Positioning apparatus

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The subject invention relates to an apparatus for positioning an individual.

More particularly, the subject invention relates to an apparatus for positioning an individual into and relative to a large container.

2. Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

In the health care industry there are various apparatus for assisting the older individuals and the physically impaired. Examples of some of these type apparatus are hand rails to help support a person when he is entering a bath tub, a treating vessel or is attempting to position himself at a specific location. For individuals of more extreme disability, hospitals sometimes have an overhead system of rails, a platform and pulley system for moving a person relative to a vessel and lowering the person into the vessel and out of the vessel. More often, however, such manipulation of a patient is undesirably accomplished by one or more orderlies having to lift and move the patient.

Irrespective of the systems or methods heretofore used, the equipment and manpower represents a significant waste of time and expenditure.

The present invention is directed to overcome one or more of the problems, as set forth above.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An apparatus for positioning an individual has a seat, an inflatable. flexible bag, and a pair of valves. The seat has a flexible skirt. The bag has a chamber, a chamber inlet, a chamber outlet. The bag is connected to the seat. First and second valves are each connected to a respective bag inlet and outlet. The inlet valve is connectable to a pressurized fluid source.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is a partial sectioned side view of the apparatus of this invention positioned in a bath tub;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 with the apparatus of this invention in a deflated condition; and

FIG. 3 is a partial sectioned top view of the tub and the apparatus of this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus of this invention has a seat 12, an inflatable, flexible bag 14 and first and second valves 16,17.

The seat 12 has a flexible skirt 20 and is connected to the bag 14. The flexible skirt is of a construction to forcibly engage the sides 22,24 and back of a bath tub or vessel 28 during inflation and deflating of the bag and resultant substantially vertical movement of the seat 12 within the tub 28. It should be understood that the apparatus is intended for use any type vessel into which it is desirable to lower an individual for bathing, treatment, or any other reason.

The flexible skirt 20 is preferable formed of rubber but can be constructed of any other deformable material which will follow the contours of the vessel 28 during movement of the seat and will substantially fill the space between the seat 12 and the walls of the vessel 28. Another example of the material of the skirt 20 would be organic plastic material.

The flexible skirt 20 is connected to and extends about the outer periphery of the seat 12 and downwardly therefrom a distance in the range of about 2 to about 6 inches, preferably about 4 inches. A distance less than about 2 inches is undesirable because of less than desirable sealing area and a distance greater than about 6 inches is undesirable because it would not permit an individual to be sufficient near the bottom of the tub 28 thereby requiring a waste of extra liquid in the tub to reach a desired level on the individual.

The inflatable, flexible bag 14 is preferably formed of rubber but can be formed of any material that will contain fluid under moderate pressure. Such other materials might be organic plastics, for example. The bag 14 has a chamber 30, an inlet 32 and an outlet 34. In the preferred embodiment, the bag 14 is of a general accordion type construction in order to provide uniform stacking of the bag 14 during deflating operations. First and second valves 16,17 are connected respectively to the inlet 32 and outlet 34 of the bag 14. The inlet 32 of the bag 14 and valve 16 are connectable to a pressurized fluid source 36 which is controllably brought into and from communication with the bag chamber via the inlet valve 16.

The pressurized fluid source 36 is one of air or water, preferably air. FIG. 2 shows a pressurized fluid source 36 which is air and which is generated by a motor 38 and a pneumatic pump 40. The motor 38 is preferably an electrically operated motor. FIG. 1 shows the pressurized fluid source being the water supply of a utility company or other pressurized water source.

Referring to FIG. 3, first and second guiding members 42,44 are each connected to a respective opposed side 22,24 of the tub 28 and extend substantially vertically with said seat skirt 20 in sliding engagement therewith. It should be understood however that the skirt 20 can be formed of different materials. For example, the skirt portions of the back and side portions of the seat 12 can be formed of rubber with the front portion of the seat formed of organic plastic in contact with the guiding members 42,44.

In the operation of the apparatus of this invention, the bag is inflated with the seat 12 positioned adjacent an upper edge of the tub 28. An individual steps into the tub 28, sits down, and valve 17 is opened and the bag 14 responsively deflates thereby lowering the individual into the tub 28for bathing or treatment.

When ready to leave the tub, valve 17 is closed and valve 16 is open which allows fluid to enter the bag chamber 14, inflate the bag and responsively raises the seat 12 to a position adjacent the top of the tub 28 at which the individual can more easily and conveniently enter and exit the seat 12 and tub 28.

Other aspects, objects, and advantages will become apparent with a study of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims.