Non-rotating wheel disk and attachable accessories

The present invention provides a non-rotating wheel disk for the main wheels of conventional wheelchairs. The non-rotating wheel disks shield the spokes from damage and a user's hands from injury. Easily accessible pockets for storing needed materials, catheter bags, and the like, are attached to an outer surface of the non-rotating disk. An exercise device for use from a conventional wheelchair is also provided. The exercise device may be used alone or in combination with the wheel disk of the present invention, which provides additional support for the exercise device.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The present invention relates generally to wheels for a wheelchair, and 
more particularly to a non-rotating wheel disk for a wheelchair and to 
accessories that are attachable to the same. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Wheelchairs are well known in the prior art as a means of transportation 
for injured or disabled persons. Although sophisticated wheelchairs can be 
custom built at great expense, the majority of wheelchairs are fairly 
basic in design. 
Typically, conventional wheelchairs comprise a pair of tubular side frames 
with a flexible seat disposed there between. The side frames are connected 
to one another under the seat by a cross brace that allows the side frames 
to be laterally folded together for compact storage of the wheelchair. A 
pocket is provided on the back side of the seat for storing materials of 
the user. 
A wheelchair travels on a pair of main spoked wheels and a pair of front 
caster wheels. The main wheels are conventionally journaled to the side 
frames to allow forward and rearward travel of the wheelchair. The main 
wheels are relatively large and include a coaxially mounted push-ring to 
facilitate movement of the wheelchair by the user. 
The front caster wheels are vertically axled to the side frames to allow 
the wheelchair to be turned in any direction. Thus, the user may move the 
wheelchair and negotiate obstacles without assistance. In this way, 
conventional wheelchairs fulfill their essential purpose of providing a 
means of transportation for the user. 
An inadequacy of conventional wheelchairs, however, is a lack of basic 
accessories to support the needs and activities of users. This is 
especially problematic in an era where disabled persons are increasingly 
active and self-reliant. 
For example, because a wheelchair user must use both hands to move him or 
herself in a wheelchair, he or she cannot carry materials unless an area 
is provided on the wheelchair for storing the materials during transit. 
Although the conventional wheelchair has a storage pocket on the back side 
of the seat, this pocket is inaccessible to a user. Thus, the user can 
only carry and use materials that other individuals have stored and later 
removed for the user. Such reliance on others greatly reduces the freedom 
of the user. Thus, there exists a need in the art for a wheelchair storage 
area that is accessible to the user and that does not interfere with the 
operation of the wheelchair. 
A related problem with conventional wheelchairs is the storage of catheter 
bags for users with bladder related medical problems. Catheter bags 
collect urine for such users via a catheter tube and thereby allow them to 
travel freely without fear of an embarrassing accident. 
Presently, catheter bags are hooked either to the side frame of a 
wheelchair or to the cross brace beneath the seat. A problem with hooking 
a catheter bag to a side frame is that it may tangle with an adjacent main 
wheel and rupture or pull the catheter tube free, which can injure the 
user because the catheter tube is secured in the user's urethra by an 
inflated balloon. Another problem with hooking a catheter bag to a side 
frame is that urine will back up in the catheter tube and cause a bladder 
infection if the catheter bag is not maintained at a position below the 
user's bladder. 
Hooking a catheter bag to a cross brace beneath the seat will prevent the 
problem of urine backing up in the catheter tube. However, because the 
cross brace is beneath the seat, the catheter bags often drag on the 
ground. As a result, catheter bags are easily dislodged from a cross 
brace, causing them to rupture or to pull the catheter tube free. 
Furthermore, the cross brace is not accessible to the user. Thus, use of a 
cross brace for storing a catheter bag requires the user to rely on other 
individuals. 
Additionally, the presence of a catheter bag, which can be as large as one 
liter, is obvious to all bypassers when hooked to either the side frame or 
the cross brace of a wheelchair. Such publicity of a user's private 
medical condition can cause embarrassment and lead the user to shy away 
from public areas. Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a safe 
and concealed means of storing catheter bags on a wheelchair. 
Another problem associated with conventional wheelchairs is a lack of 
exercises that can be performed from a wheelchair. This is especially 
problematic for disabled persons, such as paraplegics, who are largely 
confined to a wheelchair and are thus limited to activities that can be 
performed from the wheelchair. Therefore, there exists a need in the art 
for a means of performing exercises from a conventional wheelchair. 
Yet another problem associated with conventional wheelchairs is a lack of 
protection for the user's hands and fingers, which can become caught in 
the spokes of the main wheels and injured. Additionally, the spokes can 
become entangled with foreign objects, causing damage to the spokes and 
possibly causing the wheelchair to become stuck and the user stranded. 
Thus, there exists a need in the art for an effective means of shielding 
the spokes from a user's hands and other foreign objects. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides a solution to solving the problems in the 
art described above by providing a non-rotating wheel disk for the main 
wheels of conventional wheelchairs. The non-rotating wheel disks shield 
the spokes from damage and a user's hands from injury. Easily accessible 
pockets for storing needed materials, catheter bags, and the like, may be 
attached to an outer surface of the non-rotating disk. An exercise device 
for use from a conventional wheelchair is also provided. The exercise 
device may be used alone or in combination with the wheel disk of the 
present invention, which provides additional support for the exercise 
device. 
The non-rotating wheel disk of the present invention comprises a disk for 
fixable attachment to an outer end of a non-rotating wheel axle spindle of 
a wheelchair. Preferably, the disk is circular in shape and is coaxial 
with the wheel axle spindle when the disk is attached thereto. At least 
one pocket accessible to a wheelchair user can be attached to an outer 
surface of the disk that faces away from the wheelchair. 
The exercise device of the present invention comprises an elongated handle 
and a cylinder assembly. The elongated handle is for pivotal attachment to 
the outer end of the non-rotating wheel axle spindle. A first end of the 
cylinder assembly is slideably attached to the elongated handle. The 
second end of the cylinder assembly is for pivotal attachment to the 
wheelchair at a point forward of the non-rotating wheel axle spindle. 
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a non-rotating 
wheel disk that shields the spokes of main wheels of conventional 
wheelchairs. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide user accessible 
pockets for conventional wheelchairs. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a safe catheter 
bag pocket for conventional wheelchairs. 
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an exercise 
device that can be used from a conventional wheelchair. 
Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will 
become apparent upon reviewing the following description of the preferred 
embodiments of the invention, when taken in conjunction with the drawings 
and appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring now in more detail to the drawings, in which like numerals refer 
to like parts throughout the several views, FIGS. 1-2 show a conventional 
laterally folding wheelchair 12. The wheelchair 12 comprises a flexible 
seat 14 and a flexible back 16 suspended between a pair of wheeled side 
frames 18. The side frames 18 are interconnected by a cross brace 20, 
which allows the side frames 18 to be folded together for storage. 
The side frames 18 are mirror images of one another and typically comprise 
a plurality of welded together tubular steel members. A rear vertical 
member 22 and a front vertical member 24 are provided as supports for 
mounting the wheels of the wheelchair 12. The front and rear vertical 
members are joined at their tops by a horizontal arm support member 26 and 
at their base by a horizontal base member 28. The horizontal base member 
28 extends rearward beyond the rear vertical member 22 to form a tipping 
lever 42 for raising the front end of the wheelchair 12 over curbs or 
similar obstacles. 
An arm rest 32 is disposed on the arm support member 26 for the comfort of 
the user. A rear handle 38 extends backward from the top of the rear 
vertical member 22 for pushing the wheelchair 12. A hand grip 40 is 
provided at the end of the rear handle 38 for the convenience of a person 
pushing the wheelchair 12. 
A horizontal seat support member 30 extends between the rear vertical 
member 22 and the front vertical member 24 for mounting the flexible seat 
14. A hanging bracket 34 extends forward from the front vertical member 24 
to support a pivotally connected foot rest 36. 
A pair of front caster wheels 48 for turning the wheelchair 12 are 
vertically axled to the front vertical member 24 of each side frame 18. A 
pair of rear main wheels 44 with a center hub assembly 45 are 
conventionally journaled to a non-rotating wheel axle spindle 46. The 
center hub assembly 45 of each main wheel 44 is connected to a concentric 
rim 50 by a series of spokes 54. A tire 56 and a push-ring 58 are mounted 
to the rim 50. 
As shown by FIG. 3, the wheel axle spindle 46 is connected to the rear 
vertical member 22 of the side frame 18 via a mounting collar 60, which is 
permanently affixed to the rear vertical member 22. The wheel axle spindle 
46 is threaded at both ends and secured at an inner end 47a by a 
conventional hex nut 62, which is threaded to receive the inner end 47a of 
the wheel axle spindle 46. An outer end 47b of the wheel axle spindle 46 
protrudes a select distance from the mounting collar 60 for journaling the 
center hub assembly 45 of the main wheel 44. The center hub assembly 45 is 
secured in place by a conventional hex nut 64, which is threaded to 
receive the outer end 47b of the wheel axle spindle 46. 
As shown by FIGS. 4-5, a non-rotating wheel disk 66 attaches to the outer 
end 47b of the wheel axle spindle 46. If the wheel axle spindle 46 is too 
short to receive the wheel disk 66, a new wheel axle spindle (not shown) 
of adequate length can be simply substituted for the existing wheel axle 
spindle. 
The wheel disk 66 is attached to the wheel axle spindle 46 via a center 
hole (not shown) and is secured by a conventional hex nut 70, which is 
threaded to receive the outer end 47b of the wheel axle spindle 46. The 
wheel disk 66 is maintained in spaced apart relation with the spokes 54 of 
the main wheel 44 by a recessed hub 68 at the point of attachment between 
the wheel disk 66 and the wheel axle spindle 46. The remaining portion of 
the wheel disk 66 is contoured to follow the slope of the spokes 54 to 
minimize the protrusion of the wheel disk 66 from the main wheel 44. 
In the preferred embodiment, as best shown by FIG. 4, the wheel disk 66 is 
circular with a circumference 72 that is coaxial with the wheel axle 
spindle 46. Accordingly, the wheel disk 66 is also coaxial with the main 
wheel 44 and the push-ring 58. Thus, the wheel disk 66 effectively shields 
the spokes 54 from a user's hands and other foreign objects. 
The circumference 72 of the wheel disk 66 is less than that of the 
push-ring 58 to prevent interference with the pushing of the wheelchair. 
In the preferred embodiment, the wheel disk 66 is sized to leave a gap of 
one-half inch between its circumference 72 and the push-ring 58. For the 
comfort of a user during pushing operations, a padding 74 is disposed 
along the circumference 72 of the wheel disk 66. In the preferred 
embodiment, the padding 74 is an open-cell foam rubber having an adhesive 
backing that is applied directly to the circumference 72 of the wheel disk 
66. 
The wheel disk 66 may be constructed of plastic, metal, or other durable 
materials. The preferred material depends on the use of the wheel disk 66. 
If the wheel disk 66 will not be subject to heavy loads, injection molded 
plastic is preferred because it is inexpensive, lightweight and durable. 
Alternatively, if the wheel disk 66 is subject to heavy loads, metal is 
preferred for its strength. 
A first, or upper, pocket 78 and a second, or lower, pocket 80 extend from 
an outer surface 76 of the wheel disk 66. In the preferred embodiment, the 
upper pocket 78 and the lower pocket 80 are selectively attachable to the 
wheel disk 66 with velcro strips (not shown). This allows the pockets to 
be easily added and removed as needed. 
The upper pocket 78 is sized to receive and store materials of a general 
nature and is located within easy reach of a user in the wheelchair 12. 
Thus, the upper pocket 78 provides a storage area that is accessible to 
the user and that does not interfere with the operation of the wheelchair 
12. 
The lower pocket 80 is sized to receive a catheter bag and is positioned 
well below the seat 14 to insure proper drainage into the catheter bag. 
The catheter tube runs from a user to the edge of the seat 14 and then 
into the catheter bag inside the lower pocket 80. Thus, the lower pocket 
80 provides a safe and concealed means of storing a catheter bag on a 
wheelchair 12. 
As shown by FIGS. 6-8, an exercise device 82 is provided for attachment to, 
and use from, the wheelchair 12. The exercise device 82 comprises an 
elongated handle 84 and a cylinder assembly 86. In the preferred 
embodiment, the exercise device 82 is attached to the wheelchair 12 with 
the wheel disk 66 already secured thereon. However, it should be 
understood by those skilled in the art that the exercise device 82 can be 
used independently of the wheel disk 66. 
As shown best by FIG. 7, the elongated handle 84 is pivotally attached to 
the wheel axle spindle 46 via a collar 88. The collar 88 is positioned 
between a pair of washers 90 and secured by a conventional wing nut 92, 
which is threaded to receive the outer end 47b of the wheel axle spindle 
46. The washers 90 allow the collar 88 to pivot relative to the hex nut 70 
and the non-rotating wing nut 92. The wing nut 92 is preferred because it 
allows the exercise device 82 to be easily attached to and removed from 
the wheelchair 12 without the aid of tools. It will be understood by those 
skilled in the art, however, that other types of nuts can be used within 
the scope of the present invention. 
Returning to FIG. 6, the elongated handle 84 comprises a pair of 
telescoping tubes. The telescoping tubes allow the length of the elongated 
handle 84 to be adjusted for the size and strength of a user and for the 
type of exercise to be performed. A spring clip 94 fixably secures the 
telescoping tubes relative to one another when the elongated handle 84 is 
adjusted to its desired length. To optimize the benefit of the exercise 
device 82 from the wheelchair 12, the elongated handle 84 is bent upward 
at a slight angle. 
The cylinder assembly 86 is slideably attached at a first end 96a to the 
elongated handle 84 by a sleeve assembly 98. The sleeve assembly 98 
comprises a sleeve 102 and a binding mechanism 100. The sleeve 102 
surrounds the elongated handle 84 and is pivotally bolted to the cylinder 
assembly 86 to translate pivoting motion of the handle 84 into force on 
the cylinder assembly 86. The binding mechanism 100 includes a pin 104 for 
engagement with a series of discrete holes 106 in the elongated handle 84. 
The pin 104 is biased toward the discrete holes 106 so that it remains in 
a hole once set by a user. 
As shown best by FIG. 8, the cylinder assembly 86 is pivotally attached at 
a second end 96b to the hanging bracket 34. The second end 96b is 
pivotally attached by an elongated bolt 110 that is of a sufficient length 
to align the second end 96b the cylinder assembly 86 with the first end 
96a. A spacer bar 112 is disposed between the second end 96b and the 
hanging bracket 34 to retain the second end 96b in substantial alignment 
with the first end 96a. 
The second end 96b is pivotally attached to the elongated bolt 110 between 
a pair of washers 114, which are secured between a conventional hex nut 
116 and a wing nut 118. Both the hex nut 116 and the wing nut 118 are 
threaded to receive the elongated bolt 110. 
In the preferred embodiment, the elongated bolt 110, the spacer bar 112, 
and the hex nut 116 remain in place even if the exercise device 82 is 
removed from the wheelchair 12. Accordingly, the exercise device 82 can be 
attached to and removed from the wheelchair 12 by manipulating the wing 
nut 118. The wing nut 118 is preferred because it allows the exercise 
device 82 to be attached and removed without the aid of tools. 
Returning to FIG. 6, a support bar 120 is provided for securing the 
elongated handle 84 in an upright position. The support bar 120 is 
pivotally attached at a first end 121a to the cylinder assembly 86. In the 
preferred embodiment, the first end 121a is pivotally attached by a 
flexible band of material 125 that is fixably secured to the cylinder 
assembly 86 by a U-clamp 126. The support bar 120 is selectively 
attachable at a second end 121b to the elongated handle 84, which includes 
a notch 122 shaped to receive the second end 121b. 
Where the exercise device 82 is used in conjunction with the wheel disk 66, 
a clamp 124 is provided on the wheel disk 66 for further securing the 
elongated handle 84 in an upright position. The clamp 124 may also be used 
as a solitary support for the elongated handle 84 if the support bar 120 
is not provided. 
As described above, the exercise device can be easily attached to and used 
from a wheelchair. Thus, it provides a user with exercises that can be 
performed from a wheelchair. 
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a wheel disk 66 is 
provided for both main wheels 44 of the wheelchair 12. The wheel disks 66 
are attached to the wheel axle spindle 46 of each main wheel 44 by placing 
the center hole (not shown) of the wheel disk 66 over the outer end 47b of 
the wheel axle spindle 46 and tightening the conventional hex nut 70. This 
can be easily accomplished with a wrench or a pair of pliers. 
As described above, the upper pocket 78 and the lower pocket 80 are 
preferably attached to the wheel disk 66 by means of velcro strips on the 
outer surface 76 of the wheel disk 66. This allows the pockets to be 
conveniently added and removed as needed. Nevertheless, if the pockets are 
used in conjunction with the exercise device 82, they should be located 
out of the device's way to avoid emptying and removing the pockets each 
time the exercise device 82 is used. 
In the preferred embodiment, an exercise device 82 is provided along both 
sides of the wheelchair 12. Each exercise device 82 is attached by placing 
one of the washers 90 over the outer end 47b of the wheel axle spindle 46 
and one of the washers 114 over the elongated bolt 110. Next, the collar 
88 of the elongated handle 84 is slid over the outer end 47b of the wheel 
axle spindle 46 and the second end 96b of the cylinder assembly 86 is slid 
over the elongated bolt 110. The second of the pair a washers 90 is then 
placed over the outer end 47b of the wheel axle spindle 46 and the second 
of the washers 114 is placed over the elongated bolt 110. Next, wing nut 
92 is hand tightened to the outer end 47b of the wheel axle spindle 46 and 
wing nut 118 is hand tightened to the elongated bolt 110. 
When the exercise device 82 is not in use, it may be removed by the reverse 
process as that described above. If the exercise device 82 is to be left 
on the wheelchair 12 during periods of non use, it is folded out of the 
way as show by FIG. 6. 
As shown by FIG. 9, the elongated handle 84 is extended and locked into an 
upright position for pull-up exercises by the support bar 120 and the 
clamp 124. The pull-up exercises allow a user temporally to remove the 
weight of their body from their seat area. Accordingly, such pull-up 
exercises provide relieve from soreness and bed sores in that area of the 
user's body. 
As shown by FIG. 10, rowing exercises are carried out by a user in the 
wheelchair by alternately pushing and pulling the elongated handles 84. 
The action of each elongated handle 84 on its cylinder assembly 86 is 
varied by the length of the elongated handle 84 and the distance of the 
first end 96a of the cylinder assembly 86 from the pivot point of the 
elongated handle 84, which is set by the binding mechanism 100. Thus, the 
action of the elongated handle 84 upon the cylinder assembly 86 varies as 
desired by a user. 
From the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments and the several 
alternatives, other alternative constructions of the present invention may 
suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of 
the present invention is to be limited only to the claims below and the 
equivalents thereof.