Abstract:
An improved wheel chair foot/leg rest is disclosed that can be retro-fitted onto existing wheel chairs. A series of parallel tubes attach under the wheel chair seat, and house sliding tubes that carry a rotating foot/leg rest.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Fie1d of the Invention 
     The presently disclosed invention relates to wheel chairs and the like, and more particularly to leg- and foot-rests for wheel chairs and to a simple and easily manufactured foot/leg rest assembly that can be added to an already existing chair. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The evolution of wheel chairs has brought about many comforts to the chair occupant. It is known to construct a wheel chair with the added feature of a foot/leg-rest that can be moved from a storage position to a working position, and vice versa. Such a device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,742 to M. I. Thomas. That invention utilizes a fixed extension of lower, horizontal tubes to carry a slidable leg-rest. 
     It is also known to provide an extendible foot-rest apparatus that can be stored underneath the chair and that can be inverted to provide a cushion arrangement by sliding the apparatus completely out of the carrying tubes and inverting it and then sliding it back into place. An invention such as this is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,325,215 to C. E. Murcott. 
     Other inventions provide selectively operable leg rests that can be folded flat against the side of the chair, and leg rests that are collapsible to facilitate folding the chair for transport or storage. 
     However, while the above-mentioned devices provide improved comfort to wheel chair occupants, there are shortcomings attendant with each. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A wheel chair leg/foot-rest assembly that may be attached beneath the seat of a wheel chair is disclosed. The assembly is made of spaced-apart parallel tubes rigidly braced by transversely disposed members that are adapted to hang from the wheel chair seat frame. Leg-rests are rotatably attached to telescopingly received inner tubes to be individually extended from a storage position underneath the seat to a leg/foot-rest position, with a catch arranged to secure said extension at discreet intervals. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a leg/foot-rest assembly which maintains that proper dimensional relationships between the support and the leg rest of the user so that the lower leg and foot of the user are supported naturally and evenly in all adjusted positions without restricting blood flow throughout the leg. 
     Another object of the invention is to produce a leg assembly which may be attached to existing wheelchair frames without substantial modification thereof. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a telescoping leg rest for wheel chairs that is supported by the chair frame. 
     Still another object of the invention is to produce a leg rest assembly for a wheel chair that is readily and economically manufactured. 
     These and other objects of this invention will appear from the following specification, and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention thereto, since in view of the disclosure herein, others may be able to make additional embodiments within the scope of the appended claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows an expanded, perspective view of a wheel chair with the invention attached; 
     FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the leg-rest receiving assembly of the present invention without the leg-rests attached thereto; 
     FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 shows a view taken along lines IV--IV of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 shows a view taken along lines V--V of FIG. 3; and 
     FIG. 6 shows a view taken along lines VI--VI of FIG. 3. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now particularly to FIG. 1, 7 generally designates an existing wheel chair adapted, in accordance with this invention, with a leg-rest receiving assembly 10 and a plurality of leg-rest assemblies 15, 25 (as shown in FIG. 3). FIG. 2 depicts a leg-rest receiving assembly 10 as contemplated by this invention. 
     Leg-rest receiving assembly 10 consists of a plurality of spaced-apart, substantially parallel tubes 20, 20a, 20b and 20c of substantially equal length and lying in the same plane, said parallel tubes being attached immediately below, and rigidly braced by, transversely disposed members 21, 21a. Transversely disposed members 21 and 21a are situated above opposite ends of parallel tubes 20, 20a, 20b and 20c. 
     Parallel tubes 20, 20a, 20b, 20c are spaced such that, when wheel chair 7 is adapted with leg-rest receiving assembly 10 immediately below seat cushion 8, outer parallel tubes 20 and 20c approximately span the width of a human being when seated in wheel chair 7. Placement of inner parallel tubes 20a, 20b will be described below. 
     Brackets 22, 22a and 22b extend from and above the upper surface of transversely disposed member 21a. Transversely disposed member 21a is situated toward the end of leg-rest assembly 10 which is farthest from back cushion 9 of wheel chair 7 when wheel chair 7 is adapted with leg-rest receiving assembly 10. Brackets 22, 22a and 22b each have a curved section so as to hook onto the forward support bar 30 of the seat support frame of wheel chair 7 snugly and somewhat coaxially so that, when brackets 22, 22a and 22b are hooked onto forward support bar 30, transversely disposed member 21a sits somewhat below forward support bar 30, as shown in FIG. 4. Brackets 22, 22a and 22b either all curve forward of wheel chair 7, when wheel chair 7 is adapted with leg-rest receiving assembly 10, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, or could be made to all curve rearward (not shown). 
     Brackets 23 and 23a extend from and above the upper surface of transversely disposed member 21. Transversely disposed member 21 is situated toward the end of leg-rest assembly 10 which is nearest back cushion 9 of wheel chair 7 when wheel chair 7 is adapted with leg-rest receiving assembly 10. Brackets 23 and 23a each have a curved section so as to hook onto side support bars 33 and 33a of wheel chair 7, respectively. Bracket 23 curves toward the same direction as does bracket 23a along a line perpendicular to the principal axes of parallel tubes 20, 20a, 20b, and 20c. The arc made by brackets 22, 22a, 22b, 23 and 23a is approximately 180 degrees, or a semi-circle. 
     To removably attach leg-rest receiving assembly 10, seat cushion 8 of wheel chair 7 is first removed. For a typical wheel chair, this may be accomplished by simply unscrewing screws which, in normal wheel chair usage, securely fasten seat cushion 8 to side support bars 33 and 33a. Leg-rest receiving assembly 10 is then slipped onto a seat frame as defined by side support bars 33, 33a and forward support bar 30 by placing the leg-rest receiving assembly 10 below said seat frame, and maneuvering the leg-rest receiving assembly such that brackets 23 and 23a slip over and grasp side support bars 33 and 33a, respectively, and brackets 22, 22a and 22b slip over and grasp forward support bar 30, as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 4. The curved sections of brackets 22, 22a and 22b, partially wrap around the upper surface of forward support bar 30 so as to hook onto, or grasp, forward support bar 30. See FIG. 4. Likewise, brackets 23 and 23a partially wrap around the upper surface of side support bars 33 and 33a, respectively, so as to hook onto, or grasp, side support bars 33 and 33a. The partial wrapping of the brackets form lips which prevent substantial horizontal movement of leg-rest receiving assembly 10 with respect to the seat frame unless there is, additionally, vertical movement of leg-rest receiving assembly 10 with respect to the seat frame. 
     Once the leg-rest receiving assembly 10 is situated as described above, seat cushion 8 is reattached to the seat frame, thereby preventing vertical movement of leg-rest receiving assembly 10 relative to the seat frame. See FIGS. 4 and 5. Leg-rest receiving assembly 10 is thereby securely attached to, and hanging from, the seat frame. Removal of leg-rest receiving assembly 10 from the seat frame is accomplished by reversing the above steps. 
     Leg-rest assemblies 15, 25 are substantially identical and therefore the description will be in terms of only one. Assembly 15 consists of a leg-rest 16 rotatably attached to tubes 17, 17a as shown in FIG. 4. Leg-rest 15 fits into leg-rest receiving assembly 10 so as to support the left leg of a person sitting in wheel chair 7. Tubes 17, 17a have a diameter slightly less than the diameter of parallel tubes 20, 20a, 20b, 20c. Although tubes 17, 17a are designated as tubes, and are shown cross-sectionally in FIG. 5 as hollow, it should be understood that they may be solid rods. 
     Parallel tube 20a should be situated so that parallel tubes 20 and 20a approximately span the width of the right thigh of a person seated in wheel chair 1. Likewise, parallel tube 20b should be situated so that parallel tubes 20b and 20c approximately span at least the width of the left thigh of a person seated in wheel chair 1. Preferably, parallel tubes 20a and 20b are aligned next to each other midway between parallel tubes 20 and 20c. As seen in FIG. 3, tubes 17, 17a are rigidly braced at the forward ends thereof by a transversely disposed member 17b such that tubes 17, 17a are spaced apart so as to be receivable within parallel tubes 20b and 20c (note that the tubes of leg-rest assembly 25 are receivable within parallel tubes 20 and 20a), as shown in FIG. 3. 
     Equally spaced from tubes 17, 17a at predetermined positions are a pair of parallel side brace tubes 17d, 17c. Side brace tubes 17c, 17d are joined at their rearward ends by perpendicular brace tube 17e. Brace tubes 17c, 17d and perpendicular tube 17e are all arranged in the same geometrical plane and tubes 17c, 17d extend rearward a predetermined distance, to be described below. 
     A pair of C-clamps 18, 18a rotatably fasten a leg/foot supporting cushion 16 to perpendicular brace 17e as by screws 19, or other suitable means. Cushion 16 is of a smaller width dimension than the space between tubes 17, 17a and is so positioned above brace 17e that less than one-half of its length extends rearward of brace 17e. In this manner, when downward pressure is applied to the rear edge of cushion 16, cushion 16 will rotate from a useful position above tubes 17 to a storage position below tubes 17 (as shown in phantom in FIG. 4). Assemblies 15, 25 can then be stored under the seat of wheel chair 7 (as shown in full in FIG. 4). 
     FIG. 6 shows the latching mechanism 40a used to secure leg-rest assemblies 15, 25 at various and discreet extended positions. Mechanisms 40, 40a extend laterally from, and are permanently joined to, parallel tubes 20, 20c respectively (see FIG. 2). Each mechanism 40, 40a is similar in construction and operation, so a description of mechanism 40a only will be given. 
     Mechanism 40a comprises a housing 41a fabricated from material similar to tubes 20, 20c and known in the art. Housing 41a has apertures 42a, 43a located at opposite ends to allow a plunger 44a to ride therebetween. Aperture 42a is aligned with opening 49a in tube 20c. Plunger 44a has a stop 45a, in the form of a washer, fixed to the distal end thereof to allow only tip 46a to poke through aperture 42a and opening 20c. An expansion spring 47a is coiled around plunger 44a between stop 45a and housing 41a to resist any outward movement of plunger 44a. Tube 17a has a series of apertures 48a (only one shown) that align, serially, with opening 49a and aperture 42a so as to allow tip 46a to extend therethrough to lock tube 17a at discreet distances from wheel chair 7. Leg-rest assemblies 15, 25 can thus be adjusted to variously desired positons in front of the occupant.