Patent Application
20210244584
As the average lifespan of humans continues to increase, and it is not uncommon for people to live beyond 80 or even 90 years in many cases, this trend has spawned the development of many new products to assist people who have lost some of their strength, balance or other physical capabilities. One issue that comes with advanced age is the inability for a person to stand up from a seated position. To address this issue, people and companies have developed and commercialized various products to assist a person's efforts to stand up after being seated on a chair, couch, toilet or the like. For example, recliner chairs have been designed to lift slightly and tilt forward when a user is ready to stand up, and many restrooms now include handles or support bars adjacent a toilet. There are also devices that may be installed underneath a toilet having a standard height in order to raise the height of the toilet seat to facilitate standing up.
Another trend that has been observed in recent years is the commercialization of toilet stools, which raise a user's feet while sitting on a toilet, so that the person is disposed in a simulated squatting position. One such toilet stool is widely available, and is marketed as a SQUATTY POTTY, based on the theory that defecating from a squatting position is easier and healthier than from a normal seated position.
Various types of stools, including toilet stools, have been developed for this purpose. The following documents illustrate examples of these types of products, and are hereby incorporated herein by reference, in their entireties:
U.S. Pat. No. 9,307,879 Body Positioning Systems
A system related to providing elevated support and positioning of the feet to place the body of a user in a posture facilitating bowel elimination during seated-position toilet use.
U.S. Application Publication No. 20160360937 Stool for Use with a Toilet
A stool is provided that provides a raised heel squat position to a user that engages the stool. The raised heel squatting position promotes a healthy and productive experience on a toilet. The stool may be collapsible for easier storage and transportation. The stool may be adjustable to provide custom fittings to different size users. Additionally, the stool may be intelligent and may provide a customized immersive experience to a person on a toilet.
Additionally, several design patents show toilet stools and similar products, and these references are also incorporated herein by reference: U.S. design Pat. Nos. D785,351; D787,846; D787,847; and D834,341.
The references cited above are all directed toward stools that are used to facilitate bowel movements in a simulated squatting position. However, none of these devices are designed or used to assist a person in the act of standing up from a seated position. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an inclined stool that is used to assist a user in standing up from a seated position, either from a toilet, a chair, a couch, or the like.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a first embodiment of a stand assist stool includes a main body member having a base member, and an inclined platform that is positioned above the base member. The stand assist stool may be formed into a solid shape, or may be hollow on an inner portion thereof with vertical sides and/or other support members to support the inclined platform.
The stand assist stool, in one embodiment, may include a semi-circular indentation on a rear portion thereof (on the raised side) to accommodate the base of a toilet, so that the stand assist stool may be positioned around the base of a toilet. Additionally, the inclined platform may include a cover, such as a carpet type of material, non-skid or non-slip material, or any desired covering, which is preferably removable for washing or cleaning, but which is also securable to the stool so that it does not move or slide with respect to the stool while in use.
In another embodiment, the stool may also include a toilet riser on a rear portion thereof, which may be installed underneath a toilet to raise it up to a desired height, so that the inclined platform is attached to a front portion of the toilet riser. In this embodiment, the toilet riser portion of the stand assist stool is similar to toilet risers that are commonly available today (having a hole extending therethrough in a vertical direction to accommodate the plumbing in the bottom portion of a toilet bowl), and including the inclined platform on a front portion thereof where a user's feet would usually be positioned while sitting on a toilet.
Other embodiments may include other features, such as indentations on a rear portion for accommodating the legs of a stationary chair or a rolling office chair
In each of these embodiments, the inclined platform raises the heels higher than the toes while a user is in the act of standing up, and tends to drive the user's center of gravity in a forward direction during the standing process. The inclined platform reduces the strain on a user's leg muscles, and further, reduces the amount of strength and effort that is required to stand from a seated position.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
A first embodiment of a stand assist stool is shown in
In order to properly position the stand assist stool adjacent a seat, the rear side 16 of the stool, which is the raised side 16, may include one or more indentations 20 that allow the stool to be placed snugly against the seat while accommodating the support(s) for the seat, such as chair legs or the base of a toilet 18. For example, in the embodiment shown in
Optionally, a cover 22 may be removably or permanently secured to the inclined platform 14 to provide a non-slip surface, or to provide a softer, more comfortable surface for standing. The cover 22 may be made from any suitable material, such as carpet, rubber, foam, or the like. Preferably, the cover 22 is removably secured to the inclined platform 14, so that it may be removed for washing or cleaning, and it should be understood that the cover may be secured in place on the inclined platform 14 sufficiently to prevent it from sliding around or moving during use. Removably securing the cover to the inclined platform may be accomplished using any suitable means, including hook and loop fasteners (VELCRO) 24 (as shown in
In one embodiment, the stand assist stool includes two sections: the inclined platform 14 on a front portion, and a toilet riser 26 on a rear portion thereof, as shown in
Optionally, the inclined platform 14 portion of the stool may be pivotally or hingedly connected to the toilet riser portion, so that the inclined platform may be rotated upwardly (similarly to a toilet seat) when the inclined platform portion is not being used. For example,
In yet another embodiment, the inclined platform 14 may be integrally formed with the toilet as a single unit, as shown in
In another embodiment, the stool may be pivotally or hingedly attached directly to an existing toilet 18, so that the stool may be flipped upwardly when not in use. This embodiment may include standard hinges that are attached to the base of the toilet and the rear portion of the stool, or the stool may simply pivot about a rod that runs through a hole in the base of the toilet, and extends horizontally through holes in the rear portions of the stool on either side of the indentation.
In one form, the stool may comprise two separate inclined platforms that are connected by a support member, such as a board or rod.
Any of the previously described embodiments of the stand assist stool may also include means for adjusting the height and/or incline angle of the inclined platform. The adjustment means may be of any suitable type, and are well-known in the art, particularly as described in U.S. Application Publication No. 20160360937 Stool for Use with a Toilet, which is incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, the height and angle of the inclined platform may be adjusted using electrical or pneumatic means, either of which could be accomplished by one skilled in the art.
Additionally, other features may be included, including lights, strip lights, LED light strips, rope lighting, and individual lights in any desired location on the stand assist stool. These lights may include an electrical cord that may be plugged into an outlet, or may be battery operated, and the lights also preferably include a motion sensor and a light sensor, so that the lights are only activated when the ambient lighting is dark and the motion sensor detects motion.
If desired, the stool may be heated, as well, by including commonly used heating elements, similar to those used for electric heated blankets, or the like. In one embodiment, the heating element may be placed between the inclined platform 14 and the cover 22, or the heating element may simply be integrated into either the inclined platform 14 or the cover 22.
Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein. All features disclosed in this specification may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.
