EP1600134B1 - Lifting chair with demultiplication of the liftingoperation - Google Patents

Abstract

The wheelchair has a maneuvering assembly (40) with a lever (41) articulated on a rear part of a chassis (2) and to an end of a lever (43) whose another end is articulated on a deformable quadrilateral. The assembly has a push handle (49) articulated on the levers and on the quadrilateral through an articulated rod (55) whose two ends are connected to the quadrilateral and to the handle by respective pivots.

Description

The present invention relates to wheelchairs used by disabled and disabled and it aims, independently, wheelchairs, folding or not, manual or electric propulsion.

The invention relates, more particularly, the chairs, called "verticalizers", which allow their user to occupy a sitting position or a standing position. Such chairs, as for example described in the FR 2 769 830 , comprise a frame supporting an articulated structure which comprises a seat, a footrest, a backrest, as well as two symmetrical lateral articulated systems ensuring a function of verticalization-lowering of the seat, the backrest and the footrest, in order to allow a wheelchair user to move from a sitting position to a standing position.

To this end, each lateral articulated system comprises a first deformable polygon or quadrilateral contributing to the support of the seat, composed of two bars, respectively upper and lower, hinged on an anterior part of the chassis and linked, towards their rear part, by a spacer.

Each lateral articulated system also comprises a second deformable polygon or quadrilateral contributing to the support of the footrest, and a backrest frame articulated on the first quadrilateral, opposite the second quadrilateral, via the workpiece. spacing at least.

Each articulated lateral system comprises, finally, a maneuvering assembly, interposed between the first quadrilateral and the chassis which comprises, on the one hand, a first lever articulated on the rear part of the chassis and on the end of a second lever of which the other end is articulated on the first quadrilateral, and a handle integral with the second lever. The operating handle assumes a control function and control of the relative pivoting of the lateral system from a lowering position to a vertical position of the structure relative to the chassis and vice versa.

The maneuvering assembly comprises, on the other hand, a support member for the verticalization-lowering movement, such as, for example, a pneumatic spring. In order to allow it to be easily grasped, whatever the position of the articulated structure, the operating handle provides a U-shaped gripping zone open at its center, having two branches connected by a soul, each offering a support back for the palm of a hand of a user.

Such a standing chair gives complete satisfaction with regard to its verticalization-lowering function of its user who is able to move from a sitting position to a standing position without other assistance, human or mechanical, than that provided by the spring pneumatic.

However, despite the satisfaction provided by the great ease of passage to both standing and sitting positions, it appeared necessary, in order to enhance the comfort of the user, to increase the movement of the handle to reduce its amplitude. way that the handle always remains close to the user and allowing him to develop the best effort during the vertical movement that corresponds to the winding movement of the hands during the manual rolling of the chair.

• ■ un premier polygone ou quadrilatère déformable contribuant au support de l'assise, composé de deux barres, respectivement supérieure et inférieure, articulées sur la partie antérieure du châssis et liées vers leurs parties arrière par une pièce d'écartement,
• ■ un second polygone ou quadrilatère déformable, contribuant au support du repose-pied,
• ■ une armature de dossier articulée sur le premier quadrilatère, à l'opposé du second quadrilatère, par l'intermédiaire de la pièce d'écartement au moins,
• ■ et un ensemble de manoeuvre, interposé entre le premier quadrilatère et le châssis, qui comprend un premier levier articulé sur la partie arrière du châssis et, à l'extrémité d'un second levier dont l'autre extrémité est articulée sur le premier quadrilatère, ainsi qu'une poignée de manoeuvre qui assume une fonction de commande et de contrôle du pivotement relatif des systèmes latéraux, d'une position d'abaissement à une position de verticalisation de la structure par rapport au châssis et inversement.

In order to meet this need for comfort, the invention relates to a chair lift for disabled and disabled, comprising a frame supporting an articulated structure which comprises, a seat a footrest, a backrest, and two lateral symmetrical articulated systems each comprising :

• ■ a first deformable polygon or quadrilateral contributing to the support of the seat, composed of two bars, respectively upper and lower, articulated on the front part of the frame and linked to their rear parts by a spacer,
• A second deformable polygon or quadrilateral, contributing to the support of the footrest,
• A backrest frame hinged to the first quadrilateral, opposite the second quadrilateral, via the spacer at least,
• And a maneuvering assembly, interposed between the first quadrilateral and the chassis, which comprises a first lever articulated on the rear part of the chassis and, at the end of a second lever whose other end is articulated on the first quadrilateral and an operating handle which assumes a function of controlling and controlling the relative pivoting of the lateral systems, from a lowering position to a position of verticalization of the structure relative to the chassis and vice versa.

According to the invention, the uprighting chair is characterized in that, for each maneuvering assembly, the operating handle is articulated, on the one hand, to the second lever and / or the first lever and, on the other hand, on the first quadrilateral via a rod whose first end is connected by a pivot to the first quadrilateral and the second end is connected by a pivot to the operating handle.

This articulation of the handle thus provides very advantageously a significant reduction in its movement compared to the movement of a handle that would be fixed without articulation to the second lever. In addition, this reduction of the movement of the handle allows to place it at a position compatible with different seat depths so that the same chair structure can be implemented for users of different sizes.

Advantageously, the distance of the two pivots of the link is chosen to adjust the amplitude of the movement of the operating handle as well as possible.

According to the invention the operating handle can be articulated in different locations of the assembly formed by the first and second levers. In a preferred but exclusive embodiment, the operating handle is articulated on the assembly formed by the first lever and the second lever at the connecting pivot between the first and second lever.

In order to further ease the user in the implementation of the verticalization movement, the chair comprises according to another characteristic of the invention a support member of the verticalization-lowering movement such as for example but not exclusively a cylinder or spring to state change gas.

In a preferred but non-exclusive embodiment, in order to ensure an automatic locking of the articulated structure in the seated position, the axis of articulation of the connecting pivot between the link and the first quadrilateral is located, in the sitting position of the chair above a line passing through, firstly, the hinge pivot of the handle on the first and / or second lever and, secondly, the hinge pivot of the rod on the handle. This advantageous characteristic of the invention guarantees the user of the chair against inadvertent tripping of the vertical movement under the effect of the gas cylinder.

In the same sense, according to another characteristic of the invention and to ensure automatic locking of the articulated structure in a sitting position, the axis of the hinge pivot of the second lever on the first quadrilateral is, in the seating position of the chair, located below a line passing through, on the one hand, the hinge pin between the first and second levers and, on the other hand, the hinge pivot of the first lever on the rear part of the chassis.

In the same way, it may appear advantageous to guarantee the user in a vertical position against inadvertent tripping of the return movement to the seated position. For this purpose, in order to ensure an automatic locking of the hinged structure in a vertical position and according to another characteristic of the invention, the axis of articulation of the connecting pivot between the first and second levers is, in a verticalized position of the chair, located above a line passing through, firstly, the hinge pivot of the first lever on the rear portion of the frame and, secondly, the hinge pivot of the second lever on the first quadrilateral.

With the same objective of ensuring automatic locking of the articulated structure in a vertical position, the axes of articulation of the pivots of the handle are, in the vertical position of the chair, located on either side of the line passing through, d on the one hand, the articulation pivot of the first lever on the rear part of the chassis and, on the other hand, the articulation pivot of the second lever on the first quadrilateral.

• La fig. 1 est une perspective d'un fauteuil verticalisateur roulant selon l'invention.
• La fig. 2 est une élévation, en vue de gauche et sans la roue gauche du fauteuil illustré à la fig. 1 , en position assise ou d'abaissement du fauteuil.
• La fig. 3 est une élévation, analogue à la fig. 2 , du fauteuil en position de verticalisation ou debout.
• La fig. 4 est une vue de détail agrandie de la fig. 2 .

Various other features of the invention will emerge from the following description made with reference to the accompanying drawings which show a preferred, non-limiting embodiment of a chair lift for disabled or disabled comprising a handle with adjustable position in accordance with the invention. 'invention.

• The Fig. 1 is a perspective of a wheelchair standing according to the invention.
• The Fig. 2 is an elevation, seen from the left and without the left wheel of the chair shown in Fig. 1 when sitting or lowering the chair.
• The Fig. 3 is an elevation, analogous to the Fig. 2 , from the chair in the standing or upright position.
• The Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the Fig. 2 .

The aim of the invention is to reduce as much as possible the amplitude of the movements required to implement the function of verticalizing an armchair rolling stand, as illustrated in Fig. 1 to 3 , while providing a very high security to this verticalization function.

A standing chair 1 comprises a frame 2, consisting of side half-frames 3 and 4, joined together by cross members 5 and 6, and a cross member, not shown, connecting the wheels. These various constituent elements define a carrying frame provided with drive wheels 10 and steerable steerable wheels 11.

As illustrated, the frame 2 corresponds to a chair of rigid design, but it is obvious that a substantially similar conformation could be retained for a folding chair. Indeed, in such a case, the rigid sleepers 5 and 6 are then replaced by folding elements of known design.

The chassis 2, described above, is equipped with a verticalizer device which is designed as an articulated structure 12 carried by the chassis 2. The articulated structure 12 is constituted by two lateral articulated systems, symmetrical with respect to a sagittal plane P and which are more particularly visible to Fig. 2 and 3 . Each articulated system 13 is intended to be adapted laterally on the frame 2, for example at each of the half-frames 3 and 4.

Each articulated system 13 comprises a first deformable polygon and, according to the example, deformable quadrilateral 17 constituted by two bars 18 and 19, respectively said upper and lower, although they are not arranged, in the illustrated representation Fig. 3 , in the same vertical plane. The bars 18 and 19 are joined, by their posterior terminal part, by an element or a spacer 20 and are mounted on the frame 2, close to the front part of the latter, by a first pivot point 21 on the upper bar 18 and a second hinge point 22 on the lower bar 19. In this case, the hinge point 21 is provided in the upper part of the corresponding half-frame 3, 4 while the point of articulation 22 is located on this same half-frame behind and below the hinge point 21.

In the illustrated example, the distance of the articulation points 23, 24 of the bars 18, 19 on the spacer element 20 is provided to correspond to the distance separating the articulation points 21 and 22, so that the quadrilateral 17 has the preferred form of a deformable parallelogram, without such form can be considered strictly necessary for the production of a chair according to the invention.

Each articulated system 13 comprises, in addition, a second deformable polygon and, in this case, deformable quadrilateral 26, shown schematically in FIG. Fig. 2 in phantom, connecting the first deformable quadrilateral to a jamb or upright 27 for supporting, alone or in combination with the jamb or homologous amount, a footrest 33.

Each articulated system 13 comprises, finally, a backrest frame comprising two uprights 35, each articulated on the first quadrilateral 13, opposite the second quadrilateral 26, via the spacer 20. According to the example illustrated, the file 35 amounts are, moreover, connected by a cross member 36.

In order to allow passage of the articulated structure 12 from the lowering or sitting position, as illustrated in FIG. Fig. 2 , in the standing or standing position, as shown in Fig. 3 Each articulated system comprises an actuating assembly 40 interposed between the first quadrilateral 17 and the chassis 2 and, more specifically, the half-frames 34 corresponding.

Each operating assembly 40 comprises a first lever 41, articulated on the rear part of the chassis, via a pivot 42 and, at the end of a second lever 43, via a pivot 44 . the other end of the second lever 43 is then articulated on the first quadrilateral and, according to the example shown, the bottom bar 19 via a pivot 45.

Each maneuvering assembly also comprises an operating handle 49 which could be described as a multi-socket, to the extent that it must allow the user of the chair to apply a force on this handle, both in the context of the lowering position or seat illustrated in Fig. 2 , only in the context of the verticalization position illustrated in Fig. 3 and during the transition phase or vertical-lowering movement.

For this purpose, each multi-grip handle comprises, as shown more particularly by Fig. 3 and 4 , a handle body 50, equipped with a U-shaped holding bar 51 , open at its center 52. In view of this embodiment of the handle, it is possible to modify the general shape of the hoop. gripping according to the needs of the user and without affecting the general design of the chair.

According to an essential characteristic of the invention, the handle 49 and, according to the illustrated example, more precisely the handle body 50 is articulated both on the first quadrilateral 17 and on the compass or the assembly consisting of the first 41 and second 43 levers.

The handle is then articulated on the first deformable quadrilateral 17, and according to the example on the lower arm 19 by means of a rod 55 which is connected by a pivot 56 to a part 57 secured to the lower arm 19. The link 55 is further articulated on the handle 49 and more precisely on the handle body 50 by a pivot 58.

In a preferred embodiment, the handle 49 is then connected to the two levers 41, 43 by the pivot 44 which then ensures the dual function of articulation of said levers between them and the handle relative to these levers.

Such articulation of the handle makes it very advantageous to reduce the amplitude of the displacement of the handle 49 during the vertical movement, namely the passage of the seated position. Fig. 2 standing or standing Fig. 3 . It should be noted that the distance between the pivots 56 and 58 is chosen in order to better adjust the amplitude of the movement of the handle.

However, in order to facilitate the verticalization and lowering movements, the uprighting armchair 1 also comprises assistance means 65. According to this example, these assistance means are constituted, for each of the articulated systems, by a spring gas, interposed between the piece 57 fixed to the amount of the first quadrilateral 17 and the front portion of the frame 2.

The use of such gas springs 65 effectively makes it possible, on the one hand, to reduce substantially the force required for verticalization and, on the other hand, to slow the lowering movement thus providing a great feeling of safety to the user. 'user.

In order to provide some stability to the sitting position and to prevent a spontaneous triggering of the vertical movement, the articulation of the levers 41, 43 is preferably designed to allow automatic locking of this position. For this purpose and as shown in more detail fig.4 , The pivot axis 45 of articulation of the second lever 43 on the first quadrilateral 17 is in the sitting position of the chair, located below a line Δ passing through, on the one hand, the axis of the hinge pin 44 between the first 41 and second 43 levers and, on the other hand, the axis of the articulation pivot 42 of the first lever 41 on the rear part of the frame 2.

However, it seems, in certain cases, that unintentional or accidental pressure on the front part of the handle is sufficient, given the power of the gas spring, to trigger a start of verticalization, even though the user would wish to remain in a sitting position.

However, it has been found that, advantageously, the first locking, provided by the articulation of the levers 41, 43, could, in a preferred embodiment, be reinforced by an automatic locking of the articulated handle 49 in the seated position. of the armchair. Indeed, it has been found that if the axis of the pivot 56 of articulation of the rod 55 on the first quadrilateral 17, and here the lower arm 19, is located in the seating position of the chair above a straight line Δ ' passing through, on the one hand, the axis of the hinge pin 44 of the handle on the first 41 and second 43 levers and, secondly, the axis of the pivot 58 connecting the handle 49 and the connecting rod 55, it is obtained an automatic locking effect.

Thus, before initiating the verticalization movement, it is first necessary to unlock the articulated handle by pivoting it, so that the pivot 56 passes below the straight line Δ ', which, taking into account the configuration adopted , requires a voluntary traction force on the handlebar and can not therefore result from a false maneuver. This tensile stress corresponds, in a natural way, to the beginning of the vertical winding movement.

After this first unlocking, it is necessary to unlock the movement of the levers 41, 43 by passing the pivot 45 above the straight line Δ for the continuation of the tensile force.

At this stage and after these two consecutive unlockings, it is then possible to continue the winding movement of the handle to accomplish, in a fluid manner, the verticalization.

This preferred embodiment of the chair according to the invention, with a double automatic locking of the sitting position, has the advantage of providing a very high security of use of the chair by prohibiting inadvertent tripping verticalization and this without any additional brake system that would weigh down the chair. It should be emphasized that, according to the invention, the unlocking of the seated position is carried out in the context of the winding movement of the stand, so that the user has no particular maneuver to perform before verticalization.

In the same way, it will be sought the possibility of ensuring an automatic locking of the standing position.

In the illustrated example, this locking is obtained by the configuration adopted for the levers 41, 43. Indeed, there is locking when the axis of articulation of the pivot 44 connecting the first 41 and second 43 levers is, in the upright position of the chair Fig. 3 , located above a line Δ "passing through, on the one hand, the hinge pin 42 of the first lever 41 on the rear part of the frame 2 and, on the other hand, the hinge pin 45 of the second lever 43 on the first quadrilateral 17 and here the lower arm 19.

This locking of the vertical position is reinforced when the axes of articulation of the pivots 44, 58 of the handle are, in the vertical position of the chair, located on either side of the line Δ ".

In addition, in vertical position, the weight of the user is sufficient to increase the locking position, so that it is not necessary to maintain pressure on the handles, the user can then devote himself to activities normal with its upper limbs.

Of course, various modifications can be made to the chair as described above without departing from the scope of the present invention, as defined by the present claims.

Claims (8)

1. Stand-up wheelchair for handicapped and disabled persons, comprising a chassis (2) supporting a jointed structure (12) which comprises a seat (4), a foot rest (33), a seat back, as well as two side symmetrical jointed systems (13) each comprising:

   • a first deformable polygon or quadrilateral (17) contributing to supporting the seat, consisting of two respectively upper (18) and lower (19) bars, jointed on the front portion of the chassis (2) and connected to their rear portions by a spacer part (20),

   • a second deformable polygon or quadrilateral (26), contributing to supporting the foot rest,

   • a seat back frame (34, 35) jointed on the first quadrilateral (17), opposite to the second quadrilateral (26), via at least the spacer part (20),

   • and a manoeuvring assembly (40), interposed between the first quadrilateral and the chassis, which comprises a first lever (41) jointed on the rear portion of the chassis (2) and, at the end of a second lever (43), the other end of which is jointed on the first quadrilateral (17), as well as a manoeuvring handle (49) which assumes a function for controlling and checking the relative pivoting of the side systems, from a lowering position to a standing-up position of the structure relatively to the chassis and vice versa,

   characterized in that, for each manoeuvring assembly, the manoeuvring handle (49) is jointed on the second lever (43) and the first lever (41) on the one hand and on the other hand, on the first quadrilateral (17) via a connecting rod (55), a first end of which is connected by a pivot (56) to the first quadrilateral and the second end is connected by a pivot (58) to the manoeuvring handle (49).
2. The stand-up wheelchair according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance of both pivots (56 and 58) of the connecting rod is selected so as to adjust at least the amplitude of the movement of the manoeuvring handle.
3. The stand-up wheelchair according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the manoeuvring handle (49) is jointed on the assembly formed by the first lever (41) and the second lever (43) at the connecting pivot (44) between the first (41) and second (43) levers. '
4. The stand-up wheelchair according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, in order to provide automatic locking of the jointed structure in the sitting position, the axis of the oint pivot (45) of the second lever (43) on the first quadrilateral (17) is in the sitting position of the wheelchair, located below a line Δ passing through the joint pivot (44) of the first (41) and second (43) levers on the one hand, and the joint pivot (42) of the first lever (41) on the rear portion of the chassis (2) on the other hand.
5. The stand-up wheelchair according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, in order to provide automatic locking of the jointed structure in the sitting position, the joint axis of the joint pivot (56) of the connecting rod on the first quadrilateral is in the sitting position of the wheelchair, located above a line Δ' passing through the joint pivot (44) of the handle (49) on the first (41) and/or the second (43) lever on the one hand, and the connecting pivot (58) between the handle (49) and the connecting rod (55), on the other hand.
6. The stand-up wheelchair according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, in order to provide automatic locking of the jointed structure in the standing-up position, the joint axis of the connecting pivot (44) between the first (41) and second (43) levers is, in the standing-up position of the wheelchair, located above a line Δ" passing through the joint pivot (42) of the first lever (41) on the rear portion of the chassis (2) on the one hand, and the joint pivot (45) of the second lever (43) on the first quadrilateral (17) on the other hand.
7. The stand-up wheelchair according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, in order to provide automatic locking of the jointed structure in the standing-up position, the joint axes of the pivots (44, 58) of the handle (49) are, in the standing-up position of the wheelchair, located on either side of a line Δ" passing through the joint pivot (42) of the first lever (41) on the rear portion of the chassis (2) on the one hand, and the joint pivot (45) of the second lever (43) on the first quadrilateral (17) on the other hand.
8. The stand-up wheelchair according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises a member (65) for assisting the standing-up/lowering movement.

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