GB2221612A

GB2221612A - Chair or bed raiser

Info

Publication number: GB2221612A
Application number: GB8818964A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Arthur Nixon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-08-10
Filing date: 1988-08-10
Publication date: 1990-02-14
Anticipated expiration: 2008-08-10
Also published as: GB2221612B; GB8818964D0

Abstract

A chair or bed raiser, for raising the height of an easy chair or divan bed to facilitate use by the elderly or handicapped, comprises a frame having a central portion (10, 12) to which are pivotally mounted the radially inner ends of four telescopic arms (14). The radially outer ends of the telescopic arms (14) carry floor-engaging feet (24), and also carry upwardly projecting spigots (22) which locate in the castor sockets of the chair or bed. The pivotal mounting of the arms (14), and their ability to telescope, enable the spacing of the spigots (22) to be adjusted to suit an individual bed or chair to be raised. The feet (24) can be screwed into or out of legs (20) for vertical adjustment purposes and can swivel to accommodate tilt. Instead of rigid legs (20), each leg may be telescopic to provide a greater range of vertical movement and an adjustable tilt in any direction. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Chair or Bed Raiser Field of the invention 5^-1S invention relates to a chair or bed raiser which is a evince to raise the height of an easy chair or divan bed facilitate use by the elderly or handicapped. Such vices may also be used to raise the height of other articles of furniture such as settees or couches. The invention will hereinafter be referred to as a chair or beds raiser but it will be appreciated that it may be used with these other articles of furniture.

Background to the invention There are a number of commercially available products designed to fit under a chair or bed to make it higher, so that an elderly or handicapped person can move on or off the chair or bed more easily. One of these products takes the form of an adjustable frame carrying four recessed blocks or cups in which the feet or castors of the chair can be located. There is, however, a lack of any equipment which can be easily fitted under a low framed easy chair or bed (particularly the type without legs) and which will remain securely fixed to and not be displaced or deflected by lateral movement of the chair or bed. The invention aims to remedy this deficiency.

Summary of the invention According to the invention a chair or bed raiser comprises a frame having floor-engaging feet for stably supporting the frame on the floor, and formations for rigidly securing the frame to the underside of the chair or bed, the frame being adjustable to enable the spacings of said formations to be varied to suit an individual chair or bed to be raised.

The frame preferably has relatively pivotable and relatively telescopic members which carry four floorengaging feet and also carry said formations. The members may be in the form of four arms, each pivotally mounted to a central portion of the frame and each arm having two relatively telescopic parts, the outer extremity of each arm carrying not only a depending leg which in turn carries a corresponding one of the four feet, but also a corresponding one of the formations.

Each said formation may be a spigot which projects upwardly from the corresponding arm, and in a preferred embodiment each formation is a split sleeve which locates with a self-locking action in the castor socket of the chair or bed. In this case, the castors are removed from the chair or bed to leave the castor sockets, into which the split sleeves are pressed and in which the sleeves are locked to secure the frame firmly to the underside of the chair.

Said central portion of the frame may be two spaced plates between which the inner end of each arm is mounted for pivotal movement, means being provided for retaining the arms (in their pivotally adjusted positions), with respect to the plates.

A chair raiser according to the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the chair raiser with a fragmentary portion showing the telescopic action of each of four arms; and Figure 2 is a plan view of the chair raiser showing the adjustability of the arms.

The chair raiser comprises a frame made of metal having a central portion consisting of two spaced square plates 10 and 12 between which are pivotally mounted the inner ends of four identical arms 14. The inner end of each arm 14 is pivotally mounted with respect to the two plates 10 and 12 by means of a threaded bolt 16 carrying a nut on the underside of the plate 12. Each nut is a nylon lock nut screwed onto the bolt 16 with a torque which allows the arm 14 to pivot but which retains the arm in its adjusted position.

Each arm 14 is in two relatively telescopic tubular parts which can be clamped in an adjusted position by means of a thumb-screw 18. The radially outer end of each arm 14 carries on its underside a downwardly projecting leg 20 which is welded to the outer arm part. The extremity of each arm 14 also carries an upwardly projecting split sleeve 22 which is dimensioned so that it can be pushed with a self locking action into the socket left when a castor is withdrawn from the underside of an easy chair.

The lower end of each leg 20 has a foot 24 which can be screwed into or out of the leg 22 for vertical adjustment purposes and which can swivel to accommmodate tilt.

In order to fit the chair raiser to an existing chair, the castors from the underside of the chair are removed to reveal castor sockets. The arms 14 are moved to their adjusted positions by pivotal movement about the bolts 16 and telescopic sliding as necessary to place the sleeves 22 in positions enabling the sleeves 22 to be pressed into the caster sockets. The thumb-screws 10 are then tightened.

When the sleeves are pressed into the castor sockets they lock therein so that the chair raiser is rigidly secured to the underside Qf the chair, ensuring that the chair cannot be dislodged from the chair raiser. The feet 24 may be adjusted as required.

Instead of the rigid legs 20, each leg may be telescopic to provide a greater range of vertical movement and to provide for an adjustable tilt, in any direction. Such telescopic legs would have clamps like clamps 18.

In Figure 2, the arrows 26 depict the longitudinal adjustment of each arm 14 afforded by the relatively telescopic parts, and the arrows 28 depict the angular adjustment of each arm 14 afforded by the pivoting about the bolts 16.

A chair or bed raiser according to the invention can be easily fitted to a chair or bed without the need for skilled labour, can be readily detached from the chair or bed and is safe and stable in use.

Claims

1. A chair or bed raiser comprising a frame having floorengaging feet for stably supporting the frame on the floor, and formations for rigidly securing the frame to the underside of the chair or bed, the frame being adjustable to enable the spacings of said formations to be varied to suit an individual chair or bed to be raised.

2. A chair or bed raiser according to Claim 1, wherein the frame has relatively pivotable and relatively telescopic members which carry four floor-engaging feet and also carry said formations.

3. A chair or bed raiser according to Claim 2, wherein the members are in the form of four arms, each pivotally mounted to a central portion of the frame and each arm having two relatively telescopic parts, the outer extremity of each arm carrying not only a depending leg which in turn carries a corresponding one of the four feet, but also a corresponding one of the formations.

4. A chair or bed raiser according to Claim 3, wherein each said formation is a spigot which projects upwardly from the corresponding arm.

5. A chair or bed raiser according to claim 4, wherein each formation is a split sleeve which locates with a self-locking action in the castor socket of the chair or bed.

6. A chair or bed raiser according to claim 5, wherein the central portion of the frame is two spaced plates between which the inner end of each arm is mounted for pivotal movement, means being provided for retaining the arms, in their pivotally adjusted positions, with respect to the plates.

7. A chair or bed raiser constructed and arranged substantially as herein particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings.