Abstract:
The frame of the wheelchair has an opening at the lower rear part thereof for receiving a commode or a tray which supports a removable pail. The seat has front and side cutouts to provide under seat access. The seat also has laterally projecting wings at the front thereof to facilitate lateral transfer of a patient. The arm supports at each side pivot upwardly and rearwardly of the chair. Locking members are provided for locking each arm support in its lowered position; and a release lever can be pushed to unlock each arm support. A pair of footrest supports are each contoured so as not to have any sharp edges and are provided with non-slip surfaces and a drain hole. Each footrest support is pivoted to a split block which is slidable vertically along an arm. The block can be locked and unlocked by a lever. A heel support is pivotally mounted at the front of the chair and is movable from a depending stored position to a generally horizontal use position. The handrings are provided with a non-slip surface and the diameter thereof is increased to provide a better grip.

Description:
This application is related to Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/087621, filed Jun. 2, 1998. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a wheelchair for use by elderly or individuals with spinal cord injuries who shower and/or have a bowel movement while in the wheelchair. This type of wheelchair is designed to roll over a toilet or to be rolled into a shower room. 
     A problem encountered with prior art wheelchairs is that it is difficult for a patient to wash his legs and feet, normally requiring the patient to bend far forward and reach down to do so. Accordingly, it is a particular object of the invention to provide means for supporting a patient&#39;s leg in a raised position so that cleaning of the legs and feet can be accomplished in a much easier manner than when using prior art wheelchairs. 
     The seats of prior art wheelchairs are unsatisfactory for a number of reasons. The seats do not provide adequate under seat access to enable a patient to place his hands in proper position for various toilet procedures. Such seats are cushioned with foam that often crushes under a patient&#39;s weight, and the foam is covered in some instances with stitched vinyl materials. This combination results in skin pressure, bruising and pinching which can lead to pressure ulcers, cuts or other injuries to the thigh, buttocks, etc. In addition, prior art seats do not provide adequate top surface area for transferring a patient onto or off of the seat in a lateral direction. 
     Prior art wheelchairs have employed many different types of armrests, some of which are disposed in fixed position and others of which are movable or even removable from the chair. Such armrests have certain disadvantages which are overcome with the invention construction. Firstly, it is desirable that the armrests are permanently mounted on the chair rather removable therefrom. Fixed armrests often interfere with lateral transfer of a user onto or off of the seat of the chair. Therefore, it is desirable that the armrests be movable into a position where they do not interfere with such movement of a user. When movable armrests are employed, it is further necessary that a mechanism be provided to securely lock the armrest in lowered operative position since users need to hook their arms under the armrest and pull upward against the armrest when positioning themselves in the chair. 
     Conventional footrests on wheelchairs have presented a number of problems. Footrests are typically flat and may or may not include a heel-strap to hold the user&#39;s feet in position. Such heel-straps are held in place by bolts which can cut the feet of the user. Footrests may also utilize height adjustment arrangements which have bolts to hold the footrest in the adjusted position. These bolts usually require the use of a tool such as a wrench to loosen and tighten the bolts when adjusting the height of the footrest. Therefore, height adjustment is rather difficult to accomplish, and is very inconvenient for a user. 
     Prior art footrests do not adequately protect a user&#39;s feet and toes and have sharp edges, which can damage the skin of a user&#39;s foot. Also the footrests are slippery when wet. It is also desirable to provide a footrest construction wherein each footrest is adapted to be pivoted up and out of the way when not in use. 
     The wheelchair includes drive wheels to which handrings are drivingly connected in the usual manner. Conventional handrings have relatively small diameters that are difficult for many users to grip in a satisfactory manner. Furthermore, the handrings are slippery when wet. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention provides a heel support assembly which is adapted to support a leg of a patient in an elevated position so that it is much easier to reach and clean a leg and foot. The assembly is pivotally mounted at the front portion of the frame of the chair and includes a support portion for supporting the heel of the patient. The assembly is normally stored in a depending stored position at the front of the chair. When it is desired to wash the legs and feet, the assembly is manually grasped and pivoted upwardly into a generally horizontal position whereupon a portion of the assembly is rotated in one direction so that the support portion is horizontally disposed for receiving a heel of one leg. The assembly is slightly lowered into a position so that the assembly is retained in the desired position. When the washing procedure is finished, the assembly may be slightly lifted, whereupon it can be rotated in the opposite direction and pivoted downwardly into its stored position where it does not interfere with any other components of the chair. 
     The seat of the invention wheelchair has a central opening and a cutout formed in the front portion of the seat and being in communication with the central hole to provide under seat hand access from the front of the seat. In addition, each of the side portions of the seat have cutouts formed therein to provide under seat hand access from both sides of the seat. The invention seat employs open cell foam which is covered with seamless vinyl stretched over the foam to provide good comfort and to prevent skin pinching. The seat is elongated from front to back to provide proper support for the thighs of a user. Additionally, the seat is provided with laterally extending wings adjacent the front portion of the seat to provide additional upper surface area which facilitates lateral transfer of a patient onto or off of the seat. 
     The armrests of the invention are permanently mounted on the frame of the chair for pivotal movement with respect to the frame. The armrests can swing from a lowered operative position to a raised position. The armrests swing through an angle of greater than 90 degrees so that in the raised position, they extend rearwardly of the chair thereby providing an unobstructed space for access or transfer of a user to the seat laterally of the chair. A stop member is provided on each armrest for engaging the frame and limiting such rearward pivotal movement of the armrests. A locking means is provided which provides a positive lock preventing the arm from releasing and swinging in an upward direction, whereby users can hook their arms under the armrests and apply considerable force in an upward direction without fear of accidental release of the armrests from locked position. In addition, a lever is provided for releasing the locking means when desired. The lever is positioned close to the armrest so that it is readily accessible, and furthermore, it can be easily operated simply by pushing on the outer end of the lever. 
     The footrests of the invention are mounted on adjustment mechanisms which are slidably adjusted along footrest arms supported by the frame. These arms are normally retained in a particular position when in use, but may be rotated with respect to the frame when not in use. Each footrest includes a support portion which is pivoted to the associated adjustment mechanism, the position of which is controlled by a manually operable handle which can be effectively operated by a user without undue effort. The footrests are contoured to receive the foot of a user and extend beyond the toes of the user to provide protection for the toes. The footrests are contoured to receive the foot of a user and have rounded edges to prevent a user&#39;s feet from being cut. The footrest also have raised portions to provide a non-slip surface and have a drain holes formed therethrough so that water can drain from the footrests. 
     The handrings of the invention are unique in that they are oversized to provide larger diameters within a particular range which permits users to more effectively grip the handrings. Additionally, the space between each of the handrings and the adjacent drive wheel are within a particular range to provide satisfactory results. The handrings are also rubber coated to prevent slipperiness in wet environments. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the invention wheelchair; 
     FIG. 1A is an exploded view of a small portion of the structure shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 2 is a front view of the wheelchair; 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of the wheelchair; 
     FIG. 4 is a side view of the wheelchair; 
     FIG. 5 is a top perspective exploded view of the locking mechanism of an armrest of the wheelchair; 
     FIG. 6 is a top assembled view, partly broken away and in section of the locking mechanism components shown in FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is an exploded view, partly broken away and in section of the seat and part of its mounting structure on the wheelchair; 
     FIG. 8 is a top perspective view showing the heel support assembly of the wheelchair in its raised position with the pivotal support means for the assembly in exploded relationship; 
     FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of the heel support assembly of the wheel chair in its lowered stored position with the pivotal support means for the assembly in its normal position; 
     FIG. 10 is a top perspective view showing the manner in which the heel support assembly is retained in raised position; and 
     FIG. 11 is an exploded view showing a tray and removable pan which are adaped to be mounted on the frame of the wheelchair. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIGS.  1 - 4  inclusive the wheelchair which includes a frame formed of tubular members formed of metal such as aluminum having a circular cross-section so that they can be easily grasped by a user and further so that large rounded edges are provided to prevent cutting the bare skin while showering. The frame includes at the rear portions thereof a pair of spaced frame members  20  and  22  which have free ends  24  and  26  respectively which angle downwardly away from the chair to facilitate pushing of the chair by a person other than the user. A back support  28  comprises a flexible sheet of material formed of an open mesh fabric that allows water to flow therethrough during showering. The opposite side edges of the back support are turned over and stitched to the body of the back support to form two tubular sleeve portions at the opposite edge portions of the back support which are slidably mounted on frame members  20  and  22 . 
     Frame member  20  extends downwardly and joins with a generally horizontal portion  20 ′ which is rigidly secured as by welding to a vertical frame member  30 . Frame member  22  is similar to frame member  20  and extends downwardly and joins with a generally horizontal portion  22 ′ which is rigidly secured as by welding to a vertical frame member  32 . The lower ends of members  30  and  32  receive upwardly directed members of conventional caster wheel assemblies  34  and  36  respectively in a well-known manner. As seen in FIG. 4, an axle support member  40  is rigidly secured as by welding to frame member  20  and supports an axle  42  upon which drive wheel  44  is rotatably mounted. A further drive wheel  46  is rotatably mounted on an axle supported by frame member  22 . 
     A handring  48  is drivingly connected to drive wheel  42  by connecting members  50 , while a handring  52  is drivingly connected to drive wheel  46  by connecting members  54 . The handrings have circular cross-sections, and the outer diameter of each handring is in the range of about 27 mm to about 42 mm, and preferably about 35 mm. The space between each handring and the adjacent drive wheel is in the range of about 20 mm to about 30 mm, and preferably about 25 mm. The foregoing dimensions have been found to provide optimum gripping characteristics for a user&#39;s hands. In order to prevent slipping of the hands in a wet environment, the handrings are coated with rubber. 
     A generally horizontal frame member  60  is connected as by welding between frame member  20  and frame member  30 , frame member  60  extending forwardly of frame member  30  and having a footrest support  62  connected as by welding to the end thereof. A frame member  64  similar to member  60  is connected as by welding between frame member  22  and frame member  32 , frame member  64  extending forwardly and having a footrest support  66  connected to the end thereof. Footrest supports  62  and  66  are identical to one another and comprise tubular members open at the top and bottom thereof. As seen in FIG. 1A, support  62  has holes  68  formed in diametrically opposite sides thereof which are adapted to receive pin means  70  which may be in the form of a threaded bolt which is threaded into a threaded hole  68 . The purpose of pin  70  will be explained hereinafter. 
     The frame also includes a pair of forwardly and inwardly directed members  72  and  74  having one end thereof connected as by welding to frame members  30  and  32  respectively. As seen in FIG. 2, the opposite ends of members  72  and  74  are connected as by welding to unitary frame member  76  including a generally horizontal lower portion  78  which joins with generally vertical portions  80  and  82  to which members  72  and  74  are connected. Portions  80  and  82  join with generally horizontal free end portions  84  and  86 . As seen in FIG. 7, holes  88  and  90  are formed through end portions  84  and  86   
     The seat  92  includes a base  94  formed of a suitable rigid material. The base has a central hole  96  formed therethrough and a cutout  98  is formed in the front portion thereof and being in communication with central hole  96 . A pair of cutouts  100  and  102  are formed in the opposite sides of the base. The base also includes laterally extending wings  104  and  106  on opposite sides of the front portion thereof. The seat includes a body  108  of open cell urethane foam of a density appropriate for providing proper cushioning for a user. Body  108  is covered with a sheet  110  of seamless material which has a shape matching that of the foam. In the finished seat, the material is stretched over the foam and secured to base  94 . 
     The shape of foam  108  and sheet  110  is similar to that of the base and includes a central hole  112  with a cutout  114  formed in the front portion thereof and being in communication with hole  112 . Cutout  114  provides under seat hand access from the front of the seat. Each of the side portions of the seat has a downwardly and inwardly tapering cutout  118  formed therein to provide under seat hand access from both sides of the seat, only one of cutouts  118  being visible in FIG.  7 . 
     Four spaced holes  120  are formed through base  941  which allow air to enter below the foam and further which may serve as drain holes should any water collect between the foam and the base. Countersunk holes  122  and  124  are formed through wing portion  104  of the base; and similar holes  126  and  128  are formed through wing portion  106  of the base. A further pair of similar holes  130  and  132  are formed through the rear portion of the base. Conventional “T” nuts such as indicated by reference numbers  136  are embedded in the holes  122 - 132  in the finished base for the purpose  10  of securing the seat to the wheelchair. 
     A pair of strips  140  and  142  are each provided with three spaced holes  140 ′ and  142 ′ respectively formed therethrough. The center hole  140 ′ is aligned with hole  88  and receives a fastener  144  through the aligned holes. Fastener  144  may comprise a wood screw which passes through hole  88  and center hole  140 ′ and is threaded into the base  94 . The other two holes  140 ′ are aligned with holes  122  and  124 . Threaded bolts  146  and  148  pass through holes  140 ′ and are threaded into nuts  136  disposed within holes  122  and  124  respectively. A fastener  150  similar to fastener  144  extends through hole  90  and center hole  142 ′ and is threaded into the base. The other two holes  142 ′ are aligned with holes  126  and  128 . Threaded bolts  152  and  154  pass through holes  142 ′ and are threaded into nuts  136  disposed within holes  126  and  128  respectively. When the seat is in assembled position on the wheelchair, the front portion of the seat is supported by the rearwardly extending portions  84  and  86  of the frame. 
     As seen most clearly in FIG. 2, a cross member  160  is secured at its opposite ends as by welding to frame members  20  and  22 . Cross member  160  is tubular and of generally square cross-section. Cross member  160  is provided with a pair of holes (not shown) therethrough which are adapted to be aligned with holes  130  and  132  formed through base  94  of the seat and within which are disposed “T” nuts. Threaded bolts similar to bolts  146  extend through the holes formed in the cross member and are threaded into the “T” nuts disposed within holes  130  and  132 . 
     Accordingly, the seat is suspended between cross member  160  and frame portions  84  and  86 . The rear portion of the frame defines an opening between frame members  20  and  22  and below cross member  160  which is adapted to receive a commode which can extend between frame members  20 ′ and  22 ′ as well as between frame members  60  and  64  up to a point adjacent portions  78 ,  80  and  82  of the frame so that the commode can be properly positioned beneath the seat of the chair. 
     Referring to FIG. 11, a tray and pan are illustrated which are adapted to be inserted through the opening at the rear portion of the frame when a bowel movement of a user does not occur over a commode. In such a situation, the tray and pan are supported on the frame in position beneath the seat. The tray  164  has a central recess  166  with a flat bottom which is adapted to receive and support the lower part of a conventional pan  168 . The tray has a ramp portion  170  for sliding the pan onto or off of the tray. The tray has an integral portion  172  extending from the front part thereof which is adapted to rest on portion  78  of the frame. A pair of integral portions  172  and  174  extend from opposite sides of the tray and are adapted to rest on frame members  20 ′ and  22 ′ respectively when the tray is in operative position. It is apparent that the tray can be quickly and easily inserted into and removed from operative position relative to the frame. Furthermore, when the tray is in operative position, the pan can readily be readily placed in position on or removed from the pan when desired. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a pair of armrests  180  and  182  are pivotally supported by frame members  20  and  22  respectively so that the armrests are disposed at opposite sides of the frame. Armrest  180  is shown in its raised position wherein it has been pivoted upwardly and rearwardly of the chair to its limit of movement in such direction. Armrest  182  is shown in its lowered locked position which represents its limit of movement in the opposite direction. The details of construction of each of the armrests are the same, so a description of armrest  180  will suffice for both of the armrests. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1,  4 ,  5  and  6 , armrest  180  comprises an arm support portion including a tubular member  184  of circular cross-section and a plate  186  which is secured as by welding to member  184  and extends at substantially a right angle thereto. The arm support portion also includes the usual pad  190  which is bolted to member  184  in a conventional manner. As seen in FIG. 5, a fitting  192  is secured as by welding to frame member  20  and includes a first wall portion  194  welded to frame member  20  and which joins with a second wall portion  196  extending generally at a right angle to wall portion  194 . Wall portion  196  joins with a wall portion  198  which is disposed at an angle of about  45  degrees to wall portion  196  and defines an outer surface  199  thereon which acts as a cam surface when armrest  180  is lowered into locked position. Wall portion  198  joins with a wall portion  200  which is welded to frame member  20 . Wall portion  200  has a first through hole  202  formed therethrough to define a locking member and a second threaded hole  204  is also formed through wall portion  200 . 
     Plate  186  has a hole  210  formed therethrough which is aligned with hole  204 . A threaded bolt  212  extends through hole  210  and is threaded into hole  204  so that the arm support portion is pivotally mounted on fitting  192  connected to frame member  20 . As seen in FIG. 6, a tubular sleeve  216  is press fitted within a suitable hole formed through member  184 , the sleeve having an open end  218  and a closed end  220  having a hole  222  formed through the center thereof. A locking member  226  is adapted to fit within hole  202  to lock the armrest in the position shown in FIG.  6 . The locking member includes an elongated reduced portion  230  which passes through hole  222  and has a threaded end  232 . A knob  234  is threaded onto the end  232 . A compression spring  236  is disposed around reduced portion  230 , one end of the spring engaging end wall  220  of the sleeve and the other end of the spring engaging a shoulder on locking member  226  to normally bias locking member  226  into locked position and securely maintaining the locking members in engagement with one another until manually released. 
     Referring to FIG. 5, a release lever  240  includes an inner end  242  and an outer end  244 . The inner end  242  of the lever has an elongated slot  246  formed therethrough which slidably receives the reduced portion  230  of locking member  226 . A plate  250  is secured as by welding to the inner end of the release lever and extends at a generally right angle thereto. A hole  252  is formed through plate  250  and receives a threaded bolt  254  which is threaded into a threaded hole  256  formed in the bottom of tubular member  184 , a spacer  258  being disposed between plate  250  and tubular member  184 . 
     It is apparent that when the locking means is in the position shown in FIG. 6, armrest  180  will be securely retained in this position. When it is desired to pivot armrest  180  upwardly and rearwardly of the chair, the outer end of the release lever is simply pushed inwardly toward the chair. This can be done with the fingers while tubular member  184  is grasped in the hand of a user. As the outer end of the release lever is pushed inwardly, the release lever will pivot about the axis of bolt  254 , and the inner end of the lever will swing outwardly which causes knob  234  to be moved away from the chair to withdraw locking member  226  from hole  202 . When the locking members are disengaged, the armrest can pivot upwardly and the user can release the lever. When the armrest is pivoted downwardly toward its locking position, the outer rounded end of locking member  226  engages cam surface  199  on fitting  192  and causes the locking member to be urged inwardly to the plane of the outer surface of wall portion  200  of fitting  192  so that locking member  226  can again enter hole  202  and lock the armrest in position. 
     When armrest  180  is pivoted into the position shown in FIG. 1, its rearward movement is limited by a stop member which as seen in FIG. 5 takes the form of a plate  260  which is secured as by welding to plate  186  and extends laterally of plate  186  at a generally right angle thereto. As armrest  180  pivots rearwardly, the laterally extending portion of plate  186  engages frame member  20  to limit such pivotal movement of the armrest. 
     The footrest means of the wheelchair comprises a pair of footrests  264  and  266  disposed at opposite sides of the front portion of the frame. The details of construction of the two footrests are the same, and accordingly, a description of footrest  264  will suffice for both footrests. As seen in FIG. 1A, footrest  264  includes a footrest arm  270  having an upper end  272 . The arm includes a depending tubular portion  274  which is secured as by welding to upper end  272 . Portion  274  has slot means in the form of opposite elongated slots  276  formed in the lower end thereof. Portion  274  is disposed within footrest support  62 , and pin  70  is received within slots  276  which normally prevents rotation of the footrest with respect to the frame. However, when it is desired to place a footrest in a different position, the footrest arm can be lifted up so that pin  70  comes out of the slots  276 , whereupon the footrest can be swung to another position while depending portion  274  is still within support  62 . It is also apparent that the footrest arm can be lifted up so that depending portion  274  is removed entirely from support  62  whereby the footrest can be separated from the wheelchair when so desired. 
     As seen in FIG. 3, a pair of similar foot support portions  280  are supported on the lower end portions of footrest arms  270 . Each foot support portion is formed with a suitable non-slip surface and is contoured to receive the foot of a user. Portions  280  each include a back wall  282 , a pair of side walls  284  and  286  and an open front portion  288  along with a surface  290  for directly supporting the bottom of the feet. The foot support portion is elongated so as to extend beyond the toes of a user and is contoured so as to have rounded edges. Each foot surface  290  is provided with raised portions  292  to provide a non-slip surface. A drain hole  294  is provided through each foot support portion  280  so that water can drain therefrom. 
     A conventional split block  300  is slidably mounted on each of the footrest arms  270  and is provided with a threaded member (not shown) which is threaded into oppositely threaded holes in spaced portions of the split block so that rotation of the threaded member in opposite directions serves to tighten or loosen the split block on the associated arm. The threaded member is connected to an operating handle  302  which can be readily swung back and forth by a user to either loosen the block for movement with respect to the associated arm or to tighten and lock the block in position on the arm, thereby providing an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position of the split block on the associated footrest arm. A pair of spaced ears  304  are fixed to block  300  and extend laterally therefrom. A projection  306  fixed to footrest support portion  280  fits between ears  304 , and a pivot pin  308  extends through suitable holes formed in ears  304  and projection  306  whereby portion  280  is pivotally supported by the associated block so that portion  280  can be swung about the axis of pivot pin  308  into a generally vertical position when so desired. 
     As seen most clearly in FIG. 1 and 2, a support frame member  310  has its opposite ends secured as by welding to frame portions  80  and  82 , frame member  310  being tubular and of generally square cross-section. A heel support assembly  314  is pivotally supported by frame member  310  and is movable between a lowered stored position as shown in FIGS. 1,  2  and  9  and a raised operative position as shown in FIG.  8 . The heel support assembly is formed of a suitable material and the heelcup is contoured to the shape of a heel. 
     The details of construction of assembly  314  and the manner in which it is pivotally supported on frame member  310  are shown in FIGS;  8 - 10 . A first support member  320  is of generally U-shaped cross-section and includes a top wall  322  and a pair of depending parallel side walls  324 . Member  320  defines a space therein which is complementary to the top and side walls of frame member  310 . The side walls  324  extend below the bottom wall of frame member  310 , and nut and bolt assemblies  326  extend through pairs of aligned holes formed in the bottom portion of side walls  324  so that when the nut and bolt assemblies are tightened, member  320  is clamped in fixed relation on frame member  310 . An upwardly extending arm  328  is fixed as by welding to upper wall  322  and is connected to a cylindrical member  330  which extends laterally from arm  328 . 
     A second support member  334  is similar to support member  320  and includes an upper wall  336  and a pair of depending parallel side walls  338 . Support member  334  is clamped to frame member  310  by nut and bolt assemblies  340 . An arm  342  is connected to upper wall  336  and supports a laterally extending cylindrical member  344 . It is noted that as seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, when support members  320  and  334  are clamped to frame member  310 , the side edges of the two support members are spaced from one another at the front of frame member  310  to define a space  346  for a purpose hereinafter described. 
     The pivotal support structure for the heel support assembly has been described above. The heel support assembly itself has an inner end which includes a tubular member  350  which has its opposite ends rotatably supported by cylindrical members  330  and  344  which telescope into member  350 . The inner end also includes a tubular member  352  fixed as by welding to the outer surface of tubular member  350  and extending at a generally right angle thereto. 
     The outer end of the heel support assembly includes a tubular member  354  which receives tubular member  352  therein such that tubular member  354  can rotate with respect to tubular member  352 . As seen in FIG. 10, tubular member  354  has a circumferentially extending slot  358  formed therein and extending through an arc of about 90 degrees. A threaded bolt  360  is threaded into a suitable threaded hole formed in tubular member  352  so as to be fixed thereto. The bolt passes through slot  358  so that tubular member  354  may rotate through an angle of about 90 degrees with respect to tubular member  352 . 
     A heel support portion in the form of a heelcup  361  is fixed to the outer end of tubular portion  354 . Heelcup  360  is formed of a suitable material and is contoured to the shape of a heel. The heelcup includes a front wall  362 , a pair of side walls  364 ,  366  and a front wall  368  of reduced height to facilitate insertion of a user&#39;s heel thereinto. A laterally extending projection  370  is fixed as by welding to the outer surface of tubular member  354  and includes an end portion  372  which is adapted to fit in the space  346  to retain the heel support assembly in raised position for supporting the heel of a user. 
     The heel support assembly is normally stored in the position shown in FIG. 9 wherein bolt  360  is disposed at one end of slot  358  and heelcup  361  extends toward the rear of the wheelchair. When it is desired to utilize the assembly, a user reaches down and swings tubular member  354  upwardly until member  354  is in a generally horizontal position parallel with the floor. Tubular member  354  is then rotated through an angle of about 90 degrees until bolt  360  is disposed at the opposite end of slot  358  as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10 and heelcup  361  is parallel with the floor. Projection  370  will then be in the position as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10 so that end  372  can be received within space  346  when tubular member  354  is lowered slightly and the edge of end  372  engages frame member  310 . This causes the heel support assembly to be retained in its raised operative position. The user can then lift one foot at a time into the heelcup to wash his legs and feet. 
     When it is desired to return the heel support assembly to its stored position, tubular member  354  is lifted slightly to move end  372  of projection  370  out of space  346  whereupon tubular member  354  may be rotated about 90 degrees and the tubular member may be lowered to the stored position shown in FIG.  9 . 
     As seen in FIG. 4, the wheelchair is provided with a conventional brake mechanism  380  mounted on frame member  60  and including a handle  382  for moving the braking element  384  into engagement with drive wheel  44 . This brake mechanism is not shown in the remaining figures for the sake of clarity.