초록 ▼

A wheelchair brake comprising an activation lever, including a handle, the activation lever having a pivot, a pawl with pivot means at one end and a trapezoidal-shaped raised portion near its second end, a brake support housing having a notched bottom side plate, a U-shaped clamp for slidedly engagi

A wheelchair brake comprising an activation lever, including a handle, the activation lever having a pivot, a pawl with pivot means at one end and a trapezoidal-shaped raised portion near its second end, a brake support housing having a notched bottom side plate, a U-shaped clamp for slidedly engaging a leaf spring at the bottom of the housing, the leaf spring having a handle at one end and a Z-shaped portion at an opposite end extending into the housing through the notch in the bottom side plate, the Z-shaped portion further including a lancing detent at an intermediate portion, and a stop, wherein the stop, the activation lever, the pawl with raised portion, the Z-shaped leaf spring portion and lancing detent are in cooperative engagement in various combinations depending on whether the wheelchair brake is in neutral position, locked position, or in on-guard position for up-incline aid and down-incline drag braking.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A wheelchair brake comprising:an elongated flat activation lever having a first end and a second end, the activation lever having an upward directed bend at a pre-determined intermediate position from which the second end extends to form a handle;the activation lever furt

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A wheelchair brake comprising:an elongated flat activation lever having a first end and a second end, the activation lever having an upward directed bend at a pre-determined intermediate position from which the second end extends to form a handle;the activation lever further including pivot means integral with the activation lever, the pivot means being located at a pre-determined space apart relationship between the first end of the activation lever and the bend in the activation lever;a pawl, the pawl having pivot means at a first end and a trapezoidal-shaped raised portion juxtaposed an opposite second end of said pawl, the trapezoidal-shaped raised portion being engagable with the first end of the activation lever;the pawl and the activation lever further being pivotally mounted between matching trapezoidal-shaped first and second vertical side plates of a brake support housing;the brake support housing further including an integral top side plate, the first and second trapezoidal-shaped vertical side plates, an integral bottom side plate, a vertical first open end through which the activation lever extends upward to form the handle, a second open end opposite the first open end, the second open end being adjacent to a wheelchair tire, a bottom edge of each trapezoidal-shaped vertical side plate being shorter than the top edge of each trapezoidal-shaped vertical side plate thereby forming the trapezoidal-shape, and the bottom side plate further being notched at the second open end side;the brake support housing further including a limiting travel stop juxtaposed the top plate and the second open end side of the housing, said stop being engagable with the second end of said pawl;the brake support housing further including means for attaching the housing to a frame member of the wheelchair at a position along the frame member so that the second open end side of the housing is adjacent the tire;a leaf spring, the leaf spring being slidedly attached to the bottom side plate of the housing, the leaf spring further including a handle at a first end located below the vertical first open end of the housing and a Z-shaped portion at an opposite second end, the Z-shaped portion extending into the housing through the notch in the bottom side plate of the housing; andthe Z-shaped portion further including a lancing detent at an intermediate portion of said Z-shaped portion, the lancing detent directed toward the bottom side plate of the housing,wherein when the wheelchair brake is in the neutral position, the leaf spring handle is pushed in and the Z-shaped portion is engaged between the activation lever first end and the pawl second end juxtaposed the trapezoidal-shaped raised portion of said pawl,wherein when the wheelchair brake is in the on-guard position, the leaf spring handle is pushed in and the activation lever first end is free from engagement with the leaf spring Z-shaped portion and engaged with the second end of said pawl so as to engage the second end of said pawl with the tire,wherein when the wheelchair brake is in a locked position, the activation lever second end is pushed down such that the activation lever first end engages the trapezoidal-shaped raised portion of the pawl which in turn engages the stop, the second end of the pawl being in compression with the tire, andwherein when the leaf spring handle is pulled forward away from the housing, the lancing detent engages a top surface of the bottom side plate thereby preventing the second end of the activation lever from being pulled toward a vertical orientation and thereby allowing the pawl second end to drag against the tire.