LIFT AND TRANSFER CHAIR

摘要

A transfer chair has a chair frame, a seat, wheels, and a lift arm which has an articulated path between home and target positions. The lift arm is articulated such that a lifting bridle attached to a distal end of the lift arm is maintained in a constant angular orientation with respect to the chair frame during movement. The lift arm is constructed using four links which are pivotally connected end-to-end and which can be folded to a stowed position within the chair frame. An actuation mechanism uses a lead-screw actuator coupled to one of the links which lifts the remaining links by rotation about its pivotal attachment to the chair frame, and similarly uses another lead-screw actuator coupled to the next link. The actuation mechanism can be operated by an on-board motion control computer for controlling the trajectory and velocity of the arm. A docking station integrated with the frame mates with a docking feature on the target object and stabilizes the chair while transferring the user. The transfer chair may be constructed using modular components that allow the unit to be assembled or reconfigured into one of a number of different product designs. Four such modules may include a front module which houses the front pivoted casters or wheels and foot rests, a center module which provides the lifting/transfer/elevate functions, a propulsion module having the rear wheels, variable speed/reversible gear drive motors, batteries, and a chair control computer, and a rear module which contains the seat back cushion and support, and any push handles and controls for operation by an caregiver.