WO2006026810A1

WO2006026810A1 - A wheelchair body and wheelchair incorporating the same

Info

Publication number: WO2006026810A1
Application number: PCT/AU2005/001346
Authority: WO
Inventors: James William Brennan
Original assignee: Dingo Ip Pty Limited
Priority date: 2004-09-07
Filing date: 2005-09-05
Publication date: 2006-03-16

Abstract

A moulded structural wheelchair body (2) is provided that defines a back portion (3), seat portion (4) and rear axle mounts (5), configured whereby the moulded structural body (2) can be stacked by a nestable inter-engagement with a like body (2). This facilitates efficient packaging and storage of the wheelchair bodies (2). Wheelchairs incorporating these wheelchair body (2) designs are further configured to provide additional advantages such as having excellent rear clearance to enable reverse positioning over a toilet to use a commode facility (18). The preferred embodiments also include other innovative features such as pivotable arm rests (41), sideways pivotable and height adjustable foot rests (20), retractable calf support plates (52) and the like. Preferred forms manufactured entirely from plastic components enable use of these wheelchair designs in wet and/or corrosive environments and the preferred manufacturing processes facilitate high volume, high quality production.

Description

TITLE: A WHEELCHAIR BODY AND WHEELCHAIR INCORPORATING

THE SAME

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to wheelchairs and in the broadest form to a unique structural wheelchair body design. The body design has been developed for use in rigid non-folding wheelchairs and will be described with reference to this use. However, associated developments relating to movable features such as arm rests, wheels and foot rests are clearly not limited to use with wheelchairs of this kind and could readily be adapted for use with suitable folding wheelchair designs. BACKGROUKD OF THE INVENTION

Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.

The majority of wheelchairs currently in use have a rigid, typically metal frame structure, to which wheels and seating components are attached. In many cases, the seating is a leather or fabric sling type arrangement which offers very little support and comfort. Where a separately manufactured more substantial seat member is provided, these are still generally very basic in their design and the efforts associated with securing these seats to an independent frame add to the cost and complexity of the end product. Furthermore, the metal frame structure usually makes the assembled wheelchairs heavy, prone to corrosion and generally not suited to use in wet and/or potentially corrosive environments such as in bathrooms, swimming pools and beaches. A further problem that exists with the majority of current fixed non-folding wheelchair designs, is that they are extremely bulky, even when partially dismantled, and thereby not suited to efficient packaging for storage and distribution. This potentially adds again to their overall cost and often limits their sale and deployment. While some alternative predominantly plastic wheelchair designs have been proposed, these are mostly very basic low cost, low volume craft style designs that are still costly to transport, highly labour intensive in their manufacturing process and extremely limited in their operation. While these may fill a niche in limited special markets, there is still a need for a more sophisticated wheelchair design that offers more functions and/or benefits while being economic to produce and transport in relatively high quantities.

The majority of existing wheelchair designs also offer very little protection to the user from dirt from the wheels. Similarly, damage to the user's hands from being caught by these prior art wheels or from spoke mounted handrails is quite common. It is an object of the present invention to provide a wheelchair body and a wheelchair incorporating that wheelchair body which overcomes or ameliorates one or more of the above discussed disadvantages of the prior art or at least which offers a useful alternative.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a moulded structural wheelchair body defining a back portion, seat portion and rear axle mounts, configured whereby said moulded structural body can be stacked by nestable inter- engagement with a like body. The term "structural" is intended to clarify that the wheelchair body is structurally independent such that reference to stacking refers to the structural body and not to a component of the body that may require subsequent reinforcement after which it may not be stackable. Preferably, the wheelchair bodies are formed as a unitary component, ideally from a polymeric material. In the preferred form, the wheelchair body includes integrally formed structural reinforcing members. Most preferably, the body is formed by an injection moulding or blow moulding process using materials such as, but not limited to, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinylchloride, acrylics, polycarbonate, nylons or polyamides. Various additives such as glass fibres or beads, ultraviolet stabilizers, anti-microbial agents, calcium carbonate fillers and/or flame retardants may be used to modify or improve the basic polymer performance.

Ideally, the structural wheelchair body moulding includes a commode opening in the seat portion and is also configured to be open at the rear with adequate clearance below the seat portion to enable reverse positioning of the body, when assembled as a wheelchair, over a conventional toilet bowl.

Desirably, the wheelchair body is designed such that the wheel axle mounts depend from the underside of the seat portion via hollow struts open at an upper face of the seat, whereby during stacking the corresponding axle mount and strut from an adj acent body can nest therein.

Preferably, the wheelchair body also includes integrally formed foot rest supporting arms that depend generally downwardly from the seat portion. In the preferred form, these foot rest support arms have a generally U-shaped hollow section

defined in part by a side panel element that preferably also defines rear wheel arches and/or arm rest mounts. The rear wheel arches may be flared to define integral wheel guards, or separate wheel guards may be secured to the wheel arches as required.

In a first preferred embodiment of the first aspect, the basic wheelchair body as defined above is then completed by addition of a number of potentially separately manufactured and optionally removable additional components including any one or more of: foot rests; arm rests; wheel guards; or a calf support plate. Alternatively, the main structural body design may be altered to include one or more of these features in a fixed form as an integral part of the body moulding.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention there is provided a foot rest structure that is particularly suited for, but not limited to, use with various embodiments of the wheelchair body referenced above.

In the broadest form, the foot rest structure includes: a foot support element defining two generally perpendicular surfaces including a sole support surface and a heel support surface respectively; and means for pivotable connection of the foot support element to a wheelchair body for rotation of the foot support element about an axis generally parallel to said heel support surface to facilitate, in use, predominantly sideways rotation of the foot support element. hi a preferred form, two separate foot rest structures are provided, one for each foot, each adapted for pivotable connection to a corresponding side portion of a wheelchair body or frame to facilitate opposite predominantly sideways rotation of each foot support element outwardly of the wheelchair body structure to provide a clear passage when exiting or entering the wheelchair. Preferably, an outer structure is used to provide the pivotable connection means with the wheelchair body or frame, and a separate inner foot support element is releasably connected to the outer structure at different locations to thereby provide height adjustment to the foot support element. Preferably, both the outer and inner structure rotate outwardly together.

Desirably, the connection of the inner foot support element to the outer structure is configured whereby height adjustment of the inner foot support element can be facilitated by hand without the need for tools.

In one preferred form, the outer structure includes a mounting surface having a plurality of generally vertically spaced indentations and the inner foot support element includes a smaller number of correspondingly spaced protuberances adapted for location within said indentations at selected regions in the mounting surface. Desirably, simple captive releasable locking means are provided to secure the assembled inner_.foot support and outer structure at the selected height adjustment using, for example, a hand operated knob or lever.

In the preferred form, the pivoting structure comprises a flanged axle that extends from a corner edge of the outer structure which is then held captive within a two part housing that connects with the wheelchair body or frame. Preferably, the

axle includes stop means to define the rotational limits of the foot rests. According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a pivotable arm rest structure that is particularly suited to, but not limited to, use with the various embodiments of the wheelchair body referenced above.

In the broadest form, the arm rest is a fully moulded component that includes

at one end means for pivotable connection with a wheelchair body or frame. In one embodiment, this takes the form of an integrally formed spigot configured such that in use it depends downwardly into a suitably formed bearing mount or aperture provided in the wheelchair frame or body.

Desirably, the arm rest also includes at its end distal from the pivotable mounting means, releasable securing means for retaining that distal end of the handle to the wheelchair body. In this way the arm can be released and swung out of the way when entering or exiting the wheelchair and secured back into position using only one hand.

In the preferred form, the retaining means comprises a deformable press fitting type connection configured to engage a suitably formed corresponding fitting provided in the wheelchair body. In one form a male press fitting is provided on the arm rest that engages a corresponding female socket formation provided on the wheelchair body or frame.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a calf support plate adapted for connection to a wheelchair body or frame to provide support in the gap between the seat portion and the foot rests.

In the preferred form, the calf support plate is configured to be hingedly mounted to the body adjacent a forward edge of the seat portion, with means being provided for retaining the calf support plate in a concealed out of use position below the seat portion when not required. Preferably, the means to retain the calf support plate in either the deployed or undeployed positions is achieved by means of an over centre spring mechanism. In alternate simpler forms of the invention, the wheelchair body may be configured to include integrally formed fixed foot rests; arm rests; wheel guards; or calf support plates or any combination thereof.

Variations of all forms of the inventive wheelchair body discussed above may also include one or more of the following additional features;

• an integrally formed push bar or alternatively a separately formed push bar adapted for connection to the wheelchair body;

• integrally formed wheel guards or, alternatively, means for attaching separately formed guards thereto;

• a commode seat opening in the seat portion with optional separate cover element; and

• gel sack or other cushioning device retaining formations provided within the body that are preferably within the seat portion and/or back portion. In one preferred form, a suitable retaining formation is provided at a front edge of the seat portion to retain a front edge covering "waterfall style" cushion arrangement to provide comfort cushioning behind the knee joints of a chair user. Other formations may also be provided to facilitate cushioning at other pressure points such as the lumbar region.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention there is provided a wheelchair comprising a moulded structural wheelchair body incorporating any suitable combination of additional body elements referenced above, in combination with a pair of rear wheels mounted to the rear axle mounts and one or more front castors suitably mounted to an underside forward portion of the wheelchair body. In the preferred form, the wheels are of a closed fully moulded plastic design and preferably includes a fully moulded handrail attached by a continuous connecting flange. The handrail can be formed integrally with the wheel moulding or alternatively formed as a separate moulding which is then attached to the wheel moulding.

Desirably, the wheel moulding, handrail and wheelchair body wheel shrouds or guards are configured whereby upon final assembly, a ground engaging surface of each wheel is generally shrouded from connection by the user when using the handrail. Preferably, clearance gaps are optimised to enable clear running while preventing fingers and the like from being caught in the gap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a left perspective view of a first embodiment wheelchair according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a right perspective view of a first embodiment moulded structural wheelchair body in accordance with the first aspect of the invention forming part of the wheelchair shown in figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is an inverted perspective view of the underside of the first embodiment structural wheelchair body shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 illustrates a plurality of the structural wheelchair bodies of Figure 2 in a stacked configuration;

Figure 5 is a front right perspective view of the wheelchair shown in Figure 1 illustrated with the foot rests of the second aspect of the invention shown in the raised

open position; Figure 6 is an exploded rear perspective view of the components of the foot rest shown in Figures 1 and 5;

Figure 7 is an enlarged partial perspective view illustrating the pivotable arm rest of the third aspect of the invention and its connection with the wheelchair body shown in the previous figures;

Figure 8 is a partial underside view of the seat area of the wheelchair of Figures 1 and 5 illustrating part of a calf support plate in accordance with the fourth aspect of the invention;

Figure 9 is an enlarged partial perspective view showing detail of the preferred wheel and handrail structure and its interaction with the preferred wheel guard attached to the wheelchair body;

Figure 10 is a front perspective view of a modified body design incorporating indentations into which supporting gel sacks or cushions can be attached;

Figure 11 is a rear view of the wheelchair assembly shown in Figures 1 and 5 illustrating the underside clearance provided to enable reversing of the wheelchair over a conventional toilet; and

Figure 12 is a perspective view of a second embodiment wheelchair body incorporating a simplified unitary body structure that includes integrally formed foot rests and arm rests. PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings, there are shown two wheelchair embodiments displaying various aspects of the present invention.

The first embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 5 is based on a basic moulded structural body to which a series of separately manufactured additional body components are attached, each additional component being designed to confer associated features and advantages.

The second embodiment shown in Figure 12 illustrates a more simple unitary body structure that includes the essential additional body elements as integral parts of the main body moulding.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a first wheelchair embodiment 1 that comprises a basic moulded structural wheelchair body 2 that defines a back portion 3, seat portion 4 and rear axle mount shown more clearly in Figure 3 at item 5. As can be best seen from Figures 2 to 4, the wheelchair body 2 also includes integrally formed structural reinforcing members in the form of ribs 6 and box formations 7.

In the embodiment illustrated, the axle mounts 5 depend from the underside of the seat portion 4 via hollow struts 9 which are open at an upper face 10 of the seat 4, such that during stacking the corresponding axle mount and strut 9 from an adjacent body can nest therein as shown in Figure 4. It will also be appreciated that the reinforcing box formations 7 provided on the underside of the seat portion 4 are carefully configured such that close packed stacking can be achieved as shown. This also helps to facilitate provision of a clear passage beneath the wheelchair seat, which with the careful avoidance or minimisation of any downwardly depending elements at the rear of the chair, help to facilitate reverse positioning of the wheelchair assembled

from this body element over a conventional toilet as would be apparent from the rear view shown in Figure 11.

This first embodiment basic wheelchair body 2 also includes integrally formed push bars 11 and flared wheel guards 12. In this preferred form, the body also includes integrally formed foot rest mounting arms shown generally at 13 that depend generally downwardly from the seat portion 4. In the preferred form illustrated, the foot rest support arms have a generally U-shaped hollow section defined in part by a side panel element 15 that connects with the wheel guards 12 and with arm rest mounting regions shown generally at 16. An optional commode opening 18 is also provided in the seat and that may have an associated commode cover 19.

In the preferred form, the structural wheelchair body 2 is formed by an injection moulding or blow moulding process using materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinylchloride, acrylics, polycarbonate, nylons or polyamides. Various additives such as glass fibres or beads, ultraviolet stabilizers, anti-microbial agents, calcium carbonate fillers and/or flame retardants may be used to modify or improve the basic polymer performance. This facilitates fast high volume production of body units that are accurately and consistently sized with an excellent finish to all surfaces. However, any suitable moulding process could be employed.

Referring next to Figures 1, 5 and 6, there is shown a movable and adjustable foot rest structure according to the second aspect of the invention. The foot rest structure 20 includes a foot support element 21 that defines two generally perpendicular surfaces including a sole support surface 22 and a heel support surface 23. The foot support element 21 is mounted within an outer structure 24 which in turn is pivotably mounted with the mounting arms 13 of the wheelchair body 2. As can be seen from the drawing, the outer structure 24 is a moulded component that includes an integrally formed axle 25 with a stop 26 incorporated to limit movement of the foot

rests between an open position as shown in Figure 5 and a closed position as shown in Figure 1. The outer structure 24 is connected to the mounting arms 13 by means of a moulded insert 27 that nests within the hollow section of the mounting arms 13 and which defines therein two spaced semi circular bearing surfaces 29 which support flange formations 30 fonned on the axle 25. The axle is then retained within the insert 27 by means of a cover plate 31 which also includes corresponding paired semi circular bearing surfaces 29.

The main body of the outer structure 24 is fairly deep and includes on its rear mounting surface a plurality of vertically spaced generally horizontally extending channel formations or indentations 32. Extending vertically across these indentations is an elongate slot 33.

The foot support element 21 is shorter in height than the outer structure 24 and includes a plurality of rib formations 34 that are configured and spaced to correspond with the spacing of the channels 32 provided in the outer structure 24. The foot support element 21 also includes a locking spigot 35 configured to extend through the elongate slot 33 of the outer structure.

The locking spigot 35 includes a threaded female socket 36 that is adapted to receive a correspondingly threaded bolt formation 37 to which is attached a hand operated knob 38. hi this manner, the foot support element 21 can be readily adjusted to different height settings by simply releasing the knob 38 and repositioning the foot support element as required, after which the knob is then tightened to hold the foot support element in the selected position. Preferably, the knob and bolt formation are captively assembled with the foot support element.

Turning next to Figure 7, there is shown further detail of a first embodiment of the pivotable arm rest 41 in accordance with the third aspect of the invention as also shown in Figures 1 and 5. As can be seen, the preferred structure is a fully moulded component that defines a handle portion 42 and a lower mounting formation 43 that corresponds with mounting surface 44 provided on the arm resting mounting region 16 on the wheelchair body 2. Means for pivotable connection of the arm rest 41 to the wheelchair body 2 is provided in the form of an integrally formed spigot 45 which in use depends downwardly into a suitably formed bearing mount or aperture 46 provided in the wheelchair body as shown.

The arm rest 41 also includes at its distal end releasable securing means shown generally at 47 for retaining that distal end of the handle to the wheelchair body. In the illustrated form, the retaining means comprises a deformable male press fitting 48 which is adapted to engage a corresponding female socket formation 49 provided on the wheelchair body 2. In the illustrated example, the male press fitting 48 includes locking rib 50 that engages locking surfaces in the socket formation which serves to retain the arm rest in the assembled position. Turning next to Figure 8 there is shown a calf support plate 52 that is connected to the wheelchair body 2 under the front of the seat portion 4 by means of a hinge mechanism shown generally at 53. Also forming part of the connection is an over centre spring arrangement 54 which serves to retain the calf support plate 52 in either the downward position as shown in Figures 1 and 5 or a retractable position where it preferably extends generally parallel to the seat. In other embodiments (not shown) the calf support plate is retained in either of the two positions by use of a suitable clip means, straps or press type connectors that engage with other parts of the wheelchair. Turning next to Figure 9 there is shown an enlarged partial perspective view of the preferred wheel and handrail structure and their interaction with the preferred wheel guard on the wheelchair body.

As can be seen from the drawings, the wheel 55 is preferably of a closed fully moulded plastic design and has attached thereto a fully moulded solid handrail 56 that preferably includes ridges 57 for improved grip. The handrail can be moulded integrally with the wheel or made as a separate component and then secured to the wheel at a later stage.

The wheel 55 has a tyre 58 which may be any suitable material or structure including solid rubber or plastic or it may have a hollow outer with a pneumatic core, and ideally this tyre sits flush with the wheel rim 59. The flared wheel guards 12 of the body 2 extend over an upper portion of the wheel 55 to fully shroud the uppermost section of the tyre 58 and has an external edge 60 that provides only a small clearance with the wheel rim 58 such that fingers cannot be caught in the gap. Turning next to Figure 12 there is shown a perspective view of a second embodiment stackable structural wheelchair body 61. hi this embodiment, the foot rest 62 and arm rest 63 are formed at integral parts of the main body moulding. The push bars (not shown) could similarly be integrally formed as part of the moulding. The body also preferably includes a commode opening 65. The wheelchair bodies 2 and 61 may also usefully include indentations 67 located and configured to retain cushioning devices such as gel sacks or the like (not shown). Preferred locations for these cushioning inserts are in the lumber region 68 and rear knee location 69 as shown in Figure 10. In use, the basic structural wheelchair bodies of the invention are made into wheelchairs by addition of support related features such as arm and foot rests, calf plates and the like and connection of the running gear comprising rear wheels and axles and front castors 70. The rear wheels are connected by attaching axles and housings to axle mounts 5 as would be understood by those skilled in the art. These attachments can be configured to take different wheel types and provide different camber settings. They can also include quick release mechanisms for easy removal of the wheels if required.

It will be understood from the drawings and description herein, that the wheelchair bodies of the invention and various embodiments of wheelchairs made therefrom confer substantial advantages over the prior art.

Firstly, the cleverly optimised moulded design provides a structure that is not only lightweight, ergonomic and structurally independent, it is also readily stackable in close configuration which facilitates compact packing for storage and transportation. Furthermore, by using injection moulding as a preferred manufacturing technique, a superior finish is obtained that also facilitates very good dimensional accuracy which with high volume production enables high quality operation at a relatively low cost.

The preferred wheel, handrail and wheel guard arrangement makes the final assembled wheelchair safe and clean to use. In this regard, the solid handrail 56 eliminates the risk of damaging fingers as regularly occurs with prior art wheelchairs

that have a rail mounted on spaced arms or spokes extending out from the wheel rim.

Furthermore, the wheel guard and rail arrangement protects the user from dirt that may be sprayed up from the tyres. The preferred adjustable foot rest features shown in Figures 1, 5 and 6 has numerous advantages. Firstly, each foot rest pivots about an axis that is generally parallel to the axis of a user's calf, whereas most prior art foot rests pivot about an axis generally transverse of this direction. In this manner, when the foot rest of the invention is in the raised opened position, the foot rests provide a much lower obstacle than those of the prior art. This can make getting over the opened foot rests in difficult situations a lot easier.

Another advantage is the simple and efficient means by which the foot rests can be adjusted without the need for special tooling. All a user or helper needs to do is simply loosen the knob 38, pull forward the foot support element 21 to disengage from the outer structure 24 and move it up or down to the desired height location. It can then be reengaged and tightened such that the rib formations 34 are held within the supporting channels 32.

The preferred pivotable arm rests 41 also confer substantial advantages in that they can be opened out of the way as shown in Figure 7 to provide better access to and from the chair for the user. Furthermore, the fact that the arm rests are retained with the wheelchair body even when opened, makes reconnection and resecuring of the arms a very simple operation that can be done using only a single hand.

The innovative adjustable calf support plate is another feature that provides advantages to the user. When required, this plate provides comforting support to the calves of the wheelchair user. However, by its retractable design it can be easily moved out of the way for making mounting and dismounting from the chair a lot easier. By further configuring the wheelchair body structure to be not only stackable but having maximum under seat clearance from the rear, the wheelchair of the invention also readily facilitates reversing over a toilet bowl to use the commode features of the chair. Furthermore, being in the preferred form, made entirely out of plastic, the wheelchair of the invention has significant anti-contamination attributes. As such, the chair can be used in a variety of wet areas including aqua therapy, bathrooms and beaches.

In this regard it should also be noted that using a variety of different wheel mounts connectable to the axle mounts 5 on the body, adjustment of wheel tracking and camber is possible, allowing a wide variety of types of wheels to be used. This makes the wheelchair of the invention readily adaptable for use in a variety of different terrains.

Although the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that the invention may be embodied in many other forms.

Claims

1. A moulded structural wheelchair body defining a back portion, seat portion and rear axle mounts, configured whereby said moulded structural body can be stacked by nestable inter-engagement with a like body.

2. A wheelchair body according to claim 1 which is formed as a unitary component.

3. A wheelchair body according to claim 1 or claim 2 including integrally formed foot rest supporting arms that depend generally downwardly from the seat portion.

4. A wheelchair body according to claim 3 wherein the foot rest support arms have a generally U-shaped hollow section defined in part by a side panel element that also defines rear wheel arches and arm rest mounts.

5. A wheelchair body according to any one of the preceding claims further including a foot rest structure having: a foot support element defining two generally perpendicular surfaces including a sole support surface and a heel support surface respectively; and means for pivotable connection of the foot support element to a wheelchair body for rotation of the foot support element about an axis generally parallel to said heel support surface to facilitate, in use, predominantly sideways rotation of the foot support element.

6. A wheelchair body according to claim 5 including two separate foot rest structures, each adapted for pivotable connection to a corresponding side portion of the wheelchair body to facilitate opposite predominantly sideways rotation of each foot support element outwardly of the wheelchair body structure to provide a clear passage when exiting or entering the wheelchair.

7. A wheelchair body according to claim 6 wherein the foot rest structure further includes an outer structure used to provide the pivotable connection means with the wheelchair body and a separate inner foot support element, whereby the inner foot support element is releasably connectable to the outer structure at different locations to thereby provide height adjustment to the foot support element.

8. A wheelchair body according to claim 7 wherein the connection of the inner foot support element to the outer structure is configured whereby height adjustment of the inner foot support element can be facilitated by hand without the need for tools.

9. A wheelchair body structure according to claim 8 wherein the outer structure includes a mounting surface having a plurality of generally vertically spaced indentations and the inner foot support element includes a smaller number of correspondingly spaced protuberances adapted for location within said indentations at selected regions in the mounting surface.

10. A wheelchair body according to claim 7, 8 or 9 including simple captive releasable locking means to secure the assembled inner foot support and outer structure at the selected location.

11. A wheelchair body according to any one of claims 7 to 10 wherein the pivotable connection means comprises a flanged axle that extends from a corner edge of the outer structure which is then held captive within a two part housing that connects with the wheelchair body.

12. A wheelchair body according to claim 11 wherein the axle includes stop means to define the rotational limits of the foot rest.

13. A wheelchair body according to any one of the previous claims further including an arm rest that includes at one end means for pivotable connection with the wheelchair body.

14. A wheelchair body according to claim 13 wherein the arm rest includes an integrally formed spigot configured such that in use it depends downwardly into a suitably formed bearing mount or aperture provided in the wheelchair body.

15. A wheelchair body according to claim 13 or 14 wherein the arm rest also includes at its end distal from the pivotable mounting means, releasable securing means for retaining that distal end of the arm rest to the wheelchair body.

16. A wheelchair body according to claim 15 wherein the retaining means comprises a deformable press fitting type connection configured to engage a suitably formed corresponding fitting provided in the wheelchair body.

17. A wheelchair body according to claim 1 or claim 2 configured to include an integrally formed fixed foot rest.

18. A wheelchair body according to claim 1, 2 or 17 configured to include integrally formed fixed arm rests.

19. A wheelchair body according to any one of the preceding claims configured to include integrally formed wheel guards.

20. A wheelchair body according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the wheel axle mounts depend from the underside of the seat portion via hollow struts open at an upper face of the seat, whereby during stacking the corresponding axle mount and strut from an adjacent body can nest therein.

21. A wheelchair body according to any one of the preceding claims configured to

include a commode opening in the seat portion.

22. A wheelchair body according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the body is configured to include an integrally formed push bar.

23. A wheelchair body according to any one of the preceding claims configured to include one or more cushioning device retaining formations.

24. A wheelchair body according to claim 23 wherein the cushioning device retaining formations are provided within the seat portion and/or back portion.

25. A wheelchair body according to claim 23 or claim 24 including a cushioning device retaining formation provided at a front edge of the seat portion to retain a front edge covering "waterfall style" cushion arrangement.

26. A wheelchair body according to any one of claims 23 to 25 including one or more other formations to facilitate cushioning at other pressure points.

27. A wheelchair body according to any one of the preceding claims including a movable calf support plate disposed, in use, between the seat portion and the foot rest(s).

28. A wheelchair body according to claim 26 wherein the calf support plate is hingedly mounted to the body adjacent a forward edge of the seat portion.

29. A wheelchair body according to claim 27 wherein the calf support plate is resiliently biased toward either an operative position where a distal edge of the plate is adjacent the foot rest, or an inoperative position where the distal edge is retracted below the seat portion.

30. A wheelchair including: a moulded structural wheelchair body in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 29 in combination with a pair of rear wheel assemblies mounted to the rear axle mounts and one or more front castors mounted to an underside forward portion of the wheelchair body.

31. A wheelchair according to claim 30 wherein the wheels are of a closed fully moulded plastic design.

32. A wheelchair according to claim 31 including fully moulded handrail attached to the wheel by a continuous connecting flange.

33. A wheelchair according to claim 32 wherein the handrail is formed integrally with the wheel moulding.

34. A wheelchair according to any one of claims 30 to 33 wherein the wheel moulding, handrail and wheelchair body wheel guards are configured whereby upon final assembly, a ground engaging surface of each wheel is generally shrouded from connection by the user when using the handrail.

35. A wheelchair according to claim 34 wherein clearance gaps between the wheel assemblies and the wheel guards are optimised to enable clear running while preventing fingers and the like from being caught in the gaps.

36. A foot rest structure for a wheelchair having a structural body and/or a structural frame, the foot rest structure including: a foot support element defining two generally perpendicular surfaces including

a sole support surface and a heel support surface respectively; and means for pivotable connection of the foot element to said structural body or structural frame for rotation of the foot element about an axis generally parallel to said heel support surface to facilitate, in use, predominantly sideways rotation of the foot support element.

37. A foot rest structure according to claim 36 further including an outer structure used to provide the pivotable connection means with the wheelchair body or frame and a separate inner foot support element, whereby the inner foot support element is releasably connectable to the outer structure at different locations to thereby provide height adjustment to the foot support element.

38. An arm rest for a wheelchair having a structural body and/or structural frame, the arm rest structure including at one end means for pivotable connection with the wheelchair body or frame.

39. An arm rest according to claim 38 including an integrally formed spigot configured such that in use it depends downwardly into a suitably formed bearing mount or aperture provided on the wheelchair body or frame.

40. An arm rest according to claim 38 or claim 39 also including at its end distal from the pivotable mounting means, releasable securing means for retaining that distal end of the arm rest to the wheelchair body or frame.

41. A calf support plate for a wheelchair having a structural body, a seat portion and/or a structural frame, the calf support plate being hingedly mounted to the wheelchair body or frame adjacent a forward edge of the seat portion.

42. A calf support plate according to claim 41 wherein the calf support plate is movable between a first operative position where it extends generally downwardly to be adjacent to user's calf, or an inoperative position where it is retracted below the seat portion.