GB2291857A

GB2291857A - Device For Moving Persons

Info

Publication number: GB2291857A
Application number: GB9515647A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Matheas Robertus Scheppingen
Original assignee: Careflex Holding BV
Current assignee: Careflex Holding BV
Priority date: 1994-08-02
Filing date: 1995-07-31
Publication date: 1996-02-07
Anticipated expiration: 2015-07-31
Also published as: DE29512476U1; NL9401268A; FR2723535A3; GB9515647D0; FR2723535B3; GB2291857B; BE1008733A3

Abstract

A device for moving a person, in particular an invalid, comprises a vertical column (11, 12) provided with lifting means for the person fixed to the column to be movable relative thereto, the column being provided with displacement means in the form of a horizontal swivelling arm (2) which can be fixed to a building or the like such that it pivots about a substantially vertical axis on the one hand and is fixed to the column (11, 12) on the other hand. The column (11, 12) is provided with a foot platform (10), and at least one of the parts that is movable relative to the building or the like is provided with braking means (7). The brake can be spring-pressed pins (33, Fig 3) released by a coil (35) operating on the arm (2) pivot or rubber blocks (40, Fig 7) on the foot platform moved by a motor (42). Preferably a sling (14) and knee pads (17) are provided. The arm (2) can be articulated (Figs 5 and 6). <IMAGE>

Description

DEVICE FOR MOVING PERSONS The present invention relates to a device for moving a person (an invalid), comprising a column which is vertical during use and is provided with lifting means for said person which are fixed to said column and are movable relative thereto, which column is provided with displacement means, comprising a horizontal swivelling arm which can be fixed to a building or the like in such a way that it pivots about an essentially vertical axis, and on the one hand is fixed to the column on the other hand.

Such a device is known from US Patent Specification 4,998,305, which discloses a swivelling shower stool. This swivelling shower stool is hingedly connected by way of a swivelling arm to a stay which has to be clamped between floor and ceiling of the shower unit.

A person can be moved under a shower by means of such a device, but it is not possible to move persons from a seated position in one device to a seated position in another device. The "steel nurse" is proposed in the prior art for that purpose. Such a device generally consists of a mobile frame on which one or more columns are disposed.

Lifting frames, which may or may not be movable relative to each other, are fixed to said columns, the idea being that the patient is supported in some way on the lifting frame. This can be achieved by means of, for example, a lifting strap which is fixed at the forked ends of the lifting frame.

With such devices patients can be raised out of a chair into a standing position, moved some distance, and then lowered onto another chair or another piece of furniture. These devices can also be used to place people in and move them out of a recumbent position.

Although such devices are satisfactory, the problem is that adequate numbers of such devices are not always present. The other drawback of such devices is that they take up a relatively large amount of space and that there are problems in moving them, particularly in limited spaces. This limited manoeuvrability means that, for example, in many toilets it is still necessary for the nursing staff to transfer a patient manually from a wheelchair onto the toilet bowl, and vice versa.

It would be desirable to be able to improve the abovedescribed device in such a way that when it is not in use the device can be stored in a space-saving manner which causes little inconvenience, and is simple to operate without being unstable, and in such a way that the special displacement necessary for transferring a patient from a wheelchair onto a toilet bowl and vice versa can be carried out in a limited space.

This is achieved in the case of a device of the type described above in that the column is provided with a foot platform, and at least one of the parts which is movable relative to the building or the like is provided with braking means.

The invention is based on the idea of disposing the lifting device at a fixed point. In other words, owing to the hinged connection to the swivelling arm, which is in turn connected to the building, the device according to the invention can in principle be used at only one place. This ensures that such a device is always present at the place in question.

The use of the swivelling arm fixed to the building means that a particularly stable structure is obtained, and it is guaranteed that there is no risk of the device with the patient in it falling over, in particular if the patient is in the upright position.

The use of the swivelling arm also means that the displacement of lifting a patient out of a wheelchair and placing said patient on, for example, a toilet bowl or in a bath can be carried out in an extremely small space. In other words, the device according to the invention can be used in toilets which are designed according to the guidelines laid down by the various authorities.

The design according to the invention also makes it possible to store the device after use in a particularly space-saving manner which causes little inconvenience. In this case the patient can stand on the foot platform, and the presence of the braking means ensures that the swivelling displacement can be controlled.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the fixing to the column comprises a hinged connection. Therefore, in a stationary position of the swivelling arm the lifting device can be positioned about a vertical axis.

It is possible to design the lifting device in all ways known in the prior art. According to one embodiment, the column consists of two parts, a first part thereof being fixed, in a hinged manner or otherwise, to the swivelling arm, while the second part thereof is movable in the vertical direction relative to the first part. Such a design may or may not be combined with a fixed or movable lifting frame.

In the case of the embodiment described above the foot platform is preferably disposed on the first part, which is connected to the swivelling arm.

The swivelling arm according to the invention can be designed in various ways. The simplest embodiment is a straight swivelling arm. In practice, this proves not to be very practical, and it is therefore proposed according to a further embodiment that it should be in the form of a bent arm, consisting of two parts which are situated at an angle to each other and are immovably connected to each other. This ensures, on the one hand, that the minimum of storage space can be provided for the lifting device and, on the other, that optimum positioning of the lifting device relative to an object is obtained. Such an object should be understood to mean a wheelchair, toilet bowl, bath, and so on.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the lifting arm is articulated. In addition, the lifting arm can be provided with a part which may or may not be telescopic.

In order to obtain maximum stability, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the swivelling arm is provided with braking means, controllable or otherwise, near at least one of the hinge points thereof. This means that a hinge point can be "fixed", thereby facilitating displacement of the patient. In addition, this prevents the patient from moving at excessively high speed or bumping into something.

The hinged displacement of the swivelling arm on the lifting device can be achieved at various positions. A first possibility is to dispose the hinge point in the centre line of the lifting device, and more particularly of the lifting column. According to another embodiment, if a footplate is present, the hinged connection is disposed near the side of said footplate.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the brake means are disposed in the foot platform, in which case the brake means are preferably in the form of blocks which can be lowered. The latter can be operated by a motor.

The invention will be explained in greater detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments shown in the drawing, in which: Fig. 1 shows in a first perspective view a first embodiment of the device according to the invention, in the position for receiving a patient being moved off a toilet bowl; Fig. 2 shows a second position in perspective view of the device according to the invention during the conveyance in a standing position of a patient, according to the first embodiment of the invention; Fig. 3 shows in cross-section a possible embodiment of the brake; Fig. 4 shows diagrammatically in top view a further embodiment of the device according to the invention, having in particular a modified swivelling arm; Fig. 5 shows a further variant of the invention, and more particularly the swivelling arm;; Fig. 6 shows diagrammatically in top view another embodiment of the swivelling arm according to the invention; and Fig. 7 shows in cross-section a further embodiment of the platform according to the invention, provided with the braking means according to the invention.

Figs. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of the device according to the invention in different positions, indicated in its entirety by 1.

It consists of two parts, namely a swivelling arm indicated in its entirety by 2, and a lifting device indicated in its entirety by 3. This lifting device can be any lifting device known in the prior art.

Swivelling arm 2 is fixed by means of fastening 5 and hinge 6 to floor 4. A braking mechanism (not shown in any further detail) may be present in hinge 6, which braking mechanism can be operated by means of part 7 in order to lock said hinge or to brake the rotary displacement of the swivelling arm. Swivelling arm 2 consists of two parts, the rightangled part being indicated by 8. At its free end it is provided with a hinge 9, which is fixed at the other side to foot platform 10 of lifting device 3. Foot platform 10 is immovably fixed to fixing column 11.

Lifting column 12 is inserted telescopically into fixing column 11. A lifting frame 13 is hingedly disposed on lifting column 12. Said lifting frame 13 is forked, and the free ends thereof are connected to the free ends of a lifting strap.

The lifting column 12 is movable up and down by means of a motor (not shown in any further detail) supported by a gas spring 16.

Lifting frame 13 is movable by means of cylinder 15. Lifting column 12 is provided with a knee support 17.

Reference number 20 indicates a toilet bowl, on which the patient concerned is to be placed.

The device described above functions as follows. Starting from the position shown in Fig. 2, the lifting frame 13 is moved downwards - possibly together with lifting column 12 - and, for example, a wheelchair (not shown) with the patient is moved in front of the lifting device. Lifting strap 14 is then detached from one of the forked arms of lifting frame 13 and passed under the armpits and across the back of the patient.

The lifting frame 13, possibly together with lifting column 12, is then moved upwards, with the result that the patient, having placed his feet on platform 10, and resting with his lower legs against knee support 17, is moved out of a seated position in a wheelchair into a suspended/standing position. The lifting frame 13 in this case is moved to the position shown in Fig. 2, and the patient is moved into a standing position.

The swivelling arm is then moved relative to fastening 5, and the lifting device is moved relative to the swivelling arm, until they are in the position shown in Fig. 1. The lifting frame 13 and the lifting column 12 respectively are moved downwards, so that the patient can sit down on the toilet bowl.

During the displacement into and out of the lifting device the brakes which may be present in the hinges of the swivelling arm 2 can be used to keep the displacement as controlled as possible.

By means of the construction shown here it is possible to store a lifting device permanently in, for example, a toilet in a very spacesaving manner. Moreover, the construction is very stable during the displacement of a patient.

Fig. 3 shows a possible embodiment of the braking means. In this case a section through swivelling arm 2 near hinge 6 is shown.

It can be seen that a pin 27 is present, which pin is immovably connected to attachment 5 and is provided with a disc 28 which has a series of openings 29 along the periphery. Arm 2 rotates with diagrammatically shown bearings about pin 27. Fixed in arm 2 is a bearing bar 30, provided with hinges 31, about which locking bars 32 can pivot.

Said locking bars 32 are provided at the ends with locking pins 33, which are of such dimensions that they can engage precisely in one of the openings 29 of disc 28.

At the other end, locking bars 32 are subjected to the influence of cup springs 34, which drive the locking bars apart.

A coil 35 is also present. Excitation of this electric coil leads to the ends of locking bars 32 moving towards each other against the action of the cup spring 34, so that the locking pins 33 move out of the openings 29, and disc 28 can move freely.

This means that when the coil 35 is not excited the locking pins 33 are always driven against the disc by springs 34 and, as soon as an opening 29 of the disc is encountered, the pins fall into said opening, with the result that immediate locking is provided.

In this way it is possible to lock swivelling arm 2 in a number of discrete positions relative to fastening 5, with the result that absolute reliability is ensured and positive action is needed to undo the locking by means of coil 35.

It will be understood that such a construction can also be present at the other end of swivelling arm 2. Moreover, it is possible to use all other brake constructions known in the prior art.

Further variants of the invention are shown in Figs. 4 - 6. The toilet bowl is indicated by 20 and a wheelchair by 19 in these figures.

In Fig. 4 the swivelling arm consists of a straight arm, which is hingedly fixed to the floor (or wall) of the building at one side and to the corner point of the foot platform 10 at the other side.

The storage position is shown by dotted lines.

Fig. 5 shows an articulated lifting arm with parts 22, 23 which are connected by a hinge 21. An even more compact storage position of the device can be obtained in this way, as can be seen from the position shown by dotted lines. In this embodiment also, the swivelling arm is disposed near the corner of the foot platform.

Fig. 6 shows an embodiment in which the swivelling arm is articulated at one side, and at the other side the hinge point is situated in the centre of the foot platform.

Fig. 7 shows a further embodiment of the foot platform according to the invention. The foot platform is indicated in its entirety by 41. It has an electric motor 42 which can be operated in a manner not shown in any further detail, and which by way of a reduction gearing drives a shaft 43 to which a crankshaft is fixed, which crankshaft in turn acts upon a connecting rod 44. This connecting rod 44, which is movable up and down, controls a plate 45 in which rubber blocks 40 are accommodated.

When motor 42 is operated, rod 44 - and thus the plate 45 - is moved up and down, and braking can be achieved by depressing the blocks 40.

It can be seen from the above that many variants are possible. It must also be understood that the invention is not restricted to the application together with a toilet bowl.

Claims

1. Device for moving a person (an invalid), comprising a column which is vertical during use and is provided with lifting means for that person which are fixed to said column and are movable relative thereto, which column is provided with displacement means, comprising a horizontal swivelling arm , which can be fixed to a building or the like in such a way that it pivots about an essentially vertical axis on the one hand and is fixed to the column on the other hand, characterized in that the column is provided with a foot platform , and at least one of the parts which is movable relative to the building or the like is provided with braking means.

2. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the fixing to the column comprises a fastening which pivots about a vertical axis.

3. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the column is an articulated column, a first part of which is fixed to the swivelling arm, and the second part of which is disposed in such a way that it can be moved in the vertical direction relative to the first part and is provided with lifting means

4. Device according to Claim 3, characterized in that the foot platform (10) is disposed on the first part

5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the swivelling arm comprises at least two arm parts which pivot relative to each other about an essentially vertical axis.

6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the braking means are disposed in at least one of the hinge points of the swivelling arm.

7. Device according to Claims 1 - 5, in which the braking means are disposed in the foot platform

8. Device according to Claim 7, in which the braking means comprise blocks which can be lowered to the floor.

9. A device for moving a person (an invalid) substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.