Inwardly folding rollator with an upwardly pivotable seat

Abstract

A rollator with a tubular frame assembly includes a pair of U-shaped side frames connected by a front brace. Each side frame has a cross bar that extends between front legs and back legs of the frame. The side frames are pivotably attached to the front brace so that the side frames can fold inwardly. The rollator has a molded rigid seat that is mounted on pivot brackets to allow it to pivot upwardly out of the way of the user. The pivot brackets have an offset axis of rotation so that the seat is arranged in a curved area of the front brace when pivoted upwardly.

1 - 14 . (canceled)  
     
     
         15 . An ambulatory device, comprising: 
 (a) two side frames, each side frame having a front leg and a back leg and a cross bar between the front leg and the back leg;    (b) a seat pivotably mounted to the side frames; and    (c) at least two support brackets operatively coupled to the seat, one of which is disposed on either side of the seat; and    wherein each support bracket comprises one or more notches to engage at least one of the side frames so that the seat is supported on the side frames when the seat is placed in a lowered position.    
     
     
         16 . The ambulatory device of  claim 15 , wherein the seat comprises a substantially flat sitting surface and an undersurface comprising a plurality of walled recesses.  
     
     
         17 . The ambulatory device of  claim 15 , wherein each of the support brackets comprises an undersurface comprising a plurality of walled recesses.  
     
     
         18 . An ambulatory device, comprising: 
 (a) two side frames, each side frame having a front leg and a back leg and a cross bar between the front leg and the back leg;    (b) a seat pivotably mounted to the side frames;    (c) at least two support brackets operatively coupled to the seat, one of which is disposed on either side of the seat and extend downwardly and outwardly therefrom;    wherein each support bracket comprises an undersurface comprising a plurality of walled recesses.    
     
     
         19 . The ambulatory device of  claim 18 , wherein the seat comprises a substantially flat sitting surface and an undersurface comprising a plurality of walled recesses.  
     
     
         20 . An ambulatory device comprising: 
 (a) two side frames, each side frame having a front leg and back leg;    (b) a brace connecting the front leg of each of the frames;    (c) a seat having first and second sections, the second section pivotably coupled to the frames, the seat capable of being disposed in: 
 a first position in a substantially horizontal orientation; and  
 a second position in a substantially vertical orientation; and  
   (d) at least two support brackets integral with the seat, one support bracket being disposed downwardly on either side of the seat with respect to the first position to secure the seat to the frames when the seat is in the first position; wherein the support brackets provide support for the ambulatory device when the seat is in the first position such that when lateral force is applied to the side frames, the lateral force is distributed along the support brackets and across the seat.    
     
     
         21 . The ambulatory device of  claim 20 , further comprising a locking mechanism located on each of the side frames, the locking mechanism maintaining the side frames spaced apart and releasable to allow the side frames to pivot inwardly.  
     
     
         22 . The ambulatory device of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the side frames can pivot approximately 180 degrees when the locking mechanism is released.  
     
     
         23 . The ambulatory device of  claim 20 , further comprising: 
 (a) a set of brakes positioned to engage wheels on the back legs when a brake force is applied; and    (b) at least one hand brake actuator positioned on at least one of the side frames, wherein the hand brake actuator is used to effectuate the brake force.    
     
     
         24 . The ambulatory device according to  claim 20 , further comprising a back rest connecting the side frames.  
     
     
         25 . The ambulatory device according to  claim 20 , wherein the seat includes a handle.  
     
     
         26 . The ambulatory device according to  claim 20 , wherein the seat in the second position is at least partially in front of the front legs.  
     
     
         27 . An ambulatory device comprising: 
 (a) two side frames, each side frame including a front and back leg;    (b) a brace connecting the front leg of each of the frames; and    (c) a seat having front and rear sections, the front section pivotably mounted to the frames, wherein the seat can be pivoted into at least two positions: 
 a first position having a substantially horizontal orientation; and  
 a second position having a substantially vertical orientation;  
   wherein the seat further comprises a substantially flat sitting surface and an under-surface comprising a plurality of walled recesses.    
     
     
         28 . The ambulatory device of  claim 27 , further comprising two support brackets disposed to secure the seat to the frames when the seat is in the first position; wherein the support brackets provide support for the ambulatory device when the seat is in the first position such that when lateral force is applied to the side frames, the lateral force is distributed along the support brackets and across the seat.  
     
     
         29 . An ambulatory device, comprising: 
 (a) a first side frame and a second side frame, each side frame having a front leg and a back leg; and    (b) a seat pivotally connected to the first side frame front leg and the second side frame front leg, the seat capable of being disposed in a first position oriented substantially horizontally and a second position oriented substantially vertically, and the seat including an undersurface having at least first and second pluralities of intersecting walls that, while the seat is in the first position, extend downward from the seat undersurface defining a plurality of downward openings.    
     
     
         30 . The ambulatory device according to  claim 29 , wherein the walls in the first and second pluralities of walls are formed integrally with the seat undersurface.  
     
     
         31 . The ambulatory device according to  claim 29 , wherein the walls in the first plurality of walls are substantially parallel to each other and the walls in the second plurality of walls are substantially parallel to each other.  
     
     
         32 . The ambulatory device according to  claim 29 , wherein the walls in the first plurality of walls are substantially parallel to each other and the walls in the second plurality of walls are substantially parallel to each other, and the first and second pluralities of walls are substantially perpendicular to each other.  
     
     
         33 . The ambulatory device according to  claim 29 , wherein the walls in the first plurality of walls are substantially parallel to each other and the walls in the second plurality of walls are substantially parallel to each other, and the first and second pluralities of walls are substantially perpendicular to each other so that some of the downward openings are substantially rectangular when viewed from below.  
     
     
         34 . An ambulatory device, comprising: 
 (a) a first side frame and a second side frame, each side frame having a front leg, a back leg, and a cross bar between the front leg and the back leg;    (b) a seat pivotally connected to the first side frame front leg and the second side frame front leg, the seat capable of being disposed in a first position oriented substantially horizontally and a second position oriented substantially vertically;    (c) at least two downwardly curving support brackets, each downwardly curving support bracket extending outwardly from the seat to engage a respective one of the cross bars of one of the side frames; and    (d) at least a first continuous wall extending from one support bracket, under the seat, and to another support bracket, and that, while the seat is in the first position, extends downward from a seat undersurface.    
     
     
         35 . The ambulatory device according to  claim 34 , further comprising at least a second continuous wall extending from one support bracket, under the seat, and to another support bracket substantially parallel to the first continuous wall, and that, while the seat is in the first position, extends downward from a seat undersurface and cooperates with the first continuous wall to form at least one downward opening.  
     
     
         36 . The ambulatory device according to  claim 34 , further comprising at least second and third continuous walls extending from one support bracket, under the seat, and to another support bracket substantially parallel to the first continuous wall, and that, while the seat is in the first position, extend downward from a seat undersurface and cooperate with the first continuous wall to form at least two downward openings.