Secure wheel locking system

A wheel locking system, comprising:

• a wheel having an axle;
• an axle receptor to receive the axle;
• when the axle is inserted into said axle receptor,
• a first locked position in which the axle is fully engaged with the axle receptor, and a second locked position in which the axle is partially engaged with the axle receptor;
• a protrusion which extends from the axle;
• and
• indentations formed in the axle receptor into which the protrusion extends when in the first or second locked positions wherein the indentations are first and second annular grooves formed in the axle receptor so that the protrusion extends into the first annular groove when in the first locked position and into the second annular groove when in the second locked position.

A wheel locking system, comprising:

• a wheel having an axle;
• an axle receptor to receive the axle;
• when the axle is inserted into said axle receptor;
• a first locked position in which the axle is fully engaged with the axle receptor, and a second locked position in which the axle is partially engaged with the axle receptor,
• a protrusion which extends from the axle;
• and
• indentations formed in the axle receptor into which the protrusion extends when in the first or second locked position;
• inner passage walls forming a cylindrical inner passage passing through the axle receptor for receiving the axle, the cylindrical inner passage having an axial direction along which the axle is directed;
• and wherein:
• the indentations are first and second annular grooves formed in the inner passage walls and spaced axially apart from one another;
• and wherein
• the protrusion extends into the first annular groove when in the first locked position and extends into the second annular groove when in the second locked position.

A method for preventing inadvertent full disengagement of a wheel from a wheelchair comprising the steps of:

• inadvertently unlocking an axle of a wheel from a first fully engaged position relative to an axle receptor,
• locking the axle in a second partially engaged position relative to the axle receptor prior to the wheel becoming fully disengaged from the wheelchair thereby preventing the wheel from becoming fully disengaged from the wheelchair
• said step of locking including extending a protrusion from the axle into a first indentation formed in the axle receptor when in the first fully engaged position relative to an axle receptor and extending the protrusion from the axle into a second indentation formed in the axle receptor when in the second locked position
• further comprising the steps of extending the indentation into a first annular groove formed in the axle receptor when the axle is locked in the first fully engaged position relative to the axle receptor and extending the indentation into a second annular groove formed in the axle receptor when the axle is locked in the second partial engaged position relative to the axle receptor.

A method for preventing inadvertent full disengagement of a wheel from a wheelchair comprising the steps of:

• inadvertently unlocking an axle of a wheel from a first fully engaged position relative to an axle receptor;
• locking the axle in a second partially engaged position relative to the axle receptor prior to the wheel becoming fully disengaged from the wheelchair thereby preventing the wheel from becoming fully disengaged from the wheelchair
• said step of locking including extending a protrusion from the axle into a first indentation formed in the axle receptor when in the first fully engaged position relative to an axle receptor and extending the protrusion from the axle into a second indentation formed in the axle receptor when in the second locked position;
• and
• further comprising the steps of:
• receiving the axle within an inner passage wall forming a cylindrical inner passage passing through the axle receptor so that the axle is oriented along an axial direction of the cylindrical inner passage;
• and
• extending the protrusion into a first annular groove formed in the inner passage wall thereby locking the axle in the first fully engaged position relative to the axle receptor;
• extending the protrusion into a second annular groove formed in the inner passage wall and spaced axially apart from the first annular grove thereby locking the axle in the second partially engaged position relative to the axle receptor.