Wheel chair abstract
A wheel chair with a rotating tray which may be rotated from a
first position generally parallel to a back or rear support member.
In an alternative position of the rotating tray, the tray is rotated
from the first position generally parallel to the arm supports through
ninety degrees into a vertical position whereby the user of the
wheel chair is able to get up from and return to a bottom seat of
the wheel chair.
Wheel chair claims
We claim:
1. In a wheel chair construction of the type which is provided
with a frame construction for attaching front and rear wheel members,
generally vertical rear and generally horizonal bottom seat members,
arm supports having generally horizontal top surfaces and rear push
means, the improvement which comprises:
a. a pivotal tray means, said tray means having a planar surface;
b. rotatable means for holding said pivotal tray means and for
rotating said pivotal tray means from a first position in which
said planar surface is generally horizontal and generally parallel
to said top surfaces of said arm supports to a second position in
which said planar surface is generally vertical and generally parallel
to and behind said rear seat member.
2. A wheel chair construction as claimed in claim 1 including means
for releasably locking said pivotal tray means in said first position.
3. A wheel chair construction as claimed in claim 2 including means
for unlocking said means for releasably locking said pivotal tray
means whereby said pivotal tray means may be rotated about a horizontal
axis where said pivotal tray means is releasably re-locked in an
up position in which said planar surface is generally vertical and
to one side of said wheel chair to permit a user of said wheel chair
to get up from and return to said bottom seat member.
4. A wheel chair construction as claimed in claim 1 including means
for releasably locking said pivotal tray means in said second position
generally parallel to and behind said rear seat member.
5. A wheel chair construction as claimed in claim 1 wherein said
rotatable means for holding said pivotal tray means is rotatable
about a vertical axis.
6. A wheel chair construction as claimed in claim 5 wherein said
rotatable means for holding said pivotal tray is normally locked
in position and is released for rotation by vertically lifting said
rotatable means.
Wheel chair description
This invention relates to a wheel chair that is provided with a
rotatable tray and, more particularly, to such a combination wherein
the tray may be rotated around the wheel chair to be disposed generally
parallel to and behind the back or rear seat support for the wheel
chair.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Heretofore, it has been known to use tray members attached to a
wheel chair, usually to the arm supports, and then detach the tray
when not in use. The principal uses of the tray itself is to provide
a support for food trays, to provide a writing back up surface,
or to provide a support for books, magazines or the like.
The tray itself is in the way of the user once the foregoing uses
have terminated and it is desired simply to move the user from one
place to another. An additional shortcoming of presently used devices
is that the tray becomes separated from the wheel chair so that
it becomes necessary to remember where it has been stored and to
retrieve it when a tray usage is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, the foregoing imitations
and shortcomings of the prior art are effectively overcome. In particular,
the present invention provides a wheel chair and a rotatable tray
which remain intact at all times. When the tray usage is completed,
the tray is rotated through approximately 270 degrees and stored
behind a back or rear seat support for the wheel chair. As an optional
feature, the tray may be rotated separately from the previously
described rotating means through approximately 90 degrees and re-locked
in an up or vertical position which permits a user of the wheel
chair to get up from and return to a bottom seat member.
The inherent advantages and improvements of the present invention
will become more evident upon reference to the following detailed
description of the invention and by reference to the attached drawings
wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wheel chair and tray assembly
made in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 but illustrating
different positions of the tray;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view taken partially in vertical
cross section and drawn to an enlarged scale showing the tray lift
arm of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the tray lift arm of FIG. 3 taken
along line 4--4 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of FIG. 3 taken partially in
vertical cross section;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view illustrating a quick connect/disconnect
mechanism for the tray carrying arm of FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is a top plan view of FIG. 1 with portions removed and drawn
to an enlarged scale;
FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of FIG. 1 with portions removed
and drawn to an enlarged scale;
FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of FIG. 1 with portions removed
and drawn to an enlarged scale; and
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the wheel chair of FIG. 1 illustrating
a final position for the tray.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a wheel chair
indicated generally at 20. The wheel chair is provided with a frame
structure indicated generally at 22. Other conventional features
of wheel chair 20 include front wheels 24 and larger wheel means
26 which are customarily provided with hand propelling means, not
shown.
The wheel chair further has a generally vertical rear or back seat
member 28 and a generally horizontal bottom seat member 30. Conventional
arm supports, having generally horizontal top surfaces, 32 and rear
push means 34 are provided.
The pivotal tray means of the present invention is shown generally
at 36 and has a planar surface 36a. The means for rotating the rotatable
means for holding tray means 36 and rotating it in a horizontal
plane is shown generally at 38 in FIGS. 1-5, 9 and 10.
In FIG. 1, the solid depiction of the tray means 36 indicates the
position of the tray means when it is in use. The tray means 36
is rotatable through approximately 90 degrees to the phantom position
in FIG. 1. A means for moving the tray means 36 to this vertical
position is described in greater detail in the description of FIG.
6 hereinafter.
In FIG. 2, the solid line showing of pivotal tray means 36 indicates
its position after it has been rotated from the solid line representation
of FIG. 1 through 90 degrees. The manner of effecting this is more
fully described hereinafter in connection with FIGS. 3-5. Tray means
36 is then lowered or rotated through approximately 90 degrees to
the phantom position in FIG. 2 through the mechanism 52 of FIG.
6 and positioned as shown in FIG. 9. The mechanism of rotatable
means 36 is then used to rotate tray means 36 through approximately
180 degrees so as to position tray means 36 behind the rear or back
seat 28 in FIG. 10.
The mechanism for rotating the tray means 36 in a generally horizontal
plane will now be explained by reference to FIGS. 3-5. There is
shown rotatable means indicated generally at 38. A rotatable hollow
tube member 40 has a horizontal portion 40a (see FIG. 9) suitably
secured to tray 36, not shown. Tube member 40 has a vertical portion
40b secured to an inner, generally cup-shaped, vertical member 41
by means of pin member 42. The cup-shaped member 41 is provided
with depending, locking tabs or ears 44 which straddle a fixed bolt
and nut assembly 46. The locking tabs or ears 44 are cruciform in
a bottom plan view so that the rotatable tubular member may be positioned
in 90 degree increments after being lifted vertically in FIGS. 3
and 5 above bolt 46, rotated abut a vertical axis to the desired
position and then lowered onto bolt 46 where it is in locked position.
The mechanism for attaching the rotatable means to the wheel chair
20 further includes a generally trapezoidal arm 48 and a bifurcated
attaching member 50 which is suitably bolted to a downturned portion
of one of the arm supports 32. Optionably, attaching member 50 could
be attached to another portion of frame 22.
One mechanism for permitting rotation of the tray with respect
to rotatable tubular member 40 so as to reach the phantom positions
depicted in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is schematically illustrated in FIG.
6 and further shown in FIGS 8 and 9. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9,
tray 36 includes a depending U-shaped sleeve 37, which, as seen
in FIG. 8 is positioned on horizontal portion 40a of tube member
40, FIG. 6 shows the rotator means generally by numeral 52. Depressible
tab locking members 54 are diametrically opposed. Spring-like leg
members 56 are secured to the locking tab members 54 and are squeezed
or depressed by movement to the left in FIG. 6 of a reciprocable
piston 58. Piston 58 is provided with camming surfaces 60 to engage
the leg members 56 and a hollow portion to receive the depressed
leg members. A bolt actuator 62 is threaded into reciprocal piston
58 as shown in FIG. 6 and a head 64 which may be easily grasped.
In order to release the tray, piston 58 is moved to the left in
FIG. 3 so as to engage and depress leg members 56 until depressible
tab locking members 54 clear the tubular member and sleeve 37 and
permit rotation of the horizontal portion 40a of tray with respect
to tube 40, which thus provides a horizontal axis for rotation of
tray 36, to reach either of the phantom positions for the tray 36
in FIGS. 1 and 2. The reciprocal piston 58 is then moved to the
right in FIG. 3 to reestablish a locked position by emergence of
tab locking members in a new set of slits around the periphery of
tube 40, not shown.
The invention has been illustrated and described with respect to
a preferred embodiment thereof, but various changes and modifications
may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the claims
which follow.
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