Toilet apparatus for use by bed ridden patients

• US 4,856,123 A
• Filed: 09/24/1987
• Issued: 08/15/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Henderson Medical Appliance Company Limited 6 Roslyn Crescent Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
• Original Assignee: Henderson Medical Appliance Company Limited
• Inventors: Henderson, D. Grant, Kroeker, David, Yuill, Grenville K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Charles E.
• Application Number:
  US07/100,660
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 4/496, 4/480, 4/560-566, 5/63, 5/81 B, 5/86, 5/81 R, 5/90, 297/320, 297/345
• US Class Current: 4/480
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/006 convertible to stretchers or beds
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1002 with toilet facilities room closets, night chairs A47K11/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/02 with toilet conveniences, or specially adapted for use with toilets
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1007 mounted on or in combination with a toilet
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 9/00 Bed-pans, urinals or other sanitary devices for bed-ridden persons; Cleaning devices therefor, e.g. combined with toilet-urinals urinals worn by the patient A61F5/44

Abstract

A toilet apparatus for use with bed ridden patients comprises a frame which provides an upper horizontal patient support so that the patient can be transferred from a lying condition in a bed onto the support. A back portion of the support then pivots about a point on a line with the waist of the occupant to define a back portion move to a vertical position and a seat portion rolls along a cam track to a lowered position together with a leg rest portion which pivots downwardly. The occupant therefore takes up the seated condition and can make use of toilet facilities attached to the seat portion. The pivot point retains the center of gravity of the patient at the level of the frame so that little lifting or lowering force is required.

Claims

1. A toileting apparatus for use by bed ridden patients comprising a patient support including a seat portion, and a back rest portion, one edge of the back rest portion being pivotally connected to the seat portion at an adjacent edge thereof, frame means mounting said portions such that they can be moved from a first position in which they lie in a substantially flat co-planar relationship for supporting the patient in a lying condition to a second position in which the back rest portion inclined upwardly from the seat portion for supporting the patient in an at least the seat portion for supporting the patient in an at least partially seated condition, said frame means comprising a substantially rectangular base frame having ground wheels thereon for movement across the ground, upstanding support means arranged solely on one side portion of said base frame and means for supporting said patient support in canti-lever manner outwardly from said upstanding support means over said base frame so that the patient support can be pushed underneath the patient on top of a bed surface by an operative standing on the side of the base frame remote from the bed, the base frame being of U-shape in plan defining a front portion, two side portions and an open rear face underlying the back rest portion so that the base frame can be moved to a position surrounding a conventional toilet bowl with the seat portion directly overlying the conventional toilet bowl, rolling bearing means mounting said patient support on said upstanding support means for free sliding movement thereon in a vertical direction, a rigid link pivotally connected at one end to a point on the back rest portion spaced outwardly from the seat portion and pivotally connected at the other end to the base frame such that movement of the back portion from said second position to said first position will cause movement of said seat portion upwardly along said upstanding support which causes movement of the patient to occur substantially about the center of gravity of the patient whereby the center of gravity of the patient remains at a substantially constant height as said patient support moves from said first position to said second position and vice versa, means for causing said movement from said first position to said second position consisting solely of manually graspable portions of said seat portion and said back rest portion whereby the patient is raised and lowered by manual lifting force, the seat portion being apertured for use as a toilet seat, and means for supporting a toilet bucket positioned beneath the seat portion for use in the second position of the patient support.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the patient support includes a leg rest portion movable from the first position in which it is coplanar with said seat portion to the second position in which it is inclined downwardly from said seat portion.

3. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said means for supporting the toilet bucket is attached to an underside of said seat portion for supporting said bucket in direct attachment to the underside of the seat portion for movement therewith from said first position to said second position.