Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61G—TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
  • A61G5/00—Chairs or personal conveyances specially adapted for patients or disabled persons, e.g. wheelchairs
  • A61G5/10—Parts, details or accessories
  • A61G5/14—Standing-up or sitting-down aids

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a chair for disabled persons with related capability of movement, according to the preamble of patent claim 1.
• the object of the invention is to facilitate sitting down from standing as well as rising from a sitting position to standing for persons wit a limited capability of movement.
• the invention relates to a chair for facilitating for persons with limited capability of movement to sit down and rise.
• the word chair in relationship to the invention shall be understood broadly and comprises sitting aids on which one sits and which have the characterising features given in the patent claims.
• the chair has a seat, which can be risen and lowered and is spring prestressed towards an upper position by at least one spring means.
• a lifting- and lowering function is provided, whereby a user of the chair gets aid, both when sitting down and when rising. Rising and lowering of the seat coincides with the natural movement when a person rises and sits down.
• the seat is spring prestressed towards an upper position by at least one spring means.
• the chair has elbow- rests firmly fixed to the support. A user can thus get support from these by the hands to sit down resp. rise.
• the seat is tiltable between a substantially horizontal sitting position and a position tilting forwards.
• the declination of the seat can thereby follow the movements of the user during sitting down and rising.
• a preferred embodiment of the invention means, that the seat is tiltable around a geometric axis located between the fore edge and the back edge of the seat, preferably centrally located. Thereby vertical loads from the weight of a user are outbalanced and the declination of the seat is automatically adapted to the natural pattern of movement during sitting down and rising.
• An especially preferred embodiment means that the seat is provided to tilt forwards when it is at the upper position, i e the end position. Thereby sitting down from a standing position of a user in a first interval of movement is primarily facilitated, but also rising to standing position is facilitated. A declination forwards of about 20- 30 degrees in the upper position of the seat has proven to be extraordinarily suitable.
• the seat is arranged to take a substantially horizontal attitude in the lower position, i e the other end position.
• FIG 1 shows, in perspective, a first embodiment of a chair according to the invention.
• Fig 2 shows a side view of the embodiment shown in figure 1, with certain portions removed in order to show internal details .
• Fig 3 shows, in perspective, a second embodiment of a chair according to the invention.
• Fig 4 shows a side view of the embodiment shown in figure 3, with certain portions removed and with certain parts enlarged in order to show internal details
• a first embodiment of a chair 1 according to the invention is shown.
• the chair comprises a support, generally marked by 10, and a seat generally marked by 20, which can be risen and lowered, mounted thereon.
• the chair is shown with the seat in the upper position.
• the support 10 comprises two upright standing legs 16, each of them with a foot 11 at the lower end.
• the two feet extend in a direction forwards- backwards in order to give the chair 1 stability in the same direction.
• the two legs 16 are provided at each sides of the seat 20 and are connected by a transversal beam 12 to the lower portion of the legs 16 and via the seat 20 at an upper portion of the legs 16.
• elbow- rests 13 At the top of the legs 16 there are elbow- rests 13, by which a user can take support in order to sit down soft and in order to rise.
• squeeze protections in the form of a net construction or a panel to prevent a user from squeezing his fingers when the seat 20 is lowered.
• the seat 20 has a sitting surface 21 and is provided with a back - rest 23 which is firmly mounted at the seat 20 to follow its movement.
• the sitting surface 21 is provided between its side edges with an elevation in the form of a cone 23.
• This cone acts as a glide stop to support and to prevent a user from gliding from the sitting surface 21 when the seat 20 is in an upper position.
• the cone 23 is releasably fastened to the seat by the aid of a bolt, provided with a handle, which bolt extends through a hole in the seat.
• the seat 20 is at its lower side, at the side edges, fastened turnable at a seat holder 25, which comprises two tube-formed leg means 24 and a sitting support 26, which extends backwards from the leg means 24 and is fastened to these, non- turnable.
• the seat 20 is tiltable between a position, tilting forwards, as is shown at the figures, and a substantially horizontal position, in which the seat 20 is located when somebody sits at the chair 1.
• a support means 27 which together with the lower side of the seat 20 embraces the sitting support 26, so that the lower portion of the support means 27 is in contact with the lower surface of the sitting support 26 when the seat 20 tilts forwards and so that the lower surface of the seat is in contact with the upper surface of the sitting support 26 when the seat 20 is in the horizontal position.
• the support means 27 embraces the support 26, squeeze risks are avoided.
• the two tube- formed leg means 24 of the seat holder 25 are glideably inserted in the legs 16, which are also tube- formed. Between the the leg means 24 and the legs 16 there are pressure springs in the form of gas springs 32. These are provided vertically and are shown fully extended. When the seat 20 is pressed downwards by a user the springs 31 will be compressed. Between the transversal beam 12 of the support 10 and the lower edge 20 of the seat, in front of the journalled fixation at the seat holder, there is a guide means in the form of a smaller gas spring 31.
• the spring 31 has two functions, in the upper position of the seat 20 the spring 31 is extended next to its full length and acts as a traction means to keep the foremost edge of the seat 20 down, in order to let the seat 20 tilt forwards.
• the spring 31 In the lower position of the seat 20 the spring 31 is compressed next to its shortest length and acts as a pushing means to hold up the fore edge of the seat 20, in order to let the lower edge tilts in relationship to the seat support 26. In intermediate positions the spring 31 warrants a soft change of the declination of the seat 20.
• the function of the spring 31 may also be achieved in other ways, e g by separate traction- and pushing means . In different embodiments of the invention it may also be suitable to arrange the spring 31 between one of the legs 16 and the fore portion of one side edge of the seat or to provide two springs 31, one at each side.
• the spring forces of the vertical springs 32 is adapted to give a substantial contra action against the lowering movement and unload the force, with which a user must hold in the elbow- rests 13 when sitting down, and give a corresponding, substantial helping aid when rising from a sitting position.
• the spring force must not be so great, that a user cannot press down the seat 20 by his own weight and does not sit steadily when the springs 32 are compressed. Tests have shown that the combined lifting force of the springs 32 preferably should be of the order 60%-
• the spring force of the springs 32 may be set.
• the seat 20 may be lockable in the lower position to warrant that a user sits steadily without the need of sitting still.
• a chair 2 adapted to the utilisation at a
• the seat 20 is designed hke a sit ring 21a, which at its lower position is intended to support directly to a WC -chair (not shown) and to replace a common sit ring.
• a buffer means 28 preferably of rubber or some similar material, as support at a WC- chair.
• leaning support in the form of taps 29, which are non- turnably connected to the seat 20, as is shown enlarged in fig 4.
• the leaning supports 29 are provided by defining end positions for the declination of the seat 20 by contact with inside of the tube- formed means 21.
• the declination interval between horizontal sitting position ( shown dashed ) and forwards tilting position ( whole line) is determined by the length of the leaning supports 29 and a bevelling turned backwards together with the inner diameter 1. of the tube- formed means 24 and the location of the turning point.
• the transversal beam 12a of the support is designed hke a forwards bent bow to make it possible for the chair 2 to be led backwards to a WC-chair so that the seat 20 is above it.
• a buffer means 15 for contact with a fore, lower portion of the WC- chair.
• the distance of the buffer means 15 to the beam 12a can be set by the aid of a handle 17.
• the seat 20 may be lockable in the lower position, e g with the aid of some means provided between the seat holder 25 and the support 10. This is a great advantage at this embodiment to facilitate drying after a WC visit.
• the seat 20 of the chair 2 can also be lockable vertically at one or more elevations above a WC in order to function, also as a WC- chair elevator.
• the variety of possibilities for usage is a great advantage of the invention.
• the invention can, in extension to the embodiments described above, be applied to wheel- chairs by providing the support with wheels.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Chairs Characterized By Structure (AREA)
• Chair Legs, Seat Parts, And Backrests (AREA)
• Special Chairs (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20405038

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (4)

Citations (5)

• 1996
  • 1996-12-19 SE SE9604672A patent/SE518430C2/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1997
  • 1997-12-16 WO PCT/SE1997/002106 patent/WO1998029082A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (5)

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