Abstract:
Improved handles are provided for a wheelchair brake lever and legrest release lever of a wheelchair. Each handle has a first end with a slot for receiving the respective lever, and a second end extending angularly from the first end so as to be nonplanar and noncoaxial with the respective levers. The handles include ribs or textured surfaces for improved tactile feel, and are made of brightly colored material for high visibility. Increased size, feel and visibility of the handles make them easier to locate for a person sitting in the wheelchair.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    Most standard and custom fit wheelchairs typically have brakes for the wheels which include a lever and a linkage for locking and unlocking the brakes. The lever is a small metal plate, which typically is covered with a small plastic or rubber handle which is mounted on the lever, and essentially, provides a covering for the metal lever. This small cap or handle is not ergonomically designed, and thus is difficult for some patients to locate while seated in the wheelchair. The small size of the handle can be difficult to feel, particularly for patients with loss of feelings in their hands, and its dark color makes it difficult to see for most patients, especially those with visual impairments. 
         [0002]    Wheelchairs often have front legrests with a foot plate to support a patient&#39;s feet slightly above the ground, for ease in rolling the wheelchair from one location to another. The legrest assemblies are removable when their use is not desired or unnecessary. A legrest release lever is provided to latch and unlatch the legrest assembly to the wheelchair frame. In some prior art wheelchairs, the release lever includes a small rubber or plastic cap or handle. This release lever is located below the level of the wheelchair seat, and thus is often difficult to locate for a person sitting in the wheelchair. The legrest release lever handle is usually small and of a dark color, with no tactile or visual enhancement to assist in the location of the lever. 
         [0003]    Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of improved handles for the actuation levers of a wheelchair. 
         [0004]    A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a wheelchair brake handle which is easy to locate by sight and/or touch. 
         [0005]    Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a legrest release lever handle which is easy to locate by sight and/or touch. 
         [0006]    A further objective of the present invention is the provision of handles for the wheelchair brake lever and for the legrest release lever which have enhanced tactile feel. 
         [0007]    A further objective of the present invention is the provision of handles for the wheelchair brake lever and for the legrest release lever which have enhanced visual characteristics. 
         [0008]    Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of handles for the wheelchair brake lever and for the legrest release lever which are ergonomically designed for improved user actuation. 
         [0009]    Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of handles for the wheelchair brake levers which are symmetric so as to be used on both sides of the wheelchair. 
         [0010]    Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of handles for the legrest release levers which are symmetric so as to be used on both sides of the wheelchair. 
         [0011]    A further objective of the present invention is the provision of improved handles for the wheelchair brake levers and legrest release levers which are textured so as to allow tactile differentiation from other parts or components of the wheelchair. 
         [0012]    A further objective of the present invention is the provision of improved handles which fit on wheelchair brake levers of various wheelchair models. 
         [0013]    A further objective of the present invention is the provision of improved handles which fit on the legrest release levers of various wheelchair models. 
         [0014]    Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of improved wheelchair handles, for use on the various wheelchair levers, which are economical to manufacture, and durable and safe in use. 
         [0015]    These and other objectives will become apparent from the following description of the invention. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    The improved wheelchair handles of the present invention are intended for use on actuation levers of a standard or custom fitted wheelchair. One set of handles is intended for use on the wheelchair brake lever, while another set of handles is intended for use on the legrest release levers. Each of the handles has a first end with a slot for receiving the planer end of the lever, and a second end extending angularly from the first end so as to be non-planer with the lever. The second end of the handle is non-axial from the longitudinal axis of the levers. The first and second ends are disposed in offset planes from one another. The handles include ribs for tactile enhancement and are made of bright colors for visual enhancement. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a wheelchair having the improved lever handles of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 1A  is an enlargement of a portion of  FIG. 1  showing the brake handle and legrest release handle of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of the brake lever handle of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a bottom perspective view of the brake lever handle. 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is a bottom plan view of the brake lever handle. 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the brake lever handle. 
           [0023]      FIGS. 6 and 7  are side elevation views of the brake lever handle from opposite sides. 
           [0024]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the legrest release lever handle of the present invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 9  is a front elevation view of the legrest release lever handle. 
           [0026]      FIG. 10  is a top plan view of the legrest release lever handle. 
           [0027]      FIGS. 11 and 12  are plan views from opposite ends of the legrest release lever handle. 
           [0028]      FIGS. 13A and 13B  are side elevation and perspective views of a spring steel wave spacer for use on a handle according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0029]      FIG. 1  shows the ergonomically designed handles for a wheelchair, according to the present invention. 
         [0030]    More particularly, the wheelchair  10  includes a frame  12 , a seat  14 , large rear wheels  16 , small front wheels  18 , and legrest assemblies  20 . The wheelchair  10  includes a brake assembly for each of the rear wheels  16 . The brake assembly includes a brake lever  24 , a brake  26 , and linkage  28  connecting the brake lever  24  and the brake  26 . The lever  24  is pivotal for movement between a locked position wherein the brake  26  engages the wheel  16 , and an unlocked position wherein the brake  26  is disengaged from the wheel  16 . 
         [0031]    The legrest assemblies  20  are removably mounted on the wheelchair  10 . A legrest release lever  30  is pivotal about a vertical axis between locked and unlocked positions. When the legrest lever  30  is in the locked position, the legrest assembly  20  is locked via the hinge pins  32  in a forwardly extending orientation. When the lever  30  is moved to the unlocked position, the legrest assembly  20  is free to rotate outwardly, and if desired, lifted from the hinge pins  32  for removal from the wheelchair  10 . 
         [0032]    Apart from the handles, described below, the above structure of the wheelchair  10  does not constitute a part of the present invention. 
         [0033]    The present invention is directed towards a handle  34  for the brake lever  24 , and a handle  36  for the legrest lever  30 . Both handles  34  and  36  are ergonomically designed, and have tactile and visual enhancements for easy location by a person sitting in the wheelchair. 
         [0034]    More particularly, the brake handle  34  includes a first side or leg  38  with a slot  40  therein for receiving the planer upper end of the brake lever  24 . The slot is adapted to frictionally receive the brake lever of various model wheelchairs. For example, a groove  41  may be molded in the slot  40  to receive one or more extrusion members which may compress as the handle  34  is installed on the brake lever  24 , thereby providing an enhanced friction fit. The friction prevents the handle  34  from accidentally or easily slipping off of the brake lever  24 . The extrusion may be rubber, plastic or other material and compresses, thereby allowing the handle  34  to fit on levers having multiple thicknesses. As a further alternative, a spring steel wave spacer  56  may be inserted into the slot  40 . The spacer  56  compresses, thereby allowing the handle  34  to fit onto multiple thickness levers of different wheelchair models and manufacturers. The handle  34  may also be mounted on the brake lever  24  with adhesive. The shape of the slot  40  shown in the drawings will accommodate these mounting alternatives, but it is understood that the slot may have a simple rectangular shape to receive the lever  24 , or any other mating shape. 
         [0035]    The brake handle  34  has a portion or second leg  42  extending angularly from the first leg  38 . As seen in  FIG. 2 , the angle between the first and second legs  38 ,  42  is less than 90°, preferably in the range of 45°-80° so as to ergonomically match the natural position of the palm of the hand. The second leg  42  is sufficiently wide to allow use of the palm of the hand to push the brake handle  34  forwardly to actuate or lock the brake  26 , and so as to allow multiple fingers to pull the handle  34  so as to unlock or deactuate the brake  26 , with the palm of the hand facing substantially downwardly for both pulling and pushing the handle  34 . 
         [0036]    A web  44  extends between the first leg  38  and the second leg  42  of the brake handle  34  so as to provide structural support to the handle  34 . The legs  38 ,  42  and web  44  define a triangular profile for the handle  34  with an enlarged area for easy visual location of the handle  34 . The handle is preferably made of a brightly colored material for enhanced visibility. Also, ribs  46  or other textured surface may be provided on the second leg  42  and/or on the web  44  for improved tactile feel, to facilitate differentiation of the brake handle  34  from other components of the wheelchair  10 . 
         [0037]    The brake handle  34  is symmetric so that it can be used on the brake levers  24  on both sides of the wheelchair  10 . 
         [0038]    The legrest release lever handle  36  includes a first leg  48  with a slot  50  adapted to receive the legrest lever  30 . The slot  50  of the handle  36  may include internal structure, as described above with respect to the brake handle  34 , so as to fit levers having various thickness, such as an interference rib  51 , rubber extrusion, and spring steel wave spacer  56 . Alternatively, the slot  50  may have a rectangular or complimentary shape for mated mounting on the lever  30 . 
         [0039]    The legrest handle  36  also includes a second leg  52  extending angularly from the first leg  48  so as to define a curved profile for the handle  36 . This ergonomically designed curvature of the handle  36  allows a person to use one or more fingers to easily catch the handle  36  without necessarily looking down for the handle. Preferably, the handle  36  is also made of a brightly colored material so as to allow quick and easy visual identification and location of the handle  36 . At least the forwardly facing surface of the handle  36  includes ribs  54  or other textured features, so as to provide an improved tactile feel for the user. Also, preferably the textures of the handles  34  and  36  are similar, so as to provide a common feel for the user in finding both sets of handles. The handle  36  is symmetric so as to be used on the legrest release levers  30  on both sides of the wheelchair  10 . 
         [0040]    The invention has been shown and described above with the preferred embodiments, and it is understood that many modifications, substitutions, and additions may be made which are within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. For example, it is understood that the ribs  46 ,  54  may be chanted to any other tactile surface, such as bumps, recesses, knurled surfaces, dimples, and the like. Also, the overall shapes of the handles  34 ,  36  may be modified, enlarged, curved or otherwise changed for improved visibility and feel. From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.