Swing for handicapped persons

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6736732
  • Patent Number
    6,736,732
  • Date Filed
    Monday, May 13, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, May 18, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
The present invention relates to playground apparatus, and in particular to a swing apparatus which may be used by a person confined to a wheelchair. The preferred embodiment of the swing apparatus includes a main body which is adapted to accommodate a wheelchair. The body is formed from molded plastic and is suspended from a frame structure for reciprocating motion by means of two pairs of substantially parallel arms. The body includes vertically extending internal frame members within the side walls of the body and transversely extending frame members underneath the body connecting opposing vertical frame members located on each side of the swing body. The body of the swing further includes a seat assembly which can be moved between a collapsed position and a raised position. The seat assembly comprises a pair of members which are adapted to clip together so as to provide a secure engagement when the seat is in its erected position. If the swing is to be used by a person in a wheelchair, the seat assembly is collapsed so as to allow the wheelchair to be accommodated within the body.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to playground apparatus, and in particular to a swing apparatus which may be used by a person confined to a wheelchair.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




In recent years, there has been an increasing awareness of the needs of physically and/or mentally handicapped persons. For example, whereas in the past there has been segregation of able-bodied and disabled children in schools, recently there has been a move towards integrating handicapped persons into the general community. Schools designated “special” have been established to permit both disabled and able-bodied children to coexist in an environment that is beneficial to both groups. Disabled children experience an environment that is similar to that which they will experience outside of school. Able-bodied children are given a chance to mingle with the physically disabled and become familiar with and understand various disabilities and the associated problems with which the disabled must contend.




Whilst there are many playgrounds available for use by able-bodied people, little consideration appears to have been given to the provision of playground facilities for persons confined to a wheelchair. Most playground equipment is made for able-bodied people and, in spite of the desire of disabled people to participate in playground activities, they are generally not able to do so due to a lack of suitable recreational equipment.




The present invention is directed to providing swing apparatus which may be used by a person confined to a wheelchair and the object of the present invention is to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to at least provide a useful alternative.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




A first aspect of the present invention provides a swing apparatus for persons confined to a wheelchair, said swing including:




a body adapted to accommodate a wheelchair, said body including a platform adapted to carry said wheelchair, and one or more walls extending upwardly from said platform.




A second aspect of the present invention provides a swing apparatus for persons confined to a wheelchair, said swing including:




a body adapted to accommodate a wheelchair, said body including a seat positionable between a first position to provide seating for a user, and a second position which allows for accommodating a wheelchair.




A third aspect of the present invention provides a swing apparatus for persons confined to a wheelchair, said swing including:




a body adapted to accommodate a wheelchair;




a ramp so as to permit access to the body by a person confined to a wheelchair, one end of said ramp adapted to be attached to the ground, and a second end of the ramp adapted to be releasably attachable to said body so as to enable wheelchair access to said body.




A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a swing apparatus for persons confined to a wheelchair, said swing including:




a body adapted to accommodate a wheelchair;




said body including a retaining means for securing said wheelchair in position with respect to said body, said retaining means being mounted on a movable mounting so as to facilitate positioning of said mounting with respect to said wheelchair.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS




A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:





FIG. 1

depicts a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of the swing according to the present invention, with the access ramp being disconnected and the internal seat in a collapsed position;





FIG. 2

depicts a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of the swing according to the present invention, with the access ramp being connected and the internal seat in an erected position;





FIG. 3

depicts a rear end elevation of the swing assembly according to the preferred embodiment of the invention;





FIG. 4

depicts a perspective view of the main body of the swing, with the internal seat shown in a collapsed position;





FIG. 5

depicts a perspective view of the main body of the swing, with the internal seat shown in an erected position to provide seating for the occupier;





FIG. 6

depicts a side elevation of the main body of the swing;





FIG. 7

depicts a plan view of the main body of the swing, with the internal seat shown in a collapsed position;





FIG. 8

depicts a front elevation of the main body of the swing, with the internal seat shown in a collapsed position;





FIG. 9

depicts a rear elevation of the main body of the swing;





FIG. 10

depicts an inverted plan view of the main body of the swing; and





FIG. 11

depicts a rear elevation of a further embodiment of the main body of the swing incorporating a closable storage compartment.











DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT





FIG. 1

depicts a preferred embodiment of the swing apparatus


1


according to the present invention. The apparatus includes a frame structure


2


which is suitably secured to the ground


3


. In the arrangement depicted, the frame structure is secured to the ground by means of concrete footings


4


into which the lower ends


5


of the frame structure are set. However it is to be appreciated that other means of securing the frame structure to ground may be employed.




In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, the swing apparatus


1


includes a body


10


which is adapted to accommodate a wheelchair. The swing body


10


is suspended from the frame structure for reciprocating motion by means of two pairs of substantially parallel arms


11




a


,


11




b


which are pivotably mounted at their respective upper ends


12




a


,


12




b


to mounting points


13




a


,


13




b


on the upper section of the frame structure. The lower ends


14




a


,


14




b


of the arms are pivotally connected to mounting points


15




a


,


15




b


on the swing body.





FIGS. 4

to


10


depict various views of the preferred embodiment of the main body of the swing apparatus. The body


10


is adapted to accommodate a wheelchair and includes a platform


17


upon which the wheelchair is carried when in use. Extending upwardly from the platform


17


are side and rear walls


18


,


19


respectively. Preferably the main body of the swing is formed from moulded plastic so as to provide suitable strength whilst also minimising weight. In the preferred embodiment the body


10


is of unitary construction, with the platform, side and rear walls being integrally formed by means of moulding. Ribbing


21


may be provided in one or more walls of the body so as to enhance the rigidity of the body.




As best illustrated in

FIGS. 1 and 2

, the body includes vertically extending internal frame members


30


within the side walls of the body. In the preferred embodiment the internal frame members


30


take the form of steel rods. The upper ends of the members


30


are connected to the mounting points on the swing body


10


. Transversely extending frame members


31


pass underneath the body and connect opposing vertical frame bracing members located on each side of the swing body. Preferably the transverse members


31


take the form of steel plates or sections. In this way, the load of the swing is carried by the internal structure of the swing body rather than the swing body itself.




In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, the body of the swing includes a seat assembly


40


which can be moved between a collapsed position as shown in

FIG. 1

, and a raised position as shown in FIG.


2


. Preferably, the seat assembly


40


includes a pair of members


41


,


42


, a first member


41


being pivotably mounted to the platform of the body and a second member


42


being pivotably mounted to the rear wall. Preferably, the members are adapted to clip together so as to provide a secure engagement of the two members when the seat is in its erected position. If the swing is to be used by a person in a wheelchair, the seat is collapsed as shown in FIG.


1


and

FIG. 4

so as to allow the wheelchair to be accommodated within the body. The rear wall of the main body also preferably includes a generally upright surface


45


which provides a backrest for the user. Preferably, the surface


45


is integrally formed in the rear wall


19


of the main body and is formed so as to provide support to a user when seated on the seat assembly


40


.




The rear wall may also be provided with anchor points


46


for the installation of a seat belt so as to provide additional safety for a user whilst the swing is in motion.




As illustrated in

FIGS. 1 and 2

, a third aspect of the present invention is a ramp assembly


50


for facilitating the movement of a wheelchair on and off the swing. Preferably, the ramp comprises a first ramp member


51


which is secured to the ground. The first ramp member is pivotably connected to a second ramp member


52


which is adapted to releasably engage with the body


10


of the swing. As illustrated in

FIG. 2

, in order to connect the ramp to the body of the swing, the body of the swing is moved forward to a position whereby the end of the ramp member can engage with a transversely extending connecting rod


53


located along the leading edge


54


of the swing body. It has been found that a ramp angle in the range of 6 to 12° to the horizontal facilitates relatively easy wheelchair access up and down the ramp. As shown in

FIG. 2

, the ramp assembly


50


is preferably provided with a locking means


55


so as to lock the ramp


52


onto the body of the swing. It is envisaged that when installed in a park the ramp


52


would be locked onto the body of swing when the swing is not in use so as to provide ready wheelchair access to the swing body. Once the wheelchair is in position, the lock would be released so as to enable the ramp


52


to be detached from the body of the swing and lowered to position adjacent the ground as shown in Fig.


1


.




Referring to

FIGS. 1 and 2

, the ramp assembly


50


is provided with a biasing means which is configured so as to provide a biasing force which acts to reduce the weight load of the ramp thereby enabling a person to lift the ramp


52


into engagement with the body of the swing more easily. More particularly, the biasing means is configured to provide a moment as indicated by the arrow


56


around the pivot point


57


of the second ramp member


52


which opposes the weight load of the ramp. In one preferred embodiment, a torsion spring is provided at the pivot point


57


to provide the moment.




In accordance with a fourth aspect of the invention, and as shown in

FIG. 9

, the body of the swing is preferably provided with mounting points


60


on its rear wall so as to provide for a means of retaining a wheelchair securely in position within the body of the swing whilst the swing is in motion. In a preferred form, the retaining means takes the form of a chain, strap, or the like which is connected to a mounting point


60


on the rear wall of the body of the swing. In use, a free end of the retaining chain or strap is passed through a wheel of the wheelchair and then connected to the rear wall and tightened sufficiently to securely retain the wheelchair in position. In the preferred embodiment, a retaining chain, strap or the like is provided on each side of the body of the swing so as to engage with and retain each of the two rear wheels of a wheelchair. Preferably, the retaining chain is connected to the mounting


60


which is slidably mounted on a member


61


so as to permit relative lateral movement of the mounting point as shown by the arrows


62


. In this way, the mounting point of the chain or strap can be positioned directly behind the wheel of the wheelchair so as to ensure that the wheelchair is securely retained in position. In use, when the wheelchair is positioned within the body of the swing, the mountings for the retaining chains are positioned directly behind the respective rear wheels of the wheelchair. One end of the retaining chain is connected to the mounting, whilst the free end of the chain is passed through the wheel of the wheelchair and then connected to a hook, clip or the like on the mounting. The hook or clip is located on a threaded member, the axial position of which can be adjusted by turning the member in the desired direction. In this way, it is possible to tighten the retaining chain.




In a further embodiment of the present invention the main body


10


of the swing apparatus is provided with a closable storage compartment


65


, preferably located in the rear wall of the swing body. The storage compartment


65


is provided with a door or cover


66


so as to close the compartment. It is further preferable that the door or cover be provided with a lock so that access to the compartment can only be obtained if a matching key is used. The storage compartment may be used to store a seat belt which may be used to provide restraint for the user whilst the swing is in motion as previously described.




Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms.



Claims
  • 1. A swing apparatus for persons confined to a wheelchair, said swing including:a body adapted to accommodate a wheelchair, said body including a seat assembly comprising a pair of seat members moveable between a first position whereby the seat members are engaged with each other to form a seat for a user, and a second position whereby the seat assembly is collapsed to accommodate a wheelchair, and wherein said body includes a retaining means for securing said wheelchair in position with respect to said body, said retaining means being mounted on a movable mounting so as to facilitate positioning of said mounting with respect to said wheelchair.
  • 2. A swing apparatus for persons confined to a wheelchair as claimed in claim 1, said swing further including a ramp so as to permit access to the body by a person confined to a wheelchair, one end of said ramp adapted to be attached to the ground, and a second end of the ramp adapted to be releasably attachable to said body so as to enable wheelchair access to said body.
  • 3. A swing apparatus for persons confined to a wheelchair as claimed in claim 2, wherein the ramp comprises a first ramp member which is secured to the ground, said first ramp member being pivotably connected to a second ramp member which is adapted to releasably engage with the body of the swing.
  • 4. A swing apparatus for persons confined to a wheelchair as claimed in claim 3 wherein the ramp assembly is preferably provided with a locking means so as to lock the ramp onto the body of the swing.
  • 5. A swing apparatus for persons confined to a wheelchair as claimed in claim 4 wherein the ramp assembly is provided with a biasing means which is configured so as to provide a biasing force which acts to reduce the weight load of the ramp thereby enabling a person to lift the ramp into engagement with the body of the swing more easily.
  • 6. A swing apparatus for persons confined to a wheelchair as claimed in claim 1, wherein the swing body is suspended from a frame structure for reciprocating motion by means of two pairs of substantially parallel arms which are pivotably mounted at first ends to mounting points on the frame structure aid opposing ends of the arms are pivotally connected to mounting points on the swing body.
  • 7. A swing apparatus for persons confined to a wheelchair as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seat assembly includes a pair of seat members, a first seat member being pivotably mounted to a platform of the body and a second seat member being pivotably mounted to a rear wall of the body.
  • 8. A swing apparatus for persons confined to a wheelchair as claimed in claim 7, wherein the seat members are adapted to clip together so as to provide a secure engagement of the two members when the Beat is in its erected position.
  • 9. A swing apparatus for persons confined to a wheelchair as claimed in claim 7, wherein said rear wall includes a generally upright surface which provides a back rest for the user.
  • 10. A swing apparatus for persons confined to a wheelchair as claimed in claim 9, wherein said rear wall is provided with anchor points for the installation of a seat belt so as to provide for restraining the user whilst the swing is in motion.
  • 11. A swing apparatus for persons confined to a wheelchair as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body is of unitary construction.
  • 12. A swing apparatus for persons confined to a wheelchair as claimed in claim 11, wherein the body of the swing is formed from molded plastic.
  • 13. A swing apparatus for persons confined to a wheelchair as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body includes vertically extending frame members.
  • 14. A swing apparatus for persons confined to a wheelchair as claimed in claim 13, wherein said frame members take the form of steel rods.
  • 15. A swing apparatus for persons confined to a wheelchair as claimed in claim 13, wherein said frame members are connected to the mounting points on the swing body.
  • 16. A swing apparatus for persons confined to a wheelchair as claimed in claim 13, further including transversely extending frame members which pass underneath the body and connect vertically extending frame members located on each side of the swing body.
Priority Claims (2)
Number Date Country Kind
PQ 4038 Nov 1999 AU
PQ 8774 Jul 2000 AU
PCT Information
Filing Document Filing Date Country Kind
PCT/AU00/01394 WO 00
Publishing Document Publishing Date Country Kind
WO01/36062 5/25/2001 WO A
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6149528 Volz et al. Nov 2000 A
6171198 Lizama Troncoso et al. Jan 2001 B1
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Number Date Country
29614136 Oct 1996 DE
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2 195 259 Apr 1988 GB