Travel chair

Abstract

The front wheel assembly of a wheel chair is dimensioned so that it will easily pass through the space between the seat of an automobile and the doorframe thereof. The rear wheel assembly is retractable upwardly under the seat portion to a position which permits the seat portion and the retracted rear wheel assembly to be set upon the automobile seat. The wheel chair and the person seated therein may be easily placed on the automobile seat and removed therefrom while the person remains seated in the wheel chair.

I claim: 
     
       1. In a wheel chair having a seat portion, a front leg portion, and a rear wheel assembly, the improvement wherein said front leg portion is so dimensioned as to be insertable through the space between the doorframe of an automobile and one of the seats thereof whereby said front leg portion is placed in support relation to the automobile and will support the seat portion from the automobile in the course of subsequent movement of the wheel chair into the automobile, and .Iadd.retractor .Iaddend.means for .Iadd.assisting the attendant in .Iaddend.retracting said rear wheel assembly upwardly independently of any change in the position of the front leg portion with respect to the seat portion .Iadd.while the front leg portion is supported on the automobile .Iaddend.and to a position which clears the space beneath the rear end of the chair and permits the chair seat portion and retracted rear wheel assembly to be swung over and set upon said automobile seat. 
     
     
       2. .[.The invention of claim 1.]. .Iadd.In a wheel chair having a seat portion, a front leg portion, and a rear wheel assembly, the improvement wherein said front leg portion is so dimensioned as to be insertable through the space between the doorframe of an automobile and one of the seats thereof whereby said front leg portion is placed in support relation to the automobile and will support the seat portion from the automobile in the course of subsequent movement of the wheel chair into the automobile, and means for retracting said rear wheel assembly upwardly independently of any change in the position of the front leg portion with respect to the seat portion and to a position which clears the space beneath the rear end of the chair and permits the chair seat portion and retracted rear wheel assembly to be swung over and set upon said automobile seat, and .Iaddend.wherein said wheel chair has a chair frame including back portion extending upwardly from said seat portion and a front leg portion extending downwardly from said seat portion, and wherein said rear wheel assembly includes a rear wheel frame that extends forwardly from said rear wheels and wherein said means for retracting said rear wheel assembly includes means pivotally connecting the front of said rear wheel frame to said chair frame, and a retractable strut connecting between said rear wheel assembly and said chair frame to support the wheel chair on the rear wheel assembly and to retract the rear wheel assembly upwardly under the chair seat portion by swinging said rear wheel frame upwardly. 
     
     
       3. .[.The invention of claim 2.]. .Iadd.In a wheel chair having a seat portion, a front leg portion, and a rear wheel assembly, the improvement wherein said front leg portion is so dimensioned as to be insertable through the space between the doorframe of an automobile and one of the seats thereof whereby said front leg portion is placed in support relation to the automobile and will support the seat portion from the automobile in the course of subsequent movement of the wheel chair into the automobile, and means for retracting said rear wheel assembly upwardly independently of any change in the position of the front leg portion with respect to the seat portion and to a position which clears the space beneath the rear end of the chair and permits the chair seat portion and retracted rear wheel assembly to be swung over and set upon said automobile seat, and wherein said wheel chair has a chair frame including back portion extending upwardly from said seat portion and a front leg portion extending downwardly from said seat portion, and wherein said rear wheel assembly includes a rear wheel frame that extends forwardly from said rear wheels and wherein said means for retracting said rear wheel assembly includes means pivotally connecting the front of said rear wheel frame to said chair frame, and a retractable strut connecting between said rear wheel assembly and said chair frame to support the wheel chair on the rear wheel assembly and to retract the rear wheel assembly upwardly under the chair seat portion by swinging said rear wheel frame upwardly, and .Iaddend.wherein said rear wheel frame comprises an upwardly arched undercarriage extending between said chair frame and rear wheels. 
     
     
       4. .[.The invention of claim 3.]. .Iadd.In a wheel chair having a seat portion, a front leg portion, and a rear wheel assembly, the improvement wherein said front leg portion is so dimensioned as to be insertable through the space between the doorframe of an automobile and one of the seats thereof whereby said front leg portion is placed in support relation to the automobile and will support the seat portion from the automobile in the course of subsequent movement of the wheel chair into the automobile, and means for retracting said rear wheel assembly upwardly independently of any change in the position of the front leg portion with respect to the seat portion and to a position which clears the space beneath the rear end of the chair and permits the chair seat portion and retracted rear wheel assembly to be swung over and set upon said automobile seat, and wherein said wheel chair has a chair frame including back portion extending upwardly from said seat portion and a front leg portion extending downwardly from said seat portion, and wherein said rear wheel assembly includes a rear wheel frame that extends forwardly from said rear wheels and wherein said means for retracting said rear wheel assembly includes means pivotally connecting the front of said rear wheel frame to said chair frame, and a retractable strut connecting between said rear wheel assembly and said chair frame to support the wheel chair on the rear wheel assembly and to retract the rear wheel assembly upwardly under the chair seat portion by swinging said rear wheel frame upwardly, and wherein said rear wheel frame comprises an upwardly arched undercarriage extending between said chair frame and rear wheels, and .Iaddend.wherein the arch of said undercarriage substantially matches the angle between said seat portion and said front leg portion whereby said undercarriage swings into close proximity to said leg portion and seat portion when said rear wheel assembly is retracted. 
     
     
       5. .[.The invention of claim 3.]. g In a wheel chair having a seat portion, a front leg portion, and a rear wheel assembly, the improvement wherein said front leg portion is so dimensioned as to be insertable through the space between the doorframe of an automobile and one of the seats thereof whereby said front leg portion is placed in support relation to the automobile and will support the seat portion from the automobile in the course of subsequent movement of the wheel chair into the automobile, and means for retracting said rear wheel assembly upwardly independently of any change in the position of the front leg portion with respect to the seat portion and to a position which clears the space beneath the rear end of the chair and permits the chair seat portion and retracted rear wheel assembly to be swung over and set upon said automobile seat, and wherein said wheel chair has a chair frame including back portion extending upwardly from said seat portion and a front leg portion extending downwardly from said seat portion, and wherein said rear wheel assembly includes a rear wheel frame that extends forwardly from said rear wheels and wherein said means for retracting said rear wheel assembly includes means pivotally connecting the front of said rear wheel frame to said chair frame, and a retractable strut connecting between said rear wheel assembly and said chair frame to support the wheel chair on the rear wheel assembly and to retract the rear wheel assembly upwardly under the chair seat portion by swinging said rear wheel frame upwardly, and wherein said rear wheel frame comprises an upwardly arched undercarriage extending between said chair frame and rear wheels, and wherein said chair frame comprises spaced support tubes, said upwardly arched undercarriage fitting between said tubes when the undercarriage is retracted. 
     
     
       6. The invention of claim 2 wherein said retractable strut comprises a telescoping tube assembly comprising an inner tube which is connected at its top to said back portion and extends downwardly therefrom, an outer tube which surrounds said inner tube and is slidably attached to the top thereof, an intermediate tube which is connected at its bottom end to said rear wheel assembly and projects upwardly therefrom, said intermediate tube being slidably contained between said inner tube and said outer tube, a latch plunger attached within said inner tube and projecting radially therefrom, and a first and second latch opening in said intermediate tube, said first opening being positioned to engage said latch plunger when said telescoping tube assembly is in its extended position, and said second opening being positioned to engage said latch plunger when said telescoping tube assembly is in its retracted position. 
     
     
       7. The invention of claim 6 wherein said outer tube is provided with a latch plunger cam opposite said latch plunger whereby displacement of said outer tube with respect to the inner tube will cam actuate the latch plunger, thereby unlatching said latch plunger from said first or second latch opening and freeing said intermediate tube for movement. 
     
     
       8. .[.The invention of claim 2.]. .Iadd.In a wheel chair having a seat portion, a front leg portion, and a rear wheel assembly, the improvement wherein said front leg portion is so dimensioned as to be insertable through the space between the doorframe of an automobile and one of the seats thereof whereby said front leg portion is placed in support relation to the automobile and will support the seat portion from the automobile in the course of subsequent movement of the wheel chair into the automobile, and means for retracting said rear wheel assembly upwardly independently of any change in the position of the front leg portion with respect to the seat portion and to a position which clears the space beneath the rear end of the chair and permits the chair seat portion and retracted rear wheel assembly to be swung over and set upon said automobile seat, and wherein said wheel chair has a chair frame including back portion extending upwardly from said seat portion and a front leg portion extending downwardly from said seat portion, and wherein said rear wheel assembly includes a rear wheel frame that extends forwardly from said rear wheels and wherein said means for retracting said rear wheel assembly includes means pivotally connecting the front of said rear wheel frame to said chair frame, and retractable strut connecting between said rear wheel assembly and said chair frame to support the wheel chair on the rear wheel assembly and to retract the rear wheel assembly upwardly under the chair seat portion by swinging said rear wheel frame upwardly, and .Iaddend.wherein said rear wheel frame is arched between said front wheel assembly and rear wheels, a leg attached to said rear wheel frame in the arched portion thereof and positioned to rest upon the automobile door sill to support the wheel chair and its occupant during the time period in which said rear wheel assembly is being retracted, whereby the downward pressure due to the weight of said occupant on the pivotal connection between said front leg portion and rear wheel frame causes the rear wheel frame to pivot upwardly toward its retracted position. 
     
     
       9. .[.The invention of claim 2.]. .Iadd.In a wheel chair having a seat portion, a front leg portion, and a rear wheel assembly, the improvement wherein said front leg portion is so dimensioned as to be insertable through the space between the doorframe of an automobile and one of the seats thereof whereby said front leg portion is placed in support relation to the automobile and will support the seat portion from the automobile in the course of subsequent movement of the wheel chair into the automobile, and means for retracting said rear wheel assembly upwardly independently of any change in the position of the front leg portion with respect to the seat portion and to a position which clears the space beneath the rear end of the chair and permits the chair seat portion and retracted rear wheel assembly to be swung over and set upon said automobile seat, and wherein said wheel chair has a chair frame including back portion extending upwardly from said seat portion and a front leg portion extending downwardly from said seat portion, and wherein said rear wheel assembly includes a rear wheel frame that extends forwardly from said rear wheels and wherein said means for retracting said rear wheel assembly includes means pivotally connecting the front of said rear wheel frame to said chair frame, and a retractable strut connecting between said rear wheel assembly and said chair frame to support the wheel chair on the rear wheel assembly and to retract the rear wheel assembly upwardly under the chair seat portion by swinging said rear wheel frame upwardly, .Iaddend.and further comprising spring means connected between said seat portion and said rear wheel frame for urging said rear wheel frame upwardly under said seat portion, and latch means on said retractable strut for latching the same in an extended position to support said rear wheel frame in a lowered position against the urging of said spring means, and means for unlatching said latch means to permit said spring means to lift said rear wheel assembly into a retracted position under said seat portion. 
     
     
       10. .[.The invention of claim 2.]. .Iadd.In a wheel chair having a seat portion, a front leg portion, and a rear wheel assembly, the improvement wherein said front leg portion is so dimensioned as to be insertable through the space between the doorframe of an automobile and one of the seats thereof whereby said front leg portion is placed in support relation to the automobile and will support the seat portion from the automobile in the course of subsequent movement of the wheel chair into the automobile, and means for retracting said rear wheel assembly upwardly independently of any change in the position of the front leg portion with respect to the seat portion and to a position which clears the space beneath the rear end of the chair and permits the chair seat portion and retracted rear wheel assembly to be swung over and set upon said automobile seat, and wherein said wheel chair has a chair frame including back portion extending upwardly from said seat portion and a front leg portion extending downwardly from said seat portion, and wherein said rear wheel assembly includes a rear wheel frame that extends forwardly from said rear wheels and wherein said means for retracting said rear wheel assembly includes means pivotally connecting the front of said rear wheel frame to said chair frame, and a retractable strut connecting between said rear wheel assembly and said chair frame to support the wheel chair on the rear wheel assembly and to retract the rear wheel assembly upwardly under the chair seat portion by swinging said rear wheel frame upwardly, and .Iaddend.wherein said rear wheel assembly includes an axle, said axle being rigidly attached to said rear wheel frame, and further comprising a right angle bend in said rear wheel frame in front of said axle for placing the rear wheels above the bottom of said seat portion in the retracted position of said rear wheel assembly. 
     
     
       11. The invention of claim 1 in which said front leg portion includes a wheel assembly narrow enough to pass through said space.