Land vehicles – Wheeled – Occupant propelled type
Reexamination Certificate
2003-12-05
2004-09-21
Lerner, Avraham (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Occupant propelled type
C280S047410, C280S642000, C005S604000, C005S618000, C297S188110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06793232
ABSTRACT:
STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT
(Not Applicable)
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains generally to wheelchairs and, more particularly, a uniquely configured wheelchair specifically adapted for transferring a physically challenged patient into and out of the wheelchair under the patient's own power or with the assistance of no more than one person.
There exists in the prior art, wheelchairs that are configured to provide some degree of mobility to non-ambulatory or physically challenged patients. Some of these patients are confined to a wheelchair due to a variety of conditions including progressive neurological degeneration wherein the patient may be unable to move without the combined efforts of at least two people to lift the patient into and out of the wheelchair. For example, it may be desirable to relocate the patient from a bed in a bedroom to a living room chair in a living room. Unable to move under their own power due to lack of balance or muscular strength, the patient must be physically lifted from the bed, placed into the wheelchair, wheeled into the living room, and then lifted again out of the wheelchair and into the living room chair.
The lifting usually must be performed by two people or caregivers possessing sufficient strength, as one caregiver may not possess sufficient strength. In addition, the patient typically cannot be without a caregiver for more than six hours per day. Furthermore, the patient may require the assistance of a caregiver during the night in order to utilize bathroom facilities. Nursing homes may provide the assistance of caregivers who are specifically employed and trained to move nursing home patients.
Such caregivers in nursing homes can lift and move the patient at various times during the day and night, as needed. However, the cost of nursing homes is prohibitively expensive. The high cost of nursing homes and hospitals may not be covered under government health care plans or private health care insurance. Employing a full-time live in caregiver is equally expensive. In addition, insurance costs may prohibit live-in caregivers and nursing home caregivers from moving the patient outside the confines of the patient's home or the nursing home.
A few wheelchairs of the prior art are configured such that the patient does not have to be lifted out of the wheelchair in order to use the toilet or take a shower. Such wheelchairs include a seat panel having a potty dish formed therewith such that the patient may evacuate without the need to transfer the patient to a bathroom. However, such wheelchairs having a potty dish included with the seat panel suffer from several deficiencies that detract from the overall utility of the wheelchair. For example, because the potty dish is integral with the seat panel, the seat panel must be cleaned after each use.
In attempts to overcome the above mentioned limitations, electric wheelchairs have been developed. These electric wheelchairs include options such as powered seats that operate in a manner similar to the powered seats available in many automobiles. These powered seats may include a seat height adjustment capability that allows the patient to be raised above the level of an object to which the patient may be transferred. The lifting capability of the powered seats partially solves the lifting problem in that the need for two caregivers to lift the patient is eliminated.
However, powered wheelchairs may cost many thousands of dollars and thus may be unaffordable to the same people unable to afford the high cost of nursing homes. Furthermore, for patients having a diminished sense of balance, the gap between the wheelchair and the article to which the patient is to be moved presents another challenge in that the patient may not be able to transfer across the gap. A loss of balance while the patient is traversing the gap could be disastrous if a lone caregiver does not posses sufficient strength to steady the patient during the transfer.
Thus, there exists a need in the art for a wheelchair possessing the capability to raise the patient above the level of the article to which the patient may be transferred. Also, there exists a need in the art for a wheelchair capable of being lowering to a level that is less than that of the article from which the patient may be transferred. Additionally, there exists a need in the art for a wheelchair that provides the patient with the ability to steady and maintain their balance when transferring into and out of the wheelchair. Also, there exists a need in the art for a wheelchair that provides resistance from tipping over when the patient transfers into and out of the wheelchair. Furthermore, there exists a need in the art for a wheelchair that allows the patient to evacuate without transferring the patient to bathroom facilities. Finally, there exists a need in the art for a wheelchair that allows for easy cleanup after patient evacuation.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention specifically addresses and alleviates the above referenced deficiencies associated with wheelchairs. More particularly, the present invention is a uniquely configured wheelchair specifically adapted for transferring a patient into and out of the wheelchair by providing a combination of a selectively movable seat base with at least one security beam disposed on the wheelchair. The seat base is configured for selectively raising or lowering a patient between a first level and a second level such that the patient may be initially placed at a higher level than the article to which they are to be transferred. The patient then grabs the security beam for stability and balance and simultaneously moves downward and laterally to perform the transfer. In this manner, the force of gravity may be utilized to advantage so that the patient, either acting alone or with assistance, may easily transfer from the wheelchair to another location such as a living room chair or sofa, bathroom facilities or the passenger seat of an automobile, with the aid of no more than a single caregiver.
The wheelchair is comprised of a support frame to which is attached at least two main wheels, the seat base and at least one security beam. Additional components may include a pair of transit wheels, a pair of arm rests, a seat back and a head rest. As was mentioned above, the seat base is configured for selectively raising and lowering the patient between the first level and the second level as may be facilitated through various lifting mechanisms. The wheelchair may comprise a pair of anti-tip booms to prevent tipping during use of the security beams in patient transfers, as will be discussed in detail below.
A pair of transit wheels may be provided. The transit wheels may be mounted to the support frame and configured to be freely swivelable, providing lateral and forward/aft stability as well as steering capability to the wheelchair during normal operation. In comparison, the anti-tip booms provide lateral and forward/aft stability to prevent tipping of the wheelchair when the patient's weight is placed on the security beams during transfers into and out of the wheelchair. Thus, the distance between the main wheels and the respective ends of the anti-tip booms is fairly long as compared to the relatively short distance between the main wheels and the transit wheels.
The support frame has a front, a rear, and opposing sides with the front facing in a forward direction and the rear facing in an aft direction. The opposing sides of the support frame face in opposing lateral directions. The main wheels are mounted on the support frame and may be mounted on either side of the support frame. The seat base is disposed upon the support frame between the main wheels and is configured for selectively raising and lowering the patient between the first level and the second level. The lifting mechanism may comprise a scissors jack, a pneumatic or hydraulic jack or any number of alternative devices. The lifting mechanism may be configured for lowering the seat
Lerner Avraham
O-Matic Corp.
Stetina Brunda Garred & Brucker
LandOfFree
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