RU229911U1 - BATHROOM MOVEMENT DEVICE - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to medical equipment, namely to self-service devices for people with disabilities, and is intended for independent movement of people with limited mobility or complete immobility of the legs to the bath area for taking water procedures. In essence, the proposed device is a single-seat carousel with an additional lifting and lowering function and consists of: a fixed part rigidly attached to the floor and including a base, a vertical post, a steering wheel and thrust bushings for a rotary unit; a rotating part secured to a vertical post, capable of rotating around it and including a rotary unit (with bearings) and a frame with a seat, bracket and block placed on it, to the ends of the cable of which a hand traction and a stand with foot mounts are attached; a stopper intended for temporary rigid connection of the rotating and fixed parts of the device to prevent rotation of the rotating part. With the help of this device, a person with limited mobility or complete immobility of the legs, sitting on the seat, can lift the legs with their hands through the block and, holding the legs in the desired position with one hand, with the other hand, using the steering wheel, turn the rotating part of the device by 180° and thereby move themselves to the bath area. When using the device, a person with limited mobility or complete immobility of the legs can move themselves to the bath area for water procedures in 10-15 seconds.

Description

The utility model relates to medical equipment, namely to self-service devices for people with disabilities, and is intended for independent movement of people with limited mobility or complete immobility of the legs to the bath area for water procedures.

The traditional technique of moving into the bath for physically healthy people is quite simple. A person steps over the edge of the bath with one foot, rests it on the bottom of the bath and, transferring their weight to this foot and straightening it, steps over the edge of the bath with the other foot, also rests it on the bottom of the bath and redistributes the weight to both feet.

For people with weakened muscle tone, coordination problems, minor leg injuries, etc., the technique of moving into the bath is more complex. As a rule, a person steps over the edge of the bath with each leg in turn, holding on to the edges of the bath, special handrails, improvised means, thus reducing the load on the supporting leg and providing the necessary stability.

For people with paralysis of the legs, moderate leg injuries, etc., the technique of moving into the bath is much more complex and requires either good coordination, developed upper body muscles and the development of special skills, or the use of special devices, or a combination of all of the above.

In this regard, the use of devices that facilitate the solution of the problem of moving people with limited mobility or complete immobility of the legs to the bath area is an important task of social orientation.

From sources of patent information, the bath lift of Guskov A.S. is known (Author's certificate SU No. 171993. Bath lift / Guskov A.S. - Published. 06.22.1965, Bulletin No. 12.) This lift is a device that allows you to move people with almost any problems of the musculoskeletal system to the bath. However, the device is bulky and includes many technically complex elements, which include an electric motor, a planetary gearbox, a "screw-nut" transmission and a control station, and its use requires outside help and electricity. As a result, the lift is expensive, difficult to install, use and maintain, so it is extremely problematic to use at home, it is more suitable for hospitals, rehabilitation centers, boarding houses and similar institutions.

Also known from patent information sources is the device of Korshunov V.M. and Korshunov V.V. for moving patients in the bathroom. (Patent RU No. 2524011. Device for moving patients in the bathroom / Korshunov V.M., Korshunov V.V. - Published 27.07.2014, Bulletin No. 21). This device is quickly and easily installed directly on the sides of the bathtub, is compact, has a simple design and low cost, does not require electricity, can be quickly and easily dismantled and used at home. However, moving a person with completely immobile legs to the bathtub area using this device requires outside assistance, and the lack of a rigid connection of the device to the bathtub cannot guarantee the exclusion of the possibility of it tipping over and the person getting injured.

The closest in technical essence to the proposed device is the Mashuk IPV-160 bathroom lift, which is produced by the Russian company Inva LLC (https://medandmore.ru/catalog/meditsinskaya_mebel/parapodiumy_vertikalizatory_i_podemniki/65404/ - Access date 11/28/2023). This lift has a rigid structure, is securely attached to the floor, is easy to install and maintain, does not require electricity and can be used at home without outside help. However, moving a person to the bath area with the help of such a lift takes a lot of time and requires significant effort, since for this a person needs to raise and lower the seat with his own weight manually using the screw-nut transmission.

The technical task of the utility model is to change the design of the device (elevator) for faster and more comfortable movement of a person with limited mobility or complete immobility of the legs to the bath area for water procedures and back without increasing the cost of the device.

The result of solving the set task should ensure a reduction in the time it takes for a person to move to the bath area and back several times without increasing the cost of the device.

The specified technical result is achieved by the fact that the device for moving around in the bathroom consists of:

a fixed part, designed with the possibility of being attached to the floor and including a base, a vertical post, a steering wheel made of a metal alloy, made in the form of a rim with spokes and secured to the upper end of the vertical post, and two steel thrust bushings for a rotary unit, secured to the vertical post under the steering wheel, wherein the base consists of a steel plate, in the central part of which a bushing is secured with a vertically located axis of the central hole, into which the vertical post, made in the form of a steel pipe, is inserted;

a rotating part, fixed to a vertical post with the ability to rotate around the vertical post and including a rotary unit and a frame with a plastic seat, an L-shaped bracket made of rolled steel tubulars and a block with a horizontal axis placed on the frame, wherein a cable is thrown over the block with a horizontal axis along a groove, to the end of which a hand pull is attached to the end closest to the back of the seat, and to the far end of which a stand with foot mounts is attached;

a stopper made in the form of a steel lever lock for connecting the rotating and fixed parts of the device with the ability to prevent the rotating part from turning.

The fixed part of the device includes a base, a vertical post, a steering wheel and thrust bushings of the rotary unit. The base consists of a steel plate and a steel bushing fixed in its central part by welding with a vertically located axis of the central hole (perpendicular to the floor surface). The base plate has sufficient dimensions for reliable attachment to the floor and complete elimination of tipping or displacement of the device during operation. A vertical post is inserted into the hole of the bushing, which is a steel pipe, the upper end of which is located above the side of the bath. A steering wheel made of a metal alloy (steel, cast iron, silumin), which is a rim with spokes, is fixed to the upper end of the vertical post. Two steel thrust bushings (upper and lower) for the rotary unit, related to the rotating part of the device, are fixed under the steering wheel on the post. For ease of disassembly, transportation and maintenance of the device, the connections between the base and the stand, the stand and the steering wheel, as well as the stand and the thrust bushings of the rotary unit are detachable; the listed elements are fastened to each other with steel screws.

The rotating part of the device includes a rotary unit, a frame, a seat, a bracket, a block, a cable, a hand traction and a stand with foot mounts. The rotary unit, which is a steel bushing with radial and thrust rolling bearings placed in it, is located between fixed thrust bushings related to the fixed part of the device and freely rotates around the vertical post without displacement in the vertical direction due to the thrust bushings. The frame made of rolled steel tubular products is welded to the rotary unit bushing, which also allows the frame to rotate around the post in the horizontal plane. The seat made of durable plastic is attached to the frame. An L-shaped bracket made of rolled steel tubular products is attached to the frame and the seat back (in the middle of the seat back). A block (a mechanism including a disk with a groove along the circumference, rotating around its axis) with a horizontal axis is fixed to the end of the free end of the bracket. A cable (rope) is thrown over the block along the chute, to the end of which, closest to the back of the seat, a hand traction is attached (a rod for gripping with two hands or a rod with a bracket for gripping with one hand), to the other end of which a support with foot mounts is attached (a plastic plate, preferably with a back board and rubber or silicone arches to cover the feet).

The stopper is a steel lever lock that secures the rotating part and ensures that the seat remains immobile when the user moves on the seat, takes water procedures, and moves from the seat to the outside space.

In essence, the proposed device is a single-seat carousel with an additional function of lifting and lowering the legs through the block with the hands. With the help of this device, a person with limited mobility or complete immobility of the legs, sitting on the seat, can lift the legs above the edge of the bath with the hands through the block, and, holding the legs in this position with one hand, with the other hand using the steering wheel, turn the rotating part of the device 180° around the vertical axis and thereby move himself into the bath area.

An important advantage of the utility model is the ability to quickly independently move to the bath area and back. A person with completely immobile legs and a normally functioning upper body after being positioned on the seat of the device independently moves himself to the bath area in about 10-15 seconds (placing the feet on the support with fasteners - 3-5 seconds, lifting the legs through the block with the hands - 2-3 seconds, moving the stopper to the non-working (releasing the rotating part of the device) position - 1 second, turning the rotating part of the device by 180° - 2-3 seconds, moving the stopper to the working (fixing the rotating part of the device) position - 1-2 seconds, lowering the legs through the block with the hands - 1 second). Considering that when using the "screw-nut" transmission, a person spends at least a minute only on raising the seat to the height required for moving to the bath area, the reduction in the time of moving to the bath area thanks to the proposed device seems to be quite significant.

It is useful to note that the manufacture of the screw-nut transmission is highly labor-intensive and requires expensive equipment. Therefore, the cost price of the proposed device with a bracket, block, cable, hand traction and a stand with foot mounts at least does not exceed the cost price of the device with the screw-nut transmission.

The utility model is explained in Fig. 1-3. Fig. 1 shows a diagram with two views (from the side and from above) of the device in the initial position, to which the device is transferred before moving a person to the seat or from the seat. The main elements of the device are indicated by positions: base - 1; vertical post - 2; steering wheel - 3; lower thrust sleeve - 4; rotary unit - 5; upper thrust sleeve - 6; frame - 7; seat - 8; bracket - 9; block - 10; cable (rope) - 11; hand traction - 12; footrest with fasteners - 13; stopper - 14.

Fig. 2 shows a diagram with two types of the device in the final position (in the bath area), into which the device is transferred with a person on the seat for taking water procedures.

Fig. 3 shows a diagram with the main view of the device in the initial and intermediate positions together with the person using it. In the initial position, the device is demonstrated at the moment when the person, being on the seat, inserted his toes into the fastenings of the footrest and took hold of the hand pull with one hand. In the intermediate position, the device is shown at the moment when the person, being in the bath zone, holds the hand pull with his hand in a position that guarantees the location of the footrest with his feet above the edge of the bath.

Before using the device, it must be installed correctly. It must be located next to the bathtub, but so that the support unit with the rolling supports does not touch the edge of the bathtub and there is a guaranteed clearance of 10-15 mm between them. The base must be firmly attached to the floor using appropriate hardware.

To use the device, it must be moved to its original position, placing the seat at the maximum distance from the bathtub. Then, the rotating part of the device must be fixed relative to its stand using the stopper. After this, you must move to the seat, place your feet on the footrest, inserting your fingers into the mounting arcs. Next, you must release the rotating part of the device by moving the stopper to the inoperative position, grab the hand rod with your hand (hands) and pull it down and towards you, thereby raising your legs so that the stand rises above the edge of the bathtub. Then, holding the rod in the lower position with one hand, you must turn the rotating part of the device with the seat, bracket, etc. by 180° around the axis of the vertical stand with your other hand using the steering wheel. Then, you must gradually relax the hand holding the hand rod and, without releasing the hand rod, allow it to rise upward by lowering your feet in the stand to the bottom of the bathtub, after which fix the position of the rotating part of the device relative to the vertical stand using the stopper. Then you can take water treatments.

After water procedures, release the rotating part of the device by moving the stopper to the inoperative position, grab the hand rod with your hand (hands) and pull it down and towards you, thereby raising your legs so that the stand rises above the edge of the bathtub. Then, holding the rod in the lower position with one hand, use the steering wheel with your other hand to turn the rotating part of the device with the seat, bracket, etc. by 180° around the axis of the vertical stand. Then gradually relax the hand holding the hand rod and, without releasing the hand rod, allow it to rise up by lowering the legs in the stand to the floor, then fix the position of the rotating part of the device relative to the vertical stand with the stopper. After this, you can release your legs from the footrest fastenings and leave the seat.

Thus, the utility model solves the problem of fast and comfortable movement of a person with limited mobility or complete immobility of the legs to the bath area for water procedures and back without increasing the cost of the device.

Sources of information

1. Author's certificate SU No. 171993. Bath lift / Guskov A.S. - Published 22.06.1965, Bulletin No. 12.

2. Patent RU No. 2524011. Device for moving patients in the bathroom / Korshunov V.M., Korshunov V.V. - Published 27.07.2014, Bulletin No. 21.

3. https://medandmore.ru/catalog/meditsinskaya_mebel/parapodiumy_vertikalizatory_i_podemniki/65404/ - Accessed 11/28/2023.

Note to clarify the examination: the device was developed at the request and under the supervision of the public organization “Penza Regional Branch of Parents of Disabled Children”.

Claims (4)

A device for moving around in the bathroom, consisting of: a fixed part, designed with the possibility of being attached to the floor and including a base, a vertical post, a steering wheel made of a metal alloy, made in the form of a rim with spokes and secured to the upper end of the vertical post, and two steel thrust bushings for a rotary unit, secured to the vertical post under the steering wheel, wherein the base consists of a steel plate, in the central part of which a bushing is secured with a vertically located axis of the central hole, into which the vertical post, made in the form of a steel pipe, is inserted; a rotating part, fixed to a vertical post with the ability to rotate around the vertical post and including a rotary unit and a frame with a plastic seat, an L-shaped bracket made of rolled steel tubulars and a block with a horizontal axis placed on the frame, wherein a cable is thrown over the block with a horizontal axis along a groove, to the end of which a hand pull is attached to the end closest to the back of the seat, and to the far end of which a stand with foot mounts is attached; a stopper made in the form of a steel lever lock for connecting the rotating and fixed parts of the device with the ability to prevent the rotating part from turning.