Abstract:
A multipurpose body-turn-over apparatus mainly including an elevator, a driving mechanism, ropes, a net, suspension fittings, a vibrator, and a controller. The controller sets operating time and speed, and time pause at reverse of the apparatus, and the elevator is adjustable in height. The driving mechanism drives a displacement shaft of the driven assembly to move or rotate, so that ropes hanging from two ends of the driven assembly to connect the net are alternately pulled up and lowered, helping a patient lying on the net to regularly turn over or lie on side to avoid bedsore, or do rehabilitation exercises. The vibrator may alternately pull and lower ropes connected to two sides of the net at high frequency. The apparatus may be designed into heavy-duty or light models to meet different requirements and can be freely moved for use with different sickbeds.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a medical apparatus for turning a patient over on a sickbed, and more particularly to a multipurpose body-turn-over apparatus which uses a motor-driven assembly to pull or lower ropes having a net connected to lower ends thereof, so that a patient lying on the net can be automatically turned over regularly. Other treatment means may also be selectively connected to the ropes to help the patient do rehabilitation exercises, back exercises, etc. 
     There are many aged, sick, and invalid people lying on bed for a prolonged time and need nurses to regularly turn them over to avoid bedsore and other mental problem resulting from confinement to bed. There are automatic machines developed to help patients turn over and do rehabilitation exercises on sickbeds. Most of these sickbeds with such automatic machines include two lateral halves that are alternately lifted and lowered by motors or hydraulic cylinders to help patients turn over. However, patients&#39; backs always keep close contact with the sickbeds when they are turned over with the help of inclined bed surfaces. Therefore, such sickbeds have only limited effect in preventing bedsore. Besides, these sickbeds with automatic machines to help patients turn over have complicate structure and are expensive. Not all the patients can afford to buy such a sickbed for use at home. Moreover, such sickbeds are usually designed for use by one single patient. The automatic machines are fixedly mounted on individual sickbeds and can not be freely moved to cooperate with multiple sickbeds for use in an economical manner. 
     To effectively solve the above-mentioned problems, the inventor has tried to develop an improved multipurpose body-turn-over apparatus based on but superior to a multipurpose body-turn-over apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,748 granted to the same inventor. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a multipurpose body-turn-over apparatus that can be freely moved for use with any sickbed to help a patient turn over on the sickbed and do rehabilitation exercises, back exercises, suspension treatment, etc. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a multipurpose body-turn-over apparatus that includes heavy-duty and light models to provide patients with more choices. 
     To achieve the above objects, the present invention mainly includes an elevator to which a driving mechanism is mounted. The driving mechanism includes a controller, a motor, a gearbox, a driven assembly, and an optional vibrator. Ropes are hung from two ends of the driven assembly. Limit switches are provided at predetermined positions in the travel of the driven assembly, so that ropes hung from two ends of the driven assembly are pulled upward or lowered alternately by the driving mechanism. A net is connected at two sides to lower ends of the ropes for a patient to lie thereon. Whereby when the ropes connected to two sides of the net are alternately pulled upward and lowered, the patient lying on the net is regularly turned over or assisted to do rehabilitation exercises. 
     In the heavy-duty model of the present invention, the driven assembly works in a linear movement and includes a screw stem connected at one end to the gearbox. An internally threaded collar is put around the screw stem for a displacement shaft to perpendicularly connect to the threaded collar. The displacement shaft and front and rear pulley supports separately mounted to two ends of the driven assembly are perpendicular to the driving mechanism with their two ends projected from two sides of the driving mechanism. Each end of the displacement shaft has two ropes connected thereto to extend in opposite directions. The ropes separately pass pulleys on two ends of the two pulley supports to hang down from four spaced points. (It is also possible for the ropes to hang down directly from the displacement shaft without passing the pulley supports and the pulleys, so that a net may be connected to the ropes by means of hooks.) The limit switches are preferably mounted at two ends and a middle point of the travel of the displacement shaft for the displacement shaft to reverse or reset when it moves to two outmost points or a middle point, respectively, in its travel. 
     In the light model of the present invention, the driven assembly works to rotate a displacement shaft and accordingly swing two pairs of arms on the displacement shaft. In this model, the driven assembly includes an internally threaded sleeve connected at a rear end to the gearbox and at a front end to a screw stem. When the sleeve is driven or rotated by the motor and the gearbox, the screw stem is driven to move forward or backward and therefore push or pull a push bar slidably connected to a front end of the screw stem. The push bar is connected at a root portion to the displacement shaft that extends perpendicularly to the screw stem with two ends thereof projected from two sides of the driving mechanism. Each end of the displacement shaft has two arms perpendicular to the displacement shaft and extending in opposite directions. Hangers are provided near outer ends of the arms for the ropes to hang therefrom. Upper, middle, and lower limit switches are provided outside and around the displacement shaft so that they can be touched by flanges correspondingly provided on the displacement shaft when the push bar is shifted. When the screw stem pushes or pulls the push bar, the displacement shaft is rotated and the arms connected to two ends of the displacement shaft swing like a seesaw. The upper, middle, and lower limit switches limit the angles within which the arms can swing. And, a vibrator is provided at a bottom of the driving mechanism to pull or lower another two ropes connected to the net at high frequency, so that the net is shaken quickly. 
     With these arrangements, the body-turn-over apparatus of the present invention can be freely moved to any desired position. When the driving mechanism is actuated, the driven assembly is driven to cause the net, which is connected to the lower ends of the ropes hanging from the driven assembly and has a patient lying thereon, to be alternately pulled upward or lowered at two sides for a desired time period, so that the patient lying thereon can be turned over leftward and rightward in a regular manner. Or, the ropes may be used to directly bind the patient&#39;s hands and/or feet and then be pulled or lowered to help the patient do rehabilitation exercises. And, the net shaken by the vibrator is helpful in preventing the patient from bedsore. 
     After the apparatus of the present invention is equipped with desired optional accessories, the elevator is adjusted to a desired height relative to the sickbed, and the net is connected to the ropes for use, the whole body-turn-over apparatus can be easily operated under instructions of doctor or professional personnel to achieve following purposes: 
     1. Spread a net made of pliable, air-pervious and washable material on a bed surface before letting a patient lie on the net. The net may have a size large enough to extend longitudinally from the patient&#39;s chest to buttocks and transversely from one side of the bed to another side thereof. Two flexible flat members are extended through two longitudinal sides of the net and fixed thereto. The flat members are flexible so as to match a raised head portion of the sickbed. There are spaced connecting holes formed on the flexible flat members for the ropes to connect thereto. When the ropes connected to two sides of the net are alternately pulled upward and lowered by a small distance, the patient can be turned over on the net repeatedly. Or, the net can be fixed to an inclined position for the patient to lie on the side to expose the patient&#39;s back to the air and avoid bedsore. 
     2. Two grip bars instead of a net may be connected to the ropes for the patient on the sickbed to grip or rest legs, so that the patient&#39;s hands, legs or knees may move along with the upward pulled or lowered ropes as doing a rehabilitation exercise. 
     3. Other medical treating means, such as fracture fixation means, may be connected to the ropes to help patient complete the skeletal traction. 
     4. It is a difficult work for a thin and small nurse to take care of a tall and big patient, especially when the nurse tries to clean the patient&#39;s back or replace a diaper for the patient. However, by manually setting the body-turn-over apparatus of the present invention, the patient lying on the net can turn over to lie on the side for the nurse to easily complete the back cleaning or changing diaper and the patient need only to be turned over twice. That is, turn the patient over once and release the net to clean the patient&#39;s buttocks; remove the used diaper away and spread a fresh and folded diaper beneath one buttock; turn the patient over again; unfolded the fresh diaper beneath another buttock; clean the buttocks again; and let the patient to lie on the back again and fix the diaper in place. 
     5. The apparatus of the present invention is equipped with a microcomputer to work in an automatic and timing manner. When the operating time period and speed are set for the apparatus, the patient lying on the net may lie on the side for a preset period of time and then automatically turn over to lie on the back or on the other side until the set time period is reached. By then, the patient will lie on the back and a music bell rings to alarm the nurse. Then, the apparatus may be removed from the sickbed to another place. 
     6. With the automatic and timing control manner of the present invention, the net connected to the ropes may be set to shake for a few seconds after its two sides have been alternately pulled or lowered for preset times. Or, the net may be set to sideward incline and shake alternately and each for a predetermined time period, so as to regularly turn over the patient and help the patient move his or her back at the same time. 
     7. The vibrator can be actuated to shake the connected ropes at high frequency. When the ropes controlled by the vibrator are connected to the patient&#39;s head or hands or feet, and the vibrator is adjusted to a required speed, it would help the patient do head and/or limb exercises. 
     8. The heavy-duty and light models can be selectively used to help patients of different weights. With the suspension hangers, the heavy-duty model of the present invention can also serve as a hoist to move the patient from one place to another in order to facilitate moving or cleaning of the sickbed. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The structure and the operation of the present invention can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective showing a heavy-duty model of the body-turn-over apparatus according to the present invention; 
     FIGS. 2A,  2 B and  2 C are top plan view, side sectional view, and front elevation, respectively, of the driving mechanism of the body-turn-over apparatus of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective showing a light model of the body-turn-over apparatus according to the present invention; 
     FIGS. 4A,  4   b,  and  4 C are top plan view, side sectional view, and front elevation, respectively, of a first embodiment of the driving mechanism of the body-turn-over apparatus of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 4D is a top view of a second embodiment of the driving mechanism of the body-turn-over apparatus of FIG. 3; 
     FIGS. 4E and 4F are top plan view and side sectional view, respectively, of a third embodiment of the driving mechanism of the body-turn-over apparatus of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the elevator of the body-turn-over apparatus of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the clinical operation of the heavy-duty model of the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 schematically illustrates the clinical operation of the light model of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 8 is a control circuit diagram of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Please refer to FIG. 1 which is a perspective showing a heavy-duty model of a body-turn-over apparatus according to the present invention. In this model, the body-turn-over apparatus includes a driving mechanism  1  fixedly mounted to a top of an elevator  3 . Four ropes  7  with hooks at their lower ends are separately hung from outer ends of two pulley supports  12  mounted on two ends of the driving mechanism  1 . A net  9  is connected to the four ropes  7  by hooking the hooks at lower ends of the ropes  7  into connecting holes  10  provided on two flexible flat members  11  separately extending through two sides of the net  9 . The elevator  3  maybe adjusted in its height, so that the ropes  7  are in properly tensed condition. The pulley supports  12  are provided with suspension hangers  5  and suspension straps (not shown), so that the apparatus may serve as a hoist to suspend a patient over the sickbed. 
     Please refer to FIGS. 2A to  2 C. The driving mechanism  1  for the body-turn-over apparatus of heavy-duty model includes a controller  13 . Commands may be given via the controller  13  to a motor  15  that in turn drives a driven assembly  19  via a gearbox  17 . The driven assembly  19  includes a screw stem  20  around which an internally threaded collar  21  is mounted. A displacement shaft  23  is perpendicularly fixed to the collar  21 . The displacement shaft  23  and the two pulley supports  12  all have two ends perpendicularly projected from two sides of a case of the driving mechanism  1 . Each end of the displacement shaft  23  has two ropes  7  connected thereto to extend in opposite directions. The ropes  7  separately pass pulleys  27  mounted at two ends of the two pulley supports  12  to hang down from four spaced points. Alternatively, the ropes  7  are not routed via the pulleys  27  on the pulley supports  12  but are directly pulled outward to connect their hooks to the net  9 . Left, middle, and right limit switches  24 ,  25 , and  26  are provided in the case of the driving mechanism  1  within a travel of the displacement shaft  23  at predetermined suitable positions to respectively control the returning of the displacement shaft  23  to a middle position of its travel or the turning back of the displacement shaft  23  from utmost right and left ends of its travel. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a light model of the body-turn-over apparatus of the present invention. In this model, the body-turn-over apparatus includes a driving mechanism  31  fixedly mounted to a top of an elevator  3 . A displacement shaft  35  is transversely connected to a front end of a driven assembly  48 . The displacement shaft  35  is provided at each outer end with two arms  37  perpendicular to and projected from the displacement shaft  35  in opposite directions. Each arm  37  is provided near a free end with a row of adequately spaced hangers  39 . Ropes  7  symmetrically hang from the arms  37  with upper ends connected to four selected hangers  39  and lower ends to the flexible flat members  11  on the net  9 . By symmetrically connecting the ropes  7  to different hangers  39  on the arms  37 , the net  9  may have different stretching width. The arms  37  are also provided with suspension hangers  5  and suspension straps (not shown) for suspending a patient over the sickbed. 
     As shown in FIGS. 4A to  4 C, he driving mechanism  31  of the body-turn-over apparatus of light model includes a controller  41 . Commands may be given via the controller  41  to control a motor  45 . After the motor  45  is reduced in speed via a gearbox  47 , it may directly drives the displacement shaft  35  to rotate forward or backward, or indirectly drives the displacement shaft  35  through a driven assembly  48  (see FIGS. 4A to  4 C), a chain gearing  98  (see FIG.  4 D), or a crank  100  (see FIGS.  4 E and  4 F). The driven assembly  48  includes an internally threaded sleeve  49  which is rotated by starting the motor  45  and the gearbox  47  and a screw stem  51  axially mounted to a front end of the sleeve  49  is therefore caused to move forward or backward relative to the sleeve  49 . (Alternatively, in the case of driving the displacement shaft with a crank  100  and a push bar  53 , as shown in FIGS. 4E and 4F, the motor  45  and the gearbox  47  are actuated to rotate the screw stem  51  connected thereto, so that the threaded sleeve  49  mounted around the screw stem  51  is brought to move forward or backward relative to the screw stem  51 .) A coupling head  55  is connected to a front end of the screw stem  51 . A push bar  53  is fixedly connected at a root portion to a middle section of the displacement shaft  35 , so that the displacement shaft  35  moves along with the push bar  53 . The coupling head  55  is movable along a sliding slot  57  formed on the push bar  53 . Whereby when the screw stem  51  is driven by the rotating sleeve  49  to move forward or backward, the coupling head  55  simultaneously slides in the sliding slot  57  to shift the push bar  53  forward or backward within ranges defined by three limit switches, namely, upper, middle, and lower limit switches  24 ,  25 , and  26  provided outside and around the displacement shaft  35 . When the push bar  53  shifts, it simultaneously brings the displacement shaft  35  to turn. At this point, the arms  37  at two sides of the displacement shaft  35  swing up and down like a seesaw to pull upward or lower the ropes  7  connected to the hangers  39 , causing two sides of the net  9  to be lifted and lowered alternately in a regular manner. 
     FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the elevator  3  for the body-turn-over apparatus of the present invention. As shown, the elevator  3  includes a female case  63  put around a male case  65 , an n-shaped stand formed from a middle longitudinal beam  81  and two transverse beams  79  fixed to two ends of the longitudinal beam  81 , and four casters  83  separately mounted to bottom ends of the beams  79  and  81 . A motor  69  and a gearbox  71  are mounted in the female case  63  at a lower portion thereof. After the motor  69  and the gearbox  71  are started, a screw stem  77  inside the elevator  3  is rotated to cause an internally threaded collar  75  put around the screw stem  77  to move up or down along the screw stem  77 . Since the threaded collar  75  is fixed in the male case  65 , the movement of the threaded collar  75  along the screw stem  77  brings the male case  65  to move up or down relative to the female case  63  at the same time. In the case of the heavy-duty model, the driving mechanism  1  may further include reversible ratchet wheels  85  and a locking screw  87  at predetermined positions. When the body-turn-over apparatus is not in use, the locking screw  87  may be loosened, so that the driving mechanism  1  can be pivotally turned about the reversible ratchet wheels  85  into a downward extended position in parallel with the elevator  3 . And, when the body-turn-over apparatus is to be used, the driving mechanism  1  can be pivotally turned from the downward extended position to a position perpendicular to the elevator  3  and locked in place by tightening the screw  87  against the elevator  3 . 
     FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the heavy-duty body-turn-over apparatus of the present invention being employed to help a patient turn over on a sickbed  89 . To do so, a washable net  9  is spread over the sickbed  89 . Connect lower ends of the ropes  7  to the flexible flat members  11  at two sides of the net  9 . Adjust the elevator  3  to a desired height relative to the sickbed  89 , so that the ropes  7  are properly tensioned to decide an angular extent to which the patient is turned over on the sickbed  89 . Then, the motor  15  is started and the displacement shaft  23  moves from the middle limit switch  25  toward the right limit switch  26 . The displacement shaft  23  moves in reverse direction toward the left limit switch  24  when it touches the right limit switch  26 . The displacement shaft  23  moves toward the right limit switch  26  again when it touches the left limit switch  24 . The displacement shaft  23  reciprocates until a set time period is reached. The displacement shaft  23  will then return to its home position at the middle limit switch  25  and automatically stop moving. A speed at which the displacement shaft  23  is moved and a time period for which the displacement shaft  23  is paused at turning can both be set and adjusted via the controller  13 . A vibrator  91  may be mounted to a bottom of the driving mechanism  1 . The vibrator  91  includes two eccentric wheels  93  asymmetrically connected to two ends of a rotary shaft of a motor in the vibrator  91 , two rings  95  separately connected to the two eccentric wheels  93 , and two additional ropes  97  separately connected to the rings  95 . When the motor of the vibrator  91  is started, the two eccentric wheels  93  would bring the rings  95  to rotate quickly and accordingly pull and lower the two ropes  97  alternately at high frequency. Lower ends of the two additional ropes  97  are connected to the net  9 . The quickly alternated up and down motions of the two ropes  97  therefore bring the net  9  to shake at high frequency. The shaking net  9  is helpful in assisting a patient lying on the net  9  to turn over and do back and limb exercises. In the case of the heavy-duty model, an auxiliary support  99  including two telescopic sections may be mounted to an outer end of the driving mechanism  1  when a considerably heavy load is to be supported on the body-turn-over apparatus. The telescopic auxiliary support  99  may be manually adjusted to a height the same as that of the elevator  3  and be locked in place. 
     FIG. 7 schematically illustrates the light model of the body-turn-over apparatus of the present invention being employed to help a patient turn over on a sickbed  89 . When the arms  37  swing up and down to pull up or lower the ropes  7  relative to the sickbed  89 , the net  9  connected at two foldable flat members  11  to the ropes  7  shall bring the patient lying on the net  9  to turn sideward to a desired extent. And when the vibrator  91  is actuated, the net  9  may be shaken at high frequency to help the patient moving his or her back. The clinical operation of the body-turn-over apparatus of light model is similar to that shown in FIG.  6  and is therefore not repeated herein. 
     FIG. 8 is a control circuit diagram for the body-turn-over apparatus of the present invention. The whole apparatus may also be powered by a rechargeable battery instead of an AC power source. As shown, the control circuit includes a power switch S 1 , an operation mode switch S 2 , a left (or upper) limit switch S 3 , a manual setting switch S 6  for moving rightward, a right (or lower) limit switch S 8 , a manual setting switch S 11  for moving leftward, an inching switch S 12 , a speed selection switch S 14 , a right-moving switch relay U, a left-moving switch relay D, a motor reversing relay L, a music bell relay M, a pause relay TD, a timer TDA, an exciting self-protective switch L 1 , a motor primary coil M 1 , a motor starting coil M 2 , and a middle pause relay TDB. The operation mode switch S 2  allows an operator to select an automatic or a manual operation mode of the apparatus. When the apparatus is operated in the manual mode, the movement of the displacement shaft of the driven assembly is not limited by the middle limit switch. 
     A user may select to have the body-turn-over apparatus of the present invention automatically or manually operated. 
     To manually operate the body-turn-over apparatus, first switch the operation mode switch S 2  to “M”. Depress the setting switch S 6  to select moving rightward or the setting switch S 11  to moving leftward. Then, adjust the speed selection switch S 14  to select a desired speed and depress the inching switch  12 . At this point, the body-turn-over apparatus may operate inch by inch at the set speed and in the set direction. 
     To have the body-turn-over apparatus automatically operated, first switch the operation mode switch S 2  to “A”. In the case of heavy-duty body-turn-over apparatus, the displacement shaft  23  will automatically stop at a middle point of its travel. Adjust the speed selection switch S 14  to set a desired speed and the pause relay TD to set time of pause before the displacement shaft  23  moves in an opposite direction. Finally, set the timer TDA to a desired operation time period. Then, the displacement shaft  23  of the body-turn-over apparatus starts to move (or rotate) between the left (or upper) limit switch S 3  and the right (or lower) limit switch S 8  until the set operation time is reached. At this point, the apparatus is automatically reset to a middle positioning switch S 17  and the displacement shaft  23  stops at the middle point of its travel. Meanwhile, a music bell is caused to ring. 
     Alternatively, the controller  13  or  41  may be so designed that an operating time of the motor controlled or adjusted by a microcomputer can be counted and converted into a moving distance of the displacement shaft  23  or a swing angle of the arms  37  caused by the driving mechanism  1  or  31 , respectively. Whereby, whenever the displacement shaft  23  or  35  are moved or rotated to a middle inductive switch, the controller of the apparatus is automatically reset to zero and the counting of the operating time starts from zero again. The left (upper) and the right (lower) limit switches  24 ,  25  can be replaced and the travel of the displacement shaft  23  can be adjusted by the control of the microcomputer over the motor of the driving mechanism. 
     The net  9  being laid over the sickbed  89  is preferably made of pliable, air-pervious and washable material. The flexible flat members  11  are preferably fixed to two longitudinal sides of the net  9 . Connecting holes  10  for connecting the ropes  7  to the net  9  are preferably spaced on the flexible flat members  11  near middle portions thereof, so that a patient lying on the net  9  may be indirectly brought to a suspended position above the sickbed. 
     Alternatively, two grip bars or rings  14  may be connected to the ropes  7  at two sides of the sickbed  89 , so that a patient lying on the sickbed may grip the bars or rings  14  or rest two legs in the rings  14  to do rehabilitation exercises. Or, the ropes  7  may be associated with fracture fixation means for necessary skeletal traction, with a set of suspension fittings to suspend the patient above the sickbed, or with a set of vibrating straps to help the patient move his or her head and limbs. 
     What is to be noted is the form of the present invention shown and disclosed is to be taken as a preferred embodiment of the invention and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangements of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.