GB2364902A

GB2364902A - Lifting apparatus for a bed

Info

Publication number: GB2364902A
Application number: GB0017791A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher John Hooker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-07-21
Filing date: 2000-07-21
Publication date: 2002-02-13
Anticipated expiration: 2020-07-21
Also published as: GB2364902B; GB0017791D0

Abstract

A lifting apparatus for lifting a recumbent person on a bed (B) includes two pivotably interconnected panel portions (1, 3), one to be arranged towards the bed foot and the other towards the bed head, and a drive (10) for pulling the bed foot panel portion (1) towards the bed head. A lever assembly (11) pivots the bed head panel portion (3) upwardly about the pivotal interconnection (4) between the panel portions (1, 3) in response to the movement of the bed foot panel portion (1) towards the bed head.

Description

<Desc/Clms Page number 1> Lifting apparatus for a bed This invention relates to a lifting apparatus for a bed and more particularly to an apparatus which is operable to lift the upper part of the body of a person lying on or in a bed.

There are a number of situations where there is a need for a person lying in or on a bed to be lifted, at least in regard to the upper part of the body or the torso of that person. A typical and probably the most common example in that respect is in hospitals where patients who may spend a considerable part of their day in a recumbent position need to be raised in order to take for example food or drink or to receive medical attention or medication. Similar consideration apply to others in comparable circumstances such as those who are more or less bedridden due to illness, injury or the like, without being totally hospitalised.

One way of lifting the torso of a person in such a situation involves a form of frame which is pivoted to a part of the bed frame structure and which, at its edge towards the head of the bed, can be lifted manually into a sloping position in which it supports the torso in a raised attitude. This way in which that assembly operates however is time-consuming and physically arduous as it involves lifting the patient manually into a position approximately corresponding to the required raised attitude before the support can be moved into the correct position to provide support.

To make this procedure somewhat easier the lifting frame structure can be motor-driven insofar as a motor such an electric motor can drive a shaft to raise or lower the frame structure. This however has been found to be unsatisfactory in a major respect at least, for as the frame structure is raised it has a tendency to cause the patient to slide towards the foot of the bed. The patient then either has to pull him or her self back up the bed, which is difficult for a person in a weakened state, or an attendant such as a nurse or carer has to manually move the patient back towards the head of the bed, which is once again a laborious task.

According to the present invention there is provided a lifting apparatus for raising the upper part of the body of a person on a bed,

comprising pivotably interconnected first and second support portions which in a non-raised position of use on a bed are disposed substantially flat with the first support portion towards the foot of the bed and the second support portion towards the head of the bed, with the hip region of the person resting on the first support portion and the upper part of the person resting on the second support portion, means for pulling the first support portion towards the head of the bed, and lever means for pivoting the second support portion upwardly about the pivotal connection between the support portions in response to the movement of the first support portion thereby to raise the upper part of the person on the bed.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention there is provided a lifting apparatus for raising the upper part of the body of a person on a bed, including a first panel portion which in use of the apparatus is carried on the bed with a first edge towards the head of the bed and on which the hip region of the person rests, a second panel portion which has a first edge adjacent to the first edge of the first panel portion and on which in use of the apparatus the upper part of the person rests, pivot means pivotably connecting the first panel portion to the second panel portion at least adjacent to the first edges of the panel portions, a pulling member connected to the first panel portion and operable to pull the first panel portion towards the head of the bed, a drive operable to pull the pulling member, lever means having a first end connected to the second panel portion, and a pivot mounting pivotably connected to the second end of the lever means for pivotably mounting the second end of the lever means to a mounting structure, whereby as the first panel portion is pulled towards the head of the bed the lever means causes the second panel portion to pivot upwardly about the pivot means.

In a preferred feature the mounting structure can be a frame assembly which is fixed to the bed in the head region thereof, or alternatively the mounting structure may be a part of the bed structure itself.

The pulling member may be a pulling bar or lever having a first end connected to the first panel portion at least adjacent to the first edge

thereof, while a second end of the pulling [ever may be connected to an electric drive to produce the pulling motion thereof.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an apparatus according to the invention, Figure 2 is a side view of the Figure 1 apparatus, and Figure 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a modified embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2 reference 1 denotes a panel portion constituting a seat base portion which in use of the apparatus is carried on a bed as indicated at B, in a position such that the hip or pelvic region of a person lying in or on the bed rests on the panel portion 1.

The panel portion 1 may be an at least substantially solid panel, for example in the form of a sheet of suitable material such as metal or plastics material, or alternatively it may be of a grid-like structure formed by a assembly of bars. The panel portion 1 may be suitably padded or upholstered (not shown).

The head of the bed to which the apparatus is fitted is to the right in the drawing and the foot of the bed is thus towards the left.

The apparatus also includes a carrier 2 illustrated in the form of a panel which in use of the apparatus rests on the bed B, extending over at least part of the length thereof and over at least a substantial part of the width. The panel portion 1 is slidable on the carrier 2 in the longitudinal direction of the bed B.

The apparatus further includes a second panel portion 3 which in use of the apparat.us is carried on the bed B in a position such that it supports the upper part or torso of the person in or on the bed B. The form of the panel portion 3 may be as discussed in relation to the panel portion 1.

Reference 4 denotes a pivot arrangement which pivotably connects the panel portions 1 and 3 at the edges 5 and 6 thereof which are adjacent to each other, as can be clearly be seen from the drawing. Any suitable form of pivot arrangement can be used, for example a plurality of separate

pivot members spaced along the interconnected edges 5 and 6 of the panel portions 1 and 3 or a continuous pivot pin which extends along the edges 5 and 6. The pivot arrangement could also be formed by interconnecting straps extending across the gap between the edges 5 and 6.

Reference 7 denotes a pulling member illustrated in the form of a bar member of which a first end 8 is pivotably connected to the first panel portion 1 at a position which is at least adjacent to the edge 5 thereof by a suitable form of pivot as diagrammatically indicated at 9. The other end of the bar member 7 is connected to a drive unit 10 such an electric actuator or motor operable to apply a pulling force to the bar member 7, thereby to pull the panel portion 1 towards the right in the drawing. The pulling member may be a flexible member if the installation conditions require this.

Reference 11 denotes a lever assembly shown in the form of a third panel portion having an edge 12 pivotably connected to the second panel portion 3 at a position 13 between the edge 6 thereof and the opposite parallel edge, more particularly at a position which is further away from the edge 6 than from the opposite edge. The second edge 14 of the panel portion 11 is pivotably connected to a part of the frame structure as indicated at 15 of the bed B to which the described apparatus is fitted. The pivotal connection of the panel portion 11 to the mounting structure is made in this embodiment by a pivot mounting 16 connected to the panel portion 11 and carried on the bed frame structure or other support assembly. The second edge 14 may alternatively be connected to an appropriate mounting on the carrier 2.

The above-outlined considerations relating to the structures of the panel portions 1 and 3 may also apply to the panel portion 11. Furthermore. while the illustrated embodiment has a panel portion 11 it will be appreciated the it would also be possible to provide two levers at respective sides of the panel portion 3 to achieve the same effect.

In operation of the apparatus, when the drive unit 10 is actuated to draw the bar member 7 towards the right in the drawing, it will pull the panel portion 1 with a sliding motion on the carrier 2 towards the right in the drawing. The panel portion 1 will in turn push against the adjacent

edge of the other panel portion 3 and thereby also push the other panel portion 3 towards the right in the drawing. However the action of the panel portion 11 is such as to cause the panel portion 3 to pivot upwardly about the pivot arrangement 4 in the anticlockwise direction in Figure 2. As the first panel portion 1 is moved towards the right it will be seen that it will also move the hip region of the person lying thereon towards the right and thus towards the head of the bed B, at the same time as the second panel portion 3 raises the upper part or torso of the person by virtue of its pivotal motion. There is therefore no possibility of the person being pushed towards the foot of the bed B in the course of the pivotal raising motion, as was the case with the above-described prior apparatuses.

It will be noted that the apparatus will include suitable control devices for controlling the mode of actuation of the apparatus as well as for ensuring that the apparatus operates in a safe fashion both from the point of view of an operator such as a nurse or other carer and from the point of view of the person who is lying on the apparatus and whose position is to be adjustable thereby.

Referring now to Figure 3, shown therein is an embodiment which is closely similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2 and which for that reason will not be described in full detail again at this point.

The Figure 3 structure differs from the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2 in that it includes a retainer 17 illustrated in the form of an angled plate which fits over the side of the bed to prevent the apparatus from being displaced sideways as the user moves on to or off the bed. The retainer can be mounted to the carrier 2 by fixings diagrammatically indicated at 18 such as a mounting means or projection and may be adjustable to fit to beds of different widths. The retainer 18 may be fitted on either or indeed both sides of the bed and can be readily detached when not required.

Reference 17' in Figure 3 shows an alternative position for mounting the retainer in the base panel portion 1 in the same fashion.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made in the above-described constructions. For example while the panel portion 11 or corresponding levers or connecting members performing a corresponding

function is or are pivotably mounted to a part of the bed frame structure it would equally well be possible for them to be mounted to an alternative securing structure to provide a bracing effect against which the panel portion 3 acts to be caused to pivot upwardly.

Instead of a carrier 2 in the form of a panel, the apparatus could also include a perimetral frame providing sliding guides on which the first panel portion 1 could slide in the lengthwise direction of the bed B, and also providing the pivot mounting structure for the panel portion 11 or like member. The retainer 17 could likewise be mounted to such a frame.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A lifting apparatus for raising the upper part of the body of a person on a bed, comprising pivotably interconnected first and second support portions which in a non-raised position of use on a bed are disposed substantially flat with the first support portion towards the foot of the bed and the second support portion towards the head of the bed, with the hip region of the person resting on the first support portion and the upper part of the person resting on the second support portion, means for pulling the first support portion towards the head of the bed, and lever means for pivoting the second support portion upwardly about the pivotal connection between the support portions in response to the movement of the first support portion thereby to raise the upper part of the person on the bed.
2. A lifting apparatus for raising the upper part of the body of a person on a bed, including a first panel portion which in use of the apparatus is carried on the bed with a first edge towards the head of the bed and on which the hip region of the person rests, a second panel portion which has a first edge adjacent to the first edge of the first panel portion and on which in use of the apparatus the upper part of the person rests, pivot means pivotably connecting the first panel portion to the second panel portion at least adjacent to the first edges of the panel portions, a pulling member connected to the first panel portion and operable to pull the first panel portion towards the head of the bed, a drive operable to pull the pulling member, lever means having a first end connected to the second panel portion, and a pivot mounting pivotably connected to the second end of the lever means for pivotably mounting the second end of the lever means to a mounting structure, whereby as the first panel portion is pulled towards the head of the bed the lever means causes the second panel portion to pivot upwardly about the pivot means.

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3. A lifting apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the mounting structure is a frame assembly which in use is fixed to the bed in the head region thereof.
4. A lifting apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the mounting structure is a part of the bed structure.
5. A lifting apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the pulling member is a pulling bar having a first end connected to the first panel portion at least adjacent to the first edge thereof.
6. A lifting apparatus according to claim 5 wherein a second end of the pulling bar is connected to an electric drive to produce the pulling motion thereof.
7. A lifting apparatus according to claim I or claim 2 and further including a plate portion operable to retain the apparatus in position on a bed.
8. A lifting apparatus for a bed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or Figure 3 of the accompanying drawing.