Lightweight foldable wheelchair

Claim 1

A foldable wheelchair comprising two main side frames connected together by first and second foldable links, seat and back panels extending between said two main side frames with said panels being of flexible material that is foldable when said links are folded to bring the wheelchair into a folded condition wherein said main side frames are closely adjacent to each other, each said main side frame comprising a front member and a rear member connected together by upper and lower cross members with said front and rear members mounted respective front and rear wheels, each said front member mounting a detachable footrest assembly including a bifurcated hanger bracket having spaced apart arms between which said front member is received with each said arm having a slot for reception of a lug on said front member to secure releasably said footrest assembly to said front member and, upper and lower resilient bushings between said arms and engageable with said front member to load resiliently said footrest assembly, each said rear member having an upwardly extending back member hingedly connected for folding movement between an aligned first position for supporting said back panel when the wheelchair is in an erected condition and a folded second position in which said back member is folded about said hinge remote from said front member to extend downwardly adjacent to said rear member with the handgrip of said back member beside the respective said rear wheel, and each said main side frame being connected to the other by said first foldable link extending between the opposed said back members and further connected together by said second foldable link extending between the opposed said rear members, the arrangement of said main frames being such that, in said erected condition of the wheelchair with said back members being in said aligned first position, said first and second links maintain said main side frames spaced apart with said seat and back panels extending between the respective said upper cross members and said back members, and to fold the wheelchair, said first and second links are folded and said back members are turned about their hinges to said folded second position to be received with said back panel between said rear wheels with said two main side frames being moved together with said panel folded therebetween.