Atrophy-reducing movable foot support apparatus
OwnerBonnie Fremgeninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Gentle and substantially linear vertical motion of a wheelchair foot support is expected to provide superior results for maintenance of a wheelchair user's leg muscle mass' thus reducing atrophy of the wheelchair user's legs. Additionally, gentle continuous motion of the foot support is expected to aid in maintaining elasticity of the wheelchair user's leg joint ligaments' thus reducing contractures. Accordingly, an atrophy-reducing wheelchair includes a movable foot support mounted to a linkage that is movably connected to the wheelchair frame. As the wheelchair moves in normal operation, rotation of a wheelchair wheel drives the linkage to provide substantially linear vertical reciprocation of the foot support.
Claims18
An atrophy-reducing wheelchair comprising:
- first and second side frames, each side frame including
- structural members lying substantially in a corresponding plane,
- a front wheel bracket pivotally connected to one of the structural members, and
- a rear wheel mount formed in one or another of the structural members and defining a rear wheel axis, the rear wheel axis of the second side frame being substantially in registration with the rear wheel axis of the first side frame, and the second side frame being offset from the first side frame along the rear wheel axes,
- and at least one of the first and second side frames being modified to include
- a pivot defining a pivot axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the corresponding side frame and offset from the rear wheel axis, and also defining horizontal and vertical axes substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis and
- a journal defining a journal axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the corresponding side frame and offset from the pivot axis and from the rear wheel axis;
- a front wheel rotatably mounted to each front wheel bracket;
- a rear wheel rotatably mounted to each rear wheel mount, the front and rear wheels cooperating to support the side frames;
- first and second pivotally connected crossbars having upper and lower ends and together defining a plane substantially perpendicular to the first and second planes, the lower end of the first crossbar being pivotally connected to the second side frame and the upper end of the first crossbar carrying a first longitudinal bar lying substantially in the first plane and slidably connected to the first side frame, the lower end of the second crossbar being pivotally connected to the first side frame and an upper end of the second crossbar carrying a second longitudinal bar lying substantially in the second plane and slidably connected to the second side frame, the crossbars and longitudinal bars cooperating to permit motion of the first and second side frames between an open position in which the second side frame is offset from the first side frame by a seat width and a closed position in which the second side frame is offset from the first side frame by a collapsed width;
- a seat supported between the first and second longitudinal bars;
- and
- at least one linkage movably connected to the modified side frame at the pivot and the journal, the linkage operatively connecting a movable foot support to the rear wheel of the modified side frame,
- wherein rotation of the rear wheel drives the linkage to move the movable foot support in a substantially linear vertical oscillating motion.
An atrophy-reducing foot support assembly for use on a wheelchair having first and second side frames, each side frame including rigidly connected structural members lying substantially in a corresponding plane, a front wheel bracket pivotally connected to a first of the structural members, and a rear wheel mount formed in the first or in a second of the structural members and defining a rear wheel axis, the rear wheel axis of the second side frame being substantially in registration with the rear wheel axis of the first side frame, and the second side frame being offset from the first side frame along the rear wheel axes, and at least one of the first and second side frames being modified to include a pivot and a journal, each journal defining a journal axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the corresponding side frame, each pivot defining a pivot axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the corresponding side frame and also defining horizontal and vertical axes substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis, the wheelchair further including a seat supported by the first and second side frames, a front wheel rotatably mounted to each front wheel bracket, and a rear wheel rotatably mounted to each rear wheel mount, the assembly comprising:
- a foot support;
- a crank arm having a proximal end, a distal end, and a middle segment connecting the proximal and distal ends, the distal end carrying the foot support and the proximal end being pivotally mounted to the pivot of the modified side frame;
- an axle assembly rotatably mounted in the journal of the modified side frame, having an outer circumferential surface and having a rod pin extending substantially parallel to the journal axis at a radial distance from the journal axis;
- a push-rod having a driven end and having a driving end, the driven end being pivotally connected to the rod pin;
- a crank pin pivotally connecting the driving end of the push-rod to the middle segment of the crank arm;
- a drive wheel fixedly and substantially co-axially mounted to the rear wheel of the modified side frame, the drive wheel having an outer circumferential surface;
- and
- a member engaging the outer circumferential surface of the axle assembly and the outer circumferential surface of the drive wheel, thereby flexibly coupling the axle assembly to the drive wheel,
- wherein rotation of the rear wheel of the modified side frame causes substantially vertical substantially linear oscillating motion of the foot support.
An atrophy-reducing foot support assembly for use on a wheelchair having first and second side frames, each side frame including rigidly connected structural members lying substantially in a corresponding plane, a front wheel bracket pivotally connected to a first of the structural members, and a rear wheel mount formed in the first or in a second of the structural members and defining a rear wheel axis, the rear wheel axis of the second side frame being substantially in registration with the rear wheel axis of the first side frame, and the second side frame being offset from the first side frame along the rear wheel axes, and at least one of the first and second side frames being modified to include a pivot and a journal, each journal defining a journal axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the corresponding side frame, each pivot defining a pivot axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the corresponding side frame and also defining horizontal and vertical axes substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis, the wheelchair further including a seat supported by the first and second side frames, a front wheel rotatably mounted to each front wheel bracket, and a rear wheel rotatably mounted to each rear wheel mount, and the assembly comprising:
- a foot support;
- an axle assembly rotatably mounted in the journal of the modified side frame, having an outer circumferential surface and having a rod pin extending substantially parallel to the journal axis at a radial distance from the journal axis;
- a push-rod having a driven end, a driving end, and a middle segment connecting the driving and driven ends, the driving end carrying the foot support and the driven end being pivotally connected to the rod pin;
- a crank arm having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end being pivotally mounted to the middle segment of the push-rod by a crank pin, and the proximal end being pivotally mounted to the pivot of the modified side frame;
- a drive wheel fixedly and substantially co-axially mounted to the rear wheel of the modified side frame, the drive wheel having an outer circumferential surface;
- and
- a flexible member engaging the outer circumferential surface of the axle assembly and the outer circumferential surface of the drive wheel, thereby flexibly coupling the axle assembly to the drive wheel,
- wherein rotation of the rear wheel of the modified side frame causes substantially linear vertical motion of the foot support, and at least one of the push-rod and the crank arm can be adjusted in length to vary the motion of the foot support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.