Adjustable frame wheelchair

Claim 2

In a wheelchair having a seat, backrest and wheels, the improvement comprising: opposing adjustable sideframes supporting said seat, backrest and wheels, each sideframe being adjustably fixed in a predetermined configuration comprising a base section, an upright section, an upper section and a front section, said upright section extending upwardly from said base section to the upper section, said upper section extending from said upright section to the front section, said front section extending downwardly from said upper section, said upright section and said front section each being connected to said upper section by a respective tightenable link means, said upright, upper and front sections each having a track means comprising a longitudinal slot containing at least one slidable fastener which is movable along said slot whereby said link means can engage a corresponding slidable fastener at any predetermined location along the length of said slot and form a tightenable adjustable joint between respective upright, upper and front sections.

Claim 3

The wheelchair of claim 1 wherein said link means includes connector elements with a link fastener for engagement with said corresponding slidable fastener.

Claim 4

The wheelchair of claim 2 wherein said slidable fastener is provided with a threaded opening and is positioned within said slot so that said opening is accessible for engagement with said link fastener.

Claim 5

The wheelchair of claim 3 wherein said upright, upper and front sections have a quadrilateral cross-sectional shape and said slot extends longitudinally along opposing sides of said upright, upper and front sections.

Claim 6

The wheelchair of claim 1 wherein said base section comprises a leg part secured to an elongated part, said elongated part extending outwardly from said leg part.

Claim 7

The wheelchair of claim 5 wherein said leg part extends transversely to said elongated part.

Claim 8

The wheelchair of claim 6 wherein said elongated part has a back end and said leg part extends across said back end.

Claim 9

The wheelchair of claim 5 including a bottom section connecting said front section to said base section.

Claim 10

The wheelchair of claim 8 wherein said elongated part has an open outer end engaged with said bottom section and said leg part has an open outer end engaged with said upright section.

Claim 11

The wheelchair of claim 9 including a lower section extending downwardly from said leg part and including a brace means connecting said upper section to said lower section.

Claim 12

The wheelchair of claim 10 wherein said brace means is longitudinally adjustable and is connected to said upper section and said lower section by universal joint means.

Claim 13

The wheelchair of claim 11 wherein said universal joint means includes a joint fastener for engagement with a slidable fastener.

Claim 14

The wheelchair of claim 1 wherein said opposing sideframes are interconnected by a folding assembly for allowing said sideframes to be moved laterally toward each other.

Claim 15

The wheelchair of claim 13 wherein said folding assembly includes at least one pair of spacer bars having pivotally interconnected inner end portions and outer ends attached to a respective sideframe.

Claim 16

The wheelchair of claim 14 wherein said folding assembly includes lateral adjustment means for varying the spacing between opposing sideframes.

Claim 17

The wheelchair of claim 15 wherein said lateral adjustment means comprises spaced-apart pivot openings at each of said inner end portions and a removable pivot pin extending through selected ones of said openings for releasable securement of said inner end portions.

Claim 18

The wheelchair of claim 13 including brace means interconnecting at least two of said frame bars on a sideframe.

Claim 19

The wheelchair of claim 17 wherein said folding assembly includes pivoted spacer bars having opposing outer ends secured to a respective sideframe brace means.

Claim 20

The wheelchair of claim 18 wherein said folding assembly includes strut means connecting a sideframe to a spacer bar.

Claim 21

The wheelchair of claim 1 wherein said upper section is provided with a seat keyway and said seat has opposing side edge seat engagement means for retention by said seat keyway.

Claim 22

The wheelchair of claim 1 wherein said backrest comprises a pair of backrest frame bars each having a backrest keyway and each being connected to a respective sideframe upper section and, a back support structure having opposing side edge back engagement means for retention by said backrest keyway.

Claim 23

The wheelchair of claim 21 wherein said backrest frame bars include lateral slots which contain slidable backrest fasteners and each of said backrest frame bars are connected to a respective sideframe upper section by backrest link means that include link fasteners that engage said slidable backrest fasteners.

Claim 24

The wheelchair of claim 1 wherein said front section is connected to said base section.

Claim 25

In a wheelchair having a seat, backrest and wheels supported by a framework, the improvement comprising: opposing spaced-apart sideframes each comprising a base section and frame bar sections, said sections assembled to form at least a three-cornered structure having a non-adjustable fixed angular corner with at least two angularly adjustable corners which are securable in a predetermined configuration by a tightenable link means, said frame bar sections comprising an upright section, an upper section and a front section, said upright section extending from the base section to said upper section to form an upright backside to said sideframe, the upper section extending from said upright section to said front section and said front section extending downwardly from said upper section, said frame bar sections each having a track means comprising a longitudinal slot containing at least one slidable fastener which is movable along said slot so that said link means can engage said slidable fastener and interconnect at least said upright section with said upper section and said front section with said upper section.

Claim 26

In a wheelchair having a seat, backrest and wheels supported by a framework, the improvement comprising: opposing spaced-apart sideframes each comprising a base section and frame bar sections, said sections assembled to form at least a three-cornered structure having a non-adjustable fixed angular corner with at least two angularly adjustable corners which are securable in a predetermined configuration by a tightenable link means, said frame bar sections comprising an upright section, an upper section and a front section, said upright section extending from the base section to said upper section to form an upright backside to said sideframe, the upper section extending from said upright section to said front section and said front section extending downwardly from said upper section, said frame bar sections each having a track means comprising a longitudinal slot containing at least one slidable fastener which is movable along said slot so that said link means can engage said slidable fastener and interconnect at least said upright section with said upper section and said front section with said upper section.

Claim 27

The wheelchair of claim 24 wherein said link means includes a link fastener and connector elements which are securable to said angularly adjustable corners by engagement of said link fastener with said slidable fastener.

Claim 28

In a wheelchair having a framework supporting a seat, backrest and wheels, wherein the framework includes an improvement comprising: opposing sideframes each comprising at least three discrete linear frame bar sections adjustably joined together in a three-sided structure by a tightenable link means, said frame bar sections comprising an upright section connected to an upper section which is connected to a front section, said frame bar sections each having a track means comprising a longitudinal slot which contains at least one slidable fastener which is movable along said slot whereby said link means can engage said slidable fastener and interconnect respective frame bar sections in predetermined angular and longitudinal orientations; and, a base section connected to said upright section.

Claim 29

In a wheelchair having a framework supporting a seat, backrest and wheels, wherein the framework includes an improvement comprising: opposing sideframes each comprising at least three discrete linear frame bar sections adjustably joined together in a three-sided structure by a tightenable link means, said frame bar sections comprising an upright section connected to an upper section which is connected to a front section, said frame bar sections each having a track means comprising a longitudinal slot which contains at least one slidable fastener which is movable along said slot whereby said link means can engage said slidable fastener and interconnect respective frame bar sections in predetermined angular and longitudinal orientations; and, a base section connected to said upright section.

Claim 30

The wheelchair of claim 26 wherein said upper section includes a seat engagement means for providing a connection with said seat.

Claim 31

The wheelchair of claim 27 wherein said seat is provided with opposing enlarged side edges and said seat engagement means comprises a seat keyway for connection with said opposing enlarged side edges.

Claim 32

The wheelchair of claim 27 wherein said backrest comprises a back support structure connected to a pair of backrest frame bars each having slidable backrest fasteners and a backrest keyway.

Claim 33

The wheelchair of claim 29 wherein said back support structure includes enlarged opposing side edges for engagement with a backrest keyway on a respective backrest frame bar.

Claim 34

The wheelchair of claim 29 including an adjustable arm rest having an armrest mounting means with fasteners for engagement with the slidable backrest fasteners on respective backrest frame bars.

Claim 35

The wheelchair of claim 31 including adjustable handles having handle connector means with fasteners for engagement with the slidable backrest fasteners on respective backrest frame bars.

Claim 36

The wheelchair of claim 29 including support arms pivoted together at one end and pivoted to arm block means at opposing ends for providing adjustment of said support arms on said backrest frame bars, each arm block means having an arm fastener for engagement with the slidable backrest fasteners on respective backrest frame bars.

Claim 37

The wheelchair of claim 33 wherein said support arms include arm lock means for releasably retaining said support arms in longitudinal alignment when said sideframes are in a fully spaced-apart position.

Claim 38

The wheelchair of claim 26 including a folding assembly connected to each sideframe for releasably and adjustably spacing one sideframe from the other.

Claim 39

The wheelchair of claim 35 wherein said folding assembly includes at least one pair of hinged spacer bars interconnecting said sideframes having a laterally adjustable pivot means for selectively adjusting the spacing between said sideframes.

Claim 40

The wheelchair of claim 36 including strut means interconnecting a sideframe to a spacer bar adjacent an opposing sideframe.

Claim 41

The wheelchair of claim 37 wherein said strut means is connected to said sideframe and spacer bar by ball joint means.

Claim 42

The wheelchair of claim 37 including a brace member interconnecting two of said frame bar sections.

Claim 43

The wheelchair of claim 39 wherein said brace member is longitudinally adjustable and includes brace connector means having fasteners for engagement with slidable fasteners on said frame bar sections.

Claim 44

The wheelchair of claim 40 wherein said spacer bars have opposing ends secured to said brace members on opposing sideframes.