Wheel chair abstract
The invention is to a wheel chair assembly and a seat transfer
mechanism that permits the person on the seat and the seat to move
laterally. The seat is on a platform that has a base and first and
second laterally movable platforms. The wheel chair seat is latched
to the top one of the two laterally movable platforms. The bottom
of the seat has two tracks that are matched to and engage a track
on a fixed seat frame such as a seat on an aircraft.
Wheel chair claims
What is claimed:
1. A wheel chair and seat support device, comprising:
a wheel chair base including wheels;
a seat;
a seat support platform;
at least one movable platform mounted on the seat support platform
for moving the seat laterally to one side of the wheel chair base;
and
a pair of tracks on said seat mounted in said at least one movable
platform.
2. The wheel chair and seat support device according to claim 1,
including a second movable platform for moving the seat laterally
to one side of the wheel chair base.
3. The wheel chair and seat support device according to claim 1,
wherein said wheel chair base includes a mechanism for raising and
lowering the seat support platform.
4. The wheel chair and seat support device according to claim 1,
wherein said movable platform is moved laterally by a pair of belts
and pulleys.
5. The wheel chair and seat support device according to claim 1,
wherein said movable platform is moved laterally by a pair of cables
and pulleys.
6. A wheel chair and seat support device, comprising:
a wheel chair base including wheels;
a seat;
a seat support platform;
first and second movable platforms mounted on the seat support
platform for moving the seat laterally to one side of the wheel
chair base; and
a pair of tracks on said seat mounted in said second movable platform.
7. The wheel chair and seat support device according to claim 6,
wherein said first movable platform moves laterally to a first extended
position and said second movable platform moves transversely to
a second extended position.
8. The wheel chair and seat support device according to claim 6,
wherein said wheel chair base includes a mechanism for raising and
lowering the seat support platform.
9. The wheel chair and seat support device according to claim 6,
wherein said movable platforms are moved laterally by a pair of
belts and pulleys.
10. The wheel chair and seat support device according to claim
6, wherein said movable platforms are moved laterally by a pair
of cables and pulleys.
11. The wheel chair and seat support device according to claim
6, wherein said seat and tracks are movable from the second platform
to a support seat in a vehicle.
12. The wheel chair and seat support device according to claim
6, including a foot and support device attached to and movable with
the seat.
13. The wheel chair and seat support device according to claim
6, wherein said seat and movable support platforms are moved by
one of a hand crank and electric motor.
14. A wheel chair and seat support device, comprising:
a wheel chair base including wheels;
a seat;
a seat support platform;
first and second movable platforms mounted on the seat support
platform for moving the seat laterally to one side of the wheel
chair base for transferring the seat to a fixed seat support; and
a pair of tracks on said seat mounted in said second movable platform
to transfer the seat to the fixed seat support.
Wheel chair description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to wheel chairs, and more particularly to
a platform device for a wheel chair for moving an invalid and the
wheel chair seat from the wheel chair frame to a seat on a vehicle
such as an automobile and to an aircraft seat.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that all programs
and services are available to everyone, including persons with disabilities.
Many advances have been made in this respect, however with some
notable exceptions. Most transportation service such as some local
city buses have provisions for persons with disabilities. Many sidewalks
and building entrances have been designed to provide for persons
with disabilities. Notably absence is the provision for moving persons
into and out of an aircraft.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,791, discloses a wheel chair construction which
includes a seat that is laterally movable on a pair of tracks that
engage a similar set of tracks for moving a handicapped person from
the wheel chair. The seat has rollers that roll in the tracks. The
person is manually moved laterally with the rollers and tracks.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,387, discloses a device for transferring a
handicapped person from a wheel or invalid chair. A pair of tracks
are extendable from a motor vehicle. The pair of tracks extend from
the motor vehicle, engage the seat on the wheel chair, and then
retract into the motor vehicle to move the seat into the motor vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,305, discloses a seat on at wheel chair that
is movable backward to position the seat over a toilet seat.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is to a wheel chair assembly and a seat transfer
mechanism that permits the person on the seat and the seat to move
laterally. The seat is on a platform that has a base and first and
second laterally movable platforms. The wheel chair seat is latched
to the top one of the two laterally movable platforms. The bottom
of the seat has two tracks that are matched to and engage a track
on a fixed seat frame such as a seat on an aircraft. The person
and the wheel chair seat are moved from the wheel chair frame to
the fixed seat frame without having to lift the person on the wheel
chair seat. The chair also has a vertically moveable mechanism to
move the seat and tracks on the seat to match the track on the fixed
seat frame. Both the vertical and lateral movement may be by hand
crank or by an electric motor.
The technical advance represented by the invention as well as the
objects thereof will become apparent from the following description
of a preferred embodiment of the invention when considered in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features set forth
in the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a wheel chair of the present invention;
FIG. 2 shows the lateral movement mechanism for the wheel chair;
FIG. 3 is an isometric illustration of the lateral movement mechanism;
FIGS. 4 and 5 show the lateral movement principle for the platform;
FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment of a mechanism for lateral movement
of the wheel chair seat; and
FIG. 7 illustrates the transfer of a seat.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 illustrates a wheel chair 10 of the present invention that
has a seat 11 and leg support apparatus 23 that is laterally movable
on mechanism 12. Movable mechanism 12 is supported on platform 24
that may be raised or lowered by jack mechanism 15 which is similar
to a scissor jack. Jack 15 is raised or lowered by handle 16. Movable
mechanism 12 may be tilted to tilt seat 11. Mechanism 12 is pivotally
mounted at 18 and is held in position by clamp 17. Seat 11 has tracks
13 and 14 which slide in the top of mechanism 12.
Wheel chair 10 has rear wheels 25 and front wheels 26. Wheels 25
and 26 are sized and spaced such that seat 11 and part of mechanism
12 can move laterally sideways to move seat 11 and tracks 13 and
14 to align with fixed seat channels (FIG. 7) for moving seat 11
to a seat support in an aircraft or other vehicle.
FIG. 2 shows mechanism 12 and its various parts to move seat 11.
Mechanism 12 is pivotally mounted on base 24 with pin 18 connected
through supports 18a. There are two spaced apart supports 18a, one
on each side of base 24. Mechanism 12 has three platforms. Platform
31 is stationary and platforms 36 and 39 are movable to move seat
11. In platform 31 is mounted three pulley wheels 40, 41 and 42.
Motor 19 moves shaft 21 turning pulley 46. Pulley 46 is connected
to pulley 42 by belt 42a. As pulley 42 turns, pulleys 40 and 41
also turn as pulleys 40, 41 and 42 are on a common shaft 42b. On
pulley 40 is a belt or chain 43 on which are mounted indexing tabs
17. Similarly on pulley 41 is a belt or chain 45 on which are mounted
are indexing tabs 17a. The purpose and mode of operation of tabs
17 and 17a are explained below with respect to FIGS. 4 and 5.
Motor 19 turns shaft 21 and pulley 46 which in turn rotates pulley
42 with belt 42a. Shaft 21 may also be turned by a hand crank (not
illustrated) which may be inserted in socket 20 on the end of shaft
21.
Platform 36 is slidably mounted to rails 32 and 33. Under platform
are a plurality of tabs 48 and 49 which are engaged by tabs 17 and
17a on belts 43 and 45. As belts 43 and 45 move around pulleys 40
and 41, tabs 17 and 17a engage the tabs 48 and 49 under platform
36 moving it along rails 32 and 33.
Platform 39 is slidably mounted on ends 34 and 35 of platform 36.
On platform 36 are two pairs of pulleys 50 and 51. On pulley 50
is a belt or chain 53 which has several tabs 54 mounted thereon.
Similarly, on pulley 51 is a belt or chain 56 having several tabs
55 mounted thereon. As platform 36 is moved, tabs 54 and 55 will
engage fixed tabs 56 and 57 secured to the under side of platform
39. When tabs 54 and 55 engage fixed tabs 56 and 57, platform 39
will be moved along ends 34 and 35 of platform 36. The movement
of platform 39 moves seat 11 which is mounted by rails 13 and 14
which are movably mounted in platform 39.
FIG. 3 illustrates platforms 36 and 39 in extended positions. Platform
36 is slidably mounted on rails 32 and 33, and platform 39 is slidably
mounted on rails 34 and 35 of platform 36. Platform 36 is moved
with belts 43 and 45 utilizing fixed pairs of tabs 48 and 49 on
the underside of platform 36 which engage tabs 17 mounted on belts
43 and 45. There are pairs of fixed tabs 51 and 57 on the underside
of platform 39 which are engaged by tabs 54 and 55 on belts 53 and
56. As belts 43 and 45 rotate around pulley pairs 40 and 41, tabs
17 and 17a, positioned in fixed tabs 48 and 49, move platform 36.
Also platform 39 is moved by tab 54 and 55 in fixed tabs 56 and
57.
FIGS. 4 and 5 show the movement of platforms 36 and 39. In FIG.
4, platforms 31, 36 and 39 are aligned over each other when the
platforms are in the "home" position. FIG. 5 shows platforms
36 and 39 in an extended position. Platform 36 is moved by the application
of power to motor 19 (or by a hand crank attached at socket 20)
which turns pulley 46 and pulley 42. Pulleys 40 and 41 are turned
moving belts 43 and 45 to move tabs 17 and 17a to move fixed tabs
48 and 49, moving platform 36. Platform 39 can be manually moved
to position seat 11 mounted thereon (FIGS. 1 and 2).
FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment for the lateral transfer of a
wheel chair seat. The three platforms 73, 74 and 79 are mounted
and movable as in the embodiment of FIGS. 2-5. The principal difference
is in the movement of the platforms. Each of platforms 73, 74 and
79 are connected together by cables. Cable 72a is attached at 72d
extends around pulley 71 and extends via cable 72b around pulley
70 and via cable 72c is attached to platform 74 at 72e. Cable 78
(parts 78a and 78b) is attached to platform 73 at 78d and on the
opposite end to platform 79 at 78c. Cable 77 (77a-77b) is attached
to platform 73 at 77c, extends around pulley 75 and is attached
to platform 79 at 77d. Platforms 74 and 79 are moved to the right,
as illustrated, as follows. Pulley 69 is rotated in the direction
of arrow A. This rotates pulley 70 in the direction of arrow B.
As pulley 70 rotates in the direction of arrow E, cable 72a, attached
at 72d to platform 74, pulls platform 74 to the right as indicated
by arrow C. The movement of platform 74 to the right causes pulley
76 to rotate, pulling on cable 78b, attached to point 78c, pulling
platform 79 to the right.
To reverse the process, pulley 69 is rotated in a direction opposite
that indicated by arrow A causing cable 72b and 72a to move around
pulley 71 allowing point 72d to move to the left. The rotation of
pulley 70 in a direction opposite that indicated by arrow B pulling
cable 72c to the left, pulling platform 74 to the left. In similar
manner, as platform 74 moves to the left, pulley 75 pulls against
cable 77b pulling platform 79 to the left.
FIG. 7 pictorially shows the transfer of seat 93 to a fixed track
95. Fixed track 95 can be in an automobile or, for example, a seat
on an airplane. A wheel chair is moved in the isle of an airplane
adjacent to a seat that has a pair of tracks that will mate with
the tracks 94 on the wheel chair seat. Fixed platform 90 is on the
wheel chair frame, the same as fixed platform 31 in FIGS. 1 and
2. The mechanism of either embodiment of FIG. 5 or 6 is actuated
to move platform 91 and platform 92 toward the fixed seat in the
aircraft. If a height adjustment is need, then seat 93 will be raised
or lowered by the mechanism 15 of FIG. 1. When seat 93 is the proper
height, then seat 93 is moved laterally by the mechanism made up
of fixed platform 90 and laterally movable platforms 91 and 92 until
track 94 on seat 93 is in line with fixed track 95. Seat 93 and
a person seated on seat 93 are then moved laterally until seat 93
is in place on track 95. |