Conventional wheelchairs are provided with footrest assemblies including footrest hangers mounted to a seating frame of the wheelchair, and footrest plates secured to the footrest hangers for supporting the wheelchair occupant's feet in a raised, off-the-floor position.
The present application discloses exemplary embodiments of adjustable seating frames and footrest assemblies for use with a variety of apparatuses, including, for example, a wheelchair. In one exemplary embodiment, an adjustable seating frame assembly is configured to position a footrest assembly (e.g., a footrest hanger and footrest plate) in a selected angled forward extending position. In another exemplary embodiment, an adjustable footrest assembly is configured to position a footrest plate in at least one of an angled planar position with respect to a footrest hanger, and a planar position within a plane defined by the footrest plate.
Accordingly, in an exemplary embodiment, an adjustable seating frame assembly for a wheelchair includes a side frame member, a first joint member affixed to the side frame member, a footrest hanger, and a second joint member affixed to the footrest hanger. The first and second joint members each include a pivot aperture and at least one lock aperture. A pivot fastener is secured through the pivot apertures of the first and second joint members to pivotally attach the second joint member to the first joint member. A lock fastener is secured through selected ones of the lock apertures of the first and second joint members to secure the second joint member in a selected angular position with respect to the first joint member. The second joint member is securable to the first joint member in a plurality of angular positions with respect to the first joint member.
In another exemplary embodiment, a method is contemplated for adjusting an angle of a footrest hanger on a wheelchair having a side frame member secured to a first joint member and a footrest hanger secured to a second joint member. The footrest hanger and the second joint member are pivoted about a pivot fastener secured through aligned pivot apertures in the first and second joint members to a selected angular position of the footrest hanger. A lock fastener is installed through aligned lock apertures in the first and second joint members to secure the footrest hanger in the selected angular position.
In still another exemplary embodiment, an adjustable footrest assembly for a wheelchair includes a footrest hanger having a vertically extending section, a footrest plate having a substantially planar foot supporting surface, a mounting bracket secured to the vertically extending section of the footrest hanger, and a ball joint including a ball portion received in a concave spherical recess in the mounting bracket and a stem portion secured to the footrest plate. A clamping member is disposed between the footrest plate and the mounting bracket, and assembled with the mounting bracket to clamp the ball portion of the ball joint between the clamping member and the mounting bracket.
In yet another exemplary embodiment, a method is contemplated for positioning a footrest plate on a wheelchair including a side frame member secured to a first joint member, a footrest hanger secured to a second joint member, a mounting bracket secured to the footrest hanger, and a footrest plate secured to the mounting bracket. In the exemplary method, the footrest hanger and the second joint member are pivoted with respect to the first joint member, to a selected angular position of the footrest hanger. The footrest hanger and the second joint member are secured in the selected angular position. The footrest plate is positioned in a selected planar position, and the footrest plate is secured in the selected planar position.
Further features and advantages will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains from a reading of the following description together with the accompanying drawings, in which:
This Description merely describes exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims in any way. Indeed, the invention as claimed is broader than and unlimited by the exemplary embodiments, and the terms used in the claims have their full ordinary meaning.
As described herein, when one or more components are described as being connected, joined, affixed, coupled, attached, or otherwise interconnected, such interconnection may be direct as between the components or may be indirect, such as through the use of one or more intermediary components. Also as described herein, reference to a “member,” “component,” or “portion” shall not be limited to a single structural member, component, or element but can include an assembly of components, members or elements.
Wheelchairs are generally provided with leg support frame and footrest assemblies that are oriented to support standard or neutral skeletal alignment of the lower extremities (e.g., pelvis, legs, ankles, and feet). When a wheelchair user possesses moderate to severe skeletal deformities of these lower extremities (for example, due to birth defects, accidents, ailments, or historic long term wheelchair use), the resulting deviation from this neutral alignment often requires specialized or adapted components to enable the leg support frame and footrest assemblies to accommodate the user. These specialized adaptations (e.g., a foot retaining box bolted to the footrest plate) add cost, size, and complexity to the wheelchair, and draw unwanted attention to the deformities of the user.
According to one aspect of the present application, an adjustable seating frame and footrest assembly for a wheelchair is configured to accommodate a range of lower extremity positioning requirements of a wheelchair user. In one such embodiment, a horizontally pivoting joint (i.e., pivoting about a vertical axis) between the side frame member and the footrest hanger allows for adjustable angular positioning of the entire footrest hanger, for example, to accommodate lower skeletal deformities of the user, such as abduction, adduction, pelvic rotation, leg length deforminity, and/or windswept legs.
While many different configurations may be utilized to provide adjustable angular positioning of a footrest hanger (or some other seating frame component) with respect to a wheelchair side frame member, in an exemplary embodiment, a first joint member is secured to the side frame member and a second joint member is secured to the footrest hanger, with the second joint member being configured to be secured to the first joint member in a plurality of angular positions. In an exemplary embodiment, first and second pivotally connected joint members are each provided with one or more lock apertures positioned such that in a selected angular position of the second joint member, at least one of the one or more lock apertures of the first joint member aligns with at least one of the one or more lock apertures of the second joint member, to receive at least one lock fastener through the aligned lock apertures. In one embodiment, pivoting movement of the second joint member aligns a lock aperture in the first joint member with one of a plurality of lock apertures in the second joint member to provide for a plurality of angular positions of the second joint member. In another embodiment, pivoting movement of the second joint member aligns a lock aperture in the second joint member with one of a plurality of lock apertures in the first joint member to provide for a plurality of angular positions of the second joint member. In still another embodiment, each of the first and second joint members includes a plurality of lock apertures, with at least one of the plurality of first joint member lock apertures aligning with at least one of the plurality of second joint member lock apertures in any of the available angular positions of the second joint member.
The first and second joint members 30, 50 each include pivot apertures 32, 52 that align to receive a pivot fastener 33 (e.g., a bolt or pin) about which the second joint member is permitted to pivot to adjust an angular position of the second joint member 50 with respect to the first joint member 30, for example to adjust the orientation of a footrest 70, mounted to the footrest hanger 40, with respect to the side frame member 20. In a first angular position of the second joint member (
As shown, to accommodate multiple lock apertures on a relatively narrow joint member, the first joint member 30 may include at least one lock aperture 34 proximal to a terminal end 37 of the first joint member 30, and at least one lock aperture 35, 36 distal to the terminal end 37 of the first joint member 30 and opposite the pivot aperture 32. Similarly, the second joint member 50 may include at least one lock aperture 55 proximal to a terminal end 57 of the second joint member 50, and at least one lock aperture 54 distal to the terminal end 57 of the second joint member 50 and opposite the pivot aperture 52.
To adjust the angular position of the second joint member 50 with respect to the first joint member 30, the lock fastener 63 is removed from the aligned lock apertures (34, 54; 35, 55; or 36, 55), and the footrest hanger 40 and second joint member 50 are pivoted about the pivot fastener 33 to a desired angular position coinciding with alignment of lock apertures of the first and second joint members 30, 50. The lock fastener is installed through the newly aligned lock apertures (34, 54; 35, 55; or 36, 55) to secure the footrest hanger 40 and second joint member 50 in the selected angular position.
As described herein, the lock apertures may be provided as holes extending through the joints, as shown in
The adjustable seating frame and footrest assembly arrangements described above may be used with a variety of different wheel chair side frame members and footrest hangers. For example, the side frame member may include a square, rectangular, circular, or other cross-sectioned tubular member attached to a first joint member. The footrest hanger may be permanently or releasably attached to the second joint member. In one embodiment, a footrest hanger of a swing-away configuration is mounted to the second joint member for pivotal movement about a vertical axis between a position in front of the chair and a position beside the chair. Examples of swing-away footrest hanger configurations are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,854,774 and 4,790,553, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. In another embodiment, a footrest hanger having a spring-loaded releasing mechanism may be releasably attached to a second joint member for easy detachment of the footrest hanger and footrest (e.g., to facilitate stowing or transportation of the wheelchair. An example of a spring-loaded releasing mechanism for a footrest hanger is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,586, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
While any suitable detachable engagement between the second joint member and the footrest hanger may be utilized, in the illustrated embodiment, the second joint member 150 may be configured to engage the footrest hanger 140 at three separate locations, to provide additional support and rigidity for the footrest hanger. The exemplary second joint member 150 includes a horizontal tubular section 151 that retains a latch member 161 biased outward of the horizontal section by a spring 162 for interlocking engagement with a corresponding locking insert 148 of a footrest hanger 140 (see
Referring to
To release the footrest hanger 140 from the second joint member 150, a release lever 158, pivotally connected to the gusset 164 and attached to the latch member 152 by a fastener 159 extending through a slot 156 in the horizontal tubular section, is pivoted to retract the latch member 152 out of interlocking engagement with the insert 148. The spring loaded guide 166 then pushes the footrest hanger 140 upward, to allow rotation of the footrest hanger about the fitting 143 and to facilitate separation of the footrest hanger 140 from the second joint member 150.
The exemplary first and second joint members 130, 150, include overlapping semi-cylindrical end portions shaped to allow for pivoting movement of the second joint member with respect to the first joint member. Similar to the schematically illustrated assembly 10 of
While the pivot fastener 133 and lock fastener 163 may include any suitable fasteners, in an exemplary embodiment, either or both of the fasteners 133, 163 are threaded fasteners configured to be tightened with threaded portions of the corresponding pivot apertures 132, 152 and/or lock apertures 134, 154; 135, 155; 136, 155 to provide a sturdy, robust attachment between the side frame member 120 and the footrest hanger 140 and footrest plate 170, components that may be routinely subjected to substantial forces and impacts during use of the wheelchair.
To adjust the angular position of the second joint member 150 with respect to the first joint member 130, the lock fastener 163 is removed from the aligned lock apertures, the pivot fastener 163 is loosened, and the footrest hanger 140 and second joint member 150 are pivoted about the pivot fastener 133 to a desired angular position coinciding with alignment of lock apertures of the first and second joint members 130, 150. The lock fastener 163 is installed through the newly aligned lock apertures to secure the footrest hanger 140 and second joint member 150 in the selected angular position.
According to another aspect of the present application, a footrest plate may be adjustably secured to a footrest hanger, for example, to accommodate a variety of foot positions, including non-standard foot positions resulting from skeletal deformities of the legs, ankles, and feet. While the footrest plate may be hingedly attached to the footrest hanger for adjustment of a forward/rearward, proximal/distal, or swivel left/right angle of the footrest plate, in an exemplary embodiment, a footrest assembly is provided with a ball and socket joint arrangement configured to provide for secure positioning of the footrest plate in any combination of forward (toe down), rearward (toe up), lateral up, proximal up, and swivel positions, for example, to accommodate planar flexion, dorsal flexion, inversion, and eversion ankle and foot positioning requirements.
In the exemplary embodiment of
To secure the ball joint 185 in a selected position with respect to the footrest plate mounting bracket 181, as shown in
To improve the clamping grip on the ball portion 186, at least an outer portion of the ball portion may be provided in a compressible material (e.g., a rubber coating), thereby providing for a more uniform grip between the ball portion and the concave spherical surfaces 184, 196 of the mounting bracket 181 and collar 196. In another embodiment, a footrest assembly may additionally or alternatively include mounting bracket and/or collar concave surfaces that include compressible materials.
While various inventive aspects, concepts and features of the inventions may be described and illustrated herein as embodied in combination in the exemplary embodiments, these various aspects, concepts and features may be used in many alternative embodiments, either individually or in various combinations and sub-combinations thereof. Unless expressly excluded herein all such combinations and sub-combinations are intended to be within the scope of the present inventions. Still further, while various alternative embodiments as to the various aspects, concepts and features of the inventions—such as alternative materials, structures, configurations, methods, devices and components, alternatives as to form, fit and function, and so on—may be described herein, such descriptions are not intended to be a complete or exhaustive list of available alternative embodiments, whether presently known or later developed. Those skilled in the art may readily adopt one or more of the inventive aspects, concepts or features into additional embodiments and uses within the scope of the present inventions even if such embodiments are not expressly disclosed herein. Additionally, even though some features, concepts or aspects of the inventions may be described herein as being a preferred arrangement or method, such description is not intended to suggest that such feature is required or necessary unless expressly so stated. Still further, exemplary or representative values and ranges may be included to assist in understanding the present disclosure; however, such values and ranges are not to be construed in a limiting sense and are intended to be critical values or ranges only if so expressly stated. Moreover, while various aspects, features and concepts may be expressly identified herein as being inventive or forming part of an invention, such identification is not intended to be exclusive, but rather there may be inventive aspects, concepts and features that are fully described herein without being expressly identified as such or as part of a specific invention. Descriptions of exemplary methods or processes are not limited to inclusion of all steps as being required in all cases, nor is the order that the steps are presented to be construed as required or necessary unless expressly so stated.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/599,555, entitled “ADJUSTABLE SEATING FRAME AND FOOTREST ASSEMBLIES” and filed Feb. 16, 2012, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20130214509 A1 | Aug 2013 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61599555 | Feb 2012 | US |