Anti-rollback device for use with a collapsible wheelchair
AssigneeDirect Supply, Inc.
InventorJustin T. Morgan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides an assembly having a collapsible wheelchair and an anti-rollback assembly to brake rotational movement of the wheelchair when a user is unseated, while simultaneously maintaining the ability of the wheelchair to collapse into a storage configuration. The anti-rollback assembly may include a brake bar pivotable between a lock state and an unlock state, a biasing member engaging the brake bar to exert a biasing force to move the brake bar into the lock state, and an actuator configured to engage a seat surface of the wheelchair to move the brake bar into the unlock state when the individual occupies the seat surface.
Claims20
A collapsible wheelchair assembly, comprising:
- a collapsible frame movable between a seating configuration having a first width and a collapsed storage configuration having a second width less than the first width;
- a seat affixed to the frame and configured for supporting an individual when the frame is in the seating configuration;
- a first and second wheel attached to the frame at left and right transversely opposed sides of the seat surface supporting the frame and positioned for rotation by the individual;
- a first and second anti-rollback assembly attached to the frame at left and right transverse opposed sides of the seat;
- each of the first and second anti-rollback assemblies comprise:
- a brake bar having a lock state engaging the corresponding first or second wheel to block unidirectional rotation of the first or second wheel with respect to the frame and an unlock state disengaging the first or second wheel to allow unidirectional rotation of the first or second wheel with respect to the frame, and
- a biasing member engaging the brake bar to exert a biasing force to move the brake bar into the lock state,
- the first and second anti-rollback assemblies further providing a respective first and second actuator independently engaging the seat configured to exert a counter force opposite the biasing force on the brake bar to move the brake bar into the unlock state when the individual occupies the seat;
- and
- wherein the actuators of the first and second anti-rollback assemblies are positioned beneath a left and right side respectively of the seat to be actuated with downward displacement of the seat upon the individual sitting on the seat.
A collapsible wheelchair assembly, comprising:
- a collapsible frame movable between a seating configuration having a first width and a collapsed storage configuration having a second width less than the first width;
- a seat surface affixed to the frame and configured for supporting an individual when the frame is in the seating configuration;
- a first and second wheel attached to the frame at left and right transversely opposed sides of the seat surface supporting the frame and positioned for rotation by the individual;
- at least one anti-rollback assembly attached to the frame at one side of the seat surface;
- each of the at least one anti-rollback assemblies comprise:
- a brake bar having a lock state engaging one of the first or second wheels to block rotation of the wheel with respect to the frame and an unlock state disengaging the wheel to allow unidirectional rotation of the wheel with respect to the frame,
- a biasing member engaging the brake bar to exert a biasing force to move the brake bar into the lock state, and
- an actuator engaging the seat surface configured to exert a counter force opposite the biasing force on the brake bar to move the brake bar into the unlock state when the individual occupies the seat surface,
- wherein the collapsible frame has a first distance between an inner surface of the first wheel and the inner surface of the second wheel when the collapsible frame is in a collapsed storage orientation, and
- wherein the outer width of each of the at least one anti-rollback assemblies is less than or equal to 50 percent of the first distance.
A wheelchair anti-rollback kit configured to brake rotational movement of a collapsible wheelchair when an individual is unseated while rising from and/or sitting into the collapsible wheelchair, comprising:
- at least one anti-rollback assembly configured to be attached to a frame of the collapsible wheelchair, each of the at least one anti-rollback assemblies having a width less than 50 percent of a width of the wheelchair in a collapsed storage configuration;
- each of the at least one anti-rollback assemblies comprise:
- a brake bar having a lock state configured to engage a corresponding first or second wheel of the collapsible wheelchair to block rotation of the wheel with respect to the frame and an unlock state disengaging the first or second wheel to allow unidirectional rotation of the wheel with respect to the frame,
- a biasing member engaging the brake bar to exert a biasing force to move the brake bar into the lock state, and
- an actuator configured to engage a seat surface of the wheelchair to exert a counter force opposite the biasing force on the brake bar to move the brake bar into the unlock state when the individual occupies the seat surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.