초록 ▼

A wheel chair is configurable as a mobility and a positioning chair. The chair has a seat and backrest with opposite side rails to interchangeably receive various components. The seat has a taut sheet of plastic to reduce pressure points. The seat and backrest can tilt together with respect to a bas

A wheel chair is configurable as a mobility and a positioning chair. The chair has a seat and backrest with opposite side rails to interchangeably receive various components. The seat has a taut sheet of plastic to reduce pressure points. The seat and backrest can tilt together with respect to a base frame. The backrest can recline with respect to the seat.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A mobility or positioning chair device or both for patients or residents, the chair device comprising: a) a wheel base with a base frame intercoupling a plurality of casters;b) a seat coupled to the base frame and having a seat frame with a pair of seat rails including left and right side seat ra

1. A mobility or positioning chair device or both for patients or residents, the chair device comprising: a) a wheel base with a base frame intercoupling a plurality of casters;b) a seat coupled to the base frame and having a seat frame with a pair of seat rails including left and right side seat rails extending longitudinally on respective left and right sides of the seat and coupled to one another in a spaced-apart relationship by at least one seat cross-bar, the seat rails having longitudinally oriented elongated channels;c) a sheet of flexible and resilient plastic carried by the seat frame and held taut between the pair of seat rails with lateral ends of the sheet of plastic retained in the channels of the pair of seat rails, the sheet of plastic extending a longitudinal depth of the seat from a forward end of the pair of seat rails to a rearward end of the pair of seat rails;d) a backrest coupled to the seat and having a backrest frame with a pair of backrest rails including left and right side backrest rails on respective sides of the backrest and coupled to one another in a spaced-apart relationship by at least one backrest cross-bar, the backrest rails having longitudinally oriented elongated channels; ande) a sheet of flexible and resilient plastic carried by the backrest frame and held taut between the pair of backrest rails with lateral ends of the sheet of plastic retained in the channels of the pair of backrest rails, the sheet of plastic extending a height of the backrest from a lower end of the pair of backrest rails to an upper end of the pair of backrest rails. 2. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the seat is pivotally coupled to the base frame at a pivot coupling located closer to a front of the seat and a front of the wheel base so that the seat and backrest tilt together with respect to the base frame with the seat between substantially horizontally and 30 degrees from horizontal; and the base frame is vertically moveable with respect to the casters, and the seat and backrest vertically are moveable with the base frame between a plurality of elevational heights ranging from 13 to 21 inches of the seating surface. 3. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the seat rails and the backrest rails both have T-slots foamed by longitudinally oriented elongated grooves with enlarged cavities and reduced openings into the cavities. 4. A device in accordance with claim 3, wherein the device further comprises at least two configurations, including: a) a mobility configuration in which the seating surface is selectively vertically positionable between an elevation of 13 to 17 inches, and in which the backrest is fixed with respect to the seat, and including: i) a first plurality of shorter caster posts extending vertically from the plurality of casters, with a pair of side arms of the base frame selectively coupled to the first plurality of shorter caster posts along a vertical range to selectively elevate the base frame with respect to the plurality of casters;ii) a pair of brackets coupled between the seat and the backrest and attaching the backrest frame to the seat frame, the pair of brackets coupled to the T-slots of the backrest rails and the seat rails, the pair of brackets selectively locatable in the seat rails to selectively locate the backrest with respect to the seat and selectively set a depth of the seat between 15 and 21 inches from a forward end of the seat;b) a positioning configuration in which the seating surface is selectively vertically positionable between an elevation of 18-21 inches, and in which the backrest tilts with respect to the seat, and including: i) a second plurality of taller caster posts interchangeable with the first plurality of shorter caster posts with the base frame selectively coupled to the second plurality of taller caster posts;ii) a pair of additional side braces including a left side brace and a right side brace extending longitudinally between the front and back wheels on respective left and right sides bellow the pair of side arms;ii) a recline mechanism coupled between the backrest and the seat, the recline mechanism selectively reclining the backrest with respect to the seat; andiii) a leg rest pivotally coupled to the seat. 5. A device in accordance with claim 3, wherein the seat further comprises: a forward seat cross-bar coupled to the T-slots of the pair of seat rails;a rear seat cross-bar coupled to open back ends of the pair of seat rails; anda center spar coupled extending longitudinally between the forward and rear seat cross-bars, and having an upwardly facing concave indentation and a forward end coupled to the base frame of the wheel base by the pivot coupling; and wherein the base frame of the wheel base further comprises: a center hub extending to a forward end at the pivot coupling. 6. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the seat frame is coupled to the base frame of the wheel base by a four-bar linkage comprising: the center hub of the base frame of the wheel base forming a base link;the center spar of the seat frame pivotally coupled to the center hub and forming a link; anda pair of links pivotally coupled in series between the center hub and the center spar; and further comprising: a gas spring coupled between at least two of the links. 7. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the center hub has a gap; and wherein the gas spring is disposed in the gap of the center hub. 8. A device in accordance with claim 3, wherein the T-slots of the pair of seat rails face laterally outwardly; and wherein the channels of the pair of seat rails face downwardly. 9. A device in accordance with claim 3, wherein the pair of seat rails each has a cross-sectional profile of three-quarters of an ellipse with a downward and outward facing quadrant thereof indented with respect to the ellipse and having therein the T-slot and the channel. 10. A device in accordance with claim 3, further comprising: a pair of brackets coupled between the seat and the backrest and attaching the backrest frame to the seat frame, the pair of brackets coupled to the T-slots of the backrest rails and the seat rails, the pair of brackets selectively locatable in the T-slots of the seat rails to selectively locate the backrest with respect to the seat and selectively set a depth of the seat. 11. A device in accordance with claim 3, wherein the backrest reclines with respect to the seat and the backrest frame is pivotally coupled to the seat frame, and further comprising: a recline mechanism coupled between the backrest and the seat. 12. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the backrest is reclineable with respect to the seat; and wherein reclining of the backrest with respect to the seat is independent of the elevational height of the seat and frame base with respect to the casters. 13. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the seat or the backrest further comprises: a pad disposed on the sheet of plastic; andeach side of the pad having an elongated flexible and resilient hook with a J-shaped cross-section with one end of the cross-section coupled to the pad and the other end of the cross-section extending into the channel. 14. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the seat has an open front end between forward ends of the pair of seat rails free of rigid structure with a forward end of the sheet of plastic deflectable downwardly. 15. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the sheet of plastic of the seat and backrest includes a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material. 16. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the sheet of plastic of the seat or backrest is at least translucent. 17. A device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising: a pair of armrests including left and right arm rests coupled to the respective left and right side seat rails;the pair of armrests each having an upper portion vertically adjustable with respect to a base portion at discrete intervals, including:an edge with a wavy profile including a plurality of alternating concave indentations and convex protrusions associated with one of the upper portion or the base portion; anda cam associated with the other of the upper portion or the base portion and disposed adjacent the edge, the cam being pivotal and having a convex portion engaging the concave indentation of the edge, and a concave portion engaging the convex protrusion of the edge;the cam being pivotal to displace the edge with the convex portion of the cam pivoting in the concave indentation of the edge, and the concave portion of the cam engaging the convex protrusion of the edge to displace the edge as the cam pivots. 18. A combined mobility and positioning chair device for periods of extended sitting and self-propelled independent mobility for patients or residents, the chair device comprising: a) a wheel base with a base frame intercoupling a plurality of casters;b) a first plurality of shorter caster posts with the base frame selectively coupled to the first plurality of shorter caster posts to elevate a seating surface within an elevational height range from 13 to 17 inches;c) a second plurality of taller caster posts interchangeable with the first plurality of shorter caster posts with the base frame selectively coupled to the second plurality of taller caster posts to elevate the seating surface within an elevational height range from 18 to 21 inches;d) a seat coupled to the base frame and having a seat frame with a pair of seat rails including left and right side seat rails extending longitudinally on respective left and right sides of the seat and coupled to one another in a spaced-apart relationship by at least one seat cross-bar, the seat rails having T-slots formed by longitudinally oriented elongated grooves with enlarged cavities and reduced openings into the cavities, the seat having the seating surface;e) a backrest coupled to the seat utilizing the T-slots of the pair of seat rails of the seat frame and having a backrest frame with a pair of backrest rails including left and right side backrest rails on respective sides of the backrest and coupled to one another in a spaced-apart relationship by at least one backrest cross-bar, the backrest rails having T-slots formed by longitudinally oriented elongated grooves with enlarged cavities and reduced openings into the cavities;f) a pair of brackets coupled between the seat and the backrest and attaching the backrest frame to the seat frame, the pair of brackets coupled to the T-slots of the backrest rails and the seat rails, the pair of brackets selectively locatable in the T-slots of the seat rails to selectively locate the backrest with respect to the seat and selectively set a depth of the seat;g) the seat pivotally coupled to the base frame at a pivot coupling located closer to a front of the seat and a front of the wheel base so that the seat and backrest tilt together with respect to the base frame; andh) a leg rest selectively coupleable to the seat. 19. A device in accordance with claim 18, further comprising: a) a sheet of flexible and resilient plastic carried by the seat frame and held taut between the pair of seat rails with lateral ends of the sheet of plastic retained in channels of the pair of seat rails, the sheet of plastic extending a longitudinal depth of the seat from a forward end of the pair of seat rails to a rearward end of the pair of seat rails; andb) a sheet of flexible and resilient plastic carried by the backrest frame and held taut between the pair of backrest rails with lateral ends of the sheet of plastic retained in channels of the pair of backrest rails, the sheet of plastic extending a height of the backrest from a lower end of the pair of backrest rails to a upper end of the pair of backrest rails. 20. A mobility or positioning chair device or both for patients or residents, the chair device comprising: a) a wheel base with a base frame intercoupling a plurality of casters;b) a seat coupled to the base frame and having a seat frame with a pair of seat rails including left and right side seat rails extending longitudinally on respective left and right sides of the seat and coupled to one another in a spaced-apart relationship by at least one seat cross-bar, the seat rails having T-slots formed by longitudinally oriented elongated grooves with enlarged cavities and reduced openings into the cavities; andc) a backrest coupled to the seat utilizing the T-slots of the pair of seat rails of the seat frame and having a backrest frame with a pair of backrest rails including left and right side backrest rails on respective sides of the backrest and coupled to one another in a spaced-apart relationship by at least one backrest cross-bar, the backrest rails having T-slots formed by longitudinally oriented elongated grooves with enlarged cavities and reduced openings into the cavities. 21. A device in accordance with claim 20, further comprising: a) a sheet of flexible and resilient plastic carried by the seat frame and held taut between the pair of seat rails with lateral ends of the sheet of plastic retained in channels of the pair of seat rails, the sheet of plastic extending a longitudinal depth of the seat from a forward end of the pair of seat rails to a rearward end of the pair of seat rails; andb) a sheet of flexible and resilient plastic carried by the backrest frame and held taut between the pair of backrest rails with lateral ends of the sheet of plastic retained in channels of the pair of backrest rails, the sheet of plastic extending a height of the backrest from a lower end of the pair of backrest rails to a upper end of the pair of backrest rails.