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US 4,728,119 AGranted
Travel chair for the elderly and physically handicapped
AssigneeTrav-L-Chair, Inc.
InventorRoland Sigafoo
Life of this patent
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AssigneeTrav-L-Chair, Inc.
InventorRoland Sigafoo
Estimating the term…
The travel chair has a form-fitted shell which is attached to a metal frame, capable of transporting handicapped and elderly persons from their residence; through public transportation terminals; aboard public transportation vehicles, such as aircraft and busses; hence to their destination without the individual leaving the apparatus. Folding rear legs allows the apparatus to be placed in a conventional seat without the individual leaving the shell. In limited spaces, the shell can be removed from the frame and placed in a conventional seat without the individual leaving the shell. In either configuration, the person, while remaining in the shell, can use conventional restraint devices, such as aircraft and automotive seat belts. In addition, inherent safety devices are incorporated in the apparatus for personal security. For storing or separate transportation, both the front and rear legs of the apparatus can be folded; thereby reducing the required space by approximately one-half.
Transportation means for handicapped and elderly persons comprising a shell and a wheeled dolly, said shell comprising a unitary molded back, seat and arm support, said seat having at least a front and two opposite sides, hand holds mounted at each side of the back and at the front of each side of the seat, restraint means for the person to be transported attached to the shell and further a restraining belt secured to the shell and releasably securable about the seat back of a vehicle, said dolly including a top frame sized to receive the seat portion of the shell, said top frame including side rails on opposite sides of said dolly, said side rails extending lengthwise front to back along said seat, a pair of front and a pair of rear legs, the pair of front legs having upper ends pivotably attached to said top frame by front pivots at a front of said side rails, the pair of rear legs having upper ends pivotably attached to said top frame by rear pivots at a rear of said side rails, said rear pivots spaced from said front pivots, each of said pairs of legs independently foldable inwardly to extend lengthwise along the underside of said top frame, wheels at the lower ends of each of said pairs of front and rear legs, lock bars for the said pairs of front and rear legs, and latching means for attaching the dolly to said shell, and wherein, upon inward folding of the pair of rear legs, the dolly and shell are operable for placement upon a chair of a transportation vehicle with the seat and back of the shell respectively extending along a seat and a back of the chair and with the front legs extending down in front of the chair, and upon unlatching of said latching means, said dolly is removable from said shell such that said shell is operable for placement upon a chair of a transportation vehicle with the seat and back of the shell respectively extending along a seat and a back of the chair and wherein said dolly is compactable when unlatched from said shell with its rear legs folded forwardly such that the wheels of said rear legs are disposed at the front of said side rails and with its front legs folded backwardly such that the wheels of said front legs are disposed at the rear and to the outside of said side rails.
Transportation means for handicapped and elderly persons comprising a shell and a wheeled dolly, said shell comprising a unitary molded back, seat and arm support, said seat having at least a front and two opposite sides, hand holds mounted at each side of the back and at the front of each side of the seat, restraint means for the person to be transported attached to the shell and further a restraining belt secured to the shell and releasably securable about the seat back of a vehicle, said dolly including a top frame sized to receive the seat portion of the shell, said top frame including side rails on opposite sides of said dolly, said side rails extending lengthwise front to back along said seat, a pair of front and a pair of rear legs, the pair of front legs having upper ends pivotably attached to said top frame by front pivots at a front of said side rails, the pair of rear legs having upper ends pivotably attached to said top frame by rear pivots at a rear of said side rails, said rear pivots spaced from said front pivots, each of said pairs of legs independently foldable inwardly to extend lengthwise along the underside of said top frame, wheels at the lower ends of each of said pairs of front and rear legs, lock bars for the said pairs of front and rear legs, and latching means for attaching the dolly to said shell, and wherein, upon inward folding of the pair of rear legs, the dolly and shell are operable for placement upon a chair of a transportation vehicle with the seat and back of the shell respectively extending along a seat and a back of the chair and with the front legs extending down in front of the chair, and upon unlatching of said latching means, said dolly is removable from said shell such that said shell is operable for placement upon a chair of a transportation vehicle with the seat and back of the shell respectively extending along a seat and a back of the chair, and wherein said latching means includes at least two front latches, each front latch releasably securing a front of one of said side rails to a front edge of said seat.
Transportation means for handicapped and elderly persons comprising a shell and a wheeled dolly, said shell comprising a unitary molded back, seat and arm support, said seat having at least a front and two opposite sides, hand holds mounted at each side of the back and at the front of each side of the seat, restraint means for the person to be transported attached to the shell and further a restraining belt secured to the shell and releasably securable about the seat back of a vehicle, said dolly including a top frame sized to receive the seat portion of the shell, said top frame including side rails on opposite sides of said dolly, said side rails extending lengthwise front to back along said seat, a pair of front and a pair of rear legs, the pair of front legs having upper ends pivotably attached to said top frame by front pivots at a front of said side rails, the pair of rear legs having upper ends pivotably attached to said top frame by rear pivots at a rear of said side rails, said rear pivots spaced from said front pivots, each of said pairs of legs independently foldable inwardly to extend lengthwise along the underside of said top frame, wheels at the lower ends of each of said pairs of front and rear legs, lock bars for the said pairs of front and rear legs, and latching means for attaching the dolly to said shell, and wherein, upon inward folding of the pair of rear legs, the dolly and shell are operable for placement upon a chair of a transportation vehicle with the seat and back of the shell respectively extending along a seat and a back of the chair and with the front legs extending down in front of the chair, and upon unlatching of said latching means, said dolly is removable from said shell such that said shell is operable for placement upon a chair of a transporation vehicle with the seat and back of the shell respectively extending along a seat and a back of the chair, and wherein said latching means includes at least two rear latches which releasably secure said dolly to said shell at the back, said rear latches being disposed within a forwardly recessed portion of said back.
Transportation means for handicapped and elderly persons comprising a shell and a wheeled dolly, said shell comprising a unitary molded back, seat and arm support, said seat having at least a front and two opposite sides, hand holds mounted at each side of the back and at the front of each side of the seat, restraint means for the person to be transported attached to the shell and further a restraining belt secured to the shell and releasably securable about the seat back of a vehicle, said dolly including a top frame sized to receive the seat portion of the shell, said top frame including side rails on opposite sides of said dolly, said side rails extending lengthwise front to back along said seat, a pair of front and a pair of rear legs, the pair of front legs having upper ends pivotably attached to said top frame by front pivots at a front of said side rails, the pair of rear legs having upper ends pivotably attached to said top frame by rear pivots at a rear of said side rails, said rear pivots spaced from said front pivots, each of said pairs of legs independently foldable inwardly to extend lengthwise along the underside of said top frame, wheels at the lower ends of each of said pairs of front and rear legs, lock bars for the said pairs of front and rear legs, and latching means for attaching the dolly to said shell, and wherein, upon inward folding of the pair of rear legs, the dolly and shell are operable for placement upon a chair of a transportation vehicle with the seat and back of the shell respectively extending along a seat and a back of the chair and with the front legs extending down in front of the chair, and upon unlatching of said latching means, said dolly is removable from said shell such that said shell is operable for placement upon a chair of a transportation vehicle with the seat and back of the shell respectively extending along a seat and a back of the chair and further including low hand holds at lower ends of each front leg, each low hand hold including a sideways extending portion and a downwardly extending portion generally orthogonal to the sideways extending portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.