Abstract:
This invention relates to devices that assist people as they rise up from, or sit down into, a seated position, and, more particularly, to a reversible aid for such use which can be placed on either side of a seat. In particular, the device preferably includes a flat base that is positioned under the legs of a seat, locking means to lock the base to the seat legs, a pivotable hollow sleeve extending upwards from the base, an adjustable arm partially fitted within said sleeve which arm can be adjusted in height to be positioned above the level of the seat, and a moveable arm that can be moved from a storage position, out of the way of the user, to an active position wherein it extends at least partially in front of the user. A device is provided that is safer, less obtrusive, and more efficient than prior art devices.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates to devices that assist people as they rise up from, or sit down into, a seated position, and, more particularly, to a reversible aid for such use which can be placed on either side of a chair.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Many persons have difficulty rising from, or sitting down into a seated position. This might be because of an infirmity due to injury, illness, advanced age, or some other debilitation. This difficulty is of special concern when padded chairs and couches are used as seating devices, as the individual may sit deeply in the cushioning, and thus aggravating any difficulty in getting up. Devices that utilize a handle to permit the seated person to grab hold of and pull on while rising are well known. In some cases, these devices are normally not connected to any particular piece of furniture and, thus, may be employed anywhere the individual may be seated.  
         [0003]     Typical devices utilize a pair of bars which are positioned in front of the person as he rises. These devices normally must be positioned under and in front of the chair and typically will block the view of the user or are obtrusive. Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,553,746; 4,844,107; 4,922,560; 4,843,661; 3,591,874; 3,739,793; 4,941,495; and 3,695,609. These devices can generally be described as “chair assist” devices.  
         [0004]     Additionally, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,498, Van Meter et al. provide a chair assist having a brace that would rest under the legs of a chair, couch, sofa or the like, and an upright arm that could be utilized by a user to assist in pulling themselves upright. In tile embodiment shown by Van Meter, the arm is essentially a straight rod with an upright handle, but a recent development has arms with a curved configuration but which project outward in a plane which is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the base, and which is thus parallel to the plane of the side of the chair, couch, sofa or the like.  
         [0005]     While these devices have proven to be useful, additional development is desired in order to provide an improved benefit to persons requiring these features.  
         [0006]     In particular, it would be desirable to provide a chair assist device, or more generally, a transferring tool device, that would be less intrusive when not in use. Additionally, it would be desirable to provide a chair assist that was adjustable to better fit a variety of chairs, couches, sofas or the like. Further, it would be desirable to provide a chair assist wherein a handle can be provided that would better assist the user, while not being a impediment to use by, or an obstruction to, the user.  
         [0007]     Still further, the weight of the seat is the primary mechanism to hold the prior art chair assists in place. This can be a problem if the chair is light in weight, and/or a relatively large force is applied to the chair assist. As a result, the chair assist of the prior art can move and possibly upset the balance of the user. This could occur as the user was sitting down in the seat, or was rising from the seat. As such, it would be desirable to provide a chair assist that could be more securely fastened to the chair, couch, sofa or the like in order to prevent inadvertent movement of the assist with respect to the seat.  
         [0008]     To overcome these difficulties, in accordance with the present invention, it would therefore be advantageous to provide a chair assist wherein a folding handle is provided that extends partially across the user that can be used to facilitate rising from a chair, which handle can be moved out of the way when the user is being seated, or while the user is seated.  
         [0009]     Further, it would be advantageous to provide a chair assist wherein a support arm was either foldable to be removed out of the way when not needed, and/or which was adjustable, or preferably telescopic in nature, so that it could be fitted to a particular chair, couch, sofa or the like (hereinafter collectively termed as a “seat”).  
         [0010]     Yet further, it would be advantageous to provide a chair assist wherein the base of the chair assist can be even more securely fastened to the seat.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     The advantages set out hereinabove, as well as other objects and goals inherent thereto, are at least partially or fully provided by the device of the present invention, as set out herein below.  
         [0012]     In one aspect, therefore, the present invention provides a device to aid persons rising from, or sitting down into, a seated position in a seat, comprising:  
         [0013]     an elongated, generally horizontal, support base which base is adapted to be positioned under the legs of said seat;  
         [0014]     an upwardly extending sleeve attached at one end to said base, and having an opening at an opposite end for receiving an elongated vertically orientated support arm;  
         [0015]     an elongated support arm extending upwardly from said sleeve and having a first end adapted to fit within said opening in said sleeve and a second end extending, in use, to a position above said seat; and  
         [0016]     a movable handle extending from said second end of said support arm, wherein said movable handle is moveable from a storage position to an active position so that when said moveable handle is in said active position, said handle extends at least partially across the front of said seat. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]     Embodiments of this invention will now be described by way of example only in association with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a perspective drawing of the device of the present invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the device of  FIG. 1  along the line  2 - 2 ;  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the device of  FIG. 1  along the line  3 - 3 ;  
         [0021]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the device of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0022]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  are perspective views of the handle section of the device of  FIG. 1  in a storage position and an active position; and  
         [0023]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a sleeve portion in which the angle of the sleeve can be adjusted. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0024]     For the purposes of the present description, the term “seat” is used. As previously described, the present application is therefore primarily directed to a device that is of use with a chair having one of more legs on its side. However, the skilled artisan will be aware that the device may used in a wide variety of seats including, for example, chairs, couches, sofas, lounges, chesterfields, benches, or the like. Accordingly, while the present application will hereinafter be described with particular reference to a “seat”, the skilled artisan would be aware that the device of the present application is useful with a wide variety of different types of seats.  
         [0025]     The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the present invention, as to its structure, organization, use and method of operation, together with further objectives and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following drawings in which a presently preferred embodiment of the invention will now be illustrated by way of example only. In the drawings, like reference numerals depict like elements.  
         [0026]     It is expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.  
         [0027]     Referring to  FIG. 1 a  device to aid persons rising from, or sit down into a seated position  10  is shown. Device  10  may be fabricated from any suitable material that can provide the structural integrity necessary for use. This can include, without limitation, materials such as iron, steel, aluminum, wood, plastics or the like, or combinations thereof. Preferably, however, the device is made essentially entirely of steel.  
         [0028]     Device  10  can be painted or have other surface treatments in order to provide some aesthetic features, such as blending in to the design of the room where it is used. Alternatively or additionally, it can be painted to include safety features such as a brightly coloured sections which will be clearly visible.  
         [0029]     Device  10  has a base unit  12  which is preferably provided with structural end rails  14  and a side rail  16  on one side. The opposite side of base unit  12  preferably does not have a side rail in order to facilitate sliding the device under the legs of a seat (not shown).  
         [0030]     Base  12  of device  10  is essentially flat and horizontal and intended to be fitted under at least one leg, and preferably at least 2 legs of a seat (not shown). Base  12  has a length of approximately 1 meter and is therefore adapted to be fitted under most seats. An extension plate, not shown, can be fitted to base  12  if additional length is required to fit under the legs of a seat.  
         [0031]     The bottom of base  12  can be a flat surface which would be suitable for resting on a carpet or the like. Preferably, however, the base can additionally comprise any of a number of non-slip or protective devices, such as foam rubber or neoprene mats  13 , pads or coatings, to allow the base to rest on a floor and minimize the possibility of slipping of the base unit, and/or protect the floor surface.  
         [0032]     Attached to side rail  16  are two seat leg locking devices  18  which are slidable on side rail  16  in a groove  19  formed in locking device  18 . Locking devices  18  preferably include a V-shaped notch  20 , which is adapted to receive a the front and rear legs of a seat. Notches  20  can be any suitable shape, but a V-shaped clamp has been found to be of use in the practice of the present invention. In use, base  12  is slid under the legs of the seat until the seat legs are aligned with notches  20  in locking device  18 . Locking devices  18  are then moved by sliding along side rail  16  until the seat legs are positioned within notches  20 . Locking devices  18  are then fixed into position by tightening bolts  22  which press against side rail  16  to hold the locking device in position.  
         [0033]     Alternatively, one locking device  18  might be permanently affixed to base  12 , with a second locking device being capable of moving so that it can be positioned against a second seat leg once the permanent locking device was in position against a first seat leg. Preferably, however, at least 1 leg locking device is provided, and more preferably, at least 2 leg locking devices are provided. Still further, it is preferred that at least one leg locking device be moveable in order to provide adjustability for differences in the distances between seat legs. In the most preferred embodiment, the device has two moveable leg locking devices.  
         [0034]     In the prior art, the weight of the seat holds device  10  in place by having the legs rest on the base unit. In the present invention, however, base unit  12  is also prevented from moving, as it is being used by person rising from the seat, since locking devices  18  prevent sideways or back and forth movement of device  10 . As such, device  10  is more firmly held in a proper position than prior art devices.  
         [0035]     Further, non-slip mats  17  made of, for example, neoprene or rubber, can be fitted to an upper surface of base  16  in the areas where the legs of the seat would commonly rest, in order to further reduce the risk of having the seat slide unintentionally.  
         [0036]     Interior  24  and exterior  26  L-shaped attachment plates are used to hold sleeve  30  in place using bolts  28 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , interior plate  24  and exterior plate  26  are bolted to side rail  16 , by bolts  28 , and thus are firmly connected to base  12 . Sleeve  30  might also be held to base unit  12  by welding, or some other method. However, as shown in the figures, the use of attachment plates  24  and  26 , or some other releasable attachment means, allows sleeve  30  to be temporarily removed from base unit  12  for transportation or storage.  
         [0037]     Attachment plates  24  and  26  could be any of a variety of shapes. However, preferably these plates are L-shaped so as to be able to assist in preventing inadvertent tilting of device  10  in a sideways direction when weight is placed on a support arm  32 . This is particularly true with exterior L-shaped attachment plate  26  since it reduces the possibility of device  10  tipping over in a direction away from base  12 .  
         [0038]     As a result, device  10  is very stable in that the leg locking devices prevent the device from moving sideways, or back and forth, while the L-shaped attachment plates prevent tipping of the device to the side. The length of base  12 , with the weight of the seat, acts to prevent device  10  from tipping to the front or back.  
         [0039]     Sleeve  30  is welded to sleeve attachment plates  27  and  29  at a desired angle. Plates  27  and  29  are then bolted to, for example, L-shaped attachment plates  24  and  26  using bolts  28 , and thus, effectively connect sleeve  30  to side rail  16 .  
         [0040]     Sleeve  30  is preferably a hollow tube which extends upwards from base  12  at a desired sleeve angle. In a alternative design, shown in  FIG. 6 , sleeve  30 A may be bolted to attachment plates  24 A and  26 A using one of a number of additional bolt holes  31 . One end of sleeve  30 A is bolted using bolt  33  so that sleeve  30 A is pivotable about bolt  33 . Sleeve  30 A is fixed in position with a second bolt which might be inserted into any one of bolt holes  31 . This allows the sleeve angle of sleeve  30 A to be adjusted with respect to base  12 . This might also include a bolt hole  35  that allows sleeve  30 A to be moved to a storage position where sleeve  30 A would be essentially parallel to base  12 .  
         [0041]     However, most commonly, sleeve  30  is fixed into position, as shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0042]     A support arm  32  is fitted within sleeve  30 . The inner diameter of sleeve  30  is sufficiently large so as to receive one end of support arm  32 , and a C-clip  34  fixed to the side of arm  32 . In use, arm  30  can be essentially fully inserted into sleeve  30  so as to provide a lowered arm height. Arm  32  can also be raised so that clip  34  fits over the end of sleeve  30 , and thus holds arm  32  at a raised height. Arm  32  can be fitted with a plurality of clips, or other temporary attachment means, in order to adjust the height of arm  32 . This can be used to adjust the height of the arm depending on the height of the seat, or the height of the user, for example, or also allows arm  32  to be lowered in order to facilitate storage or transportation.  
         [0043]     Arm  32  might also be preferably removed completely from sleeve  30  for storage or transportation. Also, although sleeve  30  and arm  32  are shown as being square tubes, any suitable shape of sleeve and/or arm might be used.  
         [0044]     Sleeve  30  is preferably of a length which is approximately equal to the length of support arm  32 . However, the relative lengths of sleeve  30  and support arm  32  can vary significantly. Together, however, sleeve  30  and support arm  32  preferably have a combined length, in use, of between 0.5 meters and 1 meter. Sleeve  30  preferably has a minimum length of at least 10% of the combined useable length of sleeve  30  plus arm  32 , and more preferably, has a minimum length of at least 30% of the combined length.  
         [0045]     At the opposite end of arm  32 , a handle portion  40  is provided. Preferably, handle portion  40  is movable from an active position, as shown in  FIG. 5A  to a stored position, as shown in  FIG. 5B . In the stored position, handle portion  40  does not interfere with a user when the user is seated in the seat. While handle  40  might be moved from one position to the other by a variety of means, including, sliding the handle section, or by providing a telescopic handle section, preferably the handle is rotated into the storage and/or active position, when required, by rotating handle  40  around bolt  44 . When not required, the handle is preferably rotated at least 75, and more preferably 90 degrees, to a position which preferably is at least co-linear with the support arm. More preferably, handle  40  may be rotated further to a position that is 180 degrees to its position when in use. Even more preferably, handle portion  40  is rotated 270 degrees to a position that rests along side arm  32 , as shown in  FIG. 5B . The direction of movement of handle portion  40  is shown by arrows A and B in  FIGS. 5A and 5B .  
         [0046]     Other handle storage arrangements are also possible, but preferably the handle is rotatable to a storage position that is between 45 and 300 degrees to its active position, and more preferably, is rotatable to a position which is between 90 and 270 degrees to its active position.  
         [0047]     Handle portion  40  is preferably fitted to arm  32  using handle attachment plates  46  which are connected to arm  32 . Handle attachment plates  46  are preferably welded to arm  32  although other attachment means might be used. Bolt  44  extends through plates  46  and handle  40  and thus connects handle  40  to arm  32 . Handle portion  40  is free to rotate around bolt  44 , and thus, can be moved from its stored position to its active position. As such, bolt  44  acts as an axis of rotation for handle  40 , which axis of rotation is located at the end of support arm  32 .  
         [0048]     Handle  40  is prevented from moving past the active or storage positions since it will move to a position where a portion of the handle will rest on, or be adjacent to arm  32 , respectively.  
         [0049]     Handle  40  may include a grip section  42 , such as, for example, a rubberized or foam grip  44  to cover at least part of the handle, in order to better enable a person seated in the seat to grasp the handle.  
         [0050]     Plates  46  might also be fitted with a rubberized or foam grip section  48 , which a user can also use as a temporary rest while standing near device  10 .  
         [0051]     It is to be noted that a primary advantage of the rotatable handle is that handle  40  can be rotated into an active position when required to assist the user in rising from the seat, or when sitting down into the seat. In the active position, handle  40  has a length of preferably between 10 and 30 cm, and thus preferably only partially extends in front of the user. This allows the user to more easily grasp the handle than prior art devices. This position also assists in pulling the user straight forward out of the seat. However, handle  40  preferably does not extend completely across the user so as to block the user attempting to rise from, or sit down into, the seat.  
         [0052]     When the user is seated in the seat, or when the seat is used by a user that does not require handle  40 , handle  40  is preferably moved to its storage position so that the user is not impeded while sitting in, or rising from, the seat. As such, in the storage position, the handle preferably does not extend across in front of the seat, and in the preferred embodiment, in the storage position, the handle is positioned essentially equal to, or outside of, the second end of support arm  32 , as shown in  FIG. 5B . Also, in the storage position, the device is not obtrusive while the seat user is seated since the handle is not located directly in front of the user.  
         [0053]     Also, it is to be noted that in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , sleeve  30  might also be moved to the other end of base  16 , and the sleeve attachment can be reversed so that sleeve  30  points in the opposite direction. As a result, device  10  is preferably reversible, in that it can be positioned on either side of the chair.  
         [0054]     When device  10  is not required, support arm  32  (with handle  40 ) can be removed from sleeve  30 . Sleeve  30  can then be optionally folded flat to the base, and locking devices  18  released. The entire device  10  can then be easily moved or stored, for example, under the seat, where it is ready for later use.  
         [0055]     Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided, in accordance with the present invention, a device to aid persons rising from, or sitting down into, a seated position which fully satisfies the goals, objects, and advantages set forth hereinbefore. Therefore, having described specific embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that alternatives, modifications and variations thereof may be suggested to those skilled in the art, and that it is intended that the present specification embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims.  
         [0056]     Additionally, for clarity and unless otherwise stated, the word “comprise” and variations of the word such as “comprising” and “comprises”, when used in the description and claims of the present specification, is not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps.  
         [0057]     Moreover, the words “substantially” or “essentially”, when used with an adjective or adverb is intended to enhance the scope of the particular characteristic; e.g., substantially planar is intended to mean planar, nearly planar and/or exhibiting characteristics associated with a planar element.  
         [0058]     Also, while this discussion has addressed prior art known to the inventor, it is not an admission that all art discussed is citable against the present application.