THIS INVENTION relates to an aid for a movement impaired person.

According to the invention there is provided an aid for a movement impaired person including a wheeled base structure permitting the aid to be wheeled over a support surface ; a support formation mounted on the base structure to be operatively height adjustable with respect thereto, for supporting thereon a movement impaired person; and a hoist arrangement for operatively lowering or raising the support formation with respect to the base structure The support formation may include a support body, such as a seat, a stretcher, and the like, providing for a person to be supported thereon directly. Alternatively, the support formation may include a mounting formation for removably mounting on it a

support body such as a seat, a stretcher, and the like, on which a person may be supported, thereby providing for a person to be directly supported on the support formation. As such, the aid of the invention may include a support body, as defined, removably mountable on the support formation.

The aid of the invention thus provides for a person operatively supported on the support formation to be both wheeled around and to be raised or lowered to a required level, e. g. to permit him to be manually displaced onto a bed or a seat of a vehicle.

Also, the aid of the invention may be made water resistant and, as such, may permit use thereof in a shower.

The aid may be configured for permitting a person supported on its support formation to be suspended over a feature, such as a bed, and the like, and to be raised and lowered with respect to such a feature.

The hoist arrangement may include a winch. It may, alternatively or additionally, include a jack. The hoist arrangement may be manually powered.

The wheeled base may have at least three weeks, permitting it to be supported on a support surface on the wheels only.

The stretcher of the aid of the invention, where provided, may include a seat portion, supportable on the support formation, a lower leg support portion, pivotally connected to the seat portion at a side thereof, and a back support portion, pivotally connected to the seat portion on its side opposite to the lower leg support portion. The stretcher may include locking means for locking the lower leg support portion in one of at least two pivotal positions with respect to the seat portion. The same applies with respect to the back support portion. As such, the stretcher thus may provide a bed configuration of its portions, in which a person may lie on it, and a chair configuration,

in which the back support portion is substantially upright and the lower leg support portion depends from the seat portion.

The stretcher, where provided, may include at least one lateral support for operatively preventing lateral displacement of a person from the stretcher. The lateral support may be displaceable into an inoperative position in which such lateral displacement is permitted.

The setting place portion may be displaceable with respect to the remainder of the table top between an operative position, corresponding to the operative configuration of the table top, in which a plate of food may be supported on the support formation, and an inoperative position, in which a plate of food cannot be so supported.

The support formation may, in the inoperative position of the setting place portion, be hidden. The setting place portion may be reversible with respect to the remainder of the table top between its operative and inoperative positions, the setting place portion defining, in its former position, the support formation on its top, and in its latter position, a top surface forming a substantially continuous surface with the top surface of the remainder of the table top.

The support formation may be in the form of a body defining a support surface for a plate of food. Alternatively, the support formation may be in the form of a grid.

The table top may include heating means for heating the support formation. The heating means may include an electric heater element. The electric heater element may be connectable to a power supply. As such, the setting place portion and the remainder of the table top may include matching electrical connectors for connecting the electric heater element to a power supply when the setting place portion is positioned in its operative position with respect to the remainder of the table top.

The heating means may include a gas burner connectable to a gas supply.

The heating means, where provided, may include control means for controlling heating thereof.

The table top may define, in its operative configuration, a heating means support below the support formation for supporting heating means in the form of any one of a candle and a solid or liquid fuel burner, for heating the support formation.

The table top of the invention may include a table top body made of a heat resistant material, such as a glass-like material, which defines an operative top surface which defines the setting place portion and the plate support formation. As such, the table top may include an electric heater element, attached to the operative bottom of the table top, for heating the setting place portion. Alternatively, it may include such an electric heater element embedded in the table top.

The table top of the invention may include a heat conductive support formation for supporting thereon a dish of food at a position remote from the outer edge of the table top.

The table top of the invention may be configured for placement on an existing table top of a table.

The invention extends also to a table including a table top, in accordance with the invention, and support means for supporting the table top at an elevated level above a support surface. As such, the support means of the table may include legs configured to operatively support the table on a bed with the table top suspended across a person in the bed. Alternatively, the support means may include a wheeled support structure for operatively supporting the table on a support surface of a bed, with the table top suspended across a person in the bed.

It is submitted that the invention provides a convenient means for keeping food hot during a meal.

The invention is described below by way of example with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic operative top view of a table incorporating a first embodiment of a table top, in accordance with the invention, in an operative configuration; Figure 2 shows a diagrammatic cross-section of a part of the table of Figure 1, along the line 11-11 of Figure 1, in an operative configuration; Figures 3 to 5 show diagrammatic cross-sections of the part of the table of Figure 2 in various inoperative configurations; Figure 6 shows a diagrammatic cross-section of a part of a table incorporating a second embodiment of a table top, in accordance with the invention; Figure 7 shows a diagrammatic operative top view of a third embodiment of a table top, in accordance with the invention; Figure 8 shows a diagrammatic elevation of an embodiment of a table, in accordance with the invention, in an operative configuration with respect to a hospital bed; and Figure 9 shows a diagrammatic operative top view of the table of Figure 8 in the direction of arrows IX-IX of Figure 8 (the bed of Figure 8 having been omitted).

In Figure 1, a table is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The table 10 incorporates a first embodiment of a table top 12, in accordance with the invention.

The table top 12 includes a wooden table top body 13. The table top 12 is shown here in an operative configuration in which it includes eight setting place portions 14, each including a heat conductive plate support formation in the form of a plate-like body 16 on which a plate of food (not shown) may be supported and heated via heating of the body 16.

With reference particularly to Figure 2, the body 16 defines a support surface 18 on which a plate of food may be supported. The surface 18 is sunken slightly below a top surface 20 of the table top 12. The body 16 is made of aluminium. In an alternative configuration (not shown), the plate support formation may be in the form of a grid.

The table top 12, particularly each setting place portion 14, includes electric heating means in the form of an electric heater element 22, which is cast into the body 16.

With reference again particularly to Figure 1, each setting place portion 14 is displaceable with respect to the remainder of the table top 12, hereinafter referred to as the fixed portion 24, as will be described in more detail hereinafter. As such, each setting place portion 14 defines an operative outer edge 26 which, in the operative configuration of the table top 12 shown, forms a portion of the outer edge 28 of the table top 12. Each portion 14 defines also an opposite operative inner edge 30, parallel to the edge 26, and two parallel opposite edges 32 and 34, disposed perpendicularly with respect to the edges 30 and 26. The fixed portion 24 defines edges 36,38, and 40, which are complementary to the edges 30,32, and 34, respectively.

With reference particularly to Figure 2, the portions 14 and 24 have at their respective edges 30 and 36 matching electrical connecting formations including a socket plug 42

and a spigot plug 44. The heater element 22 is connected to the plug 42 by means of electrical wiring 46. The plug 44 is connected to insulated electrical wiring 47, which is attached to the bottom of the portion 24 and joins similar wiring (not shown) from the other portions 14 to form a single electrical cable (see reference numeral 48 in Figure 1), which is connectable to a mains power supply (not shown). With reference particularly to Figure 1, the cable 48 runs through a duct 49 in a leg 50 of the table 10 and exits the leg at ground level.

With reference to Figure 3, the edge 40 of the portion 24 defines therein a rail-like formation 51 and the portion 14 defines two dowel-like protrusions 52 projecting from each side edge thereof (see also Figure 1) supported on the formation 51. The edge 38 (see Figure 1) defines a similar rail-like formation. The formations 51 and the protrusions 52 thus form complementary support formations by means of which the portion 14 is supported on the portion 24. In the configuration shown here, the portion 14 has been displaced horizontally to the left with respect to the portion 24 on the said support formations. As such, the spigot plug 44 has been disconnected from the socket plug 42.

Once the spigot plug 44 and the socket plug 42 have been disconnected, as shown in Figure 3, the portion 14 may be pivoted with respect to the portion 24, as shown in Figure 4, and finally completely reversed with respect to the portion 24, as shown in Figure 5.

The position of the portion 14 with respect to the portion 24 shown in Figure 2 is the operative position of the former with respect to the latter, corresponding to the operative configuration of the table top 12. The position of the portion 14 with respect to the portion 24 shown in Figure 5 is the inoperative reversed position of the former with respect to the latter.

In the configuration shown in Figure 5, the body 16 is at the bottom of the table top 12 and, as such, is hidden from view and a plate of food cannot be supported thereon.

A surface 53 defined by the portion 14 faces upwards to define, together with the surface 20, a substantially continuous top surface of the table top 12. In this configuration, as is the case with the operative configuration shown in Figure 2, the portion 14 is supported, by means of its protrusions 52, on the rail-like formations 51.

Also in this configuration, the socket plug 44 is partially accommodated within a matching recess 55 defined in the portion 14.

With reference particularly to Figure 1, for each setting place portion 14, a control means in the form of a manually operable switch 56 is provided.

The table top 12 includes also two support formations 58, remote from its outer edge 28, for supporting thereon dishes of food (not shown). Each support formation 58 has an electric heater element (see reference numeral 60 in Figure 2) and control means in the form of a manually operable switch 62 for controlling heating of the heater element.

In an alternative embodiment of the table top of the invention (not shown), a table top similar to the table top 12 of Figure 1 may be configured for positioning on an existing table top.

In Figure 6, a portion of a table incorporating a second embodiment of a table top, in accordance with the invention, is designated generally by the reference numeral 64.

The table 64 includes a table top 66 which includes a reversible setting place portion 68 and a fixed portion 70. Insofar as the features of the portions 68 and 70 correspond to those of the portions 14 and 24, respectively, of the table 10 of Figure 1, they will not be elaborated on herein.

The portion 68 includes a heat conductive stainless steel plate support 72 and a heating means support formation 74 on which a burner 76, containing a fuel gel 78, is supported.

In order to heat the support body 72, the gel 78 must be ignited. After removal of the burner 76 from the support formation 74, the portion 68 may be reversed with respect to the portion 70, similar to what is described hereinabove in respect of the table 10 of Figure 1.

In Figure 7, a third embodiment of a table top, in accordance with the invention, is designated generally by the reference numeral 80. The table top 80 includes a heat resistant sheet-glass body 82, which has a flat operative top surface 84. The surface 84 defines four setting place portions 86 and defines also the heat conductive plate supports of the setting place portions. The table top 80 has attached to the bottom of the body 82 heating means in the form of electric heater elements 88, one for each setting place portion 86, as well as insulated electrical wiring 90. Via the wiring 90 and a socket plug 92, the heater elements 88 are connectable to a mains power supply (not shown). The body 82 includes four spacers 94 via which it is operatively supported on an existing table top of a table (not shown). Control means in the form of four manually operable switches 96 control heating of the respective heater elements 88.

In Figures 8 and 9, an embodiment of a table, in accordance with the invention, is designated generally by the reference numeral 98. The table 98 includes support means including a wheeled support structure 100 via which it is supported on a support surface in the form of a floor 102 of a bed 106 with a table top 108 thereof suspended above the bed. In this position, should a person be seated on the bed 106, the table top 108 will be suspended across his lap. The support structure 100 includes two upright support members 112 that are telescopically displaceable with respect to each other to permit adjustment of the level of the table top 108. The

members 112 include locking means, operable via a lever 114, which permits locking of the members with respect to each other.

The table top 108 includes a portion 116, which is fixed with respect to the upper member 112, and a setting place portion 118. The setting place portion 118 is identical to the setting place portion 14 of the table 10 of Figure 1 and is similarly supported on an adjacent fixed portion of table top. As such, it will not be described in detail herein. In the position of the setting place portion 118 with respect to the portion 116 shown, an electric heater element (not shown) of a plate support body 120 thereof is connectable to a mains power supply (not shown) via an electric cable 122. Control means in the form of a manually operable switch 124 operatively controls heating of the heater element.

In an alternative embodiment of a table, in accordance with the invention (not shown), a table top of the table, similar to the table top 108 of the table 98 of Figures 8 and 9, may have support formations in the form of legs permitting it to be supported directly on a bed with the table top suspended across a person in the bed.