Patent Grant
7802326
The invention relates to a bath tub lifter for seniors or disabled persons. The invention further relates to a lock-release device for a bath tub lifter for seniors or disabled persons.
Bath tub lifters are, for example, employed in nursing homes and hospitals for facilitating the bathing or washing of invalid, disabled or elderly persons in bath tubs or the like. It is a disadvantage of these known bath tub lifters that often the backrest and the seat plate can not be separated or only be separated with some efforts. These bath tub lifters are therefore often transported or removed from the bath tub as a whole with great physical effort.
Starting from this situation, the underlying invention is a bath tub lifter for seniors or disabled persons such that the removal or transport of a bath tub lifter is possible without great effort. Furthermore, a lock-release device is provided for a bath tub lifter the function of which is particularly secure and which has an extremely simple design.
One exemplary embodiment of the bath tub lifter according to the present invention comprises
That means, if the seat plate and the backrest are driven into the lowermost end position of their travel, the backrest and the seat plate are automatically separated there. This is only performed by their downward movement. Corresponding tools as are required in bath tub lifters known from prior art are not necessary. Accordingly, the backrest with the driving means can be separately removed without any mounting works.
According to an advantageous embodiment, the at least one lock bolt can be moved between a release position and a lock position. In the release position, the backrest and the seat plate are released from one another, while in the lock position they are coupled to one another. The corresponding states are achieved by the respective position of the at least one lock bolt.
It is advantageous for the at least one sliding guide to comprise a support section for coupling the backrest and the seat plate to one another. Advantageously, the at least one sliding guide also comprises a transfer section for actuating the at least one lock bolt. Accordingly, the positions of the at least one lock bolt are achieved by the at least one sliding guide.
Preferably, the transfer section extends diagonally with respect to a vertical line. Due to the diagonal extension of the transfer section, the at least one lock bolt is steadily and slowly transferred between its positions.
According to an advantageous embodiment, the at least one lock bolt has a central longitudinal axis. It is convenient for the at least one lock bolt to comprise an end cooperating with the at least one sliding guide, this end comprising an inclined surface extending diagonally with respect to the central longitudinal axis and a contact surface extending essentially perpendicularly to the central longitudinal axis. Due to the inclined surface, the at least one lock bolt can be again steadily displaced between its positions. In the area of the contact surface, the backrest and the seat plate are coupled to each other.
It is advantageous if a radially projecting securing element is in connection with the at least one lock bolt. This securing element serves as protection from losing the at least one lock bolt.
The object concerning the lock-release device is achieved according to the invention by the lock-release device comprising at least one lock bolt being movable between
An external actuation for displacing the at least one lock bolt is consequently not necessary in this case. The lock-release device serves for the connection of the backrest with the seat plate and its release from the seat plate.
Below, the invention will be described more in detail with reference to a preferred embodiment in connection with the drawing, wherein:
A bath tub lifter shown in
The floor frame 1 has an essentially rectangular basic shape. Suction feet 6 are provided at the bottom of the floor frame 1, i.e. on the side opposite a bath tub bottom when the lifter is used according to its purpose. They serve for securely positioning the floor frame 1 in a bath tub and for supporting the floor frame 1 against a bath tub bottom. In the back area of the floor frame 1, two spaced bearing nose pairs 7 are provided in which lower ends 8 of supports 9 are pivotably supported. The upper ends of the supports 9 are hinged at the front bottom of the seat plate 2. In the front area of the floor frame 1, two further supports 10 are pivotably supported which are hinged at the seat plate 2 at the rear bottom. Supports 9, 10 form lift scissors. In the middle between the bearing nose pairs 7, a bearing means 11 for supporting the lifting tube 4 is provided.
On the backside of the backrest 3, the driving means 5 of the lifting means is mounted. In one exemplary embodiment the driving means 5 is an electromotor and can be actuated by a corresponding operating device, for example by a user of the bath tub lifter or a nurse. The driving means 5 is in connection with the lifting tube 4 so as to transmit torque. For lifting or lowering the seat plate 2 and the backrest 3, an internal tube or internal tubes of the lifting tube 4 are extended or retracted, respectively. This extending or retracting motion is achieved by the driving means 5.
For connecting the backrest 3 with the seat plate 2, two identically designed lock bolts 12 are provided which essentially have a round external shape. Each lock bolt 12 comprises a central longitudinal axis 13 and is held at the backrest 3 to be axially movable. To this end, corresponding bearing noses 14 are formed at the backside of the backrest 3. Preferably, the bearing noses 14 comprise closed openings adapted to the external form of the lock bolts 12 which intersperse the lock bolts 12. This results in a guide of the lock bolts 12 along their central longitudinal axis 13. The two lock bolts 12 are aligned, but spaced. They are arranged to extend horizontally and are perpendicular to the lifting tube 4.
Each lock bolt 12 comprises two opposite ends 15, 16. The internal ends 15 of the two lock bolts 12 adjoin the outside of the round lifting tube 4 in the position of the seat plate 2 and the backrest 3 shown in
The seat plate 2 comprises an essentially horizontal seat surface facing upwards from which a plurality of vertical webs project downwards. It comprises two inner vertical webs 21 extending in parallel one to another, two central vertical webs 22 extending in parallel one to another, and two outer vertical webs 23 extending in parallel one to another. The vertical webs 21, 22 and 23 also extend in parallel one to another. The two vertical webs 21 can also be integral. In this case, they are connected by a corresponding front connecting web. The vertical webs 22 and 23, too, can correspondingly be integral. At or in each vertical web 21, a sliding guide 24 is provided inside. The seat plate 2 altogether has two identical segment-shaped sliding guides 24. The groove-like sliding guides 24 opened to the inside are each formed by a lower stop section 26, a transfer section 25, a stop section 27, and an upper support section 28. The stop section 27 extends vertically while the transfer section 25 adjoining at the bottom of the stop section 27 extends diagonally outwards towards the horizontal stop section 26. The stop section 26 ends at an internal wall 29 of the corresponding vertical web 21. The support section 28 at the top borders on the stop section 27 and extends vertically to the same. The bend of the projecting support section 28 essentially corresponds to the bend of a lock bolt 12 in the area of its external end 16. The distance of a stop section 27 to the corresponding internal wall 29 approximately corresponds to the projected horizontal extension of the inclined surface 19. Equally, the inclination of the inclined surface 19 and the transfer section 25 are essentially identical. The sliding guides 24 are deepest in the area of the stop sections 27. Two outer side flaps 30 are hinged laterally off the seat plate 2.
A spindle base 31 is connected to the lower end of the lifting tube 4. The same is in separable articulated connection with the bearing device 11 of the floor frame 1 and there supports the lifting tube 4. The spindle base 31 has a symmetric shape. It comprises two opposite guide recesses 32 each of which expands downwards. Each guide recess 32 comprises a lower straight release section 33 and an inclined section 34 adjoining the same. The release sections 33 of the two guide recesses 32 extend in parallel one to another and extend in the direction of the central longitudinal axis 35 of the lifting tube 4. They are staggered inwards with respect to the round casing of the lifting tube 4, i.e. towards each other. The inclined sections 34 extend from the release sections 33 upwards and outwards, i.e. away from each other—and end at the bottom of the casing of the lifting tube 4. They are located in the area of the lifting tube 4 where the diameter of the same is largest. The horizontal width of the release and inclined sections 33, 34 approximately corresponds to the horizontal width of the contact surfaces 17 of the lock bolts 12. The inclination of the inclined sections 34 approximately corresponds to the inclination of the inclined surfaces 18. The guide recesses 32 are open to the outside and limited by a guide wall 36 at one side.
Below, the function of the bath tub lifter according to the invention will be described more in detail. The lifting tube 4, the outer tube of which is mounted to the backside of the backrest 3 by means of fastening elements 37, can be extended or retracted, respectively, by the actuated driving means 5. Thereby, the height of the seat plate 2 and the backrest 3 can be adjusted as desired. The lift scissors formed by the supports 9, 10 provide a guide.
According to
In case of an adjustment of the height of the seat plate 2 and the backrest 3, the contact surfaces 17 move along the lifting tube 4 on its casing. Moreover, the contact surfaces 20 adjoin the contact sections 27.
When the seat plate 2 and the backrest 3 are lowered from the position shown in
If the seat plate 2 and the backrest 3 are driven upwards again from this lowermost end position, the lock bolts 12 are moved away from one another in the opposite direction by the inclined sections 34 of the spindle base 31 and the inclined surfaces 19 of the sliding guides 24, resulting in a coupling of the seat plate 2 to the backrest 3. In the process, the inclined surfaces 18 provide for the lock bolts 12 being able to troublefree slide along the inclined sections 34. The inclined surfaces 19 also serve for lock bolts 12, which are possibly not totally shifted back, to be shifted back to their extreme end position when the backrest 3 is erected.
That means the locking between seat plate 2 and backrest 3 is controlled by the normal motion course of the seat plate 2 and the backrest 3. In the process, the locking is automatically effected when the seat plate 2 and the backrest 3 are driven upwards from their lowermost end position. When they are lowered into the lowermost end position, this locking is automatically released. Accordingly, there is a forced control by the sliding guides 24.
Each of the lock bolts 12 comprises an annular groove 38 in each of which a securing ring 39 is received. In the position of the lock bolts 12 which is shown in
The bath tub lifter according to the invention is characterized by a particularly low number of components. Moreover, the actuation of the lock bolts 12 is nearly noiseless.
While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein, it will be understood that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes and substitutions will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the appended claims cover all such variations as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2005 033 534 | Jul 2005 | DE | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5708992 | Gobbers et al. | Jan 1998 | A |
| 5978984 | Gobbers et al. | Nov 1999 | A |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 297 04 769 U 1 | Jun 1997 | DE |
| 198 48 923 C 2 | Apr 1999 | DE |
| 198 39 176 A 1 | Mar 2000 | DE |
| 0 853 936 | Jul 1998 | EP |
| 0853 936 | Jun 2002 | EP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20070011804 A1 | Jan 2007 | US |
