Patent Issued for Dynamic seating components for wheelchairs (USPTO 11065167)

2021 AUG 06 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- American Track Roadster Inc. (Englewood, Colorado, United States) has been issued patent number 11065167, according to news reporting originating out of Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx editors.

The patent’s inventors are Peck, Gregory Alan (Castle Rock, CO, US).

This patent was filed on November 4, 2019 and was published online on July 20, 2021.

From the background information supplied by the inventors, news correspondents obtained the following quote: “Certain types of individuals have medical conditions that cause exaggerated muscle behaviors. For example, individuals with imbalanced muscle tone, often as a result of an anoxic birth injury, cerebral palsy or an acquired/traumatic brain injury, may display strong patterns of either flexion or extension, for example, in the muscles of the hip. This can occur numerous times during a day, often triggered by intention or mood change (excitement, anger, etc.). When the extension is initiated by hip movement (hip extension), the angle between the individual’s upper legs and back changes. When this pattern is met by resistance from a traditional seating system, the tone pattern is exaggerated and continued. However, it has been discovered that when there is some “give” or lack of resistance of the support surfaces, the tone pattern is reduced, thus relaxing the muscles that are firing. Tone changes or movement in the lower extremities (i.e., below the hip) are also common. As noted above, the extensor pattern displayed can be lessened when the extension pattern is not met with resistance. Once the resistance is eliminated, the tone pattern is compelled to relax.

“Many individuals with mental disabilities, often times along with diagnoses of cerebral palsy, exhibit the need to participate in self-stimulatory behaviors. These are driven by the individual’s internal drive to gain certain types of vestibular, proprioceptive and tactile input. As a result, many individuals participate in rocking behaviors. The rocking motion can be limited to head movement or can include total body rocking while seated. When seated in a traditional wheelchair with a fixed seat-to-back angle, this movement often causes damage to the wheelchair, making it unsafe for use. Excessive wear and tear on the wheelchair may cause failure of some parts. Often, rear canes or seat rails shear, making the chair unusable.

“Individuals that display any of the above or similar conditions are often, by the nature of their disability, confined to wheelchairs. However, these conditions make the use of traditional wheelchairs (i.e., those having static seating components) less than desirable. Any of these static components may be subject to premature failure because of the involuntary abusive use caused by the individual’s exaggerated, often violent, movements. It is not uncommon to have the backrest structure broken off of a wheelchair, rendering the wheelchair unusable. Standard wheelchair footrests and their mounting components are often bent outward by the user who experiences extension thrusting. When the hip extensor tone is fired, the user will exert tremendous force on opposite ends of the wheelchair, pushing against the top of the seat back and against the footplates. The force on the footplates is typically both outward and upward.

“When a wheelchair is damaged to the point that it is unusable, the cost goes far beyond the obvious financial cost of repairing or replacing the wheelchair. The inconvenience of not having a wheelchair or having an inappropriate temporary replacement has an impact on the user and their caregivers. In today’s medical funding environment, it is also difficult to have a wheelchair repaired. The facility doing the repair work almost always needs approval from the funding source (Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance) prior to doing the repairs. The repair process typically involves sending a technician to the field to evaluate the problem and report to the medical billing department for the paperwork process to be initiated. Thereafter, quotes are required for parts and must be submitted for prior approval for the repairs. When approval is given, and it may occasionally be withheld at least temporarily, the parts must be ordered. Upon receipt of the parts, an appointment must be made to pick up the wheelchair, then repair and return the wheelchair to the customer. The entire process can take a lengthy period of time, often weeks or months.”

Supplementing the background information on this patent, NewsRx reporters also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “In one aspect, the technology relates to a dynamic foot plate for a wheelchair, the dynamic foot plate including: a base plate adapted to be secured to a wheelchair; at least one flexible element secured at a first end to the base plate; a foot plate secured to a second end of the at least one flexible element, such that in a neutral position, the foot plate is substantially parallel to the base plate and such that when a force is applied to the foot plate, the flexible element deflects so as to allow the foot plate to be oriented at an angle to the base plate. In an embodiment, the base plate and the foot plate are secured to the flexible element with a fastener that passes through the flexible element. In another embodiment, the at least one flexible element includes a plurality of flexible elements. In yet another embodiment, the at least one flexible element includes four flexible elements, wherein the four flexible elements are disposed substantially centrally on the foot plate.

“In another aspect, the technology relates to a telescoping footrest for a wheelchair, the telescoping footrest including: a tube defining an interior; an elongate element slidably received within the interior of the tube; and a deformable element for controlling sliding movement of the elongate element within the interior of the tube. In an embodiment, the deformable member includes a compressible element. In another embodiment, the elongate element includes an elongate flat guide surface, and wherein the telescoping footrest further includes a guide adapted to slide relative to and along the elongate flat guide surface so as to prevent an axial rotation of the elongate element relative to the tube. In yet another embodiment, the footrest includes a foot support element secured to at least one of the tube and the elongate element.

“In another aspect, the technology relates to a pivotable mechanism for a wheelchair, the pivotable mechanism including: an axle including at least one axle projection projecting from an outer surface of the axle; an annular hub including at least one hub projection projecting from an inner surface of the hub, wherein the axle is located within the hub; a biasing element located between the axle projection and the hub projection, such that rotation of at least one of the hub and the axle causes at least one of a compression and an extension of the biasing element. In an embodiment, the axle includes a plurality of axle projections, and wherein the hub includes a corresponding plurality of hub projections. In another embodiment, the pivotable mechanism further includes a plurality of biasing elements corresponding to the plurality of axle projections and the plurality of hub projections. In yet another embodiment, the biasing element is a compressible element.

“In another aspect, the technology relates to a wheelchair having a pivotable mechanism as described above, wherein the pivotable mechanism allows for a pivoting movement about an axis defined by an interface between at least one of (a) a seat member and a back member, (b) a seat member and a footrest, © a foot rest and a footplate support, (d) a baseplate and a footplate, and (e) a back member and a headrest.

“In another aspect, the technology relates to a wheelchair having: a first dynamic component including a first pivotable mechanism for allowing a pivoting movement about a first axis defined by an interface between a seat member and a back member, wherein the first dynamic component includes a biasing element for biasing the first dynamic component into a rest position; and a second dynamic component including a second pivotable mechanism for allowing a pivoting movement about a second axis defined by an interface between at least one of (a) a seat member and a back member, (b) a seat member and a footrest, © a foot rest and a footplate support, (d) a baseplate and a footplate, and (e) a back member and a headrest, wherein the second dynamic component includes a biasing element for biasing the second dynamic component into a rest position. In an embodiment, the wheelchair further includes a third dynamic component including a telescoping element for allowing an axial movement of a first footrest element relative to a second footrest element, wherein the third dynamic component includes a biasing element for biasing the third dynamic component into a rest position. In another embodiment, the wheelchair further includes a fourth dynamic component for allowing a pivoting movement about an axis substantially orthogonal to a baseplate. In yet another embodiment, the second axis is substantially orthogonal to the first axis.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A pivotable leg connection for a mobile seating device, the pivotable leg connection comprising: a connection element configured to be received in a receiver of the mobile seating device; a pin; two side plates rigidly connected to the connection element, wherein at least one of the two side plates comprises a curved outer edge, and defines an axle opening and at least one pin opening disposed between the curved outer edge and the axle opening, wherein the pin opening is configured to receive the pin; an axle disposed between the two side plates and extending from the axle opening; a leg pivotably connected to the axle, wherein when the pin is inserted into the pin opening, the pin sets a position of the leg; and at least one biasing element disposed about the axle and between the two side plates, wherein the biasing element is configured to bias the leg towards a biased position.

“2. The pivotable leg connection of claim 1, wherein the pin is configured to limit a range of rotation of the axle.

“3. The pivotable leg connection of claim 1, wherein the pin is configured to prevent a rotation of the axle.

“4. The pivotable leg connection of claim 1, wherein the pin is configured to limit a range of rotation of the leg.

“5. The pivotable leg connection of claim 1, wherein the pin is configured to prevent a rotation of the leg.

“6. The pivotable leg connection of claim 1, wherein the pin extends through at least a first plate of the two side plates.

“7. The pivotable leg connection of claim 1, wherein the pin is configured to set an initial position of the leg.

“8. The pivotable leg connection of claim 1, wherein the pin extends through the two side plates.

“9. The pivotable leg connection of claim 1, wherein the biasing element comprises an elastomeric material.

“10. The pivotable leg connection of claim 9, wherein the biasing element comprises a plurality of biasing elements.

“11. The pivotable leg connection of claim 1, wherein the pin opening comprises a curved perimeter.

“12. The pivotable leg connection of claim 11, wherein the pin opening is round.

“13. The pivotable leg connection of claim 1, wherein the connection element comprises an axis.

“14. The pivotable leg connection of claim 1, wherein the leg is disposed at an initial angle to the connection element.

“15. The pivotable leg connection of claim 1, wherein leg comprises an upper leg housing.

“16. The pivotable leg connection of claim 15, wherein the leg comprises a lower housing slidably engaged with the upper leg housing.

“17. The pivotable leg connection of claim 16, wherein the lower leg housing is axially rotatably engaged with the upper leg housing.

“18. The pivotable leg connection of claim 16, wherein the lower leg housing is at least partially disposed in the upper leg housing.

“19. The pivotable leg connection of claim 16, further comprising a leg biasing element configured to bias the lower leg housing relative to the upper leg housing.

“20. The pivotable leg connection of claim 19, wherein the leg biasing element comprises a spring.”

For the URL and additional information on this patent, see: Peck, Gregory Alan. Dynamic seating components for wheelchairs. U.S. Patent Number 11065167, filed November 4, 2019, and published online on July 20, 2021. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=11065167.PN.&OS=PN/11065167RS=PN/11065167

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)