CA1103142A - Seat for invalid walker - Google Patents
Seat for invalid walkerInfo
- Publication number
- CA1103142A CA1103142A CA359,749A CA359749A CA1103142A CA 1103142 A CA1103142 A CA 1103142A CA 359749 A CA359749 A CA 359749A CA 1103142 A CA1103142 A CA 1103142A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- sheet
- invalid
- seat
- hook
- support
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61H—PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY
- A61H3/00—Appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk about
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61H—PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY
- A61H2201/00—Characteristics of apparatus not provided for in the preceding codes
- A61H2201/16—Physical interface with patient
- A61H2201/1602—Physical interface with patient kind of interface, e.g. head rest, knee support or lumbar support
- A61H2201/1628—Pelvis
- A61H2201/1633—Seat
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The object of the invention is a portable seat for mounting on an invalid walker to enable a walking invalid to sit and rest until strength is recovered sufficiently to continue walking thereby gaining greater freedom of independent mobility and exercise. The seat comprises a rectangular, foldable sheet of material of sufficient strength to support a person. The seat can be readily attached to the walker for seating to rest and readily detached for carrying on the person in pocket or purse for walking. The seat is adjustable in one or more res-pects and can be mounted on the more complex of common walkers, such as some foldabl swinging walkers, walkers, without making holes in or structural changes to frame members. Four hooks are detachably connected to respective frame members by means of ordinary hose clamps. A metal ring is attached to the sheet at each corner thereof and the sheet is attached to the walker by placing each ring on a respective hook. The seat can be manufactured from readily available common parts and installed using common skills and tools.
The object of the invention is a portable seat for mounting on an invalid walker to enable a walking invalid to sit and rest until strength is recovered sufficiently to continue walking thereby gaining greater freedom of independent mobility and exercise. The seat comprises a rectangular, foldable sheet of material of sufficient strength to support a person. The seat can be readily attached to the walker for seating to rest and readily detached for carrying on the person in pocket or purse for walking. The seat is adjustable in one or more res-pects and can be mounted on the more complex of common walkers, such as some foldabl swinging walkers, walkers, without making holes in or structural changes to frame members. Four hooks are detachably connected to respective frame members by means of ordinary hose clamps. A metal ring is attached to the sheet at each corner thereof and the sheet is attached to the walker by placing each ring on a respective hook. The seat can be manufactured from readily available common parts and installed using common skills and tools.
Description
111~31~
This invention relates to portable seats and particu-larly seats adapted for use on invalid supporting devices.
Various portable supporting frames are known which enable or assist handicapped, invalid, or infirm persons to walk.
These frames or "walkers" assist a person who has difficulty in walking to keep his balance and they also enable part of the in-valid's weight to be supported by his arms.
The more common of invalid support frames are basically the same in their operation and construction although there are minor differences in configuration and in their dimensions. Com-mon walkers consist of a multi-legged lightweight rigid frame that supports two handles at about waistlevel. The invalid ope-rates the device by grasping the two handles, lifting and moving it forward, and then holding onto it for balance and support while he steps into the cavity. He repeats these motions to pro-ceed. Recently developed walkers can be folded into a relatively compact form when not in use. Folding walkers are particularly advantageous from several standpoints. They require less room when being shipped to stores or customers and less space is re-`~ 20 quired to store them either in the home or in the store. Theyare also much more portable when travelling on public transit vehicles or in private cars.
Another recent and important development in invalid support frames has been the use of semi-flexible or "swinging walkers". These walkers are constructed with hinged joints at the corners where the two, spaced apart side frames meet the con-necting front frame members. When these walkers are used by an invalid, two feet of the walker can be maintained on the ground at all times and permit the user the option to lift less weight.
Also it is known to provide a walker that is both foldable and q~
1~3~42 swinging.
It is also known to provide walkers with a temporary seating arrangement so that if a user should become tired he will have a seat readily available. I-t will be appreciated that many invalid persons become tired quite easily and it is important that such persons not overexert themselves.
One such seating arrangement is shown in U.S. patent 3,993,349 dated November 23, 1976 and issued to Messrs. Newfeld and Hopson. In the walker of this patent, the temporary seat is 1~ constructed from a sling of canvas or other flexible material.
The seat which is quite narrow has a loop formed at each end so that each end can be supported by a T-shaped bar. The upper end of each T-shaped bar is bent so that the bar can engage in a spe-cially designed metal block. The construction taught by the patent requires specialized metal parts which increase the cost of the seat arrangement. In addition carrying the seat on the person when not in use would be cumbersome since the metal T-shaped members can not be folded. Also, the seat taught by this patent distributes the weight of the invalid over a relatively small area of the body which could cause discomfort. Further-more the seat arrangement is such that a weak and disabled person might feel insecure in the seat and he might in fact easily slip out of the sling and injure himself.
More recent U.S. patent 4,162,101 dated July 24, 1979 issued to McCague Sr. and Elinore M. McCague teaches the use of a seat in the cavity formed by a walker. The seat is designed to automatically swing up and out of the way when seating is not desired. The seat of this U.S. patent requires a number of spe-cialized mechanical parts which would make it relatively costl~-.
The seat is also heavier and more cumbersome for an invalid to .-- --11~3~4Z
transport than the seat proposed by the present invention.
According to one aspect ofthe present invention, there ispro-vided an invalid seat for mounting on an invalid support apparatus used to support awalking invalid and having vertical frame members, the seat comprising amulti-sided foldable sheetofmaterial, means attached to the sheet ateach corner for connecting the corner to a respective vertical frame member by means of adjustable clarnping means, wherein each clamping means i8 adapted to supportits res-pective connecting means arld to clamp onto a respective frame mem-ber at a selected height so that the height above the ground oftheinvalid seat formed by the sheet can be varied as desired.
According to another aspectof the invention, there is pro-vided aportable seat for mounting on asupport frame constructed with vertical frame members, the seat comprising a four-sided, foldable sheet of material of sufficient strength to support a person, four hook means and cooperating eye means for separately connecting each corner of the sheet to arespective vertical frame member, one of the hook means andeye means being attached to the sheet at the four corners thereof and the other of the hook means 20 and eye means being provided with adjustable clarnplng devices for detachably clamping each of the four hook or eye means to res pective vertical frame mernbers at a selected height.
The advantages of the portable seat of the lnvention will be readily apparent. Because the sheet of material can be folded into d compact configuration, it could be stored ln a pocket or purse for easy transport. This feature is partlcularly ad-vantageous for the user of the walker travelling by public tran-sit vehicles where there is no safe place where the seat can simply be lald down for transit. Thus the seat of the inventlon may remove an unnecessary restriction to an invalid's or handi-capped person's mobility and may enable such people to increase ~ 3 --31~Z
the size of the area across which they feel they can travel on their own.
Another advantage of the preferred portable seat arran-gement disclosed herein is that the seat can be constructed us-ing simple, readily available metal parts. Thus the cost of the preferred seat construction is quite low. Also the preferred portable seat described herein is adjustable in one or more res-pects. The height of the seat above the ground can be varied by loosening, shifting, and then tightening a clamping device used to connect each corner to an adjacent frame member. In addition the effective size of the foldable sheet for fastening purposes can be varied so that a single type of foldable sheet can be manufactured which will fit walkers of different sizes and dif-fering construction.
A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
Figure 1 is a rear view of an invalid support appara-tus provided with a foldable seat;
Figure 2 is a top view of the support apparatus of Figure 1:
Figure 3 is a right side view of the support apparatus of Figure 1 with the seat removed;
Figure 4 is a view of the bottom side of the foldable sheet used to provide a seat on the support apparatus; and Figure 5 is a detailed view showing how each corner of the foldable sheet is connected to an adjacent frame member.
An invalid support apparatus 10, modified in accordance with the teachings of the present invention is shown in Figures 1 to 3. The apparatus consists of 3 connected lightweight rigid 11~i'3142 frames. Two identical spaced apart side frames 12 and 14, one on each side, are connected together by a third frame 13 in front. Each side frame has the configuration of an inverted U
with a handgrip 40 on its top horizontal member 24,a horizontal brace 32 just below knee level, and a foot 15 on each vertical member. If desired the height above the ground of the two hand-grips can be adjusted for maximum comfort and safety by providing telescoping legs 36 on each vertical side frame member 33 and 34.
The third frame 13, in front, consists of two vertical side mem-bers 29 of internal diameter slightly larger than the outsidediameter of the vertical front members 34 of the two side frames and rigidly joined by two horizontal members 18 and 20. The ver-tical front member 34 of each side frame passes through a res-pective vertical member 29 of the front frame. The front frame 13 is retained in the required position on the side frames by two sleeves 19 attached to each front member 34 of each side frame by pop rivets.
It will be appreciated that with this construction a desirable hinge arrangement is provided that enables the two side frames 12 and 14 to be folded in the direction shown by the arrows A in Figure 2 1nto an area whose limits are defined by the front frame for convenient storage and shipping. When used in the walk-- ing position, the two side frames 12 and 14 are connected together at their top members 24 by means of a curved telescoping horizon-tal member 22 that can be locked open in the walking position by means of a lock button 21. The telescoping curved horizontal member 22 is connected by means of a nut and bolt 26 to the top member of each side frame so that it permits a limited swinging action of one side frame about the other side frame. This swing-ing action permits the walking invalid the option to maintain two 1~3142 side feet on the ground at all times and, when pivoting the two swinging legs vertically around the two supporting legs, to be lifting only a small portion of the total weight of the walker.
It will of course be appreciated that walkers can be and are manu-factured using a variety of conflgurations and dimensions.
Further description of the support apparatus per se is unnecessary as such apparatus are known. Each employs two spaced apart side handles that can be gripped to provide a firm support to assist an invalid when walking.
The present invention improves the support apparatus described above by providing a lightweight, compact, and easily transportable temporary seat for use on the support apparatus.
The seat 42 includes a rectangular, foldable sheet of material that can be constructed either of fabric or strong, flexible plastic sheeting. The preferred material is canvas and particu-larly number 14 duck canvas which is hemmed on all sides. The hems are formed by folding over each edge and stitching the fold-ed material as at 44 shown in Figure 5. Each hem 46 is of course formed on the bottom of the foldable sheet.
If desired, the foldable sheet can be reinforced for extra strength by means of two strips 48 of material, each strip extending between opposite corners of the rectangular sheet.
The strips or straps are sewn onto the bottom surface of the sheet and they are preferably made ~f a tough fabric such as canvas.
A hook and eye means or mechanism 50 shown in detail in Figure 5 is provided for detachably and separately fastening each corner of the sheet to a respective one of the frame members. In ; the preferred embodiment illustrated, each corner is connected to a tubular, vertically extending frame member forming part of a Sidè frame. When the seat is mounted with the use of the hook 11~'314Z
and eye means, the seat extends generally between the two side frames 12 and 14 as shown in Figures 1 and 2. With the use of these preferred fasteners and the aforesaid reinforcing strips 48 most of the weight of an invalid is supported on and transferred directly in tension uniformly to the four vertical support mem-bers.
Turning now to the preferred construction of the hook and eye means used to attach the sheet of material, these means include hooks 52 rigidly connected to respective frame members by means of clamps 54 formed with metal straps. The hooks 52 and clamps 54 add relatively insignificant weight and bulk to the support apparatus. The clamps can be in the form of known hose clamps which employ a threaded member or bolt 56 which can be turned by means of a screwdriver or wrench and can be used to tighten or loosen the clamp. Each hook 52 includes a straight lower portion 58 and a curved upper portion 60. The lower por-tion 58 is firmly clamped against the side of the adjacent frame member by means of the hose clamp 54.
; Another part of the hook and eye means is provided by a ring 62 attached to a reinforcing support strap 48 of the sheet 42 adjacent each corner of the sheet. Each of the four rings can comprise a common "split-ring" often used to hold keys for locks.
Each ring 62 is preferably attached to the reinforcing support ~- strap 48 by means of a connecting loop 64 formed at the end of the ;~ strap. The position of each ring 62 at the corner of the sheet can be made adjustable so that the sheet can fit on walkers of different sizes. This feature is provided by making the size of each loop 64 adjustable by means of a buckle 66 attached near each end of the reinforcing straps. The buckle engages holes formed in the material forming the loop 64 in a well known manner.
11~3142 Each ring is of course adapted to fit over a respective hook 52 in the manner shown in Figure 5. Preferably the corner 68 of the sheet extends over the upper portion 60 of the hook to pro-vide some protection from clothing catching on the hooks and becoming torn or damaged.
It will be appreciated that with the use of the adjust-able clamps 54, the height of the seat above the ground can be raised or lowered as desired. ~ecause the clamps 54 do no~ re-quire holes in the frame members or any structural changes to the frame members, it will be appreciated that the adjustment in the height of each hook can be carried out without any weakening of or damage to the frame members. Also, it can be appreciated that such clamps will fit a variety of diameters of tubing. The hooks 52 can be the type commonly used to support room divider partitions and thus no special manufacturing process need be carried out to provide these hooks. If desired a tape can be wrapped around the frame member prior to attachment of each clamp 54. These tapes 70 which can be ordinary electrical insulation tape are illustrated in Figure 3 and they act to increase the friction between the metal clamp and the metal of the frame mem-ber. They also retard corrosion of the metal parts in a moist environment.
According to one aspect of this invention, the hooks 52 and cooperating clamps 54 together provide adjustable connec-tors for detachably engaging the connecting means prcvided by the ~` rings62.
The foldable sheet can be provided in various sizes which will fit the different walkers being sold to the public.
A typical size for a well known walker has a width which is at least equal to 60% of the length of the sheet. Thus the portable ~ll3~142 seat provided is quite deep and provides a firm, stable seat in which the user is likely to feel secure. The sheet is readily mounted on the more complex of common walkers such as a folding, swinging walker.
For some walkers, the flexible seat can have a trape-zoidal configuration. For example, the forward edge could have a length of only 14 inches and the rearward edge a length of 20 inches. In this embodiment the width of the seat could be 13 inches. The flexible seat and the fittings should be sufficient-ly strong to support the weight of most persons. A flexible sheet and fittings which will not be damaged by a weight of 250 pounds are preferred.
In order to support heavier people on a walker of suf-ficient strength, each hook 52 can be strengthened by inserting another identical supporting hook behind it. Additionally a wrapping of sheet metal of greater width than the clamp 54 can be placed around the frame member prior to attachment of the clamp.
The metal wrapping of this nature will act to distribute the ` load from the hook over a greater area of the frame member.
Although the drawings illustrate a walker constructed of tubular members which is the common form of frame member em-ployed, it will be appreciated that the present invention is not restricted to use with walkers of this construction. The present ;~ invention can be adapted to walkers having frame members of dif-ferent cross section and size or made with different materials than the usual material aluminum~
Other forms of hook and eye means, other than the speci-fic forms illustrated, might of course be employed. For example in place of the rings 62 one might employ chain or rope loops of sufficient strength.
11~314~
It will be appreciated that the preferred seat con-struction described herein has a number of distinct advantages, some of which have already been referred to. It can be readily adjusted and repaired, if necessary by the use of common skills and tools. The preferred foldable seat is resistent to deterio-ration, wear, and breakage. Because of its minimal complexity, weight, and bulk, it can be manufactured and distributed at a very low cost. The parts and materials required are readily available at minimal cost both to manufacturers and to consumers who may wish to purchase parts as spares or for repairs.
This invention relates to portable seats and particu-larly seats adapted for use on invalid supporting devices.
Various portable supporting frames are known which enable or assist handicapped, invalid, or infirm persons to walk.
These frames or "walkers" assist a person who has difficulty in walking to keep his balance and they also enable part of the in-valid's weight to be supported by his arms.
The more common of invalid support frames are basically the same in their operation and construction although there are minor differences in configuration and in their dimensions. Com-mon walkers consist of a multi-legged lightweight rigid frame that supports two handles at about waistlevel. The invalid ope-rates the device by grasping the two handles, lifting and moving it forward, and then holding onto it for balance and support while he steps into the cavity. He repeats these motions to pro-ceed. Recently developed walkers can be folded into a relatively compact form when not in use. Folding walkers are particularly advantageous from several standpoints. They require less room when being shipped to stores or customers and less space is re-`~ 20 quired to store them either in the home or in the store. Theyare also much more portable when travelling on public transit vehicles or in private cars.
Another recent and important development in invalid support frames has been the use of semi-flexible or "swinging walkers". These walkers are constructed with hinged joints at the corners where the two, spaced apart side frames meet the con-necting front frame members. When these walkers are used by an invalid, two feet of the walker can be maintained on the ground at all times and permit the user the option to lift less weight.
Also it is known to provide a walker that is both foldable and q~
1~3~42 swinging.
It is also known to provide walkers with a temporary seating arrangement so that if a user should become tired he will have a seat readily available. I-t will be appreciated that many invalid persons become tired quite easily and it is important that such persons not overexert themselves.
One such seating arrangement is shown in U.S. patent 3,993,349 dated November 23, 1976 and issued to Messrs. Newfeld and Hopson. In the walker of this patent, the temporary seat is 1~ constructed from a sling of canvas or other flexible material.
The seat which is quite narrow has a loop formed at each end so that each end can be supported by a T-shaped bar. The upper end of each T-shaped bar is bent so that the bar can engage in a spe-cially designed metal block. The construction taught by the patent requires specialized metal parts which increase the cost of the seat arrangement. In addition carrying the seat on the person when not in use would be cumbersome since the metal T-shaped members can not be folded. Also, the seat taught by this patent distributes the weight of the invalid over a relatively small area of the body which could cause discomfort. Further-more the seat arrangement is such that a weak and disabled person might feel insecure in the seat and he might in fact easily slip out of the sling and injure himself.
More recent U.S. patent 4,162,101 dated July 24, 1979 issued to McCague Sr. and Elinore M. McCague teaches the use of a seat in the cavity formed by a walker. The seat is designed to automatically swing up and out of the way when seating is not desired. The seat of this U.S. patent requires a number of spe-cialized mechanical parts which would make it relatively costl~-.
The seat is also heavier and more cumbersome for an invalid to .-- --11~3~4Z
transport than the seat proposed by the present invention.
According to one aspect ofthe present invention, there ispro-vided an invalid seat for mounting on an invalid support apparatus used to support awalking invalid and having vertical frame members, the seat comprising amulti-sided foldable sheetofmaterial, means attached to the sheet ateach corner for connecting the corner to a respective vertical frame member by means of adjustable clarnping means, wherein each clamping means i8 adapted to supportits res-pective connecting means arld to clamp onto a respective frame mem-ber at a selected height so that the height above the ground oftheinvalid seat formed by the sheet can be varied as desired.
According to another aspectof the invention, there is pro-vided aportable seat for mounting on asupport frame constructed with vertical frame members, the seat comprising a four-sided, foldable sheet of material of sufficient strength to support a person, four hook means and cooperating eye means for separately connecting each corner of the sheet to arespective vertical frame member, one of the hook means andeye means being attached to the sheet at the four corners thereof and the other of the hook means 20 and eye means being provided with adjustable clarnplng devices for detachably clamping each of the four hook or eye means to res pective vertical frame mernbers at a selected height.
The advantages of the portable seat of the lnvention will be readily apparent. Because the sheet of material can be folded into d compact configuration, it could be stored ln a pocket or purse for easy transport. This feature is partlcularly ad-vantageous for the user of the walker travelling by public tran-sit vehicles where there is no safe place where the seat can simply be lald down for transit. Thus the seat of the inventlon may remove an unnecessary restriction to an invalid's or handi-capped person's mobility and may enable such people to increase ~ 3 --31~Z
the size of the area across which they feel they can travel on their own.
Another advantage of the preferred portable seat arran-gement disclosed herein is that the seat can be constructed us-ing simple, readily available metal parts. Thus the cost of the preferred seat construction is quite low. Also the preferred portable seat described herein is adjustable in one or more res-pects. The height of the seat above the ground can be varied by loosening, shifting, and then tightening a clamping device used to connect each corner to an adjacent frame member. In addition the effective size of the foldable sheet for fastening purposes can be varied so that a single type of foldable sheet can be manufactured which will fit walkers of different sizes and dif-fering construction.
A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
Figure 1 is a rear view of an invalid support appara-tus provided with a foldable seat;
Figure 2 is a top view of the support apparatus of Figure 1:
Figure 3 is a right side view of the support apparatus of Figure 1 with the seat removed;
Figure 4 is a view of the bottom side of the foldable sheet used to provide a seat on the support apparatus; and Figure 5 is a detailed view showing how each corner of the foldable sheet is connected to an adjacent frame member.
An invalid support apparatus 10, modified in accordance with the teachings of the present invention is shown in Figures 1 to 3. The apparatus consists of 3 connected lightweight rigid 11~i'3142 frames. Two identical spaced apart side frames 12 and 14, one on each side, are connected together by a third frame 13 in front. Each side frame has the configuration of an inverted U
with a handgrip 40 on its top horizontal member 24,a horizontal brace 32 just below knee level, and a foot 15 on each vertical member. If desired the height above the ground of the two hand-grips can be adjusted for maximum comfort and safety by providing telescoping legs 36 on each vertical side frame member 33 and 34.
The third frame 13, in front, consists of two vertical side mem-bers 29 of internal diameter slightly larger than the outsidediameter of the vertical front members 34 of the two side frames and rigidly joined by two horizontal members 18 and 20. The ver-tical front member 34 of each side frame passes through a res-pective vertical member 29 of the front frame. The front frame 13 is retained in the required position on the side frames by two sleeves 19 attached to each front member 34 of each side frame by pop rivets.
It will be appreciated that with this construction a desirable hinge arrangement is provided that enables the two side frames 12 and 14 to be folded in the direction shown by the arrows A in Figure 2 1nto an area whose limits are defined by the front frame for convenient storage and shipping. When used in the walk-- ing position, the two side frames 12 and 14 are connected together at their top members 24 by means of a curved telescoping horizon-tal member 22 that can be locked open in the walking position by means of a lock button 21. The telescoping curved horizontal member 22 is connected by means of a nut and bolt 26 to the top member of each side frame so that it permits a limited swinging action of one side frame about the other side frame. This swing-ing action permits the walking invalid the option to maintain two 1~3142 side feet on the ground at all times and, when pivoting the two swinging legs vertically around the two supporting legs, to be lifting only a small portion of the total weight of the walker.
It will of course be appreciated that walkers can be and are manu-factured using a variety of conflgurations and dimensions.
Further description of the support apparatus per se is unnecessary as such apparatus are known. Each employs two spaced apart side handles that can be gripped to provide a firm support to assist an invalid when walking.
The present invention improves the support apparatus described above by providing a lightweight, compact, and easily transportable temporary seat for use on the support apparatus.
The seat 42 includes a rectangular, foldable sheet of material that can be constructed either of fabric or strong, flexible plastic sheeting. The preferred material is canvas and particu-larly number 14 duck canvas which is hemmed on all sides. The hems are formed by folding over each edge and stitching the fold-ed material as at 44 shown in Figure 5. Each hem 46 is of course formed on the bottom of the foldable sheet.
If desired, the foldable sheet can be reinforced for extra strength by means of two strips 48 of material, each strip extending between opposite corners of the rectangular sheet.
The strips or straps are sewn onto the bottom surface of the sheet and they are preferably made ~f a tough fabric such as canvas.
A hook and eye means or mechanism 50 shown in detail in Figure 5 is provided for detachably and separately fastening each corner of the sheet to a respective one of the frame members. In ; the preferred embodiment illustrated, each corner is connected to a tubular, vertically extending frame member forming part of a Sidè frame. When the seat is mounted with the use of the hook 11~'314Z
and eye means, the seat extends generally between the two side frames 12 and 14 as shown in Figures 1 and 2. With the use of these preferred fasteners and the aforesaid reinforcing strips 48 most of the weight of an invalid is supported on and transferred directly in tension uniformly to the four vertical support mem-bers.
Turning now to the preferred construction of the hook and eye means used to attach the sheet of material, these means include hooks 52 rigidly connected to respective frame members by means of clamps 54 formed with metal straps. The hooks 52 and clamps 54 add relatively insignificant weight and bulk to the support apparatus. The clamps can be in the form of known hose clamps which employ a threaded member or bolt 56 which can be turned by means of a screwdriver or wrench and can be used to tighten or loosen the clamp. Each hook 52 includes a straight lower portion 58 and a curved upper portion 60. The lower por-tion 58 is firmly clamped against the side of the adjacent frame member by means of the hose clamp 54.
; Another part of the hook and eye means is provided by a ring 62 attached to a reinforcing support strap 48 of the sheet 42 adjacent each corner of the sheet. Each of the four rings can comprise a common "split-ring" often used to hold keys for locks.
Each ring 62 is preferably attached to the reinforcing support ~- strap 48 by means of a connecting loop 64 formed at the end of the ;~ strap. The position of each ring 62 at the corner of the sheet can be made adjustable so that the sheet can fit on walkers of different sizes. This feature is provided by making the size of each loop 64 adjustable by means of a buckle 66 attached near each end of the reinforcing straps. The buckle engages holes formed in the material forming the loop 64 in a well known manner.
11~3142 Each ring is of course adapted to fit over a respective hook 52 in the manner shown in Figure 5. Preferably the corner 68 of the sheet extends over the upper portion 60 of the hook to pro-vide some protection from clothing catching on the hooks and becoming torn or damaged.
It will be appreciated that with the use of the adjust-able clamps 54, the height of the seat above the ground can be raised or lowered as desired. ~ecause the clamps 54 do no~ re-quire holes in the frame members or any structural changes to the frame members, it will be appreciated that the adjustment in the height of each hook can be carried out without any weakening of or damage to the frame members. Also, it can be appreciated that such clamps will fit a variety of diameters of tubing. The hooks 52 can be the type commonly used to support room divider partitions and thus no special manufacturing process need be carried out to provide these hooks. If desired a tape can be wrapped around the frame member prior to attachment of each clamp 54. These tapes 70 which can be ordinary electrical insulation tape are illustrated in Figure 3 and they act to increase the friction between the metal clamp and the metal of the frame mem-ber. They also retard corrosion of the metal parts in a moist environment.
According to one aspect of this invention, the hooks 52 and cooperating clamps 54 together provide adjustable connec-tors for detachably engaging the connecting means prcvided by the ~` rings62.
The foldable sheet can be provided in various sizes which will fit the different walkers being sold to the public.
A typical size for a well known walker has a width which is at least equal to 60% of the length of the sheet. Thus the portable ~ll3~142 seat provided is quite deep and provides a firm, stable seat in which the user is likely to feel secure. The sheet is readily mounted on the more complex of common walkers such as a folding, swinging walker.
For some walkers, the flexible seat can have a trape-zoidal configuration. For example, the forward edge could have a length of only 14 inches and the rearward edge a length of 20 inches. In this embodiment the width of the seat could be 13 inches. The flexible seat and the fittings should be sufficient-ly strong to support the weight of most persons. A flexible sheet and fittings which will not be damaged by a weight of 250 pounds are preferred.
In order to support heavier people on a walker of suf-ficient strength, each hook 52 can be strengthened by inserting another identical supporting hook behind it. Additionally a wrapping of sheet metal of greater width than the clamp 54 can be placed around the frame member prior to attachment of the clamp.
The metal wrapping of this nature will act to distribute the ` load from the hook over a greater area of the frame member.
Although the drawings illustrate a walker constructed of tubular members which is the common form of frame member em-ployed, it will be appreciated that the present invention is not restricted to use with walkers of this construction. The present ;~ invention can be adapted to walkers having frame members of dif-ferent cross section and size or made with different materials than the usual material aluminum~
Other forms of hook and eye means, other than the speci-fic forms illustrated, might of course be employed. For example in place of the rings 62 one might employ chain or rope loops of sufficient strength.
11~314~
It will be appreciated that the preferred seat con-struction described herein has a number of distinct advantages, some of which have already been referred to. It can be readily adjusted and repaired, if necessary by the use of common skills and tools. The preferred foldable seat is resistent to deterio-ration, wear, and breakage. Because of its minimal complexity, weight, and bulk, it can be manufactured and distributed at a very low cost. The parts and materials required are readily available at minimal cost both to manufacturers and to consumers who may wish to purchase parts as spares or for repairs.
Claims (15)
1. An invalid support apparatus comprising two upright spaced apart, side frames each constructed with rigid frame mem-bers and having a forward edge, a third front frame made with further frame members extending between and connecting the for-ward edges of said side frames, said side frames and front frame together forming means to support a walking invalid; a multi-sided, foldable sheet of material for providing a portable seat on said support means; and means attached to said sheet at each corner for connecting the corner to a respective one of the frame members by means of adjustable clamping means, wherein each clamping means is clamped onto a respective frame member at a selected height so that the height above the ground of the portable seat can be varied as desired.
2. An invalid support apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sheet of material is constructed from strong fabric and is four-sided.
3. An invalid support apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said connecting means includes hooks fixedly connected to respective frame members by said clamping means which are formed with metal straps.
4. An invalid support apparatus according to claim 1, 2, or 3 wherein said sheet of material is reinforced by two strips of material, each extending between opposite corners of said sheet, a part of said connecting means being connected to each end of each strip.
5. An invalid support apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said connecting means comprise a ring attached to each corner of said sheet and a hook connected at each of the forward and rearward edges of each side frame, wherein each ring is adapted to slip onto a respective hook.
6. An invalid support apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the position of each ring at the corner of the sheet is adjustable so that said sheet can fit on support means of differ-ent sizes.
7. An invalid support apparatus according to claim 5 wherein each hook is connected to a respective leg of a side frame by means of said clamping means, each clamping means being in the form of a hose clamp.
8. An invalid seat for mounting on an invalid support apparatus used to support a walking invalid and having vertical frame members, said seat comprising a multi-sided foldable sheet of material, means attached to said sheet at each corner for connecting the corner to a respective vertical frame member by means of adjustable clamping means, wherein each clamping means is adapted to support its respective connecting means and to clamp onto a respective frame member at a selected height so that the height above the ground of the invalid seat formed by said sheet can be varied as desired.
9. An invalid seat according to claim 8 wherein said sheet of material is constructed from strong, foldable fabric and is four-sided.
10. An invalid seat according to claim 9 wherein said sheet is reinforced by two strips of material having a loop at each end and said connecting means comprises a metal ring which is attached to said sheet by a respective loop.
11. An invalid seat according to claim 10 wherein each loop is adjustable by means of a buckle so that the posi-tion of each ring can be varied.
12. An invalid seat according to 8, 9, or 10 wherein each clamping means comprises a hose clamp which can be tight-ened or loosened by means of a screwdriver.
13. An invalid seat according to claim 8, 9 or 10 wherein each connecting means includes a hook member and each clamping means comprises a hose clamp adapted to clamp part of said hook member against the respective vertical frame member.
14. An invalid seat according to claim 10 wherein said sheet is made of canvas and each strip extends in diagonal fashion between two opposite corners.
15. A portable seat for mounting on a support frame constructed with vertical frame members, said seat comprising a four-sided, foldable sheet of material of sufficient strength to support a person, four hook means and cooperating eye means for separately connecting each corner of said sheet to a respec-tive vertical frame member, one of said hook means and eye means being attached to said sheet at the four corners thereof and the other of said hook means and eye means being provided with adjustable clamping devices for detachably clamping each of the four hook or eye means to respective vertical frame members at a selected height.
Priority Applications (8)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA359,749A CA1103142A (en) | 1980-09-03 | 1980-09-03 | Seat for invalid walker |
| GB8123336A GB2083351B (en) | 1980-09-03 | 1981-07-30 | Seat for invalid walker |
| DE19813134302 DE3134302A1 (en) | 1980-09-03 | 1981-08-29 | SUPPORT APPARATUS FOR THE DISABLED WITH A SEATING ELEMENT |
| AU74849/81A AU550941B2 (en) | 1980-09-03 | 1981-08-31 | Portable foldable invalid walker seat |
| SE8105126A SE451294B (en) | 1980-09-03 | 1981-08-31 | INVALID SEATS FOR INSTALLATION ON AN INVALID STAND DEVICE |
| BE0/205841A BE890177A (en) | 1980-09-03 | 1981-09-01 | SUPPORT APPARATUS AND PORTABLE SEAT FOR MARKET SUPPORT FOR DISABLED |
| NL8104081A NL8104081A (en) | 1980-09-03 | 1981-09-02 | SESSION INTENDED FOR AID FOR THE DISABLED. |
| FR8116786A FR2489143A1 (en) | 1980-09-03 | 1981-09-03 | SUPPORT APPARATUS AND PORTABLE SEAT FOR MARKET SUPPORT FOR DISABLED |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA359,749A CA1103142A (en) | 1980-09-03 | 1980-09-03 | Seat for invalid walker |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1103142A true CA1103142A (en) | 1981-06-16 |
Family
ID=4117822
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA359,749A Expired CA1103142A (en) | 1980-09-03 | 1980-09-03 | Seat for invalid walker |
Country Status (8)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| AU (1) | AU550941B2 (en) |
| BE (1) | BE890177A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1103142A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE3134302A1 (en) |
| FR (1) | FR2489143A1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2083351B (en) |
| NL (1) | NL8104081A (en) |
| SE (1) | SE451294B (en) |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4461471A (en) * | 1982-05-03 | 1984-07-24 | White Cap Enterprises Corporation | Walker |
| US5133377A (en) * | 1990-12-05 | 1992-07-28 | Truxillo Peter L | Invalid walker |
| US5224721A (en) * | 1992-07-23 | 1993-07-06 | Santmann Theresa M | Walker having folding and pivoting seat apparatus |
Families Citing this family (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5261682A (en) * | 1992-08-25 | 1993-11-16 | Chuang Ching Pao | Collapsible recuperating walker |
| DE29800613U1 (en) * | 1998-01-15 | 1998-03-05 | Knies Gerhard | Stand-up aid for disabled people from a sitting position |
| DE102004014318A1 (en) * | 2004-03-22 | 2005-10-20 | Mueller Erwin Gmbh | Multipurpose furniture |
| WO2006084345A1 (en) * | 2005-02-09 | 2006-08-17 | Arkadij Semenovich Gofman | Travelling device |
| CN116115432B (en) * | 2023-04-17 | 2023-06-27 | 惠州市第六人民医院 | Multifunctional orthopedics lower limb rehabilitation training wheelchair easy to adjust |
Family Cites Families (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2798833A (en) * | 1954-02-25 | 1957-07-09 | Lapsensohn Lewis | Sheet metal composition material |
| GB1498895A (en) * | 1975-04-12 | 1978-01-25 | Mason G | Walking frame |
-
1980
- 1980-09-03 CA CA359,749A patent/CA1103142A/en not_active Expired
-
1981
- 1981-07-30 GB GB8123336A patent/GB2083351B/en not_active Expired
- 1981-08-29 DE DE19813134302 patent/DE3134302A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1981-08-31 AU AU74849/81A patent/AU550941B2/en not_active Ceased
- 1981-08-31 SE SE8105126A patent/SE451294B/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1981-09-01 BE BE0/205841A patent/BE890177A/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1981-09-02 NL NL8104081A patent/NL8104081A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1981-09-03 FR FR8116786A patent/FR2489143A1/en active Granted
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4461471A (en) * | 1982-05-03 | 1984-07-24 | White Cap Enterprises Corporation | Walker |
| US5133377A (en) * | 1990-12-05 | 1992-07-28 | Truxillo Peter L | Invalid walker |
| US5224721A (en) * | 1992-07-23 | 1993-07-06 | Santmann Theresa M | Walker having folding and pivoting seat apparatus |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB2083351B (en) | 1984-09-19 |
| BE890177A (en) | 1982-01-04 |
| GB2083351A (en) | 1982-03-24 |
| FR2489143A1 (en) | 1982-03-05 |
| NL8104081A (en) | 1982-04-01 |
| FR2489143B1 (en) | 1985-03-08 |
| AU550941B2 (en) | 1986-04-10 |
| AU7484981A (en) | 1982-03-11 |
| SE8105126L (en) | 1982-03-04 |
| SE451294B (en) | 1987-09-28 |
| DE3134302A1 (en) | 1982-04-15 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |