Patent ID: 7635142

Claim:
A wheelchair comprising a frame supported for forward rolling movement along the ground in which the frame comprises an upright front frame member and a foot rest assembly supported on the front frame member; the foot rest assembly comprising: a main arm extending downwardly and outwardly from a pivot joint pivotally supporting the main arm on the front frame member for pivotal movement about an upright axis between a use position extending forwardly and a stored positioned extending laterally from the front frame member; a support arm extending between the main arm and the front frame member below the pivot joint, the support arm comprising a tube member; and a latching mechanism arranged for latching the foot rest assembly in the use position, the latching mechanism comprising: a first connector comprising a pin member and a second connector comprising a socket arranged for matingly receiving the pin member therein in which one of the connectors is mounted on the front frame member and the other one of the connectors is mounted on the support arm and arranged for movement relative to the connector on the front frame member so as to selectively latch the foot rest assembly in the use position when the connectors are engaged with one another; a post received within the tube member of the support arm so as to be arranged for sliding movement in a longitudinal sliding direction relative to the tube member, the connector on the support arm being mounted on the post for sliding movement therewith relative to the tube member; co-operating transverse apertures formed in the post and in the tube member which are elongate in the longitudinal sliding direction of the post; a transverse rocking member received through the transverse apertures transversely to the longitudinal sliding direction of the post; and a release lever extending generally laterally from the support arm in the use position of the foot rest assembly; the release lever being connected to the transverse rocking member so as to be arranged for rocking movement with the transverse rocking member within the transverse apertures about a lever axis between an engaged position in which the connectors are engaged with one another so as to prevent pivotal movement of the foot rest assembly in the use position and a disengaged position in which the connectors are disengaged from one another and the foot rest assembly is pivotal from the use position to the stored position.