초록 ▼

A wheeled chair for transporting patients includes a plurality of footrests for supporting a patient's feet thereon. Each footrest is pivotable between an up position and a down position, and includes a biasing mechanism for biasing the footrest toward the up position, or the down position, or which

A wheeled chair for transporting patients includes a plurality of footrests for supporting a patient's feet thereon. Each footrest is pivotable between an up position and a down position, and includes a biasing mechanism for biasing the footrest toward the up position, or the down position, or whichever of the two positions the footrest is currently closer to. A swing mechanism swings the footrests from a use position in front of the seat to a stowed position alongside the seat. A trigger, such as a button, automatically activates the swinging. The swinging may take place about a vertical axis that is common to the axis about which the front caster wheels swivel. Pivot extensions may be included on the footrests that provide a tool for enabling a caregiver to manually pivot the footrest between the up and down positions with his or her foot.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A chair for transporting a patient, said chair comprising: a frame having right and left front legs and right and left rear legs, said right and left front legs extending rearwardly and upwardly from a front end of the chair to a rear end of the chair; said right and left rear legs extending forw

1. A chair for transporting a patient, said chair comprising: a frame having right and left front legs and right and left rear legs, said right and left front legs extending rearwardly and upwardly from a front end of the chair to a rear end of the chair; said right and left rear legs extending forwardly and upwardly from a back end of the chair toward the front end of the chair, said right front leg and said right rear leg crisscrossing each other at a fixed angle, and said left front leg and said left rear leg crisscrossing each other at the fixed angle;a seat coupled to said rear legs, said right and left rear legs terminating underneath said seat;a right and left front wheel directly coupled to said right and left front legs, respectively;a right and left rear wheel coupled to said right and left rear legs, respectively;a right footrest coupled to said right front leg, said right footrest pivotable about a first pivot axis between an up and a down position; anda left footrest coupled to said left front leg, said left footrest pivotable about a second pivot axis between an up and a down position; andwherein the right and left front legs are spaced apart from each other a first distance where the right and left front legs crisscross the right and left rear legs, respectively, and wherein the right and left front legs are spaced apart from each other a second distance where the right and left front wheels are coupled to the right and left front legs, said second distance being greater than said first distance. 2. The chair of claim 1 further including: a right swing mechanism adapted to swing said right footrest between a use position in front of the chair and a stowed position alongside the chair; anda left swing mechanism adapted to swing said left footrest between a use position in front of the chair and a stowed position alongside the chair. 3. The chair of claim 2 wherein said right footrest is pivotable about a first pivot axis between an up and a down position, and said right footrest includes a first biasing member that biases said right footrest toward at least one of said up and down positions; and wherein said left footrest is pivotable about a second pivot axis between an up and a down position, said left footrest including a second biasing member that biases said left footrest toward at least one of said up and down positions. 4. The chair of claim 2 further including: a right button that, when pushed, automatically swings the right footrest from the use position to the stowed position; anda left button that, when pushed, automatically swings the left footrest from the use position to the stowed position. 5. The chair of claim 4 wherein said right swing mechanism automatically slows a speed of the right footrest as it swings to the stowed position, and the left swing mechanism automatically slows a speed of said left footrest as it swings to the stowed position. 6. The chair of claim 5 wherein said right and left swing mechanisms are adapted to prevent the right and left footrests, respectively, from impacting said frame when the right and left footrests swing to the stowed position. 7. The chair of claim 1 wherein said right footrest includes a first foot support and a first pivot extension positioned at opposite ends of the right footrest, said first pivot extension adapted to allow a caregiver to manually flip said right footrest from the up position to the down position; and wherein said left footrest includes a second foot support and a second pivot extension positioned at opposite ends of the left footrest, said second pivot extension adapted to allow a caregiver to manually flip said left footrest from the up position to the down position. 8. The chair of claim 1 wherein the right and left front wheels are spaced apart from each other a greater distance than the right and left rear wheels are spaced apart from each other. 9. The chair of claim 8 wherein the right and left rear legs terminate at right and left upper ends, respectively, underneath said seat, and the chair further includes a right and a left bracket coupled to the right and left upper ends of the right and left rear legs, respectively, the right and left brackets supporting the seat. 10. A chair for transporting a patient, said chair comprising: a frame;a seat supported on said frame;a plurality of wheels coupled to said frame to allow said chair to roll;a first footrest coupled to said frame, said first footrest able to swing between a use position in front of said seat and a stowed position alongside said seat;a second footrest coupled to said frame, said second footrest also able to swing between a use position in front of said seat and a stowed position alongside said seat;a first trigger for automatically swinging, when activated, said first footrest from the use position to the stowed position; anda second trigger for automatically swinging, when activated, said second footrest from the use position to the stowed position; and whereinsaid first and second triggers are first and second buttons, respectively; said first button is adapted to be pushed down along a first vertical axis that also defines a first swivel axis about which a first front wheel of said chair is able to swivel; andsaid second button is adapted to be pushed down along a second vertical axis that also defines a second swivel axis about which a second front wheel of said chair is able to swivel. 11. The chair of claim 10 wherein said plurality of wheels includes first and second rear wheels and first and second front wheels; and wherein said frame includes a first leg positioned along a first side of said chair and a second leg positioned along a second side of said chair; said first and second legs slanting forwardly and downwardly from a position behind said seat to first and second ends, respectively, positioned adjacent said first and second front wheels. 12. The chair of claim 11 wherein said first and second footrests are coupled to said first and second ends of said first and second legs, respectively. 13. The chair of claim 12 wherein said frame further includes third and fourth legs to which said first and second rear wheels are rotatably coupled, respectively, wherein said third and fourth legs slant forwardly and upwardly from said first and second rear wheels to first and second seat brackets, respectively, said first and second seat brackets supporting said seat. 14. The chair of claim 13 wherein said first and third legs crisscross each other, and said second and fourth legs crisscross each other. 15. The chair of claim 10 wherein said first and second footrests are each pivotable between up and down positions, and said first and second footrests each include first and second biasing mechanisms, respectively, adapted to bias said first and second footrests toward the up position. 16. The chair of claim 15 wherein said first footrest includes a first foot support and a first pivot extension positioned at opposite ends of the first footrest, said first pivot extension adapted to allow a caregiver to manually flip said first footrest from the up position to the down position; and wherein said second footrest includes a second foot support and a second pivot extension positioned at opposite ends of the second footrest, said second pivot extension adapted to allow a caregiver to manually flip said second footrest from the up position to the down position. 17. A chair for transporting a patient, said chair comprising: a frame;a seat supported on said frame;a plurality of wheels coupled to said frame to allow said chair to roll;a first footrest coupled to said frame, said first footrest able to swing between a use position in front of said seat and a stowed position alongside said seat;a second footrest coupled to said frame, said second footrest also able to swing between a use position in front of said seat and a stowed position alongside said seat;a first trigger for automatically swinging, when activated, said first footrest from the use position to the stowed position;a second trigger for automatically swinging, when activated, said second footrest from the use position to the stowed position;a first torsion spring adapted to create a first rotational force sufficient to cause the first footrest to automatically swing to said stowed position when said first trigger is activated;a second torsion spring adapted to create a second rotational force sufficient to cause the second footrest to automatically swing to said stowed position when said second trigger is activated;a first compression spring and first lock insert that together are adapted to create a first locking force that urges said first footrest to remain in whichever of the use position and stowed position said first footrest is currently in; anda second compression spring and a second lock insert that together are adapted to create a second locking force that urges said second footrest to remain in whichever of the use position and stowed position said second footrest is currently in. 18. The chair of claim 17 wherein said first and second triggers are first and second buttons, respectively. 19. The chair of claim 18 wherein said first and second buttons are oriented such that a generally vertical force is required to push said first and second buttons. 20. The chair of claim 17 wherein said plurality of wheels includes first and second front wheels and first and second rear wheels, said first and second front wheels being castered such that they may swivel about first and second generally vertical pivot axes, respectively; and wherein said first footrest is able to swing about said first generally vertical pivot axis between the use position and the stowed position, and said second footrest is able to swing about said second generally vertical pivot axis between the use position and the stowed position. 21. The chair of claim 20 wherein said first and second triggers are first and second buttons, respectively; said first and second buttons are located in a position below a height of said seat; and said first and second buttons are oriented such that a generally vertical force is required to push said first and second buttons. 22. A chair for transporting a patient, said chair comprising: a frame;a seat supported on said frame;a plurality of wheels coupled to said frame to allow said chair to roll;a first footrest coupled to said frame, said first footrest pivotable about a first pivot axis between an upward position configured to facilitate a patient's ingress into and egress from the chair and a downward position configured to support a patient's foot while seated in the chair, said first footrest including a first biasing member that biases said first footrest toward said upward position, said first footrest further including a first foot support and a first pivot extension positioned at opposite ends of said first footrest, said first pivot axis being positioned between said first foot support and said first pivot extension, said first pivot extension extending downwardly when said first footrest is in the upward position, and said first pivot extension adapted to allow a caregiver to manually flip said first footrest from the upward position to the downward position;a second footrest coupled to said frame, said second footrest pivotable about a second pivot axis between an upward position configured to facilitate a patient's ingress into and egress from the chair and a downward position configured to support a patient's foot while seated in the chair, said second footrest including a second biasing member that biases said second footrest toward said upward position, said second footrest further including a second foot support and a second pivot extension positioned at opposite ends of the second footrest, said second pivot axis being positioned between said second foot support and said second pivot extension, said second pivot extension extending downwardly when said second footrest is in the upward position, said second pivot extension adapted to allow a caregiver to manually flip said second footrest from the upward position to the downward position;a first swing mechanism adapted to swing said first footrest between a use position in front of the chair and a stowed position alongside the chair;a second swing mechanism adapted to swing said second footrest between a use position in front of the chair and a stowed position alongside the chair;a first button that, when pushed, automatically swings the first footrest from the use position to the stowed position; anda second button that, when pushed, automatically swings the second footrest from the use position to the stowed position; and whereinsaid first button is adapted to be pushed down along a first vertical axis that also defines a first swivel axis about which a first front one of said wheels of said chair is able to swivel; andsaid second button is adapted to be pushed down along a second vertical axis that also defines a second swivel axis about which a second front one of said wheels of said chair is able to swivel. 23. The chair of claim 22 wherein said first swing mechanism automatically slows a speed of the first footrest as it swings to the stowed position, and the second swing mechanism automatically slows a speed of said second footrest as it swings to the stowed position. 24. The chair of claim 22 wherein said first and second swing mechanisms are adapted to prevent the first and second footrests, respectively, from impacting said frame when the first and second footrests swing to the stowed position.