Beds – Attachment or accessory – Self-help support – grip or handhold
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-02
2001-12-25
Trettel, Michael F. (Department: 3628)
Beds
Attachment or accessory
Self-help support, grip or handhold
C005S084100, C297S411230
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332232
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of lifting devices, such as for the elderly or physically challenged, where assistance is often needed to aid oneself in getting up from a sofa, for example, while being supported to the standing position.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a portable easy lifting, personal device that can be particularly useful for the elderly or physically challenged individual. The prior art, as exemplified by several commercial products, offer expensive alternatives to the user, where one device, for instance, tilts the seat forward allowing the user to shift his/her weight and thereby better position one's legs to facilitate standing. However, such a device is expensive as it is part of a formal chair, and is not readily transferable to another chair, nor can it be transported and used with a variety of chairs or sofas, or other articles of furniture. Sofas or overstuffed chairs can be particularly challenging. While the cushioned seat is considerably more comfortable to the user, it has the drawback in that the user's weight is shifted rearward making it more difficult to quickly or conveniently exit the seat.
The prior art, as reflected in the following U.S. patents, offer specific aids to selected users:
a.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,851, to Costello, relates to a lifting, standing and walking device employing base side members whose rear track width is adjustable to facilitate use of the device to lift severely disabled, elderly or other physically challenged persons from a wheelchair, and then allow the overall device width to be reduced for passage through narrow doorways or other passageways. The device also employs a lifting mechanism which can be adjusted by means of a hydraulic jack over a wide range of positions to facilitate lifting of individuals from a prone position on the floor to a standing position. The lifting mechanism includes a pair of individually adjustable generally L-shaped lifting yoke arms that can be adjusted both vertically and angularly to accommodate individuals with posture conditions and provide selective weight bearing alleviation. A special full body harness is employed with the device which has long thigh wraps and a wide lumbar belt for widely distributing lifting pressure and reducing the risk of injury.
b.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,025, to Bennett et al., teaches a seating device for aged, infirm and handicapped persons and includes a passive, pivotably mounted, energy storage device laterally disposed below a seat base, and a parallelogram linkage between the seat base and a chair seat for controlling elevation and tilting motion of the seat. A lever which can be coupled at selectable points along an arc about the pivot point of the energy storage device exerts torque on the parallelogram linkage to oppose downward movement and aid upward movement. By varying the position of engagement of the energy storage device to the lever, the force exerted can be adjusted to the weight of the user.
Neither of the patented devices, nor known commercial devices offer the versatility and portability of the lifting device of the present invention. The manner by which the instant invention meets and satisfies the requirements of the elderly or physically challenged will become more apparent in the description which follows, particularly when read in conjuction with the accompanying drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to the combination of an article of furniture, such as a sofa, stuffed chair, or bed, having a lateral support spaced from a supporting surface, i.e. floor, by a plurality of leg members, and an improved personal lifting device to facilitate assisting oneself off of the article of furniture. The lifting device comprises a pair of essentially tubular members, where each support member has a turned first end at about 90 degrees, and a turned second end at an angle of at least 90 degrees, where the ends lie in planes perpendicular to one another. The support members are slidably joined by an adjustable extension member engaging the respective second ends. Further, there are a pair of essentially tubular members slidably engaging and adjustable to the first ends. Finally, each first leg mounts a slidably adjustable support stay adapted to engage the lateral support to provide stability to the device.
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a low-cost, light-weight, portable device to assist a user, particularly useful for senior citizens, in lifting oneself from an article of furniture.
Another object of the invention is the provision of the use of adjustable, telescopic and pivotal members that allow the user to easily and quickly transform the device to a compact and transportable assembly.
A further object hereof is the ability to selectively transform the device into a safety feature attachable to a conventional bed to prevent falling from the bed.
These and other objects will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2773542 (1956-12-01), Chasin
patent: 3739793 (1973-06-01), Wilson
patent: 4869279 (1989-09-01), Hedges
patent: 5226439 (1993-07-01), O'Keeffe et al.
patent: 5397169 (1995-03-01), Willans
patent: 5509432 (1996-04-01), Peterson
patent: 5983421 (1999-11-01), Walser
patent: 6134731 (2000-10-01), Thom et al.
patent: 6138301 (2000-10-01), Battiston
Hewitt James M
Trettel Michael F.
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