Bath lift

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6256807
  • Patent Number
    6,256,807
  • Date Filed
    Tuesday, November 30, 1999
    25 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, July 10, 2001
    23 years ago
Abstract
A bath lift for assisting a person into and out of a bath tub is disclosed. The lift includes a tower mounted adjacent or atop a bath tub. The tower includes structure for attachment of the tower to a wall adjacent the tub or to the tub when the lift is in use. The tower defines a spaced pair of tracks, reciprocatably mounting a carriage by rollers engaged with the tracks. An elongate threaded member is rotatably mounted in the tower and operably engaging the carriage. A drive is connected to the member to effect member rotation thereby causing longitudinal movement of the carriage relative to the tower as coaction of the tracks and rollers guides movement when the lift is in use. An occupant chair including a seat and a back is supported by the carriage. The chair as also mounted on the support for rotation about a horizontal axis when the lift is in use to enable adjustment of the chair back for occupant comfort.
Description




This invention concerns a bath lift for lifting persons into and out of a bath.




A large number of people encounter difficulties getting into and especially out of baths. A number of bath lifts are currently available. Many of these have proved somewhat unsatisfactory for a number of reasons, such as: occupying too much space, being difficult to operate, and particularly by a user; being not sufficiently stable; requiring considerable installation time and hence costs; or being too expensive for the limited usefulness of most of the bath lifts on offer.




According to the present invention there is provided a bath lift, the bath lift comprising a lifting arrangement mountable to a wall or fixture, and a seating means mountable on the lifting arrangement, the lifting arrangement comprising means for selectively moving the seating means in a generally vertical direction, whereby to permit a person to be lowered into a bath or raised out thereof, the seating means being pivotally movable in a generally horizontal plane relative to the lifting arrangement, and the seating means being selectively mountable on the lifting arrangement to face in either a one or an opposite direction.




The seating means is preferably mountable on the lifting arrangement to be freely pivotally movable about a generally horizontal axis. Means may be provided to prevent the seating means from pivoting rearwardly beyond a predetermined point, and said pivotting preventing means may comprise an engagement member locatable behind the seating means irrespective of whether the seating means is facing in a one or an opposite direction.




Bath engagement means may be provided on the underside of the seating means engageable with the side, end and/or base of a bath to allow the seating means to move thereover during raising or lowering. Said bath engagement means may comprise one or more roller means or similar.




The seating means may comprise a base and a back part, and the base may be pivotally mounted to the back part so as to be movable into an out-of-use position generally parallel to the back part.




An arm rest may be provided on the back part, part way along the length thereof, and the arm rest may be pivotally mounted on the back part to be selectively movable in and out of an in-use position.




Rib reinforcements and/or openings may be provided in the seating means. Means may be provided for blowing air through the seating means on to a person seated thereon, whereby to provide a spa-type effect.




Also according to the invention there is provided a bath lift, the bath lift comprising a lifting arrangement and seating means mountable thereto, the lifting arrangement comprising means for selectively moving the seating means in a generally vertical direction whereby to permit a person to be lowered into a bath or raised out thereof, the seating means being engageable with a lifting part of the lifting arrangement, which lifting part is selectively movable in a generally vertical direction so as to raise or lower the seating means.




In addition to the above paragraph, the bath lift may also be according to any of the six paragraphs preceding the above paragraph.




The seating means may be mountable on a holding part of the lifting arrangement which is freely slidably locatable in a generally downwards direction on the lifting part, whereby the seating means and said holding part can be located on the remainder of the lifting arrangement or removed therefrom, simply by movement in a generally vertical direction.




Said holding part may comprise an elongate sleeve. Said lifting part may comprise a sleeve threadably mounted on an elongate threaded member. The top end of the lifting part is preferably engageable with the holding part to cause raising and lowering thereof. Non-rotatable engagement means may be provided between the holding and lifting parts, and a respective non-circular section projection may be provided on one of said parts locatable in a correspondingly shaped recess in the other of said parts. The seating means is preferably mountable on a carriage mounted on said holding part.




Alternatively, the seating means may be mountable on the lifting part. Said lifting part may comprise a sleeve threadably mounted on the elongate threaded member. The seating means is preferably mountable on a carriage mounted on said lifting part.




Cover means may be provided for the threaded member above and/or below the seating means. The cover means may comprise a flexible sleeve or sleeves locatable around the threaded member. The sleeve or sleeves may have a bellows configuration.




The threaded member may be mounted on a motor, and extendible substantially vertically therefrom in use.




An elongate projection may be provided on the carriage for mounting the seating means, and the seating means preferably comprises a sleeve in which the elongate projection is locatable to permit free pivotal movement of the seating means. The carriage may also mount the engagement member, which preferably comprises a further elongate member which may be cranked.




The lifting arrangement may comprise a track or tracks in which a part of the carriage is movable during raising or lowering of the seating means. Preferably two tracks are provided, and a plurality of roller means or similar may be provided on the carriage, engageable respectively in the track or in respective tracks.




The lifting arrangement preferably comprises a frame member which has a generally L-shaped cross-section in plan view, with the tracks desirably provided respectively at the free ends of the limbs of the L. Channels may be provided at the free ends of the limbs of the L to define the tracks.




The frame member may be directly mountable to a wall or fixture. Alternatively, the frame member may be mountable on the floor so as to be upstanding therefrom. Means may be provided for engagement between the frame member and an adjacent bath to substantially prevent relative movement therebetween. The engagement means may be adjustable. The engagement means may comprise a generally L-shaped member engageable over the side of the bath. The engagement means may comprise a further member mountable on the frame member at a required height, and formed to adjustably mount a limb of the L-shaped member. The further member may comprise an elongate socket and locking means to receive a limb of the L-shaped member therein. A plurality of spaced holes may be provided along the height of the frame member to receive the further member at a required height.




As an alternative to direct mounting a mounting bracket may be provided. The mounting bracket preferably also has a generally L-shaped cross-section in plan view, and the frame member may be slidably mountable thereon.




The lifting arrangement preferably comprises a motor which may include reduction gearing. The motor may be mains operable or batteries may be provided therefor.




In one arrangement the lower end in use of the frame member is enclosed so as to be generally only upwardly open. The motor is preferably slidably located in said lower end of the frame member.




In an alternative arrangement the upper end of the frame is enclosed, and the motor is removably located therein.




Control means may be provided for the bath lift, and the control means are preferably waterproof and may be arranged so as to be hand-held if required by a person on the seating means. The control means may be arranged such that the lifting arrangement automatically stops when the seating means reaches a predetermined upper or lower position. The upper and/or lower positions may be variable.




The invention further provides a bath lift assembly, the assembly comprising two bath lifts according to any of the preceding twenty one paragraphs, the bath lifts being mountable spaced from each other adjacent a bath, with a support member extending between each bath lift and movable into and out of the bath by virtue of synchronised operation of the bath lifts, whereby to permit a supine or partially supine person to be lowered into a bath.




The invention still further provides a toilet lift assembly, the assembly comprising a bath lift according to any of said preceding twenty one paragraphs, the bath lift being locatable adjacent a toilet so as to permit a person to be lowered onto the toilet, the seat member being in the form of a toilet seat.











Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:





FIG.1

is a diagrammatic perspective view of a first bath lift according to the invention;





FIG. 2

is a similar view to

FIG. 1

but with the lift in a different configuration;





FIGS. 3

to


7


are diagrammatic perspective views of different parts of the lift of

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 8

is a diagrammatic perspective view of part of a second bath lift according to the invention;





FIG. 9

is a similar view to

FIG. 2

of a third bath lift according to the invention;





FIG. 10

is a similar view to

FIG. 8

of the lift of

FIG. 9

;





FIG. 11

is a diagrammatic perspective view of part of the lift of

FIG. 9

; and





FIG. 12

is a diagrammatic sectional view of a further part of the lift of FIG.


9


.












FIGS. 1

to


7


of the drawings show a bath lift


10


comprising a lifting arrangement


12


and seating means


14


. The arrangement


12


comprises a bracket member


16


. The member


16


has a generally L-shaped cross-section in plan view with channels


18


defined at the free end of each limb of the L. The channels


18


are defined by a cranked flange


20


defining a U-shape with the free ends of each limb. The lower end of the member


16


is closed off by a base plate


22


with upstanding side walls


24


extending upwardly therefrom for a short distance to define an upwardly open cavity


26


. The base plate


22


and side walls


24


are formed as a separate unit as shown in

FIG. 4

, mounted on the remainder of the bracket member


16


.




The bracket member


16


can be mounted directly onto a wall or fixture in a corner, or onto a single wall, using mounting holes


28


. Alternatively, a mounting bracket


30


can be provided as shown in FIG.


5


. The bracket


30


can be mounted onto a wall in any suitable manner. The bracket


30


is again of generally L-shaped cross-section in plan view and has inwardly turned flanges on the ends of the limbs of the L. The bracket


30


is shaped such that the member


16


can be slidingly fitted therein.




An electric motor assembly


32


is provided which is dimensioned to slidingly fit within the cavity


26


. The assembly


32


comprises an electric motor


34


connected by reduction gearing located in a housing


36


, to an upstanding threaded elongate member


38


. An elongate first sleeve


40


is threadably mounted on the elongate member


38


. The sleeve


40


may be mounted on the member


38


by for instance a threaded nut


42


at the lower end of the sleeve


40


. A square section projection


44


is provided on the upper end of the sleeve


40


. A second elongate sleeve


46


slidably locates over the sleeve


40


. A square section recess


48


is provided on the underside of the top of the sleeve


46


. The recess


48


is shaped to accept the projection


44


so as to prevent relative rotation between the sleeves


40


and


46


.




A cradle


50


is mounted on the lower end of the sleeve


46


. The cradle


50


is of a cross-section to slidingly locate within the bracket member


16


, and has four rollers


52


, two of which are locatable respectively in each of the channels


18


. The cradle


50


comprises two plates


54


of generally triangular configuration which are spaced apart by three connecting members


56


, two of which mount the rollers


52


. Aligned holes


58


are provided in each of the plates


54


to accept the sleeve


46


passing therethrough. A mounting member


60


is locatable between the plates


54


. A passage


62


is provided through the member


60


to accept the sleeve


46


. A projection extends from an upper part of the member


60


, with a threaded horizontal passage in which a bar


66


with a threaded end


68


, is mountable. A cranked bar


70


extends from a lower part of the member


60


.




The seating means


14


comprises a seat with a back portion


72


and a base portion


74


. The base portion


74


is pivotally mounted to the back portion


72


such that the portion


74


can be folded upwardly as illustrated in

FIG. 7. A

pivotal arm rest


76


may be provided part way up the back portion


70


as shown in FIG.


7


. The arm rest


76


can also be pivotally mounted on the portion


72


as illustrated in

FIG. 7. A

pair of rollers


78


are provided at the lower end of the portion


72


on the rear side thereof. A sleeve


80


is provided extending along the top of the portion


72


. The sleeve


80


has a circular section passage


82


extending therethrough.




The seating means


14


can be fitted on the lifting arrangement


12


by insertion of the bar


66


into the passage


82


. The cranked bar


70


is locatable on the rearward side of the back portion


72


. The back portion


72


and/or base portion


74


may be provided with reinforced ribs and may have openings extending therethrough. Passages could also be provided therein through which air can be blown to provide a spa bath effect.




In use, the lift


10


can be mounted in a number of orientations and positions relative to a bath. For instance, the lift


10


can be mounted against a single wall or in the corner of a room, and is generally mounted with the underside of the base plate


22


substantially level with the top of a bath


84


. With the seating means


14


fitted on the lifting arrangement


12


as described above, the seating means will be at its lowest height when the cradle


50


is close to the motor assembly


32


.




To raise the seating means


14


the motor


34


is actuated. This actuation may be via a hand-held waterproof control which could be used for example by a person using the bath lift


10


. The motor


34


is actuated such that the member


38


rotates. Due to the coupling between the first and second sleeves


40


,


46


the first sleeve


40


is prevented from any substantial rotational movement such that the member


32


engages with the nut


42


to cause the sleeve


40


and hence second sleeve


46


to rise. This causes the cradle


50


and thus seating means


14


also to rise. The motor


34


can obviously be actuated until a required height is reached. The lift


10


can be arranged such that the motor


34


stops automatically when predetermined upper and/or lower limits are reached. These limits may be adjustable.




The arrangement of the cradle


50


permits rotation thereof through substantially 90° as illustrated in

FIG. 1

in broken lines, such that for instance the seating means


14


can be moved from over the bath to alongside the bath to enable a person to get on the seating means


14


. The seating means


14


can obviously be lowered by opposite rotation of the member


32


which causes the sleeves


40


,


46


and hence cradle


50


and seating means


14


to be lowered. As the seating means


14


is pivotally mounted on the bar


66


it can pivot forwards when being lowered into a bath for instance if the seating means


14


contacts the side or end of the bath, and the rollers


78


permit running over of the bath sides or end without damage thereto. This permits the lift


10


to be used with a wide variety of baths where the sides and/or ends are differently shaped and inclined, and to follow the profile of such baths. The cranked bar


70


prevents the seating means


14


from pivoting rearwardly beyond a predetermined limit. As the lifting arrangement


12


is to the side of the seating means


14


, rather than behind it which is generally the case with bath lifts, a user can readily lie back on the seating means


14


and tilt their head rearwardly.




As noted above, the bath lift


10


can be fitted in a wide range of configurations next to for instance the outer side or inner side of a bath, and adjacent a corner of a room or on a single wall. The seating means


14


can readily be reversed and turned the other way on the bar


66


again with the cranked bar


70


engaging the rear side of the back portion


72


.




The bath lift


10


can readily be installed without significant installation work and hence costs. The mounting bracket


30


can be affixed to a wall or walls in a conventional manner and the bracket member


16


slid thereonto. If the bracket


30


is omitted, the member


16


can be mounted onto a wall or walls in a conventional manner. The motor assembly


30


can be slidably located in the cavity


26


. The elongate member


38


can readily be fitted on to the assembly


32


if not already fitted. The sleeve


40


can simply be threaded on to the member


38


. The sleeve


46


with cradle


50


attached can simply be slid on to the sleeve


40


with the rollers


52


sliding along the channels


18


. The seating means can subsequently be fitted by sliding the sleeve


80


over the bar


66


. The motor


34


can be powered by the mains or by a battery pack in which case no connection to the mains would be required. The battery pack can obviously be rechargeable.




As well as being easy to install, the lift is of relatively straightforward constructions and can thus be inexpensively and robustly manufactured. In view of the configuration of the sleeves and also the engagement of the cradle in the bracket member, the weight of a person is borne along the length of the lifting arrangement. Due to the straightforward installation requirement, one or more components of the lift can readily be removed for repair, refurbishment or replacement. The seating means can readily be raised out of the bath to permit the bath to be used in a normal manner, and with the seating means raised above the bath it could readily be clipped or held against a wall with the base portion and arm rests folded up.





FIG. 8

of the drawings shows a second bath lift


110


. The lift


110


is generally similar to the lift


10


and the same reference numerals will be used for similar or identical components. With the lift


110


, the motor assembly


32


is located within a cavity


126


at the upper end of the bracket member


16


. The assembly


32


is held within the cavity


126


but can be readily removed therefrom by for example removing parts of the cavity


126


, for installation or maintenance. With the lift


110


the elongate member


38


points downwardly. A first sleeve


140


is threadably mounted on the elongate member


38


by a nut


142


at the lower end of the sleeve


140


. The sleeve


140


is considerably shorter than the member


38


. The cradle


50


fits on the lower end of the sleeve


140


in a similar manner as it fits on the sleeve


46


in the lift


10


.




In use, the cradle


50


moves up and down as required by virtue of rotational engagement of the member


38


in the nut


142


. The lift


110


is advantageous in a number of ways. As the apparatus is generally in-tension, only one sleeve is required thereby reducing the weight and construction costs. As the motor is located well clear of the seating means this provides for better access to the seating means.





FIGS. 9-12

of the drawings show a third bath lift


210


. The lift


210


is generally similar to the lifts


10


and


110


, and particularly the latter, and the same reference numerals will again be used for similar or identical components. The lift


210


is suitable for use where there is no adjacent wall or walls for mounting the lift thereon. With the lift


110


the mounting bracket


216


is provided with feet


86


such that the bracket


216


is mountable on the floor and upstanding therefrom. Mounting holes


88


are provided through the feet


86


. A plurality of vertically spaced holes


90


are provided in the apex of the bracket


216


. The holes


90


are usable with a mounting arrangement


92


for engagement with a bath


84


to prevent relative movement between the bath


84


and lift


210


.




The mounting arrangement


92


comprises a first member


93


with a threaded projection


94


. A plate


95


is provided at one end of the projection


94


and a socket


96


extends from the plate


95


coaxially with the threaded member


94


. A grub screw


97


is provided extending into the socket


96


towards the open end thereof. The first member


93


is mountable on the bracket


216


at a required height, to a respective one of the holes


90


. The member


93


is mountable with the threaded member


94


extending through the respective hole


90


with the plate


95


engaging against the inner apex of the bracket


216


. A wing nut


98


provided on the threaded member


95


is used to hold the member


95


on the bracket


216


. The arrangement


92


also comprises a second member


99


which is L-shaped and has a plastic or rubber sleeve


100


on one limb to protect the bath


84


. The other limb of the member


99


is locatable in the socket


96


at a required position for the sleeved member to engage against the side of the bath


84


, and the member


99


can be held in this position by the grub screw


97


.




The lift


210


therefore permits all the advantages of the lifts


10


and


110


to be provided where an adjacent wall or walls is not available. As with the lifts


10


,


110


, a mounting bracket could be provided on which the bracket member


216


could be fitted, to ease assembly and disassembly of the lift


210


. In this instance, the bracket member


216


would not require feet, and these would only be provided on the mounting bracket.




Various other modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance, different power means could be provided which could incorporate a jack or other lifting arrangement. The bracket member and cradle could be otherwise arranged. Different means could be used to prevent relative rotation between the two sleeves. The seating means could be mounted on the lifting arrangement in a different manner. A flexible cover may be provided around the threaded member above and/or below the seating means. The cover may comprise a flexible sleeve with a bellows configuration.




Lifts according to the invention could be used to raise and lower supine patients into a bath. In such an arrangement two lifts would be provided spaced apart along a bath, with for instance a slatted support member extending between respective seating means. The bath lifts would probably be arranged to move synchronously. As a further alternative, lifts according to the invention could be used for lowering people onto a toilet seat and raising them therefrom. In such an arrangement the lift will be locatable next to the toilet, and the seating means would include a toilet seat.




Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.



Claims
  • 1. A bath lift for lowering a person into a bath tub, the lift comprising:a) a lifting arrangement mountable on a selected one of on a top of the bath tub near a corner of the bath tub and adjacent the bath tub; b) the lifting arrangement including a tower supporting an elongate threaded member and a lifting part threadably engaging the threaded member; c) seating means including an occupant seat and a seat support connected to the lifting part, the seat and support being moveable about an axis of the threaded member between over the tub and beside the tub positions; d) the lifting arrangement further including a drive operably connected to the threaded member and the lifting part for effecting relative rotation and thereby vertical movement when the threaded member axis is vertical; e) the lifting part including a carriage coacting with the seat support to provide relative pivotal movement of the seating means and the lifting part about a horizontal axis whereby inclination of the seating means can be varied; f) the tower further including a pair of tracks in guiding engagement with the carriage when the drive is operated to effect relative movement of the lifting part and the member axially of the threaded member; g) said tower further including a frame member, the frame member having a generally L-shaped cross-section in plan view; h) means for directly mounting said frame member to a selected one of a wall and a fixure; and i) a mounting bracket and means for slidably mounting said frame member on said mounting bracket.
PCT Information
Filing Document Filing Date Country Kind 102e Date 371c Date
PCT/GB98/01570 WO 00 11/30/1999 11/30/1999
Publishing Document Publishing Date Country Kind
WO98/55068 12/10/1998 WO A
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