Wheel chair abstract
A wheel chair having a frame, four wheels mounted on the frame,
a seat supported on the frame, upper and lower horizontal guides
mounted on the frame, movable arm rest supports slidably mounted
on the guides, and an arm rest affixed to each of the arm rest supports,
whereby the arm rests together with the arm rest supports may be
extended to a normal use position, and whereby the arm rests and
arm rest supports may be retracted to a rearward position to permit
the wheel chair to be pushed close to a table for dining or other
activities.
Wheel chair claims
Invention is claimed as follows:
1. A wheel chair having a frame, comprising:
(a) front and rear vertical frame members,
(b) horizontal frame members connected at their ends to said vertical
frame members,
(c) a seat mounted on said frame,
(d) upper horizontal arm rest support guide members each connected
at one end to a respective rear vertical frame member, and having
each of their other ends extending forwardly,
(e) lower horizontal arm rest support guide members, each connected
at one end to one of said rear vertical frame
members and each connected at the other end to one of said front
vertical frame members,
(f) movable L-shaped arm rest supporting members each comprising:
(1) a horizontal arm, and
(2) a vertical arm extending from one end of said horizontal arm,
said horizontal arms being in telescoping engagement with said
upper horizontal arm rest support guide members, the lower ends
of said vertical arms each having means slidably engaging one of
said lower horizontal arm rest support guide members,
arm rests being affixed to each one of the horizontal arms of said
L-shaped arm rest supporting members, whereby, each of said arm
rests and its L-shaped supporting member may be extended to a forward
position for normal use, and whereby each of said arm rests and
its L-shaped supporting member may be retracted to a rearward position
to enable said wheel chair to be pushed close to a table for dining
and other activities.
2. A wheel chair according to claim 1, wherein each of said horizontal
arms is tubular having an axial channel, and wherein each of said
upper horizontal arm rest support guide members is slidably disposed
within the channel of one of said horizontal arms.
3. A wheel chair according to claim 2, wherein the lower ends of
said vertical arms each has a tubular sector affixed thereto, each
of said tubular sectors being slidably mounted over one of said
lower horizontal arm rest support guide members.
4. A wheel chair according to claim 1, wherein detent means are
provided in each of said upper horizontal arm rest support guide
members, and complementary detent engaging means are provided in
each of said horizontal arms.
Wheel chair description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wheel chairs, and more particularly
refers to a wheel chair having arm rests which may be longitudinally
moved to an extended position or to a retracted position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Wheel chairs have been disclosed in the prior art which may be
placed in the extended position to assist the occupant in bracing
himself in order to help himself arise from the wheel chair, and
which are hingedly mounted to be placed in a retracted position
when the occupant wants to move close to a table in order to eat
or engage in other activities at the table. However, such devices
have generally been found to be unsatisfactory, since they are not
sufficiently sturdy, and are difficult and expensive to fabricate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a wheel chair having
a structure suitable for use as a wheel chair.
It is a further object to provide a wheel chair having arm rests
which may be placed in an extended position to enable the occupant
to remove himself from the wheel chair, and which may be placed
in a retracted position when the occupant wishes to move the wheel
chair close to a table in order to dine or engage in any activity
utilizing the table.
It is still further an object of the invention to provide a structure
of the type described which is sturdy and which provides adequate
support to the occupant to enable him to lift himself out of the
wheel chair with the arm rests in extended position.
The foregoing and other objects, advantages and characterizing
features of the invention will become apparent from the following
description of certain illustrative embodiments thereof considered
together with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference
numerals signify like elements throughout the various figures.
According to the invention, a wheel chair is provided having a
conventional frame which may be folded up for easy transportation,
and having arm rests which are slidably mounted so that the occupant
may move them to an extended position to assist him in rising out
of the wheel chair, and which he may retract to a rearward position
to enable him to move close to a table for dining.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the wheel chair of the invention,
with the forward position of the arm rest shown in solid lines and
the rearward position shown in broken lines.
FIG. 2 a front elevational view of the arm rest and its support
member.
FIG. 3 is a side view of an arm rest and its support member,
FIG. 4 is a bottom view of an arm rest and its support member,
and
FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of a portion
of the L-shaped arm rest support members illustrating a detent arrangement.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 1, a wheel chair 10 according to the invention
is shown, comprising a frame 11 having identical frame members on
the right and left sides. The frame members comprise front vertical
frame members 12, rear vertical frame members 13, lower horizontal
frame members 14, and intermediate horizontal frame members 15.
Upper horizontal arm support guide members 16 are each mounted
at one end connected to an upper portion of the rear vertical frame
members 13, and extending forwardly for approximately one half of
the distance to the front vertical frame members 12.
A pair of L-shaped arm rest supporting guide members 21 formed
preferably of tubular material such as steel are mounted on the
frame. As shown in greater detail in FIGS. 2-4, the arm rest supporting
guide members 21 each have a horizontal arm 22 and a vertical arm
23. The horizontal arm 22 is tubular in form and its channel is
sufficiently large so that the upper horizontal arm rest supporting
guide member 16 telescopes therein. Alternatively, although not
shown, the support member 16 can be in the form of a tube large
enough to have the horizontal leg 22 telescope therein. As shown
particularly in FIGS. 2 and 4, a small collar 24 is affixed at the
end of the vertical leg 23, as by welding. The collar 24 is slidably
mounted over the lower horizontal arm rest supporting guide member
17. A notch or recess 25 is provided in the lower portion of the
collar 24, so that when the arm rest support member 21 are extended
to their foremost positions, the vertical arms 23 are in their respective
positions coaxial with the front vertical frame members 12.
Plates or brackets 26 are affixed to each horizontal arm 22 by
such means as welding, and are affixed to the arm rests 27 by screws
or bolts 28 extending through apertures provided in the plates or
brackets 26.
Rotatably mounted forks 29 are placed on the lower ends of the
front vertical frame members 12 and support small wheels 30, diagrammatically
shown, mounted on axles 31 retained in the forks 29. Larger wheels
33, diagrammatically shown, are mounted on axles 34 which are affixed
to the rear vertical frame members 13. The ends of the rear vertical
frame members 13 are bent to form handle bars 35 and provided with
grips 36.
When the arm rest assembly is in the forward position, it assumes
the position shown in solid lines. In this position the arm rests
27 are moved forward so that the occupant can brace himself on the
arm rests and lift himself out of the chair. Also in that position
the vertical arm 23 of the support member 21 is substantially coaxial
with the front vertical frame members 12. Additionally, portions
of the upper horizontal arm rest supporting guide members 16 are
partially exposed. When the arm rest assembly is pushed rearwardly,
the horizontal arms 22 telescope over the upper horizontal arm rest
supporting guide members 16 and substantially cover them up. The
arm rests retract to the position shown in the broken lines, and
the collars 24 slide along the lower horizontal arm rest supporting
guide members 17 and reach the position shown in broken lines. As
a result, the wheel chair may be moved to a table with the portion
containing the front vertical frame members entirely under the table
until the vertical legs 23 of the support members 21 are reached.
Although the wheel chair of the present invention operates satisfactorily
in the embodiment described and shown in FIGS. 1-4 of the drawings,
if desired, as shown in FIG. 5, detent means may be placed in the
upper horizontal arm supporting guide members 16 and cooperating
means may be placed in the horizontal arms 22. As shown in FIG.
5, detent assemblies 40 are provided, including apertures 41 provided
in the horizontal arms 16, and detent balls 42. The detent balls
42 are spring-loaded outwardly by means of a coil springs 43. The
horizontal arms 22 are provided with detent-engaging apertures 44
and 45. The detent-engaging apertures 44 engage the detent balls
42 in the fully retracted position of the arm rest support member
21, and the detent-engaging aperture 45 engages the detent ball
42 in the fully extended position of the arm rest support members
21, thereby providing positive locking support and preventing accidental
movement of the arm rest support members.
The wheel chair of the present invention has a number of advantages
over those of the prior art. First, it enables the arm rests to
be moved to a forward position to enable an occupant to lift himself
out of the chair. Second, it enables the occupant to place the arm
rest assembly in the retracted position to enable him or an attendant
to slide a portion of the wheel chair under a table to facilitate
dining. Third, the structure is very strong and rigid in either
the forward or retracted position, differing in that respect from
wheel chairs where the arm rests are hingedly retracted or removed
entirely. Additionally, the wheel chair is relatively easy to fabricate
and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
Although the invention has been described in connection with only
specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives,
modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled
in the art in the light of the foregoing description and drawings.
Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications
and variations within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. |