Chairs and seats – Supplemental seat
Patent
1995-02-09
1997-05-06
Chen, Jose V.
Chairs and seats
Supplemental seat
297DIG10, A47C 108
Patent
active
056263899
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates to devices for assisting infirm or injured individuals to move from a standing position to a sitting position and from a sitting position to a standing position. More particularly, the instant invention is directed to improvements chairs and toilet seats which are configured to assist infirm individuals in lowering themselves to and raising themselves from the sitting position.
2. Prior Art
The patent literature includes numerous arrangements for assisting infirm individuals in sitting down and standing up from a chair or toilet seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,853 discloses a chair with a resilient mechanism for assisting an occupant in raising him- or herself to a standing position. The chair is provided with a seat cushion which pivots relative to the chair frame about an axis near the rearward edge of the frame. The movement also serves to at least simultaneously partially elevate an armrest. When the chair is occupied, resilient struts are compressed to store energy for lifting the occupant. The seat may be manually locked in its lowered position.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,975,051 discloses an orthopedic chair which includes a movably supported frame assembly which serves to maintain a forwardly and downwardly extending saddle-shaped seat at a desired elevation between a pair of laterally spaced sidewalls and a backrest. The chair of this patent utilizes footrests and relies on electricity for its operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,174 discloses a power-driven, tilted seat in which the seat and associated armrests are fixed relative to one another and move with respect to a supporting frame. Power-actuated hydraulic cylinders are used to raise and lower the seat. U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,678 to Love also relies on an electrically driven hydraulic lift. However, in this patent, the armrests are fixed with respect to the frame, and only the seat moves.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,303 discloses an orthopedic chair with a spring-loaded seat, wherein a coil spring is tensioned as a user sits in the seat in order to store energy where it is subsequently used to assist in lifting the user to his or her feet when he or she wishes to stand.
A hand brake grips a cable attached to the spring to control application of the spring's force to the seat.
Each of the above-discussed patents are exemplary of prior art approaches to the problem of providing chairs and seats for the infirm. However, none of these seats discloses arrangements wherein a seat not requiring auxiliary power functions effectively for people over a wide range of heights and weights while effectively utilizing ergonomic principles in its design and operation to provide convenience, comfort, and security for its users.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the aforementioned object, the instant invention contemplates a lift seat for moving a person from an initial raised position to a subsequent lowered position for sitting and thereafter back to the initial raised position to facilitate standing. The lift seat comprises a seating surface upon which the person sits and applies a force; a frame for supporting the seating surface, and a four-bar linkage having a lower link, an upper link, a front link, and a rear link with the front and rear links pivoted to the upper and lower links, the lower link being secured to the frame and the upper link being attached to the seating surface; an armrest for supporting the person using the seat and for initiating operation of the seat. The armrest being secured to one of the links pivoted to the upper and lower links. A spring device is coupled to the four-bar linkage and frame for resisting lowering of the seating surface from the raised to the lowered position and for storing energy provided by the weight of the person sitting on the seat for subsequently lifting the person from the lowered to the raised position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Various other objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will be more fully apprec
REFERENCES:
patent: 1570436 (1926-01-01), Dawson
patent: 3473174 (1969-10-01), Cool
patent: 3640566 (1972-02-01), Hodge
patent: 4538853 (1985-09-01), Levenberg
patent: 4587678 (1986-05-01), Love et al.
patent: 4884841 (1989-12-01), Holley
patent: 4938533 (1990-07-01), Thielois
patent: 5011224 (1991-04-01), Paul
patent: 5309583 (1994-05-01), White et al.
patent: 5312157 (1994-05-01), Logan, Jr.
patent: 5316370 (1994-05-01), Newman
Chen José V.
Dynamic Seating LLC
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