GB1582332A

GB1582332A - Supporting apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB1582332A
Application number: GB1474476A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: TIDESLOCK Ltd
Current assignee: TIDESLOCK Ltd
Priority date: 1977-03-31
Filing date: 1977-03-31
Publication date: 1981-01-07

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO SUPPORTING APPARATUS (71) We, TIDESLOCK LIMITED, a British Company of 80, High Street, Uttoxeter, ST14 7JD, in the County of Stafford, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: - This invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to supporting apparatus, particularly for use in the supporting of a person during bathing the person in a bath of the kind generally found in the home.

Difficulty is frequently experienced in the bathing of persons who are not wholly capable of controlling their own movement and/or disposition within a bath. These difficulties are experienced particularly in hospitals in for example the bathing of elderly persons, disabled or handicapped persons, or in the home, in the bathing of small children. The difficulties fall into two major categories, the first of which includes the desirability of changing the attitude of such a person during bathing, e.g. in order to wash certain parts of the body and to immerse others, and the second of which includes the desirability of lowering a person into water in the bath, and/or raising and removing the person from the bath.This latter category is largely due to the problem that, for heavy persons, considerable effort is needed to lower them into and to lift them from the bath: prior arrangements provided to alleviate these problems and diffculties have in general been found to e not wholly satisfactory: indeed, it is still common practice to use cumbersome lifting tackle mounted over a bath to lower and raise a hospital patient into and from the bath.

However, the problems are all exacerbated by the fact that wet baths are notoriously slippery, and that soapy persons are not easy to handle.

Particularly in hospitals, great care needs to be taken to ensure that a person being bathed does not suffer any additional injury; however, similar problems occur in the home, where for example an elderly or disabled person is being home-nursed.

This invention provides a method of controlling the disposition of a person in a bath, comprising the use of a supporting bag having first and second individually inflatable compartments, said bag being placed in the bath beneath the person being bathed, and the disposition of the person in the bath being changed by selectively controlling the admission and escape of fluid to and from at least one of the compartments.

Advantageously, the first compartment is adapted to support the person at positions above the waist, e.g. the head, and the second compartment is adapted to support the torso of the person (e.g. at positions below the waist) and optionally the legs of the person. Conveniently, when both the first and second compartments are inflated, the head of the person is supported at a level higher than that at which his lower torso is supported.

Advanageously, the first compartment extends along two sides of the bag, and from one of said sides to the other at one end (e.g. the top) of the bag and the second compartment extends between the sides. In this manner, the person can be stably supported in a position centrally of the bag between said two sides. Additionally advantageously, the bag preferablv comprises a third compartment which also extends along the two sides of the bag and from one of the sides to the other at the top of the bag, and conveniently said third compartment communicates with the second compartment.

In this manner, at an initial stage in the use of the bag, the first and second compartments may be inflated, the third compartment being inflated with the second.

Since both the first and third compartments extend along the top and along the sides of the bag, the regions of the bag which will support the head and arms of the person may so support the person at a level higher than that at which the second compartments supports the torso. Subsequently, by deflating the second compartment (and consequently the third compartment) the torso of the person may be lowered (i.e. conveniently into water in the the bath) whilst the head and arms of the person are supported by the still-inflated first compartment.

On conclusion of washing of the person, the bag may be fully inflated to lift the person from the water, preferably to the extent of some 3" above the lip of the bath at which level the person can be convieniently dried, and then carried away from the bath and then dressed This invention also provides a supporting bag for use in supporting a person in a bath during bathing of a person, and by the use of which the disposition of the person in the bath may be altered, the bag comprising an inflatable compartment comprising a pillow section which, when the bag is inflated, is adapted to support the head of a person in the bath, the side arm sections extending generally away from the pillow section on opposite sides therefrom and which, when the bag is inflated, are adapted to support the arms of such a person, and a central section extending between the side arm sections, said central section being adapted to support the upper torso at least of the person, being afforded by a second compartment which may be inflated and deflated independently from the first said compartment.

Preferably, the supporting bag comprises a third compartment having a section extending adjacent to the pillow section of the first compartment. Additionally, if desired, the bag may comprise a third compartment having a section extending adjacent to the pillow section of the first said compartment, and two branches extending adjacent to the side arm sections of the first said compartment.

Conveniently, the third compartment communicates with and is inflated and deflated with the second compartment. Thus, in use, all three compartments may initially be inflated, the second and third compartments being deflated to lower the person into the water in the bath, the first compartment being retained inflated to support the head of the person, and his arms.

Advantageously the supporting bag is of a material which has non-slip characteris tics, being for example fabricated from welded P.V.C. with a nylon interweave, and preferably the bag is such that, during use, it will conform generally to body shape.

This invention also provides apparatus for supporting a person in a bath, and comprising a supporting bag of the kind set out above, and delivery means selec tively operable to deliver fluid to the bag.

Preferably the delivery means comprises a centrifugal fan, preferably operative to supply compressed air at a low positive pressure to the bag.

However, whereas compressed air is the most convenient inflating fluid, in certain circumstances water may be used as inflat ing fluid with advantage.

Preferably the bag comprises two com partments, and the delivery means com prises manually operable valve means to control the pressure to which the two com partments are inflated independently, and for the selective venting of fluid from the two compartments, which may be provided by the facility of the manually operable valve means to selectively connect the first and second compartments with a vacuum - line.

There will now be given detailed de scriptions, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of two sup porting apparatuses which are two embodi ments of this invention, and which have been selected to illustrate this invention by way of example, each apparatus comprising an inflatable supporting bag which, in itself, and in the method by which it is utilised, are illustrative of this invention.

In the accompanying drawings: FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 are respectively side elevation, plan and end sectional views of a supporting bag of said first embodi ment; FIGURE 4 is a schematic elevational view illustrating the use of the supporting apparatus which is the first embodiment of this invention; FIGURE 5 is a schematic perspective view showing the use of the supporting apparatus which is the second embodiment of this invention, in conjunction with a conventional bath; FIGURES 6 and 7 are schematic end elevations illustrating the relationship be tween the various compartments of the supporting bag when respectively inflated, and when subsequently deflated; and FIGURE 8 schematically illustrates the use of the supporting bag illustrated in Figure 6, together with a diagrammatic representation of a control unit.

The supporting apparatus which is the first embodiment of this invention is for use in conjunction with a conventional bath, and may be used in the home or in a hospital or institution where the bathing of infirm, disabled or the like persons is required to be carried out.

The supporting apparatus comprises an inflatable supporting bag 2 prefabricated from P.V.C. sheet provided with a nylon interweave, and welded to provide two noncommunicating compartments 4, 8. Inlet connections 6, 10 extend from said two compartments, by the use of which an inflating fluid may be admitted to or allowed to flow from said compartments. Additionally, the compartment 8 is divided by two interior walls 9, 9 into longitudinally, communicating sections 8a, 8b 8c.

The supporting apparatus also comprises delivery means comprising a control unit 16 having two outlet connections 18, 20 to which the inlets 6, 10 of the supporting bag may be respectively connected by flexible tubing. Associated with the outlets 18, 20 are respective control valves 19, 21, each of which may be moved selectively, and at the will of an operator, between "off", "on", and "vent" positions, the apparatus also comprises an electrically-powered compressor unit 26 which in use is connected to the valve unit 16 by flexible hose. The valve unit also comprises two control valves (not shown) to both of which compressed air is supplied.When either of the members 19 or 21, or both, is in its "on" position, compressed air is fed through the flexible tubing into the associated compartment 4 or 8 of the supporting bag: when said member is in its "off" position, the compartment is effectively sealed, and when in its "vent" position, air may flow from the compartment through the control valve to atmosphere.

In the use of the first embodiment, the supporting bag may be placed in a deflated condition in the bottom of a bath, and the person lowered onto the bag, being preferably positioned such that the person's waist coincides generally with the lateral wall 5 dividing the two compartments 4 and 8.

The two compartments may be partially inflated, by operation of the two control members, to provide a cushioning for the person, either before, after or simultaneous with the admission of water to the bath.

Thereafter, the control means may be operated to vary the attitude of the person within the bath, e.g. by raising the upper part of the body, and allowing the lower part to be lowered, whereby the person will be brought into a more upright seating position, or vice versa, whereby the person will be brought into a more prone position.

In general, during washing of the person, the bag will be inflated insufficiently to cause it to lift from the bottom of the bath. However, on completion of bathing, both compartments will be further inflated, lifting the person. Preferably this is accompaniesd by movement of the bag from the bottom of the bath, so that in effect the person is floated on the bag to a height at which lifting him from the bath is relatively easy (e.g. towards the lip of the bath).

However, if desired, and particularly for heavy persons, the bag may be more voluminous, and lifting of the person need not be accompanied by floating of the bag, displaced water for example flowing from the bath through an overflow. In such latter circumstances, an inflating fluid other than air may be used: for example, water fed direct to the control unit from a mains or other pressure supply.

It will be appreciated that, by the use of this invention, the attitude of the person may still be controlled, although to a more limited extent, after he has been lifted, and the person may be moved to a position enabling him more easily to be handled, by manipulation of the control levers.

It will of course be appreciated that, where a compressed air supply is available "on tap ", the compressor unit may be dispensed with: in addition, where several such lifting units are required to be used in close proximity, one control unit may be used to operate any one of several supporting bags.

Where the patient to be bathed is small in stature and/or light in weight it has been found to be advantageous to provide additional support, in particular to ensure that, irrespective of the persons bodily movements, the supporting bag remains stable at all times during an operating cycle.

Thus the supporting apparatus which is the second embodiment of this invention comprises a supporting bag comprising first and second individually inflatable compartments 38 and 39 respectively, the first compartment extending across the top of the bag, in the form of a pillow section 38c and comprising two branches 38a and 38b extending from the pillow section on opposites sides of the bag, bounding a central part of the bag, conveniently the first compartment being in the form of a U.

The second compartment 39 is located at the central part of the bag, within the space bounded by the pillow section 38c and the two branches 38a and 38b, and affords a central section of the bag.

Advantageously, the supporting bag comprises a third compartment 40 which also comprises a pillow section 40c which extends across the top of the pillow section 38c of the first compartment and two branches 38a and 38b respectively of the first compartment.

The second and third compartments communicate, whereby upon inflation of the second compartment (or deflation thereof) the third compartment is similarly inflated (or deflated).

The first compartment is constructed as a separate unit from the second and third compartments, and is connected to one of said second and third compartments only by an external seam (such as 42) or an external sliding clasp fastener. Thus, should any pin holes develop in the boundary wall of the first compartment, leakage of inflating fluid will be readily apparent, and appropriate action may be taken. This is in contrast to the provision of a bag of unitary construction, in which the first compàrtment is divided from the remainder by an interior wall: in such a construction, if leakage occurs in said interior wall, inflating fluid will flow into or from the first compartment into one of the second or third compartments.Not only will this cause problems in the use of the system, but the repair of such pin holes as may develop in the interior wall will be somewhat difficult to mend.

The various compartments of the lifting bag are advantageously provided with longitudinal interior walls, such as are provided by the membranes 35 and 36, to retain the bag in a desired shape when inflated.

The apparatus which is the second embodiment of this invention also comprises delivery means, operative to selectively deliver fluid under pressure to the first and second compartments, said delivery means comprising an air pump 62 and a control unit 52 schematically illustrated in Figure 8, and which is connected by flexible tubes 58 and 59 to the inlet pipes 50 and 51 connected to the second and first compartments respectively.

The control unit 52 comprises control valves 53, 54 and 60. By closing of the valve 54, and opening of the two valves 53 and 60, air under a pressure of about 1.5 p.s.i. will be delivered through both conduits 58 and 59 to the first compartment 38, and to the second compartment 39 by way of the third compartment 40.

When the supporting bag is inflated to a desired extent, the valves 53 and 60 may be closed.

When it is subsequently desired to partially deflate the supporting bag, the valve 53 is dosed and the valve 54 is opened and air is drawn along a vacuum line 57 into the low pressure inlet 61 of the air pump, deflating the compartments 39 and 40 (to the position shown in Figure 7) lowering the person being bathed into the water in the bath. In this position, the torso of the person will rest below the water line (as shown in Figure 8) on the deflated compartment 39, which is in turn supported by the remaining inflated compartment 38.

The head and shoulders of the person will be supported above the water line by the pillow section 38c of the first compartment, whilst his arms are supported by the side arm or branch sections 38a and 38b, which will of course lie beneath the sheath of the deflated compartment 40. It will be appreciated that the degree of deflatioon of the compartments 39 and 40 may be selective, by operation of the valve 54 and/or by operation of the valve 60, to lower the person a required degree into the water.

As the inlet 51 is at all times connected to the supply of air under pressure through the valve 60, and the first compartment cannot inadvertently be connected to the air intake of the air pump 62, as would cause the first compartment to be deflated rapidly.

On completion of bathing of the person, the supporting bag may be fully inflated again, raising the person to a level close to the lip of the bag, allowing the person to be easily lifted from the bag and from the bath.

Further air can be drawn to the pump at all times through a demand valve 55.

The inlet 51 communicates (through the valve 60) at all times directly to the conduit 56, through which air is delivered at 1.5 p.s.i. through flexible tubing 58, thus ensuring that the person is fully supported by the bag, and maintained stable throughout the bathing operation. When the person is of large size, advantageously the amount of air reaching the first compartment may be controlled by the valve 60 to control the attitude of the person from a sitting position to a fully reclined position, as desired.

In Figure 6, a cross-section of the unit is shown when fully inflated, and in Figure 7, partially deflated, the position of the water line when the supporting bag supports a person being bathed being indicated at WL and the centre of gravity of the person indicated by the arrow 26.

It will be appreciated that the delivery means illustrated in connection with the first embodiment may be used in conjunction with the supporting bag illustrated in conjunction with the second embodiment and vice versa. Further, as is illustrated in Figure 5, where a supply of air under pressure is available on tap, the supporting bag may be permanently connected to such supply, control valves being provided to selectively inflate and deflate the compartments as required.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: - 1. A method of controlling the disposi

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. branches 38a and 38b respectively of the first compartment. The second and third compartments communicate, whereby upon inflation of the second compartment (or deflation thereof) the third compartment is similarly inflated (or deflated). The first compartment is constructed as a separate unit from the second and third compartments, and is connected to one of said second and third compartments only by an external seam (such as 42) or an external sliding clasp fastener. Thus, should any pin holes develop in the boundary wall of the first compartment, leakage of inflating fluid will be readily apparent, and appropriate action may be taken. This is in contrast to the provision of a bag of unitary construction, in which the first compàrtment is divided from the remainder by an interior wall: in such a construction, if leakage occurs in said interior wall, inflating fluid will flow into or from the first compartment into one of the second or third compartments.Not only will this cause problems in the use of the system, but the repair of such pin holes as may develop in the interior wall will be somewhat difficult to mend. The various compartments of the lifting bag are advantageously provided with longitudinal interior walls, such as are provided by the membranes 35 and 36, to retain the bag in a desired shape when inflated. The apparatus which is the second embodiment of this invention also comprises delivery means, operative to selectively deliver fluid under pressure to the first and second compartments, said delivery means comprising an air pump 62 and a control unit 52 schematically illustrated in Figure 8, and which is connected by flexible tubes 58 and 59 to the inlet pipes 50 and 51 connected to the second and first compartments respectively. The control unit 52 comprises control valves 53, 54 and 60. By closing of the valve 54, and opening of the two valves 53 and 60, air under a pressure of about 1.5 p.s.i. will be delivered through both conduits 58 and 59 to the first compartment 38, and to the second compartment 39 by way of the third compartment 40. When the supporting bag is inflated to a desired extent, the valves 53 and 60 may be closed. When it is subsequently desired to partially deflate the supporting bag, the valve 53 is dosed and the valve 54 is opened and air is drawn along a vacuum line 57 into the low pressure inlet 61 of the air pump, deflating the compartments 39 and 40 (to the position shown in Figure 7) lowering the person being bathed into the water in the bath. In this position, the torso of the person will rest below the water line (as shown in Figure 8) on the deflated compartment 39, which is in turn supported by the remaining inflated compartment 38. The head and shoulders of the person will be supported above the water line by the pillow section 38c of the first compartment, whilst his arms are supported by the side arm or branch sections 38a and 38b, which will of course lie beneath the sheath of the deflated compartment 40. It will be appreciated that the degree of deflatioon of the compartments 39 and 40 may be selective, by operation of the valve 54 and/or by operation of the valve 60, to lower the person a required degree into the water. As the inlet 51 is at all times connected to the supply of air under pressure through the valve 60, and the first compartment cannot inadvertently be connected to the air intake of the air pump 62, as would cause the first compartment to be deflated rapidly. On completion of bathing of the person, the supporting bag may be fully inflated again, raising the person to a level close to the lip of the bag, allowing the person to be easily lifted from the bag and from the bath. Further air can be drawn to the pump at all times through a demand valve 55. The inlet 51 communicates (through the valve 60) at all times directly to the conduit 56, through which air is delivered at 1.5 p.s.i. through flexible tubing 58, thus ensuring that the person is fully supported by the bag, and maintained stable throughout the bathing operation. When the person is of large size, advantageously the amount of air reaching the first compartment may be controlled by the valve 60 to control the attitude of the person from a sitting position to a fully reclined position, as desired. In Figure 6, a cross-section of the unit is shown when fully inflated, and in Figure 7, partially deflated, the position of the water line when the supporting bag supports a person being bathed being indicated at WL and the centre of gravity of the person indicated by the arrow 26. It will be appreciated that the delivery means illustrated in connection with the first embodiment may be used in conjunction with the supporting bag illustrated in conjunction with the second embodiment and vice versa. Further, as is illustrated in Figure 5, where a supply of air under pressure is available on tap, the supporting bag may be permanently connected to such supply, control valves being provided to selectively inflate and deflate the compartments as required. WHAT WE CLAIM IS: -

1. A method of controlling the disposi

tion of a person in a bath, comprising the use of a supporting bag having first and second individually inflatable compartments, said bag being placed in the bath beneath the person being bathed, and the disposition of the person in the bath being changed by selectively controlling the admission and escape of fluid to and from at least one of the compartments.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the first of said compartments is adapted to support the head of the person, and the second of said compartments is adapted to support the torso of the person.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the first compartment is adapted to support the person at positions above the waist, and the second compartment is adapted to support the person from positions below the waist.

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims when the second compartment is divided into sections by walls extending longitudinally thereof.

5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein when both the first and second compartments are inflated, the head of a person is supported at a level higher than that at which his torso is supported.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the first compartment is adapted to support the head and arms of the person, and the second compartment is adapted to support part at least of the lower torso of the person.

7. A method according to one of claims 1 and 6 wherein the first compartment extends along two sides of the bag, and from one of said sides to the other at one end of the bag, and the second compartment extends between the sides.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the bag comprises a third compartment which also extends along the two sides of the bag and from one of said sides to the other at said one end thereof.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the third compartment communicates with the second compartment.

10. A method according to any one of the preceding claims involving the steps: (a) positioning an inflated supporting bag in the bath; (b) positioning the person on the bag; (c) Selectively deflating at least one of said compartments to lower part of the person in the bath.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein the bath is filled with water to a desired level prior to positioning the inflated supporting bag in the bath.

12. A method according to one of claims 10 and 11 comprising the further steps of: (d) further inflating and/or further de flating one or more of said compart ments to change the attitude of the person in the bath, and (e) fully inflating all the compartments to lift the person at least to the lip of the bath.

13. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the supporting bag is inflated by the use of air under pressure.

14. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 wherein the supporting bag is inflated by the use of water.

15. A supporting bag for use in supporting a person in a bath during bathing of a person, and by the use of which the disposition of the person in the bath may be altered, the bag comprising an inflatable compartment comprising a pillow section which, when the bag is inflated, is adapted to support the head of a person in the bath, and side arm sections extending generally away from the pillow section on opposite sides therefrom and which, when the bag is inflated, are adapted to support the arms of such a person, and a central section extending between the side arm sections, said central section being adapted to support the upper torso at least of the person, being afforded by a second compartment which may be inflated and deflated independently from the first said compartment.

16. A supporting bag according to claim 15 comprising a third compartment having a section extending adjacent to the pillow section of the first said compartment.

17. A supporting bag according to claim 16 wherein the third compartment comprises two branches extending adjacent to the side arm sections of the first said compartment.

18. A supporting bag according to one of claims 16 and 17 wherein the third compartment communicates with and is inflated and deflated with the second compartment.

19. A supporting bag according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the first said compartment is generally in the form of U.

20. A supporting bag according to any one of claims 15 to 18 wherein the compartments are connected together by an external seam or seams.

21. A supporting bag according to any one of claims 15 to 18 wherein the compartments are connected together by one or more external sliding clasp fasteners.

22. Apparatus for supporting a person in a bath, and comprising a supporting bag according to any one of claims 15 to 21, and delivery means selectively operable to deliver fluid to the bag.

23. Apparatus according to claim 22 wherein said delivery means comprises means for selectively venting fluid from the bag.

24. Apparatus according to one of claims 22 and 23 wherein the delivery means comprises a centrifugal fan.

25. Apparatus according to any one of claims 22 to 24 wherein the delivery means is operative to supply compressed air at a low positive pressure to the bag.

26. Apparatus according to claim 25 wherein the delivery means is operable to deliver compressed air to the bag at a pressure of between 1 and 5 psi.

27. Apparatus according to any one of claims 22 to 26, as appendant to any one of claims 15 to 19, comprising valve means which is manually operable selectively to control the admission of fluid to, and the venting of fluid from, the first and second compartments.

28. Apparatus according to claim 27 wherein the means for selectively venting fluid from the compartments is provided by the facility of the valve means to selectively connect the compartment with a vacuum line.

29. A method of controlling the disposition of a person in a bath when carried out substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to (a) to figures 1 to 4, or (b) to figures 5 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.

30. A supporting bag for use in supporting a person in a bath, constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 5 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.

31. Apparatus for supporting a person in a bath, constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference (a) to Figures 1 to 4; or (b) to Figures 5 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.