Manually driven bathtub lift

Abstract

A manually driven bathtub lift for assisting persons of limited strength or mobility into or out of a typical bathtub without the high costs associated with pneumatic, hydraulic or electric lift devices. A seat is attached to a wheeled trolley arranged for movement up an inclined track mounted on a base frame. A chain is disposed about a drive sprocket and a set of guide pulleys and attached to opposite ends of the trolley. The set of pulleys includes an idler that is biased to retain tension in the chain. The drive sprocket is driven by the rotation of a driver wheel supported on the same shaft as the sprocket. Rotation of the sprocket drives the chain which in turn moves the trolley and attached seat. The driver wheel has handles circumferentially spaced around it and is of large enough size that it can be reached and operated from the seat. The lift is light to allow for easily installation and removal and does not require significant strength to operate.

1 . A bathtub lift apparatus for assisting a person into and out of a bathtub comprising: 
 a base frame for being received in the tub, the base frame including a track supported on the frame having a lower end and an upper end;    a trolley supported for movement along the track;    a seat for supporting the person thereon, the seat being supported on the trolley device for movement with the trolley between a lower position at the lower end of the track and an upper position at the upper end of the track;    a rotatable drive member supported for rotation on the frame;    an elongate driven member engaged about the drive member and connected to the trolley for displacement of said trolley as the drive member is rotated; and    a driver device for rotating the drive member.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the base frame comprises two laterally spaced parallel walls, wherein the drive member and elongate driven member are located between said walls.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the track comprises two laterally spaced track members, each having an upper and lower surface defining an elongate channel therebetween for receiving the trolley.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus according to  claim 3  wherein each of the upper and lower surfaces of the track members comprises a rail.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus according to  claim 3  wherein the upper surface of each track member comprises a rail and the lower surface of each track member comprises the base frame.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein there are provided roller members supported on each side of the trolley supported for movement along the track.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6  wherein the roller members are supported in pairs on axles mounted to the trolley.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the track is non-linear between the upper and lower ends thereof.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus according to  claim 8  wherein the seat is pivotally supported on the trolley for pivotal motion relative thereto.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein there is provided: 
 a pivotal mounting mechanism for pivotally supporting the seat on the trolley for pivotal motion between the lower position where the seat is generally horizontal and the trolley is inclined along the track and a lifting position where the seat and trolley are both inclined along the track and generally parallel to each other; and    an abutment member mounted on the seat that abuts with the trolley to prevent the seat from pivoting passed the lifting position where the seat and trolley are generally parallel.    
   
   
       11 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the elongate driven member is an endless and flexible member.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the elongate driven member is guided by idler members supported on the base frame.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus according to  claim 12  wherein one of the idler members is floatingly supported on the base frame and biased in order to maintain tension in the elongate driven member.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the elongate driven member comprises a chain and the driver member comprises a sprocket for engaging the chain.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the driver device comprises a hand crank mechanism for rotating the drive member.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the driver device comprises a rotational member having a series of handles circumferentially spaced therearound.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus according to  claim 16  wherein the handles comprise openings in the rotational member.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the driver device is accessible by the person supported in the seat.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein there is provided a locking mechanism for selectively preventing motion of the seat relative to the base frame.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus according to  claim 19  wherein the locking mechanism is coupled between the driver device and the base frame.