Folding foot rest and brace for folding wheelchairs

Claim 2

A folding footrest for a foldable wheelchair having a foldable frame structure hinged about axes lying within a vertical plane extending longitudinally through the chair enabling the chair to be folded laterally between an open supportive condition and a closed storage condition, and a plurality of ground supported wheels mounted to the frame structure; the footrest comprising: mounting means operatively connecting said footrest to the frame structure for supporting the footrest on the frame and for folding the footrest in response to folding of the chair between corresponding open supportive and closed storage conditions; uprighT bars depending from the mounting means and hinged thereto about longitudinal upright bar folding axes equally spaced from and on opposite sides of the vertical plane; footrest plates pivotably mounted to and extending forwardly from the upright bars, the plates being joined along longitudinal inside edges by a hinge having a footrest plate pivot axis lying in the vertical plane, the footrest plate pivot axis also being parallel to the upright bar folding axes; means pivotally mounting the footrest plates to the upright bars along outer footrest plate folding axes parallel to the upright bar folding axes; and abutment surfaces formed along the inside edges of the footrest plates so that in the open condition of the footrest, the surfaces abut one another within the vertical plane at a location spaced upwardly from the footrest plate pivot axis between the footrest plates.

Claim 3

The foldable footrest defined in claim 1 wherein the mounting means includes adjusting means facilitating selective forward and rearward movement of the footrest relative to the frame structure.

Claim 4

The foldable footrest defined in claim 1 further including upright stationary bar abutment surfaces positioned laterally between the upright bars so they abut the bars when in the open condition to prevent lateral outward pivotal movement of the footrest plates.

Claim 5

A folding footrest for a foldable wheelchair having a foldable frame structure mounting a plurality of ground-supported wheels including laterally spaced side frames comprised of upright and longitudinal frame members hinged about axes lying within a vertical plane extending longitudinally through the chair and laterally foldable between an open supportive condition and a closed storage condition, the folding footrest comprising: mounting means comprising a crossbar extending between the side frames to opposed sections of the longitudinal frame members, including two laterally aligned sections hinged together about a crossbar pivot axis located within the vertical plane for folding the foldable footrest in response to folding of the wheelchair between open and closed conditions corresponding to the respective open supportive condition and the closed storage conditions of the wheelchair; upright bars depending from the mounting means and hinged thereto about longitudinal upright bar folding axes parallel to the bar pivot axis and equally spaced from and located on opposite sides of the vertical plane; footrest plates pivotably mounted to an extending forwardly from the upright bars, the plates being joined along longitudinal inside edges by a hinge having a footrest plate pivot axis located along the vertical plane and parallel to the horizontal bar pivot axis; means pivotably mounting the footrest plates to the upright bars along outer footrest plate folding axes parallel to the bar pivot axis; abutment surfaces formed along the inside edges of the footrest plates so that in the open condition, the surfaces abut one another along the vertical plane with the surfaces being spaced upwardly from the footrest plate pivot axis; and crossbar abutment surfaces formed along inside edges of the laterally aligned crossbar sections so that in the open condition the crossbar abutment surfaces abut one another along the vertical plane with the surfaces being spaced upwardly from the longitudinal bar pivot axis.

Claim 6

A folding footrest for a foldable wheelchair having a foldable frame structure mounting a plurality of ground-supported wheels including laterally spaced side frames comprised of upright and longitudinal frame members hinged about axes lying within a vertical plane extending longitudinally through the chair and laterally foldable between an open supportive condition and a closed storage condition, the folding footrest comprising: mounting means comprising a crossbar extending between the side frames to opposed sections of the longitudinal frame members, including two laterally aligned sections hinged together about a crossbar pivot axis located within the vertical plane for folding the foldable footrest in response to folding of the wheelchair between open and closed conditions corresponding to the respective open supportive condition and the closed storage conditions of the wheelchair; upright bars depending from the mounting means and hinged thereto about longitudinal upright bar folding axes parallel to the bar pivot axis and equally spaced from and located on opposite sides of the vertical plane; footrest plates pivotably mounted to an extending forwardly from the upright bars, the plates being joined along longitudinal inside edges by a hinge having a footrest plate pivot axis located along the vertical plane and parallel to the horizontal bar pivot axis; means pivotably mounting the footrest plates to the upright bars along outer footrest plate folding axes parallel to the bar pivot axis; abutment surfaces formed along the inside edges of the footrest plates so that in the open condition, the surfaces abut one another along the vertical plane with the surfaces being spaced upwardly from the footrest plate pivot axis; and crossbar abutment surfaces formed along inside edges of the laterally aligned crossbar sections so that in the open condition the crossbar abutment surfaces abut one another along the vertical plane with the surfaces being spaced upwardly from the longitudinal bar pivot axis.

Claim 7

The folding footrest defined in claim 4 wherein the mounting means includes adjusting means for facilitating selective forward and rearward movement of the folding footrest along the opposed sections of the longitudinal frame members relative to the frame structure.

Claim 8

The folding footrest defined in claim 4 wherein the adjusting means comprises clamps located at lateral outside ends of the crossbar including clamp plates having longitudinal recesses formed therein which are complementary to similar recesses formed within the outside ends of the crossbar, said recesses together being complemeNtary in cross section to the opposed sections of the longitudinal frame members, to receive the frame members therein; and means for selectively adjusting frictional engagement between the frame members and clamps to allow the footrest to slide longitudinally along the opposed sections and pivot thereon about longitudinal clamp axes in response to folding of the wheelchair.

Claim 9

The foldable footrest defined in claim 4 further including upright stationary bar abutment surfaces positioned laterally between the upright bars so they abut the bars when in the open condition to prevent lateral outward pivotal movement of the footrest plates.

Claim 10

A folding footrest for a foldable wheelchair having a foldable frame structure mounting laterally spaced rearward drive wheels and laterally spaced forward guiding caster wheels for free rotation about horizontal axes with said forward caster wheels also being mounted to the frame structure for free pivotal movement in circular paths about fixed vertical axes; said forward caster wheels and rearward drive wheels being mounted to laterally spaced side frames hinged together about axes lying within a vertical plane extending longitudinally through the chair, said wheelchair being laterally foldable between an open supportive condition and a closed storage condition, the folding footrest comprising: mounting means operatively connecting said footrest to the frame structure for supporting the footrest on the frame and for folding the footrest in response to folding of the chair between corresponding open supportive and closed storage conditions; upright bars depending from the mounting means and hinged thereto about longitudinal upright bar folding axes equally spaced from and on opposite sides of the vertical plane; footrest plates pivotably mounted to and extending forwardly from the upright bars, the plates being joined along longitudinal inside edges by a hinge having a footrest plate pivot axis lying in the vertical plane, the footrest plate pivot axis also being parallel to the upright bar folding axes and having longitudinal outside edges spaced laterally inwardly from the circular paths of the forward caster wheels; means pivotally mounting the footrest plate to the upright bars along outer footrest plate folding axes parallel to the upright bar folding axes; and abutment surfaces formed along the inside edges of the footrest plates so that in the open condition of the footrest the surfaces abut one another within the vertical plane at a location spaced upwardly from the footrest plate pivot axis between the footrest plates.

Claim 11

A folding footrest for a foldable wheelchair having a foldable frame structure mounting laterally spaced rearward drive wheels and laterally spaced forward guiding caster wheels for free rotation about horizontal axes with said forward caster wheels also being mounted to the frame structure for free pivotal movement in circular paths about fixed vertical axes; said forward caster wheels and rearward drive wheels being mounted to laterally spaced side frames hinged together about axes lying within a vertical plane extending longitudinally through the chair, said wheelchair being laterally foldable between an open supportive condition and a closed storage condition, the folding footrest comprising: mounting means operatively connecting said footrest to the frame structure for supporting the footrest on the frame and for folding the footrest in response to folding of the chair between corresponding open supportive and closed storage conditions; upright bars depending from the mounting means and hinged thereto about longitudinal upright bar folding axes equally spaced from and on opposite sides of the vertical plane; footrest plates pivotably mounted to and extending forwardly from the upright bars, the plates being joined along longitudinal inside edges by a hinge having a footrest plate pivot axis lying in the vertical plane, the footrest plate pivot axis also being parallel to the upright bar folding axes and having longitudinal outside edges spaced laterally inwardly from the circular paths of the forward caster wheels; means pivotally mounting the footrest plate to the upright bars along outer footrest plate folding axes parallel to the upright bar folding axes; and abutment surfaces formed along the inside edges of the footrest plates so that in the open condition of the footrest the surfaces abut one another within the vertical plane at a location spaced upwardly from the footrest plate pivot axis between the footrest plates.

Claim 12

The foldable footrest defined in claim 8 wherein the mounting means includes adjusting means facilitating selective forward and rearward movement of the footrest relative to the frame structure.

Claim 13

The foldable footrest defined in claim 9 further including upright stationary bar abutment surfaces positioned laterally between the upright bars so they abut the bars when in the open condition to prevent lateral outward pivotal movement of the footrest plates.