초록

The present invention relates to a wheelchair that provides for efficient, safe transfer of a patient from the wheelchair to a bed or from a bed to the wheelchair. The wheelchair may be locked to a bed using small wheels attached to the wheelchair, that engages a track mounted onto the bed.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A reclinable wheelchair comprising:a frame;at least two rear wheels and at least one front wheel attached to the frame for providing mobility to the wheelchair;a seat back, a seat, and leg supports for supporting a patient sitting into the wheelchair;a reclining mechanism attached to the seat bac

1. A reclinable wheelchair comprising:a frame;at least two rear wheels and at least one front wheel attached to the frame for providing mobility to the wheelchair;a seat back, a seat, and leg supports for supporting a patient sitting into the wheelchair;a reclining mechanism attached to the seat back and the leg supports, wherein the mechanism allows the seat back to recline up to 90 degrees and the leg supports to raise up to 90 degrees so that the seat back, the seat, and the leg supports form a flat surface substantially in a horizontal plane;at least one locking wheel for securing the wheelchair to a bed, the locking wheel being attached to the frame and positioned along at least one side of the wheelchair; andan actuator assembly comprising one or more actuator wheels, and one or more actuator arms; said one or more actuator wheels being movable from a lower position to an upward position relative to the at least one locking wheel, and as said one or more actuator wheels move from a lower position to an upward position, said one or more actuator arms engage with the reclining mechanism causing the seat back, the seat and the leg supports to transform from a sitting configuration to the flat surface substantially in a horizontal plane. 2. The wheelchair of claim 1, further comprising a locking pin device capable of locking the seat back in one or more positions ranging from a substantially vertical sitting position to a substantially horizontal position. 3. The wheelchair of claim 1, wherein the reclining mechanism comprises a scissor mechanism. 4. The wheelchair of claim 1, wherein the reclining mechanism comprises a pneumatic mechanism. 5. The wheelchair of claim 1, further comprising one or more top rails, one or more arm rails, and one or more leg rails, wherein the rails, when in a folded state, form padded rails, and when in an unfolded state, form a bed bridge. 6. The wheelchair of claim 1, wherein the frame is expandable in a width direction for accommodating narrow or wide patients. 7. The wheelchair of claim 1, wherein the frame is expandable in a height direction for accommodating short or tall patients. 8. The wheelchair of claim 1, further comprising a drive hand wheel for turning the rear wheels. 9. The wheelchair of claim 1, further comprising a motor for turning the rear wheels. 10. The wheelchair of claim 1, wherein the seat back, the seat, and the leg supports form a flat platform when in a horizontal plane; and wherein the flat platform is capable of rolling from a first position on the wheelchair to a second position on a bed bridge formed by unfolded top, arm, and leg rails. 11. The wheelchair of claim 1, further comprising a bed having a locking track attached thereto, wherein the at least one locking wheel of the wheelchair is interlockable with the locking track of the bed. 12. In combination, a reclinable wheelchair and a bed, wherein the reclinable wheelchair comprises:a frame;at least two rear wheels and at least one front wheel attached to the frame for providing mobility to the wheelchair;a seat back, a seat, and leg supports for supporting a patient sitting into the wheelchair;a reclining mechanism attached to the seat back and the leg supports, wherein the mechanism allows the seat back to recline up to 90 degrees and the leg supports to raise up to 90 degrees so that the seat back, the seat, and the leg supports form a flat surface substantially in a horizontal plane;at least one locking wheel for securing the wheelchair to a bed, the locking wheel being attached to the frame and positioned along at least one side of the wheelchair; andan actuator assembly comprising one or more actuator wheels, and one or more actuator arms; said one or more actuator wheels being movable from a lower position to an upward position relative to the at least one locking wheel, and as said one or more actuator wheels move from a lower position to an upward position, said one or more actuator arms engage with t he reclining mechanism causing the seat back, the seat and the leg supports to transform from a sitting configuration to the flat surface substantially in a horizontal plane; andwherein the bed comprises:at least one locking track attached to at least one side of the bed, wherein the at least one locking wheel of the wheelchair is interlockable with the locking track of the bed. 13. The combination of claim 12, wherein the wheelchair further comprises a locking pin device capable of locking the seat back in one or more positions ranging from a substantially vertical sitting position to a substantially horizontal position. 14. The combination of claim 12, wherein the wheelchair further comprises one or more top rails, one or more arm rails, and one or more leg rails, wherein the rails, when in a folded state, form padded rails, and when in an unfolded state, form a bed bridge between the wheelchair and the bed. 15. The combination of claim 12, wherein the wheelchair further comprises a drive hand wheel for turning the rear wheels. 16. The combination of claim 12, wherein the wheelchair further comprises a motor for turning the rear wheels. 17. The combination of claim 12, wherein the seat back, the seat, and the leg supports form a flat platform when in a horizontal plane; and wherein the flat platform is capable of rolling from a first position on the wheelchair to a second position on a bed bridge formed by unfolded top, arm, and leg rails. 18. The combination of claim 12, wherein the bed further comprises at least one actuator track attached to the same side of the bed as the at least one locking track; said at least one actuator track being inclined so as to have a lower portion of actuator track connected to an upper portion of actuator track; said one or more actuator wheels of the actuator assembly being interlockable with the at least one actuator track along the lower portion of actuator track when the reclinable wheelchair is in a sitting configuration, and being movable along the actuator track to the upper portion of actuator track. 19. A reclinable wheelchair comprising:a frame;at least two rear wheels and at least one front wheel attached to the frame for providing mobility to the wheelchair;a seat back, a seat, and leg supports for supporting a patient sitting into the wheelchair;a reclining mechanism attached to the seat back and the leg supports, wherein the mechanism allows the seat back to recline up to 90 degrees and the leg supports to raise up to 90 degrees so that the seat back, the seat, and the leg supports form a flat surface substantially in a horizontal plane;at least one locking wheel for securing the wheelchair to a bed, the locking wheel being attached to the frame and positioned along at least one side of the wheelchair; andone or more top rails, one or more arm rails, and one or more leg rails, wherein the rails, when in a folded state, form padded rails, and when in an unfolded state, form a bed bridge. 20. A reclinable wheelchair comprising:a frame;at least two rear wheels and at least one front wheel attached to the frame for providing mobility to the wheelchair;a seat back, a seat, and leg supports for supporting a patient sitting into the wheelchair;a reclining mechanism attached to the seat back and the leg supports, wherein the mechanism allows the seat back to recline up to 90 degrees and the leg supports to raise up to 90 degrees so that the seat back, the seat, and the leg supports form a flat surface substantially in a horizontal plane; andat least one locking wheel for securing the wheelchair to a bed, the locking wheel being attached to the frame and positioned along at least one side of the wheelchair;wherein the seat back, the seat, and the leg supports form a flat platform when in a horizontal plane; and wherein the flat platform is capable of rolling from a first position on the wheelchair to a second position on a bed bridge formed by unfolded top, arm, and leg rails. 21. In co mbination, a reclinable wheelchair and a bed, wherein the reclinable wheelchair comprises:a frame;at least two rear wheels and at least one front wheel attached to the frame for providing mobility to the wheelchair;a seat back, a seat, and leg supports for supporting a patient sitting into the wheelchair;a reclining mechanism attached to the seat back and the leg supports, wherein the mechanism allows the seat back to recline up to 90 degrees and the leg supports to raise up to 90 degrees so that the seat back, the seat, and the leg supports form a flat surface substantially in a horizontal plane;at least one locking wheel for securing the wheelchair to a bed, the locking wheel being attached to the frame and positioned along at least one side of the wheelchair; andone or more top rails, one or more arm rails, and one or more leg rails, wherein the rails, when in a folded state, form padded rails, and when in an unfolded state, form a bed bridge between the wheelchair and the bed; andwherein the bed comprises:at least one locking track attached to at least one side of the bed, wherein the at least one locking wheel of the wheelchair is interlockable with the locking track of the bed.