WO2003090658A1

WO2003090658A1 - Device for moving handicapped people

Info

Publication number: WO2003090658A1
Application number: PCT/IT2002/000269
Authority: WO
Inventors: Luigi Turina
Original assignee: Luigi Turina
Priority date: 2002-04-24
Filing date: 2002-04-24
Publication date: 2003-11-06
Also published as: EP1496829B1; WO2003096952A2; ATE398436T1; ES2307968T3; WO2003096952A3; AU2003226588A1; DE60321673D1; AU2002302965A1; AU2003226588A8; EP1496829A2

Abstract

A mobilizing device for disabled people comprises a movable bearing structure, means for holding the body of the person with mobility disablement and means for lifting the holding means. The holding means are rigid means of the engagement and the support of the bust of the person with mobility disablement, and are translatable along the bearing structure.

Description

"Device for moving handicapped people" FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device for moving disabled people; more particularly, the invention relates to a device for lifting and transporting people being unable to walk. The transport of the disabled people, i.e. of people with mobility disablement, in hospitals or at home, such as for instance the transport of said people from bed to bathroom to carry out their physiological functions or the usual hygienic activities, is a deeply felt problem and requires the intervention of several persons and/or suitable mechanical devices. BACKGROUND

The known devices for moving disabled people generally include a bearing structure comprising an upright and a fixed arm located, at a given height, transversally with respect to the upright; besides, ropes or cables are comprised, suitable to lift or lower a special sling wherein the body of the person to be mobilized is placed, said ropes or cables being tied to the bearing structure by means of pulleys or like sliding elements. This type of device is very bulky and for this reason, even if it is mounted on a carriage, it does not allow an easy transport of people with mobility disablement, especially in small environments such as, for instance, habitations.

Besides, the sling that encircles the person with mobility disablement would not be easily applied to the areas of the limbs and the bust, and its presence is a remarkable obstacle during personal hygienic activity and dressing.

Mobilizing devices are also known that have an arm hinged to the supporting upright, so as to allow its upward rotation; a sling is attached to the arm. Such devices reduce only partially the bulk and do not solve the problems associated with the presence of the sling; besides, a possible oscillation of the person with mobility disablement with respect to the anchoring point of the sling on the supporting arm, might cause the rollover of the device. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Object of the present invention is to provide a mobilizing device for disabled people, i.e. for people with mobility disablement, that is compact, light and easy to move. Another object of the present invention is to provide a mobilizing device for disabled people, wherein the system for holding the body of the disabled person does not prevent the carrying out of personal hygiene and dressing operations.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a mobilizing system for disabled people which can be realized and produced in a simple and economical way.

These and other objects are achieved by the present invention that concerns a mobilizing device for disabled people comprising a movable bearing structure, means for holding the body of the transported person and means for lifting said holding means, characterized in that said holding means are rigid means for the engagement and the support of the bust of the transported person, and translatable along said bearing structure. In particular, said rigid means support and engage the bust under the armpits. Advantageously, the holding means are translatable in a direction substantially orthogonal to the floor.

According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the mobilizing device comprises a resting element for the legs of the disabled person, approximately in the areas of the knees, tied to the bearing structure. Such α resting element allows to mobilize the person with mobility disablement in a seated posture, without, contrary to what happens with traditional slings, blocking the legs and hindering the access to the groin portion, and rendering in this manner possible any personal hygiene and dressing. Besides, the presence of a support for the bust in the areas of the armpits and the presence of a support for the legs in the areas of the knees, allow to easily mobilize the person with mobility disablement from a chair to a sanitary fixture and vice-versa, as the rest of the thighs, the buttocks and a major portion of the back remains free.

According to an advantageous aspect of the invention, the holding means comprise two articulated arms, provided each with at least one arched portion suitable to partly encircle, in the areas of the bust, the person with mobility disablement. According to a further preferred aspect of the present invention, the bearing structure comprises a carriage-mounted vertical element, said vertical element being coupled to a jacket translatable integrally with the holding means. According to a further preferred aspect of the present invention, the lifting means comprise a piston that can be activated by hand and/or electrically, connected to the cylindrical jacket and translatable in the inside of the vertical element.

A realization of this kind allows to markedly reduce the size of the mobilizing device, as said piston is incorporated in the bearing structure.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be clearer from the following description, made for illustrative purposes without limiting the scope of the invention, with reference to the attached drawings wherein;

- Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the device for moving people with mobility disablement according to the present invention;

- Figure 2 shows a view of the mobilizing device with the holding means in open and raised position;

- Figure 3 shows a schematic view of the lifting device according to the present invention; and

- Figure 4 shows a side view of the device for moving disabled people during use. EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows a mobilizing device 1 for disabled people, comprising a mobile bearing structure 2, rigid holding means 3 and means 4 for lifting said holding means 3. Means 3 engage and support under the armpits the bust of the person with mobility disablement, and are arched to encircle at least partly a portion of the body of said person in the areas of the bust.

The lifting means translate the holding means 3 along the bearing structure 2 in a direction substantially parallel to the floor. In this manner, by encircling the person with mobility disablement, it is possible to put him(her) on his(her) feet, mechanically simulating the lifting action carried out by a person who seizes the person with mobility disablement at the height of the bust and lifts said disabled person by hand. The mobilizing device has also a resting element 5 that during the use is caused to lean against the back portion of the legs of the person with mobility disablement in the areas of the knees, in order to allow the transport of said persons in a seated posture. To this end, the resting element 5 protrudes less than the bearing structure 2 of the holding means 3, namely it is not aligned with said bearing structure. The resting element is formed of α rigid crosspiece 6, covered with flexible material, connected to the bearing structure 2 of the device. As can be better seen in Figures 2, 3, the bearing structure 2 is provided with a vertical cylindrical element 8 that supports at different heights the holding means and the resting element, and that is, in its turn, mounted on a carriage 9 provided with four wheels 10, 1 1 to mobilize the device.

In detail, both front wheels 10 are fixed, while both rear wheels 1 1 are pivoting and impart the device directionality. The distance between the front wheels and their overall height are such as to allow the insertion of the front portion of carriage 9 in the inside of the legs of any wheel-chair for people with mobility disablement and externally to the usual sanitary fixtures. The cylindrical element 8 is externally coupled to a cylindrical jacket 12 coaxial to the cylindrical element 8 and translatable integrally with the holding means 3. In particular, the holding means 3 are made up by two articulated arms hinged in 13, through a bolt-coupling known perse, to the upper end of the cylindrical jacket 12. The rotation axis of the articulated arms with respect to the external jacket 12 is vertical with respect to the floor.

Each articulated arm is made up by a rectilinear portion 14 and an arched portion 15, hinged together in 13', with a rotation axis which is always vertical with respect to the floor. Both arched portions 15 have a conformation particularly suitable to encircle the body of the person with mobility disablement in the areas of the bust, and the presence of hinges 13' between the straight 14 and arched 15 portions allows the adjustment of the holding means 3 to different persons, independently on the build, imparting the mobilizing device 1 an utmost flexibility in use. In the areas of the untied ends, the arched portions 15 have closing means 16, such as Velcro strips or buckled strips, to block in a closed position, i.e., around the bust of the person with mobility disablement, both arched portions 15 that are thereby tied with one another. In order to impart the person with mobility disablement a greater comfort, the arched portions 15 of the holding means 3 and the resting element 5 are covered by a special padding from flexible material known per se and used for such purposes. Preferably, the lifting means are made up by a single effect hydraulic cylinder. As can be seen in Figure 3, they comprise a piston 17 connected in the upper part^' to a cylindrical jacket 12 and a plunger 18 mobile in the inside of the cylindrical element 8 which, for this reason, is hermetically sealed. A pump 19, located at the base of the cylindrical element 8, blows a fluid, for instance oil, into the inside of the cylindrical element 8, causing the expansion of plunger 18 of piston 17 and lifts consequently jacket 12 and the holding 3 and supporting 24 means tied thereto. Pump 19 is activated by a manual lever 20. In order to lower the holding means 3, the hosting means are provided with an air valve (not shown), that allows the discharge of the fluid from the cylindrical element 8 and, thereby, the lowering of the cylindrical jacket 12.

The air valve is activated by hand with a push-button 21 (Figs. 1 , 2) located in the areas of the upper end of the jacket 12. Such composition and arrangement of the lifting means 4 markedly reduces the overall dimensions, but obviously any lifting means may be used to lift the cylindrical jacket 12, for instance an actuator, a worm or a chain system, without falling outside the protection scope of the present invention. Besides, it would be also possible, always for this purpose, to provide the piston with an electric drive system or to differently arrange the elements. In an alternative version, for instance, piston 17 is connected to the base of the cylindrical element 8 and plunger 18 is upwards oriented and translates in a special expansion chamber located in the inside of the cylindrical jacket 12.

In the areas of the upper end of the bearing structure, a handlebar 22 is also present for the movement of device 1 ; for this purpose, device 1 might be provided with a small motor, such as an electric motor allowing the self-propelled movement of device 1.

Anchored in an adjustable manner to the supporting jacket 12, as already mentioned, a resting element 5 is included, such as a crossbar 6 covered with soft material, whereon the rear part of the thighs of the person with mobility disablement can rest (Fig. 4), allowing a more comfortable transport of said person in a seated posture.

The adjustment of the resting element 5 with respect to the bearing structure 2 is caused to be possible by known means, such as a collar 23 placed on the cylindrical jacket 12, that allows the vertical translation of the resting element 5, and a support 24 of a telescopic type located between the crosspiece and the collar, to allow the adaptation of the various "builds" or "sizes" of the transported persons. The collar also allows the rotation of the resting device around the cylindrical jacket 12 in a plane parallel to the floor. In this way, without possible obstructions caused by the presence in a front position of the resting element, it is possible to utilize the mobilizing device to lift the person with mobility disablement in a substantially erect position. Thanks to its limited size and mobilizing easiness, the mobilizing device subject matter of the present invention shows also a great easiness of use and is suitable to be employed in small environments such as, for instance, habitations.

In particular, the mobilizing device is used for lifting people with mobility disablement from the bed to any other resting surfaces where they may rest in a seated posture, and to transport them, in substantially the same posture, wherever it is necessary. For this purpose, the mobilizing device subject matter of the present invention is positioned frontally with respect to the person with mobility disablement, seated in such a manner that the bust, in the areas of the armpits, can be encircled, when closed, by the arched portions 15 of the articulated arms, and that it is possible to lean his(her) legs, in the areas of the knees, on the resting element 5. Now, by activating the piston, it is possible to slightly lift the person with mobility disablement, and to transport him(her) in a seated posture wherever it is necessary.

Claims

1. A mobilizing device for disabled people, comprising a mobile bearing structure, means for holding the body of the transported person and means for lifting said holding means, characterized in that said holding means are rigid means for engaging and supporting the bust of the transported person, and are translatable along said bearing structure.

2. The mobilizing device according to claim 1 , characterized in that said holding means are translatable in a direction substantially orthogonal to the floor.

3. The mobilizing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said bearing structure comprises also a resting element for the legs of the transported person.

4. The mobilizing device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said holding means comprise two articulated arms, each arm being provided with at least one arched portion suitable to partially encircle the bust of the person with mobility disablement in the areas of the armpits.

5. The mobilizing device according to claim 4, characterized in that said holding means comprise closing means suitable to fasten said arched portions around the bust of the person with mobility disablement.

6. The mobilizing device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said bearing structure comprises a carriage- mounted vertical element, said vertical element being coupled to a jacket integrally translatable with said holding means.

7. The mobilizing device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said lifting means comprise a piston, that can be activated by hand and/or electrically, connected to said cylindrical jacket and translatable in the inside of the vertical element.

8. The mobilizing device according to any of the preceding claims 3- 7, characterized in that said resting element comprises adjustment means for adjusting its position with respect to the holding means.

9. The mobilizing device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a handlebar for push-moving the device and/or motorτdriven means for its self-propelling movement.

10. The mobilizing device according to any of the preceding claims 3- 10, characterized in that said holding means and said resting element comprise at least partially coverings from soft materials.