Abstract:
The apparatus for mounting a wheelchair pad provides a high degree of support and adjustability such that it can be used with wheelchairs from a wide variety of different manufacturers. This adjustability is also beneficial to the occupant of the wheelchair, as the adjustability can provide a wide variety of people with a more custom fit. In order to provide this custom fit, the claimed invention provides for depth adjustability, height adjustability and angle adjustability in both the vertical and horizontal planes of the amputee pad. Additionally the claimed invention can be installed on either side of the wheelchair.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to wheelchairs and more specifically to adjustable wheelchair attachments. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus for mounting a wheelchair amputee pad to the leg rests of a wheelchair that provides infinite adjustability in three dimensions. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     People requiring wheelchairs include those affected with amputations, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and head injuries, among other debilitating physical conditions. These individuals often suffer from edema (pooling of fluid in areas of poor vascular flow), sensitive scar tissue and other surgical ailments. One of the most common complaints of wheelchair occupants is that of pain that is directly related to their use of a wheelchair. Unfortunately, at least some of the problems faced by wheelchair users are further exacerbated by the failure of current designs of wheelchair amputee pads and amputee pad systems to properly position a wheelchair occupant. 
     Another disadvantage of current wheelchair amputee systems is that they provide limited adjustability for people of different sizes, shapes and physical needs. For example, current amputee systems known to the inventor allow for almost no accommodation for the user&#39;s size. As the body gets wider, the amputated leg often gets wider, requiring a larger pad. An additional problem is that amputee patients often have a below the knee or above the knee amputation and current systems do not accommodate for this difference in stump length. 
     Edema in the amputated stump is another serious problem and is not addressed by the current design. Some wheelchair amputee supports provide limited adjustability, e.g. the wheelchair amputee pad can move vertically but has no depth adjustability, or the wheelchair amputee pad can move vertically but has no angle adjustability in the vertical or horizontal plane. 
     A common problem with current wheelchair amputee systems is the variability between commercially available wheelchairs. In particular, the leg rest tubes of the wheelchair often differ in configuration between wheelchairs. Specifically, in the inventor&#39;s experience, the diameter of the tubes may vary from between ¾″ to 1¼″. Additionally, while there are hangers for mounting standard leg rests, these hangers vary between manufacturers. Currently, a facility has to order a specific amputee system for a specific wheelchair. That is, current OEM manufacturers make specific amputee systems for specific wheelchairs. With the wide variety of wheelchairs and amputee systems available, it is prohibitively expensive to stock amputee systems for each and every wheelchair available. Further, there is no such thing as a “one size fits all” wheelchair. Wheelchairs and accessories therefor, such as the claimed invention, must be fit to each individual. 
     An additional problem with current wheelchair amputee systems is that they are not adaptable to all wheelchairs. For example, some wheelchairs, particularly those designed for more active lifestyles, have shorter leg rest tubes. More typical designs, such as those intended for nursing homes and hospitals, have longer leg rest tubes. Further complicating the matter is the fact that different manufacturers use different configurations for the leg rest tube. In addition, the users&#39; cushion can vary in thickness, requiring the amputee pad to be height adjustable. 
     Accordingly, what is required is an amputee mounting apparatus and system that can be fitted to the user while the user is seated in the wheelchair. Such a device will reduce the number of transfers during such a fitting. This reduces the chances of falling, tearing of skin, bruising and other injuries associated with wheelchair transfers. This also expedites the fitting process, which allows the therapist to spend more time fine tuning the fit. 
     Therefore, what is needed is a wheelchair amputee mounting apparatus and system that is adaptable to wheelchairs having leg rests, having a wide variety of different diameters and leg rest hanger configurations. There is also a need to provide a wheelchair amputee mounting device and system that provides a wide variety of adjustability so that it can fit all shapes and sizes of people. Lastly, there is a need to provide a wheelchair amputee support that is quickly and easily removable such that it can be removed, and the wheelchair collapsed and stored. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The claimed invention provides an apparatus for mounting a wheelchair amputee that provides a high degree of support and adjustability such that it can be used with wheelchairs from a wide variety of different manufacturers. This adjustability is also beneficial to the occupant of the wheelchair, as the adjustability can provide a wide variety of people with a more custom fit. In order to provide this custom fit, the claimed invention provides for depth adjustability, height adjustability and angle adjustability in both the vertical and horizontal planes of the amputee pad. 
     The claimed invention also provides the convenience of a quick-release wheelchair amputee support so that the wheelchair occupant can easily remove the amputee support from the wheelchair so that the wheelchair can be collapsed and stored. 
     The claimed mounting device and system also provides for an effective single point mounting system. Therefore, the mounting device of the present invention provides a high degree of adjustability with respect to the angle that it can be inclined or declined with respect to prior systems. Additionally, use of a single point mounting system is particularly important with wheelchairs having short leg rests and other designs as it allows for a single assembly to fit the majority of all wheelchair styles. 
     The foregoing and other features of the device and system of the present invention will be apparent from the description that follows. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a top or bottom plan view of the bottom wheelchair leg rest clamp. 
         FIG. 1B  is a side elevation view of the bottom wheelchair leg rest clamp. 
         FIG. 1C  is a top and side perspective view of the bottom wheelchair leg rest clamp. 
         FIG. 2A  is a top or bottom plan view of the amputee swing arm. 
         FIG. 2B  is a side elevation view of the amputee swing arm. 
         FIG. 2C  is an end elevational view of the amputee swing arm. 
         FIG. 2D  is a top and side perspective view of the amputee swing arm. 
         FIG. 3A  is a top and side perspective view of the wheelchair leg rest clamp. 
         FIG. 3B  is a bottom plan view of the wheelchair leg rest clamp 
         FIG. 3C  is a side elevational view of the wheelchair leg rest clamp. 
         FIG. 4A  is a side elevational view of the swing post. 
         FIG. 4B  is a bottom plan view of the swing post. 
         FIG. 5A  is a side elevational view of the amputee vertical adjustment post. 
         FIG. 5B  is a bottom view of the amputee vertical adjustment post. 
         FIG. 6A  is a top or bottom plan view of the amputee keeper. 
         FIG. 6B  is a side elevational view of the amputee keeper. 
         FIG. 6C  is a top and side perspective view of the amputee keeper. 
         FIG. 7A  is a side elevational view of the amputee keeper post. 
         FIG. 7B  is top plan view of the amputee keeper post. 
         FIG. 8A  is a top plan view of the amputee torsion spring. 
         FIG. 8B  is side elevational view of the amputee torsion spring. 
         FIG. 8C  is a top and side elevational view of the torsion spring. 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded view of the amputee support designed for use with a wheelchair together with the mounting device of the claimed invention. 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded perspective view of the angle adjustment bracket. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the amputee support attached to the wheelchair showing the amputee pad support arm in a lowered position. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the amputee support attached to the wheelchair showing the amputee pad support arm in a nearly horizontal position. 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the amputee support attached to the wheelchair showing the swing away function of the amputee support. 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the amputee support attached to the wheelchair showing how the swing away portion of the amputee support can be removed from a wheelchair. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Now referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like numbers are assigned to like elements throughout,  FIG. 9  shows an exploded view of the amputee support assembly  1 . The amputee support assembly is generally comprised of wheelchair bottom bracket  31 , which is attached to a wheelchair leg support (not shown) by a cane clamp  21 , a swing arm  41 , vertical adjustment post  61 , angle adjustment means  71  and amputee pad support arm  81 . 
     Shown in more detail in  FIG. 1 , the wheelchair bottom bracket  31  is attached to the wheelchair leg support (not shown) by a wheelchair cane clamp  21 , which is shown in detail in  FIG. 3 . The wheelchair cane clamp  21  provides an arcuate inner surface  23 , and outer surface  27  having at least two passages  25  therethrough, the wheelchair cane clamp having passages  25  on each side of the arcuate inner surface  23 . 
     The wheelchair bottom bracket  31  has a corresponding arcuate inner surface  33  and a surface to each side  32  of the arcuate inner surface  33 , the surfaces  32  each containing a threaded aperture  34 . In operation, the wheelchair bottom bracket  31  is attached to the wheelchair support via screws  29  through the passages  25  in the wheelchair cane clamp  21 , the screws being used to secure the wheelchair cane clamp  21  to the wheelchair bottom bracket  31  around a wheelchair leg support. 
     The wheelchair bottom bracket  31  further comprises a longitudinally extending portion having a keeper post aperture  36  closest to the arcuate edge  33  of the wheelchair bottom bracket  31 . Moving further away from the arcuate edge  33  of the wheelchair bottom bracket  31  is a hangar slot  37 . The hangar slot  37  is designed to accommodate those various wheelchairs that already have leg rest hangers that may interfere with free rotation of the claimed invention. Moving still further away from the arcuate edge  33  is the swing-away post aperture  38 . 
     Importantly, the wheelchair bottom bracket  31  is relatively low in profile and can therefore fit on wheelchairs with relatively little vertical space on the wheelchair support. Additionally, the wheelchair bottom bracket  31  is ambidextrous, i.e., it will work on either the left side or the right side, thereby increasing the possibility that a given facility can stock and reuse the same device with a different user. 
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  show the swing-away post  91 . The swing-way post  91  is press fit into the swing-away post aperture  38  in the wheelchair bottom bracket  31 . The swing-away post  91  has a tapered top  93  such that it fits more easily into the aperture  47  in the swing arm  41 , as discussed below.  FIGS. 7A and 7B  show the keeper post  101  which is press fit into the keeper aperture  36  in the wheelchair bottom bracket  31 . 
       FIGS. 2A through 2D  show the swing arm  41  in detail. The swing arm  41  has a first end portion having an arcuate edge  42  and a surface  43  on each side of the arcuate edge  42 . Each surface  43  contains a threaded aperture  44 . The swing arm  41  is attached to the vertical adjustment post  61  by a swing arm clamp  11 . The swing arm clamp  11  is similar or identical in design to the wheelchair cane clamp  21 . That is, the swing arm clamp  11  has an arcuate inner surface  12 , an outer surface  13  on each side of the arcuate surface  12  and an aperture  14  through each of the outer surfaces  13 . Screws  15  are then used to attach the swing arm clamp  11  to the threaded apertures  44  in the swing arm clamp  41 . The swing arm clamp  11  is used to secure the vertical adjustment post  61  to the swing arm  41 . 
     As a simple clamping means is used, the vertical adjustment post  61  allows the amputee mechanism to have height adjustment, which is important for wheelchair users because wheelchairs have different designs and wheelchair users require cushions that are of different thicknesses. 
     Using a wheelchair cane clamp  21  to secure the vertical adjustment post  61  permits also permits adjustments for users with rotated hips, that is, their amputee stump is not aligned with the wheelchair. This clamped connection allows the amputee pad to be rotated in the horizontal plane to allow the pad to align with a user&#39;s stump. This connection serves another important task. That is, the amputee support protrudes off the front of the wheelchair. If the amputee support runs into a door frame or other immovable object, this connection will simply rotate as opposed to being damaged by the impact. 
     The second end portion  46  of the swing arm  41  has an aperture  47  designed to accommodate the swing-away post  91 . The swing arm  41  further comprises a spring loaded keeper mechanism, generally identified  51 . The keeper mechanism  51  comprises a keeper arm  52 , shown in more detail in  FIGS. 6A through 6C . The keeper arm  52  further comprises a pivot aperture  54 , a catch arm  55  and a handle arm  53 . The keeper arm  52  is secured via a torsion spring  111  secured in the pivot aperture  54  by a fastener (not shown) through an additional aperture  48  in the swing arm  41 . 
     When the swing arm  41  is secured, spatially, it is located on top of the wheelchair bottom bracket  31 . As the wheelchair bottom bracket  31  is secured to the wheelchair leg rest cane (not shown), the swing arm  41  accommodates the leg rest cane by providing a middle portion  50  of the swing arm  41  that contains a semicircular indentation  49  in which to accommodate the wheelchair leg rest cane. See  FIG. 2A . 
     As with the wheelchair bottom bracket  31 , the swing arm  41  is relatively low in profile and can therefore fit on wheelchairs within a relatively small vertical space on the wheelchair support. Additionally, the swing arm  41  is ambidextrous, i.e., it will work on either the left side or the right side, thereby increasing the possibility that a given facility can stock and reuse the same device with a different user. 
     The claimed invention provides a keeper arm  52  to secure the swing arm in place relative to the wheelchair bottom bracket  31 . See  FIGS. 6A through 6C . The keeper arm  52  is biased by the torsion spring  111  to exert pressure on the catch arm  55  end of the keeper arm  52 , thereby capturing the keeper post  101  when the swing arm is rotated in that direction and locking the swing arm  41  to the wheelchair bottom bracket  31 . To release the swing arm  41 , such as when the user would like to collapse or store the wheelchair, the user may simply press the handle arm  53  end of the keeper arm  52 , which causes the keeper arm  52  to rotate about the pivot aperture  54  and release the keeper post  101 . 
     The swing arm  41 , swing arm clamp  11 , vertical adjustment post  61 , angle adjustment means  61  and amputee support pad can be easily removed from the wheelchair as described above by moving the keeper arm  52  such that the swing arm  41  can be rotated. The swing arm  41  can then be lifted off the wheelchair bottom bracket  31 . 
     The vertical adjustment post  61  provides an attachment point for the angle adjustment means  71 . The angle adjustment means  71  generally comprises a first geared face having a protruding cylindrical end, the cylindrical end fitting within the vertical adjustment post and being secured by a fastener (not shown). The angle adjustment means  71  further comprises a second geared face secured to the first geared face by a quick release mechanism and having a cylindrical end, the end fitting within the cylindrical wall of the amputee pad support  81  and being secured with a fastener (not shown). Any of a large variety of shapes and sizes of amputee pads (not shown) can be fitted to the amputee pad support  81  as may be required. 
     In the claimed invention, two halves of the angle adjustment means  71  separate slightly when the quick release toggle is relaxed. This allows the angle of the amputee pad to be adjusted without having to transfer the user from the wheelchair. This adjustability of the amputee pad is crucial, in particular for newly amputated users because the pad can be angled upwardly, helping to prevent edema. The amputee pad can also be rotated down for comfort after the wounds have begun to heal. 
     Although I have very specifically described the preferred embodiments of the invention herein, it is to be understood that changes can be made to the improvements disclosed without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that the scope of the invention is not to be overly limited by the specification and the drawings, but is to be determined by the broadest possible interpretation of the claims.