Another Patent for HERL Team

On February 19, 2013, the United States Patent Office awarded Patent No. 8,376,463 to HERL-affiliated inventors Rory A. Cooper, PhD; Jonathan L. Pearlman, PhD; Todd Hargroder; Eun-Kyoung Hong; Hsin-Yi Liu; Hongwu Wang; and Benjamin A. Salatin for their user adjustable wheelchair backrest mounting hardware design

The present invention is a lightweight, durable, adjustable, backrest for ultralight manual wheelchairs. Light weight material can include composites for a rigid backrest for promotion of healthier and functional interface. Angle adjustment can be any desired range such as a range from -5 degree to 55 degrees (i.e. 85 degrees to 145 degree with respect to horizontal with the seat). No tools are necessary for any of the angle adjustments. The backrest has a horizontal adjustment (fore-aft) that can be any desired range such as 1 inch. The height selection depends on the length of the wheelchair frame tubes. 

The present invention improves the ease and simplicity of adjusting the backrest by or for the user, as well as enhance the aesthetic appearance and add features necessary for achieving commercial readiness. The present invention can be retro fit onto a wide range for ultralight wheelchairs.