Patent ID: 8646119

Claim:
A chair lift apparatus adapted to transport an individual into and out of a water pool, the chair lift apparatus comprising: a frame; a chair having a seat portion; a lift arm, having a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion of the lift arm is rotatably attached to the frame and the second end portion of the lift arm is operatively attached to the chair; a linkage; a linear actuator, having a first actuator portion and a second actuator portion, the linear actuator is operable to move the linear actuator between a first actuator position and a second actuator position, the first and second actuator portions are spaced a first distance when the linear actuator is in the first actuator position, the first and second actuator portions are spaced a second distance when the linear actuator is in the second actuator position, the second distance is different from the first distance, the first actuator portion of the linear actuator is operatively connected to the frame and the second actuator portion of the linear actuator is operatively connected to the lift arm, wherein the linear actuator, the first actuator portion, and the second actuator portion are located internally within the frame; the lift arm and linear actuator being configured and adapted such that movement of the linear actuator between the first actuator position and the second actuator position causes movement of the chair between a first angular position and a second angular position, the first angular position being a position in which the chair is above an edge of the pool, the second angular position being a position in which at least a portion of the chair is submerged in the water of the pool, the chair moving along a curved path as the chair moves between the first angular position and the second angular position; and the linkage being operatively coupled to at least two of the chair, the lift arm, the frame and the linear actuator, the linkage being adapted to maintain the seat portion of the chair generally level as the chair moves between the first angular position and the second angular position.