Patent ID: 6386817
Filing Date: 2002-05-14
Classification: A61G,B60R

Abstract:
A wheelchair carriage for attachment to a towing frame of a vehicle, comprising:an upright support post having a first end detachably coupled to a towing frame of a vehicle, and a second end opposing said first end; a tubular housing defining an opening that slidably receives said second end of said upright support post, said tubular housing being movable from a first position to a second position relative to said first end, said tubular housing and said upright support post being biased against one another to said first position; an enclosure for holding a wheelchair, comprising: a base member mounted to said tubular housing, said base member having a lower end and an upper end; a platform attached to said lower end of said base member for supporting a wheelchair thereon; and a rack attached to said upper end of said base member for enclosing an upper portion of the wheelchair, said rack comprising a plurality of interconnected rods that define a closed loop; a lever for sliding said tubular housing upon said upright support post, said lever having a lever arm and a lever handle joined to said lever arm at a fulcrum, said fulcrum pivotally attached to said tubular housing, said lever arm extending laterally from said fulcrum; and a connector pivotally connecting said lever arm to said upright support post, whereby the lever handle, being moved in a first direction, bears against the fulcrum to move the enclosure from the first position to the second position for wheeling a wheelchair onto the platform, and the lever handle, being moved in a second direction opposite to the first direction, raises the enclosure to the second position at a height sufficient to prevent the carriage from impeding the clearance of the vehicle for traveling.