초록 ▼

A wheel chair with several new and useful features is provided. Those new and useful features provide the wheel chair with enhanced lateral stability, automatic cocking of an automatic locking device whenever an occupant sits in the wheel chair, and a holding mechanism that enables the wheel chair t

A wheel chair with several new and useful features is provided. Those new and useful features provide the wheel chair with enhanced lateral stability, automatic cocking of an automatic locking device whenever an occupant sits in the wheel chair, and a holding mechanism that enables the wheel chair to be freely wheeled about when there is no occupant, and automatically move to a cocked state as soon as an occupant sits on the chair. The result is an automatic locking system for a manual wheelchair that unlocks the wheels for intentional motion when the chair is occupied, and locks the wheelchair wheels immediately when it is unoccupied, yet in no way interferes with the typical locking mechanism of the standard manual wheelchair when so desired.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A wheelchair having a pair of wheels, a pair of chair rails and a pair of seat rails, where each chair rail of the pair of chair rails is located on one side of the one of the pairs of wheels and is paired with a respective seat rail of the pair of seat rails that is located on the same side of t

1. A wheelchair having a pair of wheels, a pair of chair rails and a pair of seat rails, where each chair rail of the pair of chair rails is located on one side of the one of the pairs of wheels and is paired with a respective seat rail of the pair of seat rails that is located on the same side of the one of the pairs of wheels, where each seat rail is oriented on top of a respective chair rail, the seat rails supporting a seat for an occupant of the wheelchair, the pair of seat and the pair of chair rails being spaced apart when the wheelchair is in an open condition and the pair of seat rails and the pair of chair rails being moveable toward each other to enable the wheelchair to be collapsed to a folded condition, each pair of seat and chair rails located on a respective side of one of the wheels having respective first ends that can separate from each other, and respective second ends opposite the first ends, at least one pair of the seat and chair rails located on a side of one of the wheels being biased to an orientation where their first ends are separated from each other, the first ends of the pair of seat and chair rails being automatically moveable against their bias and toward each other when a wheelchair occupant sits on seat supported by the seat rails, and the first ends of the pair of seat and chair rails located on the side of the one of the wheels being automatically moveable under the bias to a separated position when a wheelchair occupant starts to rise from the seat, an auto locking mechanism including a brake that automatically locks a wheel of the wheelchair against movement when the first ends of the pair of seat and chair rails located on the side of the one of the wheels move under the bias to a separated position, and automatically unlocks the wheel when a wheelchair occupant sits on the seat and causes the first ends of the seat and chair rails located on the side of the one of the wheels to move toward each other against the bias, the second ends of the pair of seat and chair rails located on the side of the one of the wheels, and a lock mechanism that maintains the second ends of the pair of seat and chair rails located on the side of the one of the wheels in predetermined positions relative to each other during all relative movements of the first ends of the seat and chair rails on the side of the one of the wheels relative to each other, the lock mechanism being selectively releasable to allow the pairs of seat and chair rails on the side of the one of the wheels to move upwards together toward each other when the wheelchair is being collapsed, wherein a latch and spring assembly is associated with the lock mechanism and is selectively operable to release the lock mechanism and allow the pairs of seat and chair rails to move upwards together toward each other when the wheelchair is being collapsed, and wherein the lock mechanism is slidable along a vertical support of the wheelchair and engages the second ends of at least one pair of seat and chair rails, to maintain the second ends of the pair of seat and chair rails in their predetermined positions relative to each other. 2. The wheelchair of claim 1 wherein the latch and spring assembly comprises a latch member slidable with the lock mechanism along the vertical support and a spring member that is in fixed position on the vertical support; wherein the spring member is biased into engagement with a notch of the latch member to hold the locking member in a fixed position along the vertical support with the wheelchair is in an open condition; and wherein the spring member is selectively moved against its bias and out of engagement with the latch member, to allow the locking mechanism, and the seat and chair rails connected with the locking mechanism to slide along the vertical support member as the wheelchair is being folded to its collapsed condition. 3. The wheelchair of claim 2, wherein the one pair of seat and chair rails has a predetermined orientation in which the seat rails is located on top of the chair rail associated with that seat rail when the wheelchair is in an open condition, and wherein the auto locking mechanism comprises a brake shoe located below the chair rail of that pair, and stabilizing structure is provided on at least one side of that pair of seat and chair rails and is configured to maintain lateral stability of that pair of seat and chair rails and the brake shoe whenever the wheelchair is in an open condition. 4. The wheelchair of claim 3, wherein the stabilizing structure comprises one or more shims located on at least one side of the pair of seat and chair rails and the brake shoe, to maintain lateral stability of the pair of seat and chair rails and the brake shoe whenever the wheelchair is in an open condition. 5. The wheelchair of claim 4, wherein the auto lock mechanism comprises a brake actuator member that moves in opposite directions in relation to the brake shoe, the brake actuator being (i) automatically moveable in a first direction when an occupant sits on the wheelchair to move the brake shoe to a released position relative to the wheel of the wheelchair and to place one or more springs in a cocked state from which when released they automatically move the brake shoe to a locking position in which it locks the wheel of the wheelchair, and (ii) automatically moveable in a second direction whenever the occupant starts to rise from the wheelchair to release the springs from their cocked state and allows the springs to move the brake shoe to a locking position. 6. The wheelchair of claim 5, wherein the brake shoe is located below the chair rail and is slidably coupled with the chair rail by means of a brake shoe slider bearing, wherein one or more biasing springs acts directly or indirectly on the brake shoe and biases the brake shoe into locking engagement with the wheel of the wheel chair, wherein the biasing springs are all in a state of tension or compression that are against their respective bias when the brake shoe is in an unlocked condition, and each biasing spring is released from its state of compression or tension and acts on the brake shoe to urge the brake shoe into engagement with a wheel of the wheelchair when a patient starts to rise from the seat, and wherein the brake shoe actuator is pivotally connected with the chair rail and acts on the brake shoe to urge the brake shoe to an unlocked condition when a patient is seated on the wheelchair. 7. The wheelchair of claim 6, wherein the brake shoe actuator is pivotally connected with the chair rail and acts on a roller on the brake shoe to urge the brake shoe to the unlocked condition. 8. The wheelchair of claim 7, wherein a stabilizing slider bearing acts between the chair rail and the brake shoe to laterally stabilize the movement of the brake shoe. 9. The wheelchair of claim 8, wherein at least one of the biasing springs comprises a stabilizing compression spring on the inside of the chair rail that acts on the slider bearing and helps urge the brake shoe into engagement with the wheel while also laterally stabilizing the movement of the brake shoe when the brake shoe is urged into engagement with the wheel of the wheelchair. 10. The wheelchair of claim 9, wherein the biasing springs comprise a return spring that acts between the chair rail and the brake shoe actuator to urge the brake shoe actuator to a condition where it raises the seat rail when a patient starts to rise from the seat, to enhance the movement of the brake shoe into engagement with the wheel of the wheelchair when a patient starts to rise from the wheelchair. 11. The wheelchair of claim 10, wherein a gravity operated holding member is in a holding condition in which it holds the first ends of the pairs of seat and chair rails in proximity to each other and in a state in which the biasing springs are in tension and/or compression against their respective spring bias when there is no occupant in the wheelchair, so that the auto locking mechanism is held out of engagement with the wheel of the wheelchair when there is no occupant in the wheelchair, thereby enabling the wheelchair to be freely wheeled, and wherein the gravity operated member is automatically released from the holding condition when an occupant sits on the seat, whereby the occupant will cause the first ends of the pairs of seat and chair rails to move to even closer proximity to each other such that biasing springs are maintained in their respective states of tension or compression that is against their respective bias, when the wheelchair occupant is seated on the seat. 12. A wheelchair having a pair of wheels, a pair of chair rails and a pair of seat rails, where each chair rail of the pair of chair rails is located on one side of the one of the pairs of wheels and is paired with a respective seat rail of the pair of seat rails that is located on the same side of the one of the pairs of wheels, where each seat rail is oriented on top of a respective chair rail, the seat rails supporting a seat for an occupant of the wheelchair, at least one pair of the seat and chair rails being located on one side of one of the wheels and being biased to an orientation where their first ends are separated from each other, the first ends of the pair of seat and chair rails being automatically moveable against their bias and toward each other when a wheelchair occupant sits on seat supported by the seat rails, and the first ends of the pair of seat and chair rails being automatically moveable under the bias to a separated position when a wheelchair occupant starts to rise from the seat, an auto locking mechanism including a brake that automatically locks a wheel of the wheelchair against movement when the first ends of the pair of seat and chair rails move under the bias to a separated position, and automatically unlocks the wheel when a wheelchair occupant sits on the seat and causes the first ends of the pair of seat and chair rails to move toward each other against the bias; wherein the pair of seat and chair rails has a predetermined orientation in which the seat rail is located on top of the chair rail, and wherein the auto locking mechanism comprises a brake shoe located below the chair rail of that pair of seat and chair rails, and a stabilizing structure is provided on at least one side of that pair of seat and chair rails and is configured to maintain lateral stability of that pair of seat and chair rails and the brake shoe whenever the wheelchair is in an open condition; wherein the stabilizing structure comprises one or more shims located on at least one side of the pair of seat and chair rails and the brake shoe, to maintain lateral stability of the pair of seat and chair rails and the brake shoe whenever the wheelchair is in an open, uncollapsed, condition. 13. The wheelchair of claim 12, wherein the auto lock mechanism comprises a brake actuator member that moves in opposite directions in relation to the brake shoe, the brake actuator being (i) automatically moveable in a first direction when an occupant sits on the wheelchair to move the brake shoe to a released position relative to the wheel of the wheelchair and to place one or more springs in a cocked state from which when released they automatically move the brake shoe to a locking position in which it locks the wheel of the wheelchair, and (ii) automatically moveable in a second direction whenever the occupant starts to rise from the wheelchair to release the springs from their cocked state and allows the springs to move the brake shoe to a locking position. 14. The wheelchair of claim 13, wherein the brake shoe is located below the chair rail and is slidably coupled with the chair rail by means of a brake shoe slider bearing, wherein one or more biasing springs acts directly or indirectly on the brake shoe and biases the brake shoe into locking engagement with the wheel of the wheelchair, wherein the biasing springs are all in a state of tension or compression that are against their respective bias when the brake shoe is in an unlocked condition, and each biasing spring is released from its state of compression or tension and acts on the brake shoe to urge the brake shoe into engagement with a wheel of the wheelchair when a patient starts to rise from the seat, and wherein the brake shoe actuator is pivotally connected with the chair rail and acts on the brake shoe to urge the brake shoe to an unlocked condition when a patient is seated on the wheelchair. 15. The wheelchair of claim 14, wherein the brake shoe actuator is pivotally connected with the chair rail and acts on a roller on the brake shoe to urge the brake shoe to the unlocked condition. 16. The wheelchair of claim 15, wherein a stabilizing slider bearing acts between the chair rail and the brake shoe to laterally stabilize the movement of the brake shoe. 17. The wheelchair of claim 16, wherein at least one of the biasing springs comprises a stabilizing compression spring on the inside of the chair rail that acts on the slider bearing and helps urge the brake shoe into engagement with the wheel while also laterally stabilizing the movement of the brake shoe when the brake shoe is urged into engagement with the wheel of the wheelchair. 18. The wheelchair of claim 17, wherein the biasing springs comprise a return spring that acts between the chair rail and the brake shoe actuator to urge the brake shoe actuator to a condition where it raises the seat rail when a patient starts to rise from the seat, to enhance the movement of the brake shoe into engagement with the wheel of the wheelchair when a patient starts to rise from the wheelchair.