CA2094756A1

CA2094756A1 - Device for loading a person into a wheelchair

Info

Publication number: CA2094756A1
Application number: CA 2094756
Authority: CA
Inventors: Maurice Yvon Albert; Arthur Frederick Albert
Original assignee: A & M POSITION-EEZE INC.
Current assignee: A & M Position-Eeze Inc
Priority date: 1993-04-23
Filing date: 1993-04-23
Publication date: 1994-10-24

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Transferring of a disabled person from the sling of a sling-type lifting apparatus into a wheelchair is facilitated by raising the front end of the wheelchair, conveniently by means of a ramp structure. The ramp structure orients the wheelchair such that the seat and back of the wheelchair are closely aligned with the underside of the person "seated" in the sling. This reduces the need for attendants to pull the person backwards as the person is lowered into the wheelchair.

Description

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DEVI OE FOR LOADING A PERSON INTO A WHEELCHAIR
This invention relates to apparatus for loading persons into wheelchairs.
US patent No. 3,694,829 discloses a patient lifting apparatus suitable for transferring a patient into a wheelchair.
The apparatus comprises a mobile carriage with a vertical column having arms extending from its upper end. A sling arrangement, which is connected to the outer end of the arm for supporting the patient, comprises in part a back belt and a sling belt extending at an angle to each other. A patient is held by the pair of belts such that his back and upper part of his legs extend generally normal to each other. The patient carried in the sling may be lowered into a wheelchair. Unfortunately, when the sling is in a raised position, the back of t~le patient is caused to recline at an angle between approximately 10 and 20 to the vertical. While occupational therapists may sometimes specify otherwise in special cases, as a general rule the back of a wheel chair is vertical. As a result, when the patient is lowered into the wheelchair, the upper part of the patient's back is supported by the back of the wheelchair but the lower part of the patient's back is some distance away from the back of the wheelchair.
Understandably the patient is not correctly supported in such a position. To pull the patient backwards when seated could cause injury to both patient and attendant, and is not allowed in some hospitals. To move the patient into a more rearward and more supported position, attendants must pull the patient backwards during lowering of the patient to place him as rearwardly as ~`` 2~9~1i756 possible upon the wheel chair seat. This tends to be a difficult operation and in most cases requires at least two attendants.
If only one attendant were to stand behind the wheelchair while attempting to pull the lower part of the patient's body towards him, the strain involved could cause injury to the attendant.
This is even more likely if the wheelchair is motorized and has drive equipment, such as batteries, mounted at the rear of the wheelchair.
The present invention seeks to provide apparatus for use in loading a patient into a wheelchair which minimizes the above disadvantages.
Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention provides apparatus for loading a person into a wheelchair comprising person lifting means for supporting a person in a backwardly inclined seated posture above a wheelchair loading position; and means for causing a wheelchair located in the loading position to tilt backwards into a tilted position suitable for lowering the person carried by the lifting means into a desired seating posikion in the wheelchair.
This aspect of the present invention thus uses a lifting means for a person together with a means for causing a wheelchair to tilt backwards ready for receiving the patient. When the wheelchair is tilted backwards into its tilted position, the wheelchair back may be inclined at an angle approximately e~ual to the angle of inclination of the back of the person supported by the lifting means. Hence the person may be lowered directly into a desirable seating position in the wheelchair with his back O~L7~

substantially completely supported by the wheelchair back. The need for manual intervention for the purpose of correctly positioning the patient is thereby avoided, together with its attendant problems.
The means for causing tilting of the wheelchair preferably comprises a ramp structure. Such a structure may be a separate unit easily accommodated, dependent upon its design, beneath the lifting means in the wheelchair loading position. The ramp structure may have inclined surfaces and wheel support surfaces extending from upper ends of the inclined surfaces to enable front wheels of the wheelchair to move up the inclined surfaces into an elevated position on the support surfaces to provide the tilting action.
Preferably, fixed stop means are provided to prevent movement of the wheels off the furthestmost end of the wheelchair support surfaces. Means may also be provided for releasably retaining the front wheels in the elevated position to resist movement of the front wheels in one direction onto and down the inclined surfaces.
The means for releasably retaining the front wheels in the elevated position may comprise at least one removable stop element disposable in the position for location behind the front wheels of the wheelchair when these are in the elevated position so as to prevent movement of the front wheels down the inclined surface means.
It is also preferable for the ramp structure to comprise two ramp members each providing an inclined surface of the inclined 2~75~

surface means. I~ this case the means for retaining the front wheels in the elevated position comprises a wheelchair support surface provided by each ramp member. It is also preferable for each of the inclined wheelchair support surfaces to be provided by a guide channel for accepting and guiding the front wheel of the wheelchair.
The ramp members preferably are connected together by connector means which are adjustable to enable the separation between the ramp members to be adjusted to different fixed spacings to suit different wheel spacings. For this purpose, the connector means may comprise pairs of connector members with the members of each pair being connected one to each ramp member and being relatively movable lengthwise one on another. With this arrangement means is provided to sscure the connector members in different relative positions. Each pair of connector members may comprise a pair of telescoping tubes, in which case a plurality of location holes may be provided in the tube to enable alignment of different holes from tube to tube upon change of fixed position of the inclined surfaces. The means for securing the tubes in different relative positions could, in this case, comprise a pin for passing into aligned holes of the two tubes.
Alternatively, the ramp structure may be integral with the lifting means. Such a lifting means may comprise a pair of base members extending either side of the wheelchair loading position.
The base members may then comprise wheel support surfaces extending substantially parallel to each other to receive the front wheels and inclined surface members hinged to the front `` 2~94'7~

ends of respective wheel support surfaces so that each inclined surface member would lie upon the wheel support surface when not in use, and be pivoted into its inclined position for use.
According to a further aspect of the present invention a ramp structure is provided for use in combination with lifting means for loading a person into a wheelchair, the ramp structure comprising a pair of ramps members each having an inclined surface for movement of a respective front wheel of a wheel chair up the inclined surface and into an elevated position so as to tilt the wheelchair, the ramp structure also having means to removably retain the front wheels in the elevated position with the wheelchair tilted, and connector means for connecting the ramp members together with their inclined surfaces at fixed distances apart.
According to a still further aspect of the present invention there is provided a wheelchair having jacking means for tilting the wheelchair backwards, the jacking means being mounted upon the wheelchair and extensible downwards into engagement with the floor to elevate the front wheels to a desired height above the floor.
Another aspect of the invention comprises a method for loading a person into a wheelchair comprising:- lifting the person while supporting the person in a backwardly inclined seated pose; disposing a person above a wheelchair loading position with a wheelchair located in the wheelchair loading position and with a chair engagement means in the loading position causing the wheelchair to tilt backwards into an . . .
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orientation suitable for loading the lifted person into a desired seating position in the wheelchair; and lowering the person into the wheelchair and into the desired seating position.
One embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a side view of a sling-type patient lifting apparatus of the prior art, shown with a patient positioned in the apparatus;
Figure 2 is a side view of the apparatus and patienk of Figure 1, and further illustrating a wheelchair ready to receive the patient;
Figure 3 is a side view of apparatus for loading a patient into a wheelchair according to the embodiment of the invention and showing a patient lowered into a wheelchair;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the loading apparatus and patient of Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a ramp structure forming part of the loading apparatus of the embodiment;
Figure 6 is a partial plan view of an alternative embodiment of the invention; and Figure 7 is a side view of an embodiment of another aspect of the invention.
With reference to Figure 1, a sling-type lifting apparatus used to move a disabled person from a bed to a wheelchair, or vice versa, is generally designated 10. The apparatus comprises a sling support means which has an undercarriage 12 to which is ::

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secured a vertical column 14. One end of an arm 16 connects pivotally to the upper end of column 14, and a hydraulically-operated piston mechanism 18 connected between column 14 and arm 16 determines the relative angle between those two. A person 20 is carried in a canvas sling 22 which has a set of loops 24 at each of its corners. Each set comprises several loops (not shown) to provide for different sizes of patient. The sling 22 is suspended by the loops 24 from the outer end of arm 16.
Handholds 26 are sewn onto the sides and back of sling 22 to assist with positioning of person 20. The weight of person 20 supported by the sling 22 and the shape of the sling 22 result in the person 20 adopting a seated pose with the seat 28 of the person extending at an angle of between approximately 10 and 20 to the horizontal, and the back 30 of the person reclining at a similar angle to the vertical.
As illustrated in Figure 2, on being lowered into a wheelchair 40 the person 20 is misaligned with the seat and back of the wheelchair. This misalignment results in the lowermost part of the patient's back being anywhere from 1 inch to 6 inches away from the seat back as indicated at 25. This results because the seat and back of most wheelchairs extend substantially horizontally and vertically, respectively. To overcome this misalignment, it is normally necessary for one or more attendants to pull on one or more handholds 26 while a further attendant operates the piston mechanism 18 to lower the patient. If it is not a high-back wheelchair, an attendant pulling on handholds Z6 may well stand to the rear of, or substantially behind, the , 20947~6 wheelchair 40, and this may rPsult in considerable strain to the back of that attendant, especially if the patient is heavy. That strain may be made worse if the wheelchair is motorized and bulky equipment, such as batteries, is mounted at the rear of the wheelchair. A further problem may be that two attendants, one each side of the wheelchair, pulling on separate handholds 26, may pull at different rates, and the patient may be misa~igned to one side or the other when pulled backwards. This could ~ause the patient to press against the armrest, causing discomfort.
Figures 3 and 4 illustrate apparatus for loading a person into a wheelchair according to the embodiment of the invention.
This apparatus comprises a sling-type lifting apparatus 10 as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 and having a sling support means and canvas sling 22. The embodiment also includes a ramp structure 44 for supporting front wheels ~2 of the wheelchair in an elevated position as shown by Figures 3 and 4.
In this position, the wheelchair 40 is tilted such that its seat 46 and its back 48 extend at an angle to the horizontal and vertical, respectively. When the wheelchair 40 has its brakes applied and is secured in this orientation, it is possible, if regulations permit, for a single attendant to lower a patient in the sling 22 into the wheelchair 40 such that the patient assumes a desired final position with his back substantially completely supported by the wheelchair back. The need for one or more additional attendants to pull on the handholds 26 during lowering of the patient is eliminated. In practice, it has been found that, for many wheelchairs, elevating the front wheels by about 2~9~756 9 or 10 cms. gives satisfactory results. Typically, less will not provide sufficient inclination, and more will not be practical where the wheelchair carries an anti-tipping device, and/or heavy batteries mounted at the rear.
The ramp structure 44 is more fully illustrated in Figure 5 and comprises a pair of ramp members 50 each having an upper surface 52 and inclined surface 54. A U-shaped metallic or plastic section is secured to those surfaces to define an upper wheel guide channel 56 and an inclined wheel guide channel 58 on each member 50. Each guide channel 56 provides a wheelchair support surface to accept a front wheel of the wheelchair after movement of the front wheel up an inclined surface provided by the corresponding guide channel 58. One end of each upper wheel guide channel 56 has a stop means i.e. a pin 60 secured to it to limit the forward movement of a wheelchair wheel within that channel. A stop element in the form of a removable or hinged barrier 62 is mounted at the other end of each upper wheel guide channel 56. The pair of barriers 62 are not put into position until the front pair of wheels of wheelchair 40 have moved up ramped wheel channels 58 and have entered the upper wheel channels 56. The barriers 62 are then positioned across the channels 56, behind the front wheels, to prevent the front wheels from moving onto and down the channels 58.
The members 50 have connector means connecting them together. The connector means is, in this embodiment, required to be adjustable to enable the ramp members 50 and thus of their inclined channels 58 and 56, to be moved towards each other, or .:

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apart. The connector means comprises two pairs of connector members, each pair in the form of a pair of telPscoping tubes 64 and 66 with the tube 64 slidable within tube 66.
Each tube 64 has a series of spaced holes 68 along it, and 5 each tube 66 has a hole 70 proximate its outer end. Hole 70 can be matched to any of the holes 68, and means provided to secure the tubes in different chosen telescoped positions comprises a pin 72 inserted to fix their relative position. With the pair of pins 72 inserted into corresponding holes 68 in tubes 64, the ramped wheel channels 58 and upper wheel channels 5~ of the pair of blocks 50 extend respectively parallel to each other. Each pin 72 is connected by a chain 74 to a ring 76 extending around a respective tube 66.
An advantage of a separate ramp structure is that the lifting means 10 can be used without it, for example to lift a patient onto a stretcher. It will be appreciated, however, that the ramp structure could be attached to the lifting means and movable into and out of the loading position as required. Such an arrangement is illustrated in Figure 6, which shows the base 80 of a person lifting means which is otherwise as shown in Figure 4. The base 80 comprises a pair of side members 82 and 84 extending from opposite ends of a rear base member 86. A
vertical column 88 extends upwards from the middle of the rear base member 86. The side members 82 and 84 have respective short sections 90 and 92 extending parallel to each other and perpendicularly from the ends of the rear base member 86, outwardly cranked middle portions 94 and 96, and parallel end 2~947~

portions 98 and 100, respectively. The uppermost surfaces of the sections 90 and 92 carry wheel support channels 102 and 104, respectively. Incline surface members 106 and 108 are coupled to frontal ends of the sections so and 92 by hinges 110 and 112, respectively. In Figure 6, inclined surface member 108 is shown in the storage position i.e. folded onto the top surface of section 92. Inclined surface member 106 is shown deployed for use, i.e. folded out so that it extends downwards and forwards from the end of wheel support channel 102. As before, fixed stops 114 are provided at the rear ends of wheel support channels 102 and 104 and releasable stops 118 are provided at their front ends.
It will be appreciated that the wheel support channels need not be separate but could be formed into the respective side member section 90 and 92 during manufacture.
In some kinds of lifting apparatus, the spacing between the side members 82 and 84 will be adjustable and so may provide for adjusting the spacing between the ramps to suit different wheel spacings. Where they are not, however, the wheel support channels 102 and 104 could be adjustably mounted upon a plate extending between the sections 90 and 92 so that the spacing between the ramps could be adjusted to suit different wheel spacings.
Various alternatives and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.
For example, the ramp structure might comprise a pair of ramps, each mounted upon one of the side members of the undercarriage :

- 2~9~756 or base member. Each ramp might be carried by a telescopic member, perhaps an hydraulic ram, so that it could be withdrawn to a position adjacent the side member when not in use and extended inwards from the side member for use. The amount of extension could be selected to suit different wheel spacings.
It is also envisaged that the lifting means might be equipped with means other than ramps for tilting the wheelchair.
For example, an hydraulic jack might be provided on the base of the lifting means to engage the frame of the wheelchair, or a lever or levers might be employed, attached to either the base or the vertical column.
Alternatively, the means for tilting the wheelchair could be a jacking device mounted upon the wheelchair itself and operable to engage the floor and raise the front wheels to the desired height. Such a wheelchair is illustrated in Figure 7 and comprises an hydraulic jack 120 with its cylinder attached to the underside of the seat so that its piston 122 extends downwards.
The jack 120 is coupled to an operating pedal 124 at the rear of the wheelchair. When the piston 122 is fully retracted into the cylinder 120, the front wheels of the wheelchair engage the floor 126 in the normal way. When the pedal 124 is operated, the piston 122 extends until it engages the floor. Further extension causes the front wheels to lift from the floor, about 9 or 10 cms., to give the required tilting. The pedal 124 is equipped with a release valve to retract the piston and lower the front wheels to the floor after the patient has been lowered into the wheelchair.

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20947~6 It will be appreciated that the jacking means need not be an hydraulic jack. For example, the jacking means might be levers attached to the frame adjacent the front wheels and pivotable into engagement with the floor to raise the front wheels.

Claims

1. Apparatus for loading a person into a wheelchair comprising:- person lifting means for supporting a person in a backwardly inclined seated pose above a wheelchair loading position; and means for tilting a wheelchair located in the loading position backwards into a tilted position suitable for lowering the person carried by the lifting means into a desired seating position in the wheelchair.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for tilting the wheelchair comprises a ramp structure having an upper wheel support surface and inclined surface means to enable the front wheels of the wheelchair to move up the inclined surface means onto the wheel support surface so as to elevate the front wheels and tilt the wheelchair backwards.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the ramp structure comprises means to resist movement of the front wheels of the wheelchair in one direction onto and down the inclined surfaces, and stop means is provided to prevent movement in the other direction and off the wheelchair support surfaces.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the means to retain the front wheels in the elevated position comprises at least one removable stop element disposable in the position for location behind the front wheels of the wheelchair when these are in an elevated position so as to prevent movement of the front wheels down the inclined surface means.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the ramp structure comprises two ramp members each having an inclined surface of the inclined surface means for movement up the inclined surface of a respective front wheel of a wheelchair and onto a respective wheelchair support surface each wheelchair support surface extending from an upper end of the respective inclined surface.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the means to retain the front wheels in the elevated position comprises means to resist movement of front wheels of the wheelchair in one direction onto and down the inclined surfaces, and stop means to prevent movement in the other direction and off the wheelchair support surfaces.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the ramp members has at least one removable stop element disposable in a position for location behind a front wheel of the wheelchair when the front wheels are in the elevated position upon the wheelchair support surface to prevent movement of the front wheels onto and down the inclined surfaces.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein for each ramp member, each of the inclined and wheelchair support surfaces are provided by a guide channel for accepting and guiding a front wheel of the wheelchair.

9. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the ramp members have connector means for connecting the members together with their inclined surfaces at fixed distances apart.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the connector means is adjustable to enable movement towards each other or apart of the ramp members and accompanying change in the fixed distances apart of the inclined surfaces.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the connector means comprises pairs of connector members, the connector members of each pair being secured one to each ramp member and relatively movable lengthwise, and means to secure the connector members in different relative positions to set the fixed distances apart of the inclined surfaces.

12. Apparatus according to claim 10 or 11, wherein each pair of connector members comprises a pair of telescoping tubes.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a plurality of location holes are provided in each pair of telescoping tubes to enable alignment of different holes, from tube to tube, upon change in fixed position of the inclined surfaces, and the means to secure the tubes in different relative positions comprises a location peg for passing into aligned holes of the two tubes.

14. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the person lifting means comprises a base member having the upper wheel support surface or surfaces on an upper surface thereof, and the inclined surface means is pivotable between a storage position lying upon the wheel support surface and a deployed position extending outwards and downwards from the wheel support surface.

15. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for tilting the wheelchair comprises jacking means mounted upon the wheelchair and extensible to engage a surface upon which the wheels of the wheelchair so as to elevate the front wheels of the wheelchair to a desired height.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the jacking means comprises an hydraulic cylinder device.

17. A ramp structure for use in combination with a lifting device for loading a person into a wheelchair comprising a pair of ramp members each having an upper wheel support surface and an inclined surface for movement of a respective front wheel of a wheelchair up the inclined surface and onto the wheel support surface so as to tilt the wheelchair, the ramp structure also having means to removably retain the front wheels in the elevated position with the wheelchair tilted and connector means for connecting the ramp members together with their inclined surfaces at fixed distances apart.

18. A ramp structure according to claim 17, wherein the connector means is adjustable to enable movement towards each other or apart of the ramp members and accompanying change in the fixed distances apart of the inclined surfaces.

19. A ramp structure according to claim 18, wherein the connector means comprises pairs of connector members, the connector members of each pair being secured one to each ramp member and relatively movable one upon another, and means is provided to secure the connector members in different relative positions to change the fixed distances apart of the inclined surfaces.

20. A ramp structure according to claim 19, wherein each pair of connector members comprises a pair of telescoping tubes.

21. A ramp structure according to claim 20, wherein a plurality of location holes are provided in each pair of telescoping tubes to enable alignment of different holes from tube to tube, upon change in fixed position of the inclined surfaces, and the means to secure the tubes in different relative positions comprises a location peg for passing into aligned holes of the two tubes.

22. A ramp structure according to claim 21, wherein the means to removably retain the front wheels in the elevated position comprises means to resist movement of the front wheels of the wheelchair in one direction onto and down the inclined surfaces, and stop means to prevent movement in the other direction and off the wheelchair support surfaces.

23. A ramp structure according to claim 22, wherein at least one of the ramp members has at least one removable stop element disposable in a position for location behind a front wheel of the wheelchair when the front wheels are in the elevated position upon the wheelchair support surfaces to prevent movement of the front wheels onto and down the inclined surfaces.

24. A ramp structure according to claim 22, wherein, for each ramp member, each of the inclined and wheelchair support surfaces are provided by a guide channel for accepting an guiding a front wheel of the wheelchair.

25. A method for loading a person into a wheelchair comprising the step of lifting the person while supporting the person in a backwardly-inclined seated pose and disposing the person above a wheelchair loading position; and with the wheelchair located in the wheelchair loading position and with a chair engagement means causing the wheelchair to tilt backwards into an orientation suitable for loading the lifted person into a desired seating position in the wheelchair, lowering the person into the wheelchair and into the desired seating position.

26. A wheelchair comprising a frame, rear wheels and front wheels, and means for the tilting the wheelchair backwards a desired amount, the tilting means comprising a jacking device mounted to the wheelchair and extensible to engage a surface upon which the rear wheels rest so as to elevate the front wheels and tilt the wheelchair backwards a desired amount.