Patent Publication Number: US-6033025-A

Title: Notched support pads for cushioning wheelchair seatback

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/059,519, filed on Sep. 22, 1997, and co-pending U.S. patent applications Ser. No. 09/156,156, entitled WHEELCHAIR SEAT BACK PELVIC SUPPORT SYSTEM, filed Sep. 17, 1998. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates in general to wheelchairs, and in particular to cushioning and support mechanisms suitable for maintaining a wheelchair occupant in proper position. More particularly, this invention pertains to wheelchair cushioning and support mechanisms for enabling a wheelchair to be adjusted to fit the requirements, including the size and shape, of the wheelchair occupant. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A significant number of people confined to wheelchairs have body deformities that require a customized back support. These wheelchair occupants require a back support that conforms to the shape of their bodies so that they will have enough contact with the back support to be able to sit upright, without falling over. A custom shaped back support also provides comfort and avoids skin pressure that may result in ducubitus ulcers or other skin problems. 
     Numerous other wheelchair occupants, while not necessarily needing a wheelchair particularly adapted for handling bodily deformities, require and desire wheelchairs having proper trunk control for good posture and for comfort. 
     In order to properly fit wheelchair occupants, the backs of the wheelchair are preferably contoured to be able to fit closely to the occupant&#39;s body shape to provide support over the occupant&#39;s whole back without putting too much pressure on any one point. One approach to achieving this goal is to provide a customized foam cushion, formed in place to fit the wheelchair occupant&#39;s back. Another approach is to carve a foam blank to the shape of the occupant&#39;s back. Each of these approaches is somewhat deficient because there is no way to change the shape of the foam cushion to accommodate the changing needs of the wheelchair occupant, or to correct errors in the initial shape of the cushion. 
     Another approach to the problem of properly and easily fitting the foam cushion to meet the needs of the wheelchair occupant is to provide an adjustable hard matrix of metal parts, aligned and adjusted to generally conform to the shape of the occupant&#39;s back. The hard metal matrix is then covered by foam and a fabric cover. A disadvantage of this system is that several hours of tedious adjustment are required to properly fit the matrix to the shape of the occupant&#39;s back. 
     Yet another approach to fitting the wheelchair back to the occupant is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,248, issued to Eric C. Jay et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. A rigid back shell extends between the vertical posts of the wheelchair. A padding system consisting of a contoured foam pad is attached to the rigid shell, and fluid-filled pads can be used for cushioning sensitive areas of the occupant&#39;s back, such as the spinal area. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,248 discloses the use of foam blocks removably attached to the seat back by means of hook and loop fasteners, whereby the foam blocks can be removed as needed to form recessed areas generally conforming to the contour of the occupant&#39;s back. Further, foam transition blocks can be used to smooth out the contour defined by the foam blocks and the recessed areas. Also, built-up pads can be applied, using hook and loop fasteners, to the front of the foam blocks, or to the seat back in the recessed areas, to further customize the fit of the wheelchair. The support system of U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,248 provides numerous advantages to the wheelchair occupant, particularly in the area of comfort for the mid and upper back regions of the occupant&#39;s back. It would be advantageous if there could be developed a support system providing even greater support for wheelchair occupants. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a pelvis support mechanism for use with a wheelchair pelvic support system having a base plate with opposite support wings and a central base between the support wings. The pelvis support mechanism comprises a notched support pad engageable with the base plate and pelvis-conforming blocks of a pelvic support system. The notched support pads comprise a soft and resiliently compressible material. One or more notches are provided in the compressible material. A fastening element is provided between the compressible material and the base plate of the pelvic support system for attaching the compressible material to the base plate of the pelvic support system. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a partial schematic view in perspective of a wheelchair having a base plate for a pelvic support system of the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded schematic view in perspective of the pelvic support system of the invention and a wheelchair seat back upon which the pelvic support system may be attached. 
     FIGS. 3 is a view in elevation of the base plate for the pelvic support system of FIG. 2. 
     FIG. 4 is a top view of the base plate of FIG. 3. 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic view in perspective of a wheelchair assembly having a cushion suitable for use with the pelvic support system illustrated in FIGS. 1-4. 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view in elevation illustrating the relationship of the pelvic support system of the invention to the pelvis of a wheelchair occupant. 
     FIG. 7 is a schematic top view of the pelvis of the wheelchair occupant of FIG. 6. 
     FIG. 8 is a schematic view in perspective of another embodiment of the wheelchair of the invention, with the pelvic support system in an exploded view, where the pelvic support system of the invention is formed without the base plate. 
     FIG. 9 is a schematic view in perspective of yet another embodiment of the wheelchair of the invention, where the seat back shell is formed without side wings. 
     FIG. 10 is a top view, similar to the view shown in FIG. 4, of a planar base plate. 
     FIG. 11 is a view in perspective of the pelvic support system including a notched support pad of the invention. 
     FIG. 12 is an elevational view of the notched support pad of FIG. 11. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As shown in FIG. 1, wheelchair is indicated generally at 10. The wheelchair 10 includes a seat 14 and a seat back 16. The frame (not shown) provides a mounting for the seat 14, the seat back 16, caster wheels (not shown) and the rear wheels 18. The wheelchair 10 can optionally be provided with armrests (not shown) and push handles 20. 
     The wheelchair 10 is provided with optional side extrusions or side wings 22 suitable for providing lateral support for the upper body of the wheelchair occupant. Mounted at the lower end of the seat back 16 is the base plate 30 of an adjustable pelvic support system 60 of the invention. The base plate 30 is formed with two spaced apart angles 12 defining two oppositely disposed support wings 34 and a central base portion 32 between the two spaced apart angles 12 and the two support wings 34. The base plate 30 is preferably shaped to substantially conform to the wheelchair seat back 16. The base plate 30 can be attached to the seat back 16 by any suitable means, such as by bolts 36 attaching the support wings 34 to the side wings 22 of the wheelchair 10. The side wings 22 of the wheelchair 10 preferably have slots or multiple threaded holes 21 (shown in FIG. 2) for receiving the bolts 36 to allow a height adjustment of the base plate 30 for a proper fit with the pelvis of the occupant. Most preferably, the side wings 22 are provided with a continuous slot or track 37 to allow infinite adjustment of the base plate 30. 
     With reference to FIGS. 2-4, the base plate 30 shown includes a front surface and a back surface. The base plate 30 is mounted to the lower end of the wheelchair seat back 16 with the back surface of the base plate 30 situated juxtaposed the wheelchair seat back 16. The base plate 30 is provided with bolt holes 38 for receiving bolts 36 for attaching the support wings 34 to the side wings 22 of the wheelchair 10. A base layer 40 attached to the base plate 30 has a front surface 31 and a back surface 33 (shown more clearly in FIG. 4). The back surface 33 of the base layer 40 is adhered to the front surface of the base plate 30. The front surface 31 of the base layer 40 comprises a front fastening element (i.e., either a layer of hook fabric or a layer of loop fabric). Preferably, the base layer 40 is a loop fabric, which is adhered to the front surface of the base plate 30, using an adhesive. 
     Double sided intermediate and outer hook and loop fabric layers 44 and 46 generally conform to the shape of the base plate 30 so that they can be attached and held in place. The fabric layers 44 and 46 each have a front surface 48 and 50 and a back surface 45 and 47. The back surfaces 45 and 47 preferably comprise a back fastening element, and the front surfaces 48 and 50 preferably comprise a front fastening element. The back fastening elements are preferably a hook portion of a hook and loop-type fastener and the front fastening elements are preferably a loop portion of a hook and loop-type fastener. The back hook surface 45 of the intermediate fabric layer 44 is matingly engageable with the front loop surface 31 of the base layer fabric 40 and the back hook surface 47 of the outer fabric layer 46 is matingly engageable with the front loop surface 48 of the intermediate fabric layer 44. The base layer 40 as well as the intermediate and outer layers 44 and 46 are preferably of different thicknesses to allow adjustment of the pelvic support system 60 to accommodate the support needs of the wheelchair occupant. Although intermediate and outer fabric layers 44 and 46 are shown, it is to be understood that the requirements of different wheelchair occupants might dictate using anywhere from zero up to four or more fabric layers similar to the layers 44 and 46 to meet the needs of the wheelchair occupant. It can be seen that the use of hook and loop fastening system allows changes in the pelvic support system to be made easily. 
     Secured on the pelvic support system 60 are pelvis-conforming blocks 54, which can take any shape suitable for conforming to the general shape of the pelvis of the occupant. The pelvis-conforming blocks 54 can be attached to the support wings 34 of the base plate 30, or to the support wings 34a or 34b of the intermediate or outer fabric layers 44 or 46, as shown. The pelvis-conforming blocks 54 can have the shape of polyhedrons, such as, for example, wedges or pyramids. The pelvis-conforming blocks 54 can be comprised of foam, and can be covered with a fabric material 55. Other materials can be used also, with the primary function of the blocks 54 being to take up the space so that a shape closely conforming to the pelvis of the wheelchair occupant can be made. The pelvis-conforming blocks 54 are preferably provided with a hook surface of a hook and loop system 57 so that the blocks 54 can be adhered to the loop surface 50 of the outer fabric layer 46. Other methods of attachment, such as pressure sensitive adhesive 59, can be used. It should be understood that the invention may be comprised of extra pelvis-conforming blocks 54, if necessary, to conform to the general shape of the pelvis of the occupant. 
     As shown in FIG. 5, after the entire pelvic support system 60 of the invention is installed on the seat back 16, a fabric covered foam pad 62 can be installed onto the seat back 16 to complete the construction of the seat back 16. As shown in FIG. 6, when the wheelchair occupant, indicated at 66, is seated in the wheelchair 10, the pelvis 68 of the occupant 66 is generally vertically in line with the pelvic support system 60. Without the proper support provided by the pelvic support system 60, the pelvis 68 of the occupant 66 can pivot forward, in the anterior direction, or rearward in the posterior direction, as indicated by the arrow 70. In some cases, the pelvis-conforming blocks 54 are configured or aligned to be slightly above or superior to the pelvis 68 to help provide support for the pelvis. The exact configuration of the blocks 54 will vary from occupant to occupant, and the adaptability of the pelvic support system of the invention provides the flexibility needed to fit any wheelchair occupant. 
     FIG. 7 illustrates that the pelvis 68 consists in part of the side or iliac portions 72 and the rear or sacral area 74. For purposes of clarity, the foam pad 62 is not shown. The base plate 30 and the fabric layers 44 and 46 (shown in FIG. 2), coupled with the pelvis-conforming blocks 54 (also shown in FIG. 2) wrap around the pelvis and provide the support necessary for maintaining the occupant in the correct orthopedic position in the wheelchair 10 (shown in FIGS. 1 and 5). Without proper support provided by the pelvic support system 60, the pelvis 68 of the occupant can tilt laterally, with one or the other of the iliac portions 72 tilting upward or downward. 
     As shown in FIG. 8, in an alternate embodiment of the invention, the pelvic support system 80 is comprised of fabric layers 82 and 84 similar to the fabric layers 44 and 46 illustrated in FIG. 5. In a similar manner, fabric layers 82 and 84 have loop front surfaces and hook rear surfaces. The fabric layer 82 is adhered to the wheelchair seat back 16 and side wings 22 in some suitable manner. Preferably an additional layer of loop fabric (not shown for purposes of clarity), similar to base loop fabric 40, is adhered to the seat back 16 and side wings 22. The pelvic support system 80 does not have a base plate like the base plate 30 of the pelvic support system 60 described above. 
     As shown in FIG. 9, the pelvic support system of the invention can be configured using a base plate 30 on a seat back 90 having no side wings. The pelvic support system 60 can be built up on the base plate 30 in a manner similar to that described above with reference to FIGS. 1-7. 
     FIG. 10 illustrates a substantially straight or planar base plate 92 dimensioned to span the wheelchair seat back 16. The base plate has a base loop fabric 94 for the attachment of additional fabric layers (not shown) similar to fabric layers 44 and 46 described above. When using the planar base plate 92, extra pelvis-conforming blocks 54 are used to provide adequate support for the pelvis. 
     As shown in FIG. 11, a pelvic support system 100, similar to those disclosed above, includes a base plate 102 having support wings 104 defined by angle intersections 112, a central base 114 between the support wings 104, and a pelvis-conforming block 106. The notched support pad 107 is preferably flexible, and formed of a soft and resiliently compressible material 108, such as a compressible foam material. The compressible material 108 preferably has an uncompressed thickness within the range of about 1/4 inch to about 11/4 inches, or more. A fastening element 118 is provided between the compressible material 108 and the base plate 114 of the pelvic support system 100 for attaching the compressible material 108 to the base plate 114 of the pelvic support system 100. Preferably, the fastening element 118 is structured and configured to allow the compressible material 108 to be removably attached to the base plate 102 of the pelvic support system 100 so that the compressible material 108 can be removed and repositioned for adjustment to fit the body profile of the wheelchair occupant. The compressible material 108 may be attached to the pelvic support system 100 by a hook and loop fastener 120. For example, a back fastening element 118, preferably including the hook portion of the hook and loop-type fastening element 120, may be on a back surface of the compressible material 108. A front fastening element 116, including the loop portion of the hook and loop-type fastening element 120, may be on the front surface of the base plate 102. The back and front fastening elements 118 and 116 would be matingly engageable to removably attach the compressible material 108 to the base plate 114. It is to be understood that other methods of attaching the compressible material 108 can be used. For example, the back fastening element may be a pressure sensitive adhesive, such as the pressure sensitive adhesive 59 between the compressible material 108 and the base plate 102 shown in FIG. 2. 
     As shown in FIG. 12 the compressible material 108 is provided with a plurality of notches 110. The notches 110 may be in the form of reliefs or depressions in the surface of the compressible material 108. Although it is preferable that the depth of the notches 110 not exceed the thickness of the compressible material 108, the depth of the notches 110 may exceed the thickness of the compressible material 108 so as to form holes through the compressible material 108. The notches 110 allow the compressible material 108 to bend at angle intersections, such as angle intersection 112 in FIG. 11 where the central base 114 of the base plate 102 meets the support wing 104. The notches 110 may be formed by removing some of the material from the compressible material 108 to form valley-like depressions in the compressible material 108. Alternatively, notches 110 may be formed in the compressible material 108, such as during a molding process should the compressible material 108 be molded. The notches 110 allow the compressible material 108 to bend without forming substantial bulges, ridges or folds. It is highly desirable to avoid ridges or folds in the compressible material 108 because they create pressure points on the body of the occupant, thereby contributing to lack of comfort and possible creation of skin irritation problems. The use of multiple notches, such as the three notches 110 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, increases the flexibility of the compressible material 108 and allows the compressible material 108 to be positioned where necessary for proper support of the wheelchair occupant while still avoiding undesirable ridges or folds. While the notches 110 shown are particularly adapted to handle joints such as angle intersection 112, it is to be understood that other designs, shapes and orientations for the notches 110 are possible. 
     The support pad 107 is preferably rounded or oval in shape to provide a smooth cushioning effect for the wheelchair occupant. A rounded or oval shaped support pad is preferred because these shapes are particularly adapted to fill in the space between the pelvic support system and the top of the occupant&#39;s pelvis. 
     The principle and mode of operation of this invention have been described in its preferred embodiment. However, it should be noted that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from the scope of the invention.