Wheelchair

Abstract

 A wheelchair (1) which comprises at least three wheels, a framework (2), a seat (3) and a backrest, wherein the wheelchair further comprises a legrest (4) connected to the framework, and wherein the legrest (4) comprises a footrest (6), a characteristic feature being the fact that the legrest (4) is connected to the framework (2) so as to be pivotable about a pivot pin (5), wherein the legrest (4) can be pivoted manually in a stepless manner between a downward position, in which the footrest (6) is automatically moved towards the pivot pin (5), and an upward position, in which the footrest (6) is automatically moved in a direction away from the pivot pin (5).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a wheelchair comprising at least three wheels, a framework, a seat assembly, hereinafter and in the claims simply referred to as "seat", and a backrest assembly, hereinafter and in the claims simply referred to as "backrest", wherein the wheelchair further comprises a legrest connected to the framework, and wherein the legrest comprises a footrest.

[0002] The invention relates in particular to a wheelchair whose wheels are made up of at least two fixed wheels and at least one swivelling wheel, for example two rear wheels and two swivelling front wheels. The wheelchair in question may be a wheelchair provided with driven rear wheels or a self-propelled wheelchair or an attendant-propelled wheelchair. The invention further particularly relates to a wheelchair having a so-called "central" legrest, wherein the legs of a wheelchair user are supported by one legrest situated in a centre longitudinal plane of the wheelchair, close to a front edge of the framework and extending downward to within a short distance from the road surface. Consequently, a central legrest distinguishes itself from two legrests connected on either side of the wheelchair.

[0003] Such a wheelchair is generally known. As regards the known wheelchair, the legrest is pivotable about a pivot pin with respect to the framework such that an angle α between the legrest and the seat ranges between approximately 90° in the case of an active, straight sitting position of a wheelchair user and approximately 180° in the case of a passive, reclined position of a wheelchair user.

[0004] A drawback of the known wheelchair resides in the fact that the pivot pin of the legrest is situated below the hollow of the knee of a wheelchair user and hence in a lower position with respect to the knee joint of a wheelchair user. Consequently, the pivotal motion causes the legrest of the known wheelchair to have a rotation path which differs from the rotation path of the lower leg of a wheelchair user. This means that in the above mentioned passive, reclined position of a wheelchair user, where the angle α between the legrest and the seat is approximately 180°, the leg of a wheelchair user is not stretched, but rather the foot is pushed away by the foot plate, causing said foot, the upper leg and the lower leg of a wheelchair user to be forced in an unnatural position. This ultimately results in an undesirable load on the body of a wheelchair user.

[0005] It is an object of the invention to improve the prior art, that is to say to provide in particular an improved wheelchair, wherein the footrest optimally supports the foot or feet of a wheelchair user, i.e. in all kinds of pivoted positions of the legrest.

[0006] In order to accomplish that object, a wheelchair of the type mentioned in the opening paragraph is characterised in that the legrest is connected to the framework so as to be pivotable about a pivot pin, wherein the legrest can be pivoted manually in a stepless manner between a downward position, in which the footrest is automatically moved towards the pivot pin, and an upward position, in which the footrest is automatically moved in a direction away from the pivot pin. In other words, the footrest moves automatically inward and outward when the legrest is manually moved downward and upward, respectively, so that the length of the legrest will automatically correspond to the length of the legs of a wheelchair user, and the footrest will optimally support the feet at all times. In particular, the legrest comprises a first portion which is connected to the framework so as to be pivotable about the pivot pin, and a second portion comprising the footrest, which second portion is slidably connected to the first portion between a pulled-out position, in which the legrest is pivoted to the upward position, and a pushed-in position, in which the legrest is pivoted to the downward position. In a preferred embodiment, the legrest is further provided with a calf support.

[0007] Preferably, the legrest can be manually locked in and unlocked from positions between the downward position and the upward position.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of a wheelchair according to the invention, the wheelchair comprises a flexible element which is connected to the second portion of the legrest at one end, which flexible element is adjustable for length between a first position, in which the second portion is pulled-out, and a second position, in which the second portion is pushed-in. The flexible element is preferably connected to the framework at the other end. More in particular, a flexible element element is provided which can be pulled in and pulled out (preferably over at least one roller) between the first, pulled-out position, and the second, pulled-in position. It is in particular relevant in that case that the effective extension length of (one end of) the flexible element can increase and decrease. The flexible element is preferably made of a non-elastic material and is in particular in the form of a belt.

[0009] In a further preferred embodiment of a wheelchair according to the invention, the roller can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the first portion of the legrest in a guideway thereof. Preferably, the wheelchair comprises an arm which is connected to the roller at one end and which is pivotally connected to the framework at the other end. The arm is pivotable in particular between a position facing the framework, in which position the flexible element is pulled out and the second portion of the legrest is pulled out, and a position facing away from the framework, in which position the flexible element is pushed in and the second portion of the legrest is pushed in.

[0010] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to figures of a drawing showing a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which:

• Figures 1 and 2 are schematic side views of a legrest according to the invention, in which the legrest is shown to be pivoted through an angle of 90° (figure 1) and through an angle of 150° (figure 2) with respect to the seat;
• Figures 3, 4 and 5 show various views of the legrest of figures 1 and 2.

[0011] Figures 1 and 2 show part of a wheelchair 1, depicting diagrammatically a framework 2, a seat 3 mounted thereon and a legrest 4 connected to the framework 2. The legrest in question is a so-called "central" legrest 4, wherein the legs of a wheelchair user are supported by one legrest situated in a centre longitudinal plane of the wheelchair 1, close to a front edge of the framework 2 and extending downward to within a short distance from the road surface.

[0012] The legrest 4 is connected to the framework 2 so as to be pivotable about a pivot pin 5. In accordance with the invention, the legrest 4 can be pivoted manually in a stepless manner between a downward position, in which a footrest 6 connected to the legrest 4 (see figures 3, 4 and 5) is automatically moved towards the pivot pin 5, and an upward position, in which the footrest 6 is automatically moved in a direction away from the pivot pin 5. In figure 1, the legrest 4 is pivoted about the pivot pin 5 through an angle of 90° with respect to the seat 3, while in figure 2 the legrest 4 is pivoted about the pivot pin 5 through an angle of 150° with respect to the seat 3. As a result of automatic movement of the footrest 6 in the longitudinal direction of the legrest 4, when the legrest 4 is manually pivoted, the effective length of the legrest 4 is infinitely variable between approximately 26.6 cm (figure 1 at a pivoting angle of 90°) and approximately 41.8 cm (figure 2 at a pivoting angle of 1500). By virtue thereof, the feet of a wheelchair user are always optimally supported in any pivoted position of the legrest 4.

[0013] In figures 3 and 4, the legrest 4 van figures 1 and 2 is shown, diagrammatically and in perspective, in an oblique rear view (figure 3) and in an oblique front view (figure 4), while figure 5 is a side view of the legrest 4 shown in figures 3 en 4. As shown in figures 3, 4 en 5, the legrest 4 is composed of a first portion 7 which is connected to the framework 2 so as to be pivotable about the pivot pin 5, as well as of a second portion 8 to which the footrest 6 is mounted. As will be explained at a later stage, the second portion is slidable with respect to the first portion in the longitudinal direction thereof. With reference to figures 3, 4 and 5, an arm 9 is provided which is connected to a roller 10 at one end and to the framework 2 at its other end so as to be pivotable about a pivot pin 11. Furthermore, there is provided a belt 12(see figures 1, 2 and 4) which is connected at one end to a securing pin 13 on the framework 2, and at its other end to a securing pin 14 on the portion 8 of the legrest 4. The belt 12 runs from the securing pin 13 over the roller 10 and over a next roller 15, along the portions 7 and 8 of the legrest 4, to the securing pin 14.

[0014] With reference to figures 1 through 5, the operation of the legrest 4 is as follows. By manually pivoting the legrest 4 about the pivot pin 5 in a stepless manner from a downward position (figure 1) to an upward position (figure 2), the arm is automatically pivoted about the pivot pin 11 from a position facing away from the framework 2 to a position facing the framework 2 (see figures 1 and 2). In this process, the roller 10 is automatically moved upwards in a guideway 16 of the first portion 7(in a direction towards the framework 2). As a result, and seen from the roller 15 to the securing pin 14, the belt is automatically pulled out and the second portion 8 is automatically slid downward in the longitudinal direction of the first portion 7. Since the footrest 6 is mounted to the second portion 8, the footrest 6 is also automatically moved downward. The opposite occurs by manually pivoting the legrest 4 about the pivot pin 5 in a stepless manner from an upward position (figure 2) to a downward position (figure 1). That is to say, the arm 9 is automatically pivoted about the pivot pin 11 from a position facing the framework 2 to a position facing away from the framework 2. In this process the roller 10 is automatically moved downwards(in a direction away from the framework 2). As a result, (seen from the roller 15 to the securing pin 14) the belt 12 is automatically pulled out and the second portion 8 is automatically slid upward in the longitudinal direction of the first portion 7. As a result, the footrest 6 is also automatically moved upward.

[0015] The legrest 4 can be manually locked in and unlocked from positions between the respective downward and upward positions, to which end use is made of a locking/unlocking device 17.

[0016] The invention is not limited to the embodiments represented hereinabove, but it also extends to other preferred variants that fall within the scope of the appended claims. For example, it will be clear to the person skilled in the art that the belt 12 may be connected to the arm 9 or to the roller 10 (instead of to the framework 2) with its other end.

Claims

1. A wheelchair comprising at least three wheels, a framework, a seat and a backrest, wherein the wheelchair further comprises a legrest connected to the framework, and wherein the legrest comprises a footrest, characterized in that the legrest is connected to the framework so as to be pivotable about a pivot pin, wherein the legrest can be pivoted manually in a stepless manner between a downward position, in which the footrest is automatically moved towards the pivot pin, and an upward position, in which the footrest is automatically moved in a direction away from the pivot pin.

2. A wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein the legrest can be manually locked in and unlocked from positions between the downward position and the upward position.

3. A wheelchair according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the legrest comprises a first portion which is connected to the framework so as to be pivotable about the pivot pin, and a second portion comprising the footrest, which second portion is slidably connected to the first portion between a pulled-out position, in which the legrest is pivoted to the upward position, and a pushed-in position, in which the legrest is pivoted to the downward position.

4. A wheelchair according to claim 3, wherein the wheelchair comprises a flexible element which is connected at one end to the second portion of the legrest, and which flexible element is adjustable for length between a first position, in which the second portion is pulled-out, and a second position, in which the second portion is pushed-in.

5. A wheelchair according to claim 4, wherein the flexible element can be pulled in and pulled out between the first, pulled-out position, and the second, pulled-in position.

6. A wheelchair according to claim 5, wherein the flexible element can be pulled in and pulled out over at least one roller.

7. A wheelchair according to claim 6, wherein the roller can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the first portion of the legrest in a guideway thereof.

8. A wheelchair according to claim 7, wherein the wheelchair comprises an arm which is connected to the roller at one end and which is pivotally connected to the framework at the other end, and wherein the arm is pivotable between a position facing the framework, in which position the flexible element is pulled out and the second portion of the legrest is pulled out, and a position facing away from the framework, in which position the flexible element is pulled in and the second portion of the legrest is pushed in.

Drawing