DE69517796T2 - LIFTING DEVICE FOR MOVING PATIENTS AND FOOTREST PLATE FOR USE WITH SUCH A LIFTING DEVICE - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates generally to the technical field of caring for disabled patients or persons, and more particularly to a lifting device for moving a patient or person, such as lifting a patient or person from a sitting position to a standing position or vice versa, or moving the patient or person from a bed, a wheelchair or the like.

So-called patient lifting devices are known, for example, from US Patent No. 4,918,771, European Patent No. 0,059,141, European Publication No. 0,547,901, GB Patent No. 2,140,773, GB Patent No. 2,223,477, GB Patent No. 2,267,475, Swedish Patent No. 405,547, Swedish Patent No. 463,347, Swedish Patent No. 467,088, Danish Patent No. 131,806, Danish Patent No. 142,225, Danish Patent No. 159,010 and Danish Patent No. 162,503. Reference is made below to the above patents and the above-mentioned US patent is further incorporated into the present specification by reference.

The prior art patient lifting devices generally suffer from a serious disadvantage in that they are not readily applicable in connection with patients of different sizes. The main problem associated with handling a patient, such as a disabled patient, is to support the patient appropriately while lifting him or her from, for example, a sitting position to a standing position, without, on the one hand, causing injury to the patient or person by subjecting one or more of his or her body parts, such as the lower legs, knees, thighs, hips, back or arms, to excessive loads that may even cause fractures, and without, on the other hand, exposing the patient or person to the risk of slipping or falling.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new lifting device for handling a patient or a person, which lifting device can be used with ease in different applications, including the use in lifting a patient or a person from, for example, a bed or the floor to a raised position while hanging in a sling, or moving the patient or person from one place to another while being lifted in the sling, and the use in lifting a patient or a person from a sitting position to an upright position, without requiring time-consuming modifications to the lifting device, such as removing one or more structural elements of the lifting device and replacing the structural element or elements with other structural elements.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new lifting device for handling a patient or person, the lifting device being easily adjustable to any patient or person regardless of the size or physique of the patient or person such as height, length of legs, weight and the like, without subjecting the patient or person to loads that may cause injuries such as fractures.

A particular advantage of the present invention is the fact that a user, such as a nurse, operating the lifting device according to the present invention can easily adjust the lifting device to a particular patient or person with whom the user is to provide a careful Supporting the patient or person whilst he or she is being handled by the lifting device.

A feature of the present invention relates to the fact that a foot support plate assembly forming a component of the lifting device according to the present invention can be provided as a separate component which can be easily adapted to conventional lifting devices in order to achieve the advantageous properties of the present invention.

The objects, advantages and features described above and further objects, advantages and features which will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention set out below are achieved according to a first aspect of the present invention by a lifting device for moving a patient such as lifting the patient from a sitting position to a standing position or vice versa or moving the patient to or from a bed, a wheelchair or the like, comprising:

a support frame defining a substantially horizontal support surface,

a lifting lever assembly comprising: a vertical mast defining opposite upper and lower ends and rigidly connected to the support frame at its lower end and extending upwardly from the support frame, a substantially horizontal lever defining opposite first and second ends and connected at its first end to the upper end of the mast via a hinge connection that allows the substantially horizontal lever to pivot about the hinge connection to raise or lower the second end of the lever relative to the support surface of the support frame,

an actuator that causes the substantially horizontal lever to rotate about the joint,

a body strap depending from the second end of the substantially horizontal lever for supporting the patient, and

a foot support plate assembly comprising a substantially horizontal plate and a lower leg or knee support, the foot support plate assembly being supported by the support frame and comprising a vertical adjustment system to adjust the vertical and horizontal position of the lower leg or knee support relative to the plate.

In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, it has been recognized that it is of utmost importance that the lower legs of the patient or person being handled by means of the lifting device are properly positioned and supported to prevent the patient or person from being subjected to an excessive or excessively high load that may cause injury. Thus, it has been recognized that the lower legs or alternatively the knees of the patient or person being handled by the lifting device must, on the one hand, be positioned anatomically correctly and, on the other hand, must be properly supported to prevent the patient or person from changing his or her position during the procedure of handling the patient or person, which change may result in a particular part of the patient or person being subjected to an excessive or excessively high load that may cause injury.

In order to provide for appropriate positioning of the lower legs or knees of the patient or person being handled by means of the lifting device, it has been recognised that it is of paramount importance that the lower legs or knees of the patient or person are supported by means of a lower leg or knee support which is suitably adjustable relative to the support plate on which the foot of the patient or person rests, in order to ensure that the lower legs and legs of the The patient or person is suitably positioned and supported to prevent any part of the patient or person's body from being subjected to excessive loads which may cause injury such as fractures.

According to the preferred embodiment of the lifting device according to the present invention, the vertical adjustment system of the foot support plate assembly comprises a first and a second set of tubes, each set comprising an outer tube and an inner tube which cooperate with one another and are displaceable relative to one another to provide vertical and horizontal displacement of the lower leg or knee support relative to the plate, respectively.

By providing a first and a second set of tubes according to the presently preferred embodiment of the lifting device according to the present invention, the sets of tubes forming vertically and horizontally adjustable sets of tubes respectively, an extremely reliable but simple construction of the vertical adjustment system is achieved.

According to alternative embodiments of the lifting device according to the present invention, the lower leg or knee support of the foot support plate assembly is displaceable along a horizontal or vertical direction by means of displaceable arms, levers, guides and the like.

The inner tube and the outer tube of the first and second sets of tubes according to the above-described preferred embodiment of the lifting device according to the present invention are preferably lockable relative to each other by means of a locking device which further preferably comprises, according to the presently preferred embodiment, a screw extending through the outer tube of the set of tubes to cooperate with and be locked to the inner tube of the set of tubes.

According to an alternative embodiment of the lifting device according to the present invention, the locking device can comprise locking pins, optionally spring-loaded locking pins, locking pawls and the like.

According to the preferred embodiment of the lifting device according to the present invention, the inner tubes of the sets of tubes have inclined sinking surfaces which cooperate with the screw of the locking device to provide an extremely advantageous structure by which the lower leg or knee support can be easily adjusted and moved from an end position to a stop and thereafter, after the stop has been adequately adjusted, locked in the intended and correct position.

In order to prevent the inner and outer tubes of the sets of tubes from rotating relative to each other and in some cases from becoming disengaged from each other, the tubes of the sets of tubes are preferably formed from square tubes or alternatively from triangular, polygonal or elliptical tubes or by another tube structure other than a cylindrical structure.

According to different applications of the lifting device according to the present invention, the body belt can hang from a single hanging arm or alternatively hang from a set of hanging arms. The lifting lever structure of the lifting device according to the present invention is thus preferably adapted to accommodate a single hanging arm or a yoke having two or more hanging arms for hanging the body belt.

The actuator of the lifting device according to the present invention may be any manually operated actuator or preferably a motor-operated actuator such as a motor-driven extendable extension device which a hydraulic motor, a pneumatic motor or preferably an electrically driven motor, which is further formed by a mains-driven AC motor or alternatively and preferably by a battery-driven DC motor.

According to the teaching of the present invention, it has been recognized that one and the same lifting device comprising a substantially horizontal lever can be used for different applications including supporting the feet and the lower legs or knees of the patient or person for lifting the patient or person from a sitting position to a standing position or lowering the patient from a standing position to a sitting position and applying lowering or lifting of the patient without causing any part of the patient's body to be affected by the lower leg or knee support of the lever device, which applications are somewhat contradictory to each other since the distance from the body belt to the articulation in the first application must be quite short in order, on the one hand, to position the lifting device relative to the patient or person so as to enable the feet and the lower legs or the knees of the patient or person to be supported by the elements of the foot support plate assembly and, on the other hand, to lift the patient or person from the sitting position to the standing position without causing any part of the body of the patient or person to excessive forces which may cause injury to the patient or person, this process preferably having to resemble the natural process of lifting a body from a sitting position to a standing position by shifting the weight of the chest forwards and simultaneously lifting the body by extending the legs, and since the distance from the body strap to the articulation must be slightly greater in the second application in order to avoid any risk of any part of the patient's or person's body coming into contact with the mast the lifting device or the foot support plate assembly, which contact may cause injury to the patient or person in the event that the contact occurs while the patient or person is hanging freely from the outermost end of the lever of the lifting device. Consequently, according to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the lifting device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the lifting device further comprises a lever arm hinged to the second end of the substantially horizontal lever and defining a free end for hanging down the body belt for supporting the patient, the lever arm being displaceable between a first position and a second position, in the first position the free end is displaced towards the hinge connection and in the second position the free end is displaced away from the hinge connection. According to the above-described advantageous embodiment of the lifting device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the lever of the lifting device is formed, so to speak, by an articulated lever system which can be shortened or lengthened in order to adjust the lever for the different applications described above, without the need for disassembly or reassembly of different structural elements of the lifting device.

According to the above-described advantageous embodiment of the lifting device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the lifting device further comprises a yoke structure for hanging the belt from the free end of the lever arm. It is preferably possible for the yoke structure to hang freely at the second position of the lever arm and preferably to be locked relative to the lever arm while the lever arm is in the first position. The displacement of the yoke structure from a freely hanging structure to a locked structure can be realized by means of a suitable locking device such as manually operable locking pins, screws, bolts, couplings and the like. According to the above-described In an advantageous embodiment of the lever device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the yoke is preferably freely movable relative to the free end when the lever arm is in the second position and is locked to the free end when the lever arm is in the first position, since the translation of the yoke structure from a freely suspended system to a locked or arrested system is automatically realized when the lever arm is moved from the first position to the second position and vice versa.

In order to obtain an advantageous geometric position of the articulation between the lever and the mast of the lifting device according to the first aspect of the present invention relative to the hanging of the patient or person, the lever arm is provided in the first position, the mast preferably defining an angle of 10 to 30º, such as 15 to 20º and preferably about 10 to 12º relative to the vertical direction, since the substantially vertical mast inclines away from the second end of the lever, i.e. inclines away from the place of hanging of the patient or person and preferably of hanging of the patient or person by means of the yoke structure.

The present invention also relates to a foot support plate assembly used in conjunction with a lifting device for handling a patient or person.

The above-mentioned objects, features and advantages, together with numerous other objects, advantages and features which will become apparent from the detailed description set out below of the presently preferred embodiments of the lifting device and the foot support plate assembly according to the present invention, are achieved according to a second aspect of the present invention by a foot support plate assembly comprising:

a substantially horizontal plate and a lower leg or knee support,

a device for supporting the foot support plate assembly by the lifting device and

a vertical adjustment system for adjusting the vertical and horizontal position of the lower leg or knee support relative to the plate.

The foot support plate assembly according to the present invention may further preferably comprise one of the above-described features of the lifting device according to the first aspect of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention is further described with reference to the drawings.

Figures 1 and 2 show perspective and schematic views of a first embodiment of a patient lifting device according to the present invention, wherein a first application of the patient lifting device is shown.

Fig. 3 shows a perspective and schematic view similar to the views of Figs. 1 and 2, showing another application of the first embodiment of the patient lifting device according to the present invention.

Figures 4 and 5 show a schematic perspective top view and a bottom view, respectively, of a foot support plate assembly which forms a component of the first and presently preferred embodiment of the patient lifting device shown in Figures 1 to 3.

Figures 6a to 6c show schematic sectional views of a locking mechanism of the foot support plate assembly shown in Figures 4 and 5.

Figures 7 and 8 show schematic views of a second and currently preferred embodiment of a patient lifting device according to the present invention, wherein a first and a second application of the patient lifting device are shown in a similar manner to the applications shown in Figures 1 and 2 and in Figure 3, respectively.

Fig. 9 shows a perspective and schematic view of a detail of a joint system of a lever of the second embodiment of the patient lifting device according to the present invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Figs. 10 and 11 show schematic and partially cutaway views of the joint system shown in Fig. 9 of the second embodiment of the patient lifting device according to the present invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Figures 12 and 13 show perspective, schematic and partially cutaway views of a detail of a rotary connection of the lever of the second embodiment of the patient lifting device shown in Figures 7 and 8 according to the present invention.

Fig. 14 shows a schematic and partially cutaway view of a detail of a connection of a stand of the second embodiment of the patient lifting device shown in Figs. 7 and 8 according to the present invention.

In Fig. 1 to 3 a first embodiment of a patient lifting device according to the present invention is shown, which is designated as a whole by the reference numeral 10. By means of the patient lifting device 10 a patient or a disabled person 12 can be moved from, for example, a standing position shown in Fig. 1 to a sitting position shown in Fig. 2, in order to enable that the patient or person 12 is sitting on a chair, a wheelchair or on a bed, these not being shown in the drawings. The patient or person shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is able to stand on his or her own feet. In contrast to the application shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the patient lifting device 10 can alternatively be used as in Fig. 3 for moving or shifting the patient or person 12 when the patient or person is unable to stand on his or her own feet, when the patient or person is shifted in a position supported by a sling in which the patient or person is seated and comfortably supported. The process of moving or shifting the patient or person 12 by means of the patient lifting device 10 is controlled by a person 14 such as a nurse.

The patient lift 10 includes a frame 16 comprising two parallel rails 18 and 20 connected together in a generally U-shaped configuration by a link 22 which is further connected to a handle 28 by which the nurse 14 in Fig. 2 can move the rails 18 and 20 toward or away from each other so that the width defined between the rails 18 and 20 is adapted to a particular application such as the width between the wheels of a wheelchair to enable the rails 18 and 20 of the support frame 16 of the patient lift 10 to be moved between the wheels of the wheelchair from which the patient or person is being lifted or positioned.

The connection 22 represents a mechanical connection by which the movement of the handle 28 to the right or to the left compared to a central vertical position shown in Fig. 3 causes an increase or decrease in the width defined between the rails 18 and 20, respectively. The connection 22 is further rigidly connected to support plates 24 and 26. which together with the outer ends of the rails 18 and 20 define the outer corners of the support frame 16, in which corners of a total of four wheels 30 are provided.

A vertical post 32 extends upwardly from the support frame 16, the post 32 being rigidly connected to the link 22 and further to the support plates 24 and 26. The post 32 is connected at its upper end to a curved lever via a hinged connection housed within a beam cover 36. The curved lever 34 defines an angle of approximately 90º and is further connected to the post 32 via an extendable extension assembly 38 having an extension arm 39 connected at its upper end to the curved lever 34 via a bracket 42, whereas the extendable extension assembly 38 is fixed relative to the post 32 via a rod 40. The extendable extension assembly 38 includes a motor which may be a hydraulic motor, a pneumatic motor or preferably an electric motor. The electric motor may be a mains powered AC motor or preferably a battery powered DC motor. The operation of the extendable extension assembly 38 and further the operation of the patient hoist 10 is controlled by the nurse 14 via a controller 52 mounted on the stand 32. The controller 52 is connected to the extendable extension assembly 38 via a wire 53 and is further connected to a hand controller 57 via a coiled wire 56. The hand controller 57 has switches by which the nurse 14 can cause the extendable extension assembly 38 to extend or retract, which causes the lever 34 to be raised or lowered, respectively, relative to the support frame 16.

The curved lever 34 can be equipped with a yoke having two parallel suspension beams 44 and 45, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, according to the two alternative applications of the patient lifting device 10, or it may alternatively be equipped with a single suspension beam 44' as shown in Fig. 3. The suspension beam 44' may be used for suspending a frame 46' from which a sling 50' is further suspended. The sling 50' serves the purpose of supporting the patient or person in a seated position while the patient or person is being moved or transferred from, for example, a wheelchair to a bed or vice versa. While handling the patient or person 12 supported by the sling 50', the nurse 14 may raise or lower the patient or person 12 by extending or retracting the extendable extension assembly 38, causing the lever 34 to be raised or lowered relative to the support frame 16. In order to move the patient hoist 10 from one position to another position by rolling the patient hoist 10 on the floor on which the patient hoist 10 rests, the hoist is provided with a pair of handle bars 54 which the nurse 14 can grasp to achieve a firm steering grip, as shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1 the yoke is shown having suspension beams 44 and 45, the beams being provided with eyelets 48 and 49 in which a strap 50 hangs. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the strap 50 is mounted to support the back of the patient or person 12 when the strap 50 is positioned on the person or patient 12 under the armpits of the patient or person. The yoke assembly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is further provided with two handles 46 and 47 rigidly connected to the suspension beams 44 and 45 respectively and which are intended for the patient or person 12 to grasp the handles. In Figs. 1 and 2 the patient or person 12 stands on his or her feet on a foot support plate assembly 60 which is described in more detail below with reference to Figs. 4 and 5. The foot support plate assembly includes a vertically and horizontally adjustable lower leg or knee support 80 through which the lower legs or knees of the patient or person 12 can be supported during raising or lowering of the patient or person, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, enabling the patient or person to be comfortably supported in a stable position in which to raise or lower the patient or person without risk of causing injuries such as fractures of the patient's lower legs, knees, thighs, hips or back, or injuries caused by the patient or person slipping on the foot support plate assembly 60.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the foot support plate assembly 60 includes a plate 62 provided with two non-slip surface covers 64 and 65 on which the patient or person 12 can position the left and right feet, respectively. The plate 62 is rigidly connected to a tripod support structure comprising three rods 66, 67 and 68 and a vertical square tube 74. The rod 68 is rigidly connected to a U-shaped bracket 70 which is further provided with two recesses 72 provided on opposite sides of the bracket 70. The bracket 70 is adapted to sit on two horizontal pins extending outwardly from the transmitter 32. The pins are received within the recesses 72 of the bracket to secure the bracket 70 relative to the post 32 and thus secure the foot support plate assembly relative to the post 32 of the patient hoist 10. The rods 66 and 67 are also adapted to seat on the joint 22 for securing and supporting the foot support plate assembly 60 relative to the support frame 16 of the patient hoist 10.

The vertical square tube 74 represents a first square outer tube in which a first square inner tube 76 is accommodated. By means of an adjusting screw 78, which is provided with a bolt that extends through a bushing of the square outer tube into the interior of the first square outer tube 74, the first square inner tube 74 is fixed relative to the first square outer tube 74 is fixed in a specific position determined by a triangular machined inner surface of the first square inner tube 76, as described in more detail below with reference to Figures 6a to 6c. The first square inner tube 76 is rigidly connected to a second horizontal square outer tube 84 which is provided with a further set screw 88 similar to the set screw 78 of the first square outer tube 74.

The second or horizontal square outer tube 84 cooperates with a second or horizontal square inner tube 86 which is similar to the first square tube 76. As shown in Fig. 5, the second square inner tube 86 is connected to a plate 82 to which the lower leg or knee support 80 is fixed. By raising the first square inner tube 76 relative to the first square outer tube 74 and by positioning the first square inner tube 76 relative to the first square outer tube 74 at a certain position by means of the adjusting screw 78, the height of the lower leg or knee support 80 above the plate 52 can be adjusted. Furthermore, by extending or retracting the second square inner tube 86 relative to the second square outer tube 84, the horizontal position of the lower leg or knee support 80 can be adjusted and fixed by the set screw 88. As can be understood, the cooperating inner and outer square tubes 76, 74 and 86, 84 form a perpendicular vertical-horizontal positioning system.

In Figs. 6a to 6c, the second group of square tubes comprising the second square outer tube 74 and the second square inner tube 86 is shown in more detail. Fig. 6a is a top view of the square tubes, wherein a triangular shaped depression of the upper surface of the square inner tube 86 is formed by two triangular depression surfaces 90 and 92. The depression surfaces 90 and 92 define an inwardly inclined track which cooperates with the innermost end of a bolt 94 of the adjusting screw 88. As shown in Figs. 6b and 6c, the bolt 90 is provided with an external thread which cooperates with a bushing 96 provided with an internal fabric and secured to the outer surface of the square outer tube 84. The positioning of the square inner tube 86 relative to the square outer tube 84 and hence the horizontal positioning of the lower leg and knee support 80 is achieved as follows. As shown in Fig. 6b, the innermost end of the bolt 94 of the adjusting screw 88 is in contact with the sinking surfaces 90 and 92 of the upper surface of the square inner tube 86. When the adjusting screw 88 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction, causing the bolt 94 to retract relative to the internal space defined within the square outer tube 84, that is, causing the bolt 94 to move from the position shown in Fig. 6b to the position shown in Fig. 6c, the square inner tube 86 can be inserted into the internal space defined within the square outer tube 84.

Thus, the inner end of the bolt 94 defines a stop or retainer which cooperates with the countersink surfaces 90 and 92, thereby allowing the square inner tube 86 to be inserted at a particular position within the square outer tube 84, which is defined by the depth of insertion of the bolt 94 into the interior space defined within the square outer tube 84. On the other hand, the bolt 94 prevents the square inner tube 86, and similarly the square inner tube 76, from being inserted further into the square outer tube in which the square inner tube is received, whereby the square inner tube, when the bolt 94 is not tightened to the countersink surfaces 90 and 92, can extend out of the square outer tube. The sinking surfaces 90 and 92, which interact with the bolt 94, provide an extremely easily adjustable device for precise positioning of the lower leg and knee support 80 relative to the lower leg or knee of a specific patient or position being moved or displaced from a standing position to a sitting position or vice versa by means of the patient lifting device 10.

Initially, the lower leg or knee support 80 is positioned in any position, after which the lower leg or knee support 80 is easily adjusted by vertically or horizontally sliding the lower leg and knee support 80, during which adjustment procedure the sinking surfaces of the square inner tubes 76 and 86 prevent the lower leg and knee support 80 from being lowered below a certain minimum position determined by the depth of insertion of the bolt of the adjustment screw 88 and from being moved above a horizontal position determined by the depth of insertion of the bolt 94 of the adjustment screw 88.

7 and 8 there is shown a second and presently preferred embodiment of the patient lifting device according to the present invention, which is designated as a whole by the reference numeral 10'. In Figs. 7 and 8 and also in the accompanying Figs. 9 to 14, the components or elements which are identical to the components and elements described above with reference to Figs. 1 to 6, respectively, are designated by the same reference numerals as in Figs. 1 to 6, and the components and elements shown in Figs. 7 to 14 serve substantially the same purpose as the similar components or elements described above with reference to Figs. 1 to 6, respectively, and are designated by the same reference numerals as in Figs. 1 to 6, but with the addition of an ' as an additional suffix. Thus, the second and presently preferred embodiment of the patient lifting device 10' shown in Figures 7 and 8 comprises the frame 16 having the wheel support rails comprising the rail 18. The rails of the frame 16 are connected to a front plate 24' pivotally connected and are operated by a motor, not shown in the drawings, to position the rails in a mutually parallel position or an angular position relative to each other to adjust the distance between the rails relative to a particular application. The plate 24' supports the rear wheels 30 of the frame 16, whereas the rails of the frame 16, which comprise the rail 18, each support two front wheels 30'.

From the rear end of the frame 16, a post 32' extends upwardly in a slightly angled position relative to the vertical direction, defining an angle of approximately 10 to 12 degrees relative to the vertical direction. The post 32' is, as described in more detail below with reference to Fig. 14, connected to the frame 16 via a connection that allows the post 32' to be removed from the support frame 16. The post 32' supports the lower leg and knee support 80, which is adjustable in a perpendicular, substantially vertical and horizontal adjustment system relative to the post 32 and also relative to the frame 16 by means of a locking handle 78' and a set screw 88'. The frame 16 also has a foot support plate assembly 66' similar to the foot support plate assembly 60 described above with reference to Figures 1, 3 and 4. The stand 32' also supports the handle bars 54 and the hand controller 57 connected to the power source and motors of the patient lift included in the frame 16.

At the uppermost end of the post 32', a lever 34' is pivotally connected to the post 32' via a pivot 36', which allows the lever 34' to be separated from the post 32'. The lever 34' is actuated by the extendible extension assembly 38' which forms the motor which serves the purpose of raising the lever 34' from the solid line position shown in Fig. 7 to, for example, the dashed line position shown in Fig. 7 or alternatively lowering of the lever 34' from the dashed line position shown in Fig. 7 to the solid line position shown in Fig. 7 or beyond the solid line position shown in Fig. 7. The extendible extension assembly or motor 38 is connected at its lowermost end to the stand 33' by a latch 40' and at its uppermost end to the lever 34' by a pivot 42'. It is to be realized that the latch 40' and pivot 42' serve the same purpose as the rod 40 and bracket 42 respectively described above with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 and it is to be further realized that the extendible extension assembly 38 may, in an alternative embodiment, be contained within the housing of the stand 32' and thus concealed within the interior of the housing of the stand 32'.

At its extreme end, that is, at the end opposite the innermost end connected to the stand 32' via the pivot 36', the lever 34' supports a yoke 44" by means of a hinge system 100. The yoke 44" has eyelets such as the eyelet 48 and is a dual purpose yoke which serves the same purpose as the hanging beams 44 and 44' shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in the application of dangling the strap 50 to support the patient or person while the patient or person is being raised from the sitting position to the standing position or alternatively for the purpose of lowering the patient or person from the standing position to the sitting position and for the purpose of dangling the sling 50' for dangling the patient or person to raise the patient or person as in Fig. 3 or to lower while the patient or person is hanging in the sling.

Two particular aspects of the articulation system 100 of the second and presently preferred embodiment of the patient lifting device 10' according to the present invention are considered. First, the articulation system 100 enables that the yoke 44" can be moved from the first position shown in Fig. 7 to a second position shown in Fig. 8. In the first position shown in Fig. 7, the articulation system 100 initially locks the yoke 44" in a particular position and orientation in which the handles of the yoke 44", which are similar to the handles 46 and 47 of the hanger beams 44 and 45 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, respectively, are locked in fixed positions relative to the lever 34' and thus are raised or lowered at the fixed positions as the lever 34' is raised or lowered, respectively. In the first position, the yoke 44" is also held at an innermost position where the strap 50 depending from the yoke 44' is proximate the footrest plate assembly 60' and the lower leg or knee support 80' of the frame 16 and the stand 32', respectively, allowing a patient or person supported by the strap 50 to utilize the foot support plate assembly 60 and the lower leg or knee support 80' when the patient or person is raised from a sitting position to a standing position.

In contrast to the first position of the articulation system 100 shown in Fig. 7, the articulation system 100 shown in Fig. 8, at the second position, positions the yoke 44" at a fairly distant distance from the foot support plate assembly 60' or the lower leg or knee support 80' of the frame 16 and the stand 32', respectively, allowing a person hanging in the sling 50' by means of the eyelets such as the eyelet 48 of the yoke 44' to not be interfered with by the foot support plate assembly 60' or the lower leg or knee support 80', which may hinder handling of the patient or person in the event that the yoke 44' is not positioned at the outermost second position shown in Fig. 8. Thus, in Fig. 8, the articulation system 100 serves the primary purpose of forming an extension of the lever 34'. Moreover, at the second position of the articulation system 100 shown in Fig. 8, the yoke 44" is freely movable in the hanging position relative to the joint system, since the yoke 44" is connected to the joint system 100 in a ball bearing system which is described in more detail below with reference to Figs. 9, 10 and 11.

In Figs. 9, 10 and 11, the articulation system 100 of the lever 34' of the patient lifting device 10' according to the present invention is shown in more detail. Fig. 9 shows the yoke 44", which has the handles 46 and 47 and the eyes 48 and 49, the handles 46 and 47 being connected to each other by a crossbar 43'. A vertical bar 43" extends upwards from the crossbar 43' and is attached to a ball 102 which forms a central element of the articulation system 100 and is provided with opposing beveled surfaces 104 and 106, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. The ball 102 is received between opposing plates 108 and 110 which are rigidly connected to an arm 112 of the joint system 100.

The arm 112 forms a hollow element of the articulation system 100 and is connected to a rod 114 which forms a downwardly bent end portion of the lever 34' via a rotary connection by means of which the arm 112 can be locked or secured in one of the two positions shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Opposite the plates 108 and 110, the arm 112 is connected to two further circular plates 116 and 117 which sandwich a circular end portion 118 of the rod 114. The circular end portion 118 is provided with recesses 122 and 124 in which a locking element 126 can engage for locking the beam 112 in the position shown in Fig. 7 or in the position shown in Fig. 8. The circular plates 116 and 118 are pivotally mounted relative to the circular end portion 120 of the rod 114 by means of a shaft 121 which is received in central openings of the circular plates 116 and 120 and the circular end portion 118. The locking element 126 is biased by means of a spring 132 towards its locking position in which the locking element 126 is received in one of the recesses 122 and 124. When the locking member is disengaged from its locking engagement with one of the two recesses 122 and 124, two pins 128 and 130 extend through the walls of the arm 112. The locking member 126 is, as will be readily understood, guided by guide surfaces within the arm 112 to cause the locking member to be moved from its locking position to a free or disengaged position in which the arm 112 and the entire articulation system 100 can be rotated from their first or second positions to their second or first positions, respectively.

As indicated above, the patient lifting device 10' can be positioned in a first position shown in Fig. 7 or alternatively in a second position shown in Fig. 8. Similarly, the second position of the articulation system 100 of the patient lifting device 10' is shown in Fig. 10 and in Fig. 11 the first position of the articulation system 100 is disclosed. In Fig. 10, the ball 102 is freely movable relative to its locking plates 108 and 110 of the arm 112 when the beveled surfaces 104 and 106 of the ball 102 are positioned in a spaced relationship relative to mutually parallel guide surfaces 138 and 140 of the plate 110. The rearmost plate 108 is provided with similar mutually parallel guide surfaces, which are however not shown in Fig. 10. It is intended that the entire yoke 44" is of course constantly subjected to gravity, which causes the ball 102 to be supported in the position shown in Fig. 10 relative to the plate member 110.

When the articulation system 100 is moved from its second position shown in Fig. 10 to its first position shown in Fig. 11, the arm 112 is rotated approximately 160º in the clockwise direction, which rotation positions the guide surfaces 138 and 140 over the ball 102. The beveled surfaces 104 and 106 instead contact two sets of locking surfaces attached to the circular end plates 108 and 110 are provided, wherein of the locking surfaces, the locking surfaces of the circular end plate 110 shown in Figs. 10 and 11 are designated by the reference numerals 134 and 136. The locking surfaces 134 and 136 define a distance corresponding to the distance between the beveled surfaces 104 and 106 of the ball 102, thereby allowing the ball 102 to be received between the locking surfaces, but preventing the ball from rotating relative to the circular end plates 108 and 110, and thus preventing the entire yoke from freely rotating relative to the lever 34". The self-locking ball assembly shown in Figs. 9 to 11 may, of course, be replaced by a manually operable pin locking system similar to the spring-loaded locking system of the arm 112, the spring-loaded locking system locking the arm in one of two positions relative to the rod 14 when the locking member 126 is received within one of the recesses 122 and 124.

The lever 34' can, as mentioned above, be separated from the stand 32', which is described below with reference to Figs. 12 and 13, and the stand 32' can be separated from the support frame 16, which is also described below with reference to Fig. 14, thereby enabling the entire patient lifting device 10' to be separated into three smaller components formed by the frame 16, the stand 32' and the lever 34', which on the one hand enables easy storage of the entire patient lifting device 10' and furthermore enables the patient lifting device 10' to be moved from one location, for example a private residence, to another location without the need to employ transport personnel or specialist personnel to move the patient lifting device, since the total weight and also the total external dimensions of the individual components of the patient lifting device are much smaller than the weight and the total external dimensions of the assembled Patient lifting devices are. The patient lifting device 10' can thus be stored in the trunk of a motor vehicle and can be moved from one location to another location for personal use at different locations and the like.

In Figs. 12 and 13, the uppermost end of the post 32' is shown together with the corresponding end of the lever 34', forming a rotary joint or pivot 36'. In Fig. 12, the lever 34' is connected to the post 32' and in Fig. 13, it is separated from the post 32'. To enable the lever 34' to be separated from the post 32', the lever 34' is provided with a forked outer end on which a guide wheel 35' is mounted. The uppermost end of the post 32' is provided with a circular opening 33' for receiving the guide wheel 35' of the lever 34', the circular opening being interrupted by a horizontal slot 33 which provides a through hole through which the lever 34' can be inserted to position the guide wheel 35' within the circular opening 33'. It is intended to be realized that the lever 34' can only be separated from the post 32' when the lever 34' is rotated 180º relative to its position shown in Fig. 7 to the position shown in Fig. 13, in which position the forked outer end of the lever 34' can be moved through the slot 33', thereby causing the guide wheel 35' to be separated from its spherical bearing engagement with the circular opening 33' of the post 32'. In the first position and in the second position of the patient lifting device 10' shown in Figs. 7 and 8 respectively, the first position also being shown in Fig. 12, the forked outer end of the lever 34' prevents the lever 34' from being separated from the post 32'.

In Fig. 14 the lowermost end of the stand 32' is shown, which end is connected to the frame 16 via a locking connection. Thus, the stand 32' is received within a socket 17 of the frame 16 and is fixed relative to the socket 17 by means of a transverse locking pin 19. The locking pin 19 may of course be constituted by a spring biased self-locking pin or any other suitable locking means which serves the purpose of locking the post 32' relative to the frame 16 in its original position shown in Figs. 7 and 8 and allowing the post 32' to be separated from the frame 16 to facilitate the entire patient lifting device being moved from one position to another position as discussed above.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the presently preferred embodiments of the patient lifting device and its foot support plate assembly, it should be understood that a variety of modifications can be made with ease by one skilled in the art. These modifications or alternative embodiments are to be considered part of the present invention, as the scope of the present invention is in no way limited by the embodiments described above, but is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (14)

1. A lifting device (10, 10') for moving a patient (12) such as lifting the patient from a sitting position to a standing position or vice versa or moving the patient to or from a bed, wheelchair or the like, comprising: a support frame (16) defining a substantially horizontal support surface, a lifting lever assembly comprising: a vertical mast (32, 32') defining opposite upper and lower ends and rigidly connected to the support frame (16) at its lower end and extending upwardly from the support frame, a substantially horizontal lever (34, 34') defining opposite first and second ends and connected at its first end to the upper end of the mast (32, 32') via a hinge connection (36, 36') that allows the substantially horizontal lever (34, 34') to rotate about the hinge connection (36, 36') to raise or lower the second end of the lever (34, 34') relative to the support surface of the support frame (16), an actuating member (38) which causes the substantially horizontal lever (34, 34') to rotate about the joint (36, 36'), a body strap (50) depending from the second end of the substantially horizontal lever (34, 34') for supporting the patient, and a foot support plate assembly (60, 60') comprising a substantially horizontal plate (62) and a lower leg or knee support (80, 80'), the foot support plate assembly (60, 60') being supported by the support frame (16) and comprising a vertical adjustment system (74, 76, 78, 84, 86, 88) for adjusting the vertical and horizontal position of the Lower leg or knee support (80, 80') relative to the plate (62). 2. Lifting device (10, 10') according to claim 1, wherein the vertical adjustment system (74, 76, 78, 84, 86, 88) of the foot support plate assembly (60, 60') comprises a first and a second set of tubes (74, 76, 84, 86), each set comprising an outer tube (74, 84) and an inner tube (76, 86) that cooperate with each other and are displaceable relative to each other to provide a vertical and a horizontal displacement of the lower leg or knee support (80, 80') relative to the plate (62), respectively. 3. Lifting device (10, 10') according to claim 2, wherein the inner tube and the outer tube (76, 86; 74, 84) of the first and second sets of tubes (74, 76; 84, 80) can be locked relative to one another by means of a locking device (78, 88). 4. Lifting device (10, 10') according to claim 3, wherein the locking device (78, 88) of each set of tubes (74, 76; 84, 86) comprises a screw extending through the outer tube (74, 84) of the set of tubes (74, 76; 84, 86) to cooperate with and be locked to the inner tube (76, 86) of the set of tubes (74, 76; 84, 86). 5. Lifting device (10, 10') according to claim 4, wherein each inner tube (76, 86) of the set of tubes (74, 76; 84, 86) has an inclined sinking surface which cooperates with the screw of the locking device (76, 78). 6. Lifting device (10, 10') according to one of claims 2-5, wherein the tubes (74, 76; 84, 86) of the sets of tubes (74, 76; 84, 86) are formed by square tubes. 7. A lifting device (10, 10') according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the lifting lever structure is adapted to receive a single hanging arm (34') or a yoke (34, 44, 45) having two or more hanging arms (44, 45; 46, 47) for hanging the body belt (50). 8. Lifting device (10, 10') according to one of claims 1-7, wherein the actuating member (38, 38') has an extendable extension device which has an electrically driven motor - preferably a battery-driven DC motor. 9. A lifting device (10, 10') according to any one of claims 1-8, further comprising: a lever arm (112) attached to the second end of the substantially horizontal lever and defining a free end for hanging down the body belt (50) for supporting the patient (12), the lever arm (112) being displaceable between a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position the free end is displaced towards the hinge connection (36') and in the second position the free end is displaced away from the hinge connection (36'). 10. Lifting device (10, 10') according to claim 9, further comprising a structure of a yoke (46, 47) for hanging the belt (50) from the free end of the lever arm (112). 11. Lifting device (10, 10') according to claim 10, wherein the yoke (46, 47) is movable relative to the free end when the lever arm (112) is in the second position, and is fixed to the free end when the lever arm (112) is in the first position. 12. Lifting device (10, 10') according to one of claims 9-11, wherein the mast (32, 32') defines an angle of 10º-30º degrees, such as 15-20 degrees and preferably about 10-12 degrees relative to the vertical direction and the substantially vertical mast slopes away from the second end of the lever (34, 34'). 13. A foot support plate assembly (60, 60') used in conjunction with a lifting device (10, 10') for moving a patient (12), comprising: a substantially horizontal plate (62) and a lower leg or knee support (80, 80'), a device (70, 72) for supporting the foot support plate assembly by the lifting device (10, 10') and a vertical adjustment system (74, 76, 86; 84, 86, 88) for adjusting the vertical and horizontal position of the lower leg or knee support (80; 80') relative to the plate (62). 14. A foot support plate assembly according to claim 13, further comprising any of the features of the lifting device according to any of claims 2-12.