Patent ID: 7360840

Claim:
An extendable and retractable leg rest for use with a wheelchair, the leg rest comprising: a support frame; a housing having a first end pivotally connected to the support frame; a linear actuator coupled to the support frame and to the housing to rotate the housing relative to the support frame between a lowered position and a raised position; at least a first link pivotally coupled at a first end to the support frame and pivotally coupled at a second end to a drive rack gear having first and second gear racks; first and second footrest support members slidingly coupled to the housing, each footrest support member having a rack gear; a footrest coupled to the first and second footrest support members; a first gear component comprising a first gear operatively engaged with the drive rack gear first gear rack and a second gear operatively engaged with the first footrest support member rack gear; a second gear component comprising a first gear operatively engaged with the drive rack gear second gear rack and a second gear operatively engaged with the second footrest support member rack gear, wherein the first and second gears of both the first and second gear components are fixedly coupled together for rotation about a common axis, wherein the first gears have a first diameter and the second gears have a second diameter larger than the first diameter, such that linear movement of the drive rack gear by a first amount results in linear movement of the first and second footrest support members by a second amount larger than the first amount, and wherein as the actuator rotates the housing, movement of the drive gear rack relative to the first and second footrest support members rotates the first and second gear components and causes the first and second footrest support members and footrest to translate away from the housing as the housing is moved between the lowered position and the raised position and to translate toward the housing as the housing is moved between the raised position and the lowered position.