Chairs and seats – Bottom or back – Contoured bottom
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-14
2001-06-05
Nelson, Jr., Milton (Department: 3624)
Chairs and seats
Bottom or back
Contoured bottom
C297SDIG004
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241319
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a seat plate for wheel chairs, comprising a front region with a first surface for supporting a person's leg, a rear region with a second surface for supporting a person's pelvis, side edges for fastening to the wheel chair, an upper side, which is facing towards the leg and the pelvis, and an underside which is facing towards a seat arranged on the wheel chair.
Conventional wheel chairs are constructed from a frame on which the wheel, the seat and the back support are arranged. In order that the wheel chair during, for example transportation should be able to be folded up, the seat and the back rest are made of a piece of cloth which are attached to the frame of the wheel chair by their side edges. If a person with a transversely asymmetric spine sits in the wheel chair then the pelvis will be positioned obliquely because the seat which is made of a piece of material is not sufficiently rigid to be able to exert a reaction force which rights the pelvis. This leads in the long run to that the person risks developing a permanent scoliosis in the back.
Another disadvantage with the conventional wheel chair is that the seat has resilient characteristics when a person propels the wheel chair with the help of the drive rings which are arranged on the wheels of the wheel chair. During propulsion the person's upper body presses against the back rest and the pelvis is shifted forwards until the seat is tensioned and thereby produces a reaction force which acts upon the body of the person. Thereafter the forces from the person cease to act on the seat wherefore the seat and therewith the pelvis move backwards in a direction towards the back rest. During the next vigorous propelling effort the pattern of movement according to the above is repeated which means that a rocking process occurs. If the person has weak muscular strength then this process becomes extremely difficult and leads to the person sliding forward in the seat. This means that the pelvis tips backwards which gives an incorrect sitting position.
A further disadvantage with a conventional wheel chair is that it is not suitable for people with paralysis on one side of the body, that is to say hemiplegics, because the seat of the wheel chair can not produce the reaction forces which are required during the special propulsion technique which people with paralysis on one side of the body use. The person must actually reach with his healthy foot down to the surface upon which the wheel chair is placed. This is in order to be able to kick himself forward and manoeuvre the wheel chair at the same time as the person with his healthy arm drives the wheel chair forward with one of the drive rings. The paralysed foot rests on a foot plate joined to the frame of the wheel chair, which should be situated at a distance from the surface in order to avoid obstructing the driving forward of the wheel chair. If the height of the wheel chair is reduced in order that the person should be able to reach down to the surface with the healthy foot then the pelvis of the person will be inclined because the paralysed leg is raised because its foot is resting on the foot plate. At the same time the pelvis will have a forward and backwards moving rotation movement in the seat of the wheel chair when the person drives the wheel chair forwards because the seat can not produce the reaction forces which are required.
An object with the present invention is to provide a seat plate for a wheel chair which holds the pelvis of a person who is sitting in the wheel chair and thereby prevents the pelvis from being inclined.
Another object with the present invention is to provide a seat plate for a wheel chair which exerts a reaction force on the pelvis of a person who is sitting in the wheel chair when the person drives the wheel chair by means of his arms.
A further object with the present invention is to provide a seat plate for a wheel chair which permits a person paralysed on one side to drive the wheel chair with the healthy leg and the healthy arm and which at the same time present the pelvis from being inclined and rotating in the wheel chair.
This is obtained according to the invention through the rear region of the seat plate comprising an indentation which is intended to receive the pelvis.
A seat plate of this type helps a person to sit upright in the wheel chair. The pelvis is fixed in the indentation and the person sits essentially still on the seat plate during propelling the wheel chair.
According to one embodiment of the invention the front region of the seat plate comprises a cut-out. A such seat plate gives the healthy leg of a person paralysed on one side freedom of movement at the same time as the paralysed leg receives support by the front region of the seat plate. The seat plate also helps a person to sit upright in the wheel chair.
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Jr. Milton Nelson
Rockey Milnamow & Katz Ltd.
Sarnmark Hjalpmedel AB
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