The present invention relates to a lift and transport assembly for a disabled person and a method for lifting and transporting a disabled person. One embodiment of the invention relates to a lift and transport assembly, which can be integrated with other devices such as a rolling transportation device, lift, hoist, etc. The invention further relates to a mobility device and a method for transporting a disabled person. Background of invention

It has long been a problem to move disabled persons from one location to another in hospitals, nursing homes as well as in a patient's residence. Particularly, it is difficult to move a person from a sitting or lying position in a bed to a wheelchair, commode/ toilet or the like at another location. One attempted solution is for one or more caregiver(s) to carry the disabled person from the bed to the other desired location. This, of course, is labour intensive and not possible in many circumstances such as if the person is extremely overweight or there is shortage of caregivers.

Numerous types of transporting units have been designed in an effort to accommodate the needs for the disabled person, with varying degrees of success. Such units have been previously developed which are able to manipulate the person into the upright position, but all are deficient in at least one of the following considerations:

Firstly, the prior art units do not permit the person to ambulate in the different positions, such as seating or standing position. Secondly, they encumber movement of the person, preventing him from performing useful work, either standing or sitting. Thirdly, they do not permit the person's skeleton to support natural occurring forces during the standing process. Fourthly, the size of such unit is large, thereby limiting accessibility to confined areas. Fifthly, they do not provide flexibility of transportation both above a surface and on the surface. Sixthly, such units are only useful in transportation and not in preparing the person for the transportation, such as by lifting. Lastly, such units still require one or more caregiver(s) to lift the disabled person, lying or sitting on a bed, to the transportation unit. Moreover, there is no provision in the transportation means, allowing the person to use toilet/ bath without going through a cumbersome process such as lifting by caregiver(s). Therefore, there exists a need to devise a lifting and transport assembly, which overcomes the above-mentioned limitations of existing units. The therapeutic and medical advantages for the disabled person to be able to stand in an erect position makes it easier for the paraplegic to live in an environment where most functions are accomplished in an upright position, e.g. cooking at a range or working at a sink. In addition, the psychological benefit of the ability to converse at eye level is also a significant advantage. Summary of invention

According to a first embodiment of the invention, a lift and transport assembly for lifting and transporting a disabled person is disclosed. The assembly comprises

- a lower section comprising a footrest for supporting the feet of the person and a lower bar;

- a mid section being connected to the lower bar at a first pivot arrangement;

- an upper section connected to the mid section at a second pivot arrangement and adapted to the torso and shoulder part of the person and configured to be releasably engaged with a hoist; and

- means for attaching a backrest for supporting the back of the person.

The assembly may further be provided with integration means for integrating the assembly with other devices.

According to a second embodiment of the invention, a lift and transport assembly for lifting and transporting a disabled person is disclosed that includes a lower section comprising a footrest for resting feet and a pair of lower bars; a mid section without a seat and comprising a pair of mid bars, the pair of mid bars being connected to the corresponding pair of lower bars at a pair of first pivots; and an upper section comprising a backrest for resting back of the person, the backrest being connected to the mid bars at a pair of second pivots.

The assembly may further be provided with integration means for integrating the assembly with other devices. According to another embodiment, a method for lifting and transporting a disabled person is disclosed. The method includes placing the person on a lift and transport assembly with feet of the person resting on a footrest and back of the person resting against a backrest of the assembly; rotating a lower section with respect to a mid section of the assembly such that a desired first fixed angular position is obtained; and rotating an upper section with respect to the mid section of the assembly such that a desired second fixed angular position is obtained. In the desired first angular position and second fixed angular position the forces applied against the footrest and the backrest support the weight of the person.

According to yet another embodiment, a mobility device for transporting a disabled person is disclosed. The mobility device comprises a wheel base accommodating a footrest, an upright pole attached to the wheel base, an actuating section pivotally connected to the pole, a first hand-support for the disabled person and means for attaching a backrest for supporting the back of the person.

According to yet another embodiment, a method for assisting and transporting a disabled person in a standing or sitting position is disclosed. The method comprising a) placing the person in a sitting position in front of a mobility device with the feet of the person resting on a footrest of a wheeled base of the mobility device and the hands of the person holding a hand-support of the mobility device;

b) pivoting and lifting the hand-support with respect to an upright pole of the

device such that the person is assisted in reaching a standing position; and c) optionally raising a seat on a seatpost of the device for supporting the person in a sitting position on the device.

In the preferred embodiment the back of the person is resting against a backrest attached to the device.

Brief Description of the Accompanying Drawings

The embodiments of the invention, together with its advantages, may be best understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures in which Figure 1 illustrates a lifting and transport assembly according to a second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 illustrates a disabled person positioned on the assembly according to a second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 3 illustrates a disabled person positioned on the assembly according to another embodiment of the invention; Figure 4 illustrates integration of the assembly with a rolling transportation device according to an embodiment of the invention, wherein Figure 4a illustrates the rolling transportation device, Figure 4b illustrates the lifting and transportation assembly and Figure 4c illustrates a rolling transportation device integrated assembly; Figure 5 illustrates integration of the assembly with a hoist, wherein Figure 5a illustrates an integrated hoist assembly according to one embodiment and Figure 5b illustrates an integrated hoist assembly according to another embodiment;

Figure 6 illustrates a rolling transportation device integrated assembly according to another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 7 illustrates using the assembly for a task such as bathing, according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 8 illustrates a lifting and transport assembly according to another embodiment of the invention, where Figure 8a illustrates a mid section having two pairs of parallel mid bars and Figure 8b illustrates the assembly in a vertical orientation;

Figure 9 illustrates a lifting and transport assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 10 illustrates from a perspective view a disabled person positioned on the assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 1 1 illustrates from a side view a disabled person positioned on the assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Figures 12-13 illustrate different embodiments of the mid section of the assembly according to the invention;

Figure 14 illustrates the lifting and transport assembly from fig. 9 shown from the side to visualise the height adjustment of the assembly; Figure 15 illustrates a mobility device according to another embodiment of the invention;

Figures 16-20 illustrate a disabled person positioned on a mobility device according to various embodiments of the invention.

Detailed description of the invention

The invention is generally described and illustrated with specific embodiments, such as two separate foot rest, a pair of upper bars, etc. However, the person skilled in the art would appreciate that the invention may be practised using alternative embodiments of this invention. Furthermore, same elements of the device, in different figures, are identified with same numeral.

Disabled Person

The disabled person include a person, who finds it difficult and requires assistance in performing daily tasks such as standing, sitting, moving, and/ or using toilet/ bath. Such disabled person may include persons such as paraplegics, aged persons, stroke victims and others temporarily incapacitated by, for example, broken legs or damaged ankles, knees, hips or backs or acute care orthopaedic patients. In addition, such disabled person may also include an overweight person.

Lift and Transport Assembly

The assembly according to the invention may be adapted to lift the person both up and down. Up and down are defined by vertical positioning of the person with respect to a reference, such as a bed surface or floor, with "up" being vertically higher than the reference and "down" being vertically lower than the reference. The assembly may also be adapted to transport the person along a surface, both above a surface and/ or on the surface. Above a surface indicates that the person is being moved along the surface, but at least slightly higher than the surface. Such movement may be considered similar to that of aerial lifts. On the surface indicates surface transport, which is similar to that of wheelchair or other transportation means that moves over a surface.

According to the first embodiment of the invention, a lift and transport assembly for lifting and transporting a disabled person is disclosed in Figs. 9-14. Fig. 9a shows the assembly 900 with a lower section 905, a mid section 910 and an upper section 915. The lower section comprises a footrest 920 and a bar 925 attached to the footrest 920. A first pivot arrangement 935 connects the mid section 910 with the lower section 905. The mid section comprises a bar 930. A second pivot arrangement 945 connects the mid section 910 with the upper section 915. The upper section comprises a support 946 adapted to the torso of a user and a shoulder part 950 that is configured to be releasably engaged with a hoist via attachment means 970. A handle 960 is attached to the mid section bar 930 and backrest attachment means 961 are provided at each "corner" of the handle 960. The handle 960 and the torso/stomach support 960 are shown in close-up in fig. 9b.

The assembly is preferably adapted to face the front of the person. Or in other words: The assembly is preferably adapted to be a frontal operated lift and transport assembly. The main advantage of a frontal operated lift and transport assembly is that it will typically be the front of the disabled person which is accessible for the health care personnel. E.g. in the case the disabled person is sitting on a bed the assembly is merely placed in front of the sitting person and the person can subsequently be lifted from the sitting position on the bed to a standing position supported by the assembly. The frontal operation is illustrated in figs. 10 and 1 1 where it is seen that the user is situated in front of the assembly 900 both when in the sitting position before lifting (figs. 10a and 1 1 a) and in the standing position (figs. 10b and 1 1 b).

In one embodiment of the invention the lower bar and the mid section are rotatable with respect to each other around the first pivot arrangement, thereby defining a first rotation; and mid the section and the upper section are rotatable with respect to each other around the second pivot arrangement, thereby defining a second rotation. The first and second pivot arrangements can be seen to emulate the "pivot arrangements" in the knee and hip of a person. Thus, when a lifting movement is performed with the assembly according to the invention the first and second pivot arrangements perform the same kind of rotation as the knee and the hip of a person rising from a sitting position to a standing position. This is illustrated in figs. 10 and 1 1 , especially in fig. 1 1 a.

In one embodiment of the invention the assembly is provided without a seat, i.e. the person is transported in a substantially upright position, possibly standing position.

The disabled person may be raised to an upright position by attaching a backrest, such as a wide cloth, to the assembly such that the backrest extends around the back of the person, preferably around the lumbar area of the person. The backrest may be an integral part of the assembly, preferably detachable. The backrest is preferably configured to support the back of the person and preferably adapted to attach to the backrest attaching means. The backrest may be adapted to support the lumbar area of the person. An example of the application of the backrest is illustrated in fig. 1 1 where the backrest 940 is indicated by the dotted line. In this case the backrest 940 supports the lumbar area of the person and is attached to the assembly 900 via the backrest attachment means 961 provided on the handle 960.

The assembly may be provided with a hand-support (aka handle) for providing handheld support for the person while lifting/ transporting. The disabled person may feel more secure if he is able to hold on to the assembly with his hands. And by grabbing and holding on to the hand-support while upper and mid sections are raised the disabled person may further be able to assist in raising himself to an upright position. The hand-support may be attached to the mid section of the assembly. Thereby the hand-support is also raised during the lifting movement of the assembly. The backrest attachment means may be located on the hand-support. A close-up of a hand-support 960 is shown in fig. 9b. The function of an embodiment of the hand-support is illustrated in figs. 10 and 1 1. In this case the hand-support 960 is attached to the mid section bar 930. When the patient is lifted from a sitting position in fig. 10a and 1 1 a to a standing position in figs. 10b and 1 1 b the hand-support in seen to move along with the mid section that transform from a substantially horizontal orientation in figs. 10a and 1 1 a and to a substantially vertical orientation in figs. 10b and 1 1 b.

Preferably the lower bar and the mid section are centrally located. E.g. the lower bar may be an upright rigid pole. This is clearly seen in the embodiment in fig. 9. The bar 925' is part of and fits into the bar 925. Thus, the two bars 925, 925' can be displaced vertically relative to each other and thereby be used to vary the length of the bar 925 and thereby vary the total height of the assembly. This is provided to adapt the assembly to users of different height whereby the upper section of the assembly can be adjusted such that the torso support matches the stomach/torso and the vertical position of the handle provides a natural grip for the user.

According to the second embodiment of the invention, a lift and transport assembly 100 for lifting and transporting a disabled person is disclosed in Figure 1. The assembly 100 includes a lower section 105 comprising a footrest 120 for resting feet and a pair of lower bars 125; a mid section 1 10 without a seat and comprising a pair of mid bars

130, the pair of mid bars being connected to the corresponding pair of lower bars at a first pivot arrangement comprising a pair of first pivots 135; and an upper section 1 15 comprising a backrest 140 for resting back of the person, the backrest 140 being connected to the mid bars 130 at a second pivot arrangement comprising a pair of second pivots 145.

The footrest 120, 920 is preferably adapted to carry the weight of the person.

One embodiment of the invention further comprises a leg support attached to the lower section for supporting the legs of the person, preferably for supporting the shins of the person. Further, a torso/stomach support may be provided for resting against the torso or the stomach of the disabled person. Preferably the leg support and/or the torso/stomach support are provided in a soft and comfortable material, such as rubber or gel or the like. An example of a leg support 926 is shown in close-up in fig. 9c. The leg support is attached to the bar 925 with a support for each leg, i.e. on each side of the bar. Each leg support is preferably adapted to the shin of a user. This is more clearly illustrated in figs. 9c, 10 and 1 1. The leg support is adapted to the shin of a user by providing a vertical trench substantially in the middle of each leg support 926. The vertical trench is adapted to the shinbone such that the leg support 926 actually supports the front muscles of the lower leg, i.e. mainly the tibialis anterior. Old people may have sensitive skin, especially near the shinbone where the skin is very thin and pressure against the skin and shinbone can thus be painful. During use of the assembly according to the invention the pressure of the legs against the leg support 926 may be considerable. By providing the vertical trenches the shinbone and the skin on the shinbone is thereby spared.

In one embodiment of the assembly the lower section and the upper section are maintained in a constant angle relative to each other, preferably the upper and lower sections are substantially parallel. More particularly the longitudinal axes of the upper and lower sections may be substantially parallel, preferably in all angular positions of the pivot arrangements. Thereby it can be ensured that the upper section does not move/rotate independent of the lower sections which may lead to unfortunate situations during the lifting movement. There may be various technical solutions to ensure a constant relation between the lower and upper section. In one embodiment the first and second pivot arrangements are configured to maintain a constant angle between the lower section and the upper section. In one embodiment the mid section preferably comprises two parallel bars. These bars may ensure parallelism in the lifting movement, i.e. two parallel bars that form a parallelogram in all angular positions of the first and second pivot arrangements. The two bars may be visible or they may be integrated in single pole. I.e. the mid section may comprise two parallel bars, each pivot arrangement may comprise two pivots and each bar is then connected to a separate pivot.

Different configurations of the mid section and the pivot arrangements are illustrated in figs. 12-13. Fig. 12a shows the mid section with the mid section bar 930 in a substantially horizontal orientation. Inside the bar 930 is a hidden bar 931 which is provided to ensure parallelism between the upper and lower sections. Each of the first and second pivot arrangements 935, 945 comprises two pivots. The inner bar 931 is connected between the lower pivots 935', 945'. The parallelism between the upper and lower sections are illustrated by means of the dotted lines in figs. 12 and 13. The lines follow the longitudinal axes of the upper and lower sections and show the parallelism in the "sitting" and "standing" configuration of the assembly.

The mid section illustrated in fig. 13a is provided with two inner hidden bars 931 ',

931 "and two pivots in each pivot arrangement 935, 945 (not visible in fig. 13c). The two parallel bars ensure the needed parallelism. In fig. 13a and 13b the mid section is merely two parallel and visible bars 932', 932", each bar connected to a separate pivot. In figs. 12a, 12b and 13c the mid section appear as a single bar (because the inner bars are hidden) which is visually more appealing but it also increases the safety of the assembly because fingers might get caught between the bars in the visible

configuration in figs. 13a and 13b.

As seen from figs. 12-13 the handle 960 is attached to the mid section bar 930 such that the handle 960 and the mid section bar 930 are substantially perpendicular to each other. This means that when the assembly is configured in the "sitting" position in figs. 12a and 13a with the mid section bar 930 oriented substantially horizontal the handle 960 is oriented substantially vertical providing a good natural grip for a person sitting in front of the assembly and ready for lifting. When the person is being lifted by the assembly while holding the handle 960, the handle rotates to reach the substantially horizontal orientation as shown in figs. 12b, 13 and 14 b. This orientation of the handle 960 provides a good natural grip for a person standing in front of and being supported by the assembly. If a backrest 940 is attached to the handle 960, e.g. as indicated in figs. 1 1 and 13, this rotating movement of the handle 960 will bring the backrest 940 closer to the assembly during the lifting movement of the assembly thereby actually adding to the lifting of the disabled user. In the standing position the backrest 940 is thereby more "tightened" against the assembly compared to the sitting position, whereby better support is provided to the user in the standing position. This is visualised in fig. 1 1. In one embodiment of the assembly the upper section 1 15 simply includes the backrest 140. The backrest may include a rest for the back made up of any suitable hardened material. However, in other embodiments, the upper section 1 15 includes a pair of upper bars 150 having the backrest 140, the pair of upper bars 150 are connected to the corresponding pair of mid bars 130 at the pair of second pivots 145. In this implementation, the backrest may be made up of a cloth material or any hardened material, which is connected to the pair of upper bars. Such connection of the backrest may be detachable at least from one of the upper bars.

The pair of lower bars 125 and the pair of mid bars 130 are rotatable with respect to each other around the pair of first pivots 135, thereby defining a first rotation; and the pair of mid bars 130 and the pair of upper bars 150 or the backrest 140 are rotatable with respect to each other around the pair of second pivot 145, thereby defining a second rotation. In an embodiment, the assembly includes a first locking means such as a series of first snap lock for locking the first rotation in discrete steps. The pair of lower bars is thus arranged with respect to the pair of mid bars in a desired first fixed angular orientation. Similarly, the assembly may also include a second locking means such as a series of second snap lock for locking the second rotation in discrete steps, thereby arranging the pair of mid bars with respect to the pair of upper bars in a desired second fixed angular orientation. Such snap lock includes a pair of complementary slam latching mechanism, provided at the interacting bars (upper bars with mid bars and lower bars with mid bars). One part of this mechanism includes a spring activated teeth, which define a slot between two consecutive spring activated teeth. The complementary part of the mechanism includes a series of teeth, which when rotated over the spring activated teeth pushes the spring activated teeth down and moves the series of teeth in the slot in a sequential manner. When the series of teeth are positioned in the slot and defines the fixed angular orientation, the spring activation is deactivated and the spring activated teeth cannot be pushed any more. The spring activation may be activated again and above-mentioned steps repeated in order to change the angular orientations. There exist many other alternatives to this implementation and the person skilled in the art is certainly not restricted to the specific implementation disclosed herein.

It is apparent that changing the orientation in this way provides the flexibility of orienting the person from one position to another, for example from seating to lying down position or vice versa.

Figure 8 illustrates a lifting and transport assembly 100 according to another embodiment of the invention, where Figure 8a illustrates a mid section 1 10 including two pairs of parallel mid bars 130a and 130b. The two pairs of parallel mid bars 130a and 130b are rotatable around a pair of second pivots 145a and 145b with respect to the upper section 1 15. Similarly, the two pairs of parallel mid bars 130a and 130b are rotatable around a pair of first pivots 135a and 135b with respect to the lower section 105. The skilled person will appreciate that the two pairs of parallel mid bars restrict rotational movement of the mid section with respect to the upper section 1 15 and also with respect to the lower section 105, thereby keeping the alignment of different sections within safe operational limit. For example, when the assembly is being lifted, using a hoist such as a ceiling/ overhead hoist, from around the shoulder region using a means 805 of the assembly, the assembly is oriented in a vertical position under the influence of person's weight and the mid section is restricted from rotating any further because of the interacting two pairs of parallel mid bars, as shown in Figure 8b.

Similarly, the interacting two pairs of parallel mid bars restrict the rotation of the mid section beyond a safe range when the person is in a seating position of Figure 8a. It is understandable that the safe range is determined by the distance 'd' between the two pairs of parallel mid bars.

The means 805 may also be provided in other embodiments of the assembly. Such means 805 is provided around the shoulder region (refer Figure 8, 805). The means allows the assembly to be integrated with lifts such as ceiling lift or hoist. Lifting the person using the means 805 provide a natural vertical orientation under the influence of person's weight and is more natural compared to a normal standing position. This also gives the person greater mobility in his arms as they are at least slightly angled towards one another. The means 805 is usually provided on the shoulder bars of the upper section, as illustrated in Figure 8. These shoulder bars may also be held by the caregiver when moving the person from one place to another. However, the means 805 may also be provided at other positions of the upper section so long as when the means are integrated with a ceiling or overhead hoist, a natural vertical orientation under the influence of person's weight is obtained.

Reinforcement means

In order to allow the assembly to withstand stress conditions and have a lifting and transporting capacity for overly heavy person such as the one having weight in the range of 300kgs, the assembly may be provided with reinforcement means. The assembly may include a first reinforcement means and/ or a second reinforcement means. The first reinforcement means joins the lower bars of the pair of lower bars for providing desired mechanical strength to the lower bars. Similarly, the second reinforcement means joins the upper bars of the pair of upper bars for providing desired mechanical strength to the upper bars. Such reinforcement means include at least one first cross bar joining the lower bars of the pair of lower bars and at least one second cross bar joining the upper bars of the pair of upper bars. In different embodiments, the cross bars may be in front of the assembly structure or at the rear side of the assembly structure or at both, wherein the front side is in front of the person and the rear side behind the person, when the person is positioned on the assembly.

In one embodiment, the reinforcement means is detachable from at least one of the respective bars to which the means is connected to. Also, different sized reinforcement means may be used in the assembly, either as a fixed reinforcement means or detachable reinforcement means. Usually, the choice of a particular size ensures at least a desired distance between the person and the reinforcement means, mainly in cases where such means are provided in front of the assembly. In another

embodiment, the reinforcement means have telescopic structure such that the size of the reinforcement means may be adjusted by extending or retracting the structure to ensure desired distance between the person and the reinforcement means. Such telescopic structure may also be detached from at least one of the respective bars to which the telescopic structure reinforcement means is connected to.

Hand support

It is also preferably that the assembly includes hand-support 155, 960 for resting arms and providing hand-held support while lifting/ transporting. The person may take some effort off his legs using his arms on the hand support. This is particularly useful for persons, who have relatively less strength in their legs or are not confident to use strength in their legs such as a person recovering from leg injury. The hand support 155, 960 allows transition of at least a part of the body weight between arms and legs, thus allowing a person to gain confidence over a period of time. Furthermore, the hand support 155, 960 also provides added stability while lifting and transportation.

Lifting/ transporting means

In an embodiment, the assembly includes a lifting means/ transporting means 160 such as a pair of cables, the pair of cables being attached to the assembly at least at one section and comprising a locking means 170 such as a loop at a free end. The lifting means/ transporting means 160 may preferably be attached to the assembly at a distal end 165 of the pair of hand-support 155. The distal end is defined by a hand support end, which is farther away from the backrest. During lifting/ transporting, the cable may be held by the person with his arm resting on the hand support.

Cloth engagement means

Now referring to Figures 2 and 3, which illustrate a disabled person positioned on the assembly according to different embodiments of the invention. The assembly 100, according to these embodiments, includes a cloth engaging means such as hooks, for coupling with a wearer cloth comprising an interlocking coupling means such as a loop. The cloth engagement means may be provided at predetermined distance 205 preferably at the upper and mid bars. But, such cloth engagement means may also be provided at the lower bars. An implementation of such feature may be found in pending application no. PA 2010 70396 of the applicant. The engagement between the cloth engagement means and the interlocking coupling means ensures that the person is stably secured to the assembly.

In another embodiment, the person is not secured to the assembly 100 using the cloth engagement means and the interlocking coupling means. When positioned on the assembly 100, the person applies enough forces against the footrest 120 and the backrest 140 simultaneously in order to support his weight on the assembly during lifting and transporting. Simultaneously to provide enough stabilization, the person may also hold the hand support 155 or the lifting means/ transporting means 160, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Harness support

The assembly also includes a harness support, as illustrated in Figure 3. The harness support is provided in at least one of the lower, mid or upper sections for securing torso to the upper section and/ or the legs to the mid section and/ or lower section.

The harness support in the upper section may include a detachable strap that may be secured across the upper bars/ backrest such that the torso of the person is secured between the backrest and the harness support of the upper section. Similarly, the harness support in the lower section may include a detachable strap that may be secured across the lower bars such that the legs of the person are restricted to move out of the rear section of the footrest. In another embodiment, two harness supports are provided across the lower bars such that the legs along the lower section are secured within the two harness supports. A detachable/ fixed harness support 310 across the mid bars may also be provided in the mid section to support the weight of the person. The word detachable indicates that the harness supports may be detached at least from one of the bars of the pair of bars. For example, the harness support from the mid section may be detached at 305 but is fixed at the other end of the harness support on the other bar of the pair of mid bars. In other embodiments, the harness support is detachable both at 305 and other bar on the other mid bar. The same is detachable mechanism is application for harness supports of the upper and lower sections.

The detachable harness support allow flexibility in the operation of the assembly because the decision of when to attach one or more harness support may be made depending upon the condition of the disabled person for example one might need harness supports in the lower section for a person with very weak legs, the stage of lifting and transport one is in for example the harness supports may be detached when the person is being positioned on the assembly, and the time available for example the harness supports may be ignored if the person need to be transported urgently.

Integration with other devices

In various embodiments, the assembly 100 is adapted to be releasably engaged with other devices such as with a hoist and/ or with a rolling transportation device such as a seat with at least a pair of wheels or controlled system having at least a pair of wheels on which the assembly is placed and locked. The integration means of the assembly are used for integrating the assembly with such other devices. Furthermore, the assembly may be partially or completely submergible in water.

Integration with a first rolling transportation device

Figure 4 illustrates integration of the assembly 100 with a rolling transportation device 400 according to an embodiment of the invention, wherein Figure 4a illustrates the rolling transportation device 400, Figure 4b illustrates the lifting and transportation assembly 100 and Figure 4c illustrates a rolling transportation device integrated assembly 405.

The device includes a rolling transportation device 400 comprising a seat 420, and wheels 410 for transportation. The integration means (not shown) includes a slide guide along the mid section 1 10 of the assembly 100, the slide guide is adapted to receive and lock the side section 415 of the seat. In one implementation of this embodiment, the seat includes side bars 415 and the slide guide of the assembly is adapted to receive and lock the side bars of the seat, instead of the side section.

The side section or side bars includes a series of side locking means such as serrated projection on the outer periphery of the side section or side bars; and the slide guide comprises a series of complementary side locking means such as snap locks for locking the side locking means of the side section or side bars into the slide guide at a predetermined distance into the slide guide. The complementary snap locking means may include slam latching mechanism, provided at the slide guide. The mechanism may include spring activated teeth defining a slot between two consecutive spring activated teeth. The serrated projection includes a series of teeth, which when moved along the slide guide, pushes the spring activated teeth down and moves the series of teeth in the slots in a sequential manner. When the series of teeth are positioned in the slot and defines the predetermined distance into the slide guide, the spring activation is deactivated and the spring activated teeth cannot be pushed down any more. For disengaging, the spring teeth are activated and the seat is pulled away along the slide guide. There exist many other alternatives to this implementation and the person skilled in the art is certainly not restricted to the specific implementation disclosed herein.

For integration, the seat and the assembly may also include locking and

complementary locking means respectively. For example, the seat includes vertical support 425 such as vertical bars in the front section of the seat, the vertical support comprising vertical locking means. The front section is defined by the section of the seat which is proximal to the lower bars of the assembly in the integrated assembly. The integration means of the assembly includes complementary vertical locking means usually provided at the lower bars for engaging with the vertical locking means.

Similarly, the horizontal section such as the section including the side bar 415 of the seat may also include horizontal locking means. The horizontal section is defined by the section that supports the thigh and buttocks of the person. The integration means of the assembly includes complementary horizontal locking means usually provided at the mid bars for engaging with the vertical locking means. Such locking-complementary locking means includes latch assembly, padlock assembly, clamp assembly and the like. The rolling device 400 is integrated with the assembly after the person is already positioned in the assembly 100. Such integration results in a rolling transportation device integrated assembly 405, which allows transporting the person on the surface. Positioning of the person prior to the integration ensures that the person doesn't have to be lifted manually by caregivers for placement on a rolling device. The method of placing the person on the assembly 100 is described later in the application.

The skilled person will appreciate that the integrated assembly of this embodiment may also be lifted using a hoist by further integrating the assembly 100 with a hoist using the features and method of Figure 5a, as described in the following sections of the application.

Integration with a hoist

Figure 5 illustrates integration of the assembly with a hoist, wherein Figure 5a illustrates an integrated hoist assembly according to one embodiment and Figure 5b illustrates an integrated hoist assembly according to another embodiment.

The device, with which the assembly integrates, includes a hoist 505, 505' comprising a hoist locking means 510, 510' and the integration means 170 includes a

complementary hoist locking means 170 for interlocking the assembly 100 with the hoist locking means. The hoist locking means - complementary hoist locking means is selected from hook-loop, nut-bolt assembly, and the like.

Once the assembly is integrated with the hoist, the assembly along with the person may be lifted. Furthermore, the hoist may

• either be provided with its own surface rolling mechanism (refer Figure 5b), which allows transportation on a surface; or

• the hoist (refer Figure 5a) may be connected at its end 515 to an overhead guide rail along which the hoist and the assembly can move, thereby allowing

transportation along the guide but above the surface.

It is apparent that the patient doesn't have to be lifted manually by caregivers for transporting the person from one position to another.

Integration with a second rolling transportation device Figure 6 illustrates a rolling transportation device integrated assembly 405 according to another embodiment of the invention. Although same reference numeral 405 is used for this rolling transportation device integrated assembly as well but the rolling transportation device integrated assembly of this embodiment have features such as wheels, which are only partially similar to the first rolling transportation device of Figure 4. Reference 405 is used because the integrated assembly includes a rolling transportation device and therefore, the integrated assembly of this embodiment should not be construed as identical to that of Figure 4. The device, according to this embodiment, includes a rolling transportation device comprising a base 605 for resting the assembly 100 thereon, at least one pair of wheels 610 connected to the base, at least two pairs of bars comprising a pair of first bars 615 connected to the base 605 and a pair of second bars 625, each of the second bar of the pair of second bars 625 connected to corresponding each of the first bar of the pair of first bars 615, the bars including bar locking means 620; and a movement control system 630 for controlling surface movement of the rolling transportation means. The integration means comprising complementary bar locking means 635 for integrating with the bar locking means 620 of the rolling transportation means. Different implementations may be provided for the control system 630, which primarily includes circuits for interpreting command inputs from manually controlled handle 645 and providing instruction signals to other components of the rolling device such as wheels to act in accordance to the command inputs. In one implementation of this embodiment, the bar locking means 620 are provided on the at least two pairs of bars and comprises a first part 620 of a fastening means; and the complementary bar locking means 635 are provided on at least the upper bars 150 and the lower bars 125 of the assembly 100 and comprises a second part 635 of the fastening means. The fastening means is selected from the group consisting of latch assembly, padlock assembly, clamp assembly and the like and the first part and the second part are the complementary parts of the fastening means.

The assembly 100, already having the person positioned thereon, is positioned on the rolling transportation device such that the upper bars 150 and the lower bars 125 of the assembly 100 are aligned along the bar 615 connected to the base and the other bar 625 of the rolling transportation device. Thereafter, the assembly 100 and the rolling transportation device are integrated with each other using the bar locking means 620 and the complementary bar locking means 635. The orientation, such as standing or slightly bent, of the person on the integrated assembly 405 is dependent on the angle between the pair of bars 615 and 625. Because of the pivoting motion of the bars around the pivots (refer Figure 1 , 135 and 145) of the assembly 100, the assembly may be oriented to be integrated with the rolling transportation device. The bars of the rolling transportation device may also be made rotatable around the point 640. The implementation may be similar to the one, which is used for the bar-pivot-bar mechanism of the assembly 100. The integrated assembly of this embodiment allows the person to be moved in standing position. The relative rotation of the bars (615 and 625) around the pivot point 640 may also be controlled by providing command inputs to the control system 630. Like the rolling transportation device integrated assembly 405 of Figure 4, the rolling transportation device integrated assembly 405 of the present embodiment may also be lifted using the hoist by further integrating the assembly 100 with the hoist using the features and method of Figure 5a, as described in the preceding sections of the application.

Mobility device

A further embodiment of the invention relates to a mobility device providing a previously unseen flexibility and mobility for disabled persons. Three embodiments of the mobility device according to the invention are illustrated in fig. 15. The three embodiments in fig. 15a all comprise a wheel base 1505 accommodating a footrest

1520, an upright pole 1525 attached to the wheel base 1505, an actuating section 1530 pivotally connected to the pole 1525, a first hand-support 1560 for the disabled person and means 1561 for attaching a backrest for supporting the back of the person.

Preferably the wheel base 1505 is adapted to carry the weight of a person.

A normal wheelchair supports the backside of the disabled person and as such the disabled person mounts the wheelchair "backside". This generally causes a lot of trouble for the disabled person or any persons assisting the disabled person in entering the wheelchair. The present mobility device is preferably adapted to face the front of the disabled person when in use and also when the person is mounting the device, i.e. the mobility device is preferably a frontal operated mobility device. This is the main advantage of the mobility device according to the present invention. The operation of different embodiments of the device is illustrated in figs. 16-20. Figs. 17 and 20 also illustrates that the present mobility device may work along with a wheelchair.

The actuating section is preferably adapted to lift the person from a sitting position to a standing position. Thus, the mobility device is preferably able to "pick up" a disabled person sitting e.g. on a bed. The device may be provided with first actuator means configured to raise and lower the actuating section in/around the pivotal connection between the actuating section and the pole. The first actuator means may e.g. extend between the pole and the actuating section. The device may further be provided with second actuator means configured to raise and lower the seatpost in/around the pivotal connection between the seatpost and the pole. The first and/or the second actuator means may be manually operated or motorized. Actuating sections are illustrated in fig. 15 with the actuating section 1530 comprising an actuator 1533 extending between the pole 1525 and the actuating section 1530. The actuating sections in figs. 15a and 15b are motorized and adapted to be operated by the disabled person or by the assisting person whereas the actuating section in fig. 15d is manually operated by means of the turning handle 1534 and adapted to be operated by an assisting person.

The first hand-support is preferably attached to the actuating section. In this case the actuating section may be adapted to lift the disabled person from a sitting position to a standing position when said person holds the first hand-support. The backrest attachment means may be attached to the first hand-support. An example of this is illustrated in fig. 16 where the backrest is indicated by the solid lines 1540. The hand- support may be attached to the actuating section to provide the similar functionality as described for the first embodiment of the above described lift and transport assembly. I.e. the hand-support rotates from a vertical position in the sitting position to a horizontal position in the standing position. If the backrest is attached to the hand- support the backrest thereby assists in the lifting procedure and provides a more firm support to the user in the standing position keeping the user close to the mobility device.

The wheel base preferably comprises one, two or more castor wheels at the front or at the back. The wheel base may be motorized such that the disabled person can be transported without the assistance of health personnel. The wheel base may comprise one, two or more motorized wheel at the front or at the back. The device may further comprise control means, such as a joystick or keypad, for the person to drive and steer the device. In a particular embodiment of the invention the wheel base is provided with two motorized wheels at the front and two castor wheels at the back. The motorized wheels at the front preferably have a larger diameter compared to the castor wheels at the back. Examples of different wheel configurations are illustrated in fig. 15 with fig. 15a showing two large motorized front wheels 1521 and smaller castor wheels 1523 at the back. In figs. 15c and 15d all the wheels are small and the device is adapted to pushed or pulled around by an assisting person by means of the second hand support 1562.

The rear of the wheel base may be shaped with a bend directed inwards towards the device enabling a close encounter with for example a toilet. This is illustrated in figs. 15c and 19.

The device may further comprise a seatpost pivotally connected to the pole. And further: a seat is preferably connected to the seatpost, preferably the seat is pivotally connected to the seatpost. The seat and the seatpost are preferably configured to be raised to a position where the disabled person can be supported in a sitting position on the device. Thus, in one embodiment of the mobility device the disabled person can be supported and transported in both standing and sitting positions. A seat 1527 and a seatpost 1528 are generally comprised in the embodiments illustrated in figs. 15-20. In a further embodiment of the mobility device a second hand-support 1562 for a second person assisting the disabled person is provided. The second hand-support may be attached to the pole. Whereas a first hand-support will typically face the (front of) disabled person a second hand-support will typically be directed in an opposite direction facing the assisting person. The second hand-support may be used by the assisting person to secure the mobility device when the disabled person is mounting or dismounting the device or it may be used by the assisting person to guide the device during transportation.

A further embodiment of the invention relates to a method for assisting and transporting a disabled person in a standing or sitting position, the method comprising a) placing the person in a sitting position in front of a mobility device with the feet of the person resting on a footrest of a wheeled base of the mobility device and the hands of the person holding a hand-support of the mobility device;

b) pivoting and lifting the hand-support with respect to an upright pole of the

device such that the person is assisted in reaching a standing position; and c) optionally raising a seat on a seatpost of the device for supporting the person in a sitting position on the device.

In a further embodiment the back of the person is resting against a backrest attached to the device. The mobility device used in this method may comprise any of the features of the abovementioned mobility device

Method for lifting and transporting

According to an embodiment, a method for lifting and transporting a disabled person is also disclosed. The method includes placing the person on a lift and transport assembly 100 with feet of the person resting on a footrest 120 and back of the person resting against a backrest 140 of the assembly; rotating a lower section 105 with respect to a mid section 1 10 of the assembly such that a desired first fixed angular position is obtained; and rotating an upper section 1 15 with respect to the mid section 1 10 of the assembly such that a desired second fixed angular position is obtained. In the desired first angular position and second fixed angular position the forces applied against the footrest and the backrest support weight of the person.

In one embodiment, the person sits at an edge of a bed. Because the assembly does not include a seat and has provisions to rotate one bar with respect to another, the assembly can be adjusted and placed, from above person's head, such that the assembly is placed around the person. Such placement ensures that the back of the person faces the backrest; the feet are close to the footrest and the thigh portion is adjacent to the mid section. Once the assembly is placed, depending on the mobility and physical condition of the person, the person may sustain his position on the lift by applying enough force against the footrest and simultaneously against the back rest. In other situations, the person may be supported by using the interlocking means of his/ her garment or by using the harness means. In another situation, the person may even stand solely on the footrest, with or without use of the harness means and/ or interlocking means. In yet another embodiment, the assembly 100 is aligned such that its upper section, mid section and lower section are in straight alignment with respect to one another. The assembly is then placed on a bed, along the length of the bed. Initially, the person is laid down on the assembly, which is lying on the bed. In effect, the person lies on the bed with a part of the assembly below, such as the backrest and around him such as the bars. The person may be oriented from lying position to at least partially seating position by rotating the pair of upper bars with respect to the pair of mid bars around the second pivots. During such rotation, the backrest supports the upper body weight of the person. The other body parts of the person are secured using the harness supports. The assembly may then be integrated with a hoist to lift and move the person out of the bed and to other desired locations. Once the person is out of the bed, the assembly may also be integrated with other devices, as described earlier in the application. It is comprehensible that reverse process may be adopted to place the person back in the lying position onto the bed.

In yet another embodiment, the assembly 100 is aligned such that its upper section, mid section and lower section are in straight alignment with respect to one another. Such assembly is placed around a person, who is lying on the bed. The torso of the person is lifted just enough such that the detachable backrest is placed behind the back of the person and connected across the upper bars of the pair of upper bars. Now the connected backrest provides a support to the person's back and the person may be oriented from lying position to at least partially seating position by rotating the pair of upper bars with respect to the pair of mid bars around the second pivots. During such rotation, the backrest supports the upper body weight of the person. The other body parts of the person are secured using the harness supports. The assembly may then be integrated with a hoist to lift and move the person out of the bed and to other desired locations. Once the person is out of the bed, the assembly may also be integrated with other devices, as described earlier in the application. It is

comprehensible that reverse process may be adopted to place the person back in the lying position onto the bed.

The method of lifting and transporting thus reduces labour requirement, cost and also makes the process efficient. The first fixed angular position is locked using a first locking means and the second fixed angular position is locked using a second locking means. The integration means of the lift and transport assembly is used for integrating the assembly with other devices.

Such other devices includes a hoist comprising a hoist locking means for lifting/ transportation over a rail, a rolling transportation device such as a seat comprising wheels for transportation, and a rolling transportation device such as a rolling transportation means comprising a base for resting the assembly thereon, at least one pair of wheels connected to the base, at least two pairs of bars comprising a pair of first bars connected to the base and a pair of second bars, each of the second bar of the pair of second bars connected to corresponding each of the first bar of the pair of first bars, the bars including bar locking means; and a movement control system for controlling surface movement of the rolling transportation means.

In one embodiment, the method includes integrating the hoist with the assembly by integrating the hoist locking means with the integration means such as a

complementary hoist locking means. The hoist locking means - complementary hoist locking means is selected from a group consisting of hook-loop, nut-bolt assembly, and the like. The integration may also include integrating the seat with the assembly by integrating side section or side bars of the seat with the integration means comprising a slide guide along the mid section of the assembly, the slide guide adapted to receive and lock the side section of the seat. The side section or side bars includes a series of side locking means such as serrated projection on the outer periphery of the side section or side bars; and the slide guide comprises a series of complementary side locking means such as snap locks for locking the side locking means of the side section or side bars into the slide guide at a predetermined distance into the slide guide.

The method may further include integrating vertical/ horizontal locking means positioned at vertical support in front section/ horizontal support of the seat with the integration means comprising complementary vertical/ horizontal locking means for engaging with the vertical/ horizontal locking means. The locking-complementary locking means is selected from a group consisting of latch assembly, padlock assembly, clamp assembly and the like.

In another embodiment, the method includes integrating the bar locking means of the rolling transportation means with the integration means of the assembly, wherein the bar locking means are provided on the at least two pairs of bars and comprises a first part of a fastening means; and the integration means comprising complementary bar locking means are provided on at least the upper bars and the lower bars of the assembly and comprises a second part of the fastening means; wherein the fastening device is selected from the group consisting of latch assembly, padlock assembly, clamp assembly and the like and the first part and the second part are the

complementary parts of the fastening means.

In yet another embodiment, the method includes securing the person to the assembly; integrating the assembly with the rolling transport device using the interlocking means of the rolling transport device and the assembly; transporting the person to a desired location such as to a toilet or bath tub over a rolling surface of the rolling transportation device; disintegrating the assembly from the rolling transportation device; integrating the assembly with the hoist using the hoist locking means and complementary hoist locking means; lifting the hoist integrated assembly up using the hoist and placing the assembly over the desired location; and lowering the assembly down to a desired level, thereby allowing the person to use the toilet or bath tub.

Figure 7 illustrates using the assembly for a task such as bathing, according to an embodiment of the invention. The method, according to this embodiment, includes securing the person to the assembly 100; integrating the assembly with the hoist 505 using the hoist locking means and complementary hoist locking means; lifting the integrated assembly up using the hoist; transporting the person to a desired location such as to a toilet or bath tub along a hoist guiderail; and lowering the assembly down to a desired level, thereby allowing the person to use the toilet or bath tub.

In alternative embodiments, the person is secured to the assembly while using the toilet or bath tub; or the person is not secured to the assembly while using the toilet or bath tub. The assembly may be partially or fully submergible in the bath tub. It should be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, it is emphasized and should be appreciated that two or more references to "an embodiment" or "one embodiment" or "an alternative embodiment" in various portions of this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined as suitable in one or more embodiments of the invention.

Throughout the foregoing description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details were set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without some of these specific details. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be judged in terms of the claims which follow.