GB2399592A

GB2399592A - Clamp for wheelchairs

Info

Publication number: GB2399592A
Application number: GB0306230A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Rodney John Brotherwood
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-03-19
Filing date: 2003-03-19
Publication date: 2004-09-22
Anticipated expiration: 2023-03-19
Also published as: GB2399592B; GB0306230D0

Abstract

A wheelchair clamp (10), comprising a clamp portion (3) which is adapted to clamp to a portion of a wheelchair, and an attachment portion (5) which provides a point of contact for a wheelchair restraint system. The attachment portion (5) may be articulated relative to the clamp portion (3).

Description

CLAMPS FOR WHEELCHAIRS

This invention relates to clamps for wheelchairs, which provide a safe and secure attachment of a restraint system to a wheelchair.

The problem of safely transporting wheelchair-bound passengers seated in their wheelchairs is well known. A number of manufacturers produce webbing restraint systems for this purpose, in which four seat belt type webbing assemblies are attached to the wheelchair, typically by hooks or a seat belt type buckle and tongue arrangement. Such a restraint will be referred to hereafter as a "four-point webbing wheelchair restraint". In such a system, two belts are secured to the front of the wheelchair and two to the rear. The two front belts are normally adjusted to length and locked. The rear two belts are normally fitted with a tensioning device to ensure the wheelchair can be securely and rigidly held in place whilst in transit.

A well-known problem with this system is finding a secure and safe means of attaching the webbing straps to the wheelchair. If no obvious fixing points exist, it is possible for the wheelchair to be restrained in an unsafe manner or for the straps to be attached to an apparently convenient fixing point which is in fact in an inappropriate position. Some wheelchair manufacturers have addressed this problem and identified safe fixing points on their products, but many thousands of wheelchairs have no identified fixing points.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a wheelchair clamp, comprising a clamp portion which is adapted to clamp to a portion of a wheelchair, and an attachment portion which provides a point of attachment for a wheelchair restraint system.

The claim is particularly well suited for use with a wheelchair of tubular construction and the clamp may be adapted to clamp to a tubular portion of a wheelchair. In a preferred embodiment, the clamp is removable.

The attachment portion may provide an attachment point for a belt. The belt is typically that of a webbing restraint system.

The attachment portion may be articulated relative to the clamp portion.

This is advantageous in the case where the clamp provides an attachment point for a belt, as it allows the attachment portion to become aligned with the belt.

The clamp portion may be "U"-shaped, and may be tightened by forcing the ends of the "U" together. A spacer may be fitted between the ends of the "U" about which the attachment portion may be articulated. The attachment portion may be of the form of an eye of loop, circular, semi-circular, elongate or "U"-shaped form and may engage the spacer.

The eye may engage the spacer through a groove on the spacer positioned between the ends of the "U" of the clamp portion. The spacer may be bobbin shaped.

The clamp portion is conveniently formed from pressed metal or metallic materials. The bend of the " U " -shape may be of part circular, and typically semi-circular, shape. The ends of the " U " may be forced together by means of one or more fastening means such as one or more sets of nuts and bolts. The spacer is typically plastic or plastics material and the eye of the metal or metallic material.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a set of clamps according to the first aspect of the invention. In a preferred embodiment, the set comprises four clamps. This is particularly advantageous as it allows use of the clamps with a four-point webbing restraint system.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided, in combination, a wheelchair and at least one clamp, the or each clamp being adapted to clamp to a portion of the wheelchair and provided with an attachment portion adapted to receive a portion of a wheelchair restraint system.

The wheelchair may be of tubular construction and hence may have a tubular frame. The or each clamp may be sized to fit to a tubular portion of the frame. The or each clamp may be adapted to fit to horizontal or vertical tubes of the frame, and in the case where there are a plurality of clamps, may be adapted to it a combination of the two.

The, or each, clamp may be a clamp according to the first aspect of the invention.

The attachment portion may be sized to accept and retain a belt of a wheelchair restrain system. In a preferred embodiment there are four clamps. This may then be used with a four point webbing restraint system.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 shows a view of a typical wheelchair, showing four clamps fitted; Figure 2 shows a clamp as shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows an exploded view of the clamp of Figure 1; Figure 4 shows a close up view of a second type of clamp, designed to fit horizontal tubes of a wheelchair; and Figure 5 shows an exploded view of the clamp shown in Figure 4.

Four clamps 10 according to the present invention can be seen in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings. The clamps 10 are attached to four vertical posts 11 of wheelchair 1. This provides strong and convenient attachments for a four-point webbing wheelchair restraint.

A more detailed view of one of the clamps 10 of Figure 1 can be seen in Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings. Each clamp 10 comprises a clamp body 3 adapted to clamp to a vertical post of the wheel chair 1 and an eye 5 through which a belt may pass in order to secure the wheelchair 1. The eye 5 is articulated relative to the spacer 2.

More specifically, clamp body 3 is generally U-shaped with a partcylindrical portion 3a which, in use, partially surrounds vertical tube 11. The ends of the "U" extend from the part-cylindrical section 3a and are biased together by bolt 4a, washer 4b and nut 4c (generally referred to together as 4) passing through an aperture 12 in each end. The portion 3a, ends 3b and bolt 4a therefore embrace the vertical tube 11. A bobbin shaped spacer 2 is passed over nut 4c between the lobes 3b, and is provided with a circumferential groove 13 about its centre. The eye 5 is of looped form and is mounted over this spacer 2. The circumferential groove 13 allows the eye 5 to become aligned, in use, with a restraining belt passed through the eye 5.

The clamp 10 is fitted to the wheelchair 1 by sliding the clamp body 3 over one of the vertical tubes 11. The eye 5 is fitted over the spacer 2 and these parts are fitted onto the clamp body 3. The bolt 4a is passed through these parts and washer 4b and nut 4c fitted to the bolt 4a.

Tightening the nut 4c holds the clamp 10 firmly in place on the tube 11 but allows rotation of the eye 5.

An alternative embodiment of the invention is depicted in Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings. This clamp 20 is adapted to fit horizontal tubes of a wheelchair, such as 21 in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings. The clamp 20 is of similar operation to that of the first embodiment, except that the eye 6 is retained in use within spacer 7 and may rotate within the spacer 7 to allow alignment of the eye 6 to a restraining belt. The spacer 7 is of the form of a block, and is restrained within clamp body 8 by two nut, bolt and washer assemblies 9 which also act, in use, to tighten clamp body 8 to the tube 21 of the wheelchair.

In order to assemble this clamp 20, the clamp body 8 is slid over the tube 21 of the wheelchair. The eye 6 is fitted into the spacer 7 and these parts are fitted into the clamp body 8. The two nut, bolt and washer assemblies 9 are passed through the clamp body and spacer in order to clamp the clamp 20 firmly in place but to allow rotation of the eye 6 relative to the spacer.

Claims

1. A wheelchair clamp, comprising a clamp portion which is adapted to clamp to a portion of a wheelchair, and an attachment portion which provides a point of attachment for a wheelchair restraint system.

2. A wheelchair clamp according to claim 1 in which the clamp is adapted to clamp to a tubular portion of a wheelchair.

3. A wheelchair clamp according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the attachment portion provides an attachment point for a belt such as a part of a webbing restraint system.

4. A wheelchair clamp according to any preceding claim in which the attachment portion is articulated relative to the clamp portion.

5. A wheelchair clamp according to any preceding claim in which the clamp portion is "U"-shaped, a spacer being fitted between the ends of the "U" about which the attachment portion is articulated.

6. A wheelchair clamp according to claim 5 in which the bend of the "U"-shape is of part circular, and typically semi-circular, shape.

7. A wheelchair clamp according to claim 5 or claim 6 in which the attachment portion is of the form of an eye of loop, circular, semicircular, elongate or "U"-shaped form and engages the spacer.

8. A wheelchair clamp according to claim 7 in which the eye engages the spacer through a groove on the spacer positioned between the ends of the "U" of the clamp portion.

9. The wheelchair clamp of any one of claims 5 to 8 in which the ends of the "U" are forced together by means of one or more fastening means such as one or more sets of nuts and bolts.

10. The wheelchair clamp of any preceding claim in which the clamp portion is formed from pressed metal or metallic materials.

11. A set of wheelchair clamps according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. In combination, a wheelchair and at least one clamp, the or each clamp being adapted to clamp to a portion of the wheelchair and provided with an attachment portion adapted to receive a portion of a wheelchair restraint system.

13. The combination of claim 12 in which the wheelchair is of tubular construction and has a tubular frame and in which the or each clamp is sized to fit to a tubular portion of the frame. The or each clamp may be adapted to fit to horizontal or vertical tubes of the frame, and in the case where there are a plurality of clamps, may be adapted to it a combination of the two.

14. The combination of claim 12 or claim 13 in which the, or each, clamp comprises a clamp according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

15. A wheelchair clamp substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

16. A combination of a wheelchair and at least one clamp substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.