A lifting and/or transporting device for humans

Abstract: A lifting and/or transporting device for humans comprises a frame member (110), a back supporting member (114) for supporting the back of a sitting or standing person, a saddle-like supporting member (113) for supporting the buttocks of a standing or sitting person, and lifting means adapted to lift and lower at least the saddle-like supporting member. The device may further comprising at least one thigh supporting member (115) pivotally mounted on the frame member (110), whereby the at least one thigh supporting member can be swung between a non-supporting position in which it does not interfere with the legs of a standing person and a supporting position in which it together with the saddle-like buttocks supporting member (113) constitutes a substantially continuous supporting surface for a sitting person. The device may further comprise locking means for locking the at least one thigh supporting member (115) in its supporting position.

Description: Field of the Invention The present invention relates to various lifting and transporting devices for disabled persons. A device according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from GB-A-2 135 183. Background of the Invention It is known that disabled persons have difficulties in raising, sitting, visiting the lavatory, etc. Therefore, they often need a plurality of helping devices in their homes, e.g., one for helping them in raising, a second one for helping them in walking and a third one for helping them when visiting the lavatory etc., so as to be able to live a reasonably normal human life. Transporting devices for disabled persons are often developed to be fitted to an institutional environment which means that they often are relatively large and heavy, and it is presumed that a second person is needed in order to control the devices. Different kinds of helping devices for disabled persons are known. EP 0 617 942 A2 discloses a lifting and transporting device for transporting a person from a bed. The device comprises a substantially U-shaped base frame which comprises rollers for rolling across the floor. The base frame comprises a vertically mounted post for lifting the seat in relation to the base frame. The seat is pivotally mounted to the post, so as to swivel the seat around a vertical axis and thereby move the centre of gravity of the person from a lifting position to a transporting position. US 4,432,359 discloses a transporting and lifting device which comprises a wheeled chassis and a vertical column. The column comprises a handle for manually lifting three supporting surfaces that supports a sitting person. The device has an H-shaped base frame which comprises wheels for rolling across the floor. WO 87/01583 discloses a wheel chair that comprises a U-shaped base frame and a post. Three supporting plates for supporting a sitting person are mounted on the top of the post, so that the post may lift or lower the supporting plates in relation to the base frame by use of motors. Furthermore, the supporting plates comprise conveyor belts for loading or unloading the person from the chair to e.g., the lavatory. US 4,255,823 describes a transporting device for handling invalids and comprising a base frame having holding means mounted for holding a patient above the base frame. The holding means are further provided with lifting means for lifting and lowering the holding means, and pivot means for pivoting the patient in a horizontal plane. DE 196 47 498 describes a device for assisting a person in rising from a sitting position to a standing position and comprising a base frame onto which an upright is mounted. The upright comprises lifting means and a back supporting member which is adapted to be positioned around the back of the person. The person is supported by a foot support and raised by lifting the back supporting member. US 4,947,497 describes an apparatus for lifting patients and comprising a U-shaped moving base, and an elevator column mounted to the moving base. The column comprises holes for receiving lateral bars each of which being suitable for receiving horizontal lifting arms. Support means for supporting the person are mounted on the arms. NL 9 301 145 discloses an apparatus for assisting a person in rising from a sitting position to a standing position and comprising a rotatable lifting rod, at the free end of which a transversely extending assisting member is provided. Knee supports for the knees of the disabled person are provided. WO 96/11658 discloses a posture change system and posture change method. The document describes a method for lifting a person from a sitting to a standing position, the method comprising rotating the person's torso around a pivot point while the person is supported by a chest pad. Summary of the Invention An object of the present invention is to provide one or more devices and/or methods which enable disabled persons to be self-helped and live normal lives in their private homes despite of severe handicaps or diseases. A further object of the present invention is to provide means for assisting disabled persons, the means being designed in such a way that they may be controlled by the disabled person himself. A still further object of the invention is to provide devices which can easily be moved around inside the private home of a disabled person. In the present application, the term "lifting means" cover any means suitable for and/or capable of activating a lifting and/or lowering movement of any device or a person. The lifting means may comprise manually driven means, electrically driven means and/or hydraulically driven means in combination with one or more chains, telescopic cylinders, belts, wires and/or suspension bands. The present invention relates to a chair-like transporting device for assisting a person when walking, standing and sitting. In the present application, the terms "wheels" or "rollers" cover any kind of driving or rolling means. All or some of the wheels or rollers of a device or frame may be driven by driving means, which may, e.g., comprise electrical means. Preferably, the driving means are adapted to drive the device in all and any directions. For some applications of the device, some or all of the driving wheels may be of the type disclosed in WO 99/01298, the disclosure of which document is hereby made part of the present application. For ensuring that the device does not roll when the person supported by the device is not ready for rolling, the wheels may further comprise braking means for stopping movement of the wheels or rollers. The driving and braking means may be electronically controllable, if the device further comprises user control means for controlling braking and/or driving of the wheels. Thus, the present invention relates to a lifting and/or transporting device comprising a frame member, a back supporting member for supporting the back of a sitting or standing person, and a saddle-like supporting member for supporting the buttocks of a standing or sitting person, and lifting means which are adapted to lift and lower at least the saddle-like supporting member. A purpose of this device is to provide a disabled person with a helping device that is a combined supporting device for walking, standing and/or lifting situations. When provided with this lifting and transporting device, the person is able to get out bed, walk around an be assisted in a standing position. The lifting and transporting device may comprise at least one thigh supporting member pivotally mounted to the frame member, whereby the at least one thigh supporting member can be swung between a non-supporting position in which it does not interfere with the legs of a standing person and a supporting position in which it together with the saddle-like supporting member constitutes a substantialty continuous supporting surface for a sitting person. The device may further comprise locking means for locking the at least one-thigh supporting member in its supporting position. Preferably, the device may comprise armrests which may be pivotally mounted to the edges of the back support and finally be releasably mounted. It will be appreciated that this device is not only suitable as an aid for disabled persons but also as a highly flexibly chair, e.g., for use in an office or a private home. The lifting means are preferably adapted to lift and/or lower either the back supporting member or the saddle-like supporting member or the buttocks supporting member or the thigh supporting member or all of the supporting members at a time or some of them at a time. Furthermore, the back supporting member may be biased towards the back of the person supported by the device, so as to support the back of the person in a standing and in a sitting position Thereby, the person's back may always be supported, so that the possibility of the person falling backwards is minimised. For the rolling of the device e.g., inside a building, the device may be provided with wheels or rollers which may be mounted to the base frame. The wheels may be manually driven by pushing the device along the surface of the floor or they may comprise driving means for driving the wheels or rollers as outlined above. In the lifting and transporting device, the frame member may comprise a substantially u-shaped base frame, which has at least two substantially vertical columns extending from the frame member. The columns are preferably adapted to carry two inner columns which are mounted within each of the columns, so that each column comprises an outer and an inner column. The inner columns are adapted to receive one or more assisting members, the inner columns being displaceable in relation to the outer columns. Movement of the inner columns may be provided by lifting means. Preferably, the lifting means comprise at least one wire or ribbon and at least one shaft, which is mounted in a fixed vertical position, and around which the wire may be wound. The wire may be fastened to the inner column and connected to the shaft, so that the inner columns may be lifted or lowered in relation to the outer column when the shaft is rotated. When rotating the shaft in the opposite way of lifting, lowering is provided by the gravitation acting on the inner columns and the assisting members mounted to them. Lowering may be controlled by breaking means for counter-acting the action of gravity. More preferably, the lifting means comprise two wires or ribbons, a first one for lifting the inner columns and a second one for lowering them. By the use of two wires, the clearance between the column and the inner column is reduced when lifting and lowering. As described further below, the wires have their fastening point in the upper part and lower part of the columns, respectively, but they may, altenatively, have their fastening points in the lower end of the inner columns. Preferably, the two wires are wound around the same shaft, but they may, alternatively, be wound around two shafts, one on each, and the wires may be chains, steel wires, nylon wires, fibre reinforced wires, cables, suspension bands, etc. The device is preferably provided with driving means for rotating the shaft. The driving means may either be magnetic electrical driven, hydraulic driven or manual driven. Brief Description of the Drawings Figs. 1 and 2 show a device, which may assist a sitting, standing or walking person, and Fig. 3 shows a lifting mechanism for the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Description of Preferred Embodiments Figs. 1 and 2 show a lifting and transporting device that comprises an assisting member for assisting a standing or sitting person. The transporting device comprises a substantially U-shaped base frame 110 and two vertically extending uprights 111. The uprights each comprises an inner upright 112, and each inner upright comprises lifting means, such as the ones shown in Fig. 3, for telescopically extending or shortening the uprights in order to lift or lower the assisting member. The assisting member comprises a saddle-like seat 113, a back support 114, buttock supports 115, and armrests 116. The buttock supports 115 are pivotally mounted, so that they are pivotable between a horizontal supporting position and a vertical non-supporting position. Thus, a person is able to walk while simultaneously being assisted by the saddle-like seat support 113, without having his/her legs interfering with the buttock supports 115. The base frame further comprises wheels 117 for rolling the device The armrests 116 are pivotally mounted on a hinge which is connected to the top of each inner upright 112. Fig. 3. shows a lifting mechanism which is suitable for being integrated in the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2. However, the lifting mechanism shown in Fig. 3 is not restricted to the device of Figs. 1 or 2 or to any device covered by the present invention, and, accordingly, the lifting mechanism described below and in the appended claims as well as above constitutes an independent aspect of the present invention. The lifting mechanism of Fig. 3 comprises a first wire 120, a second wire 121 and a shaft 122. The shaft is provided between the two uprights 123, so that the wires 120, 121 are being wound around the shaft 122, when the shaft is rotated around its axis of rotation. When rotating the shaft 122 in the direction 124, the first wire 120 is wound around the shaft 122 and thereby causes lifting of the inner uprights 125. Simultaneously, the second wire 121 is wound off the shaft 122. When rotating the shaft 122 in the opposite direction, the second wire 121 is wound around the shaft 122, thereby causing lowering of the two inner uprights 125 while the first wire 120 is wound off the shaft 122. The first wire 120 extends from a first fastening point 126 in the upper part of a left one of the uprights 123 and downwards along the inner surface of the left upright 123 to a pulley wheel 127 in the lower end of the left inner upright 125, the left inner upright 125 being received in the left upright 123. The first wire 120 further extends upwards along the opposite inner surface of the left upright 123 to a further pulley wheel 128 and then sideways from the left upright 123 around the shaft 122 to a pulley wheel 129 in the upper part of a right upright 123. Further, the first wire 120 extends downwards along the inner surface of the right upright 123 to a pulley wheel 130 at the lower end of the right inner upright 125 integrated in the right upright 125. Further, the first wire 120 extends upwards along the opposite inner surface of the right upright 125 to a second fastening point 131 in the upper part of the right upright 123. The second wire 121 extends from a lower fastening point 132 in the left upright 123 to the pulley wheel 127 and then to a pulley wheel 133 in the lower part of the left upright 123 and then upwards to the pulley wheel 128, around the shaft 122 to the pulley wheel 129 and downwards to a further pulley wheel 134 in the lower part of the right upright 123 and then upwards to a pulley wheel 130. The second wire 121 is fastened to a further fastening point 135.

Claims: A lifting and/or transporting device for disabled persons and comprising a frame member (110), a back supporting member (114) for supporting the back of a sitting or standing person, a saddle-like supporting member (113) for supporting the buttocks of the standing or sitting person, and lifting means adapted to lift and lower at least the saddle-like supporting member, characterised in that the frame member (110) comprises a substantially U-shaped base frame on which the rest of the device is supported, so as to allow the disabled person to walk around and be assisted in a standing position. A device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one thigh supporting member (115) pivotally mounted to the frame member (110), whereby the at least one thigh supporting member can be swung between a non-supporting position in which it does not interfere with the legs of a standing person and a supporting position in which it together with the saddle-like buttocks supporting member (113) constitutes a substantially continuous supporting surface for a sitting person, the device further comprising locking means for locking the at least one thigh supporting member (115) in its supporting position. A device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising arm rests (116). A device according to any of claims 1-3, wherein the lifting means are further adapted to lift and lower the back supporting member (114). A device according to any of claims 2-4, wherein the lifting means are further adapted to lift and lower the thigh supporting member (115). A device according to any of claims 1-6, wherein the back supporting member (114) is biased toward the back of a person supported by the device, so as to support the back of the person in a standing and in a sitting position. A device according to any of claims 1-6, further comprising wheels or rollers (117) for rolling the device along a floor surface. A device according to claim 7, further comprising driving means for driving the wheels or rollers (117). A device according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising braking means for braking the wheels or rollers. A device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the driving means and/or braking means are electrically controllable, the device further comprising user control means for controlling braking and/or driving of the wheels. A device according to any of claims 1-10, wherein the frame member comprises at least two uprights (111) extending from the base frame (110), the uprights each comprising telescopic means for lifting and lowering at least part of the uprights. A device according to claim 11, wherein each upright (111) comprises an outer and an inner upright , the inner uprights (112) being adapted to receive one or more assisting members, the inner uprights being displaceable in relation to the outer uprights, movement of the inner uprights being provided by the lifting means. A device according to claim 12, wherein the lifting means comprise at least one wire (120, 121) and at least one shaft (122), which is mounted in a fixed vertical position, and around which the wire may be wound, the wire being fastened to the inner upright and connected to the shaft, so that the inner uprights may be lifted or lowered by rotating the shaft. A device according to claim 13, wherein the lifting means comprise two wires (120, 121), a first one for lifting the inner uprights and a second one for lowering the inner uprights. A device according to claim 13 or 14, further comprising magnetic electrical driving means for driving the shaft. A device according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the shaft is manually driven.

Inventors: KOFOED HENRIK NOEHR, RONNE GERT STEEN, KOFOED, HENRIK NOEHR, RONNE, GERT STEEN, Kofoed, Henrik Nöhr
Applicants: BORRINGIA IND AG, BORRINGIA INDUSTRIE AG
Application year: 2000
Main classification: A61G5
IPC codes: A61G5