Description Field of the art

The present invention refers to the field of aid systems for people with disabilities. More in detail, the present invention refers to a new apparatus adapted to facilitate the lifting and the movement of people with motor difficulties. State of the art

It is known that for people with motor or sensory difficulties, carrying out movements often represents one of the main problems to confront in everyday life. Moving oneself is indeed indispensable in life; in particular, carrying out operations such as getting up from bed, going to the bathroom, showering or entering a bathtub are without question primary needs, preferably to be conducted in complete autonomy. For such reasons, various aids exist today which are generally useful for supporting people with sensory disabilities, or with limited mobility, in their need to make use of bathroom facilities with ease. Said systems generally provide points of support and levers, as well as additional instruments that assist the user in conducting daily personal hygiene operations. These apparatuses are also contemplated today for elderly people, above all in the Western world, who increasingly require the existence of supports in order to help them function despite limited mobility and possible sensory deficiencies, which increase with age. The need to get up, to move from one point to another, to stretch one's limbs or stand up are operations that are understandably impossible in the absence of adequate aid instruments. For such reasons, very often for those who suffer from limited mobility or move on wheelchairs, it is important and indispensable to reformulate the presence of pre-existing accessories, in settings such as, for example, the entire bathroom. Generally, each user with motor difficulties can have needs that differ from those of other users, both relative to the type of irregularity encountered, and relative to very personal characteristics such as weight and height. For this reason, said aid systems must be designed ad hoc in order to meet individual needs. The installation of some systems also requires the need to arrange sufficiently wide spaces, lacking steps or other types of barriers and sometimes also the redesigning of the entire furnishing and subdivision of the setting. Of course, even if there are fiscal incentives in Western countries in order to meet the costs required by this aid system type, the installation thereof is still quite costly and often difficult to execute. In the latter case, it may be difficult to arrange, for example, the space necessary for housing aid systems that are adapted to the motor difficulties of the user, thus it is still necessary to use means that instead allow people to be able to adapt themselves to pre- existing equipment and furnishing without difficulty.

For such purpose, the present invention, described in detail hereinbelow, proposes a new apparatus adapted to assist people with motor difficulties in carrying out everyday operations such as getting up from bed or going to the bathroom, by means of the adaptation of said apparatus to the height and to the weight of the user, and supporting the latter during the course of said operations and the like.

Description of the invention

The present industrial invention patent application describes a new apparatus for the aid of people with disabilities. More in detail, the present invention describes an apparatus adapted to facilitate the movement of people with motor difficulties and to assist them in carrying out indispensable daily operations. Still more in detail, the present invention refers to an apparatus that allows assisting users, with motor difficulties, in carrying out operations that require excessive force, such as those necessary for getting up from bed or for moving from one position to another or for being seated on bathroom apparatuses such as toilet bowls. The described apparatus allows obtaining the aforesaid results by making use of a telescopic structure that allows the same apparatus to be adapted to the physical characteristics of the user person and to "accompany" such person in carrying out the aforesaid movements of lifting/lowering and/or travel. Due to its telescopic structure, the described apparatus can be adjusted in order to be better adapted to the physical characteristics of the subject, such as weight and height. The same telescopic structure renders the entire apparatus decidedly versatile, since - by having a rod-like structure that can be extended and opened, adjustable as a function of the subject's size - it allows use of said apparatus on multiple subjects. For example, one such need can be present in families where multiple people have motor difficulties, such as in the case of elderly couples who move with difficulty and slowly, or as in the case of people suffering from obesity.

The described apparatus substantially performs a function similar to that of common forklifts, usually employed in industrial establishments, for the lifting and the transport of relatively heavy packages. The present apparatus substantially has a movable lower portion that makes the entire apparatus movable due to the presence of common wheels, and an upper structure adapted to grasp the subject with motor difficulties. Both the lower portion and the upper portion have a characteristic C-shaped profile. The two portions, which are spatially extended in a manner so as to be parallel, are also connected by a rod or telescopic piston, orthogonal to said portions, whose length can be vertically adjusted, thus allowing the spacing of the lower portion and the upper portion according to needs, and more in detail, being able to vary the height from the ground of the upper portion as a function of the height at which it is preferable to "grasp" and bring the subject into the upright position. This result is obtainable due to the presence of a common hydraulic oil pump that allows the vertical movement of the hydraulic piston and which is integrated with the present apparatus, whose description will be clearer hereinbelow in the course of the following description, also due to the observation of the enclosed drawings. As mentioned above, the grasping and lifting of the subject occur due to the aforesaid C-shaped upper portion of the apparatus. More in detail said upper portion has, at its ends, two coupling systems, one for each end, adapted to grasp the subject at the height of the armpits and at the shoulder blades. Each coupling system is also C-shaped and is spatially extended in a manner so as to direct the concavity, defining the C, upward. The lifting of the subject, initially in seated position, who will make use of the apparatus, will occur after the aforesaid grasping by actuating the telescopic hydraulic system. The exit of the stem of the piston, joining the two lower and upper portions, from its housing and its height-wise extension occur in an automated manner due to the presence of a remote control integrated with the apparatus and power supplied by an electrical system, also integrated with the present system. The user with motor difficulties, once in upright position, can advance in the place of interest by moving his lower limbs, avoiding however the risk of losing equilibrium and falling. Once he has reached the place of interest, the user can, if necessary, automatically actuate the retraction of the piston. Said retraction will be of assistance in bringing him to the seated position, for example when he needs to use the toilet. As already mentioned, the apparatus that is the object of the present description is a versatile instrument due to its adaptability to multiple subjects who, as such, can have different sizes in terms of weight and height. Said versatility can be encountered not only due to the extensibility and retraction of the vertical piston, but also due to the telescopy of the two C-shaped portions, in the plane defined thereby. More in detail, both C- shaped upper portion, adapted to grasp the user, and the C-shaped lower portion, adapted to move the entire apparatus, centrally have an adjustment system that allows extending or retracting said central section, consequently making the opening of the C-shaped structure larger or smaller, respectively. More in detail, limited to the C-shaped upper portion, the possibility to enlarge and restrict the opening of said portion allows adapting the apparatus in question to the build of the user, for example to the width of his thorax. The possibility to enlarge and preferably to restrict the opening of the lower C-shaped portion instead offers the advantage of being able to move the apparatus from one setting to another, even allowing the user to be able to pass through relatively narrow openings when he uses said apparatus.

Brief description of the drawings

FIGURE 1 shows a front view of the apparatus 1, object of the present industrial invention patent application. The figure shows that said apparatus 1 comprises the C-shaped lower portion 2 provided with wheels 10; the central support portion 16, also C-shaped and having the ends 16' and 16" shaped as handles adapted to offer support to the user of the apparatus 1; the C-shaped upper portion 3; the hydraulic piston 4 whose extension and retraction, due to the hydraulic pump 8, allows positioning the upper portion 3 at the height necessary for assisting the user in passing from the seated position to the upright position. Said positioning occurs in an automated manner due to the remote control 11 power supplied by the electrical system 20 integrated with said apparatus 1. As is observed from the figure, the C-shaped upper portion 3 has, at its ends 6 and 6', respectively of the coupling systems 5 and 5' adapted to stably grasp the user at the height of the armpits. Said coupling systems 5 and 5', also C-shaped, each have the rear arc 7' and the front arc 7". More in detail the arc 7', adapted to be extended onto the shoulder blades of the user, is greater than the front arc 7", in a manner so as to facilitate the stability and grasping of the user during his movement. As is observed in the figure, the system comprises at least one belt 15 adapted to contribute to the stability of the subject, with motor difficulties, during travel.

FIGURE 2 shows a side view of the apparatus 1 according to the present invention in a particular embodiment. The figure intends to emphasize the particular profile of the coupling systems 5 and 5' and their arcs 7', greater than the arcs 7", and the presence of the telescopic systems that allow widening or narrowing the opening of the C-shaped profile defined by the portions 3, 16 and 2, of the present apparatus in a particular embodiment. More in detail, as schematically shown in the figure, the upper portion 3 centrally has the telescopic system 12 which allows lengthening or contracting the portion 3 and fixing a specific length of said section, due to a common knob 14. Said central section indeed comprises coaxial telescopic tubes. Analogously, the central portion 16 and the lower portion 2 are provided with an analogous telescopic system 13 provided with further knobs 14.

FIGURE 3 shows a schematic view of further components with which the apparatus 1, object of the present industrial invention patent application, is provided. More in detail, figure 3 (a) shows a plan view of the apparatus 1, and emphasizes, in addition to the piston 4 and the hydraulic pump 8, the presence of the solenoid valve 9 adapted to automate the movement of the wheels 10 (not visible in the figure in question). Figure 3 (b) is analogous to figure 3 (a) but shows a side view of the apparatus 1, whose automation is also ensured by the electrical system 20. The figure also shows the presence of the belt 26 present at the coupling systems 5 and 5'. Said belt(s) 26 is adapted to contribute to the stability of the user during the movements thereof.

FIGURE 4 shows a plan view of the apparatus 1 in a particular embodiment. More in detail the figure shows a plan view of the portion 16 of the apparatus 1, when said portion is provided with a hydraulic system 22 adapted to render said portion 16 openable. The opening occurs with respect to the hinge 24 present at the center of the central section of the portion 16. In order to contribute to its widening, the portion 16 has, at the ends of its central section, at least one knob 25 for each end. Said handles are adapted to adjust the telescopic extension and retraction of said central section. Figure 4 (a) shows the portion 16 in closed configuration, while figure 4 (b) shows said portion 16 in open configuration.

FIGURE 5 is similar to figure 4, but shows a plan view of the portion 2 of the apparatus 1 when said portion 2 can be opened with mechanisms analogous to those described in the preceding figure 4. More in detail, portion 2 is provided with the hydraulic system 21 adapted to facilitate the opening of the portion 2 with respect to the central hinge 23. Still more in detail, the hydraulic system 21, along with the hydraulic system 22, are each provided with a pump, which when actuated facilitates the retraction and the extension of a piston, whose movement determines the opening of the portion 2 and/or 16 with respect to the respective central hinge 22 and/or 23. Description of the preferred embodiments

In a first preferred embodiment, the apparatus 1 that is the object of the present industrial invention patent application comprises: at least one C-shaped lower portion 2 adapted for the movement of the entire apparatus 1, given that it is provided with wheels 10; at least one C- shaped upper portion 3 spatially extended in a manner so as to be parallel to said lower portion 2; at least one central portion 16, also C-shaped and parallel to said portion 2 and to said portion 3; and at least one hydraulic piston 4 orthogonal to the lower portion 2, upper portion 3 and central portion 16, adapted to suitably space the latter, and in particular to adjust the height of the upper portion 3 with respect to the ground according to the needs of the user of said apparatus 1. Said portions, and in particular the portion 2 and the portion 16, are also an integral part of the framework of the apparatus 1. The hydraulic piston 4 is orthogonally and centrally extended with respect to the portions 2, 3 and 16. The central portion 16, being part of the framework of the apparatus 1, has the function of offering support to the user during his movements. More in detail said central portion 16, being C- shaped, allows the user to be supported at the end 16' and 16" of said portion 16 in a manner such that said ends act as handles. The apparatus 1, object of the present industrial invention patent application, is characterized in that said C-shaped upper portion 3 is adapted to wind around the user at the height of the thorax once the piston 4 is extended or retracted and the upper portion 3 is fixed at the desired height. Still more in detail, the gripping of the user with motor difficulties, occurs by "grasping" him at the height of his armpits and shoulder blades, due to suitable coupling systems 5 and 5' present at the ends 6 and 6' of the upper portion 3. More in detail, said systems 5 and 5 ' are respectively present with one at the end 6, the other at the end 6' of the C-shaped upper portion 3, and are also spatially extended in a manner so as to direct their concavity upward, in order to be able to ergonomically grasp the user at the height of the armpits. Said systems are also profiled in a manner such that the arc 7' of each system 5 and 5', which comes to be extended behind the shoulder blades of the subject, is longer than the front arc 7". This characteristic ensures that the user avoids falling backward if he accidentally loses equilibrium. As mentioned above, the hydraulic piston 4 can be extended or retracted according to the needs of the user, in order to position the upper portion 3 at the correct height for then proceeding with the grasping. The extension and the retraction of the piston 4 occurs due to a common hydraulic pump 8 integrated with the framework of the apparatus 1. More in detail, the extension and/or the retraction of the piston 4 occurs in automatic mode due to the presence of a remote control 11, it too integrated with the apparatus 1. Thus, by operating on specific buttons, the user will select to extend and retract the piston. The automation of the apparatus 1 is obtained due to an electrical system 20 integrated with the apparatus 1. In another embodiment of the described invention, the apparatus 1 comprises solenoid valves 9 adapted to facilitate the movement of the wheels 10 present in the C-shaped lower portion 2. More in detail, said solenoid valves allow the remote-controlled movement of the entire apparatus 1. For such purpose, the latter will be provided with a further remote control that will allow the user to move and direct the apparatus 1 into the place of interest.

In still another embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus 1 comprises telescopic systems that allow enhancing the versatility of the system relative to its adaptability to the build of the subject and relative to the size of the openings through which it is desired to make said apparatus 1 pass through. More in detail, the upper portion 3 has a telescopic system 12 at the central section defining the upper portion 3. Said system 12 allows widening or restricting the opening of said portion 3 as a function of the build of the subject, for example as a function of the size of the thorax. Analogously, the lower portion 2 and the central portion 16 centrally have the telescopic system 13 adapted to allow the widening and narrowing, typically the narrowing, of the portion 2 and the portion 16 if it is necessary to make the entire apparatus 1 pass through relatively narrow openings. Both the system 12 and the system 13 function with mechanisms of known type and comprise, conventionally, a suitable knob 14 that allows fixing the length of the central section of the C-shaped profiles defining the framework of the present apparatus 1. Said section comprises, in this embodiment, two coaxial tubes inserted inside each other, movable along their axis by manually adjusting the suitable knob 14, according to needs.

In a further embodiment, the versatility of the apparatus 1 is expressed with regard to its capacity to also receive a user seated on a wheelchair. For such purpose, the apparatus 1 has, at the central section of the lower portion 2 and the portion 16, a hydraulic gear system, functioning with mechanisms of known type, which allows opening said portions 2 and 16 in a manner so as to be able to receive the user seated on a wheelchair. More in detail, in this particular embodiment, the portion 2 and the portion 16 respectively have the hydraulic system 21 and the hydraulic system 22, both comprising a hydraulic pump actuating a telescopic piston. Both systems respectively provide for a central hinge, 23 and 24, with respect to which the opening occurs of the portion 2 and the portion 16 when the hydraulic systems 21 and 22 are actuated, and more in detail when said hydraulic systems 21 and 22 determine the retraction of their telescopic pistons. In addition, and in a further embodiment, the apparatus 1 has, at the ends of the central section of the portion 2 and the portion 16, at least two knobs 25. More precisely, the apparatus 1 has a knob 25 for each end of the central section of each portion 2 and 16. Said knobs 25 allow manually adjusting the extension and the retraction of the central section of the portions 2 and 16 in order to contribute to the widening, if required, of said portions 2 and 16.

In all its embodiments, the present apparatus 1 optionally comprises at least one belt 15 adapted to protect, with mechanisms of known type, the user from the risk of losing equilibrium. Said belt 15 is fixed to the apparatus in a manner so as to be able to enclose the user at the height of the back and preferably at the height of the lumbar portion of the back. For the same purpose, the apparatus 1 comprises, in some embodiments, at least one belt 26, to be wound around each shoulder of the user, for each coupling system 5 and 5' adapted to increase the stability of the user during his movements. In all its embodiments, the present apparatus 1 has a width of the central sections, of the portions 2 and 16, comprised between 40 cm and 100 cm and preferably between 55 cm and 70 cm.