GB2287878A - Inflatable cushion - Google Patents

Abstract

An inflatable cushion 1 for a chair can be inflated through a tube 1A by means of an air blower within a unit 2 which also incorporates the motor for the blower. A remote control button member 4 controls the unit 2. The cushion 1 can be inflated to a triangular cross-section as concertina folds at the rear expand whilst the forward edge is subject to little or no expansion. Operation of button (4) assists a person to rise from the chair. A second operation allows the air to be expelled at a gradual speed to take the person back to a seated position. <IMAGE>

Description

Improvements Relatina to Inflatable Members Persons with physical frailties often have problems in sitting down onto a chair or rising from it. Special chairs have been constructed which will assist the lowering and raising of a person into the chair but these tend to be highly intricate and therefore expensive. Furthermore the user cannot use such devices in association with a normal chair in his own home.

According to the present invention there is provided an inflatable seat cushion having top and bottom walls joined by two side walls and front and rear walls, and having an inlet for inflation of the cushion from a flat condition, the rear wall being expandable to a substantially greater extent than the front wall to create side walls of generally triangular shape.

Such a cushion can be installed in a standard armchair, for example, in the user's home. The user can then lower himself onto the inflated cushion to make contact with the raised and angled top wall. Suitable means can then be operated to allow for a controlled deflation of the cushion into a flat state when the user will be in a normal sitting position. Inflation of the cushion again will help to raise the user up out of the chair vertically and forwardly.

Desirably the angle at which the top wall of the inflated cushion projects up from the bottom wall lies within the range of 40 to 75 , preferably about 60 . It is greatly preferred that the side walls and the rear wall at least of the cushion should be of concertina form so that they will collapse and expand readily.

Ideally the air inlet will be connected to control equipment for controlling the inflation and deflation of the cushion at a steady rate. This control equipment may include an air blower, a control valve UI: it and a control switch for operation by the user. The control switch can be connected to operate a solenoid determining the position of an outlet valve of the valve unit. This outlet valve will of course be closed during the initial phase but the control equipment can be constructed so that the solenoid will be caused to move the outlet valve to an open condition when deflation is required.

Advantageously the solenoid also determines the operation of a starter switch for the motor of the air blower. It is greatly preferred that a pressure-responsive inlet valve of the valve unit should be movable from a closed position to cause operation of a switch member so as to maintain a power connection to the motor of the air blower. This arrangement ensures that, when a required inflation level is achieved, a back-pressure on the inlet valve will cause it to move to the closed position thus releasing the switch member so that the motor ceases to operate.

By suitable design and circuitry for the solenoid and the switch member, the equipment can be controlled in such a way that the solenoid determines the open or closed state of an outlet valve and the initial starting of the motor for the air blower, whilst the switch member is effective to maintain operation of the motor for the air blower whilst inflation is in progress. A subsequent operation of the control switch, after inflation, can be effective to move the solenoid in such a way that the outlet valve is opened but the motor is not switched on.

The invention may be performed in various ways and a preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an illustration of the basic equipment for operating an inflation bag of this invention, Figure 2 shows the inflation bag in an inflated condition, Figure 3 illustrates how the equipment can be applied to a conventional chair, Figure 4 illustrates details of the electrical and valve control system for the equipment of Figure 1, and Figure 5 shows the control system of Figure 4 in a modified condition.

As shown in Figure 1 the basic equipment comprises an inflatable air bag 1 which can be inflated through a tube 1A by means of an air blower within a unit 2 which also incorporates the motor for the blower. An electrical supply lead 3 is provided for the unit 2 and a remote control button member 4 is also electrically connected by a lead 5 to the unit 2. As can be seen from Figure 2 the air bag 1 can be inflated to a condition of generally triangular cross-section as concertina folds 6 at the rear of the bag are allowed to expand whilst the forward edge 7 of the bag is so formed that it will be subject to little or no expansion.

As shown in Figure 3 various parts of the equipment can be installed on a conventional chair. The air bag 1 is laid on the seat of the chair and the remote control button member 4 is held on the arm of the chair by some suitable means, for example interengaging releasable strips on the chair arm and the button member 4. The operating unit 2 can readily be stored beneath the chair.

To operate the equipment into the inflated position, the person sitting in the chair 8 simply presses the remote control button 4 once and a valve opens. At the same time the motor of the unit 2 is instructed to start and inflate the air bag 1 until the correct pressure has been built up in the air bag and the person is in the upright position.

At this point both the motor and the valve to into a second mode. The motor cuts off automatically as the valve closes by way of a solenoid and the valve stays in the closed position, thus keeping the air bag in the inflated position.

When the person returns to the chair 8, they simply sit on the air bag 1 and then press the remote control button 4 once. This then opens the valve via a solenoid, but this time without starting the motor, and allows the air to be expelled at a gradual speed to take the person back to the seated position. If on the deflation mode the person wishes to rise again before the air bag 1 is completely deflated, he simply depresses the remote control button 4 once and the motor cuts in and starts to inflate the air bag again to the fully inflated position.

The control of operation of the unit 2 is illustrated in detail in Figures 4 and 5. When the remote control button 4 is pressed down a circuit is completed from the mains cable 5 to a solenoid 6 through the button 4 and one path of a two-way switch 10. Operation of the solenoid activates a latch 11 which moves from a rest position A to a position B to close the contacts of a starter switch 12.

This completes a circuit from the mains cable 5 to a motor 13. The motor controls a blower (not shown) which blows air through the inlet 14 of a valve member 15, thus opening an inflation valve 16. Closure of the contacts 12 causes the solenoid to move the latch 11 to a position C thus causing a deflation valve 17 to close. Opening movement of the inflation valve 16 by the airflow causes the switch 10 to change to its alternative condition to maintain a power supply to the solenoid 7 through the alternative switch path in the switch 10. The blower then continues to blow air through the valve unit 15 and through an outlet 18 leading to the air bag tube 1A.

When the air bag 1 is fully inflated to the preset pressure, the inflation valve 16 is pressured back to the closed position and immediately switches off the motor by changing the condition of the airflow switch 10. This disconnects the solenoid from the power supply and allows the starter switch 12 contacts to open. The air bag 1 is then fully inflated and the person has been raised to the near standing position.

To deflate the air bag, simply press the remote control button 4 once and the solenoid 9 moves from position C to position A and allows the air to escape from the air bag 1 at a gradual speed. When this function is in progress the motor 13 remains off as neither the starter motor switch 12 nor the airflow switch 10 is activated. To reinflate the air bag while going down simply press the remote control switch 4 again and the latch 11 will move to the position B to start the motor 13 and immediately start the inflation again.

Such a device is easy to operate requiring only a single operation of the remote control button, with inflation of the cushion being caused by the air blower and controlled deflation occurring due to the pressure caused by the user's own body weight.

Because of the small size of the total product, and its ease of setting up within an existing situation, the use can be extended to any seating. The product can be transported easily in a small holdall-type bag for holidays and visits to relatives, giving complete freedom to the person requiring the need for this aid.

This product can also be used for raising and lowering any part of the body for bed-ridden persons who need to be self-sufficient in these actions. The only modification required for this type of use would be the design and size of the air bag.

Such a device would be of substantial help in hospitals and residential homes in limiting the possibility of back strain of the nursing staff and allowing an extra degree of freedom to the patients.

Claims (9)

Claims

1. An inflatable seat cushion having top and bottom walls joined by two side walls and front and rear walls, and having an air inlet for inflation of the cushion from a flat condition, the rear wall being expandable to a substantially greater extent than the front wall to create side walls of generally triangular shape.

2. A cushion according to Claim 1, wherein the angle at which the top wall of the inflated cushion projects up from the bottom wall lies within the range of 40 to 75 , preferably about 60".

3. A cushion according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the side walls and the rear wall at least are of concertina form.

4. A cushion according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the inlet is connected to control equipment for controlling the inflation and deflation of the cushion at a steady rate.

5. A cushion according to Claim 4, wherein the control equipment includes an air blower, a control valve unit and a control switch for operation by the user.

6. A cushion according to Claim 5, wherein the control switch is connected to operate a solenoid determining the position of an outlet valve of the valve unit.

7. A cushion according to Claim 6, wherein the solenoid also determines the operation of a starter switch for the motor of the air blower.

8. A cushion according to Claim 7, wherein a pressure-responsive inlet valve of the valve unit is movable by air pressure from a closed position to cause operation of a switch member so as to maintain a power connection to the motor of the air blower.

9. An inflatable seat cushion with associated control equipment substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.