GB2463960A

GB2463960A - Moveable chair lift with rear mounted wheels

Info

Publication number: GB2463960A
Application number: GB0912437A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gary Rosser
Original assignee: Mountway Ltd
Current assignee: Mountway Ltd
Priority date: 2008-10-04
Filing date: 2009-07-17
Publication date: 2010-04-07
Also published as: GB0818222D0; GB0912437D0

Abstract

A chair lift of the type used for raising and lowering the infirm comprising a seat 2 mounted for movement on a pair of elongate rigid support posts 5 and a pair of wheels which extend from the rear of the chair. The seat portion 2, together with a backrest 3 can then be raised or lowered on the posts 5 and the infirm person can be lifted. The chair can be tilted backwards using a handle 6 and manoeuvred on wheels 9. Also disclosed is a chair lift with a foldable backrest for storage in a generally flat arrangement. Side flaps to help transfer a person, a strap to support a person and means to anchor a chair to the bed may also be provided.

Description

I

Improvements in and relating to chair lifts This invention relates to chair lifts of the type used for raising and lowering the infirm.

A typical chair lift of the foregoing type includes an integrally moulded seat with attendant backrest, the backrest being mounted upon e.g. a pair of vertically disposed rails or pillars which are themselves fixed at their lower ends to a chassis in the form of a yoke which may e.g. be placed within a bath for lowering a user of the chair into and out of the bath. The chair itself is connected to the body of a battery operated linear actuator, with the actuator arm itself being connected to the chassis between the support rails or pillars, such that upon actuation of a handset or other control the seat can be s&ectively raised and lowered relative to the chassis. This general arrangement is very satisfactory in assisting the infirm into or out of a bath, but is necessarily of limited use otherwise.

The present invention is derived from the realisation that the infirm can have difficulty in raising themselves from the floor after e.g. accidentally slipping on to it from a chair or a bed, such that there is a need for a more adaptable *:*. chair lift for use in such circumstances.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a chair lift comprising or including a seat portion moveably mounted on seat support means such as seat support posts, the seat support means being mounted generally upright on a chair support chassis, the chassis including wheel means permitting movement of the chair and an occupant thereof across a floor surface when the seat support means are tilted backwards relative to a user of the seat.

Conveniently, the wheel means are a pair of wheels extending from a rear portion of the chassis relative to a user of the seat and the seat support means are a pair of tubular pillars extending generally upright from the rear of the chassis, thereby defining a generally L' section profile onto which the seat and backrest may slide up and down in response to actuation of a linear actuator and attendant actuator arm for raising and lowering the seat and backrest relative to the chassis.

With this arrangement, the chair lift can be effectively used as the equivalent of a sack truck by being wheeled up to an infirm person sitting or lying on the floor, who can then move or be moved onto the seat, whereafter the chair can be tilted backwards so that it rests solely on the wheels, and the person be transported to a required location, such as.the edge of a bed or next to a lounge chair, following which the seat may be raised by operation of the actuator until the occupant of the seat is able to slide or be slid onto e.g. a bed or lounge chair.

Conveniently, where the seat and associated backrest are supported on a pair of support pillars, the pillars are connected at their upper end to form a handle by which the chair may be tilted and transported either with or without a person thereon, in the manner of a typical sack truck.

Although the chair lift in accordance with the first aspect of the invention is configured to resemble a sack truck, other possibilities arise where the invention is to be used e.g. in vehicles such as ambulances, or where storage space is otherwise at a premium, and according to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a chair lift comprising or including a seat portion moveably mounted on seat support means, such as a seat support chassis, the seat portion having a foldable backrest such that when not in use the chair lift can be stored generally flat, such as in a vehicle, and can be folded out for use with the backrest in a generally upright configuration.

Conveniently, the chair lift in accordance with the second aspect of the invention has a pair of wheels at the front and a pair of wheels at the back so that, if preferred, an occupant of it may be moved to a required location without the backrest being tilted in the manner of a sack truck in use. This arrangement therefore provides a more stable means of moving and lifting a user of the chair and also lends itself to the chair being motorised to the extent that as well as having a capacity to lift the seat portion from the support means, such as the support chassis, one or more electric motors may be used to drive one or more of the wheels so that movement of the chair from one location to another may be achieved with little or no physical effort on the part of the user of the chair or an attendant carer. Such motorised movement capability may even be operable remotely, such as via a remote handset, which itself may be adapted to be worn * S..

*:*. by a potential user of the chair who may, due to a fall or other such event require use of the chair when a carer is not present and where the surroundings permit the chair to be moved from a stored location to the user by the user where the surroundings so permit.

In both aspects of the invention the chair is conveniently provided with side flaps for the seat portion which fold or slide outwardly in order to facilitate sliding movement of a user of the chair on or off it.

For increased security the chair may also be provided with a lap strap and/or a chest harness to prevent or inhibit the user of the chair from falling off it as the seat portion is raised or lowered or as the chair is moved from one location to another. Similarly, where the chair is to be used to lift and lower overweight people it may include an anchoring system whereby part of the chair can be secured against unwanted movement against e.g. the side of a bed.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which, Figure us a front perspective view of the chair lift of the invention, Figure 2 is a side view of the chair lift of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a plan view of the chair lift of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a perspective view from the rear and one side of the chair lift of Figure 1, and Figure 5 is a side view of the chair lift of Figure 1 showing the seat and associated backrest in its raised position.

Referring firstly to Figures 1-3, the chair lift shown generally at 1 comprises a seat 2 and integrally moulded backrest 3, the backrest 3 being mounted by collars 4 for upward movement on a pair of elongate rigid support posts 5 connected at their respective upper ends by a handle 6. The opposite ends of the support posts 5 are secured to a support chassis 7 generally in the form of a yoke having a pair of splayed apart feet 8 at the front thereof and a pair of wheels 9 extending from the rear by which the chair 1 may be conveniently moved over a floor surface by gripping the handle 6, tilting the support posts 5 sufficient to allow the feet 8 to be lifted from the floor, and thereafter be towed or otherwise moved to a required position in a similar manner as for the use of a sack truck.

In Figures 4 and 5 it will be seen that mounted on the rear of the backrest 3 between the support pillars 5 is an electrically operated linear actuator 10 and attendant telescopicably extendable actuator arm 11 connected at its lower end to the rear of the chassis 7 by which the seat 2 and backrest 3 can be raised or lowered from the position shown in Figure 4 to that shown in Figure 5.

In operation, the chair 1 can be stored with the seat 2 lowered against the chassis 7 and when required for use, such as when an infirm person has slipped from a bed or chair onto the floor, it can be wheeled to a suitably convenient position, whereafter the user of the seat can slide or be slid onto it, and by then tilting the support posts 5 an operator of the chair I can simply tow the user backwards to a required location, such as next to a chair or bed. At the chosen location the operator of the chair raises the seat 2 by activating a handset (not shown) by which the linear actuator 10 can begin extending the telescopicable S...

actuator arm 11 until a required height of the seat 2 has been reached. The actuator 10 is then turned off and the user of the seat may thereafter slide or be slid on to e.g. a bed or a chair.

Although a pair of support posts 5 are shown, it will be apparent that fewer or more posts may be used, and the handle 6, while preferable for imparting stability for the support posts 5 may be dispensed with, or separate handles may be provided on the end of each support post.

The invention therefore provides an elegantly simple solution to a common everyday problem for some temporarily or permanently infirm people and their carers, by combining technologies more common to eg. bathlifts with technologies more common to moving e.g. heavy sacks around warehouses. * * * S. S S... * S *.. S. * . * *5 *5.. * . *.S. *5 * * S*

S IS

Claims

Claims 1. A chair lift comprising or including a seat portion moveably mounted on seat support means such as seat support posts, the seat support means being mounted generally upright on a chair support chassis, the chassis including wheel means permitting movement of the chair and an occupant thereof across a floor surface when the seat support means are tilted backwards relative to a user of the seat.
2. A chair lift as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wheel means comprises a pair of wheels extending from a rear portion of the chassis relative to a user of the seat and the seat support means comprises a pair of tubular pillars extending generally upright from the rear of the chassis, thereby defining a generally L' section profile onto which the seat and backrest may slide up and down in response to actuation of a linear actuator and attendant actuator arm for raising and lowering the seat and backrest relative to the chassis.
3. A chair lift as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pillars are connected at their upper end to form a handle by which the chair may be tilted and transported either with or without a person thereon, in the manner of a typical sack truck.
4. A chair lift comprising or including a seat portion moveably mounted on seat support means, such as a seat support chassis, the seat portion having a foldable backrest such that when not in use the chair lift can be stored generally flat, such as in a vehicle, and can be folded out for use with the backrest in a generally upright configuration.
5. A chair lift as claimed in claim 4, further comprising or including the chair lift a pair of wheels at the front of the chair and a pair of wheels at the back of the chair so that, if preferred, an occupant of it may be moved to a required location without the backrest being tilted in the manner of a sack truck in use.
6. A chair lift as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein one or more electric motors are used to drive one or more of the wheels so that movement of the chair.
7. A chair lift as claimed in claim 6, wherein said motoro or motors are operable remotely.
8. A chair lift as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the chair is provided with side flaps for the seat portion which fold or slide outwardly in order to facilitate sliding movement of a user of the chair on or off it.
9. A chair lift as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the chair is provided with a lap strap and/or a chest harness to prevent or inhibit the user of the chair from falling off it as the seat portion is raised or lowered or as the chair is moved from one location to another.
10. A chair lift as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein an anchoring system is provided whereby part of the chair can be secured against unwanted movement against e.g. the side of a bed.