EP0815822B1 - Stand-up wheelchair - Google Patents

Abstract

The wheelchair has a travel chassis (11), on which a stand-up frame with seat (17) and backrest (19) hinges. On movement from the sitting to the stand-up position a foot-support (23) is lowered to the ground. The support has one or more stems (37) by which it is guided in the travel chassis. The stem is coupled by a link (39) to the stand-up frame (21). The stem can be arranged to telescope inside a tubular member (35) of the travel chassis. The support can accommodate both feet, having a stem on each side working in a tubular chassis-member. The frame can have a double-armed lever (41) on each side, and whose shorter arm (43) is coupled to the respective link (39).

Description

The invention relates to an erect wheelchair with a Chassis and a seat and a backrest having erection frame, which is pivotable on Chassis is articulated and a footrest, which at Transition from the sitting position to the upright position on the Floor is lowered.

For example, EP-A-0 065 129 describes one Upright wheelchair with a chassis with two main wheels and two steering wheels and one on the chassis a drive mechanism relative to an axis of rotation swiveling erection frame. The erection frame points a seat and a backrest. The footrests are hinged to the seat in such a way that in the upright position of the Lie chair on the floor. The raising and lowering of the An erection frame is used by an electric motor.

A similar erecting wheelchair, but not one Electric motor is described in EP-A-0 159 562 described. There is a gas spring on this wheelchair provided that exerts a force on the erection frame to counteract the weight of the user and so the Support the user's uprighting movement. So that the User can erect, handles are provided on which the user can use to exert a force on the To reduce the seat weight. By a Blocking device, the seat in the sitting position or an upright position are blocked. Because of this Raising wheelchair no electric motor and none to it Drive has the necessary batteries, it has one much smaller weight than that in EP-A-0 065 129 erecting wheelchair described.

Great efforts have been made in recent years been to increase the weight of erect wheelchairs downsize. This was done primarily by replacing the Steel tube structures through aluminum tube structures reached. In part, the reduced weight was also bought through reduced stability of the construction. Already in the erecting wheelchairs according to EP 0 065 129 cited and 0 159 562 the low stability of the footrests was from found the users of the erect wheelchairs bothersome. At the footrests of these erect wheelchairs have a shaft on the knee height of the user on the erection frame is articulated and a little further down with a connecting link is articulated to the chassis. This construction has the disadvantage that the footrests have little stability exhibit. Even small forces are sufficient to make a lateral Pendulum movement trigger what the user of the erecting chair can unsettle. The has the same disadvantage Raising wheelchair according to PCT application WO 79/00647. At this upright wheelchair is the upper part of each two-part footrest at about the user's knee height at Chassis articulated and a little further down is the telescopic lower part with a Link connected to the erection frame.

The chair in accordance with FR-A-2,697,418 is in two parts Footrest articulated to seat 4. This is in turn articulated to a support, which in turn is articulated to the chassis. So there are three articulation points between the footrest and the chassis which are detrimental to stability.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to Raising chair of the type mentioned at the beginning improve that he is high stability despite light weight having. But it should also meet aesthetic requirements, by lever mechanisms hidden as possible under the seat come to lie.

According to the invention this is achieved in that the Footrest has at least one shaft, which in the Framework of the Chassis translational is guided, and that the erection frame over a Link with the shaft of the footrest articulated connected is.

In contrast to the known prior art, the footrest has a guide in the chassis, it has one much higher stability than an articulated one Footrest. They are not detrimental to stability There are articulation points between the chassis and the footrest. The feared by users of erection chairs Pendulum movement of the footrest is avoided.

The shaft of the footrest is expediently in one Pipe section of the chassis guided telescopically. It poses the pipe section as an integral part of the chassis stationary part of a two-part footrest becomes a very stable management of the Footrest reached.

A separate footrest can be provided for each foot be. But a common footrest is advantageous Support of both feet of the chair user is provided and points a shaft on both sides, and the chassis has a pipe section on both sides to guide the corresponding one Shaft. Due to the double-sided guidance of the footrest achieved a particularly high stability.

The stand can have two arms on both sides Have lever, the shorter arm on the corresponding Link is articulated. This makes it easy Construction. An advantageous embodiment provides that the piece of pipe that guides the shaft of the footrest serves, in the upper part a slot for one from the side Shaft projecting pin on which the Link is articulated. That’s what happens Link to lie close to the seat and is in the Use of the chair by the user practically looks withdrawn. The lifting wheelchair therefore does not awaken anyone overly technical impression. But it would also be possible the link further down where the stem from the Pipe piece protrudes to link.

Fig. 1

einen Schnitt des Aufrichtrollstuhls in der Sitzstellung,

Fig.2

einen Schnitt des Aufrichtrollstuhls von Fig.1 in der Aufrichtstellung und

Fig.3

ein Detail des Mechanismus zum Absenken der Fussstütze von vorn gesehen.

An embodiment will now be described with reference to the drawing. It shows:

Fig. 1

a section of the erecting wheelchair in the sitting position,

Fig. 2

a section of the erecting wheelchair of Fig.1 in the erecting position and

Fig. 3

a detail of the mechanism for lowering the footrest seen from the front.

The erecting wheelchair 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 consists in a conventional manner of the chassis 11 with a A pair of front wheels 13 and a pair of rear wheels 15, one Seat 17 and a backrest 19 erecting frame 21, and a footrest 23 with a footrest 24.

The chassis 11 is a tubular construction with two Side frame 25, which by struts 27, 28 together are connected. The chassis 11 is therefore a stable structure.

The erection frame 21 is articulated at 32 on the chassis 11. The erection frame 21 supports the seat 17 and the backrest 19 and is designed in a known manner so that the backrest 19 practically the same in almost every position of the chair vertical position.

The erection movement from the position of Figure 1 in the Position of Figure 2 is by at least one gas spring 33rd supported. The control means for releasing and blocking the Gas springs are not shown. Likewise, the handles, which do not allow the user to stand up marked as not for understanding the invention are important.

It is now essential that the chassis 11 on the front on both Sides has a pipe section 35, in which a shaft 37 of the Footrest 23 is guided telescopically. The pipe section 35 can be part of the tubular structure of the side frame 25. Instead of a telescopic guide would also be other guides conceivable, e.g. a dovetail guide. The erection frame 21 is connected to the shaft 37 via a connecting link 39 Footrest connected in an articulated manner in such a way that the footrest 23 when the erecting wheelchair moves upright is moved. For this purpose, the erection frame 21 has one two-armed lever 41, the shorter arm 43 with the Joint 45 is articulated on the connecting member 39. The Link 39 in turn is on a hinge 47 on Articulated shaft 37. A pin serves as the joint 47. This Pin 47 protrudes through a slot 49 in the upper part of the Pipe section 35.

As can be seen from the drawing, the Raising movement from the position of Figure 1 in the position of Figure 2, the lever arm 43 pivoted down so that it the footrest 23 downward via the connecting member 39 moved until it lies on the floor. Conversely, one Movement from the upright position to the sitting position The footrest 23 is moved upward again, as shown in FIG. 1 can be seen. This mechanism contains nothing about that Seat 17 protruding parts, which a transfer of User, as for example to climb on one Toilet seat is desired, would hinder.

Claims (7)

1. Vertically extendible wheelchair having a chassis (11) and a vertically extendible frame, which comprises a seat (17) and a back rest (19) and which is pivotally articulated to the chassis (11), and having a foot support (23), which on movement of said wheelchair from the sitting position to the upright position is lowered to the ground, characterised in that the foot support (23) comprises at least one shaft (37), which is guided for translatory movement in the frame (25, 27, 28) of the chassis (11), and that the vertically extendible frame (21) is pivotally connected to the shaft (37) of the foot support (23) by way of a connection member (39).
2. Vertically extendible wheelchair according to claim 1, characterised in that the shaft (37) of the foot support is guided telescopically in a tubular member (35) of the chassis (11).
3. Vertically extendible wheelchair according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the foot support (23) is formed for the purpose of supporting both of the wheelchair user's feet and comprises a shaft (37) on both sides, and that the chassis (11) has a tubular member (35) on both sides for the purpose of guiding the corresponding shaft (37).
4. Vertically extendible wheelchair according to any one of the claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the vertically extendible frame (21) comprises on each side a two-armed lever (41), whose shorter arm (43) is articulated to the corresponding connection member (39).
5. Vertically extendible wheelchair according to any one of the claims 2 to 4, characterised in that the tubular member (35), which serves to guide the shaft (37) of the foot support (23), comprises in the upper part a slot (49) for a pin (47), which protrudes laterally out of the shaft (37) and to which the connection member (39) is articulated.
6. Vertically extendible wheelchair according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the chassis (11) comprises two lateral frames (25), which are interconnected by stays (27, 28).
7. Vertically extendible wheelchair according to claim 6, characterised in that the tubular member (35) forms part of the lateral frame (25).

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