Patent Publication Number: US-7216880-B2

Title: Universal handle and body-supporting chair utilizing same

Description:
The present invention relates to the handles used for transmitting a force to a device and which comprises control members capable of acting on safety systems integrated in the device to which the handle is adapted. 
   More particularly, the device relates to handles that provide their user with a plurality of grips such that they can be qualified as being universal. 
   In a preferred but non-limiting embodiment, the invention relates to such a handle utilized for maneuvering a verticalization system of a body support chair for physically challenged persons or invalids. This type of chair such as, for example, that described in patent FR 2 769 830, comprises a chassis supporting an articulated structure that comprises a seat as well as two symmetrical lateral articulated systems assuring verticalization—lowering function of the seat, the back and of the foot rest in order to make it possible for the user of the chair to move from a sitting position to a standing position. 
   For this purpose, each lateral articulated system comprises a first deformable quadrilateral contributing to the support of the seat and comprised of two sills, top and bottom, respectively, articulated on a front part of the chassis and connected at their rear part by a spacer part. 
   Each lateral articulated system comprises also a second deformable quadrilateral contributing to the support of the foot rest as well as a back assembly articulated on the first quadrilateral facing the second quadrilateral, by means of the spacer part, at least 
   Finally, each articulated lateral system comprises a maneuvering assembly interposed between the first quadrilateral and the frame, which comprises on the one hand a first lever articulated on the rear part of the chassis and at the end of a second lever, whose other end is articulated on the first quadrilateral, as well as a maneuvering handle attached to the second lever and assuming the function of guidance and control of the relative pivoting of the lateral systems from one lowered position to a verticalization position of the structure relative to the chassis and vice versa. 
   The maneuvering assembly comprises, on the other hand, an element assisting in the raising—verticalization movement such as, for example, a pneumatic jack. In order to provide for easy gripping regardless of the articulated structure, the maneuvering handle provides a U-shaped gripping zone, open at its center, having two arms connected by a bar and all three offering a support back for the palm of the user&#39;s hand. 
   This type of body—support chair satisfies all of the requirements relating to its verticalization—lowering function as to the user who is capable of moving from a seated position to a standing position without assistance, human or mechanical, other than that provided by the pneumatic jack. 
   However, notwithstanding the satisfaction afforded by the considerable ease of moving into the two positions, standing and seated, it has been necessary, in order to enhance the perception of safety of the user who has completely lost the of his lower limbs, of using blocking means of the verticalization—lowering movement, which are capable of preventing an unintentional movement from the upright position to the seated position but which also makes possible stopping in an intermediate phase, between the seated position and the standing position in order to allow the user to regain his strength or even to adjust his posture, for example. In order to address this need, we propose, for example but not exclusively, using as a blocking means a pneumatic jack having automatic blocking controlled by means of a control member arranged on the handle, for example. 
   There was then the need of enabling the user to act upon said control member in all phases of the verticalization—lowering movement, regardless of the position of the maneuvering handle, and to do so rapidly and reflexedly. 
   In order to address this need, the invention relates to a universal handle comprising a handle part having a U-shaped gripping zone open at its center and having two arms connected by a bar, all three providing a support back for the palm of one hand or the fingers of a user. 
   According to the invention, said grip is characterized in that it comprises in addition a control member:
         which is arranged on the inside of the opening of the gripping zone of the body of the handle and open at its center in such a fashion as to comprise a U-shaped gripping zone corresponding to the gripping zone of the handle and having two arms connected by a bar, all three offering a support zone for the fingers of the user&#39;s hand;   and that it is adapted for exercising a force on an element to be controlled when the handle is locked by the user&#39;s hand at the level of one or another of the three gripping zones formed by the two arms and the bar of the body of the handle associated with the control member.       

   Operation of said control member, integrated with the universal handle, thus makes it possible for the user to control the action of the control member or receiver in different gripping postures of the universal handle. 
   This advantageous feature of the invention can then be used advantageously in the context of a body-support chair, such as hereinbefore described, or even, in a handling cart which comprises an automatic braking system, blocking the rotation of the wheels upon release of the universal handle. 
   The control member can be realized in any suitable form and manner assuring its actuating function of an control or receiver element. 
   According to one preferred but not strictly necessary characteristic of embodiment of the invention, the control member comprises two swivel pins and the handle comprises, for each pin, a support surface adapted to enable pivoting of a control member when the handle is held in the hand at one or the other of the arms of the gripping zone. Preferably, the pivoting pins are then arranged facing the bar of the control member, it being understood that they can also be arranged on the same side as said latter. 
   According to another characteristic of the invention and when it is necessary to exert a traction on the control member, the control member comprises, facing the bar, an cross bar for fixation of the element to be controlled, which connects the two arms of the control member. 
   According to the invention, the control member can be adapted on or within the handle. 
   Thus, according to a preferred embodiment the body of the handle comprises an open chamber at the center of the gripping zone, on the inside of which the control member is arranged. 
   In a preferred but non-exclusive application, the universal handle according to the invention is used for maneuvering the mechanism of a body-support chair for the physically challenged or invalid. 
   Thus, the invention relates also such a chair comprising a frame supporting an articulated structure, which comprises a seat, a foot rest, a back and two symmetrical lateral articulated systems, each comprising:
         a first deformable polygon or quadrilateral contributing to the support of the seat, comprising two sills, upper and lower, respectively articulated on the front part of the frame and connected towards their rear parts by a spacer part.   a second deformable polygon contributing to the support of the foot rest;   a back assembly articulated on the first quadrilateral, opposite to the second polygon, by means of the spacer part, at least;   and a maneuvering assembly interposed between the first quadrilateral and the frame, which comprises on the one hand a first lever articulated on the rear part of the frame and at the end of a second lever, whose other end is articulated on the first quadrilateral, as well as a maneuvering handle attached to the second lever and assuming the function of guidance and control of the relative pivoting of the lateral systems from a lowered position to a verticalization position of the structure relative to the chassis and vice versa.       

   According to the invention, this body-supporting chair is characterized in that it comprises a means for blocking of the verticalization—lowering movement and in that the maneuvering handle of at least one of the lateral assemblies comprises a universal handle, whose control member acts on the means for blocking of the verticalization—lowering movement. 
   According to a preferred embodiment, the blocking means are integrated with a member for assisting the movement of verticalization—lowering which equips each articulated system. 
   The assistance members can be realized in any suitable fashion such as, for example, in the form of a mechanism common to the two articulated systems and using an electrically operated geared motor. According to one preferred embodiment, each assistance member comprises an automatic gas actuated blocking jack interposed between the first quadrilateral of the corresponding lateral articulated system and the front part of the frame. In one preferred but non-exclusive embodiment of the invention, in order to avoid any unintentional triggering of the assistance means or even any unintentional unblocking of the movement, the body of the universal handle is fitted onto a support attached to the second lever in such a fashion as to be moveable between a resting position, wherein the action of the control member is neutralized and a working position, wherein the control member is capable of acting on the means for blocking the verticalization movement. 
   Preferably, this movement corresponds to a rotation on a plane that is substantially vertical and the body of the handle is then moveable relative to the support in rotation along a substantially horizontal axis included in a frontal plane. 
   Advantageously, this movement makes it possible to correspond the resting position of the handle when the chair is in a lowered position to a fender or guard, wherein the handle is interposed between the seat and the corresponding wheel of the chair. 
   Preferably, the second maneuvering handle, even if it does not comprise a control member, is also arranged on its lever so as to be moveable in such a fashion as to be able to occupy two positions similar to those of the universal handle. 
   Preferably, the universal handle and the second maneuvering handle thus comprise locking means in the one or the other of their positions. 
   According to another feature of the invention, in order to be able to adapt the body-support chair to the morphology of its user in order to provide optimum comfort and assure the ergonomy of the verticalization—lowering system, the body of the universal handle is arranged on a support, whose position is adjustable between the two ends of the second lever. This adjustment can then be realized in any suitable fashion and, preferably, by a series of fastening holes made in the second lever and using which the universal handle support can be arranged in the desired position. Utilization of such holes makes it possible to assure attachment that is resistant to the forces applied on the universal handle particularly at the time of the verticalization movement. 

   
     Diverse other characteristics of the invention will become obvious from the description that follows made in relation to the annexed drawings which represent one preferred non-limiting embodiment of a universal handle according to the invention as well as a body support chair utilizing such a universal handle. 
       FIG. 1  represents a perspective view of a body support wheel chair utilizing a universal handle according to the invention. 
       FIG. 2  is an elevation in right-sided view of the chair illustrated in  FIG. 1  in the lowered sitting position of the chair. 
       FIG. 3  is a partial elevation, similar to  FIG. 2 , of the chair in the verticalization or upright position. 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  are elevations of a detail of an embodiment of the operating handle of the chair illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIGS. 6 to 9  are elevations, partially cutaway, of a universal handle according to the invention. 
   

   In one preferred but non-exclusive application, the universal handle  1  according to the invention is intended to be used on a body-support wheel chair as illustrated in  FIG. 1 to 3 . 
   This type of chair comprises a frame, comprised of lateral hemi-frames  3  and  4 , connected together by cross-members  5  and  6 . These different constituent elements define a supporting assembly provided with driving wheels  10  and orientable steering wheels  11 . 
   As illustrated, the frame  2  corresponds to a rigid design chair but it is quite obvious that a substantially similar conformation could be used for a foldable chair. In fact, in such a case, the rigid cross-members  5  and  6  are then replaced by flexible elements of known design. 
   The frame  2  described hereinbefore is equipped with a verticalizer device, which is realized in the form of an articulated structure  12  supported by the frame  2 . The articulated structure  12  is comprised by two symmetrical lateral articulated systems symmetrical relative to a sagittal plane P and which are more particularly visible in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . Each articulated system  13  is intended to be attached laterally to the frame  2  at each of the hemi-frames  3  and  4 , for example. 
   Each articulated system  13  comprises a first deformable quadrilateral  17  comprised of two sills  18  and  19 , respectively called top and bottom, although they are not—in the representation shown in FIG.  3 —disposed in the same vertical plane. The sills  18  and  19  are connected at their rear end part by an spacer element or spacer part  20  and are mounted on the frame  2  in the vicinity of the front part of said latter by a first articulation point  21  relating to the top sill and by a second articulation point  22  relating to the bottom sill. In the present case, the point of articulation  21  is provided in the top part of the corresponding hemi-frame  3 ,  4  while the point of articulation  22  is situated on this same hemi-frame behind and below the point of articulation  21 . 
   In the illustrated example, the spacer element  20  is provided to correspond to the to the distance separating the points of articulation  21  and  22  such that the quadrilateral  17  presents preferred form of a deformable parallelogram. 
   Each articulated system  13  comprises in addition a second deformable polygon  26 , in this instance a quadrilateral drawn in  FIG. 2 and 3  in broken lines, connecting the first deformable quadrilateral to a jamb or similar riser  27  intended for supporting, alone or in combination with a jamb or similar riser, a foot rest  33 . 
   Finally, each articulated system  13  comprises a back assembly comprising two uprights  35 , each of these articulated on the first quadrilateral  13  opposite to the second quadrilateral  26  by means of the spacer part  20 . According to the example illustrated, the uprights  35  of the back are in addition connected by a cross-member  36 . 
   In order to allow passage of the articulated structure  12  from the sitting lowered position—as shown in FIG.  2 —to the verticalization or standing position—as illustrated in FIG.  3 —each articulated system comprises a maneuvering assembly  40  interposed between the first quadrilateral  17  and the frame  2  and, more particularly, the corresponding hemi-frame  4 . 
   Each maneuvering assembly  40  comprises a first lever  41  articulated on the rear part of the frame by means of a pivot  42  and, at the end of a second lever  43 , by means of a pivot  44 . The other end of the second lever  43  is thus articulated on the first quadrilateral and, according to the example shown, on the bottom sill  19  by means of a pivot  45  and a fixation part  46  attached to the second lever  43 . 
   Each maneuvering assembly comprises also a maneuvering handle  49 , which could be made universal to the extent that it must allow the user of the chair to apply a force on said handle, both in terms of the lowered or sitting position shown in  FIG. 2  and in terms of the verticalization B shown in  FIG. 3  and during the transition or verticalization—lowering movement. 
   To this end, each universal handle comprises, as shown more exactly in  FIGS. 4 and 6 , a handle body  50 , having a gripping zone  51  shaped like a U and open in its center. Thus, the gripping zone  51  has to arms  53  connected by a bar  54 . The arms  53  and the bar  54  thus provided, all three, a support back for the palm of the hand of the user who can furthermore enclose the handle by placing the fingers at its center  52 . 
   The body of the handle  50  is attached to the lever  43  as hereinbefore described by being affixed or moveable relative to said latter. According to the illustrated example, the body of the handle  50  is attached on the second lever  43  by means of a support  55  so as to be moveable between a resting or flat position R—as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  4  in solid lines—and a deployed or working position D—as illustrated in dotted lines in  FIG. 2  and in solid lines in  FIG. 5 . To this end, the body of the handle  50  is connected to the support  55  by a swivel  56  having a substantially horizontal axis and contained in a frontal plane F, perpendicular to the sagittal plane P. 
   The possibility of movement, alternating from the retracted or resting position R shown to the raised or working position D of the handle, makes it possible to disengage the lateral space of the user upon any movement of the articulated structure is undesirable, both in the sitting position and in the verticalization or standing position. 
   In order to assure the stability of the working position D or resting position R of the maneuvering handle  50 , said latter is equipped with means  57  for locking the handle into the one or the other of its positions R or D. The means  57  can be realized in any suitable fashion and are—according to the example shown—comprised of a finger  58  maneuvered into position by a gate  59  and intended to be inserted, depending on its position into the one or the other of two holes  60  made in the support  55 . 
   In addition, it should be noted that, according to the example shown, in order to make possible a perfect fit of the chair to the morphology of its user, the support  55  of the maneuvering handle  50  is adjustable as to its position on the second lever, so as to be placed at different intermediary positions between the two ends of said lever  43 . 
   To this end, according to the illustrated example, the adjustment is assured by means of a series of holes  61  made in the lever  2  and making it possible to fix, by means of screws (not shown) the support  55  at different positions such that it is possible to extend or to contract it from the back as a function of the morphology of the patient. 
   In order to facilitate the verticalization—lowering movement, the body support chair Described hereinbefore comprises also assistance means  65 . According to this example, said assistance means are comprised for each of the articulated systems of a gas jack interposed between the first quadrilateral  13  and the front part of the frame  2 . 
   According to the illustrated example, each gas jack  65  incorporates also automatic blocking means which prevent any movement of the jack and thus of the articulated system to which it is connected, whilst an unblocking control is not applied to the blocking system of the blocking of the jack. Thus, it is necessary to provide the user of the chair with control means that are easy to use. This is precisely the object of the universal handle according to the invention. 
   According to an essential characteristic of the invention, one at least of the two handles, preferably the one corresponding to the dominant hand of the user, comprises, as shown in  FIG. 6 to 9 , a control member  70  which is arranged on the inside of the central opening  52  of the gripping zone of the body of the handle  50  and open at its center. Thus, the control member  70  comprises at its center an interior gripping zone shaped like a U  71  and corresponding to the gripping zone  51  which could be placed outside of the handle body  50  and having two arms  72  connected by a bar  73 . The arms  72  and the bar  73  thus provide, all three, a zone of support for the fingers of the corresponding hand of the user. 
   According to the example shown, the control member  70  has, opposite to the bar  73 , a cross-member  74  intended to make possible the fixation of an element to be controlled  75 , which will be described in more detail below. 
   The control member  70  comprises, opposite to the bar and at either end of the cross-member, two pivot pins  76 , with which two support surfaces  77  offered by the handle body  50  are associated. Thus, the control member  70  is enclosed in part at the inside of the body  50  of the handle; only its gripping zone  71  being accessible from the outside of the handle t its central opening  52 . 
   According to the illustrated example, the element to be controlled  75  is a rod connected by a pivot to an end of a spacer  80 , whose other extremity acts on a linkage  81 . Said linkage  81  is situated, when the body of the handle  50  is in the working position D (as shown in  FIGS. 7 ,  8  and  9 ) facing a pusher  82  likewise affixed to one end of a spacer  83  whose other end is intended to be connected to a cable control device (not shown) either by being affixed to the cable itself of to the protective sheath, the cable control device then acting on the blocking means of the gas jack. 
   Considering the chain of movement transformation described above, it is necessary to exert a traction on the element to be controlled or the rod  75  in order to obtain an unblocking of the movement of the gas jacks. Now, the particular conformation of the control member  70  as well as, according to the illustrated example, the operation of the pivot pins  76  associated with the corresponding support surfaces  77 , makes it possible to exert such traction regardless of the site where the universal handle is taken into the hand at the one or the other of the three gripping 5  zones defined by the bar and the arms of the body of the handle  50  and the control member  70 . 
   In fact, as shown more particularly in  FIG. 8 , when the handle is gripped at the lower arm  72  of the gripping zone and a force is exercised on the command member in the direction of the arrows F 1 , the bottom support pin  76  abuts on the corresponding surface  77 , thus entailing a pivoting of the control member  70  in the direction of the arrow F 2  and thus a traction on the element to be controlled  75 . 
   In like fashion and as shown in  FIG. 9 , a gripping at the level of the upper arm of the gripping zone with application of a force in direction of the arrows F 3  entails a pivoting of the control member  70  in the direction of the arrow F 4 , said pivoting assuring also a traction of the element to be controlled  75 . 
   Finally, when a force is exercised on the bar of the gripping zone in the direction of the arrows F 5  it assures a translation in the direction of the arrow F 6  of the control member  709  which obviously effects a traction of the element to be controlled. 
   Thus, regardless of the zone where the user grasps the handle  49 , it is possible for him to easily control the unblocking of the gas jacks  65 , either to assure a verticalization movement or, in contrast, to return to the sitting position. It should be noted that if the user releases the control member  70  in the course of the maneuvering, the automatic blocking makes it possible to immediately stop the e movement, thus providing the user with a level of comfort and a sense of increased security. In addition, that also makes it possible for him to stop in intermediate positions as a function of his needs. 
   Moreover, it should be noted that, according to the configuration illustrated, the movement of the maneuvering handle  49  between its working position and its resting position R is taken advantage of for assuring a coupling of the control system. In fact, to the extent where in the resting position and as shown more particularly in  FIG. 6 , the push bar  81  is not facing the finger  82 , an action on the control member  70  is without effect on the movement blocking means such that it is not possible to entail an unintentional unblocking of the movement, which contributes to the safety of the user. In fact, an unintentional unblocking, especially in the sitting position, could entail a verticalization of the user considering the power of the pneumatic jack, when such action is not desired. 
   It should be noted that, according to the example illustrated, the member assisting the movement is a pneumatic system. However, it could be an electrical system that the control member could control either directly or indirectly by means of the linkage described hereinbefore, in order to conserve the coupling function. 
   In like fashion, a control member  70  using the two handles  49  of the chair could be envisaged so that the user could, indifferently, proceed with unblocking of the verticalization—lowering movement by means of his right hand or his left hand. 
   Likewise, according to the illustrated example, the control member is adapted for exercising a traction on the element to be controlled or the receiver but it could also be adapted for exercising a pressure on said latter. 
   Furthermore, according to the example described hereinbefore, the control member is situated in part on the outside of the body of the handle; however, it could nonetheless be situated on the exterior of said latter by being placed at the central opening  52 . 
   Naturally, diverse other modifications could be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.