GB2469311A

GB2469311A - A bathing transfer system for seated patient

Info

Publication number: GB2469311A
Application number: GB0906119A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Stuart-Smith; Jarred Evans
Original assignee: ASTOR BANNERMAN
Current assignee: ASTOR BANNERMAN
Priority date: 2009-04-08
Filing date: 2009-04-08
Publication date: 2010-10-13
Anticipated expiration: 2029-04-08
Also published as: GB0906119D0; GB2469311B

Abstract

A transfer system includes lifting means 8, a seat 10 for a patient detachably fixable to the lifting means whereby the patient may be transferred from a first position to a second position and a wheeled chassis 11 also detachably fixable to the seat to provide means for wheeling a patient to and away from the said lifting means. The wheeled chassis incorporates a second seat 15 accessible when the said seat for the patient is detached. The second seat when affixed to the wheeled chassis can be used as a wheeled stool by a carer looking after the patient in the bath. Preferably, the second seat comprises a stool seat mounted beneath the first seat, when it is fixed to the chassis. As shown in Figure 3, the second seat may be stowable in a first position at a lower level on the chassis underneath the first seat when it is fixed to the chassis, and is transferable to a second higher position, shown in Figure 4, on the chassis where it may be used as a seat when the first seat is detached. The second seat may be adapted to be used as a tray when in the first position upon the chassis. The second seat and first seat may feature congruent apertures (15, Fig 5 and 18, Fig 6) which allow access to the patient's seated underside for the purpose of washing. Preferably, the fist seat is fixed to the chassis by a détente means which are clear of the second seat.

Description

TRANSFER SYSTEM

The present invention relates to bath seats.

There is already known a variety of bath seats designed to facilitate getting into and out of a bath. These seats comprise a member on which a user sits when within a bath tub, which member mechanically supports the user as they lower themselves into and raise themselves from the tub. The impetus for the support may be any of a number of known methods. The simplest seats use a spring to offset the user's weight partially as they lower and raise themselves. Other seats use water power from the mains water supply.

More advanced seats can comprise a lifting column having an arm from which a chair is suspended. The arm can slew from a position in which the chair is over the bath to a position in which it is outside the bath. In use the chair is slewed to a position outside the bath then lowered to a height where a patient can conveniently transfer into the chair.

The chair is then raised above the height of the bath rim and then slewed over the bath.

The patient and chair are then lowered into the bath. Removal is the reverse of entry.

The lifting column may be manually powered or, more commonly, electrically. The slew may also be either manually or electrically powered. The colunm may be incorporated within the bath or stand next to the bath as a separate unit. Other types of seat that will move a patient from outside the bath to within it may also be known.

On bath seats of the sort that move the patient from outside to within the bath it is also known for the seat to be detachable from the column or other lifting mechanism and fixable to a wheeled chassis to form a wheeled chair. This arrangement has several advantages. It allows a patient to be moved around in the wheeled chair and be picked up by the lifting column directly from the chassis, reducing transfer operations. The wheeled chair can also be used as a shower chair and possibly a toilet and commode chair, reducing the numbers of pieces of equipment required by the patient. However, there is a disadvantage in that the wheeled chassis is quite bulky, particularly given that it has to be kept conveniently to hand in bathroom ready to be receive the seat and patient once they are lifted out of the bath. th small bathrooms this can he a particular prob'em.

According to the present invention there is provided a transfer system including lifting means, a seat for a patient detachably fixable to the lifting means whereby the patient may be transferred from a first position to a second position and a wheeled chassis also detachably fixable to the seat to provide means for wheeling a patient to and away from the said lifting means, characterised in that the said wheeled chassis incorporates a second seat accessible when the said seat for the patient is detached.

Preferably the said second seat comprises a stool seat mounted directly under the said seat for the patient when it is fixed to the said chassis.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the said second seat comprises a seat member which is stowable in a first position at a lower level on the said chassis when the seat for the patient is fixed to the chassis and transferable to a second position on the chassis where it may be used as a seat once the seat for the patient is detached.

Preferably the said seat member is adapted to be used as a tray in the said first position.

Preferably the said seat for the patient and second seat include approximately congruent apertures allowing access to the patient's seated underside for washing.

Preferably the seat for the patient is fixed to the chassis by détente means which are clear of the second seat.

Typically bath transfer systems of the sort including a seat and a detachable wheeled chassis will be used in situations where a carer helps the patient to transfer into the bath.

The invention solves the problem of where to store the wheeled chassis by allowing it to be used as a convenient seat for the carer who will often want to sit down while the patient is bathing and possibly while helping to wash the patient. Embodiments of the invention that provide a tray on the wheeled chassis also allow the carer to carry bathing and other sundries to and from the bath.

Although the commonest application of the present invention is to bath transfer systems, it may also be used in other transfer systems incorporating a seat and wheeled chassis.

These include, for example, those used in swimming pools and also those used in hospital treatment and diagnostic equipment.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figures 1 and 2 show a known bath seat and wheeled chassis Figures 3 and 4 show a first embodiment of the invention and Figures 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a bath 1 with a lifting column 2 incorporated in a corner of the bath.

Suspended from the lifting colunm is an arm 3 with detachable fixing means 4 which can he fixed to a seat 5 whereby the seat can be lifted by the column from a position outside the bath and then slewed by a slewing mechanism, not shown, to a position where the seat is above the bath. The seat 5 is mounted on a wheeled chassis 6.

Figure 2 shows the arrangement of Figure 1 with the seat and lifting column in a second position. In this position the seat 5 is detached from the chassis 6 and has been transferred into the bath. Typically the seat would be occupied by a patient but for convenience they have not been shown. It will be seen that the wheeled chassis is left standing outside the bath and needs to be kept conveniently to hand for use once the seat and patient are transferred back out of the bath. However, it will also be seen that the chassis is a bulky item to keep in a small bathroom.

Figure 3 shows in a first position a bath and transfer system incorporating a first embodiment of the invention. th this embodiment there are a bath 7, lifting column 8, arm 9, patient seat 10 and wheeled chassis 11. The patient seat includes a aperture 16 to facilitate washing and use as a toileting seat. The aperture can he filled with a plug 17.

The wheeled chassis 11 includes at a lower level a perimeter framework 12 on which rests a shaped member 13 which may be used as a tray. It is held in place on the framework 12 by pegs engaging in holes 14 in the framework.

Figure 4 shows the embodiment of Figure 3 in a second position, with the seat detached from the chassis 11 and transferred into the bath. The member 13 has been moved from the perimeter framework 12 onto the top of the wheeled chassis where it is again retained in place by the pegs engaging in holes. When the member 13 is in this position it functions as a seat surface, allowing the wheeled chassis to be used as a wheeled stool by a carer looking after the patient in the bath.

Figure 5 shows in a first position a bath and transfer system incorporating a second embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment there are a bath 7, lifting column 8, arm 9, seat 10 and wheeled chassis 11 as before. However, the wheeled chassis incorporates below the seat 10 a second seat member 15 affixed to the wheeled chassis frame. In this view the patient seat is shown with the plug 17 removed. The second seat member 15 can be seen through the aperture 16.

Figure 6 shows the embodiment of Figure 5 in a second position, with the seat detached from the chassis and transferred into the bath. With the seat for the patient detached, the second seat 15 is exposed and available for a carer to sit on while bathing a patient. In this embodiment, the second seat 15 may also have an aperture 18 filled by a plug 19 to facilitate patient washing and toileting when the patient seat 10 is on the chassis.

Other arrangements of the second seat can be envisaged but in all cases the second seat will allow the wheeled chassis to be used as a stool or chair when the patient seat is removed.

Claims

CLMMS1. A transfer system including lifting means, a seat for a patient detachably fixable to the lifting means whereby the patient may be transferred from a first position to a second position and a wheeled chassis detachably fixable to the seat to provide means for wheeling a patient to and away from the said lifting means, characterised in that the said wheeled chassis incorporates a second seat accessible when the said seat for the patient is detached.
2. A transfer system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said second seat comprises a stool seat mounted directly under the said seat for the patient when it is fixed to the said chassis.
3. A transfer system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said second seat comprises a seat member which is stowable in a first position at a lower level on the said chassis when the seat for the patient is fixed to the chassis and transferable to a second position on the chassis where it may be used as a seat once the seat for the patient is detached.
4. A transfer system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the said seat member is adapted to be used as a tray in the said first position.
5. A transfer system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the said seat for the patient and second seat include approximately congruent apertures allowing access to the patient's seated underside for washing.
6. A transfer system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the seat for the patient is fixed to the chassis by détente means which are clear of the second seat.
7. A transfer system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.