Abstract:
A wheelchair apparatus that provides an unobstructed seating platform for loading and unloading the user; that does not require a caregiver to lift the user&#39;s entire body during transfer on to or off of the chair; that provides a seating platform that can be positioned directly over a bed thereby eliminating the need to carry or move a patient over a gap or across an entire bed; and that reduces the number of necessary transfers on and off the chair during a twenty-four hour period by providing an integral toileting platform thereby allowing the chaired user to stay in the chair while using a pre-existing toilet.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/221,466, filed Jul. 26, 2000. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates most generally to the mobility needs of disabled persons and the lifting strains experienced by caregivers in nursing homes or other care facilities. More specifically, the device pertains to a wheelchair that a user may enter or depart from the back or any other direction in a horizontal plane; that does not require a caregiver to lift the user&#39;s entire body during transfer on to or off the chair; and that reduces the number of necessary transfers on and off the chair during a twenty-four hour period by providing an integral toileting platform. 
     Wheeled chairs are well known and have generally been devised to increase the mobility of disabled persons. Many users, including hospital or nursing home patients, require the assistance of a caregiver in order to get into or out of a wheelchair. 
     Many injuries are suffered by users and caregivers alike when the chair user is being transferred from one chair or bed to another chair or bed. Often the caregiver must lift the patient&#39;s entire body, or seek to drag or otherwise maneuver the patient&#39;s body over a part of the chair, or across a gap between a bed and chair, or a chair and toilet seat. A spouse or paid caregiver may not have sufficient strength or endurance to repeatedly lift or position the chair user in the proper manner. Caregivers suffer muscle and skeletal injuries from repetitive lifting of patients in and out of beds, chairs, cars, etc. During a transfer, a patient can also be injured by being dropped, being scraped against a surface, or by being bruised. Injury and infection can also result from the patient not being moved often enough, especially for toileting purposes. 
     The need for assistance with transfers and a shortage of physically able caregivers can result in a patient not being transferred between locations often enough, and can significantly add to the emotional strain on family members who want or need to take care of a loved one. 
     Others have invented chairs that seek to benefit the user and the caregiving assistant during the transferring process. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,769 B1 (Larisey, Jr. et al, Feb. 13, 2001) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,154,899 (Brooke et al., Dec. 5, 2000) describe a resident transfer chair that movably adjusts between an upright chair position to a flat position, and thereby facilitates transfer of a user between a chair and a bed. The device speaks to benefiting both the user and caregiver, but does not speak to reducing the number of necessary transfers during a twenty-four hour period, and does not provide an integral toileting platform. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,085 (Larsson, Jul. 11, 2000) describes a wheeled platform with removable seat with armrests, that can be used for moving a seated user in or out of a car. The lower elongate trapezoidal frame of the chair allows the lower chair frame to slide underneath a car while delivering the upper chair seat platform on or near the car seat. Presumably, the user is then transferred from either the chair or car seat directly onto the other. The platform and seat may be removed from the chair frame and stored on the car seat. The disclosure for the invention does not mention any benefit to a caregiver, e.g., in eliminating the need to lift the person from the wheelchair seat onto the car seat or vice versa. The design of the chair does not allow the user to enter the seat from the back, to rotate 360 degrees around a vertical axis while seated in the chair, or to perform toileting activities while seated in the chair. The chair is longer than a standard sized wheelchair and would not be practical for use in a home environment, or in a standard sized bedroom or bathroom designed to accommodate a standard sized wheelchair. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,403 (Hargroder, Mar. 21, 2000) describes a shower/tub transfer chair that is designed to be used only in the shower/tub, and that can be easily disassembled for transport or storage. It does not speak to any other benefit to the user or caregiver. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,775 (DiMatteo, et al., Jan. 28, 1997) describes a patient transfer device that requires substantial modifications to an existing wheelchair and/or bed, and relies upon a transfer sheet and attendants. Although the disclosure speaks to benefiting the caregiver and patient, the device does not eliminate the number of transfers that must be made for toileting during a twenty-four hour period, and is not practical for short term use in a home environment. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,722 (Jayamanne, Aug. 8, 1995) describes a wheelchair that devises to help the caregiver avoid lifting the total body weight of the patient when moving a patient into or out of a hospital bed. The chair is designed to be mobilized only by the caregiver, and provides wheels and armrests that are specially sized and located to allow the chair seat to abut flush against a hospital bed. The chair can be arranged into a horizontal alignment, belted to a hospital bed, and the patient then transferred onto the chair while remaining in a horizontal position during the transfer. The transfer method does not eliminate the necessity of sliding the patient across a horizontal surface and scraping or bruising the patient thereby, or reduce the number of transfers necessary. The chair does not provide means to allow the patient to control his or her mobility. 
     What would be useful is a standard sized wheel chair that maximizes the independence, health, and safety of both the user and the caregiver(s). What would be useful is a chair that has a removable back and set of armrests thereby providing a seating platform with an unobstructed perimeter to allow the patient to be conveniently moved into or out of the chair from any direction in the horizontal plane. This would reduce the risk of injury presented to both the patient and the caregiver during transfers that would otherwise necessitate ineffective and dangerous positioning of the chair, patient and caregiver during the transfer. 
     What would also be useful is a standard sized wheel chair whose base frame would allow the chair to back-in over a bed and deliver or receive the patient thereto while minimizing the distance the patent must be rolled, carried, dragged or otherwise manipulated to effect the transfer, and thereby reducing the risk of injury to the caregiver and patient. 
     What would also be useful is a standard sized wheelchair that reduces the number of transfers that must be performed during a twenty-four hour period. What would be useful is a wheelchair that can back over a pre-exiting toilet, and that provides a built-in toileting platform and partially removable seating platform to conveniently allow the seated user to use the pre-existing toilet while remaining seated in the wheelchair, thus reducing the number of transfers that must be performed during a twenty-four hour period. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the wheelchair apparatus. 
     FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the removable chair back and arm rests of the wheelchair apparatus shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the base frame of the wheelchair apparatus shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the base frame and two-part seating platform of the wheelchair apparatus shown in FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG. 1 shows the preferred embodiment of wheelchair apparatus  8  comprising the present invention. It consists of a base frame  26  with integral toileting platform  64 , a seating platform  48  for receiving a human user thereon, and removably attachable means  34  for supporting a user&#39;s torso and arms. 
     As shown in FIG. 3, in the preferred embodiment, frame  26  has two C-shaped legs  10 ,  12 . Each leg  10 ,  12  has a lower horizontal first stem  58 , a vertical second stem  60  continuing at an approximate right angle from first stem  58 , and an upper horizontal third stem  62  continuing at an approximate right angle from second stem  60 . First and third stems  58 ,  62  are of approximately equal length and are approximately parallel and opposite to each other, and in the same approximate plane. First and third stems  58 ,  62  are of standard length for a standard sized wheelchair, so no special widening of hallways or corridors is necessary to accommodate the invention beyond that used for standard sized wheelchairs. Use of a standard sized wheelchair requires a maneuvering corridor of approximately 1 meter/39.4 inches in width. 
     As shown in FIG. 3, frame  26  has means  30  for stabilizing legs  10 ,  12  to each other in the vertical plane. In the preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 3, means  30  is a horizontal brace affixed to the vertical second stem  60  of each leg  10 ,  12 . 
     As shown in FIG. 3, legs  10 ,  12  have a plurality of wheels  14 ,  16 ,  22 ,  24  attached thereto to allow frame  26  to roll along the ground. In the preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 3, front wheels  14 ,  16  have means  18 ,  20 , for pivoting and locking each front wheel  14 ,  16  to stabilize apparatus  8  during use or storage. 
     As shown in FIG. 3, each upper horizontal third stem  62  provides supporting means for toileting platform  64 . Toileting platform  64  has means  54  for the passage of the user&#39;s bodily fluids into a toilet or other like receptacle. In the preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 3, fluid passageway means  54  is a large aperture through toileting platform  64 . As shown in FIG. 4, toileting platform  64  has an upper surface  68  for removably and fixedly receiving a seating platform  36 . 
     As shown in FIG. 1, each upper horizontal third stem  62  also provides means  28  for removably receiving means  34  for supporting a user&#39;s torso and arms. In the preferred embodiment as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, supporting means  34  consists of a removably attachable back support  66  with armrests  44 ,  46  and anchors  32  extending therefrom. In the preferred embodiment, receiving means  28  are rectangular shaped slots  28  extending outwardly from, and fixedly attached to, each stem  62 , and are designed to receive rectangular chair back anchors  32 . In the preferred embodiment, receiving means  28  are lockable. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, wheelchair apparatus  8  has a seating platform  48  for removably receiving a user on top of the toileting platform  64 . As shown in FIG. 1, in the preferred embodiment, the front to back lengths of seating platform  48  and toileting platform  64 , are approximately the same, and only slighter shorter than the front to back length of horizontal leg stems  58 ,  62 . Leg stems  58 ,  62  are of a standard length, whereby use of apparatus  8  does not require widening of corridors or aisles beyond the width needed for a standard wheelchair. As shown in FIG. 4, the upper surfaces  36 ,  50  and outer perimeters  74 ,  82  of seating platform  64  are smooth and unobstructed. In particular, no part of base frame  26 , including anchor receiving means  28 , extends vertically above toileting platform  64 . As shown by comparing FIGS. 1 and 4, when torso supporting means  34  is removed from apparatus  8 , the horizontal path to and from seating platform  48  itself is unobstructed, and apparatus  8  can receive a user from any direction in the horizontal plane without the user needing to step or be lifted over or around arm rests  44 ,  46  or the seat back  66 . Apparatus  8  thereby provides means for providing an unobstructed seating platform perimeter to a user entering or leaving said seating platform in any direction in the horizontal plane. Apparatus  8  thereby reduces the amount of lifting needed to be done by the user and/or caregiver, and also reduces the risk of injury to the user and/or caregiver during transfers of the user to or from the chair. 
     In the preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, platform  48  consists of a U-shaped first seat portion  36 , and an approximately rectangular-shaped second seat portion  50 . Second seating portion  50  removably fits into and abuts first seating portion  36  to form a solid rectangular shaped seating platform. First seat portion  36  is fixedly attached to toileting platform  64 . First seat portion  36  has an inner first U-shaped perimeter edge  72 , an outer second U-shaped perimeter edge  74 , a front side  76  and a back side  78 . 
     As shown in FIG. 4 second seat portion  50  has a front and side perimeter edge  80  and a back perimeter edge  82 . Perimeter  80  matches the inner U-shaped perimeter  72  of first seating portion  36 . Second seat portion  50  is removably attachable to toileting platform  68 . In the preferred embodiment as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, back edge  82  provides handling means  52  for a caregiver to manipulate when a seated user needs to use a toilet or other like receptacle. In the preferred embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, handling means consist of a strap loop  52 , but other means could be used, such as integral grasp, a pull-string, etc. If toileting is done while torso support means  34  is attached to apparatus  8 , a caregiver may move second seat portion  50  through chair back passageway means  38 , as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     As shown in FIG. 4, removal of seat portion  50  away from apparatus  8  provides passageway means for a user&#39;s bodily fluids to pass by first seat portion  36 , and through seat platform  48 , into toileting platform aperture  54 . 
     Apparatus  8  may be backed over a toilet by positioning means  84  as shown in FIG.  1 . In the preferred embodiment, positioning means  84  is the unobstructed area beneath the seating platform defined by the toileting platform  64  and between legs  10 ,  12 . When a user is seated in apparatus  8 , and apparatus  8  is positioned over a toilet, the removal of seat portion  50  provides means for the user to make use of toileting facilities without having to be transferred directly to and from the toilet. Apparatus  8  thereby reduces the number of transfers necessary for the user and his or her caregiver within a twenty-four hour period. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, in the preferred embodiment, chair apparatus  8  has handlebars  40 ,  42  extending backwardly from chair back  26  for a caregiver to hold and push against while moving chair  8 . 
     A user may enter or leave chair apparatus  8  while back support  34  is in place, or while support  34  is removed from base frame  26 . 
     A caregiver may assist a user, who is lying in a hospital bed, into the apparatus as follows. First, the caregiver wheels the chair down the pre-determined transfer aisle towards the pre-determined transfer side of the bed. Next, the back support  34  is removed from the frame base  26  and set proximate to the bed. The user is gently turned away from the transfer side of the bed, so his or her back is facing the transfer side of the bed, and room is made on the bed surface for the seating platform  36 . 
     With the seating platform  36  in place on the toileting platform  26  as shown in FIG. 4, frame base  26  is wheeled from the transfer aisle into position proximate the bed, so that wheels  22 ,  24  and first leg stems  58  are under the bed, and wheels  14 , 16  and second leg stems  60  are aligned against the transfer side of the bed and in the transfer aisle. The bed mattress is thereby received within positioning aperture  84 . Third leg stems  62  are positioned over the top of the bed, and seating platform  36  is thereby positioned parallel to and approximately flush with the bed surface. Wheels  14 ,  16  are then locked to secure the apparatus in place. Apparatus  8  may be backed over a bed due to the C-shape of legs  10 ,  12 , and the positioning aperture  84 . 
     Next, the patient is gently rolled back toward the transfer aisle and onto the seating platform  36 , so that he or she is facing the ceiling and his or her buttocks are positioned on seating platform  36 . 
     Thus, when back support means  34  is removed from base frame  26 , seating platform  36  is unobstructed from every direction in the horizontal plane as shown in FIG. 4, and there is no need for the caregiver to lift the user&#39;s entire body to initially place the user&#39;s torso on the seating platform. Therefore it similarly does not matter at which end of the bed the patient&#39;s head is found at the beginning of the transfer, or to which left or right bed side the caregiver brings the chair apparatus. 
     Next, the caregiver slips one arm under the upper torso of the patient and the other arm proximate to the patient&#39;s legs, and assists the patient in sitting up while simultaneously swiveling the user approximately 90 degrees in the horizontal plane, so that the user&#39;s legs will hang down over horizontal brace  30 . Again, because the seating platform is still unobstructed at this time, there is no need for the caregiver to lift the patient&#39;s entire body to put him or her in a final forward facing position in the chair. Apparatus  8  reduces the amount of lifting for the caregiver as well as reduces the risk of injury to the user and/or caregiver during a transfer. 
     Finally, back support  34  is installed by inserting anchors  32  into anchor apertures  28 , and the user&#39;s torso then positioned on the support  34 . The front wheels  14 ,  16  are unlocked. If the chair is motorized, the user may then move to another location without further assistance, or if necessary with the assistance of a caregiver. The process is reversed for transferring a patient from the chair apparatus into a bed. 
     It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that other arrangements and disposition of the aforesaid components, the descriptions of which are intended to be illustrative only and not limiting, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which must be identified and determined from the following claims and equivalents thereof.