Wheelchair braking device

A wheelchair braking device comprising:

• a support structure;
• a sensing lever pivotably mounted to the support structure for rotational movement in oppositely-disposed first and second rotational directions, the sensing lever comprising means for engaging a wheelchair seat, the engaging means moving in upward and downward directions when the sensing lever moves in the first and second rotational directions thereof, respectively;
• braking means slidably mounted to the support structure for movement in oppositely-disposed first and second linear direction, wherein the braking means comprises a block slidably coupled to the support structure and a cantilevered member mounted to and extending from the block in a transverse direction to the first and second linear directions;
• means for biasing the braking means in the first linear direction;
• and
• means for interconnecting the sensing lever and the braking means, the interconnecting means causing the biasing means to bias the sensing lever in the first rotational direction, the interconnecting means causing the braking means to move in the second linear direction when the sensing lever is caused to rotate in the second rotational direction.

A wheelchair having a seat, multiple wheels, and at least two braking devices, each of the braking devices comprising:

• a sensing lever pivotably mounted to the wheelchair so as to rotate about a horizontal axis and so that a first end of the sensing lever is movable in upward and downward directions while contacting the seat of the wheelchair;
• braking means slidably mounted relative to the wheelchair for engaging one of the wheels of the wheelchair;
• means for biasing the braking means into engagement with the one wheel of the wheelchair;
• and
• means for interconnecting the sensing lever and the braking means, the interconnecting means causing the biasing means to bias the first end of the sensing lever in the upward direction, the interconnecting means causing the braking means to move out of engagement with the one wheel when the first end of the sensing lever is caused to move in the downward direction.