US 12,232,662 B2Granted

Lift assist shower chair

AssigneeDWP Industries LLC

InventorsPeter Guy van Dongen, Johannes DeWet Zwarts

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A waterproof chair for use when bathing is provided. The chair may include an on-board system for raising and lowering the chair between sitting and raised positions. The chair may be used by elderly persons to assist them in sitting and standing in a shower, for example. The chair may include a rechargeable battery for powering a linear actuator for moving the chair between sitting and raised positions. The chair may also be adapted to allow a seat on the chair to swivel relative to a base of the chair. The chair may include an automatic lock to restrict relative movement of the seat and the base when the seat is being raised, and then automatically unlock to again allow for swivel motion when the seat has been moved back into its sitting position. Hydraulic and pneumatic embodiments are also disclosed.

Claims48

Dependent claims

A chair comprising:

a corrosion-resistant chair base including a plurality of corrosion-resistant legs and a corrosion-resistant central support column;
a corrosion-resistant swivel base rotatably connected to and supported by the central support column on the chair base, and configured for rotatable movement relative to the central support column on the chair base, wherein the swivel base includes a height adjustment lever configured to actuate a gas spring attached to the central support column and configured to raise and lower the swivel base in relation to the chair base;
a corrosion-resistant seat frame having a left side, a right side, and an upper surface, the seat frame being connected to the swivel base;
a corrosion-resistant seat attached to the upper surface of the seat frame;
a corrosion-resistant left arm rest attached to the left side of the seat frame;
a corrosion-resistant right arm rest attached to the right side of the seat frame;
a corrosion-resistant linear actuator supported by the swivel base and connected to the seat frame to move the seat frame between a sitting position and a raised position;
and
a waterproof control switch adapted to control the linear actuator.

6 more elements

A chair comprising:

a corrosion-resistant chair base including a plurality of corrosion-resistant legs and a corrosion-resistant central support column;
a corrosion-resistant swivel base rotatably connected to and supported by the central support column on the chair base, and configured for rotatable movement relative to the central support column on the chair base, wherein the swivel base includes a height adjustment lever configured to actuate a gas spring attached to the central support column and configured to raise and lower the swivel base in relation to the chair base;
a corrosion-resistant seat frame having a left side, a right side, and an upper surface, the seat frame being connected to the swivel base;
a corrosion-resistant seat attached to the upper surface of the seat frame;
a corrosion-resistant left arm rest attached to the left side of the seat frame;
a corrosion-resistant right arm rest attached to the right side of the seat frame;
a corrosion-resistant linear actuator supported by the swivel base and connected to the seat frame to move the seat frame between a sitting position and a raised position;
a waterproof control switch adapted to control the linear actuator;
and
a removable waterproof rechargeable battery in waterproof electrical communication with the linear actuator.

7 more elements

A chair comprising:

a corrosion-resistant chair base including a plurality of corrosion-resistant legs and a corrosion-resistant central support column;
a spline secured around the central support column and including a plurality of longitudinal grooves disposed in an outer surface of the spline;
a corrosion-resistant swivel base rotatably connected to and supported by the central support column on the chair base, and configured for rotatable movement relative to the central support column on the chair base, wherein the swivel base includes a height adjustment lever configured to actuate a gas spring attached to the central support column and configured to raise and lower the swivel base in relation to the chair base;
a corrosion-resistant seat frame having a left side, a right side, and an upper surface, the seat frame being connected to the swivel base;
a corrosion-resistant seat attached to the upper surface of the seat frame;
a corrosion-resistant left arm rest attached to the left side of the seat frame;
a corrosion-resistant right arm rest attached to the right side of the seat frame;
a corrosion-resistant linear actuator supported by the swivel base and connected to the seat frame to move the seat frame between a sitting position and a raised position;
a waterproof control switch adapted to control the linear actuator;
a removable waterproof rechargeable battery in waterproof electrical communication with the linear actuator;
and
a drive pin connected to the swivel base and disposed for movement between an extended position and a retracted position, and
a latch plate disposed for movement between an extended position and a retracted position, the latch plate engaging one of the plurality of longitudinal grooves in the spline when the drive pin is in its extended position, and the latch plate being disengaged from the spline when the drive pin is in its retracted position.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/831,320Filed 2 Jun 2022 · us provisional application
Priority: 8 Dec 2021
Published: US 2023/0172400 A18 Jun 2023
Granted: 25 Feb 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

A47K 3/122
Separate seats or body supports: seats
A47C 3/18
Chairs characterised by structural features; Chairs or stools with rotatable or vertically-adjustable seats: chairs or stools with rotatable seat
A47C 3/30
Chairs or stools with vertically-adjustable seats: with vertically-acting fluid cylinder
A47K 3/282
Accessories for showers or bathing douches, e.g. cleaning devices for walls or floors of showers: seats specially adapted for showers