Handling: hand and hoist-line implements – Spacing hoist bar or frame – With orienting means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-21
2001-01-16
Cherry, Johnny D. (Department: 3652)
Handling: hand and hoist-line implements
Spacing hoist bar or frame
With orienting means
C005S089100, C294S082120, C414S921000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06174010
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the priority of German Patent Application, Serial No. 198 02 894.6-32, filed Jan. 21, 1998, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in general to a suspension system for attaching a load-bearing member to a lifting mechanism of a hoisting apparatus for a person, especially a handicapped person in sitting or recumbent disposition, and in particular relates to a suspension system of a type including a framework having at least three tow lines secured to the lifting mechanism and extending downwardly for attachment to the load-bearing member at points of securement positioned in front and behind a viewing direction of a person carried by the load-bearing member.
German Pat. No. DE 42 25 851 A1 describes a transport device which includes a running gear which travels on a rail in an operating direction, and a lifting mechanism which depends from the running gear via a flat belt. Arranged at the forward end and at the rearward end of the lifting mechanism, as viewed in operating direction, are two carriers which are aligned transversely to the operating direction and deflect tow lines downwardly. A load-bearing member for support of a person is secured to the tow lines at their ends distant to the carriers.
A drawback of this type of suspension for securing the load-bearing member to the lifting mechanism is the inability to permit a simple and convenient positional change of the person, in particular a change from a seated disposition into a recumbent disposition, or vice versa.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an improved suspension system, obviating the afore-stated drawbacks.
In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved suspension system for securing a load-bearing member to a lifting mechanism, by which a positional change of the person being transported is realized in a simple manner.
These objects, and others which will become apparent hereinafter, are attained in accordance with the present invention by providing a framework having tow lines secured to the lifting mechanism and extending downwardly for attachment to the load-bearing member at points of securement positioned in front and behind a viewing direction of a person carried by the load-bearing member, thereby defining front and rear tow lines wherein the front and rear tow lines are movable in opposition to one another in a vertical direction.
Through the provision of a suspension system according to the present invention, the position of the person to be transported can be easily changed, in particular from a sitting into a recumbent position, or vice versa. The positional change may be initiated by the person himself or herself, or remote-controlled via a drive motor.
In order to transport the person, which has been elevated by the hoisting apparatus, in a simple manner, the lifting mechanism is secured to a running gear which travels on a rail, with the tow lines, as viewed in travel direction, being mounted to the load-bearing member at the front and at the rear thereof. Preferably, the front and rear tow lines are moved at different speeds so as to keep the forces small for realizing the positional change. Typically, a positional change of a person results in an elevation or lowering of the mass center, whereby the forces to be applied in this context complicate the positional change and require e.g. the need for a powerful motor. By moving the tow lines in the head and foot areas of the person to be transported at different speeds, as described in accordance with the present invention, the mass center can be maintained in place without encountering an elevation or lowering when suitably selecting the speed difference.
According to another feature of the present invention, the tow lines are positioned in the form of a very stable three-point suspension framework, with a single front tow line secured at the front area and a pair of rear tow lines secured at the rear area of the load-bearing member, whereby the front tow line and the two rear tow lines are deflected downwardly by associated pulleys, and whereby the movements of the rear tow lines and the front tow line are linked to one another by a coupling unit for realizing the optimum speed differential of the tow lines when the person being transported is re-positioned.
According to still another feature of the present invention, additional base load tow lines are provided between the lifting mechanism and the load-bearing member and positioned as mirror images to each other with respect to the center plane of the lifting mechanism on both sides thereof to thereby keep the load and the forces to be applied for changing the position of a person being transported at a small level. The absorption of the base load is optimized when the base load tow lines extend near or coincide with the vertical gravity center plane of the load-bearing member under load, with the gravity center plane extending transversely to the travel direction of the lifting mechanism.
A compensation of lateral weight shifts can be realized in accordance with the present invention, by guiding the ends of the pair of rear tow lines over respective pulleys for downward deflection, whereby the pulleys are supported on a crossbar which extends transversely to the travel direction and is swingable about a pivot axis oriented essentially parallel to the travel direction and coinciding with the center plane of the lifting mechanism.
Suitably, the pair of rear tow lines are trained over a common drum, and the single front tow line is trained over a separate drum for realizing respective winding and unwinding actions. A further simplification of the suspension system of the present invention can be realized when mounting the drums for the rear tow lines and the front tow line in fixed rotative engagement and in spaced-apart relationship on a shaft which extends in travel direction. When connecting the shaft to a suitable motor, the person can then easily effect a positional change through appropriate control devices.
Preferably, the tow lines are formed as band-like straps of identical thickness, with the drums for the front tow line and rear tow lines having different diameters.
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F{umlaut over (a)}nger Alfred
Gersemsky Udo
Hasselmann Heinz
Nedza Janus
Walloschek Thilo
Cherry Johnny D.
Feiereisen Henry M.
Mannesmann AG
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