Patent Publication Number: US-6219862-B1

Title: Device for movement/transport of a person

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a device for movement/transport of in particular a handicapped person, comprising a transport device such as a patient lifter or lifting unit, a holder extending from the transport device as necessary via a strap or a journal for at least one head-end and one foot-end bracket element with attachments for a carrying element such as a sling for holding the person, where the bracket elements are adjustable and swivelable relative to the holder such that the person in the carrying element can be moved from a lying position to a sitting or approximately sitting position and vice versa. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A corresponding device is known from NL 192602. Here a holder in which three gears forming a transmission are arranged extends from a journal. Arms extend from the outer gears, at the end of which arms bracket elements are arranged that in turn have attachment elements for a carrying sling. It is achieved by the central gear, arranged between the outer gears and meshing with these, that the swiveling action of the arms connected to the bracket element is synchronous. The transmission makes it possible to swivel a person from a lying position to a sitting position and vice versa, however the design has the drawback that the forces transmitted via the gears necessitate regular servicing to ensure proper functioning. If however one of the gears is damaged, the device can no longer be used. 
     The problem underlying the present invention is to develop a device of the type mentioned at the outset such that problem-free movement of a person from a lying to a sitting position and vice versa is possible without the need for transmission elements requiring regular servicing. At the same time, it should be possible for the person to move to the required position himself/herself without outside assistance. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The problem is solved in accordance with the invention substantially in that the bracket elements extend from the first and second ends of at least one slide rail that passes through a holder in sliding form, in that the slide rail is either arc shaped with its center point in the area of the person to be transported, or straight, and in that the attachment points for the carrying element are arranged relative to the slide rail such that when the person is unsupported the slide rail is movable inside the holder by gravity such that the person takes up a substantially sitting position. 
     In accordance with the invention, automatic movement of a person takes place depending on that person&#39;s position, to the extent that when the person is lifted out of the lying position automatic movement to the sitting position, takes place, by means of the slide rail being moved automatically inside the holder by gravity such that the foot-end attachment points are lowered and the head-end attachment points of the holding sling or cloth are lifted. The result is an automatic movement of the person from a lying position to a sitting one. Conversely, when the person is set down on a horizontal surface, adjustment of the slide rail inside the holder takes place as the holder is further lowered, so that the person is lain down and can then be removed without difficulty from the sling element. Here the holder is, with a straight slide rail, rotatable about an axis running perpendicular to the movement path of the slide rail to the extent that the necessary gravity-related swiveling of the slide rail and hence its sliding movement inside the holder is possible for movement of the person. The rotary movement itself can be limited by stops. 
     In a further development of the invention, it is provided that the holder comprises two receptacles rigidly connected to one another for one slide rail each, the receptacle itself having a guide channel for the sliding elements limiting the slide rail, said elements preferably being designed as wheels or castors and having a circumferential recess such as a guide groove. As a result, the sliding element is guided securely inside the receptacle, so that low-friction adjustment is possible by the rolling of the sliding elements. 
     The receptacles themselves can be rotatable to the necessary extent separately or as a unit via their connection in the case of straight slide rails. 
     In the case that rollers are used as sliding elements, it is provided that at least three rollers running in one plane are provided per receptacle, with two rollers to be supports for the slide rail and a third roller between the two others above the slide rail. 
     The rotation point of each receptacle should be in the lower part or below the slide rail. 
     The receptacles having the guide channels for the slide rails should themselves be preferably connected by a rod such as a tube, which in turn is connected to the transport device, such as patient lifter or ceiling lifter. 
     According to a further development of the invention, it is provided that the foot-end bracket element has a preferably trapezoidal or triangular frame whose one base line is connected to the first ends of the slide rails and from whose opposite base line or tip extends the foot-end attachment for the carrying element. Here the foot-end attachment can be swivelable relative to the frame. 
     Furthermore, a head-end bracket element should extend, preferably in articulated form, from every further second end of the slide rails; this bracket element has in turn a head-end attachment for the carrying element in each case. 
     This ensures an automatic alignment of the bracket elements to the position to the person to be lifted or moved, as a result of which the slide rail is in turn moved to the necessary extent inside the guide channel. 
     The attachments themselves can be so-called clips to which the carrying element is attached. 
     To ensure that the person in the sitting position is not swiveled into a possibly not very stable or comfortable position by externally exerted forces, it is provided that a strap or another element with the same effect extends from the head-end area of the carrying element or at least from a head-end bracket element or a head-end attachment; this strap or equivalent element is connectable to the tube running between the receptacles when the person is in the sitting position. This ensures that the slide rails can no longer be adjusted inside the holders such that the person is shifted to a lying position. 
     As an alternative or supplement thereto, a temporary connection by, for example, a strap such as a double strap can be made from the foot-end bracket element, in particular from a frame section such as base line or tip at a distance from the slide rail. As a result the person can be transported in the lying position, since the slide rail cannot then be adjusted under the force of gravity. It is also possible to provide receptacles in the strap by sewing, said receptacles being fittable to a hook extending from the foot-end bracket element in order to set a required inclination angle for the person being transported. 
     A particularly smooth automatic movement of a person from a lying to a sitting position and vice versa is achieved when the slide rail has a radius r of 400&gt;r&gt;250 mm, in particular 350&gt;r&gt;300 mm. 
     Further details, advantages and features of the invention are shown not only in the claims and in the features they contain—singly and/or in combination—but also in the following description of a preferred embodiment shown in the drawing. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the drawing, 
     FIG. 1 shows principle view of a sitting/lying bracket in a position holding a person in a lying position, 
     FIG. 2 shows the sitting/lying bracket according to FIG. 1 in a position holding a person in a sitting position, 
     FIG. 3 shows a side view of the sitting/lying bracket according to FIGS. 1 and 2, 
     FIG. 4 shows a section of the sitting/lying bracket according to FIG. 3 with covering hood removed from a receptacle holding the slide rail in sliding form, 
     FIG. 5 shows the sitting/lying bracket according to FIGS. 1 and 2 in a front view, 
     FIG. 6 shows an alternative to the illustration according to FIG. 5, 
     FIG. 7 shows a further embodiment of a sitting/lying bracket, 
     FIG. 8 shows a patient lifter, and, 
     FIG. 9 shows a ceiling lifter. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 show a sitting/lying bracket  10  purely in principle, with which a person  12  held by a carrying sling  14  can be swiveled automatically by gravity from a lying position to a sitting position, regardless of whether the person  12  is lying on a horizontal surface or is at a distance from the latter. 
     The sitting/lying bracket  10  has as its main element two slide rails or brackets  20 ,  22  each held in sliding form by a receptacle  16 ,  18  and slidably adjustable inside the receptacles  16 ,  18  in guide channels  34 ,  36  limited by rollers  24 ,  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32 . Here the slide rail  20 ,  22  is curved in accordance with the embodiments in FIGS. 1 to  6 , with the curvature center points being at the level of the person  12  to be transported, in particular of the person&#39;s back or seat. 
     As shown by the front view according to FIG. 5 with the cover of the receptacles  16 ,  18  removed, the rollers  24 ,  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32  have on the circumferential side central recesses, provided by way of example with the reference numbers  38  and  40 , with the geometry being adapted to the outer geometry of the slide rails or brackets  20 ,  22 . The recesses  38 ,  40  accordingly form guide channels for the slide rails or brackets  20 ,  22 . 
     The rollers  24 ,  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32  are mounted rotatably in plate-like holders  42 ,  44  of the receptacles  16 ,  18 , which in turn are connected by a tube  46  which has an attachment  48  that is connected by a strap or journal, not shown, to a ceiling lifter or other transport device for handicapped persons. The attachment comprises two shackles through which passes a journal  52 . 
     As explained in the following using the slide rail  20 , a bracket element  60 ,  74  extends from the respective end  56 ,  58  of a respective slide rail  20 ,  22  and forms the attachment for the carrying sling  14 . The foot-end bracket element  60  is shown in more detail in FIG.  5 . The bracket element  60  is formed by a trapezoidal frame  62  whose base line  64  is connected in articulated form to the ends  56  of the slide rails  20 ,  22 . Hook-like attachments  68 ,  70  in which the carrying sling  14  is fastened with its foot ends  72  then extend from the shorter base line  66 . The hook-like attachments  68 ,  70  can be swivelable relative to the frame  62 , as indicated by FIG.  4 . Instead of hook-like attachments, clips or other suitable attachment elements can also be used. 
     A rod/tube-like bracket element  74 ,  76  with outward-facing hook-like attachment element  78 ,  80  extends from the respective opposite end section  58 . The bracket element  74 ,  76  can also be connected in articulated form to the end section  58  of the slide rail  20 ,  22  or to a section connected to that end section and not shown in detail. 
     If the person  12  is in the position shown in FIG. 2, a strap or belt extending from one of the attachments  78 ,  80  or from the carrying sling  14  or head-end strap  82  can be suspended from the journals  54  of the holder  48 , thereby ensuring that the slide rails  20 ,  22  cannot be adjusted by uncontrolled forces acting on the person  12 . 
     As FIG. 6 makes clear, it is also possible to connect the foot-end bracket element  16  via a strap  86  to the holder  48  or to the tube  46 , thereby preventing movement of the slide rails  20 ,  22  relative to the receptacles  16 ,  18 . This has the advantage that the person can be transported in a lying or inclined position. The strap  86  has loops, not shown in detail, through which can pass a hook  88  or element of equivalent effect extending from the base line  66  of the frame  60 , thereby setting/altering the effective length of the strap  86  and hence the transport position of the person  12 . 
     The sitting/lying bracket  10  in accordance with the invention permits the person  12  to be swiveled by gravity from a lying to a sitting position. If the person  12  is lifted from a horizontal surface, the slide rail  20 ,  22  in the embodiment moves by gravity clockwise in the guide channels  34 ,  36 , which are as already mentioned defined by the slide rollers  24 ,  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32  so that a continuous movement of the person  12  into a sitting position (FIG. 2) takes place. This gravity-related swivel movement takes place automatically without the need for a transmission or similar mechanical devices. The result is risk-free movement, where it is always assured that the sitting/lying bracket  20  is working properly. 
     In particular, it is provided that the slide rail or sliding bracket  20 ,  22  has a curvature radius in the range between 300 and 350 mm, with the center point being, as already mentioned, in the area of the person  12  to be lifted. The bracket element  60  having on the foot end a trapezoidal frame  62  in the embodiment should be designed as an extension of the slide rails  20 ,  22 . The bracket element  60  should preferably form a rigid unit with the slide rails  20 ,  22 , thereby ensuring that the application point on the foot-end bracket  60  is always at the necessary distance from the guide channels  34 ,  36  formed by the guide rollers  24 ,  26 ,  28  or  30 ,  32 , thereby ensuring the necessary gravity-related movement of the slide rail  20 ,  22  inside the receptacles  16 ,  18 . 
     Instead of curved slide rails  20 ,  22 , it is possible in accordance with FIG. 7 to have straight slide rails  90  passing through receptacles  92 , the latter having a guide channel  36  formed by rollers  24 ,  26 ,  28  in accordance with the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to  6 . However, the receptacle  92  is rotatable about an axis  94 , where the rotation angle can be limited by stops, not shown. The axis  94  should furthermore be in the lower area of the slide rail  90 . The rotatable design of the receptacle  92  and the straight design of the slide rails  90  result in the same effect as that in FIGS. 1 and 6, where the slide rails  20 ,  22  are curved and the receptacles  16 ,  18  are generally non-rotatable. In all other respects the design of FIG. 7 corresponds to that of FIGS. 1-6, so reference is made to the disclosure relating to the latter. 
     FIGS. 8 and 9 show applications for the teachings in accordance with the invention and in connection with a patient lifter  96  or a ceiling lifter  98  having adequate designs. The patient lifter  96  therefore has a mobile tripod foot  100  from which extends a tripod column  104  that is connected in articulated form to an arm  106 , from whose free front end  108  extends the sitting/lying bracket  10  of the type previously described. 
     The sitting/lying bracket  10  is, in accordance with FIG. 9, connected to a cable hoist  110  of the ceiling lifter  98  that extends from a trolley  112  movable along a rail running across a ceiling.