Chair for Handicapped Persons

This invention relates generally to the field of specialized furniture suitable for use by invalids and relatively infirm persons, and more particularly to an improved form of chair having means for assisting an occupant to gain a sitting as well as a standing position. Devices of this general type are well known in the art, and the invention lies in specific constructional details which permit ease of manufacture at relatively low cost, and improved facility in use by the occupant.

The most commonly used type of such chair in the prior art is one in which the seat bottom is hingedly associated with the chair frame adjacent a forward edge thereof. A hydraulic or pneumatic lifting means is either electrically or manually powered, and when actuated, the occupant is raised with the seat to a standing position as the seat bottom moves from horizontal to vertical orientation. Such constructions are not without substantial utility, particularly in the area of use by relatively feeble and/or grossly overweight persons. However, they are expensive to construct, and, depending upon the quality of manufacture, they are more or less reliable. They suffer a substantial disadvantage in that upon the occurrence of a power failure, electrically powered types become at least temporarily inoperative. Hand powered hydraulic types, somewhat similar to a barber's chair, often require manual exertion for operating far above the ability of the user, and are thus suitable only for use with an attendant.

The above described constructions have been used primarily in homes, or patient's rooms in nursing hospitals on a personal basis where the occupant often spends the better part of the day. The high cost of manufacture normally prohibits the provision of large numbers of such chairs and the placing ofthe same about the private or nursing home.

Many occupants of nursing homes, as well as those living in private homes, do possess a degree of ambulatory ability, but find that it requires more than normal effort to sit or arise from a conventional chair. These persons, once erect, can walk with some assistance from one location to another where they will again sit down in another chair at another location. Such persons do not require powered chairs at each location and, indeed, the cost of such chairs in plural numbers is usually prohibitive.

The use of unpowered chairs which rely upon compressed springs to elevate a seated individual to standing position are not unknown. An interesting construction is disclosed in the U.S. patent to E. J. Hoff, U.S. Pat. No. 1,025,915, granted May 7, 1912. The disclosed structure includes a seat supported on an articulated linkage having a principal pivot point located several inches rearwardly at the front edge of the seat. The linkage extends beyond the pivot point, and is engaged by a pair of very powerful springs, the tension of which is adjustable. The springs are always under substantial tension, which is increased as the seat is lowered under the weight of the occupant, and means is provided for locking the seat in lowered position such that the locking means cannot be released unless the occupant is sitting on the seat, thereby avoiding accidental movement of the seat from lowered to raised position, with possible injury to a bystander. The complexity of the construction, coupled with the fact that the force exerted by the springs under tension, is many times that of the weight of the occupant, forces the construction of the chair to be unreasonably heavy as well as expensive, and, as a result, this type of chair construction has not gained public acceptance.

Briefly stated, the invention contemplates the provision of an improved chair construction for physically handicapped persons, in which the use of powered lifting devices has been eliminated, and in which lifting forces are obtained solely from potential energy stored in resilient elements at the time the user is first seated. The construction includes means for locking the resilient elements in fixed position during the period in which the user is seated to be released by the user when he wishes to leave the chair. As contrasted with prior art constructions offering similar facility, the resilient elements are under substantially no tension in the absence of the user upon the seat bottom, and by locating the pivot axis of the seat adjacent the forward edge of the seat cushion and positioning the resilient elements to have a substantially vertical line of action, the forces involved are considerably reduced with the accompanying possibility of manufacturing the entire chair of relatively light weight materials so as to be easily portable. I have found that by incorporating my invention into a generally conventional tubular frame-type chair, the additional cost involved represents only a small portion of the entire cost of manufacture of the chair. The tubular construction provides lighter weight, however, the same operating chair could be constructed as a more decorative unit of wood, or upholstery. The weight would be heavier, construction would be more economical, other than the decorator upholstered item. The shipping costs would be higher. Further, because the movement of the chair seat bottom from lowered to raised position represents only a maximum of 6 to 8 inches which would be prearranged by the movement of the assisting springs to be either further back to raise the seat higher, or be placed further forward for a shorter person, and not raise the arms and seat as high, there is little or no danger involved should the seat be accidentally released without the presence of an occupant. Most importantly, the seat is so designed that the user may shift his weight forwardly on the seat bottom prior to releasing the resilient elements, so that the resilient elements, upon upward expansion, raising the seat bottom may utilize maximum mechanical advantage. Thus, the spring modulus of such elements may be substantially reduced as contrasted with earlier, more complicated constructions. For example, in the case of an occupant weighing approximately one hundred fifty pounds, the total force required to fully compress the resilient elements can be as little as forty to fifty pounds. The raising of the seat bottom about its rearward edge also serves to elevate the arm rests, so that lifting force is imparted not only to the pelvic portions of the user, but to the arms as well, thus providing improved support as the user moves to a standing position. Because of the relatively light weight of the completed chair, large numbers of the same can be provided in an institution, at relatively low cost, and can be readily moved by service personnel to the desired locations. Chairs may be manufactured to include resilient elements having different spring moduli, which may be clearly marked on a visible surface to assist users in selecting a proper chair, as well as having provisions for adding or subtracting springs of the same relative resistance.

In the drawing, to which reference will be made in the specification, similar reference characters have been employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view thereof, showing certain of the component parts in altered relative position.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view as seen from the right hand portion of FIG. 2.

In accordance with the invention, the device, generally indicated by reference character 10, comprises broadly: a frame element 11, and a movable seat element 12.

The frame element 11 may be of generally conventional construction, and, for example, may consist of welded metallic tubing. It includes a pair of front leg members 18, a pair of rear leg members 19, a pair of lateral brace members 20, a pair of lateral upper members 12, a pair of transverse upper members 22, and a single transverse member 23, which anchors one end of resiliently compressable struts to be described hereinbelow. The rear leg members 19 include angularly disposed extensions 24 for supporting a rear seat cushion 25 in conventional manner.

The movable seat element 12 includes a framed and padded seat bottom 30, bounded by an upper surface 31, a lower surface 32, a forward edge surface 33, a rearward edge surface 34, and a pair of side surfaces 35. Supporting brackets 36 are connected to upper members 21 at lower ends 37 thereof. The upper ends 38 are connected by pintles 39 near the rearward edge surface 34 to the seat bottom 30.

Mounted on the lower surface 32 is a transverse member 40 engaging the upper end of each of plural gas-filled struts 41. The upper end 42 may be interconnected by ball joints, while the lower end 43 may be interconnected by simple pintle means interconnected to one side of the transverse lower member 23. As will be observed from a comparision of FIGS. 1 and 2 in the drawing, the actual expansion and contraction of the struts 41 is relatively short, in the order of 3 to 4 inches, to result in movement of the front edge of the seat bottom 30 between 6 to 8 inches, depending upon the position of attachment of the upper ends 42 of the struts. Because the struts 41 are direct acting against the under surface of the seat bottom 30, the lifting force will be greatest when the seat bottom is in fully lowered condition, thereby providing maximum impetus when the user first begins to move to a standing position.

A pair of arm rests 48 are supported on a horizontal strut 49 pivotally interconnected to the frame member 24, and to a vertical strut 50 at a forward end. The lower end 51 interconnects with the seat bottom 30, so that as the seat bottom is raised, the forward end of the arm rests will move an equivalent distance. The resistance force would be approximately 75% of the person's weight. Thus removing the calculated weight of the legs, the remaining lifting weight would be approximately 15 or 20% of the person's entire weight.

As is desirable with this type of construction, the seat bottom 30 is selectively lockable in lowered condition during occupancy by a user. To this end, a strut 56 on the vertical strut 50 supports a pivotal latch member 57 having a recess 58 adapted to engage a corresponding strut 59 on each of the lateral upper members 21. The latch 57 is operated by a cable 60, the lower end 61 of which engages an opening in the latch 57, the upper end 62 engaging a pivotally mounted lever 63 positioned beneath the forward end of each of the arm rests so as to be conveniently operated by the user.

The seating and rising motions of the user are somewhat different than that involved in use of prior art devices, and is predicated upon the fact that the device will be used by persons having some degree of ambulatory movement. During sitting, the user grasps the arm rests 48, and sits on the seat bottom 30 such that he contacts essentially the forward part of the seat bottom in the area of the vertical struts 50. This will enable his weight to have maximum force in compressing the gas-filled struts 41, and when the seat bottom 30 has reached horizontal position, the latches 57 are released so as to engage the corresponding struts 59. Once this has been accomplished, the user then slides his body rearwardly until his back contacts the rear cushion 25. While the seat bottom is in locked condition, he may shift his position as often as desired or required. When it is desired to leave the chair and assume a standing position, the user slides his body forwardly, so that the pelvis rests only on the forward portion of the seat bottom, and, while grasping the arem rests, the latches 57 are released to permit the struts 41 to expand. This results in an upward movement of between 6 to 8 inches of the forward end of the seat bottom 30, with maximum force exerted at the commencement of movement, as is desirable to overcome initial inertia. As has been mentioned, where the user has a weight of approximately 150 pounds, the net lifting force at forward edge surface 33 may be as little as 40 to 50 pounds, this being sufficient to enable the user to rapidly arise from the chair in complete comfort. The resistance force would be approximately 75% of the person's weight. Thus removing the calculated weight of the legs, the remaining lifting weight would be approximately 15 or 20% of the person's entire weight.

In the case of heavier occupants, the chair can be readily adapted for their use by merely substituting struts 41 of greater spring modulus, or more struts.

It will be observed that the total movement in raising the seat bottom is governed essentially by the limits of travel of the struts 41 themselves, so that no other movement limiting means is necessary. During the lowering movement, the initial force required to commence deflection will normally be only slightly more than half of the total force rquired to fully depress the seat bottom, as will be normal as the user transfers his weight from his legs to the seat cushion. The reverse will be true as he arises. The same chair could be used by any given patient for as long as necessary. Should the necessity arise to make the chair more accessable for a completely or slightly different structured person, at that point, springs can be added or subtracted, or even moved, and at that time could there be the necessity of using heavier springs. (Five regular springs would provide approximately 150 pounds at the upper level.)

I wish it to be understood that I do not consider the invention limited to the precise details of structure shown and set forth in this specification, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.