An assistance apparatus (1) includes: a base (2); a support arm section (3) that can support a part of the body of the care receiver and that is provided to the base and can perform motion with respect to the standing direction for causing the care receiver to stand or the seating direction for causing the care receiver to be seated; an actuator (5) that is connected to the base and the support arm section; and a buffer mechanism (7) that is disposed at one of members from the base to the support arm section coupled via the actuator or is disposed between members connected to each other and that absorbs at least a part of a drive force of the actuator when an external force in the standing direction is applied by drive of the actuator to the support arm section performing motion toward the seating direction.

A caring device includes an adjustment command section configured to give a command for an adjustment of a standing start position of a support member, a standing operation command section configured to give a command for assistance of the standing operation using the support member, and a control device. The control device perform a cooperative operation of the first arm and the second arm so that the support member moves in an up-down direction when a command of the adjustment command section is received. The control device performs a cooperative operation of the first arm and the second arm so that a reference position of the support member moves along different movement trajectories in accordance with the standing start position adjusted by the command of the adjustment command section when a command of the standing operation command section is received.

A linear electric actuator system, preferably for patient lifters, comprising at least one linear electric actuator and a controller having a power limiting circuit for limiting the power to the at least one linear electric actuator. The actuator system is arranged such that the threshold value of the maximum permissible power in the power limiting circuit may be changed, and that this change may be performed via reference to the position of the spindle nut on the spindle as a look up in a table showing a corresponding value for the power limit.

An assistance information management system including a usage record data storage section configured to store usage record data in which usage information on use of an assistance device is recorded in association with usage time information on a date and time when the assistance device is used and assisted person identification information used to identify the assisted person using the assistance device, an assistance record data storage section configured to store assistance record data, an extraction section configured to extract the usage information and the assisted person management information on a specific assisted person, an association section configured to associate the usage information and the assisted person management information with each other based on the usage time information and the management time information, and a presentation section configured to present the associated usage information and the assisted person management information in a visually recognizable manner.

A seat comprising: an attachment bracket; a seat hub rotatably attached to the attachment bracket in a first axis; a first locking mechanism operable to place the seat hub between a first position and a second position; a seat arm swivably attached to the seat hub in a second axis, wherein the second axis is substantially orthogonal to the first axis; a seating pad rotatably attached to the seat arm in a third axis, wherein the seating pad is caused to pivot into a sitting position; a second locking mechanism operable to maintain the seating pad in the sitting position.

A detection device which detects a state of a moving member such as an origin position of the moving member in a short time, is provided with a dog which includes the multiple slits, in which at least one of a separation distance between adjacent slits and a width of the slits themselves is formed in multiple kinds, a sensor which detects the presence or absence of the slits, a count position acquisition section which acquires a count start position and a count end position corresponding to the separation distance between the adjacent slits or the width of the slits themselves based on detection results of the sensor, and a state detection section which acquires a count value increase or decrease number from the count start position to the count end position and detects a state of the moving member based on the acquired count value increase or decrease number.

An assistance system includes a storage section configured to store usage record data in which usage information as to a use of an assistance device configured to assist an operation of a care receiver is recorded in association with time information as to a date and time when the assistance device is used and user identification information used to identify a user using the assistance device, an extracting section configured to extract the usage information and the time information as to a specific user based on the user identification information included in the usage record data, and a display section configured to display a time series change in the usage information as to the specific user in a graspable manner.

A mobility aid assembly for lifting and lowering a user; the assembly including an articulated lifting arm releasably mounted to a base structure; a first portion of the lifting arm operable between a lowered position and a raised position by a linear actuator; a first end of the linear actuator pivotally connected to the first portion of the lifting arm and, wherein a second end of the linear actuator is releasably mounted so as to avoid injury to the user if the linear actuator moves the first portion of the lifting arm to an excessively lowered position in which the first portion of the lifting impinges on the user.

Also described is a method of changing disposition of fork elements of a fork of a disability aid assembly from a first position in which the fork elements are parallel to a horizontal centerline of the disability aid assembly and a second position in which outer ends of the fork elements are more widely separated than inner ends of the fork elements; the method including the steps of: providing swivellable wheels at the outer ends of the fork elements with locking mechanisms, locking each of the swivellable wheels at an angle in which the direction of the swivellable wheel is “toed out” relative to a centerline of the fork element, moving the disability aid assembly in a forward direction to drive the fork elements from the first position into the second position, moving the disability aid assembly in a rearward direction to drive the fork element from the second position into the first position.

A mobility device for assisting a patient includes a frame having a wheel arranged to manoeuvre the mobility device; a lift assembly coupled to the frame and movable between a lowered position and a raised position; and a support arm coupled to the lift assembly for movement with the lift assembly and arranged to support an upper part of a body of the patient and to support at least part of his weight on the mobility device when the lift assembly is raised from the lowered position to the raised position and when manoeuvring the mobility device.

A patient support device includes a sheet configured to be placed beneath the patient in use and a plurality of straps connected to the sheet and configured for use in moving, lifting, turning, and/or positioning the patient. The straps may include one or more retractable straps that each have a stretchable retraction strap connected thereto and configured for retracting the retractable strap. The straps may also include one or more central support straps connected to the sheet in an area positioned between the legs of the patient. The sheet may also include a head support for supporting the patient's head, which head support may also include one or more straps. The straps may be connected to a hoist, which is then used to lift the patient.