Medical patient support chair

Abstract

A chair for supporting medical patients, especially bariatric patients, includes a skeletal frame; a seat assembly mounted to the frame and including a seat base and a seat back, with the seat base being pivotably mounted to the frame and the seat back being pivotably mounted to the seat base for relative movement of the seat assembly to the frame and relative movement of the seat back to the seat base and the frame. Included is a first movement inducing assembly mounted to the seat base and the frame and extending therebetween for moving the seat assembly relative to the frame and a second movement inducing assembly mounted to the seat base and the seat back and extending therebetween for selectively moving the back relative to the seat back and the frame, substantially independently of the first movement inducing assembly; and a motion control arrangement for operatively controlling the first and second movement inducing assemblies independently of one another for singular or tandem independent movement of the seat back and the seat assembly as necessary for medical patient comfort and care.

1 . A chair for supporting medical patients comprising: 
 a skeletal frame;    a seat assembly mounted to said frame and including a seat base and a seat back, said seat base being pivotably mounted to said frame and said seat back being pivotably mounted to said seat base for relative movement of said seat assembly to said frame and relative movement of said seat back to said seat base and said frame;    a first movement inducing assembly mounted to said seat base and said frame and extending therebetween for moving said seat assembly relative to said frame;    a second movement inducing assembly mounted to said seat base and said seat back and extending therebetween for selectively moving said seat back relative to said seat back and said frame, substantially independently of said first movement inducing assembly; and    a motion control arrangement for operatively controlling said first and second movement inducing assemblies independently of one another for singular or tandem independent movement of said seat back and said seat assembly as necessary for medical patient comfort and care.    
   
   
       2 . A chair for supporting medical patients according to  claim 1  and further comprising a rolling ground support arrangement including rotatable wheels at substantially the outer reaches of the frame, mounted thereto and extending away from the frame for ground contact.  
   
   
       3 . A chair for supporting medical patients according to  claim 2  wherein said rolling ground support arrangement includes two casters supporting a rear portion of said chair and two fixed wheels supporting a front portion of said chair.  
   
   
       4 . A chair for supporting medical patients according to  claim 2  wherein said rolling ground support arrangement includes two casters supporting a rear portion of said chair and two fixed wheels supporting a front portion of said chair, and further comprising a driving arrangement for moving said chair across a friction surface including at least one motor for driving said two fixed wheels, and a drive control arrangement for controlling said driving arrangement and thereby controlling translational movement of said chair.  
   
   
       5 . A chair for supporting medical patients according to  claim 4  wherein said driving arrangement includes an assembly for driving each fixed wheel individually in either a clockwise manner or a counterclockwise manner, thereby allowing an operator to steer said chair during movement over a friction surface.  
   
   
       6 . A chair for supporting medical patients according to  claim 5  wherein said assembly for driving each fixed wheel includes a drive motor mounted closely adjacent a respective fixed wheel and operatively connected thereto for selectively rotatably driving each fixed wheel individually, each said drive motor being connected to said drive control arrangement for selective operation by an operator.  
   
   
       7 . A chair for supporting medical patients according to  claim 6  and further comprising a control stick for controlling said drive wheels for movement of said chair responsive to movement of said stick by an operator.  
   
   
       8 . A chair for supporting medical patients according to  claim 7  wherein said control stick is movable between a rider control position and an attendant accessible position.  
   
   
       9 . A chair for supporting medical patients according to  claim 1  wherein said first and second movement inducing assemblies each include at least one piston/cylinder arrangement operatively associated with said first movement inducing assembly and said second movement inducing assembly.  
   
   
       10 . A chair for supporting medical patients according to  claim 1  wherein said motion control arrangement is configured to move said chair to a Trendelenburg Position responsive to a switch operatively associated with said movement inducing assemblies.  
   
   
       11 . A chair for supporting medical patients comprising: 
 a skeletal frame;    a seat assembly mounted to said frame and including a seat base and a seat back, said seat base being pivotably mounted to said frame and said seat back being pivotably mounted to said seat base for relative movement of said seat assembly to said frame and relative movement of said seat back to said seat base and said frame;    a first movement inducing assembly mounted to said seat base and said frame and extending therebetween for moving said seat assembly relative to said frame;    a second movement inducing assembly mounted to said seat base and said seat back and extending therebetween for selectively moving said seat back relative to said seat back and said frame, substantially independently of said first movement inducing assembly;    a motion control arrangement for operatively controlling said first and second movement inducing assemblies independently of one another for singular or tandem independent movement of said seat back and said seat assembly as necessary for medical patient comfort and care; and    a rolling ground support arrangement including rotatable wheels at substantially the outer reaches of the frame, mounted thereto and extending away from the frame for ground contact.    
   
   
       12 . A chair for supporting medical patients according to  claim 11  wherein said rolling ground support arrangement includes two casters supporting a rear portion of said chair and two fixed wheels supporting a front portion of said chair.  
   
   
       13 . A chair for supporting medical patients according to  claim 11  wherein said rolling ground support arrangement includes two casters supporting a rear portion of said chair and two fixed wheels supporting a front portion of said chair, and further comprising a driving arrangement for moving said chair across a friction surface including at least one motor for driving said two fixed wheels, and a drive control arrangement for controlling said driving arrangement and thereby controlling translational movement of said chair.  
   
   
       14 . A chair for supporting medical patients according to  claim 13  wherein said driving arrangement includes an assembly for driving each fixed wheel individually in either a clockwise manner or a counterclockwise manner, thereby allowing an operator to steer said chair during movement over a friction surface.  
   
   
       15 . A chair for supporting medical patients according to  claim 14  wherein said assembly for driving each fixed wheel includes a drive motor mounted closely adjacent a respective fixed wheel and operatively connected thereto for selectively rotatably driving each fixed wheel individually, each said drive motor being connected to said drive control arrangement for selective operation by an operator.  
   
   
       16 . A chair for supporting medical patients according to  claim 15  and further comprising a control stick for controlling said drive wheels for movement of said chair responsive to movement of said stick by an operator.  
   
   
       17 . A chair for supporting medical patients according to  claim 16  wherein said control stick is movable between a rider control position and an attendant accessible position.  
   
   
       18 . A chair for supporting medical patients according to  claim 11  wherein said first and second movement inducing assemblies each include at least one piston/cylinder arrangement operatively associated with said first movement inducing assembly and said second movement inducing assembly.  
   
   
       19 . A chair for supporting medical patients according to  claim 11  wherein said motion control arrangement is configured to move said chair to a Trendelenburg Position responsive to a switch operatively associated with said movement inducing assemblies.  
   
   
       20 . A chair for supporting medical patients comprising: 
 a skeletal frame;    a seat assembly mounted to said frame and including a seat base and a seat back, said seat base being pivotably mounted to said frame and said seat back being pivotably mounted to said seat base for relative movement of said seat assembly to said frame and relative movement of said seat back to said seat base and said frame;    a first movement inducing assembly mounted to said seat base and said frame and extending therebetween for moving said seat assembly relative to said frame;    a second movement inducing assembly mounted to said seat base and said seat back and extending therebetween for selectively moving said seat back relative to said seat back and said frame, substantially independently of said first movement inducing assembly;    a motion control arrangement for operatively controlling said first and second movement inducing assemblies independently of one another for singular or tandem independent movement of said seat back and said seat assembly as necessary for medical patient comfort and care;    a rolling ground support arrangement including two casters supporting a rear portion of said chair and two fixed wheels supporting a front portion of said chair, mounted thereto and extending away from the frame for ground contact;    a driving arrangement for moving said chair across a friction surface including an assembly for driving each fixed wheel individually in either a clockwise manner or a counterclockwise manner, thereby allowing an operator to steer said chair during movement over a friction surface, and    a drive control arrangement for controlling said drive arrangement and thereby controlling translational movement of said chair.    
   
   
       21 . A chair for supporting medical patients according to  claim 20  wherein said assembly for driving each fixed wheel includes a drive motor mounted closely adjacent a respective fixed wheel and operatively connected thereto for selectively rotatably driving each fixed wheel individually, each said drive motor being connected to said control arrangement for selective operation by an operator.  
   
   
       22 . A chair for supporting medical patients according to  claim 21  and further comprising a control stick for controlling said drive wheels for movement of said chair responsive to movement of said stick by an operator.  
   
   
       23 . A chair for supporting medical patients according to  claim 22  and further comprising an assembly for driving each fixed wheel individually in either a clockwise manner or a counterclockwise manner, thereby allowing an operator to steer said chair during movement over a friction surface wherein said control stick is movable between a rider control position and an attendant accessible position.  
   
   
       24 . A chair for supporting medical patients according to  claim 20  wherein said first and second movement inducing assemblies each include at least one piston/cylinder arrangement operatively associated with said first movement inducing assembly and said second movement inducing assembly.  
   
   
       25 . A chair for supporting medical patients according to  claim 20  wherein said motion control arrangement is configured to move said chair to a Trendelenburg Position responsive to a switch operatively associated with said movement inducing assemblies.