APPARATUS FOR SEATING A PERSON IN AN OBSTRUCTED SEAT

Abstract

An apparatus is disclosed which enables a person to be moved into a seat which may be obstructed by an arm rest or another obstacle. In some implementations, an apparatus for seating a person into an obstructed seat may comprise a first support structure for supporting the person in a position adjacent the obstructed seat; a second support structure configured to be placed onto the seat; and a transfer structure configured to enable the person to move or be moved from the first support structure to the second support structure.

Claims

1. An apparatus for seating a person into an obstructed seat, the apparatus comprising: a first support structure for supporting the person in a position adjacent the obstructed seat; a second support structure configured to be placed onto the seat; and a transfer structure configured to enable the person to move or be moved from the first support structure to the second support structure.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first support structure comprises a first support platform.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first support structure is configured to enable an adjustment in the height of the first support platform to lift the person to at least the height of an obstruction of the seat.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second support structure comprises a second support platform.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second support structure is configured to enable an adjustment in the height of the second support platform to lift the height of the second support platform to at least the height of the first support platform.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the height of the second support platform can be reduced to seat the person in the seat.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the transfer structure comprises a transfer platform configured to bridge a space between the first support platform and the second support platform to enable the person to be moved from the first support platform to the second support platform on the transfer platform.

8. (canceled)

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the transfer platform is adjustable in length to enable a plurality of spaces to be bridged by the transfer platform.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the transfer platform comprises a slider surface which is movable along the transfer platform to assist movement of the person along the transfer platform when the person is being moved from the first support platform onto the second support platform.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the slider surface comprises a slider sheet which is mounted on at least a first set of rollers at a first end of the transfer platform.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least a first set of rollers comprises a first set of rollers and second set of rollers each placed at respective first and second longitudinal ends of the transfer platform.

13. (canceled)

14. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the second support platform comprises first and second sections, and wherein the first section comprises a pressure cushion to provide support for the person when they are in the seat.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the second section is inflatable to adjust the height of the second support platform to the height of the first support platform.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the second section is connected to an air compressor to provide air for inflation of the second section.

17. (canceled)

18. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the pressure cushion is inflatable.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the pressure cushion is connected to an air compressor to provide air for inflation of the pressure cushion.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the air compressor is configured to receive a supply of electricity from an external power source.

21. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first support structure is mounted to a wheelchair.

22.-37. (canceled)

38. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the obstructed seat is an aircraft seat comprising at least one armrest.

39. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] An embodiment in accordance with the first and second aspects will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the following drawings in which:

[0036] FIG. 1a illustrates a side view of a wheelchair used to seat a passenger on an aircraft seat;

[0037] FIG. 1b illustrates a front end view of a wheelchair used to seat a passenger on an aircraft seat;

[0038] FIG. 2 illustrates a wheelchair in a position adjacent a row of seats on an aircraft;

[0039] FIG. 3 illustrates the use of an apparatus in accordance with the embodiment;

[0040] FIG. 4 illustrates a transfer board of an apparatus in accordance with the embodiment; and

[0041] FIG. 5 illustrates an air cushion of an apparatus in accordance with the embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] We now describe, with reference to FIGS. 1a and 1b, the use of a wheelchair 100 to board a passenger onto an aircraft.

[0043] FIG. 1a provides a side view of a wheelchair 100 used to seat a passenger 102 on an aircraft seat. Wheelchair 100 comprises a front set of castors 104 and a rear set of castors 106. Both the front set of castors 104 and the rear set of castors 106 can be folded away in the direction indicated by the arrow for storage. Wheelchair 100 is just an example of a wheelchair which can be used for the purposes of seating a passenger 102 into a seat on an aeroplane.

[0044] The wheelchair 100 comprises a seat 108 on which the passenger 102 is supported when they are being transported using the wheelchair 100. The passenger 102 rests their feet on footrests 110 which are foldable in the direction indicated by the arrow.

[0045] The wheelchair 100 further comprises a backrest 112 and handles 114. The handles 114 are used by a member of cabin crew who is responsible for seating the passenger 102. The member of cabin crew pushes the wheelchair 100 using the handles 114. The handles 114 are positioned at the end of backrest 112. The handles 114 are foldable in the direction indicated by the arrow.

[0046] In the seated position in the wheelchair 100, the passenger 102 is supported in the seated position by the backrest 112 which is also foldable in the direction indicated by arrow A. The arms of passenger 102 are supported by armrests 116.

[0047] The height of the seat 108 is adjustable in an upwards direction as indicated in FIG. 1b where the height of the seat 108 is at an elevated position relative to the FIG. 1a. This lifts the passenger 102 to an elevated position which is useful during the process of boarding the passenger on the aircraft using the apparatus we will now describe. That is to say, the height of the seat 108 is fixed at a height which is higher than the height of a seat on a conventional wheelchair.

[0048] The height adjustment of the seat 108 may be implemented using an electric motor (not shown) or any other suitable means. Alternatively, the wheelchair 100 may be made with the seat 108 statically positioned at the height indicated in FIG. 1b, which would be higher than the typical wheelchair. The height adjustable seat 108 is mounted to the wheelchair 100 using an appropriate coupling mechanism and may be detached from the wheelchair 100 if necessary.

[0049] We now describe, with reference to FIG. 2, how height adjustable seat 108 is used to seat a passenger 102 during the boarding process to seat the passenger 102 in a seat 200 on an aircraft.

[0050] Wheelchair 100 is pushed to a position in an aisle adjacent an aircraft seat 200, where seats 216 and an arm rest are obstructing access to seat 200. The height of the seat 108 is raised, electronically or otherwise, to a height which is equal to the height of the arm rest 202 of the seat 200. Alternatively, the height of the seat 108 may be fixed at a height which is equal to the height of the arm rest 202 of the seat 200.

[0051] Seat 200 is part of a group of three seats in an aircraft cabin, it may be a group of two seats and it may also be that the seat 200 is the seat nearest to the wheelchair 100 as illustrated in FIG. 2. In FIG. 3 we illustrate a group of three seats 216 where seat 200 is farthest away from the aisle in which the wheelchair 100 is positioned.

[0052] A passenger support arrangement 204 is positioned on the seat 200. The passenger support arrangement 204 comprises an upper section 206 and a lower section 208. The upper section 206 is connected to the lower section 208.

[0053] The upper section 206 is an air ripple cushion which is inflated by air supplied by a 12v air compressor 210 using leads 228. Using an air ripple cushion provides pressure relief for the passenger sat on the seat 200 during a long journey, such as a long haul flight.

[0054] The upper section 206 is described in more detail with reference to FIG. 5

[0055] The lower section 208 is an inflatable body which is also connected to the 12v air compressor 210. The lower section 208 is inflated using air from the air compressor 210 to raise the height of the passenger support arrangement 204 up to the height of the arm rest 202. That is to say, the passenger support arrangement 204 is elevated up to the height of the seat 108 due to the inflation of the lower section 208. This is illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0056] A transfer board 212 is attached to the armrest 116 of the wheelchair 100 using a clip 214 and is laid across the other two seats in the three seat arrangement 216 of aircraft seats. That is to say, the transfer board 212 bridges the gap between the seat 108 and the passenger support arrangement 204.

[0057] The arrangement provided by the apparatus illustrated with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 enables a person to be moved from the seat 108 of the wheelchair to the passenger support arrangement 204. That is to say, a member of cabin crew can then assist the person as they can be moved along the transfer board 212 to a seated position on the passenger support arrangement 204 which is on seat 200. This can be done without lifting the passenger which is preferable for the passenger and preferable for the cabin crew.

[0058] A more able passenger can shuffle themselves along the transfer board 212 but the transfer board 212 may be itself configured to provide assistance to the less able passenger, as will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0059] Upon moving across the transfer board 212 or having been moved across the transfer board 212 to the passenger support arrangement 204, the passenger will be supported on the upper section 206.

[0060] The three-way valve 218 can then be activated to release air from lower section 208. This causes the air to be released from the lower section 208 and the height of the passenger support arrangement 204 is then reduced to lower the passenger into a seated position on the seat 200.

[0061] The passenger is then supported throughout the flight on the upper section 206 which forms a pressure cushion for the passenger. The upper section 206 is maintained in an inflated form by the air compressor 210 which is powered by the aircraft. Alternatively, the upper section 206 may be a foam based pressure cushion which does not require inflation. Alternatively, the upper section 206 may be a gel based pressure cushion which does not require inflation.

[0062] When the flight is over, the lower section 208 can be inflated again to lift the passenger up to an elevation which can be aligned with the seat 108 of wheelchair 100 and the process detailed above reversed to transfer the passenger from the seat 200 to the wheelchair 100 along the transfer board 212 so that they can be taken from the aircraft using wheelchair 100.

[0063] The use of the pressure cushion as a support surface for the passenger removes pressure points for the passenger and reduces the probability of the occurrence of pressure sores.

[0064] The transfer board 212 is of a length which is sufficient to bridge the gap between the wheelchair 100 and the seat 200. Many aircraft cabins have seat groupings of different sizes. Some seat groupings have 3 seats, as in FIGS. 2 and 3, and some others may have 2 seats or even 4 seats. The transfer board 212 may be adjustable in length to enable the apparatus to be used with seat groupings of different sizes. The transfer board 212 may be fixed and available in different lengths to enable it to be used with different seat groupings.

[0065] If the seat 200 is immediately next to the wheelchair 100 then it is possible that the transfer board 212 may not be necessary as the wheelchair 100 is so close to the seat 200 that the passenger can simply move from seat 108 to passenger support arrangement 204.

[0066] We now describe an example of the transfer board 212 in more detail with reference to FIG. 4.

[0067] The transfer board 212 comprises a clip 214 which enables the transfer board 212 to be attached to the wheelchair 100 when the passenger is being moved from the seat 108 to the passenger support apparatus 204.

[0068] The transfer board 212 comprises a first set of rollers 220 and a second set of rollers 222. A slide sheet 224 is routed around the first set of rollers 220 and the second set of rollers 222. The slide sheet 224 assists in the movement of the passenger along the transfer board 212 as it is made from low friction material such as low friction nylon. In order to realise different lengths of transfer board 212, the slider sheet 224 may be changed so that its length along the transfer board 212 can be extended

[0069] The first set of rollers 220 and the second set of rollers 222 keep the slide sheet to the top of the transfer board 212 and prevent the slide sheet 224 from being caught on the arm rests of any of the seats in the seating group.

[0070] Using a transfer board 212 which utilises a slide sheet 224 means that even passengers with low mobility and physical ability can be seated with minimal effort.

[0071] In an alternative embodiment, the transfer board 212 may not use rollers or a slide sheet 224. Instead, a cushion may be provided which is positioned underneath the passenger at the start of the seating process, i.e. when they are positioned on the wheelchair 100, and then remain underneath the passenger during the seating process. The passenger may be pulled or pushed along transfer board 212 on the cushion from the seat 108 on the wheelchair 100 to the passenger support arrangement 204. Removing the need for rollers on the transfer board 212 simplifies the structure of the transfer board 212 and improves the comfort for the passenger.

[0072] That is to say, it is possible to transfer a passenger along the transfer board 212 between the wheelchair 100 and the passenger support arrangement 204 using just the cushion.

[0073] We now describe, with reference to FIG. 5, an example of passenger support arrangement 204.

[0074] Lower section 208 is inflatable through connection to air compressor 210 which causes the height of the passenger support arrangement 204 to be adjusted so that it can be aligned with the height of seat 108, as described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0075] Upper section 206 comprises contoured sections 226 which improves comfort and removes pressure points and mitigates against the development of pressure sores. Parts of the upper section 206 may open and close during use to improve comfort.

[0076] The described apparatus enables cabin crew to move a passenger from a wheelchair into a seat on an aircraft, even if an arm rest or other seat is providing an obstruction. The apparatus enables the passenger to be moved without lifting.

[0077] It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be capable of designing many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed in parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claims. The word “comprising” and “comprises”, and the like, does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in any claim or the specification as a whole. In the present specification, “comprises” means “includes or consists of” and “comprising” means “including or consisting of”. The singular reference of an element does not exclude the plural reference of such elements and vice-versa. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.