AU654705B2

AU654705B2 - A wheel chair carrier

Info

Publication number: AU654705B2
Application number: AU14701/92A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Andrew Geoffrey Birt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-05-03
Filing date: 1992-04-06
Publication date: 1994-11-17
Anticipated expiration: 2012-04-06
Also published as: AU1470192A

Description

AUSTRALIA

PlOO/Ol Regulation 3.2 PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT 0**e 0*@

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Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: ANDREW GEOFFREY BIRT 56 FINDLAY ROAD LEEMING W.A. 6155 ANDREW GEOFFREY BIRT 56 FINDLAY ROAD LEEMING W.A. 6155 GRIFFITH HACK CO.

256 Adelaide Terrace PERTH W.A. 6000

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r Standard Complete Specification for the invention entitled: A WHEEL CHAIR CARRIER Details of Associated Provisional Applications: PK5972 filed in Australia 3 May, 1991 by ANDREW GEOFFREY BIRT Details of Parent Application for Divisional Applications: The following is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- 2

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A WHEELHAIR CARRIER The present invention relates to a wheelchair carrier particularly, although not exclusively envisaged for use in the carrying of a wheelchair on the back of a vehicle.

In the transportation of wheelchairs it is known to store the wheelchair in a boot of a vehicle. A disadvantage of such transportation is that the wheelchair must be lifted into the boot which has been known to cause injury, such as, for example, back injury, muscle strain and joint injury, to the person lifting the wheelchair in and out of the boot. It is also known to provide a wheelchair carrier which is attached to a towbar of the vehicle. Such prior art wheelchair carriers also have the disadvantage that the wheelchair must be lifted onto and off the wheelchair carrier. Furthermore, such wheelchair carriers are cumbersome to use and difficult to remove from the vehicle. It is also known to provide a wheelchair carrier with a ramp hingedly coupled to the wheelchair 20 carrier so that the wheelchair may be wheeled up the ramp onto the wheelchair carrier. A disadvantage of such ramps is that the ramp is relatively heavy and difficult to hinge between its two positions of use.

Therefore it is an object of the present 25 invention to provide a wheelchair carrier which is more easily used than prior art wheel chair carriers.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a wheelchair carrier for tranJporting a wheelchair on a vehicle, the wheelchair being of the type 30 having a pair of large wheels, the carrier comprising: mounting means for mounting the wheelchair carrier onto the vehicle P, V ofto'i a frame connected to said mounting means for carrying said wheelchair, said frame comprising a support 35 member for securing the wheelchair in a transporting position, and a wheel receiving member for receiving the pair of large wheels of the wheelchair, said wheel

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t CfI 3receiving member comprising first and second substantially parallel arms connected to said support member so as to define a substantially rectangular zone within which both large wheels of the wheel chair can be reccived substantially perpendicular to said first and second parallel arms whereby, in use, substantially the whole weight of the wheel chair in the transporting position is carried by said first and second parallel arms; and pivot means for pivotally connecting said frame to said mounting means whereby, in use, said frame can pivot between a loading position, in which said pair of large wheels of the wheelchair can be wheeled into said substantially rectangular zone, and a carrying position in which said wheelchair is carried above the ground supported by said frame and can be transported by said vehicle.

Preferably said wheel receiving member is pivotally connected to the support member so as to be movable between an opened position in which said wheelchair can be loaded into the frame and a closed position in which said wheelchair cannot be loaded into the frame.

Preferably when said frame is in the loading **position and said wheel receiving member is in the opened position, an end of said wheel receiving member is disposed proximate to the ground and can be run over by said wheelchair to facilitate loading of the wheelchair into the frame.

frae. Preferably said wheel receiving member is pivotably connected to said support member at first and second locations and said first location is vertically S: 15 offset relative to the second location.

Preferably said pivot means pivot means is located within said substantially rectangular zone so that when said frame is moved between said loading position and said carrying position, with said pair of large wheels wheeled into and received in said wheel receiving member, S, the centre of gravity of said frame in combination with 3Asaid wheelchair is moved toward said pivot means, whereby, in use, the force of the weight of said wheelchair assists in pivoting said frame from said loading position to said carrying position.

Preferably said wheel receiving member is provided with a first stop adapted for abutting said support member when the wheel receiving member is in said opened position.

Preferably said first stop is located proximate said first location when the wheel receiving member is in the opened position.

Preferably said wheel receiving member is provided with a second s op for abutting said support member when said wheel receiving member is in said opened position.

Preferably said support member is a substantially upsidedown U-shaped member.

Preferably both said support member and wheel •receiving member are provided with an eyelet whereby, in 20 use, a rope or elasticised strap can be fastened to each of oooe said eyelets to help secure the wheelchair in the transporting position, •coo eQ:oO e o** o o•ooee 4 Preferably said second stop is located proximate said second location when the wheel receiving means is 'n the opened position.

Preferably said wheelchair carrier further comprises a base member, said base member being connected by said pivot means to said mounting means, said wheelchair carrier further including releasable locking means for releasably locking said base to said mounting means when said frame is in the carrying position.

Preferably said releasable locking means comprises a peg formed on one of said base member and said mounting means, and a peg receiving means in the other of said base member and mounting means, said peg being adapted to receive a locking pin, whereby when the frame is in the carrying 0000 position said peg extends through said peg receiving means and :S said locking pin can be received in said peg to prevent pivoting of said base member relative to said mounting means.

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Preferably said support member is connected to said

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S base member.

Preferably said base member is releasably connected to said support member.

sPreferably said base member includes a first post and *said support member includes a second post adapted for gee• o receiving said first post, said first and second posts being provided with respective holes which can be aligned when said first post is received by said second post, said wheel receiving means being provided with a pin which, when the ofa PS receiving means is in the 41eedhPosition, extends through the 0000 holes in the first and second posts thereby locking the support member to the base member.

Preferably said wheel receiving means is a substantially C-shaped member.

One embodiment, being an example only, of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view, seen from above, of a wheel chair carrier; 5 Figure 2 is a perspective view, seen from below, of the wheel chair carrier of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a front view of the wheel chair carrier of Figure 1 showing a frame in a loading position; Figure 4 is a front view of the wheel chair carrier of Figure 1 showing a frame in a stposition; Figure 5 is a side view of the wheel chair carrier of Figure 1 with a C shaped member of the frame shown in a closed position; and, Figure 6 is a side view of the wheel chair carrier of Figure 1 showing the C shaped member in an open position.

In the drawings there is shown a wheel chair carrier comprising a mounting plate 12 and a frame 14 pivotally attached to the mounting plate 12.

The mounting plate 12 is generally rectangular in shape and has a mounting hole 16 located one third of its S oo length from a first end 18. On an underside of the mounting plate 12 there is located an aligning rod 20. The aligning rod is located adjacent the mounting hole 16 on the opposite side to the first end 18. The aligning rod 20 is intended to rest against a tow bar tongue attached to a vehicle and the mounting hole 16 is intended to receive the shaft of a tow ball for bolting the mounting plate 12 to the tow bar tongue. The mounting plate 12 also has a boss 22 conveniently welded to its underside between the mounting hole 16 and the first end 18.

The frame 14 comprises a frame support base 24, a support member in the form of U shaped member 26 dependiaupwardly from the frame support base 24, and a wheel receiving means in the form of C shaped member 28 pivotally attached to the U shaped member 26.

The frame support base 24 comprises a support bar which is generally rectangular and has two mounting posts 32 1'V o c-'Ons and 341 Pepni upwardly fromiproxlmate its opposite ends.

The mounting posts 32 and 34 are elongate and rectangular in cross section. The mounting post 32 has a hole 36 located intermediate its length and typically extending only partway AX through it. The frame support base 24 also has a shaft 38 6 located near a first end 40 of the base 24 and extending along its lower side in a direction transverse to the length of the base 24. The shaft 38 has a pivot limit bolt 42 conveniently welded to it and having its axis parallel to an axis of the shaft 38. The shaft 38 also has a hole 44 (see Figure 2) located at a free end remote from the support bar 30. The frame support base 24 also has a tab 46 located proximate a second end 48 of the frame support base 24. The tab 46 is disposed in the same direction as the shaft 38. The tab 46 has a locating peg 50 4diespc dlupwardly from it and disposed for receipt in a hole 52 of the mounting plate 12 proximate a second end 54 of the mounting plate 12. The locating peg has a hole 56 extending transversely through it for receiving a lynch pin for locking the locating peg 50 into the hole 52.

The U shaped member 26 comprises two posts 58 and disposed parallel to each other and connected at one end by a beam 62. Free ends 64 and 66 of the post 58 and respectively, are disposed for mounting upon the two mounting posts 32 and 34, respectively, of the frame support base 24.

Particularly as shown in Figure 1, the U shaped member 26 has two spigots 68 and 70 disposed laterally from the sides of the posts 58 and 60, respectively, and located adjacent the free ends 64 and 66, respectively. The spigot 68 is located further a O* along the post 58 than the location of the spigot 70 along the post The C shaped member 28 is typically formed of tube material, the ends 72 and 74 of which are disposed about the spigots 68 and 70, respectively, so as to pivotably attach the C shaped member 28 to the U shaped member 26. The C shaped be3on member 28 has a flange 76 which extends from pasee6kthe end 72 to partway around the C shaped member 28, particularly as shown in Figure 6. An end 78 of the flange 76 is disposed to bear against the post 58 proximate the free end 64 particularly as shown in Figure 3. The end 78 has a locking pin 80 (see also Figure 5) which is disposed to pass through a hole 82 located in the post 56 which overlies the hole 36 in the mounting post S\ 32. The locking pin 80 engages both the holes 36 and 82 for i o* 7 locking the frame 14 to the frame support base 24.

Particularly as shown in Figure 1, the C shaped beonAc member 28 also has a flange 84 extending from -pa&&e4the end 72 to partway around the C shaped member 28. An end 86 of the flange 84 is disposed to bear against the post 60 proximate the free end 66. A hole 88 extends through the end 74 and is capable of registering with a correspondingly sized hole in the spigot 70 when the C shaped member 28 is in an open position as shown in all Figures except Figure 5. As shown in Figure 1, pin 90 is provided for location through the hole 88 and the hole in the spigot 70 for locking the C shaped member 28 in the open position. Removal of the pin 90 from the hole 88 and the hole in the spigot 70 allows for rotation of the C shaped 0:0mG: member 28 to a closed position, as shown in Figure 5, wherein the C shaped member 28 rests against the U shaped member 26.

The C shaped member 28 also has two loops 92 located

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on opposite sides of the C shaped member 28 for use as tying points in attaching a wheel chair or the like to the wheel chair carrier 10. The U shaped member 26 is provided with similar loops 94 for the same purpose.

In use, the mounting plate 12 is fixed to a tow bar tongue of a vehicle by placing of the mounting plate 12 on top 0 to of the towbar tongue and inserting a bolt of a tow ball through as* the mounting hole 16 and through the tow bar tongue for fixing 5, thereto with a threaded nut in conventional manner. The aligning rod 20 then bears against a side of the tow bar tongue for aligning the mounting plate 12 substantially at 900 to the length of the towbar tongue and inhibits pivoting of the mounting plate 12 about the towball bolt. The shaft 38 is then inserted into the boss 22 and slid thereinto until the hole 44 protrudes from the other side of the boss 22. A lynch pin is then located through the hole 44 for inhibiting axial movement of the shaft 38 in the boss 22. At the same time the locating pin 50 is located through the hole 52 and a similar lynch pin is positioned through the hole 56 in the locating pin 50 for inhibiting pivotal movement of the frame support base 24 with respect to the mounting plate 12. With the C shaped member 28 8disposed in the closed position the free end 60 and 64 of the U shaped member 26 are inserted upon the mounting posts 32 and 34, respectively, of the frame support base 24. The C shaped member 28 is then pivoted to the open position, shown in Figure 6 so that the locating pin 80 passes through the hole 82 in the post 58 and into the hole 36 in the mounting post 32 for fixing the frame 14 to the frame support base 24. The pin 90 is then inserted into the hole 88 and through the hole in the spigot 70 for inhibiting pivoting of the C shaped member 28 from the open position towards the closed position.

In order to load a wheelchair onto the wheelchair carrier 10 the lynch pin is removed from the hole 56 for allowing pivoting of the frame 14 with respect to the mounting plate 12. The frame 14 is then pivoted under the action of the force of its own weight so that the second end 48 of the support bar 30 is disposed proximate the ground. The pivot limit bolt 42, when in the loading oeooo position, bears between the boss 22 and the mounting plate "0 12 proximate the first end 18 for inhibiting further pivoting of the frame 14 with respect to the mounting plate 12. Typically, the pivot limit bolt 42 allows pivoting to eoo an angle of approximately 450 between the mounting plate 12 and the frame 14. When in the loading position a lower end 96 of the C shaped member 28 is disposed about 100mm above the ground. The wheelchair, in a collapsed condition, can then be wheeled into the frame by pushing it against the lower end 96. Since the axis of the wheels of the wheelchair is higher than 100mm above the ground the "'S0 wheelchair quite readily rolls so that its rear wheels are received in the C shaped member 28. As the shaft 38 is located .within a zone bound by the frame 14 (and in particular by the C shaped member 28) the centre of gravity of the fraic'and wheelchair is moved toward the shaft 38 thereby reducing the torque required to pivot the frame 14 from the loading position shown in Figure 3 to the anS.:='position shown in Figure 4. The frame 14 is 8A pivoted from the loading position to the/ -t .nserposition. The lynch pin is then reinserted into the hole 56 to inhibit pivoting of the frame 14 back towards the loading position. Ropes

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9 elasticated straps may then be used to secure the wheel chair to the frame 14 typically el sing the loops 92 and 94.

When use of the wheel chair carrier 10 is completed it may easily be stored away by removing the frame, with the C shaped member 28 in the closed position. Alternatively storage may be achieved by removing the frame support base 24 by uncoupling the shaft 38 from the boss 22. o\e The wheel chair carrier 10 of the pro cent invnti n has the advantage that the frame 14 can be pivoted with respect to the mounting plate 12 so that the wheel chair can be wheeled into the frame 14 and the force of the weight of the wheel chair assists in pivoting the frame from the loading position to the transport position. Thus, the effort required in loading the wheel chair into the wheel chair carrier 10 is S. greatly reduced and the risk of back injury is also greatly reduced. Furthermore, any force required in loading the wheel chair into the wheel chair carrier can be accomplished with the S* operator in a substantially erect position which further reduces the likelihood of back injury. Also, the wheel chair carrier 10 can conveniently be dismantled and stow as required.

Modifications and variations such as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

2. A wheelchair carrier according to claim i, wherein said wheel receiving member is pivotally connected to the support member so as to be movable between an opened position in which said wheelchair can be loaded into the frame and a closed position in which said wheelchair cannot be loaded into the frame.
3. A wheelchair carrier according to claim 2, wherein said wheel receiving member is substantially C- shaped. 11
4. A wheelchair carrier according to claim 3, wherein said wheel receiving member is pivotally connected to said support member at first and second locations, said first location being vertically offset relative to the second location. A wheelchair carrier according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said pivot means is located within said substantially rectangular zone so that when said frame is moved between said loading position and said carrying position, with said pair of large wheels wheeled into and received in said wheel receiving member, the centre of gravity of said frame in combination with said wheelchair is moved toward said pivot means, whereby, in use, the force of the weight of said wheelchair assists in pivoting said frame from said loading position to said carrying position. A wheelchair carrier according to claim wherein when said frame is in the loading position and said wheel receiving member is in the opened position, said 20 first substantially parallel arm is disposed proximate to the ground and can be run over by said wheelchair to facilitate loading of the wheelchair into the frame.
7. A wheelchair carrier according to claim 4, wherein said wheel receiving member is provided with a first stop located proximate said first location and adapted for abutting said support member when the wheel receiving member is in said opened position.
8. A wheelchair carrier according to claim 7, wherein said wheel receiving member is provided with a second stop located proximate said second location and adapted for abutting said support member when said wheel receiving member is in said opened position. AP 12
9. A wheelchair carrier according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a base member, said base member being connected by said pivot means to said mounting means, said wheelchair carrier further including releasable locking means for releasably locking said base member to said mounting means when said frame is in the carrying position. A wheelchair carrier according to claim 9, wherein said releasable locking means comprises a peg formed on one of said base member and said mounting means, and a peg receiving means on the other of said base member and mounting means, said peg being adapted to receive a locking pin, whereby when the frame is in the carrying •position said peg extends through said peg receiving means and said locking pin can be received in said peg to prevent pivoting of said base member relative to said mounting means.
11. A wheelchair carrier according to claim 9 or wherein said support member is connected to said base 20 member. A wheelchair carrier according to claim 11, wherein said base member is releasably connected to said support member.
13. A wheelchair carrier according to claim 12, wherein said base member includes a first post and said support member includes a second post adapted for receiving said first post, said first and second posts being provided with respective holes which can be aligned when said first post is received by said second post, said wheel receiving member being provided with a pin which, when the wheel receiving member is in the open position, extends through the holes in the first and second posts thereby locking the support member to the base member. 13
14. A wheelchair carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein said support member is a substantially upsidedown U-shaped member. A wheelchair carrier according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein both said support member and wheel receiving member are provided with an eyelet whereby, in use, a rope or elasticised strap can be fastened to each of said eyelets to help secure the wheelchair in the transporting position.
16. A wheelchair carrier substantially as herein before described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. a e*. a. a a a a.. a, a Dated this 2nd day of August, 1994. ANDREW GEOFFREY BIRT 15 By His Patent Attorneys: GRIFFITH HACK CO. Fellows Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia.