Wheel chair abstract
A seat construction for a wheel chair includes a pivoted central
panel and a handle and linkage for pivoting the panel from an occupant
supporting position to an open position which enables the wheel
chair to be wheeled over a conventional toilet for use thereof without
transfer of the occupant from the wheel chair. The seat is clamped
to the side frames of a conventional wheel chair. The linkage includes
an over center action to lock the central panel in the closed position.
Wheel chair claims
I claim:
1. In a wheel chair construction including a chair frame having
spaced side frames supported on wheels, the improvement comprising
a seat frame, means for detachably securing said seat frame between
and to said side frames, a first seat panel and two seat panels,
means for pivotally supporting said seat panel for movement between
an occupant supporting generally horizontal closed position and
a generally vertical depending open position at the front of said
seat frame forming a toilet aperture, said seat frame providing
clearance beneath the seat rearwardly of said depending first panel
to enable the wheel chair to be backed over a toilet bowl, and manually
operable means supported on one side of said wheel chair and accessible
by the user to assist the user in moving said seat panel between
said occupant supporting position and said open position, said manually
operable means positioned for access by the user including a pivot
shaft rotatably supported to said frame and fixed to the front of
said first seat panel for cantilevered support of said first seat
panel, a crank arm fixedly connected to said pivot shaft laterally
outwardly of said seat frame, a toggle linkage including a first
link pivotally connected to said crank arm and a second link pivotally
connected to said side frame and to said first link, said first
and second links being movable between an over center locked position
and an off center collapsed position with said first panel depending
from said pivot shaft, and wherein said over center position maintains
said first panel in the closed occupant supporting position, and
stop means to limit said over center linkage position.
2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said second link has a handle
accessible by the occupant to move the links between the over center
locked position and the off center collapsed position.
3. A seat assembly for converting and adapting a wheel chair body
having generally vertically extending front and rear legs for toilet
use said assembly comprising a seat frame having front and rear
cross frame members, said cross frame members having end portions
adapted for connection to said front and rear legs of said wheel
chair two side panels, a central panel, a pivot shaft rigidly connected
to said control panel and rotatably housed by said front frame for
pivotally supporting said central panel in a contileverid manner
to said front frame, linkage means including a handle connected
between said front and rear cross frame member and connected to
said pivot shaft to accord pivotal movement of said central panel
between an open generally vertical position and a closed generally
horizontal position, said frame members including integrally formed
vertically extending clamp portions having clamp parts oriented
to embrace said vertically extending wheel chair legs to secure
said side frames in assembly with a four point connection to the
side frames.
4. The seat assembly of claim 3 wherein said linkage means forms
a toggle and is movable into an over center position to lock said
panel in the closed position, said linkage being operative adjacent
one of said side panels and above the toilet bowl and to afford
clearance beneath the panels so that the wheel chair can be moved
over the toilet.
5. The seat assembly of claim 4, wherein said frames include reinforcing
ribs with apertures to support said shaft.
Wheel chair description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various attempts have been made in the prior art to develop a wheel
chair which enabled the user of the wheel chair to use a toilet
without being moved from the wheel chair. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,061,368
and 2,086,550 are illustrative of wheel chair constructions for
this purpose. For various reasons, none of the prior art constructions
have reached the marketplace to benefit the handicapped users of
wheel chairs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a convertible wheel chair seat which is
readily substituted for the seat of a conventional collapsible wheel
chair. A central panel for the seat is movable by the occupant between
a closed position for supporting the occupant and an open position
which enables the wheel chair to be wheeled into a position over
a conventional toilet for use thereof without transfer of the occupant
from the wheel chair.
The conventional wheel chair seat and the folding assembly which
holds the side frames together is removed. The wheel chair seat
of the invention is readily clamped to the wheel chair side frames
by forward and rear frame parts which span the gap between the side
frames, support the seat panels and are clamped to the side frames.
The central panel is fixedly connected to a pivot shaft which pivotally
supports the central panel for movement between an occupant supporting
closed position co-planar with adjacent seat panels and a downward
and forward position which opens the gap between the unpivoted adjacent
panels to form a toilet aperture. Manipulation of the central panel
between the positions is afforded by a manually operable linkage
which includes a crank arm fixed to the pivot, a first link which
is pivotally connected to the crank arm and a second link which
is pivotally connected to the rear seat frame section. The second
link has a handle located laterally outwardly of the seat and arm
rest and accessible by the occupant. The links and link pivots are
arranged so that the lever provides an over center action in the
closed position to lock the center panel in the supporting position
for conventional closed seat usage.
Further objects, advantages and features of the invention will
become apparent from the disclosure.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wheel chair embodying the seat
of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the central seat
panel shown in FIG. 1 in the closed position.
FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the center seat panel
in the open position.
FIG. 4 is a view along lines 4--4 of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a front view of the chair shown in FIG. 3 at the same
scale as FIG. 4 with the center seat panel in the open position.
FIG. 6 is a view of the underside of the seat similar to FIG. 4
of a modified embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 7 is a sectional view along lines 7--7 of FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the casting which interconnects
the panels in the modified embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable
those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical
embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which
may be embodied in other specific structure. The scope of the invention
is defined in the claims appended hereto.
In the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a wheel chair 10 having a pair of
spaced side frames 12 and 14 which are supported by rear wheels
16 and front wheels 18. The side frames include front legs 20 and
rear legs 22 and arm rests 23. As thus far described, the wheel
chair is conventional. Typically, the wheel chair has a foldable
or flexible seat and a collapsible linkage connecting and spacing
the side frames so the wheel chair can be collapsed and put in the
trunk of a vehicle.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided a seat assembly
30 for the conventional wheel chair. The seat assembly includes
a central panel 32 located intermediate to the side panels 34 and
36. All of the panels 32, 34 and 36 are rigid and can be upholstered
and cushioned for comfort. It is noted that when employing the seat
assembly of the invention the wheel chair cannot be collapsed without
removal of the seat.
The panels 32, 34 and 36 are supported between the side frames
by two seat supporting frame elements 40 and 42. As disclosed, the
seat supporting frame elements 40, 42 are identical castings made
from the same mold. The castings include two end portions 46 and
48 at the ends of the elongated casting interconnected by a central
web portion 50, with the end portions having integrally formed bracket
half sections 52 oriented so that the bracket half sections cooperate
with separable bracket half sections 54 (FIG. 4) to embrace the
tubing of the frame side sections. Bolts 56 secure the clamp half
sections together.
The brackets are also provided with mounting ear portions 57 for
supporting parts of the linkage, as hereinafter described.
The side seat panels 34 and 36 can be screwed to the frame parts
by screws (not shown). The center panel 32 is fixed to pivot shaft
or rod 64. The pivot shaft 64 (FIGS. 4 and 5) is journalled for
rotation in apertures 65 in the spaced end portions 48, 46 of the
forward frame. The rod 64 projects laterally on the right side of
the wheel chair. A crank arm 66 is fixed to the pivot shaft 64 and
is part of a toggle linkage 70 which enables manual operation of
the device to raise and lower the panel 32. The linkage 70 also
includes a first link 72 (FIG. 1) which is pivotally connected at
75 to the crank arm 66 and a second link 74 which is pivotally connected
to the mounting ear 57 by a pin or threaded bolt 80. The links 72,
74 are commonly pivotally connected by a pivot pin 84. The link
74 is provided with a handle portion 86 which is accessible for
manipulation by the chair occupant. The link 74 is shaped or bent
as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 so that the handle 86 swings outwardly
of and clears the arm rest.
The linkage is arranged so that in the closed position, as shown
in FIGS. 1 and 2, the links are in an over center locking position
which maintains the panel 32 in the closed position to support the
occupant. Most of the load of the occupant is carried by the side
panels 34, 36. However, when the center panel 32 is locked in the
closed position it is sufficiently rigid to provide support although
it is cantilevered from the rod 64 when it is locked against rotation.
A stop 90 on the link 74 controls the extent of over center condition.
When swinging the handle 86 through an arc 92, as shown in FIG.
3, the toggle is broken and the link leaves the over center locking
condition and continued movement of the handle pivots the central
panel 32 to the FIG. 3 open position, providing a slot 99 over the
toilet bowl 100. The FIG. 3 open position is sufficiently forward
so that the wheel chair can be backed over the usual toilet bowl
100. There is no frame structure beneath the seat to interfere with
positioning of the wheel chair as shown in FIG. 3.
FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 show a modified embodiment of the invention in
which a casting 140 is employed to connect and support the seat
panels 32, 34, 36 and the toggle linkage 70 and the other parts.
The casting 140 includes a thin web 150 which interconnects heavy
portions 146, 148 which have clamp parts 152. The casting 140 performs
the same functions as the corresponding parts of the embodiment
of FIGS. 1, 2, 3. The casting 140, when employed in the front of
the wheel chair as illustrated in FIG. 6, is provided with apertures
65 to rotatably receive the shaft or rod 64. The casting 140 includes
strengthening ribs 170 and 172 to rigidify the casting 140. The
seat panels 34, 36 are secured to the castings by bolts 173 which
extend through slots 175 in the casting 140.
As illustrated in FIG. 6, the central panel 32 is shorter than
the other panels 34, 36 and clears the web 150 when the panel 32
is moved into the closed position. |