Patent Application
20070028388
This invention relates to apparatus for raising and lowering persons. More specifically the invention relates to a device for raising a person from ground level and positioning the person up to a sitting position at chair level.
The invention has been devised primarily for use in assisting disabled, injured or infirm persons who may have fallen to the ground and need to be raised and assisted into a sitting position. Such persons may be manually lifted by other persons, however, this method usually requires more than one lifter and there are risks of injury to the lifter(s), especially if the person to be lifted is heavy.
Equipment such as hoists may be employed, however, these can be awkward and time-consuming to set up and are frequently not portable. There are also devices similar to powered sack-trucks fitted with appropriate seating that will lower to ground level but these devices, as with hoists, are not readily available to the point of need where a person has fallen.
Inflatable lifting cushions may also be employed to lift persons from ground level, but known devices require the person to be manually assisted into a sitting position before being elevated. Additionally, if the person cannot physically maintain a sitting posture, assistance in maintaining posture is required of the lifter. The applicant has patents for a pneumatically powered back rest, UK Patent No. 2301028 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,545. These patents disclose a device to lift a person from a supine to a sitting position, however, the device is intended for use on a bed and therefore the sitting position achieved is that in which the legs are substantially horizontal as they are supported by the bed. The applicant also has a patent for a pneumatic lifting device, UK Patent No. 2,296,429 comprising an inflatable seating structure and a backrest. This device requires the assistance of a lifter to assemble the device ready for use and to steady the person when being raised.
The subject invention provides a structure, and method of manufacturing it, having one or more inflatable rings which can be used to lift a person from a supine position on the ground to a sitting position above ground.
a and 1b are perspective views of the apparatus in the raised position;
FIGS. 2 to 6 are perspective views of the apparatus at various stages of operation; and
a and 1b show the apparatus in a raised position above ground level. The apparatus comprises three ring structures 1 of rectangular shape stacked on top of one another. Each ring structure 1 has a central hollow 6, also of rectangular shape. The ring structures 1 may all be of the same size or decrease in size towards the top of the stack. Although, the inflatable ring structures shown are all of a rectangular form it must be understood that ring structures having other forms, for example, circular or square forms may also be employed. The ring structures 1 are made of tubular structures 20 the construction of which shall be described below in more detail. The ring structures 1 may be permanently attached to each other by welding or other means. Typically, the structures 1 are made of a flexible plastics material.
A flexible membrane 7 is releasably attached to the top most ring structure 1 so that it covers part of the hollow 6 of the stack of structures. The flexible membrane 7 extends across the hollow to provide a seating surface for the user. The membrane 7 is provided with ridges 7b to reduce the risk of the user slipping over the membrane. The flexible membrane is attached to the upper most inflatable ring structure along three edges, two side edges A and B and a front edge C. Attached to the flexible membrane 7 along back edge D is a back support member 8. The back support member 8 comprises a back panel 9 and a support panel 10. The back panel 9 and support panel 10 shown are both inflatable structures, however, the back panel 9 may comprise a rigid structure. In
In
Since the flexible membrane 7 is connected to the back panel 9, the membrane 7 is raised from an initial sagging position in the hollow 6 to form a taut seating surface across the hollow 6 as the back support member 8 is inflated. The panels 9 and 10 are arranged in an inverted “Y” configuration and may be inflated together or individually through apertures (not shown). Panels 9 and 10 in the “Y” configuration stand over a portion 6a of the hollow which is not covered by the membrane 7. This can be more easily seen in
FIGS. 2 to 6 show the apparatus being used to raise a person 1 from a supine position on the ground to a sitting position above ground level. The ring structures 1 each have an aperture 2 to allow fluid, such as air, to enter and exit the structures and are each provided with air hoses 3 which may be attached to an air or other suitable fluid supply (not shown).
As shown in
The lowest ring structure 1 is then inflated until it is rigid as shown in
When all three ring structures 1 have been inflated, the back support member 8 can be inflated. Upon inflation of the back support member 8, the flexible membrane 7 is pulled taut across the hollow 6 in consequence of being attached to the support member 8 and thus then provides a firmer sitting base for the person 11. The back support member 8 pushes against the person 11 easing the person into a supported sitting position. The inflation of the back support member 8 is shown in
An alternative sequence of lifting can commence with fully inflating the back support member 8 to sit the person up. The ring structures 1 are then inflated sequentially starting with the lowest one. In this case, the flexible membrane 7 remains slack whilst the uppermost ring 1 is not fully inflated, thereby forming a hollow into which the person sinks for secure support. Full inflation of the uppermost ring tightens the membrane to provide a substantially level sitting surface.
The air hoses 3 may be attached to a hand control which can be operated by the person 11 him/herself. The air supply may be a compressed air supply having a cut off pressure to protect the apparatus from too high a pressure.
From the sitting position on the apparatus, the person 11 can then more easily get up onto his or her feet, or transfer to a wheelchair.
The stress on a unit length of the weld 15 at an internal corner of the structure is produced by the force, or forces within the structure acting on the area subtended by the unit length of weld as shown by the dashed lines in
The method of manufacturing the tubular structure 20 involves the steps of joining the ends of the gusset 17 to make a ring. The gusset is then stretched over a rectangular welding electrode or other suitably shaped mould having the same shape as the inflatable ring being produced. The lower shell panel of the tubular structure is then placed under the electrode or mould and the upper shell panel above it. The gusset is then welded to both panels and the welded assembly removed from the electrode. The periphery of the upper and lower shell panel area is then joined by a conventional ‘pinch’ welded seam 21 to form an air holding structure.
The apparatus described herein can be compacted and folded easily for storage. It also has the advantage that it is very light to carry, can be made ready for use very quickly and can be used in confined spaces inaccessible to conventional lifting apparatus.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB 0516129.4 | Aug 2005 | GB | national |
