Chairs and seats – Movable bottom – Tiltable
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-17
2001-03-20
Brown, Peter R. (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Movable bottom
Tiltable
C297S284900, C297S411290, C297S411310, C297S466000, C297SDIG004
Reexamination Certificate
active
06203106
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a chair for handicapped individuals, and more particularly to a versatile chair having a variety of adjustable features, especially those that can be accomplished by a care-giver without power assistance. Within the ambit of the invention are invalid chairs for general use as well as those for shower use and those for commode use. One of the more striking features of the invention is the special way for accomplishing easy tilting of a chair structure.
Tiltable chair structures have been on the market for many years, generally with hydraulic, pneumatic, or electrical power assist elements. Whether with or without power assist elements, all heretofore known tiltable chairs have lacked simplified water-shedding or drying design features that are important for shower use. Simplicity for structural elements and their relationship to each other hasn't seemed to have been a dominant consideration in the design of known tiltable and adjustable chairs for the handicapped. Conveniently adjustable hip help in a chair for a handicapped person hasn't received major attention.
A long-standing need has thus existed for a chair for the handicapped capable of a variety of adjustments for patient comfort and positioning without requiring complicated power-assist mechanisms, while at the same time having the total simplicity of structure as needed for shower and commode use, for easy cleaning, and for care-giver convenience in handling handicapped individuals, especially those with severe handicaps.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A major teaching of this invention is that of a new type of tiltable chair for handicapped individuals. Illustratively, the tiltable chair has an undercarriage and a track system at each lateral side. On the undercarriage is a tiltable seat assembly equipped with track followers that support the tiltable assembly for tilting movement on the track systems of the undercarriage. The track systems of the undercarriage ideally are rail-like in character, and the track followers ideally comprise a roller and holder combination, wherein the roller rides above and the holder below the rails of the track systems.
Tilting action is achieved by employing track systems that have a different slope for the rear and front parts along each lateral side. The rear tracks have a descending slope and the front tracks have an ascending slope. The rear descending and the front ascending slope contribute to gravity assistance for tilting of the tiltable assembly. Tilting is readily accomplished without any power-assist elements and with surprising ease of effort.
Holding the tiltable assembly against movement on the undercarriage is accomplished by a brake system or systems and the most preferred is mounted on the undercarriage and shiftable between a locked braking condition and an unlocked non-braking condition through a linkage extending to a location on the tiltable assembly.
An advantageous feature of the invention is a hip-limiting assembly for guidance or support at the hip of a handicapped individual occupying the chair. Appropriate adjustment of the hip-limiting assembly on each lateral side of the seat of the chair helps to maintain even a severely handicapped person at a proper sitting location on the chair. The preferred assembly on each side includes a foundation member, a hip pad, and an adjustable link between the foundation member and the hip pad for varying the angle and distance between them.
A suitable back assembly for a chair of the invention is one pivotably mounted to the seat assembly for tilting into a variety of angular relationships with respect to the seat assembly. Ideally the tilting of the tiltable assembly and the pivoting of the back assembly permit the option of an essentially horizontal orientation for the back assembly. Preferred elements of the back assembly include a frame, a back support adjustable with respect to the frame, suitable padding removably mountable on the back support, and adjustable arm rests capable of being shifted from normal lateral side positions to inoperable positions removed from the side.
Adding leg assemblies to the chair preferably is done by mounting them for pivot action at the forward or front part of lateral sides of the seat assembly of the chair. Each leg assembly preferably has a base leg rod on which is mounted a foot rest and a calf support, both of which preferably are adjustable.
Chairs having features for commode use require a seat assembly having a hole through it and generally also include a removable collection pan underneath. Chairs for shower bathing of the handicapped also are provided by the invention.
Many other advantageous features and benefits of the invention will be evident as this description proceeds.
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Gunderson Jeffrey A.
Meyers Gary F.
Nearing Charles H.
Activeaid, Inc.
Brown Peter R.
R. C. Baker & Associates, Ltd.
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