GB2324028A

GB2324028A - Lifting seat apparatus with guide

Info

Publication number: GB2324028A
Application number: GB9707197A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Edmund Talbot Garman
Original assignee: Mangar International Ltd
Current assignee: Mangar International Ltd
Priority date: 1997-04-09
Filing date: 1997-04-09
Publication date: 1998-10-14
Anticipated expiration: 2017-04-09
Also published as: GB9707197D0; GB2324028B

Abstract

In a seat 23 which is lifted by a stack 11 of inflatable bags or a segmented bellows and which has an upright guide 37 for the seat movement, a steel rod frame 83 is located around the periphery at the joint between at least one pair of adjacent bags or segments 60, the frame having an extension 84 which encompasses and slides along a part of the guide whereby transverse movement of the bags or bellows is limited. Each bag or segment may be internally stiffened by a thin plastics ring 85 engaging the inner periphery of the seam 81 between the two halves of the bag or segment. Spacers 86 may be provided on the seat or on the base 10 to prevent crushing of the lifting means and the stabilising means when the seat is lowered.

Description

LIFTING SEAT APPARATUS This invention concerns lifting seat apparatus of a kind comprising a base, a seat, guide means upstanding from the base to guide the seat as it is raised and lowered by inflation and deflation (pressurisation or depressurisation) of lifting means disposed between the base and the seat.

In our co-pending Application No. 9618661.4 filed in the UK on 6th September 1996, we described apparatus of the above kind, and the present invention concerns problems of stability of such apparatus when employed in relatively deep baths. The whole of the disclosure in 9618661.4 is hereby incorporated into this application by reference, and said disclosure should be read in conjunction with this present specification and the accompanying drawing.

The present invention provides apparatus of the above kind in which the lifting means comprises a stack of interconnected bags or a segmental bellows, and is characterised in that the lifting means is stabilised by a frame member being interposed between peripheral portions of two adjacent ones of the bags or segments, which frame member has an extension shaped to partially encompass the guide means to limit movement of said bags or segments transversely of the longitudinal direction of the guide means.

The lifting means is preferably further" stabilised by inclusion in at least one of said bags or segments of a stiffener which supports internally the periphery of the bag or segment.

The stiffener is preferably of ring form, preferably having a relatively thin flat cross-section.

The base and seat are preferably provided with spacer abutments to prevent the lifting means and stabilising frame or frames and stiffener or stiffeners being crushed together between the seat and base when the seat is fully lowered.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein FIGURE 1 is an enlargement of part of FIGURE 1 of Application No. 9618661.4 with additions to show stabilising members, and FIGURES 2 and 3 respectively show a plan view of an internal stability member and an external stabilising member.

In the accompanying drawings and description, the same reference numbers are used to denote the same parts as those shown and described in 9618661.4 and are not further described herein.

In FIGURE 1, the lifting means 11 comprises a stack of bags 60 or a bellows comprising segments 60. Each bag or segment 60 is made up of two webs 80 of material joined together peripherally at a seam 81. Each bag or segment 60 is joined to the adjacent bag or bags or segment or segments at a junction 82 or junctions 82.

The external stabilising means (FIGURE 3) comprises a frame 83 of stainless steel rod which is shaped to fit closely around most of the external periphery of the junction 82 in the manner of a hoop, except at the rear of the lifting means, whereat the hoop is open and the frame 83 has a rear extension 84 providing two mutually confronting recesses 86 to receive the limbs 37 slidably therein.

The internal stabilising means (FIGURE 2) comprises a thin stiff plastics ring 85 disposed in the bag or segment 60 so as to engage the inner periphery of the seam 81. The internal dimensions of the ring 85 are somewhat larger than the external dimensions of the hoop 83, except at the rear, and are larger than the peripheral dimensions of the junctions 82 to facilitate formation of the junctions by RF welding.

The external stabilising means effectively prevents transverse distortion and collapse of the lifting means, which can thus be safely extended up to 10 or more bags or segments, provided that one such frame 83 is provided at least at each third junction or at alternate junctions along the stack or bellows, and the internal stabilising means prevent implosion of the stack or bellows when the internal pressure falls below the applied water pressure in a bath.

Spacers 86 are optionally provided under the seat 23 or on the base 10 to prevent the seat crushing the peripheral parts of the lifting means and the stabilising means, between the seat and the base when the seat is fully lowered.

The stabilising means may be employed with similar lifting devices in other forms of lifting apparatus, not just bathlifts.

Claims

1. Lifting seat apparatus comprising a base, a seat, elongate guide means upstanding from the base to guide the seat as it is raised and lowered by inflation and deflation (pressurisation or depressurisation) of lifting means disposed between the base and the seat, and characterised in that the lifting means comprises a stack of interconnected bags or a segmental bellows, and is stabilised by at least one frame member being interposed between peripheral portions of two adjacent ones of the bags or segments, which frame member has an extension shaped to encompass part of the guide means to limit movement of said bags or segments transversely of the longitudinal direction of the guide means.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the lifting means is further stabilised by inclusion in at least one of said bags or segments of a stiffener which supports internally the periphery of the bag or segment.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the stiffener is of ring form having a relatively thin flat crosssection.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the base and seat are provided with spacer abutments to prevent the lifting means and stabilising frame of frames and stiffener or stiffeners being crushed together between the seat and base when the seat is fully lowered.

5. Lifting seat apparatus substantially as hereinafter described incorporating stabilising means substantially as shown in the accompanying drawings.