Deployable auxiliary support for a wheeled apparatus supporting a person

An auxiliary support assembly for a wheeled apparatus arranged for rolling movement on a supporting surface, the apparatus including a support frame for supporting a person, two rear wheels supported on the support frame in proximity to a rear end of the support frame, and two front wheels supported on the support frame in proximity to a front end of the support frame, the auxiliary support assembly comprising:

• a mounting arrangement arranged to be supported on the support frame in which the mounting arrangement includes a mounting frame arranged to be mounted at a fixed location in relation to the support frame of the wheeled apparatus;
• an auxiliary support arranged for movement along said supporting surface;
• and
• a linkage arrangement connected to the mounting arrangement so as to be movable relative to the support frame, the linkage arrangement supporting the auxiliary support to be movable with the linkage arrangement relative to the support frame between a deployed position and a second position;
• wherein in the deployed position, the auxiliary support is arranged to be supported forwardly of the two front wheels at a lower elevation than the two front wheels such that the apparatus is carried on the supporting surface by the rear wheels and the auxiliary support and such that the front wheels are spaced above the supporting surface;
• wherein in the second position, the auxiliary support is retracted rearwardly relative to the deployed position such that the apparatus is carried on the supporting surface by the front wheels and the rear wheels;
• wherein the linkage arrangement is a four bar linkage defined by (i) the mounting frame, (ii) a swing arm supporting the auxiliary support thereon, (iii) a first intermediate link, and (iv) a second intermediate link;
• wherein the swing arm is pivotally mounted by a pivotal connection on the mounting frame of the mounting arrangement such that the auxiliary support is movable between the deployed position and the second position by pivoting about a swing axis of the swing arm relative to the mounting frame;
• wherein the first intermediate link is pivotally mounted on the mounting frame at a first axis at a location spaced from the swing axis of the swing arm;
• wherein the second intermediate link is pivotally mounted on the first intermediate link for relative pivotal movement about a second axis and is pivotally mounted on the swing arm for relative pivotal movement about a third axis;
• wherein the third axis traverses through a plane that locates the first axis and the second axis therein as the auxiliary support is displaced from the second position to the deployed position;
• and
• wherein the first intermediate link, the second intermediate link, and a linkage portion of the swing arm are each laterally offset from one another in a direction of the axes.

An auxiliary support assembly for a wheeled apparatus arranged for rolling movement on a supporting surface, the apparatus including a support frame for supporting a person, two rear wheels supported on the support frame in proximity to a rear end of the support frame, and two front wheels supported on the support frame in proximity to a front end of the support frame, the auxiliary support assembly comprising:

• a mounting arrangement arranged to be supported on the support frame in which the mounting arrangement includes a mounting frame arranged to be mounted at a fixed location in relation to the support frame of the wheeled apparatus;
• an auxiliary support arranged for movement along said supporting surface;
• a linkage arrangement connected to the mounting arrangement so as to be movable relative to the support frame, the linkage arrangement supporting the auxiliary support to be movable with the linkage arrangement relative to the support frame between a deployed position and a second position;
• and
• a release lever arranged to actuate release of the linkage arrangement from the deployed position to the second position;
• wherein in the deployed position, the auxiliary support is arranged to be supported forwardly of the two front wheels at a lower elevation than the two front wheels such that the apparatus is carried on the supporting surface by the rear wheels and the auxiliary support and such that the front wheels are spaced above the supporting surface;
• wherein in the second position, the auxiliary support is retracted rearwardly relative to the deployed position such that the apparatus is carried on the supporting surface by the front wheels and the rear wheels;
• wherein the linkage arrangement is a four bar linkage defined by (i) the mounting frame, (ii) a swing arm, (iii) a first intermediate link, and (iv) a second intermediate link;
• wherein the swing arm is pivotally mounted by a pivotal connection on the mounting frame of the mounting arrangement such that the auxiliary support is movable between the deployed position and the second position by pivoting about a swing axis of the swing arm relative to the mounting frame;
• wherein the first intermediate link is pivotally mounted on the mounting frame at a first axis at a location spaced from the swing axis of the swing arm;
• wherein the second intermediate link is pivotally mounted on the first intermediate link for relative pivotal movement about a second axis and is pivotally mounted on the swing arm for relative pivotal movement about a third axis;
• wherein in the deployed position, the linage arrangement must be through an over-center position against a direction of weight on the support frame of the wheeled apparatus acting on the auxiliary support;
• and
• wherein the release lever is pivotally mounted on the linkage arrangement and wherein the release lever includes (i) an actuating arm portion arranged to receive an actuation force from the person of the wheeled apparatus to pivot the release lever (ii) an engaging portion pivotal with the actuating arm portion;
• wherein the release lever is pivotal from an out-of-use position in which the engaging portion is spaced from a contacting portion of the linkage arrangement to an engaged position in which the engaging portion engages in interference with the contacting portion of the linkage arrangement such that continued rotation of the engaging portion applies a releasing force acting on said contacting portion of the linkage to urge the linkage arrangement in a release direction from the deployed position through the over-center position.