U.S. patent application number 09/904588 was filed with the patent office on 2003-01-16 for wheelchair having a height adjustable seat.
Invention is credited to Bell, Dale A..
Application Number | 20030011229 09/904588 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25419395 |
Filed Date | 2003-01-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030011229 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bell, Dale A. |
January 16, 2003 |
Wheelchair having a height adjustable seat
Abstract
A height adjustable seat for wheelchair having a frame, wheels,
a wheelchair seat and back operably connected thereto includes a
base with connector for connecting the base to the frame of the
wheelchair, a seat, and an elevator operably connecting the base
and the seat for adjustably elevating the seat to a selectable
height, a remote control therefor, and wherein there are provided
an anti-pinch point covers and torsion spring mechanisms to aid the
elevation of the seat.
Inventors: |
Bell, Dale A.; (Wilmington,
OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
R. William Graham
22 S. St. Clair St.
Dayton
OH
45402
US
|
Family ID: |
25419395 |
Appl. No.: |
09/904588 |
Filed: |
July 13, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/344.17 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61G 5/1059
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/344.17 |
International
Class: |
A47C 001/02 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A wheelchair having a height adjustable seat, comprising: a
frame having a pair of laterally disposed side members, wherein
each said side member has a seat supporting bar and a wheel
supporting hub; a wheel operably connected to each said hub; and a
seat having a base with means for connecting said base to said side
members and means operably connecting said base and said seat for
adjustably elevating said seat to a selectable height, wherein said
elevation means includes scissor like support members which
interconnect said base and said seat to move between an extended
raised position and a retracted lower position, and having a spring
connected to said support members to normally bias said support
members toward said extended raised position, and a motor operably
connected to said support members to further aid in movement of
said support members between said positions.
2. The wheelchair having a height adjustable seat according to
claim 1, wherein said seat includes means for collapsing said
wheelchair with said height adjustable seat connected thereto.
3. The wheelchair having a adjustable seat according to claim 2,
wherein said base is pivotally connected to said wheelchair
frame.
4. The wheelchair having a adjustable seat according to claim 1,
which further includes a remote control operatively associated with
said motor for controlling operation of said motor.
5. The wheelchair having a adjustable seat according to claim 1,
which further includes at least one anti-pinch point cover which
extends from said seat over a portion of said wheelchair.
6. The wheelchair having a adjustable seat according to claim 5,
wherein said portion is an arm of said wheelchair.
7. The wheelchair having a adjustable seat according to claim 5,
wherein said portion is a leg support of said wheelchair
8. The wheelchair having a adjustable seat according to claim 5,
wherein said portion is a back of said wheelchair
9. The wheelchair having a adjustable seat according to claim 1,
which further includes an expandable boot cover which extends from
said seat to said base.
10. A wheelchair having a height adjustable seat, comprising. a
frame having a pair of laterally disposed side members, wherein
each said side member has a seat supporting bar and a wheel
supporting hub; a wheel operably connected to each said hub; a seat
having a base with means for connecting said base to said side
members and means operably connecting said base and said seat for
adjustably elevating said seat to a selectable height; and at least
one anti-pinch point cover which extends from said seat over a
portion of said wheelchair.
11. The wheelchair having a height adjustable seat according to
claim 10, wherein said seat includes means for collapsing said
wheelchair with said height adjustable seat connected thereto.
12. The wheelchair having a adjustable seat according to claim 11,
wherein said base is pivotally connected to said wheelchair
frame.
13. The wheelchair having a adjustable seat according to claim 10,
which further includes a remote control operatively associated with
said motor for controlling operation of said motor.
14. The wheelchair having a adjustable seat according to claim 10,
wherein said elevation means includes scissor like support members
which interconnect said base and said seat to move between an
extended raised position and a retracted lower position, and having
a spring connected to said support members to normally bias said
support members toward said extended raised position, and a motor
operably connected to said support members to further aid in
movement of said support members between said positions.
15. The wheelchair having a adjustable seat according to claim 10,
wherein said portion is an arm of said wheelchair.
16. The wheelchair having a adjustable seat according to claim 10,
wherein said portion is a leg support of said wheelchair.
17. The wheelchair having a adjustable seat according to claim 10,
wherein said portion is a back of said wheelchair.
18. The wheelchair having a adjustable seat according to claim 10,
which further includes an expandable boot cover which extends from
said seat to said base.
19. A wheelchair having a height adjustable seat, comprising: a
frame having a pair of laterally disposed side members, wherein
each said side member has a seat supporting bar and a wheel
supporting hub; a wheel operably connected to each said hub; a seat
having a base with means for connecting said base to said side
members and means operably connecting said base and said seat for
adjustably elevating said seat to a selectable height; and wherein
said seat includes means for collapsing said wheelchair with said
height adjustable seat connected thereto.
20. The wheelchair having a height adjustable seat according to
claim 19, at least one anti-pinch point cover which extends from
said seat over a portion of said wheelchair.
21. The wheelchair having a adjustable seat according to claim 19,
wherein said base is pivotally connected to said wheelchair
frame.
22. The wheelchair having a adjustable seat according to claim 19,
which further includes a remote control operatively associated with
said motor for controlling operation of said motor.
23. The wheelchair having a adjustable seat according to claim 19,
wherein said elevation means includes scissor like support members
which interconnect said base and said seat to move between an
extended raised position and a retracted lower position, and having
a spring connected to said support members to normally bias said
support members toward said extended raised position, and a motor
operably connected to said support members to further aid in
movement of said support members between said positions.
24. The wheelchair having a adjustable seat according to claim 20,
wherein said portion is an arm of said wheelchair
25. The wheelchair having a adjustable seat according to claim 20,
wherein said portion is a leg support of said wheelchair.
26. The wheelchair having a adjustable seat according to claim 20,
wherein said portion is a back of said wheelchair.
27. The wheelchair having a adjustable seat according to claim 20,
which further includes an expandable boot cover which extends from
said seat to said base.
Description
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0001] This invention concerns improvements in or relating to a
height adjustable seat primarily for use on a wheelchair and like
apparatus for raising and lowering a seat of a wheelchair.
[0002] The present invention is an improvement over the teachings
in U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,248 which pertained to a retrofit adjustable
seat for connection to a conventional wheelchair having a frame,
wheels, a wheelchair seat and back operably connected thereto. Such
a seat comprised a base with releasable connector for connecting
the base to the frame of the wheelchair, a retrofit seat, and an
elevator operably connecting the base and the retrofit seat for
adjustably elevating the retrofit seat to a selectable height.
[0003] Even with the improvements made to the art, there remains a
need to improve the art. Particularly, the height adjustable seats
for a wheelchair may expose a person to certain pinch-points during
operation of the seat and or wheelchair. Accordingly, the present
invention aims to improve on the art to overcome the problem of
pinch-point exposure thus making a device for adjusting seat height
of a conventional wheelchair in a safer manner.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0004] It is an object to improve wheelchairs.
[0005] It is another object to provide an improved height
adjustable seat for a wheelchair while minimizing pinch-point
exposure to the user
[0006] It is yet another object to provide a height adjustable seat
for a wheelchair having improved elevation apparatus.
[0007] Accordingly, the invention is directed to an anti-pinch
point cover connectable to a seat for adjustably elevating the seat
to a selectable height with respect to a wheel chair. In a
preferred embodiment, the anti-pinch point cover includes a pair of
side arm flaps and a leg flap which are associated with the height
adjustable seat to extend over side arms and leg supports of a
wheelchair, respectively, during operation of the height adjustable
seat. The cover also includes a back support panel. There is also
provided improved elevation spring based apparatus to ease the
elevation of the seat. Further, a remote control is provided.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the retrofit adjustable seat
of the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a wheelchair with the
retrofit adjustable seat of the present invention.
[0010] FIG. 2a is a perspective view of another embodiment
wheelchair with the retrofit adjustable seat of the present
invention.
[0011] FIG. 3 is a side view of the retrofit adjustable seat of the
present invention.
[0012] FIG. 3a is a side view of the retrofit adjustable seat of
the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a front view of retrofit adjustable seat of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0014] Referring to the drawings, the adjustable seat 10 which is
here shown to include a base 12 which is connected to the side
frame member 14 of a wheelchair W through use of brackets 16 which
are fixably slidably connected to the base 12. The base 12 may be
formed of any resilient and strong material, preferably a light
weight plastic, providing ease of portability along with strength.
It is also contemplated that the present invention may be
integrally formed as part of the wheelchair W or as a retrofit seat
therefor.
[0015] In the case of a retrofit, FIGS. 3 and 4 depict the brackets
16 as generally planar and elongated having an open surface 18
therein and a terminal end 20 which is slightly arcuate. Screws 22
are provided of a size such that the threads thereof are less in
diameter than the open surfaces 18 and are received within threaded
open surfaces 24 of the base 12 to enable connection of the
brackets 16 to the base 12 When the screws 22 are loosened, the
brackets 16 may be lengthwise positioned and then fixed in place by
tightening screws 22 to the base 12.
[0016] When the wheelchair W is opened the wheelchair side frame
members 14 typically open to a first predetermined spacing The
wheelchair side members 14 open to a second maximum spacing when a
person sits on the wheelchair W. The wheelchair side members 14
return to the first spacing when the person gets off the wheelchair
W.
[0017] The brackets 16 are positioned such that a distance between
the ends 20a and 20b are slightly greater than the second distance
to accommodate the side members 14 in their maximum spaced relation
The arcuate terminal ends 20a and 20b are in a fixed contact with
the wheelchair side members 14 to hold the adjustable seat 10 in
place until the person gets off of the wheelchair W, at which time
the wheelchair side members 14 return to their first spaced
relation to permit removal of the retrofit adjustable seat 10.
Also, the screws 22 can be loosened to aid the removal of the
retrofit adjustable seat.
[0018] Means 26 for elevating are provided and include a base
support member 28 connected to the base 12, side support members 30
and 31, and a top support member 32. An end 33 of side support
member 31 is hingedly connected to an end 35 of side support member
30. An end 36 of side support member 31 is hingedly connected to
top support member 32 and an end 37 of side support member 30 is
hingedly connected to base support member 28. Interconnecting
members 38 are also provided, which interconnect ends 33 and 35 and
each have a threaded open surface 40 which coaxially align. A
threaded bar 42 has opposite threaded ends and threads to open
surfaces 40. In this way, the side support members 30 and 31
performs scissors like function of opening and closing upon the
threading and unthreading of the bar 42.
[0019] The elevating means 26 includes a motor 48 which is slidably
connected to a linear race track 50 which in turn is connected to
the base 12. The motor 48 includes a jointed rotatable shaft 60
extends from the motor 48 and fixably connects to the end of the
threaded shaft 42. A stop 61 limits translational movement such
that the threaded bar 42 does not thread beyond and out of the
threaded open surfaces 40. The motor 48 can be powered by a battery
49 or other energy source, for example, which can be connected to
the base 12. Further, torsion springs 58 are fixably connected at
their ends to support members 30 and 31 such that they are normally
in a relaxed state when the support members 30 and 31 are in an
extended position and seat 44 is in a raised position. Thus, the
springs 58 aid to normally bias the seat 40 toward a raised
position which in turn reduces the amount of work to be done by the
motor 48. It is contemplated that other springs such as extension
springs can be employed, for example, interconnecting the
interconnecting members 38 to further aid in raising the seat
44.
[0020] The seat 44 is connected to the top support member 32. The
seat 44 preferably includes a bottom made of rigid material to
support an individual when seated thereon as well as a soft cushion
disposed on top of the bottom. The seat 44 may be formed in any
variety of configurations. For example, the seat 44 may be formed
with a central raised edge portion 46 the purpose of which is to
aid in leg comfort and support to the user as well as provide
additional space therebeneath for accommodating the motor 48.
[0021] An electronic controller receiver 70 is operably connected
to the motor 48 and battery 49 to cause activation of the motor 48
in forward and reverse directions A remote control transmitter 71
is provided with an internal battery power source and equipped to
send signals to the receiver 70 to cause rotation forward, backward
or to stop rotation. Optionally, a control can operably connect to
the motor 48 and battery 49 and can be disposed adjacent the seat
44 or on the wheelchair W. The control may be a hand operated
switch or a joy stick mounted on a cord, for example, wherein
moving the switch or joy stick one direction raises the seat 44 and
moving the switch or joy stick in another direction lowers the
seat.
[0022] A flexible expandable boot cover (side cover) 64 can be
optionally included to cover the seat 10, elevating means 26 and
base 12. The cover 64 can be of any suitable cloth or synthetic
material.
[0023] An anti-pinch point cover 100 and is intended to compliment
the adjustable seat 10. The anti-pinch point cover 100 can be
fabricated from a polymer, polyfoam and or cloth material for
example. The cover 100 may be formed of any flexible or resilient
and strong material, preferably a light weight plastic and which
provides ease of portability. The cover 100 includes a pair of side
flaps 112 which can be connected to the base 12 and are of a
sufficient length and flexibility to remain draped over a side arm
members 114 of wheelchair W. Further a leg flap 116 can be
connected to the base 12 and is of sufficient length and
flexibility to remain draped over leg supports 118 of the
wheelchair W. A back panel 120 can also be provided to connect to
the seat 44 and extend upwardly to form a back rest therefor.
[0024] Finally, it is now contemplated by the inventor that the
ends 20a and/or 20b can be formed in with a slot 21a, for example,
and the side member 14 include a threaded bores 124 to receive
locking wing nuts 23a. Thus, this provides for a substitute seat of
the wheelchair W. In this embodiment, the end 20b of the brackets
16 can be loosened and slid inwardly such that the adjustable seat
10 can swing or pivot to a vertical position and hang by ends 20a.
The present invention now provides a compact means for either
retrofitting a conventional wheelchair or providing an integral
wheelchair which includes the features of an improved height
adjustable seat and means for collapsing the wheelchair with the
eight adjustable seat attached thereto in a conventional manner,
i.e, inwardly from the wheelchair's sides.
[0025] While the present invention has been set forth above in a
preferred embodiment, it is contemplated that other modifications,
improvements and derivations will be readily apparent to those
skilled in the art. For example, it is contemplated that the
support members 30 and 31 could be alternatively designed as shown
in FIG. 3a. Accordingly, the appended claims hereto should be
accorded the full scope of protection of any such modifications,
improvements and derivations.
* * * * *