Modular articulating seating system for the handicapped

• US 4,234,228 A
• Filed: 08/25/1978
• Issued: 11/18/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jonathan A. Flamm
• Original Assignee: Jonathan A. Flamm
• Inventors: Flamm, Jonathan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): McCall, James T.
• Application Number:
  US05/936,812
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 297/DIG. 6, 297/DIG. 4, 297/384, 297/284, 297/408, 297/353, 297/464, 297/466, 297/486
• US Class Current: 297/464
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2200/54 Shoulder
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2210/10 for orthopedics
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/10 Parts, details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1091 Cushions, seats or abduction devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/12 Rests specially adapted therefor, e.g. for the head or the feet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 297/04 Wheelchair

Abstract

A seating system which can be adapted to the particular body size and required spatial orientation of a disabled person to hold him securely and in an orthopedically correct required position, and which can be fitted to any patient in a manner that minimizes the amount of custom craft work and cost. The seat includes a frame having three shells, including a lower seat back shell that can pivot and shift relative to the seat bottom shell and the upper back shell. A cushion system which includes a group of individual cushions can be rapidly installed on the shells to closely fit the individual. The shells can be independently adjusted to control the general contour of the thighs, back, hips and shoulders. Different cushions can be chosen to closely control the patient'"'"'s orientation and to snugly but comfortably fit him into the adjusted frame. Close fitting of a patient'"'"'s trunk and the region above the hips, for a wide variety of body types, is enabled by the use of a three-cushioned lower back arrangement, which includes a lower back cushion that supports only the back, and a pair of side cushions located at either side of the back cushion and projecting forward of it to lie on either side of the patient. The modular side cushions are chosen from a group of such cushions, which provide proper lateral positioning and closely fit the person.

Claims

1. A seating system for handicapped persons comprising:

a seat bottom shell;

a lower back shell;

an upper back shell;

a pair of first joint means coupling said lower back shell to said seat bottom shell, for permitting both pivoting and sliding of said lower back shell with respect to said seat bottom shell; and

a pair of second joint means coupling said upper and lower back shells, for permitting both pivoting and sliding of said back shells with respect to each other; and

locking at a plurality of relative positions permitted by such pivoting and sliding.

2. The system described in claim 1 wherein:

each of said first joints can be shifted laterally with respect to one another, and each of said second joints can be shifted laterally independently of one another, whereby to enable the seat to accommodate rotational misalignment of a patient.

3. A seating system for handicapped persons, comprising:

a seat frame forming a seat bottom and a seat back, and having frame side walls and inner surfaces; and

a plurality of cushions, including a back cushion, a pair of side cushions, and a seat bottom cushion mountable on said seat frame, at least said side cushions including detachable fasteners detachably fastenable to the sides of the frame at the inner surfaces thereof;

said seat back of said frame including a lower seat back portion pivotably joined to said frame seat bottom and lockable in different pivoted positions thereto, and an upper seat back portion pivotably joined to said lower seat back portion and lockable in different pivoted positions thereto.

4. The system described in claim 3 wherein:

one of said seat back portions includes a pair of flanges on either side thereof and extending beyond and pivotably connected to the other seat back portion, to leave a gap along most of the width of the seat back between the back portions to permit considerable pivoting and ventilation.

5. A seating system for handicapped persons, comprising:

a seat frame forming a seat bottom and a seat back, and having frame side walls and inner surfaces; and

a plurality of cushions, including a back cushion, a pair of side cushions, and a seat bottom cushion mountable on said seat frame, at least said side cushions including detachable fasteners detachably fastenable to the sides of the frame at the inner surfaces thereof;

said seat back of said frame including a lower seat back portion pivotable, and with the pivot axis moveable, with respect to said frame seat bottom and lockable in positions different in position of the pivot axis and in the angular position about the pivot axis with respect to said frame seat bottom.

6. A seating system for handicapped persons comprising:

a seat frame which includes a seat bottom, a lower seat back, and an upper seat back;

a plurality of pads of hook-loop type fastener material mounted on the inner surfaces of said frame;

a plurality of cushions mounted on said frame;

said seat bottom comprising a substantially U-shaped member with a base lying in a largely horizontal plane and a pair of upstanding walls lying in largely vertical planes at opposite sides of the base;

said lower seat back comprising a substantially U-shaped member with a back base lying above the rear of said seat bottom base and a pair of outstanding walls extending largely forwardly on either side of the back base and lying in largely planes, each seat bottom upstanding wall connected to a corresponding seat back wall in a pivotable joint that can be locked at a plurality of pivotal positions;

said plurality of cushions having pads of hook-loop type fastener material attachable to said pads on said frame; and

said cushions including a lower seat back cushion having a width less than the width of the lower back base, and a pair of side cushions, said lower seat back cushion and side cushions together fitting closely between the walls of the lower seat back member, and said side cushions projecting forward of the lower seat back cushion.

7. A seating system for handicapped persons comprising:

a seat frame which includes a seat bottom, a lower seat back, and an upper seat back; and

a plurality of cushions mounted on said frame;

said seat bottom comprising a substantially U-shaped member with a base lying in a largely horizontal plane and a pair of upstanding walls lying in largely vertical planes at opposite sides of the base;

said lower seat back comprising a substantially U-shaped member with a back base lying above the rear of said seat bottom base and a pair of outstanding walls extending largely forwardly on either side of the back base and lying in largely horizontal planes, each seat bottom wall connected to a corresponding seat back wall in a pivotable joint that can be locked at a plurality of pivotal positions;

said walls of said seat bottom member and of said lower seat back member, each have holes; and

including

a pair of bolts, each extending through a pair of holes in the member walls on one side of the chair; and

a pair of nuts tightenable on the bolts;

one of the holes lying on each side of the chair being a plurality of times wider than the bolt, to permit relative sliding as well as pivoting of the bottom and back members.