Wheel chair abstract
A heel strap retractor for wheel chair foot rests, in which the
familiar foot rest support platform of each of the wheel chair foot
rests is equipped with the retractor that comprises a resiliently
flexible spring filament device of one piece spring wire construction
formed to define a helically contoured annular socket portion that
receives the upright pendantly mounted portion of the foot rest
support, for seating of the retractor at the level of the foot rest
heel strap; the device below the retractor socket portion is shaped
to anchor the retractor to the foot rest support by a snap fit connection,
and the device adjacent the top of the socket portion is shaped
to define a finger projecting radially of the retractor socket portion
that is angularly related with respect to the helix axis thereof
and proportioned lengthwise thereof so that when the finger is placed
in engagement with the rear side of the foot rest heel support,
the retractor socket portion is partially wound up to spring bias
the finger against the strap from the rear side of same. When the
foot rest is moved to its retracted position from its extended position,
its heel strap is automatically retracted forwardly of the foot
rest to avoid interference with full retraction of the foot rest.
When each foot rest of the wheel chair is so equipped, the patient
on entering and leaving the chair need not be concerned about having
to manipulate the heel strap to have full unimpeded access to and
from the chair.
Wheel chair claims
I claim:
1. In a wheel chair foot rest assembly for securement to a wheel
chair frame, with the assembly including a right angle shaped support
member having an upright portion, adapted for pendant connection
to the wheel chair frame adjacent the upper end of said portion,
and a forwardly projecting arm adjacent the lower end of said upright
portion in substantially normal relation thereto, a foot rest member
journalled on said support member for swinging movement about said
arm between an extended foot rest position to one side of said arm
in which said foot rest member extends substantially normally of
said support upright portion and defines an upper foot rest surfacing,
and a retracted position in which said foot rest member is disposed
along side said support upright portion in substantially parallel
relation to said support upright portion, and a flexible heel strap
extending across the rear of the foot rest member and having its
ends anchored thereto forwardly of said support upright portion
in substantially normal relation thereto to dispose the length of
said heel between its said end along said foot rest surfacing for
receiving in substantial catenary fashion the heel of a patient's
foot resting in the foot rest member surfacing when the latter is
in its extended position, with one of the strap ends being disposed
adjacent said support upright portion,
the improvement comprising a retractor for said heel strap for
disposing said length of the strap forwardly of said support upright
portion on swinging of said platform from said extended position
to said retracted position,
said retraction comprising:
a resiliently flexible spring filament device including:
a helically contoured spring wind up socket portion received about
said support upright portion,
a lower open loop portion connected to said socket portion and
being in snap fit relation to said support arm,
and an upper finger connected in spring wind up relation to said
socket portion and having a projecting camming end received against
the rear side of said strap in sliding relation thereto adjacent
said one end thereof in spring wind up relation of said socket portion
for spring biasing said arm against said strap,
whereby on movement of said foot rest member from said extended
position to said retracted position, said heel strap length in moving
with said foot rest member is cammed by said finger to be disposed
forwardly of said support upright portion.
2. The improvement set forth in claim 1 wherein:
said spring filament device is of one piece construction.
3. The improvement set forth in claim 1 wherein:
said filament device socket portion, lower loop portion, and upper
finger are of continuous one piece continuous spring wire construction.
4. The improvement set forth in claim 3 wherein:
said socket portion comprises a coil of said wire construction
defining a central helix axis of said socket portion extending longitudinally
thereof,
said open loop portion being disposed in a plane paralleling said
axis.
5. The improvement set forth in claim 4 wherein:
said upper finger extends normally of said axis and substantially
radially of said coil,
with said camming end portion comprising said finger having a terminus
of closed loop configuration that is substantially coplanar with
said finger.
Wheel chair description
This invention relates to a heel strap retractor for wheel chair
foot rests, and more particularly to a device for automatically
retracting the heel strap forwardly of its heel holding position
as the foot rest to which it is applied is swung from its extended
foot rest position to its retracted out of the way position, for
insuring repositioning of the heel strap so that full retraction
of the foot rest to which it is applied is readily effected.
Wheel chairs are commonly used for seating and moving about persons
who, for reasons of being ill, infirm, handicapped, or whatever,
are unable to stand/or walk normally, or otherwise require wheel
chair use. Wheel chairs are familiar equipment of hospitals, nursing
homes, retirement facilities, and the like, as well as private homes
where a family member is ill or infirm and needs something more
than the familiar walker to get or be moved about.
Conventional wheel chairs commonly are equipped with a separate
generally flat foot rest or tread member for each foot of the person
using the chair (hereinafter generically called "the patient"
for convenience of reference). The foot rest members of the wheel
chair are at the front of the chair, with each foot rest member
being mounted on its own support that is pendantly, and usually
adjustably, mounted on the wheel chair frame, just in front of,
below and toward either side of the wheel chair seat. The foot rest
support for each foot rest member commonly is of right angled configuration
defining an upright or post portion that is suitably connected to
the chair frame (usually by the common adjustable wedge assembly),
and a forwardly projecting arm at the lower end of the upright portion
on which the foot rest member supported by the foot rest support
in question is mounted for swinging movement between an extended
foot rest defining position across the front of the wheel chair,
and a retracted upright vacant position against or adjacent the
support of the foot rest in question, so as to open up the front
of the wheel chair to permit the patient to have ready access to
and from the chair and to permit folding of the chair for storage
where the chair is of the folding type. The foot rest or tread members
of the chair commonly are generally flat in configuration and are
disposed in coplanar or near coplanar relation in their extended
foot rest defining positions, and are mounted to swing in opposite
directions when moved to their retracted positions. Each foot rest
member is commonly equipped with a heel strap on the top or foot
tread side of the foot rest member, which strap may be formed from
canvas, plastic, leather or other strapping forming flexible material.
The strap is applied across the rear of each foot rest member and
against the upper or tread side of the foot rest member by having
the ends of the strapping involved anchored to the foot rest member
forwardly of the foot rest support and adjacent to either side edge
of the foot rest member in question, to dispose the length of the
heel strap between its said ends, along a side edge of same, in
close adjacency to the foot rest upper or tread forming surface
for receiving the heel of the patient's foot that is to rest on
the foot rest member in question, with the heel strap taking a catenary
fashion shaping rearwardly of the foot rest member when being so
used.
The wheel chair foot rests in question serve the very useful purpose
of keeping the patient's feet off the floor to avoid dragging same
or the patient having to lift same when the chair is moved, and
also to place the feet at a level relative to the chair seat for
normal sitting comfort. This further permits the patient to be readily
moved by moving the chair when desired. As indicated, the foot rest
members in question are adjustable vertically for comfortable accommodation
of the patient's feet thereon, and the heel straps serve to keep
the patient's feet from shifting undesirably rearwardly of the chair
foot rests and also serve as rests against which the patient's heels
engage to comfortably accommodate the patient's feet on the respective
foot rest members of the chair. These purposes are served regardless
of whether or not the patient has shoes or slippers on, though for
adequately comfortable dressing the patient using the chair usually
has shoes or at least slippers on, and these are what engage the
heel straps.
When the patient is to either enter or leave the chair, the chair
foot rest members in question must be tilted or swung out of the
way, and thus to their retracted generally upright positions on
either side of the chair front. If the heel straps of the individual
foot rest members are not shifted forwardly, from their rearwardly
curving catenary defining positions when used by the patient sitting
in the chair, before retracting the foot rest members the rest members
may only partially retract, due to the interference of the heel
straps with the respective foot rest member supports. Thus, the
foot rest members, instead of being fully out of the way, will remain
positioned partially in front of the chair seat sufficiently to
interfere with the patient's efforts to enter or leave the chair,
and thereby impair the safety of the patient in both the leaving
and entering of the chair. Further, in wheel chair arrangements
devised to fold flat for storage purposes, folding of the chair
for storage is impeded for the same reasons.
However, the Applicant's experience has shown that patients commonly
do not manipulate the heel straps as needed to achieve the full
raising of the foot rest members to their retracted positions that
is needed for the patient to safely and readily enter or leave the
chair without stumbling or other impedance caused by partially retracted
foot rests. The reasons for this are numerous, as the patient may
be too ill or of too impaired functional condition to manipulate
the heel straps, or the patient may lack understanding or mechanical
ability to perform the needed function, etc. In any event, the result
is that either the patient has to be assisted in this regard, or
the patient's access to and from the chair is impaired, safety reduced,
and accident prone.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide, for
each wheel chair foot rest member, a heel strap retractor that permits
the heel strap to be used in its normal manner when the patient
is sitting in the chair, but which effects automatic retraction
or repositioning of the heel strap when the foot rest member is
tilted or swung to its retracted position, so that full swinging
of the foot rest member in question to its retracted position is
achieved without the patient or the person assisting him having
to be concerned about it.
Another principal object of the invention is to provide a heel
strap retractor for wheel chair foot rests that is of one piece
construction and that fits the types of wheel chair foot rest assemblies
that are commonly equipped with the indicated heel straps, and that
is economical of manufacture, easy to apply, and reliable in use.
In accordance with the present invention, a heel strap retractor
for wheel chair foot rests is provided in which the familiar foot
rest support of each foot rest of the chair is equipped with the
retractor of the invention that comprises a resiliently flexible
spring wire filament device of one piece spring wire construction
formed to define a helically contoured wind up socket portion of
anular shaping that receives the upright pendantly mounted post
portion of the foot rest support, for seating of the retractor at
the level of the heel strap of the foot rest applied to the foot
rest support in question; the retractor device below the retractor
socket portion is shaped to anchor to the foot rest support by a
snap-fit connection, and the spring adjacent the top of the socket
portion is shaped to define a finger projecting radially of the
socket portion that is annularly related thereto with respect to
the helix axis thereof and proportioned lengthwise thereof so that
when the finger is placed in engagement with the rear side of the
heel strap, the retractor socket portion is partially wound up helical
spring style to spring bias the finger against the strap. When the
foot rest in question is moved to its retracted position, the length
of its heel strap between the anchored end portions of the heel
strap is automatically thrust forwardly to a position by the camming
action of the retractor finger on the heel strap, which positions
the heel strap to permit full movement of the foot rest to its retracted
position without anyone having to manipulate the heel strap to achieve
this.
For each wheel chair equipped with the indicated foot rests having
the heel straps, a retractor of the invention is applied to each
foot rest assembly in the manner indicated, with the retractor being
arranged so that it can be applied to the foot rest assembly without
making any structural changes in the wheel chair, or having to drill
holes or otherwise shape or change the existing structure. The retractor
of the invention is arranged for slip on, snap fit application to
the individual foot rest support assemblies in a manner that insures
the retractor will remain securely in place for the life of the
equipment involved, and act automatically to retract the heel straps
whenever the foot rests are swung to their inoperative positions.
Other objects, uses, and advantages will be apparent or become
obvious from a consideration of the following detailed description
and the application drawings in which like reference numerals indicate
like parts throughout the several views.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating a commercially
available type of wheel chair having its foot rests both equipped
with the heel strap retractor of the present invention;
FIG. 2 a fragmental perspective view on an enlarged scale of the
foot rest assembly on the patient's right hand side of the wheel
chair of FIG. 1, as equipped with the heel retractor of the present
invention;
FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2, but shows the foot rest in question
in its retracted or upright position;
FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the foot rest assembly shown
in FIG. 2, with the foot rest shown in its retracted position in
phantom;
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the foot rest assembly shown in FIGS.
2 and 4;
FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the retractor free of application
to the foot rest assembly, and in its unstressed relation;
FIG. 7 is an elevational view of the retractor, taken along line
7--7 of FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the retractor, taken substantially
along the line 8--8 of FIG. 6;
FIGS. 9 and 10 are similar to FIG. 5, but indicate the action of
the retractor on the heel strap when there is relative movement
of the foot rest with respect to its support in the action of moving
the foot rest from the extended operative position shown in FIG.
2 toward the retracted upright position of FIG. 3;
FIG. 11 is a view similar to that of FIG. 8, but shows instead
the left hand retractor of the left hand foot rest assembly of FIG.
1; and
FIG. 12 shows the foot rest assembly of FIGS. 3 and 10 with the
retractor as disposed in the fully retracted position of the assembly.
However, it is to be distinctly understood that the specific drawing
illustrations provided are supplied primarily to comply with the
requirements of the Patent Laws, and that the invention is susceptible
of other embodiments and modifications that will be obvious to those
skilled in the art, and that are intended to be covered by the appended
claims.
Reference numeral 10 of FIG. 1 generally indicates a diagrammatically
illustrated wheel chair of the type commercially available as, for
instance, from Everest & Jennings Inc. of Los Angeles, Calif.
Such chairs are commonly used by persons that are in an invalid
condition for one reason or another, as, for instance, due to a
disease or sickness, advanced age, etc. Equipment of this type is
commonly used in hospitals, nursing home facilities, retirement
homes, and the like, and generally comprises the usual chair frame
12 and associated parts that define in any suitable manner the chair
seat 14, the chair back 16, and the chair side arms 18 and 20 on
either side of the seat 14. The frame 12 is equipped with the usual
large diameter rear supporting wheels 22 and 24 on either side of
same, each of which is equipped with the familiar circular handle
26 for enabling the occupier of the chair 10 to, by hand, move or
adjust the position of the chair 10. Suitable brake devices 27 are
commonly provided as is conventional.
The chair 10 is equipped with the usual familiar front caster wheels
28 and 30 at the forward or front side of the chair, and with the
familiar rearwardly projecting handles 32 and 34 on the back of
the chair for enabling the chair to be moved by an individual positioned
at the rear of a chair, such as a nurse's aid or the like, as is
well known to the art. The chair 10 illustrated is of the foldable
type, and the specifics of the folding arrangement involved are
well known to the art, which ordinarily involves the frame 12 being
formed to fold or collapse flat (from either side thereof) in one
of the various ways such frames are constructed for this purpose,
as illustrated by the folding wheel chairs marketed by Everest &
Jennings Inc.
The chair frame 12 at the forward or front end of the chair is
typically equipped with downwardly directed tubular mounting struts
36 and 38 each of which supports one of the foot rest assemblies
that are illustrated in FIG. 1, the foot rest assembly 40 being
supported by strut 36, while the foot rest assembly 42 is supported
by the strut 38.
The respective foot rest assemblies are connected to the respective
struts 36 and 38, which commonly are tubular in nature, by way of
a conventional wedge adjustment assembly device that suspends the
respective foot rest assemblies 40 and 42 in their operative positions,
and permits adjustment of same vertically to achieve their alignment
horizontally, as indicated in FIG. 1, and to vertically position
the foot rests for the comfort of the patient to occupy the chair,
which will depend on such factors as the length of the patient's
legs, and the position which the patient's legs and feet are to
be supported when the patient uses the chair, etc.
The foot rest assemblies 40 and 42 are typically provided in matched
pairs and are identical, except for the familiar mirror image relationship
whereby they are provided in matched pairs for application to wheel
chairs, one on either side of the front of the chair, such as wheel
chair 10.
In the showing of FIGS. 2-5, 9 and 10, while only the foot rest
assembly 40 is illustrated, it will be understood that the foot
rest assembly 42 is similarly arranged in the usual left hand versus
right hand operation mirror image reversal of parts manner as will
be quite apparent by those skilled in the art.
Consequently the detailed description of the foot rest assembly
40 and the application of the invention of this application thereto
that follows will be fully applicable to the foot rest assembly
42, it being understood that the foot rest assemblies 40 and 42
are oppositely operative in the usual right hand and left hand manner
for this type of device. Thus, the reference numerals applied to
the foot rest assembly 42 that bear the letter A are the same as
the corresponding reference numerals applied to foot rest assembly
40 with the exception that foot rest assembly 42 and associated
components are arranged for application to the left hand side of
the chair 10, as distinguished from the right hand side application
of the foot rest assembly 40 and its associated components.
Foot rest assembly 40 generally comprises a support member 50 of
generally right angled configuration defining an upright connecting
post portion 52 that is applied to the strut 36 in the aforementioned
manner for securement and adjustment purposes. The member 50 further
comprises forwardly projecting arm 54 that is suitably anchored
to the lower end 56 of upright portion 52, as by welding at 58 (see
FIGS. 9 and 10). Post portion 52 and arm 54 are typically formed
from chrome plated steel tubing, but of course other metal and/or
plastic materials of adequate strength, etc. characteristics may
be employed.
Journalled on the arm 54 for swinging movement thereabout is foot
rest member 60 which conventionally comprises plate member 62 defining
generally flat foot tread or rest portion 64 defining upper surfacing
66 and lower surfacing 68. The upper surfacing 66 is recessed for
application thereto of the familiar tread pad 70 that is formed
from a suitable plastic or rubber or rubberlike material and is
fixed in place in any suitable manner known to the art, such as
by integral beads 71 that are forced through correspondingly located
apertures 73 formed in member 60. The undersurfacing 68 is suitably
ribbed and the like as needed for reinforcement and other engineering
purposes.
Plate 62 also defines bearing housing portion 72 in which the support
arm 54 is journalled, in any conventional manner, as by employing
suitable sleeve type plain bearings 73 and 75 that are suitably
mounted in the housing 72 (see FIG. 3), in which arm 54 is frictionally
journalled, so that the foot rest member 60 is not free swinging
relative to its support member 50, but rather swings readily relative
to the member 50 when moved by hand, but when released, the foot
rest member 60 remains in the position released due to the frictional
gripping relationships of the journalling bearings 73 and 75 on
arm 54, all as is well known in the art. The outwardly projecting
end 76 of arm 54 is conventionally finished off with a suitable
plug 77, formed from a suitable elastomeric material, and held in
place by suitable screw 79.
In the particular arrangement illustrated, the lower end 56 of
the foot rest support upright post portion 52 extends downwardly
sufficiently so that the side edge 74 of the foot tread member 60
that is located adjacent the bearing housing portion 72 engages
said support member end 56, as a stop arrangement, which disposes
foot tread member 60 in the substantially horizontal, extended position
indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2; when a patient sitting in the chair
10 is to place his feet, or have his feet placed, on the respective
foot tread members 60 and 60A. This is the extended position of
the foot rest members 60 and 60A, while the retracted position of
same is indicated by the showings of FIGS. 3 and 12, in which the
foot rest members 30 and 60A are swung upwardly to the substantially
upright or vertical position, and perhaps even into abutting relation
with the foot rest support member post portion 52. In this relation
of the foot tread members 60 and 60A, the foot tread members are
out of the way so that the patient can have ready and unimpeaded
access to and from the chair 10.
It has become frequent practice to apply to the respective foot
rest members 60 and 60A heel straps 80 in the more better equipped
chairs 10, and as needed by the patient's condition, by prescription.
In the form shown the heel straps 80 each comprise a strip of canvas
webbing 82 having its respective ends 84 and 86 turned over against
the strapping and stitched as at 88 and 90 so that at the ends 92
and 94 of the strap 80 closed strapping loops 96 and 98 are defined.
The heel straps 80 are applied to the respective foot tread members
60 and 60A by applying the respective screw and nut type fasteners
100 and 102 through the respective strapping loops 96 and 98 and
appropriate holes formed in the respective members 60 and 60A to
mount the straps 80 in their desired rearwardly disposed positions
on the respective foot rest members 60 and 60A. The screw and nut
type fasteners 100 and 102 each comprise a screw 104 with an elongate
shank 106 and a head 108 with the arrangement being such that the
slotted screw head 108 bears against the upper ends 109 of the respective
loops 96 and 98 and the shank 106 extends through appropriate holes
formed in the members 60 and 60A for application thereto of fastening
nuts 110 (see FIG. 3). On the upper surfacing 64 of the members
60 and 60A suitable clamping nuts 112 are also applied to the respective
screw shanks 106 to firmly anchor these devices in their secured
positions indicated in the drawings, and draw the lower ends 111
of the respective strap loops against nuts 112, in one convenient
way of mounting straps 80.
The screw and nut type devices 100 and 102 are applied along the
rear of the respective members 60 and 60A and are spaced apart so
that the length 116 of the strap between the respective devices
100 and 102 will arch in a catenary configuration rearwardly of
the respective foot rest member 60 and 60A to serve as convenient
rests for the heels of the patient sitting in the chair 10, when
the patient's feet are resting on the respective foot rest member
60 and 60A. Devices 100 and 102 are applied forwardly of the foot
rest member support upright portion 52, with the device 100 being
adjacent the support member upright portion 52 and devices 100 and
102 being aligned crosswise of the respective members 60 and 60A
in a plane that extends normally of the axis 115 of rotation for
swinging movement of the respective members 60 and 60A relative
to support member 50. As indicated in FIG. 5, the straps 80 in their
heel receiving catenary like shaping relation extend rearwardly
of the upright portion 52 of the respective supports 50, and straps
80 are mounted with their lower edgings 119 in close adjacency to
foot rest surface 66 and their upper edgings 117 oppositely disposed.
While the straps 80 are illustrated as being formed from canvas
webbing, other strap forming material may also be employed, such
as leather, plastic ribbons, or the like, as is known to the art,
with end loops corresponding to strapping loops 96 and 98 being
formed in any suitable manner.
As has been brought out hereinbefore, it is of fundamental importance
for the safety of the patient moving into and out of the chair 10
that the foot rest members 60 and 60A be swung to their fully retracted
positions illustrated in FIG. 3 so that they are in substantial
upright position, for giving the patient unobstructed movement access
to and from the chair. This is also important for folding type wheel
chairs in order to achieve the full flattened condition of the chair
for storage purposes.
However, experience has shown that patients and their aid attending
them have considerable difficulties in achieving the full retracted
position of the respective foot members 60 and 60A due to the fact
that the heel straps 80 remain in the position of FIG. 5 when the
respective foot rest members 60 and 60A are swung upwardly toward
the retracted position of FIG. 3, with the result that the upper
edging 117 of the heel strap engages against the upright portion
52 of support member 50, which tends to leave the foot rest members
60 and 60A on the order of 20 to 30 degrees short of their desired
upright positioning of FIG. 3. This leaves the foot rest members
60 and 60A in upwardly converging inwardly projecting relation which
thus form undesirable obstructions to the patient trying to enter
or leave the chair 10. This undesirable upwardly converging positioning
of the foot rest members 60 and 60A in their near retracted positions
is generally considered to pretty much adversely affect the safety
of the transfer intended by the individual either entering or leaving
the chair 10.
The present invention is directed to effecting automatic retraction
of the heel straps 80 from their heel receiving position of FIGS.
1, 2 and 5 to the forwardly retracted position of FIG. 10, and for
this purpose foot rest assembly 40 is provided with heel strap retractor
120 and foot rest assembly 42A is provided with heel strap retractor
120A. The heel strap retractors 120 and 120A are of identical design,
but are arranged for application to the right hand and left hand
foot rest assemblies 40 and 42, respectively, and thus are of mirror
image configuration. The retractor 120 is shown in detail in the
showings of FIGS. 2-10, while the retractor 120A (see FIGS. 1 and
11) is similarly arranged, with the only difference being that it
is applied in a left hand manner to the left hand foot rest assembly
42, as compared to the right handed manner of arrangement application
of the retractor 120 and its application to foot rest assembly 40.
FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 show the retractor 120 in its unassembled relation,
and as illustrated it will be seen that it comprises a resiliently
flexible spring filament, clip or inter-connecting device 130, formed
from a length of stainless steel wire of a suitable size and temper,
such as stainless steel wire 18-8 type 302, having a diameter of
0.100 inch. The device 130 comprises a helically contoured spring
wire wind up socket portion 134, which is defined by the wire 132
being helically wound about the central axis 136. The socket portion
134 at its lower end 138 merges into open loop portion 140 where
the terminal portion 142 of the wire is spaced sufficiently from
the socket portion 134 so as to have snap fit relation with the
foot rest assembly support arm 54, and specifically its external
diameter surfacing 143, as will be described hereinafter.
The device 130 at the upper end 144 of the socket portion 134 is
shaped to define a finger 146 that is in coil spring torsion wind
up relation to the device socket portion 134 for providing the spring
bias against the heel strap that is contemplated by the present
invention.
As illustrated in FIG. 6, the finger 146 is formed to lie in a
plane that includes the central axis 136 of the socket portion 134,
whereby the finger 146 extends radially of the socket portion 134.
As also indicated in FIG. 6, the plane in which the finger 146 lies
is substantially perpendicular to the plane of open loop 140, which
is in substantial tangency with the device socket portion 134 on
the side of same from which the finger 146 projects.
As shown in FIG. 8, finger 146 is formed to define a projecting
camming end 148 that is arcuate in configuration, and in the plane
that includes the finger 146 and axis 136. The camming end 148 terminates
in a curled over terminal portion 150 that is convexly shaped about
its external surfacing for smooth camming characteristics free of
penetration or snagging with the heel strap that it is to cooperate
with.
The device 130 in the right hand form 120 that is shown in FIGS.
6-8 is adapted for application to the foot rest assembly 40 without
any modification of the foot rest assembly whatsoever, and requires
no drilling of holes or otherwise deforming of the foot rest assembly
of parts that are involved, or securing adhesive, or the like.
For application of a right hand device 130 to complete a foot plate
assembly 40, the foot plate assembly 40 may be assembled in a normal
manner to operably mount the foot plate member 60 and its heel strap
80 on the support 50 in the conventional manner that has been described.
With the support 50 of assembly 40 still disassembled from the
strut 36, the device 130 that is to be employed to complete the
foot rest assembly 40 is positioned to receive the support upright
post portion 52 within its socket portion 134, with the open loop
140 disposed downwardly. The device 130 is slipped downwardly of
the support upright portion 52 to the position approximating that
shown in FIG. 4, and the device 130 is maneuvered to dispose the
open loop 140 on the side of the support upright portion 52 on which
the arm 54 projects so that the arm 54 may be snapped past the lower
end 142 of the wire 132 to snap fit seat the open loop 140 on the
arm 54, across its external surfacing 143.
The finger 146 is then lifted upwardly and swung counterclockwise
of the showing of FIG. 5 to the position of FIG. 5, to the rear
of the screw and nut type fastening device 100 and disposed in engagement
with the strap pocket 96 secured thereby, and specifically in contact
with the rearwardly facing side 121 of same, as suggested by the
showing of FIGS. 4 and 5, as distinguished from the forward facing
side 123 of same.
The left hand retractor foot 20A, as already indicated, is arranged
similarly to the device 130, but the spring winding process to form
same is reversed from that indicated in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 to provide
the left hand heel retractor 120A as a mirror image of the retractor
120 and thus of device 130 (whereby device 130A is provided). The
left hand retractor 120A is applied to the left hand support 50A
and its heel strap 80 in the same manner as described with respect
to the retractor 120.
With the foot rest assemblies 40 and 42 both equipped with the
respective retractors 120 and 120A, when the patient is to enter
or leave the chair, the foot rest members 60 and 60A are swung upwardly,
from their extended positions of FIGS. 1 and 2 to the upwardly directed
retracted position illustrated by the showing of FIG. 3. As the
foot rest members 60 and 60A move from their extended to their retracted
positions, the retractors 120 and 120A remain stationary, as the
supports 50 and 50A remain stationary during this movement. The
foot rest members 60 and 60A, however, swing upwardly toward the
respective upright portions 52 and 52A, and in so doing the finger
146, and specifically its camming end portion 148, is moved downwardly
of the rear side of the strap 80; as the screw and nut device 100
and the strap loop 96 to which it is applied, are swung toward but
forwardly of the adjacent post 52 (and thus in a plane located forwardly
of the said adjacent post 52), from the position of FIG. 4 and consecutively
through the positions of FIGS. 9 and 10 to the positions of FIGS.
3 and 12, the heel straps 80 are retracted or inverted from their
heel rest catenary type shaping of FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 to the forwardly
projecting relation shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, whereby the entire
strap 80 is disposed forwardly of the foot rest support upright
portions 52, so that the foot rest members 60 and 60A may be swung
flush against the respective upright portions 52, as indicated in
FIGS. 3 and 4. This retraction of the heel strap 80 is effected
automatically by the swinging of the foot rest members 60 from their
extended to their retracted positions, and neither the patient nor
his aid, if any, need give any thought to having to reposition the
heel straps to properly position the foot rest members for full
free access into and out of the chair 10. The showings of FIGS.
10 and 12 are in effect side elevational views of the assembly 40
taken from the left rear side of FIG. 3, and in this position of
parts, the finger camming portion 148 is disposed adjacent the lower
edging 119 of strap 80, as distinguished from the position of FIG.
4.
When a patient is seated in the chair 10, and the foot rest members
60 and 60A are returned to their operative positions of FIGS. 1,
2 and 5, the finger 146 of the respective devices 120 and 120A returns
to the relative position shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. This may leave
the heel strap 80 in its forward directed relation, but when the
patient's feet are applied to the foot rest member 60, either by
himself or, with assistance as needed, the proper comfortable positioning
of the patient's feet in engagement with the respective support
members 60 will seat the patient's heels against the respective
heel straps 80 and return them to their heel rest shaping that is
indicated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5.
In one form of the retractor that is adapted for application to
folding wheel chairs of the type offered by the aforementioned Everest
& Jennings Inc. firm, the retractors are formed from stainless
steel wire of the type of the diameter indicated with the socket
portion being wound about axis 136 to define an internal diameter
of approximately 13/16ths of an inch, with the socket portion 134
being of coil shaping having the turn spaced approximately 3/16ths
of an inch longitudinally of the axis 136. The open loop 140 is
struck about axis 145 that is substantially perpendicular to axis
136 and has an arcing on the radius of approximately 7/16ths inch.
Finger 146 has a length of approximately 1 and 11/16ths inch from
the inside diameter of the socket portion 134 in the plane that
is common to axis 136 and the camming end portion 148 is struck
downwardly about an arc on a radius of approximately 3/4ths of and
inch, to dispose the lower portion of the closed loop defined by
the finger terminus 150 approximately 5/8ths of an inch below the
upper level of the finger 146.
It will therefore be seen that the invention provides a simple
heel retractor for wheel chair foot rest assemblies that is of one
piece construction, that requires no modification of existing foot
rest assembly structures, and that is applied without requiring
any type of separate fasteners, drilling of holes, etc. The application
of the retractor to complete the foot rest assembly that is provided
by the invention involves a simple slip on snap fit application
of the retractor to the foot rest support, and a finger action type
wind up pulling and lifting application on the retractor finger
to set in biased operation against the rear side 121 of the heel
strap.
Thereafter the retractor works automatically to reverse or invert
the heel from its normal heel receiving position to its out of the
way position as illustrated in FIGS. 5, 9 and 10 for achieving full
retraction of the foot rest assemblies, free of operational problems
caused by patient inability or failure to manually reverse the heel
straps in question. On return of the foot rest assemblies to their
extended positions, normal positioning of the patient's feet on
the foot rest members achieves the desired heel receiving catenary
type shaping of the assembly heel straps.
The metal components of chair 10 are typically formed from chrome
plated steel, but of course other metal and/or plastic materials
of adequate strength, etc. may be employed. Frame 12 is typically
equipped with fabrics and cushioning as needed to define the chair
seat and back, all arranged in any conventional manner.
The foregoing description and the drawings are given merely to
explain and illustrate the invention and the invention is not to
be limited thereto, except insofar as the appended claims are so
limited, since those skilled in the art who have the disclosure
before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein
without departing from the scope of the invention. |