GB2300845A - Apparatus for Assisting the Movement of Disabled Persons - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for transferring a person from a support (chair 11) to another support (wheelchair or trolley 55) comprises a low friction slider 12A having releasable fasteners to locate it on a tilting device 22, and lifting means 50 to adjust the level of one support for ease of sliding a person from one support to the other, when the fasteners are released, under the impetus provided by tilting of the tilting device. Preferably the slider, which can be a mat or belt and in the form of a cover or cushion for the support (11), has a number of fastenings e.g. corner straps (14, Fig 1) releasably secured to e.g. toggles (13, Fig 1) to prevent the slider moving except when it is desired to transfer the invalid. Preferably the tilting device is selectively tiltable in any one of a plurality of directions and comprises a pneumatically inflatable lifting means, as may the lifting means (50). The surfaces may be chairs, wheelchairs and/or beds.

Description

APPARATUS FOR ASSISTING THE MOVEMENT OF DISABLED PERSONS Over the last two decades the transferring of infirm or physically disabled persons has largely been effected by mobile hoists with overhead slings. Those transferred have slings carefully placed around them, and it is by no means an easy task, once they have been raised, to move them.

The equipment has to be carefully chosen for the environment, occasion, and the person to be lifted.

Essentially there are three types, other than ceiling fixtures: - Electrically operated hoists.

- Hydraulically operated hoists.

- Gear winding mechanisms.

Because of the necessity of the hoist structure to have sufficient stability to cope with the height and weight of the occupant, and to have manoeuvrability, the width and length of the base and the size and design of the wheels or castors make the hoists bulky and difficult to manoeuvre, especially on carpets. Such hoists can only be used where there is sufficient clearance under furniture (bath, chairs, toilets, etc) on which the person reposes.

It is known that a variety of slings are needed to cope with different situations, and such slings are expensive and not simple to use, and give a sense of apprehension to the user.

By contrast, upholstered sliders are comfortable to sit on and are about a third as expensive as a sling.

There are two types of slider (a) one like an upholstered endless wide belt with high slip interior surface, and (b) an upholstered mat with a high-slip under surface.

However, there are risks to users in that they may involuntarily slip or slide e.g. off the supporting chair or seat.

In order to avoid or reduce the problems of bulk, manoeuvrability and cost associated with hoists; and to reduce the risks involved with sliders having low-friction surfaces, the present invention provides slider apparatus, for assisting the movement of disabled persons, comprising a flexible slider, a bearer and tethering means to retain the slider in a predetermined position on the bearer, wherein the tethering means comprises a plurality of tethers selectively releasable to allow sliding movement of the slider relative to the bearer. Said allowed sliding movement is preferably substantially unidirectional.

The bearer may be a seat, a lifting device or a detachable cover for a seat or lifting device.

The tethers are preferably flexible tapes, webs or cords; and the tethering means preferably comprises toggles or fasteners fixed to the bearer and engageable with the tethers.

The slider is preferably substantially rectangular in plan, and the tethers are preferably located at the corners or centrally of opposite edges of the slider.

The slider may be of any form, e.g. belt or mat, incorporating a low-friction surface for providing an easysliding action of the slider.

In order to further reduce said problems, the present invention also provides tilting apparatus, for assisting the movement of disabled persons, comprising pneumatically inflatable flexible lifting means located between a base and a platform, wherein the lifting means is actuable to selectively tilt the platform in any selected one of a plurality of different directions.

A removable cushion is preferably releasably secured to the platform.

In preferred embodiments, the bearer forms a releasable overlay or cover for either the cushion or the platform.

The base is preferably provided with attachment means for securing the base on top of a seat, trolley or other support, or on a lifting device.

The base is preferably provided with a mounting or mountings, optionally removable, for an armrest and/or a backrest and/or a leg support.

The invention further provides apparatus comprising a combination of the slider apparatus and the tilting apparatus.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings wherein: - FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a chair with two alternative forms of slider apparatus of the invention; FIGURE 2 shows one form of tilting apparatus of the invention in vertical cross section; FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view of a first form of combined tilting, sliding and elevating apparatus of the invention; FIGURES 4 and 5 show exploded perspective views of the second and third further forms of combined apparatus; FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 show respectively the first, second and third forms of the combined apparatus in use for transferring a person from a chair to mobile lifting apparatus.

The slider apparatus shown in FIGURE 1 includes a bearer 10 in the form of a flexible cover located on the seat of a chair 11, either or both of two forms of slider 12A and 12B, and tethering means comprising four toggles 13 on the corners of the cover 10 and four straps 14A or 14B on the corners of the respective sliders 12A, 12B.

The slider 12A is of internally padded endless belt form, in which the inner external surface 15 is formed by a material having a low coefficient of friction and the outer external surface 16 is formed by a material having a higher coefficient of friction. The straps 14A have openings 17 therein to receive the toggles 13.

The slider 12B is of mat form having a low friction undersurface and a high friction upper surface, and the straps 14B are of loop form to receive the toggles 13.

In normal use the slider 12A is located on the bearer and is tethered thereto to prevent a user slipping off the chair 11. When the person is to be transferred to another support, e.g. a wheelchair, alongside the chair 11, the two tethers remote from the wheelchair are released, and the person is propelled towards the wheelchair whilst the slider's upper run slides on the lower run as the slider moves progressively onto the wheelchair. When the person is resting on the wheelchair the other two tethers are released so that the chair and wheelchair are separable.

Use of the slider 12B is similar except in that for transfer all the tethers may be released so that the whole slider can be drawn bodily from the chair to the wheelchair.

The wheelchair or other support or a bearer or cover thereon is preferably also provided with toggles for securing the slider in position on the support.

The tilting apparatus shown in FIGURE 2 comprises a base 20 and a platform 21 connected by lifting means 22 which, in this embodiment comprises two inflatable bags 23 and 24 each of which can be inflated so as to be substantially triangular in cross-section. Each bag has a single fold 25 at one end and a corrugated or other larger folded portion 26 at the other end, and the bags are arranged so that inflation of one thereof tilts the platform in one direction and inflation of the other thereof tilts the platform in the opposite direction.

Hoses 27 are provided for selective inflation of the bags.

The platform 21 has a cushion 28 releasably attached thereto by "Velcro" (a trade mark) interengaging hook pile and loop pile strips 29. The cushion has toggles 13 attached to its corners so that it forms an upholstered version of the bearer 10. Further tethering straps 14 (A or B) are provided at the sides near the corners of the base 20.

The combined apparatus shown in FIGURE 3 includes the slider 12A, the bearer cover 10, the tilting apparatus (which may include a modified form of the lifting means shown here and in FIGURE 5), and the cushion 28, together with a lifting device 30 which includes a stack of four individually inflatable bags 31 to 34 which are internally stabilised by internal webs linking the upper and lower panels of each bag. Hoses 27 are provided for inflation of the bags. FIGURE 3 also shows the elasticated peripheral margin 18 (not visible in FIGURE 1) of the cover 10 which grips around the top bag 34 (and the overhanging seat of the chair).

Further forms of combined apparatus are shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 and include the slider 12A, cushion 28 and/or cover 10, and the lifting means 22. In the form shown in FIGURE 4, the cushion 28 is devoid of tethering means, and may be upholstered and shaped to suit particular and/or personal needs, and the cover 10 is employed to fit over the cushion; whereas in FIGURE 5 the cushion 28, as previously described, is employed without the cover 10.

FIGURE 5 also shows the modified form of the lifting means 22 in which only a single bag 36 is employed to tilt the platform unidirectionally. The bag 36 is similar to the bag 23 and is disposed so that the folded portion 26 is at the rear of the base 20.

FIGURE 5 also shows that the base 20 may be provided with detachable mountings 37 (securable to the underside of the base by bolts) for adjustable and removable armrests 38 (or a backrest, not shown).

The combined apparatus can be used in a multiplicity of ways with different combinations of the various parts to suit particular circumstances, and three typical examples are illustrated in FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 wherein a person is to be transferred from a chair to an elevating wheelchair 50 comprising a chassis 51 supporting a lifting device 52 having a platform 53 on which are releasably mounted armrests 54, a backrest 55 and an inflatable leg support 56. The platform supports a cushion 57.

For example, the FIGURE 3 embodiment may be used as shown in FIGURE 6 to transfer a person over the arm 60 of an easy chair 61 to the lifting wheelchair 50. In this embodiment, the cushion 28, with the cover 10 and the slider 12A thereon, is attached to the lifting means 22 which is in turn attached to the lifting device 30 to form a stack which rests on the seat 62 of the chair 61. The device 30 may be secured by tethers extending around the legs 63 of the chair 61. The sequence of steps for transferring a person sitting on the slider 12 is:1. Raise the cushion 57 to just above the arm 60 (after removing the appropriate armrest 54 if necessary) by inflating the lifting device 52.

2. Inflating the lifting device 30 to raise the lifting means 22 until the cushion 28 (concealed by the cover 10) is above the arm 60.

3. Releasing the tethers at the end of the slider 12 remote from the wheelchair and inflating the appropriate bag 23 to tilt the platform 21 towards the wheelchair to slide the person on the slider onto the cushion 57.

The leg support 56 is, optionally, inflatable at any stage, but is preferably inflated to the condition shown prior to the tilting apparatus being brought into action.

After transfer, the slider 12 is released from the tilting apparatus, so that the wheelchair, with the slider and the person thereon, can be wheeled away.

In the apparatus shown in FIGURE 7, the chair 11 has no arms so that there is no need for the lifting device 30, and the device 52 only needs to be raised to bring the cushion 57 to the level of the seat 62 before step 3 can be performed.

In the apparatus shown in FIGURE 8 the backrest 55 and, optionally, both armrests 54 are removed from the wheelchair for forwards transfer of a person from the chair 11 to the wheelchair by means of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 5, and, if fitted, the armrests 38 are, optionally removed from the mountings 37 (not shown in FIGURE 8) before the single bag 36 of the lifting means 22 is inflated (after release of the rearmost tethering means) to propel the slider and person onto the wheelchair. The backrest and armrests may then be re-attached to the wheelchair.

The invention is not confined to details of the foregoing examples, and many variations, modifications and functional equivalents are possible within the scope of the invention. For example, the size, length and form of the sliders may be varied, and several pairs of straps or other tethering components may be provided on each slider to give alternative fixing orientations of the sliders on various supports.

The tethering apparatus may comprise more than two bags 23, e.g. three or four, to tilt the platform in further directions. Alternatively a single non-tapered bag may be used as the lifting means in combination with further tethering means, e.g. comprising catches, links or tethers to selectively connect the lateral margins or corners of the platform 21 and the base, so that any one margin of the platform can be released to rise when the bag is inflated.

The tilting apparatus and the lifting device 30 may have any suitable forms of platforms and bases, e.g.

platforms or bases adapted to carry accessories such as handles, armrests, leg supports or backrests.

The elevating wheelchair may be of any suitable form, and other forms of elevating supports, such as trolleys, bathlifts and lifting devices, offering a seat or platform may be substituted for the wheelchair.

The chairs shown are only examples of non-elevating supports which include, inter alia, beds, stools, trolleys and treatment tables.

The invention includes and provides apparatus or a device having any novel feature, part or functional arrangement thereof or novel combination thereof disclosed herein or in the accompanying drawings, and mechanical and functional equivalents thereof.

Claims (16)

1. Slider apparatus, for assisting the movement of disabled persons, comprising a flexible slider, a bearer and tethering means to retain the slider in a predetermined position on the bearer, wherein the tethering means comprises a plurality of tethers selectively releasable to allow sliding movement of the slider relative to the bearer.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the bearer is a seat, a lifting device or a detachable cover for a seat or lifting device.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 wherein the tethers are flexible tapes, webs or cords; and the tethering means comprises toggles or fasteners fixed to the bearer and engageable with the tethers.

4. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the slider is substantially rectangular in plan, and the tethers are located at the corners or centrally of opposite edges of the slider.

5. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein the slider is a belt or mat incorporating a low-friction surface for providing an easy-sliding action of the slider.

6. Slider apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to FIGURE 1 of the accompanying drawings.

7. Tilting apparatus, for assisting the movement of disabled persons, comprising pneumatically inflatable flexible lifting means located between a base and a platform, wherein the lifting means is actuable to selectively tilt the platform in any selected one of a plurality of different directions.

8. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 7 wherein a removable cushion is releasably secured to the platform.

9. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 7 or 8 wherein the base is provided with attachment means for securing the base on top of a seat, trolley or other support, or on a lifting device.

10. Apparatus as claimed in 7, 8 or 9 wherein the base is provided with a mounting or mountings, optionally removable, for an armrest and/or a backrest and/or a leg support.

11. Tilting apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to FIGURE 2 of the accompanying drawings.

12. Apparatus comprising a combination of slider apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6 and tilting apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 7 to 11.

13. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 12 wherein the bearer forms a releasable overlay or cover for either a cushion on the platform or the platform.

14. Tilting, sliding and elevating apparatus comprising the combined apparatus as claimed in Claim 12 or 13 and lifting means to raise and lower the combined apparatus.

15. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 15 wherein the lifting means is pneumatically actuable.

16. Tilting, sliding and elevating apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to FIGURE 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 of the accompanying.