Trunk support for sitting patients

Claim 2

A patient''s trunk support for use on seating structures comprising a supporting plate for engaging a portion of the patient''s trunk, means for connecting the plate to the support structure, adjustment means permitting adjustment of the spatial position of the plate with respect to the support structure and the patient''s trunk, means permitting movement of the plate from a first position supporting the patient''s trunk to a second, open position permitting the patient to enter and alight from the support structure, and stop means limiting movement of the plate when in the first position, whereby a precise positioning of the support plate relative to the trunk is attained without resetting of the adjustment means each time the plate is applied to the patient''s trunk.

Claim 3

A trunk support according to claim 1 including means for biasing the support plate in one direction, means limiting the biased movement of the plate, and means for movement of the plate in a direction opposite to the biased movement thereof.

Claim 4

A trunk support aCcording to claim 1 wherein the adjustment means comprises means for moving the support plate in at least three transverse axes, and means permitting pivotal movements of the support plate about respective axes parallel and transverse to the axis of the patient''s trunk.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1 including means for locking the plate in the first position.

Claim 6

A trunk support for attachment to chairs and the like seating structures comprising a pair of opposite support plates for laterally supporting a patient''s trunk, means for mounting the plates to the seating structure, means permitting independent pivotal movement of the plates about spaced apart axes generally parallel to the patient''s trunk, means for independently spatially adjusting the position of the support plates with respect to the seating structure to enable use of the trunk support with patients of varying shapes and sizes, and plate opening means coupled to the mounting means for moving at least one of the support plates out of its trunk supporting position to enable the patient to enter and alight from the seating structure.

Claim 7

A trunk support for attachment to chairs and the like seating structures comprising a pair of opposite support plates for laterally supporting a patient''s trunk, means for mounting the plates to the seating structure, means permitting independent pivotal movement of the plates about spaced apart axes generally parallel to the patient''s trunk, means for independently spatially adjusting the position of the support plates with respect to the seating structure to enable use of the trunk support with patients of varying shapes and sizes, and plate opening means coupled to the mounting means for moving at least one of the support plates out of its trunk supporting position to enable the patient to enter and alight from the seating structure.

Claim 8

A trunk support according to claim 5 wherein the plate opening means includes means determining the trunk supporting position of the support plate and preventing movement of the support plate past such trunk supporting position.

Claim 9

A trunk support according to claim 6 including means for demountably securing the trunk support to the seating structure, and means independent of the securing means for moving the support plate substantially parallel to the pivot axis to provide further adjustability of the support plate relative to the seating structure and the patient''s trunk.

Claim 10

A trunk support according to claim 7 wherein the pivot axis and the means for adjusting the plate parallel to the pivot axis are positioned closely adjacent the support plate, and wherein the trunk support further includes means also closely adjacent the support plate for pivoting the plate about a second axis oriented transversely to the first axis.

Claim 11

A trunk support according to claim 5 including means for adjusting the magnitude of the pivotal movement of the plate.

Claim 12

A trunk support comprising a contoured trunk support plate for placement against a patient''s trunk, the support plate being movable into and out of its trunk support position, plate mounting means for mounting the plate to a seating structure, means permitting limited pivotal motion of the plate about an axis substantially parallel to and disposed closely adjacent the plate and the patient''s trunk, vertical adjustment means permitting the raising and lowering of the plate in the direction of the patient''s trunk, means for adjusting the position of the support plate in transverse directions substantially perpendicular to the trunk axis, means determining the trunk supporting position of the support plate, and means for locking the support plate in its trunk supporting position.

Claim 13

A trunk support comprising a contoured trunk support plate for placement against a patient''s trunk, the support plate being movable into and out of its trunk support position, plate mounting means for mounting the plate to a seating structure, means permitting limited pivotal motion of the plate about an axis substantially parallel to and disposed closely adjacent the plate and the patient''s trunk, vertical adjustment means permitting the raising and lowering of the plate in the direction of the patient''s trunk, means for adjusting the position of the support plate in transverse directions substantially perpendicular to the trunk axis, means determining the trunk supporting position of the support plate, and means for locking the support plate in its trunk supporting position.

Claim 14

A trunk support according to claim 10 and having cam means associated with the locking means for moving the plate toward its trunk supporting position and determining the maximum movement of the plate between the trunk supporting position and an open position.

Claim 15

In a seating structure for patients with infirm trunks having a sitting surface, support means for the surface, and upwardly extending backrest means connected with the sitting surface, the improvement comprising: a pair of trunk support plates arranged laterally of the patient''s trunk for limiting movements of the trunk and maintaining the trunk in an essentially upright position, means for securing each support plate to the backrest, means permitting movement of at least one of the plates toward and away from the trunk, means for arresting movement of the plates towards the trunk in a predetermined trunk supporting position laterally of the patient''s trunk, means for releasably locking the plates in the predetermined position, and means peRmitting independent adjustment of the plate positions relative to the seating structure when the plates are locked in said predetermined trunk supporting position.

Claim 16

In a seating structure for patients with infirm trunks having a sitting surface, support means for the surface, and upwardly extending backrest means connected with the sitting surface, the improvement comprising: a pair of trunk support plates arranged laterally of the patient''s trunk for limiting movements of the trunk and maintaining the trunk in an essentially upright position, means for securing each support plate to the backrest, means permitting movement of at least one of the plates toward and away from the trunk, means for arresting movement of the plates towards the trunk in a predetermined trunk supporting position laterally of the patient''s trunk, means for releasably locking the plates in the predetermined position, and means peRmitting independent adjustment of the plate positions relative to the seating structure when the plates are locked in said predetermined trunk supporting position.

Claim 17

A structure according to claim 12 wherein the means permitting movement includes means for pivoting at least one of the plates about a generally upright axis, and wherein the adjustment means includes pivot means permitting limited pivotal movement of the plate about an axis generally parallel to the patient''s trunk, the pivot means being positioned closely adjacent the plate.