Chairs and seats – Body or occupant restraint or confinement – Having crotch strap or post
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-19
2001-10-30
Brown, Peter R. (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Body or occupant restraint or confinement
Having crotch strap or post
C297S488000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06309022
ABSTRACT:
II. BACKGROUND
A. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to locking hinge mechanisms and, in particular, to an improved pelvic stabilizer mechanism for a wheelchair.
B. Prior Art
Pelvic stabilizer mechanisms are used to retain a patient's pelvis and lap area in place in a wheelchair. In particular, the pelvic stabilizer mechanism prevents the patient from sliding forward out of the wheelchair.
FIG. 1
illustrates a pelvic stabilizer mechanism
12
according to one embodiment of the present invention, which will be described in more detail below. The pelvic stabilizer mechanism
12
has a padded portion
14
which, when the mechanism is in the locked upright position of
FIG. 1
, extends from the edge of the seat
16
toward the pelvis of the seated patient.
FIGS. 2-4
illustrate a prior art pelvic stabilizer mechanism
18
. To disengage the mechanism
18
from the locked upright position of
FIG. 2
, the user pushes a disengage button
20
(FIG.
3
), which unlocks the mechanism and allows the user to rotate it forward (
FIG. 4
) and downwardly. A difficulty with this arrangement is that some patients have trouble disengaging the pelvic support mechanism by themselves. The release button
20
is hard to push and, if it is not pushed just right, it will not release.
III. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to conveniently securing a patient into a wheelchair. Releasable mechanisms are provided which allow an attendant to easily lock a patient into place or, as the case may be, to disengage the mechanisms for removing or repositioning the patient within the wheelchair.
According to one embodiment of the invention having both a releasable side support and a releasable pelvic support, a system for securing a patient within a wheelchair has a wheelchair seat. A trunk support mechanism is mounted to the wheelchair seat and has a front bracket and a hinge piece extending from the back bracket toward the front bracket. The hinge piece has a top and a bottom, the bottom including an elongated open channel defined by first and second walls. A locking member is rotatably mounted on the front bracket, the locking member having a lever and an elongated locking head that is configured to fit within the open channel of the hinge piece. The lever extends downwardly from the front bracket, the locking head extending forwardly. The locking mechanism has a first, locked mode in which the locking head is situated within the open channel and in between said first and second walls, and a second, unlocked mode in which the locking head is situated outside of the open channel. The locking mechanism has a compression spring mounted within the hinge piece and adjacent to the locking member, to maintain said locking head in said open channel when the locking mechanism is in the first, locked mode.
Continuing with additional features of the same embodiment, a releasable pelvic support mechanism mounted to said wheelchair seat has a bracket comprising a generally “L”-shaped, pivoting portion and a stationary portion that is hingedly attached to said “L”-shaped portion. The pelvic support mechanism has a padded pelvic support mounted on the “L”-shaped, pivoting portion. The stationary portion is mounted onto the wheelchair seat. The support mechanism also has a release lever that is pivotally mounted on said “L”-shaped portion of said bracket. A sliding bolt is mounted within said “L”-shaped portion of said bracket and is interconnected with the release lever. A compression spring is mounted in the “L”-shaped portion of said bracket and is in contact with the sliding bolt. There is an opening in the stationary portion of said bracket for receiving the sliding bolt. The releasable pelvic mechanism has a locked mode in which the sliding bolt is engaged with the opening in the pivoting portion of the bracket, thereby preventing the pelvic support from pivoting, and an unlocked mode in which the sliding bolt is not engaged with the opening in the pivoting portion of the bracket, thereby permitting the pelvic support to pivot.
Considering another particular embodiment, a pelvic support mechanism for a wheelchair seat has a bracket comprising a generally “L”-shaped, pivoting portion and a stationary portion that is hingedly attached to the “L”-shaped portion. The pelvic support mechanism has a padded pelvic support mounted on said “L”-shaped, pivoting portion, the stationary portion being mounted onto the wheelchair seat. A release lever that is pivotally mounted on said “L”-shaped portion of the bracket. A sliding bolt that is mounted within the “L”-shaped portion of the bracket and which is interconnected with the release lever. A compression spring that is mounted in the “L”-shaped portion of the bracket and that is in contact with the sliding bolt. An opening in the stationary portion of the bracket for receiving the sliding bolt. Wherein the releasable pelvic mechanism has a locked mode in which the sliding bolt is engaged with the opening in the pivoting portion of the bracket, thereby preventing the pelvic support from pivoting, and an unlocked mode in which the sliding bolt is not engaged with the opening in the pivoting portion of the bracket, thereby permitting the pelvic support to pivot.
Various other objects and features of the invention will become apparent in the Detailed Description below, in the drawings and in the claims.
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Adaptive Engineering Lab, 1999 Catalog, pp. 51-54, 1999.
Melgarejo Alejandro
Melgarejo Mauricio
Brown Peter R.
Freedom Designs Incorporated
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