Seating support

Abstract

 The invention provides a back support including at least one adjustable support element (35) having left and right side fingers and a joining member (32), the back support also has a mounting bracket (10) for each finger, in use to independently hold each finger in place, each mounting bracket allowing independent selective adjustment of the position of each finger. In an embodiment the adjustment allows positioning in all six degrees of freedom.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to supports for individuals such as invalids or the infirm who need support whilst seated in an upright or reclined position, for comfort and/or for improving posture.

[0002] It is known that immobile or substantially immobile persons can benefit from being held in a posture which allows their respiratory system and other organs to function correctly, without being unnecessarily compressed or contorted. For some people their involuntary movements can quickly move them out of such a suitable or comfortable position. Since the main organs of the body are in the abdomen, it is the back which is generally in most need of supporting correctly.

[0003] In order to keep such a person in position various adjustable back supports have been proposed, which work with varying effectiveness. The inventor has realised that improvements are needed to these known designs, particularly where severely disabled persons require unusually shaped back support. There is also a need to make a back support which is both easy and quick for care workers to adjust into unusual positions if necessary and which is reasonably economic to manufacture.

[0004] According to a first embodiment, the invention provides a back support including at least one adjustable support element having left and right side fingers, the support being characterised in that a mounting bracket is provided for each finger, in use to independently hold each finger in place, each mounting bracket allowing independent selective adjustment of the position of each finger.

[0005] Preferably said independent adjustment is separate adjustment of each finger in at least four degrees of freedom.

[0006] In an embodiment said at least four degrees of freedom include two linear and two rotational degrees of freedom.

[0007] Conveniently, the back support further includes a support rail and adjustment for the fingers in a fifth degree of freedom is provided by moving the brackets together linearly along a back support rail.

[0008] Conveniently adjustment for the parts in a sixth degree of freedom is provided by rotating said mounting brackets together about a common axis generally perpendicular to the support rail.

[0009] Suitably, said left and right fingers are interconnected by a flexible middle joint member. Said joint member may be slideable relative to one or both fingers, to provide adjustment in one of the linear degrees of freedom mentioned above.

[0010] According to a second aspect the invention provides seating including a back support having a plurality of adjustable back support elements each support being as described in any one of the paragraphs above.

[0011] Preferably the seating further includes padding on each support element and an outer removable covering over the padding. Preferably the cover is vapour permeable material.

[0012] According to a third aspect the invention comprises an invalid seat having a back rail and at least one individually adjustable back support mounted to the rail by means of a bracket system, the bracket system allowing said adjustment of the back support in all six degrees of freedom.
In this case the six degrees of freedom are linear translational movements in three mutually perpendicular axes and three rotational movements about those axes.

[0013] The invention can be put into effect in numerous ways, one embodiment only being described below with reference to the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a front view of a back support for invalid seating.

Figure 2 shows a rear view of part of the back support shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows a sectional view of a mounting bracket of the support shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 shows a second back support for invalid seating;

Figure 5 shows an assembly view including the second back support; and

Figure 6 shows a seat having back supports including the second back support.

[0014] With reference to Figures 1 and 2, a back support 5 is shown which can be used for invalid seating. The back support is intended to be used in conjunction with similar supports mounted to a seat frame 20 (shown cut-away). Such seating is intended to be used in any position between a upright and a fully reclined position. The back support shown includes a back support element 35 which includes a pair of ductile fingers 30, and in this case finger extensions 40 and a joining member 32. The fingers 30 are bendable by hand in use so that they are formable into a curved shape to fit the patient to be supported, and will remain in that shape after bending, for supporting the patient. The fingers 30 include the extension 40 (only one of which is shown). The extension too is formable into a suitable shape by hand. In Figure 2 the finger 30 and the extension 40 are each shown formed into a curved shape, having a radius R₁ and R₂ respectively, although other shapes are possible.

[0015] The extension 40 is hingeable relative the finger 30 at hinge 45. The hinge 45 is lockable in position in supporting use, but is unlockable by operation of handle 46, so that the extension piece 40 can be hinged out of position in the direction of arrow P to allow the patient to be more easily removed from the seating.

[0016] The support 5 is mounted on two seat frame rails 20, only part of which are shown, which form part of the seating frame. The back support fingers 30 and extensions 40 are held in place on the rails 20 by means of a pair of brackets 10 and two mounting bars 12. This arrangement allows the fingers and extensions 30, 40 to be positioned, linearly along the X, Y or Z linear axes shown. In addition, the fingers and extensions 30, 40 can be rotated about those X, Y and Z axes, i.e. in the direction of arrows a, b or c. This adjustment feature is explained below.

[0017] Figure 3 shows a section in the plane Y,Z of Figure 1 through the centre of a bracket 10 as shown in Figure 1. The mounting bracket 10 has two arms 16 held on either side of the mounting bars 12 by means of a releasable clamp 11, in this case a cam action clamp. Releasing the clamp 11 allows the plates 16 to be slid back and fore in the direction of arrows Y each independently. Movement of the arms 16 together causes the fingers to be moved lineally in the Y direction, whereas differential movement will allow rotation of the fingers in the direction of arrow 'a'. Since two brackets 10 are used, sliding the two plates 16 of one bracket 10 a greater distance than the plates of the other bracket, allows rotation of the support in the direction of arrow c shown in Figure 1. Rotation of each finger 30 about axis c need not be equal and linear movement in the Y direction of each pair of arms 16 need not be equal, so a twist in a pair of fingers 30 can be obtained if desired, about the 'a' axis or about the c axis.

[0018] The mounting bars 12 are held in place on rails 20 by means of end clamps 14, in the form of a nut and bolt 15, in use arranged to compress an elastomeric block 22 and thereby hold the bars 12 to the rails 20. Clamps 14 can be slackened to allow the bars 12 to be moved up and down the rail 20 in the direction of arrow Z. Differential movement of one end of the bars 12 with respect to the other will cause rotation of the support in the direction of arrow b shown in Figure 1.

[0019] To add to this adjustability of the left and right fingers 30 are independently adjustable in the X direction by virtue of the fact that a flexible intermediate joining member 32 (Figure1) is included. This intermediate member is slotted to allow the left and hand right fingers 30 to be moved closer together or further apart. The joining member 32 is held to the fingers 30 by captive friction washers 34 held on bolts which extend within a slot 33 in the joining member 32. Additionally, since the fingers 30 and their extension pieces 40 can be formed into any desired shape, a care worker has almost complete freedom to adjust the supports into any desired position and shape.

[0020] It can be seen that each finger 30, can be moved independently and each has independent movement in four degrees of freedom (X, Y, a and c). Additionally, the left and right fingers 30 can be moved together in a further two degrees of freedom (Z and b). This versatility allows complete freedom for a care worker to position the support in an infinite number of positions to support the patient. Furthermore twisting of one finger 30 relative to the other can be achieved about the 'a' and c axes as described above. That versatility added to the bendable nature of the fingers 30 and extension 40 means that the support can accommodate almost any person.

[0021] Referring to Figure 4 there is shown a back support 115 which is similar in construction to the back support 5 described above and illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3. In this embodiment bendable fingers 130 are manipulatable as described above, but they do not include hinged extensions. Instead the fingers are each one piece of metal, and include foam pads 132 which are attached to distal parts of the fingers by means of adhesive. The support 115 includes two brackets 110 similar in construction and function to the brackets 10 described above. In this embodiment cam locks 11 described above have been replaced with locking nuts 111. Further, plates 16 have graduations 161 for setting and re-setting the position of fingers 130 relative to the frame. The back support 115 is adjusted in the same manner as described above.

[0022] Figure 5 shows an assembly of back supports including supports 125 and a shorter length version 105. The shorter fingers of the support 105 allow adjacent supports above and below, to be formed into the space created by the short fingers. In other words the shorter fingers of the support 108 give more freedom for positioning fingers 130 (or 30). In this option both the back supports 125 and the back support 105 each have only one bracket 110, but otherwise they are similar to the support 115 described above.

[0023] Figure 6 shows a wheeled invalid seat having part of its padding cut away to show the arrangement of the back supports. Supports 115, 125 and 105 are as described above. The supports when assembled on frame 20 are covered in a resilient foam padding 140 which is in turn covered with a vapour permeable outer cover 150, which can be wiped clean. Access to adjust the supports can be gained via the rear of the chair.

[0024] It will be apparent to the skilled addressee that various modifications, alternatives and variants will be possible within the scope of the invention. For example, the mechanical arrangement described and illustrated could be replaced by an equivalent construction. Thus, for example, the sectional shapes of the parts illustrated could be replaced by equivalent shapes and hinged parts could be replaced by flexible members. Although the invention has been described and illustrated in use as an invalid seating support, it will be apparent that other applications are possible.

Claims

1. A back support (5) including at least one adjustable support element (25) having left and right side fingers (30), the back support being characterised in that a mounting bracket (10) is provided for each finger (30), in use to independently hold each finger (30) in place, each mounting bracket (10) allowing independent selective adjustment of the position of each finger (20).

2. A back support as claimed in claim 1, wherein said independent adjustment is separate adjustment of each finger in at least four degrees of freedom.

3. A back support as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least four degrees of freedom include two linear and two rotational degrees of freedom.

4. A back support as claimed in claim 3, wherein the back support further includes a support rail and adjustment for the fingers in a fifth degree of freedom is provided by moving the brackets together linearly along a back support rail.

5. A back support as claimed in claim 4, wherein adjustment for the parts in a sixth degree of freedom is provided by rotating said mounting brackets together about a common axis generally perpendicular to the support rail.

6. A back support as claimed in claim 3,4, or 5, wherein said left and right fingers are interconnected by a flexible middle joint member (32).

7. Said joint member is slideable relative to one or both fingers, to provide adjustment in one of said linear degrees of freedom.

8. Seating 5 including a plurality of adjustable back supports each as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to 7.

9. Seating as claimed in claim 8, wherein the seating further includes padding on each support element and an outer removable covering over the padding.

10. Seating as claimed in claim 9, wherein the cover is vapour permeable material.

11. An invalid seat having a back rail and at least one individually adjustable back support mounted to the rail by means of a bracket system, the bracket system allowing said adjustment of the back support in all six degrees of freedom.

Drawing