AU2007100002A4

AU2007100002A4 - Improved mobile patient hoist for vehicle transfer applications

Info

Publication number: AU2007100002A4
Application number: AU2007100002A
Authority: AU
Inventors: John Kenneth Davis; Robert Leonard Davis; Peter Henry Sargeant
Original assignee: KATHRYN DAVIS
Current assignee: Davis Kathryn Louise
Priority date: 2006-01-12
Filing date: 2007-01-04
Publication date: 2007-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 2015-01-04

Description

flLROK Enterprises 114 BRIDGE STREET P.O. BOX 112 PICTON NSW 2571

AUSTRALIA

TEL: (02) 4677 2066 FAX: (02) 4677 2033

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT IMPROVED MOBILE PATIENT HOIST FOR VEHICLE TRANSFER APPLICATIONS The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: IP Australia 0 4 JAN 2007 IMPROVED MOBILE PATIENT HOIST FOR VEHICLE TRANSFER APPLICATIONS C Patient lifting hoists are very commonly used in medical, rehabilitation and homecare situations.

F However, one application which has not been satisfactorily addressed previously involves S transferring patients into and out of a range of modem vehicles, as the shape of most patient lifting hoists and the limited room available around the door openings of modem vehicles makes it O difficult to lift a patient high enough to obtain adequate clearance above the seat of the vehicle so that transfer can be accomplished.

This patient hoist has been specially designed to overcome this problem, and to allow a person to be O lifted into and out of the vehicle without the requirement for any extra equipment or modifications to the vehicle itself.

The patient hoist is shown on the attached diagram. It uses a rotatable yoke at the end of a horizontal extension boom to allow the car transfer process to be accomplished. A sling N supporting the patient attaches to hooks on the yoke, which is kept below the patient's head height.

The extension boom is supported by a lifting assembly, consisting of an upper boom a lower boom and an extension boom retainer The pivot points on this assembly are arranged as a parallelogram, so that the extension boom remains horizontal as it is raised or lowered. This allows the extension boom to move within the space available when the door of a vehicle is opened, without hitting the door surround or the roof of the vehicle.

The rotating yoke allows the patient to be swivelled through more than 900 when raised above the seat of the vehicle, while being maintained in a comfortable sitting position that allows transfer into and out of a wheelchair.

The lifting assembly is attached to a mast An electric actuator is supported by the mast, and is attached to the upper boom This provides the action required to raise and lower the patient.

The mast also carries the battery and control box (10) for the actuator.

The mast is supported by a base assembly which contains an internally-mounted electric actuator that adjusts the position of the legs of the hoist. The legs can be spread apart to allow the hoist to closely approach a wheelchair or chair without the front castors interfering with the wheels or legs of the chair. This allows the patient to be put into the wheelchair or chair after being taken out of the vehicle.

The patient hoist is designed for easy assembly and disassembly, to make transport in a vehicle simple. The extension boom can be removed from the extension boom retainer the mast and boom assembly can be removed from the base and the two legs can also be removed from the base. This whole process can be done without using any tools, as the parts are held together by spring-loaded pins and a hand-operated locking screw.

The electrical connection between the mast and the base, which is necessary to allow power to the actuator controlling the leg position, is also done without use of any extra tools or plug connections.

The mast contains spring-loaded pins, which contact corresponding pins in the base when the mast is put into position in the base, and these provide the necessary connection.

C1 Alternative extension boom designs using different yokes or pivot frames are possible, to enable the ft hoist to be used in regular patient lifting applications.

The hoist is usually manufactured out of lightweight, high strength aluminium alloy, so that all parts can be carried easily. Other materials, such as high-tensile steel or carbon fibre reinforced plastic are also possible.

(N

Claims

2. A mobile patient lifting hoist as claimed in Claim 1, with a concealed electrically-operated leg adjustment mechanism incorporated into the base assembly, and which can be disassembled into a single unit without the use of extra tools, and in which the electrical connection between the control box and leg adjustment actuator is made by connecting the mast to the base.
3. A mobile patient lifting hoist according to any Claims 1 and 2 in which most components, including extension boom, lifting assembly, mast, base and legs, are made ofaluminium.
4. A mobile patient lifting hoist according to any of one of the Claims 1-3 in which the extension Boom can be replaced by one carrying a conventional 2-point yoke, 4-point yoke or pivot frame, which can be used in regular patient lifting applications. A mobile patient lifting hoist as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawing.