WO2012059806A1

WO2012059806A1 - Xxl care lift

Info

Publication number: WO2012059806A1
Application number: PCT/IB2011/002572
Authority: WO
Inventors: Henrik Nøhr KOFOED; Mogens Ilsted Bech
Original assignee: Borringia Industrie Ag
Priority date: 2010-11-01
Filing date: 2011-10-31
Publication date: 2012-05-10

Abstract

A chair for handicapped persons comprises a seat unit (16) defining a seating surface (21), a wheeled undercarriage (10) and a pair of upwardly extending, transversely spaced lifting columns (12) interconnecting the undercarriage and the seat unit for raising and lowering the seat unit in relation to the undercarriage. The chair further comprises tilting means (22, 24) for tilting the seat unit in relation to the undercarriage. The tilting means are suspending the seat unit (16) between said pair of lifting columns (12) so as to be tilt able about a substantially horizontal pivot axis positioned vertically above said seating surface such that the pivot axis extends through or close to the center of gravity of the seat unit (16) and a person sitting therein. Thus, the chair is very stable even with a relatively small supporting surface.

Description

XXL Care Lift

Background of the Invention

In recent years a number of inventions have been presented in the area of shower- & commode chairs. Such chairs, which allow caregivers to assist mobility impaired people handling toileting and showering routines, have traditionally been chairs with four castor wheels and a seat with a toilet opening. The concept being that the mobility impaired person sitting in the chair can be pushed to a position above the opening in the toilet bowl for toileting purposes and wheeled into a shower cubicle to be bathed.

However, such traditional shower- & commode chairs had a fixed seat height, leading the caregiver to stand stooped or crawl on all fours for extended periods of time in order assist with personal hygiene, foot care etc. These working positions lead to a poor work environment with heavy strain on the caregivers' lumbar region, shoulders, knees etc.

In order to improve the caregivers' working position a number of shower and commode chairs are described with an electrical or mechanical adjustment of the seat height. For example EP 1 286 638B1, EP 2 100577 A2, NL 10022812 C2 and NL 1005550 C2 all describe inventions where the seat of the shower and commode chair is lifted via a mechanism of parallelograms, hinged at the front of the chairs' undercarriage. As a consequence of this design, the person sitting in the chair is lifted in a circular movement going upwards and forwards. Whilst this design allows for a limited width of the chair, it has the disadvantage that the undercarriage needs to have a long footprint in order to guarantee stability, when the patient is sitting in the highest position, i.e. lifted up- and forwards.

As all the chairs disclosed in the above mentioned patents are intended to be driven backwards over the toilet bowl, the lifting motors or actuators are situated at the front end of the chairs leading to lever ratios of up 1 :4 to 1 : 5. This means that in order to lift a person weighing e.g. 150 kg, the lifting motor has to push with a force of 600- 750 kg leading to the need for expensive motors as well as excessive power consumption. Furtherrnore, the lever ratios also mean that the structure and bearings of the chairs has to be designed in such a way that they can support loading of up to 600-750 kg . This leads to unnecessarily heavy and costly constructions.

All of the chairs described in EP 1 286 638B1, EP 2 100577 A2, N L 10022812 C2 and NL 1005550 C2 offer a seating unit, which can be tilted in space. Tilting backwards is desired both to increase the mobility impaired person's comfort as well as to

compensate for potential lack of torso stability. However, all the chairs tilt the seating system around a horizontal axis placed underneath the seat. Irrespective of whether said axis is placed under the front, the centre or the back of the seat, the construction by definition leads to the centre of gravity moving backwards or forwards as well as possibly in the vertical direction, when the seat is tilted . This again means that the undercarriage has to have an unnecessarily large footprint in order to remain stable, when the seat is tilted and significantly more force is required from the tilting actuator. Minimizing the size of the undercarriage is critical from a functional point of view, as bathrooms normally offer limited space. The shower & commode chair must leave sufficient free space in the bathroom for the caregivers to be able to move freely around the patient d uring the care routines. European patent application number 94301985.1 shows a shower & commode chair, which lifts via a lifting column rather than via a parallelogram lifting mechanism as described above. However, as the lifting colu mn is placed at the front of the

undercarriage, similar disadvantages with regard to lever ratios are experienced, leading to an unnecessarily heavy, costly and bu lky design. All of the above chairs are designed to be used by patients with a "normal" body weight, i .e. with a Body Mass Index - or BMI - below 30 (weight in kg/height in m²). With the alarming increase in the number of extremely overweight - or "bariatric" - patients witnessed worldwide in the latest decades, the need for an elevating shower & commode chair with a "tilt in space" function capable of handling patients with a body weig ht of 300+ kg is adamant. However, such a shower & commode chair based on any of the above inventions/designs would become too large to fit into even special large bathrooms. Furthermore, the construction would become so heavy that it would be next to impossible for the caregivers to push it with or without patient. Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides a chair - such as a shower and commode chair - for handicapped persons and of the type comprising a seat unit defining a seating surface, a wheeled undercarriage, lifting means interconnecting the undercarriage and the seat unit for raising and lowering the seat unit in relation to the undercarriage, and tilting means for tilting the seat unit in relation to the undercarriage, and the chair according to the invention is characterized in that the lifting means comprises a pair of upwardly extending, transversely spaced lifting columns and that the tilting means are suspending the seat unit between, said pair of lifting columns so as to be tilt able about a substantially horizontal axis positioned vertically above said seating surfa .

.

Because the seat unit of the chair according to the invention is lifted by means of upwardly extending or vertical lifting columns, the lever ratio is 1 : 1, leading to a significantly reduced force needed to lift the person sitting in the chair. This allows for a relatively light and compact design by reducing the amount of metal and other construction materials needed to make the chair. Furthermore, because the seat unit is pivot able around an axis placed significantly above the seating surface - and preferable at or close to the centre of gravity of the seat unit and a person sitting therein - the centre of gravity remains nearly stationary or does not move

substantially when the seat unit is tilted around the pivot axis. This means that the

"footprint" of the undercarriage can be minimized and still provide stability even with the sitting person being tilted and lifted within a height range of the seating surface between 45 and 145 cm above the ground or floor surface. With the compact design providing optimal stability throughout the lifting range of up to 1 meter, the caregiver can carry out any care- or hygiene routine from washing the patient's hair to foot care without having to stand stooped, leading to nearly optimal working positions. Furthermore, the compact design leaves ample space for the caregiver to move around the invention even in a small bathroom. Thus, all of the disadvantages stated above in connection with the known chairs are eliminated by the chair according to the present invention, which : lifts the seat unit and the person sitting therein vertically by means of a pair of •

synchronized lifting columns, whereby the problem of lever ratios is eliminated, leading to a significantly less bulky and heavy construction,

minimizes the force needed to lift the patient, and

•

tilts the seat unit around a horizontal axis placed significantly above the seating •

surface and in the vicinity of the centre of gravity of the seat unit with seated person, whereby the centre of gravity remains nearly stationary or is moved only slightly when the seat unit with the sitting person is tilted around the pivot axis.

With this design the seated person remains in substantially neutral balance at all times, leading to the need for a significantly smaller required ^footprint" of the undercarriage as well as a reduced force needed in order to carry out the tilting function. The distance between the seating surface and the horizontal tilting axis, which also means the vertical distance between the tilting axis and the seating surface, when the seating unit is in a position where the seating surface is substantially horizontal, depends not only on the weight range and body shape of the persons for which the chair is intended, but also on the weight and shape of the seat unit. However, generally the said distance is within the range of 10-50 cm and normally between 15 and 35 cm and most frequently between 20 and 25 cm .

The lifting columns may be of any type being able to move the seat unit vertically. As an example, they may be telescopic and each may comprise a stationary part and a movable part. Each lifting column may then comprise moving means for moving or lifting the movable part in relation to the stationary part of the column, and the movements of the movable parts of said pair of columns may be synchronized. The tilting means may, for example, comprise a pair of oppositely arranged

suspension members extending upwardly from the seating surface of the seat unit, and each suspension member may then be pivotally connected to the adjacent lifting column, namely the vertically movable part thereof, so as to define a substantia lly horizontal pivot axis extending through or close to the centre of gravity of the seat unit and a person sitting therein. Means, such as an electric motor or an actuator, for adjusting the tilt position of the seat unit may be provided so that the tilted position of the seat unit may be adjusted by operating suitable control means.

The seat unit may comprise a seat defining said seating surface, a backrest and a leg support, and means, such as an electric motor or actuator, may be provided for adjusting the position of the leg support, and/or the backrest in relation to the seat.

The undercarriage is preferably supported by wheels, castors or rollers defining a substantially rectangular supporting floor surface and the lifting columns may then be positioned at opposite sides of this rectangular surface. The moving means of the lifting columns, the means for adjusting the position of the seat unit, the means for adjusting the position of the leg support and/or the backrest may be controlled by the caregiver or by the handicapped person sitting in the chair by means of a suitable control device, which may, for exa mple be a remote controt. The chair according to the invention is preferably a shower and/or commode chair and may be provided with one or more push handles allowing the caregiver(s) to push and move the chair.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will now be further described with reference to the drawings, which show a presently preferred embodiment of the shower and commode chair according to the invention, and wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the chair according to the invention, where the seat unit is lifted and the seating surface is in a slightly tilted, but almost horizontal position . Fig . 2 is the chair shown in Fig . 1, where the seat unit is at its lowest position, the seating surface is tilted backwards and the leg supporting surface is lifted to a position suitable for foot care, Fig. 3 is a detail showing how the seat un it is pivotally mounted on the movable part of one of the two lifting columns.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

The drawings show a shower- & commode chair comprising an undercarriage 10 having four castor wheels 11 defining a substantially rectangular supporting surface. A pair of lifting columns 12 extends upwardly from the undercarriage 10, and each column comprises a stationary part 13 fastened to the undercarriage 10 and a movable part 14, which may be moved in relation to the stationa ry part in a telescopic manner. The lifting columns are preferably arranged at the middle of opposite sides of the rectangle defined by the castor wheels 11 and may be custom lifting columns or standard lifting columns commercial ly available from a number of manufacturers. The stationary part 13 of each column is provided with handles 15, which may be gripped by a caregiver for pushing or moving the chair,

A seat unit 16 comprises a seat 17, a backrest 18, a leg support 19 and a pair of arm rests 20, and the seat 17 defines an upper seating surface 21. This seat unit 16 is suspended between the oppositely arranged lifting col umns 12 by means of a pair of suspension members 22, which are fastened to opposite sides of the seat unit and extends upwardly to a position well above the seating surface 21. The upper end of each suspension member 22 is pivotally connected to the adjacent movable column part 14 by means of a pivot connection 23. The oppositely arranged pivot connections 23 define a substantially horizontal pivot axis around which the seat unit 16 may be tilted by means of an electric motor or actuator 24. Similarly, the leg support 19 may be tilted in relation to the seat 17 by means of an electric motor or actuator 25.

The tilting movements of the seat unit 16 and of the leg support 19 may be controlled by actuating the motors or actuators 24 and 25, respectively, for example by means of a control device 26 (Figs. 2 and 3). This control device may also be used to control the synchronized lifting movements of the columns 12.

The pivot connections 23 are preferably arranged in such a height above the seating surface 21 that the substantially horizontal pivot axis defined thereby extends through or close to the gravity centre of the seat u nit 16 and a person sitting therein . The seat unit 12 is suspended such that when the seating surface 21 is substantially horizontal said centre of gravity is positioned almost vertically above the midpoint or centre of the rectangle defined by the castors 11. Because the pivot axis extends through or close to the centre of gravity it will move only slightly, when the seat unit 16 is tilted . Therefore the chair according to the invention is very stable even with at relatively small "footprint" or support surface defined by the castor wheels 11.

The seat 17 may define an opening 27 therein so that the chair may be used as a toilet chair. Furthermore, each pivot connection 23 is releasably mou nted on the movable part 14 of the adjacent lifting column 12 and may be mounted in multiple different positions so that the minimum and maximum heights of the seat unit may be adjusted. It should be understood that various changes and modifications of the chair described above coufd be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims. As an exa mple, the castor wheels 11 need not define a rectangular supporting surface, but more than four wheels may be used and they may define any other suitable polygonal supporting surface.

Claims

1. A chair for handicapped persons comprising

a seat unit (16) defining a seating surface (21),

a wheeled undercarriage (10),

lifting means (12) interconnecting the undercarriage and the seat unit for raising and lowering the seat unit in relation to the undercarriage, and

tilting means (22-24) for tilting the seat unit (12) in relation to the undercarriage (10),

characterized in that the lifting means comprises a pair of upwardly extending, transversely spaced lifting columns (12) and that the tilting means (22-24) are suspending the seat unit (16) between said pair of lifting columns so as to be tilt able about a substantially horizontal axis positioned vertically above said seating surface (21).

2. A chair according to claim 1, wherein said substantially horizontal axis is

positioned at or close to the centre of gravity of the seat unit (16) and a person sitting therein.

3. A chair according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the horizontal tilting axis is

positioned 10-50 cm, preferably 15-35 cm, and more preferred 20-25 cm vertically above the seating surface (21) in its lower position.

4. A chair according to any of the claims 1-3, wherein the lifting columns (12) are telescopic and each comprises a stationary part (13) and a movable part (14).

5. A chair according to claim 4, wherein each lifting column comprises moving means, for moving the movable part (14) vertically in relation to the stationary part (13) of the column, the movements of the movable parts of said pair of columns being synchronized.

6. A chair according to any of the claims 1-5, wherein the tilting means comprise a pair of oppositely arranged suspension members (22) extending upwardly from the seating surface (21) of the seat unit ( 16), each suspension member being pivotally connected to the adjacent lifting column (12).

7. A chair according to any of the claims 1-6, further comprising means, such as an electric motor or actuator (24), for adjusting the tilt position of the seat unit (16).

8. A chair according to any of the claims 1-7, wherein the seat unit (16) comprises a seat (17) defining said seating surface (21), a backrest (IS) and a leg support (19), means, such as an electric motor or actuator (25), being provided for adjusting the position of the leg support (19) and/or the backrest in relation to the seat (17).

9. A chair according to any of the claims 1-8, wherein the undercarriage (10) is supported by castors (11) or rollers defining a substantially rectangular supporting floor surface, the lifting columns (12) being positioned at opposite sides of said rectangular surface.

10. A chair according to any of the claims 4 - 8, wherein the lifting columns (12), the means (24) for adjusting the position of the seat unit (16) and/or the means (25) for adjusting the position of the teg support (19) and/or the backrest (18) is/are remote controlled.