Wheelchair washer apparatus

• US 5,133,375 A
• Filed: 11/14/1990
• Issued: 07/28/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Walter W. Schinzing
• Original Assignee: Dallas W. Foster, Gale L. Brinkman, Michael M. Meissen, Walter W. Schinzing
• Inventors: Schinzing, Walter W., Meissen, Michael M., Foster, Dallas W., Brinkman, Gale L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coe, Philip R.
• Application Number:
  US07/612,757
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 134/113, 134/123, 134/144, 134/172, 134/179, 134/180, 134/181
• US Class Current: 134/123
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/10 Parts, details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1054 Large wheels, e.g. higher than the seat portion
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/02 Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 3/04 for exteriors of land vehicles B60S3/002, B60S3/004 take precedence; specially adapted for railway vehicles B60S3/006

Abstract

A washer for a conventional wheelchair has a washing chamber within an enclosure with fluid-driven rotatable washer arms having suitably angles nozzles for directing cleaning and rinsing fluids onto a wheelchair mounted on a slidable rack just above the slanted drain floor of the enclosure. The device also provides for rotating the large side support wheels during the washing cycles while keeping the chair from moving.

Claims

1. A washer for cleaning a conventional wheelchair, said wheelchair having a large diameter support and propulsion wheel on each side of a seat and a pair of small diameter guide wheels forward of the seat and below the level of the seat, said washer comprising:

a) and enclosed washing chamber suitable for holding a conventional wheelchair, said chamber defined by end walls, side walls, a floor and a ceiling and having a doorway in one wall through which a wheelchair can be placed in and removed from the chamber;

b) a sump in said floor, said chamber floor being slanted to drain liquid to said sump;

c) means for supporting a conventional wheelchair elevated above said floor in said washing chamber for exposing the underside of said wheelchair and the entire area of the wheelchair wheels to cleaning and rinsing liquid;

d) elongated tubular liquid spray arms rotatably mounted on walls and the ceiling of said chamber, said spray arms having a series of nozzles spaced apart lengthwise on said spray arms, said nozzles angled to apply liquid onto all parts of a conventional wheelchair supported by said wheelchair supporting means including the underside of the wheelchair, the entire seating surface area of the wheelchair seat and the wheelchair wheels;

e) means for feeding cleaning and rinsing liquid to said spray arms for rotating said spray arms and for providing said liquid to said nozzles;

f) said means for supporting a conventional wheelchair including a rack having frame means for holding the front small diameter guide wheels of a conventional wheelchair to prevent the wheelchair from moving while being washed and roller means, the large diameter support and propulsion wheels of a conventional wheelchair resting on said roller means; and

g) means for rotating said roller means for rotating said large diameter wheelchair wheels while liquid is applied to said wheels.

2. The wheelchair washer as described in claim 1 further including means for moving said frame means into and out of said washing chamber.