Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FIE!LD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to mobile equipment such as wheelchairs
and more particularly to a leg restraint adapted to wheelchairs
comprising a structure allowing an upright position.
DESCRIP`TIOIl OF PRIOR ART
Numerous types of wheelchairs have been designed in an effort
to accommodate the needs of the orthopedically disabled person.
Recently, there has been a recognition of the need for equipment
to elevate such a person from a horizontal or sitting position
to a standing position.
By means of such wheelchairs, the handicapped person is able to
perform his (her) day-to-day functions.
However, it has been observed that such wheelchairs having
elevation means could not be used by all handicapped persons or
invalids. In fact, for certain handicaps or invalidities, the
subject has insufficient, or no muscular control to remain in a
stable position against the upright supporting plan represented
by the raised articulated structure of such a wheelchair.
Therefore, it is important to provide these people with an
additional device that will support them in the upright and
even in the sitting position and restrain them so that they do
not slip sideways and/or have their legs or torso collapse.
A few supporting devices have been developped to be adapted to
such wheelchairs so as to provide additional support in upright
and/or sitting positions.
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US patent no. 4,623,194 tPillot) shows a wheelchair having a
set of means comprising two cradle elements adapted to be
immobilized in a horizontal plane in alignment to form leg
supports fitting over the front of the legs of the subject.
The main drawback of this device is that same i5 difficult to
manipulate, therefore a handicapped person has difficulties to
lock same in the proper position. In addition, there is a
danger of looseness of the two cradle elements should same not
be properly engaged.
US patent 4,054,319 (Fogg Jr et al) shows a wheelchair having
lifting means. The chair is provided with a padded knee
restraint which is hingedly mounted by sockets bolted so as to
enable it to swing in and out of its operative position.
Prior art devices of this type suffer particularly from
deficiencies in the construction of the locking device and the
mounting of the knee or leg restraint to the chair. Thus in
many cases, the handicapped person needs outside help to install
said device correctly and/or to make sure that the restraint is
securly locked in position.
The essence of the present invention over the prior art is its
simplicity which allows the person to use the restraint without
the need of outside help. Thus, the prior art is generally
deficient in that it has failed to provide a knee or leg
supporting device which can be efficiently operated by the
handicapped person.
OBJeCTS OF TBE PRESENT INVENTION
A first object of the present invention is to provide a leg
restraint for wheelchairs and more particularly for wheelchairs
having a structure allowing an upright position.
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A second object of the present invention is to provide a leg
restraint for wheelchairs which is easy to manipulate by a
handicapped person.
A third object of the present invention is to provide a leg
restraint being suitable for retrofitting on existing
wheelchairs.
A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a leg
restraint for wheelchairs which is simple, robust, reliable and
does not .require any particular maintenance to be in a good
operational condition.
These and other objects will be obtained by means of a leg
restraint for wheelchairs comprising:
- a monoblock leg support having a first extremity and a second
extremity;
- a pad secured to said monoblock support;
- a first vertically extending rod provided with an anchoring
means attached to said support near said first extremity;
- a second vertically extending rod pivotably fixed to said
support near said second extremity;
- a first upright support and a second upright support
securable to said wheelchair to receive respectively said
first rod and said second rod.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Other objects, advantages, and applications of the present
invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art
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when the accompanying description of one example of the best
mode contemplated for practice is read in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a side view of a wheelchair comprising the leg
restraint according to the present invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the leg restraint shown in
figure 1 and more particularly of a detail of the locking portion
of same.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the leg restraint shown in
figure 1 and more particularly to a detail of the pivoting means.
Figure 4 is a sectional detail of the leg restraint shown in
figure 1.
Figure 5 is a top view of the leg restraint shown in figure 1.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERReD EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings where like reference numerals
refer to similar parts throughout the drawings, there is shown
in figure 1 a wheelchair 10 comprising a frame 20, a sitting
surface 70 provided with a cushion 72, a back rest 25, a pair of
arm rests 30, a pair of large drive-wheels 40, a pair of small
front wheels 90 and a first footrest 100, a second footrest 200
(not shown) and a leg restraint or support 300 removably attached
.to said first and second footrest.
The wheelchair 10, according to the present invention, is also
provided with a structure generally referred to as 50 which
allows the user to be in an upright position.
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As seen fn figures 1 and 3, the footrest 100 comprises an upright
support 110 while said second footrest comprises an upright
support 210. Said supports 110 and 210 are mounted to the
footrest 100 and 200 respectively by plates 115 and 215. Said
plates are movably secured to their respective footrest so as
to allow forward adjustment of leg restraint 300.
Said leg restraint 300 is adapted to fit over the front of the
subject's legs so as to immobilize same in an upright or sitting
position and further comprises a knee pad 370 fixed to the U
shaped frame 350 by means of the screw 340. Said knee pad 370
is specially shaped so as to accomodate said subject's legs.
The knee pad 370 may be custom designed so as to provide a
perfect fit for a particular user.
As best shown in figure 3 and as previously mentioned, the leg
restraint 300 is made up of a frame 350 having at one extremity
an offset fork joint 390 and a rounded rod 380 rotably attached
to same by means of a bolt 360. The rounded rod 380 is mounted
to rotate inside the upright support 210 of the second footrest
along a generally vertical axis. Said rotation is necessary to
permit access by the handicapped person to the wheelchair. The
rotation is indicated by the arrow F2.
It should be noted that it is also possible to pivot the leg
restraint, toward the outside when same is not in use as shown
by arrow F3.
With reference to figure 2, the knee restraint 300 is maintained
in the locking position by means of the locking device 400.
Said locking device comprises a hook 470 having generally an
inverted "L" shape which is mounted to the horizontal support
407 by the bolt 440. Resilient means 450 are used to keep same
in the locking position shown in figure 2.
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The horizontal support 407 is mechanically fixed to a vertical
squared rod 408 by welding or any other known method. The upper
portion of the hook 470 rests against an horizontal plate 460.
Said rod 408 is squared so as to avoid rotation of same when
properly placed in the upright support 110 which also has a
square cross-section. Any other known means may be used to
prevent rotation of rod 408.
Rods 408 and 380 are provided with holes, respectively generally
refered as number 409 and 385 which cooperate with pins 112 and
212 to allow the height of the leg restraint to be adjusted
according to the user's needs. Each of said supports 110 and
210 is provided with a ring 113 and 213 on which pins 112 and
212 respectively rests.
To release the leg restraint 300 from the locking device 400,
it is simply necessary to apply an upward force on the handle
430 as shown by arrow Fl. Such a force may be applied by the
hand without the need to have functional use of fingers thus
allowing even severly handicapped persons to operate same.
This construction also provides protection from inadvertently
releasing of the restraint.
The leg restraint 300 is engaged into the locking device 400 by
means of the lug element 410 provided with the engaging element
420 both of which are attached to frame 350.
The front end 480 of the hook 470 is specially shaped so as to
force same to open and to cooperate with said lug element 410
of the leg restraint 300 when same is pushed horizontally against
said hook. Indeed, the hook 470 and the lug element 410
cooperate together in a substantially horizontal plane.
The inclination of the leg restraint support 300 may be modified
by the screw 395 which rest against the frame 350. By so doing
the lug element 410 is adjusted to fit perfectly into the locking
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device 400. Again, because a simple push is sufficient, without
any need for vertical adjustment, even severly handicapped
person may operate the locking device.
It is important to note that when the leg restraint is used
with a wheelchair provided with a lifting structure, the
restraint should be engaged prior to the elevation for obvious
reasons.
Finally, it should be noted that the leg restraint may be removed
from the upright supports 110 and 210 simply by vertically
extracting rods 380 and 408 from the supports.
It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the
embodiments shown, but on the contrary, various modifications may
be added to same without departing from the scope and spirit of
said invention.
