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
  • A61G5/1056—Arrangements for adjusting the seat
  • A61G5/1067—Arrangements for adjusting the seat adjusting the backrest relative to the seat portion
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
  • A47C7/00—Parts, details, or accessories of chairs or stools
  • A47C7/36—Supports for the head or the back
  • A47C7/40—Supports for the head or the back for the back
  • A47C7/44—Supports for the head or the back for the back with elastically-mounted back-rest or backrest-seat unit in the base frame
  • A47C7/446—Supports for the head or the back for the back with elastically-mounted back-rest or backrest-seat unit in the base frame with fluid springs
• • 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

Definitions

• the present invention relates to seats for wheelchairs and a wheelchair with such a seat.
• a seat having a dynamic reclinable backrest that is capable of absorbing the energy of sudden and forceful voluntary or involuntary movements of the person against the backrest.
• the backrest shall also for therapeutic reasons be resilient such that users with a tendency to spasms, sudden uncontrolled movements etc. are not injured when using a wheelchair.
• Such a movement will tend to extend the backrest towards a more reclined position. After the energy is absorbed the backrest should be capable of returning the person to an upright sitting position.
• a wheelchair seat is made available by the applicant with a product known as the "x:pandaTM".
• the seat in the wheelchair is equipped with a reclinable backrest having a gas spring operably positioned between the backrest and the seat for absorbing the energy of the previously described movements extending the backrest.
• a seat/backrest construction incorporating a gas spring is known from US 2,018,825. The gas spring is arranged in a fixed (but selectable) position, and serves to provide added comfort to a user.
• the gas spring In order to cater for persons of various weight and strength the gas spring is selected from a range of gas springs each with a fixed rating. In case of a disabled child who is still growing the gas spring may have to be replaced frequently during the life of the wheelchair, because the forces applied to the backrest increases as the weight and height of the child increase. Therefore a certain size of gas spring (a certain tension) will only be optimally suited for the seat for a limited period of time.
• An object of the present invention is to provide a seat for a wheelchair that is suited for disabled children who are still growing.
• a seat having seat connection means for attachment of the seat to a wheelchair comprising a seat frame, a backrest, wherein the backrest is pivotably connected to the seat frame through a pivoting means, and a spring means connected to the backrest at a first connection point and to a second connection point near the seat frame.
• the second connection point and the pivoting means are spaced by the distance C and the seat comprises adjustment means (113) adapted for changing the distance C.
• the tension of the spring means can be easily adjusted and the seat can thereby be adapted to different weight and strength. It is thereby not necessary to replace the spring with a spring having a different tension.
• the adjustment means are adapted for changing the distance C by displacement of the position of said second connection point position.
• an ad- justment mechanism can be added to one connection point, making the adjustment mechanism simple to implement and handle.
• the second connection point is connected to a guide arm and the position of said second connection point and thereby the distance C is adjustable by sliding said connection point along said guide arm.
• the guide ensures that the second connection point is fixed in all other directions than the relevant adjustment direction during adjustment, whereby the adjustment is easier to handle.
• the guide arm is mounted to the seat frame and said second connection point is slidably connected around said guide arm for sliding along said guide arm. This has proven to be a very simple and effective solution.
• the guide arm is extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of the spring means. Thereby the tension is especially easy to adjust.
• the seat comprises spring means connected to the backrest and the seat frame and positioned at each side of the seat. Thereby the spring means can absorb energy of movement of backrest evenly along the backrest surface.
• the seat comprises a visual indicator for indicating actual distance C between said connection points.
• specific settings can be used as references, e.g. when setting according to a previous setting or when setting each side with a similar tension.
• the seat comprises locking means for locking the distance C and thereby the second connection point at predefined positions. Thereby it can be ensured that exact same positions are chosen each time when adjusting.
• the invention is also directed to a method of adjusting the resiliency of a backrest of a seat for a wheelchair, where said seat has seat connection means for attachment of the seat to a wheelchair comprising;
• a spring means (107,207) connected to the backrest at a first connection point (109) and to a second connection point (111) near the seat frame, wherein the second con- nection point (111) and the pivoting means (105) can be spaced a distance C
• the seat comprises adjustment means (113) adapted for changing the distance C wherein said second connection point (111,211) is connected to a guide arm (115,215) and the position of said second connection point (111,211) and thereby the distance C is adjustable by sliding said second connection point (111,211) along said guide arm (115,215) such that the greater the distance C the softer the resulting spring action will be, and the shorter the distance C the firmer the resulting spring action will be.
• the resiliency is the ability of the back rest to be moved by the user during a sudden movement.
• the spring will dampen this movement.
• the basic "force multiplied by the distance equals the resulting force" is utilised in order to adjust the most desirable resiliency (i.e. resilient counterforce) desired for a given user.
• the adjustment possibility facilitates the adjust- ment of this force as the need for more or less force is required/desired.
• the spring means as a double acting gas spring member, where said gas spring may be exchanged for another gas spring member having a different spring characteristic, a much wider range of users may be suitable for using the seat/wheelchair, simply by selecting an appropriate gas spring.
• the present invention further relates to a wheelchair comprising a seat according to the above and with advantages as described above.
• Fig. 1 A-D illustrate the principles of the present invention
• Fig. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention, seen from behind the backrest, being in a first angular position relative to the seat frame
• Fig. 3 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention, seen from behind the backrest being in a second angular position relative to the seat frame
• Fig. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention, seen from the side where the second connection point has a first distance C to the pivoting means and where the backrest is in a first angular position relative to the seat frame
• Fig. 5 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention, seen from the side where the second connection point has a first distance C to the pivoting means and where the backrest is in a second angular position relative to the seat frame
• Fig. 6 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention, seen from the side where the second connection point has a second distance C to the pivoting means and where the backrest is in a first angular position relative to the seat frame,
• Fig. 7 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention, seen from the side where the second connection point has a second distance C to the pivoting means and where the backrest is in a second angular position relative to the seat frame,
• Fig. 8 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention and the visual indicator for indicating actual distance C.
• Fig. 1 A-D illustrate the principles of the present invention.
• the seat comprises a seat frame 101 and a backrest 103, wherein the backrest is pivotably connected to the seat frame through pivoting means 105.
• the seat further comprises spring means 107 connected to the backrest and the seat frame through a first connection point 109 and a second connec- tion point 111 near the seat frame 101, wherein the second connection point 111 and the pivoting means 105 are spaced by the distance C.
• the spring means could in one embodiment be a gas spring, but alternative spring elements could also be used.
• the seat comprises adjustment means (not shown) for varying the distance C between the second connection point 111 and the pivoting means 105.
• adjustment means for varying the distance C between the second connection point 111 and the pivoting means 105.
• fig. 1 B an embodiment is shown where the distance C can be varied by displacement of the second connection point 111.
• the second connection point 111 is connected to a guide arm 115.
• adjustment means 113 makes the connection point displaceable, whereby the distance C between the second connection point 111 and the pivoting means 105 is adjustable by sliding the second connection 111 point along the guide arm 115.
• fig. 1 C and fig. 1 D situations are illustrated where the second connection point 111 is in two different positions, whereby the distance C is varied.
• FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention, seen from behind the backrest, being in a first angular position relative to the seat frame.
• the specific embodiment of the seat 200 comprises a seat frame 201 with a support surface as well as a backrest 203 which comprises a number of back support elements 204.
• the back rest and the seat frame are pivotably connected in pivoting means 205.
• the seat further comprises a gas spring 207 connected to the backrest and the seat frame through a first connection point 209 and a second connection point 211.
• the seat comprises adjustment means 213 for changing the distance between the second connection points 211 and the pivoting means 205.
• the adjustment means com- prises a guide arm 215 being mounted to the seat frame 201 and the second connection point 211 is slideably connected around said guide arm 215 for sliding along said guide arm in the direction of the guide arm.
• Similar spring means and adjustment means are positioned at the opposite side of the seat.
• Fig. 3 illustrates the embodiment of the present invention, seen from behind the backrest being in a second angular position relative to the seat frame, in this position the gas spring 207 is forced together because of load (indicated by arrow 301) on the backrest.
• Fig. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention, seen from the side where the second connection point 211 has been moved to one end of the guide arm 215, thereby a first distance between connection points is obtained and thereby one tension of the gas spring is obtained.
• Fig. 5 illustrates the embodiment of the present invention, seen from the side being in a second angular position relative to the seat frame, in this position the gas spring 207 is forced together because of load (indicated by arrow 301) on the backrest.
• Fig. 6 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention, seen from the side where the second connection point 211 is positioned in the middle of the guide arm 215, thereby a second distance between connection points is obtained and thereby a second tension of the gas spring is obtained.
• Fig. 7 illustrates the embodiment of the present invention, seen from the side being in a second angular position relative to the seat frame, in this position the gas spring 207 is forced together because of load (indicated by arrow 301) on the backrest.
• Fig. 8 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention and the visual indicator 810 for indicating actual distance C between said connection points.
• a gap is made and the position of the connection point can be seen through the gap.
• Different posi- tions indicate different tensions of the gas spring.
• Positions have been indicated by a visual scale, thereby positions can be referred to for later reference, e.g. for a similar position of a similar adjustment means at the opposite side of the seat. References

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• 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 For Special Purposes, Such As Reclining Chairs (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=50486696

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (2)

Families Citing this family (3)

Citations (5)

Family Cites Families (8)

• 2014
  • 2014-04-09 JP JP2016506789A patent/JP2016514581A/ja not_active Ceased
  • 2014-04-09 AU AU2014252454A patent/AU2014252454B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2014-04-09 EP EP14717403.1A patent/EP2983633A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2014-04-09 US US14/783,743 patent/US9827154B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2014-04-09 WO PCT/DK2014/050084 patent/WO2014166495A1/en not_active Ceased

Patent Citations (5)

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