WO2003017894A1

WO2003017894A1 - Patient exercise and lift apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2003017894A1
Application number: PCT/KR2002/000099
Authority: WO
Inventors: Seung-Bu Park
Original assignee: Seung-Bu Park
Priority date: 2001-08-23
Filing date: 2002-01-21
Publication date: 2003-03-06
Also published as: KR20030016902A

Abstract

A patient exercise and lift apparatus aids a patient to walk adequately to one's physical condition. A pair of cylinder frames having handles and rear wheels are vertically mounted to rear ends of a pair of base frames having front wheels. Lifting bars are s lidably inserted into the cylinder frames. A vertical bar is detachably coupled to a top end of each lifting bar, and a horizontal bar is extended from a top end of each vertical bar. A body supporting member is detachably mounted to the horizontal bars. A li ft operating part includes a driving means, ascending and descending switches and a lifting member. An air suspension part includes an air tank mounted between the base frames, a pressure contr ol valve for injecting or discharging an air into/from the air tank, and an air cylinder mounted between the air tank and the lift operating part.

Description

PATIENT EXERCISE AND LIFT APPARATUS

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a patient exercise and lift apparatus, and more particularly to a patient exercise and lift apparatus capable of helping a patient to walk in accordance with the walking-pattern for his/her physical condition and symptom, to achieve physical therapy for arms, legs and neck, while to be used as a wheel chair.

BACKGROUND ART

Generally, when a serious patient being uncomfortable to walk by himself/herself walks, hi/she should be aided by a third party or a walking apparatus provided with wheels.

In this case, however, the serious patient should be assisted by the third party, or he/she should supports his/her weight with his/her arms. Further, in order to move a patient who cannot walk from place to place, more than two persons should lift the patient.

Further, to achieve a physical therapy for arms, legs and neck, a patient should move a place where an extra apparatus for physical therapy presents . Also, the physical therapy should be achieved using each different apparatus.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The present invention is contrived to overcome above-describedproblems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a patient exercise and lift apparatus enabling to help a patient being uncomfortable to walk, to achieve different physical therapies, and to easily move a serious patient who cannot walk by himself/herself .

To achieve the above object, a patient exercise and lift apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a frame part including a pair of base frames having front wheels and a pair of cylinder frames vertically mounted to rear ends of the base frames and in which a handle thereof is combined with rear wheels; a lifting part including supporting bars consisting of lifting bars enabling to insert in each cylinder frame, a vertical bar detachably coupled to a top end of each lifting bar, and a horizontal bar horizontally extended form a top end of each vertical bar; a body supporting member which is detachably mounted to the supporting bar of the lifting part, for holding a body of a patient; a lift operating part united to the frame part and the lifting part and including a driving mean, ascending and descending switches to control the driving mean and a lifting member being lifted by operating of the driving mean; and an air suspension including an air tank mounted between rear ends of the base frames so as to unite to the base frames, a pressure control valve mounted on one side of the air tank for injecting and discharging air into/from the air tank, and an air cylinder in which lower end thereof is connected to the air tank and upper end thereof is connected to lower portion of the lift operating part.

The handles are provided on outer peripheral surface of the cylinder frames so as to be enabled to rotate at an angle of 360 degrees, and a brake device for stopping the rotation of the rear wheels is further provided on the handle and the cylinder frames. The lifting part further includes combining nuts fixedly united to the top end of the lifting bar and detachably united to the lower end of the vertical bar, connecting bars provided between the combining nuts to connect the combining nuts each other and where the lifting members are united, cross bars united between the horizontal bars, and a rotating frame which is rotatably united to a middle portion of the cross bar and which is provided with a plurality of hooks.

The body supporting member includes a holding part for holding a body of a patient, and a plurality of connecting straps integrated with the holding part, which have hook members fixed to a loop of the rotating frame.

The driving mean of the lift operating part is united to the top end of the air cylinder of the air suspension part, which includes a driving motor rotating in clockwise and counterclockwise directions at high or low velocity.

The lifting member includes a rotating axis united to the driving motor and rotating in clockwise and counterclockwise directions, a screw bar which lower end thereof is united to the rotating axis and having threads on its outer periphery surface, a shifting nut united to the threads of the screw bar and lifting according to the rotation of the screw bar, a guide pipe vertically mounted on middle portion of the cylinder frames so as to be parallel with the cylinder frames, receiving the rotating axis, the screw bar and the shifting nut, and where a limit switch is mounted on the upper and lower portion of it's inside, and a operating rod inserted into the guide pipe so as to enable to rotate, supported by the shifting nut then lifting together with the shifting nut, and where the top end thereof is united to the lifting bar.

Further, the patient exercise and lift apparatus further includes a pair of chair supporting part and a pair of armrest which are installed on a pair of cylinder frame, a chair which is detachably installed on the chair supporting part, a pair of foot supporting part wherein foot plate is combined to a hollowed supporting frame and the lower end of the supporting frame in each, and a protrusion which is formed on the upper surface of each base frame in order to be inserted into the frame of the foot supporting part.

With this structure, the patient exercise and lift apparatus according to the present invention can help a patient to exercise to walk in accordance with the walking-pattern for his/her physical condition and symptom and to move from place to place, while to be used as a wheel chair.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig .1 is an exploded perspective view of a patient exercise and lift apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the patient exercise and lift apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which all parts of the patient exercise and lift apparatus are combined with another;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a circular portion marked as a character ^ΛA" in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side view of a break system of the patient exercise and lift apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 5a is a view showing the operation of the break system when the patient exercise and lift apparatus of the present invention is temporarily stopped;

Fig. 5b is a view showing the operation of the break system when the patient exercise and lift apparatus of the present invention is fully stopped; Fig. 6 is a partially cross sectional view showing the first preferred embodiment of an elevation operating part of the patient exercise and lift apparatus of the present invention;

Fig. 7 is a broken perspective view of an air suspension part of the patient exercise and lift apparatus of the present invention;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a chair supporting part and an armrest of the patient exercise and lift apparatus of the present invention;

Fig. 9 is a side view showing that the patient exercise and lift apparatus is used as an auxiliary walking device;

Fig. 10 is a side view showing that the patient exercise and lift apparatus is used as a patient moving apparatus;

Fig. 11 is a side view showing that the patient exercise and lift apparatus is used as a physical therapy apparatus; Fig. 12 is a side view showing that the patient exercise and lift apparatus is used as a wheel chair;

Fig. 13 is a view showing the second preferred embodiment of lift operating part of the patient exercise and lift apparatus according to the present invention; Fig. 14 is a view showing the third preferred embodiment of lift operating part of the patient exercise and lift apparatus according to the present invention; and

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of a patient exercise and lift apparatus according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, where the lift operating part in Fig. 14 is mounted. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT INVENTION

Hereinafter, the preferred embodiments of the present invention are explained in detail referring to the accompanying drawings .

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the patient exercise and lift apparatus according to the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the patient exercise and lift apparatus shown in Fig.1, in which all parts of the exercise and lift apparatus accordingto the present invention are combined with another.

As shown in Figs 1 and 2, the patient exercise and lift apparatus according to the present invention includes a pair of base frame 11, a frame part comprising of a pair of cylinder frames 12 connected to the rear end of each base frame 11, a lift operating part 30 , a lift part 40 being ascended and descended by the lift operating part 30, a body supportingmember for holding a patient' body, and an air suspension part for absorbing the impact generated when the patient is walking so as to help the walking of the patient.

Each component is explained in detail as follows. Front wheels 13a having relatively small diameter are rotatably connected to the lower surface of the front end of each base frame 11. A holder 14 is installed on the rear end of the base frame 1, and rear wheels 13b having relatively large diameter are connected to the holder 14.

Further, a pair of handles 20 is installed on the outer surface of the cylinder frame 12 in order to help a third party or a nurse to hold the handles 20, and then to move the patient exercise and lift apparatus of the present invention. The handles

20 are rotated at an angle of 360 degrees along the outer surface of the cylinder frame 12 by a fixing means 21 so that a patient can move without any help using the patient exercise and lift apparatus. As shown in Fig. 3, the fixing means 21 includes a closely contacting member 12 being connected to the one side of the handle 20, which has a predetermined curvature to be closely contacted to the outer surface of the cylinder frame 12 and while is opened one side thereof, a pair -of extending part 21b being formed on outer side of the opening of the closely contacting member 12, a screw member 21c being connected to a extending part 21b and a wrench member 21d being connected to one end of the screw member 21c so as to make the screw member 21c move easily. That is, in a state that the screw member 21c is released, the user rotates the handle 20 to a predetermined position, and then makes the screw member 21c tight using the wrench member 21d. Thereby, two extending parts 21b are closely contacted each other and then the closely contacting member 21a is perfectly and closely contacted to the cylinder frame 12, so the handle 20 is fixed.

Further, a break system for breaking the patient exercise and lift apparatus is provided to the patient exercise and lift apparatus, which stops the movement of the patient exercise and lift apparatus by stopping the rotation of the rear wheel 13b. A shown in Fig. 4, a bracket 20a is fixed to one side of the handle 20, and the break system is installed to the bracket 20a. The break system includes a grip 22 held by the user, a lever 23 extended from the one end of the grip 22 and rotatably installed to the bracket 20a by a hinge pin 23a, a cable 25 connected to one side of the cam 24 and extending toward the rear wheel 13b, and a pad 26 connected to the cable 25 and closely contacted to and separated from the outer surface of the rear wheel 13b, and thereby the pad 26 allows the rear wheel 13b to be stopped and to be rotated. As shown in Fig. 4, a recess 23b is formed on one side of the lever 23, and the cam 24 is contacted to the surface of the recess 23b. A stopper pin 27 for restricting the rotation of the cam 24 is installed to the bracket 20a. To install the pad 26, a bracket 28 is connected to the cylinder frame 12. The pad 26 is rotatably connected at a center portion thereof to the bracket 28 by the hinge pin 26a, and a return spring 29, which separates the end of the pad 26 from the rear wheel 13b, is provided to the hinge pin 26a. The break system as explained above operates as follows.

As shown in Fig. 5a, in case the user wants to momentarily stop the patient exercise and lift apparatus, he/she holds and rotates the grip 22 in a direction marked by an arrow A. Thereby, the lever 23 is rotated around the hinge pin 23a to come in contact with the bottom surface of the cam 24. Afterward, the lever is rotated until the cam 24 comes in contact with the stopper pin 27. At this time, the cam 24 is rotated upwardly around the hinge pin 24a. So, the cable 25 connected to the cam 24 is moved upwardly, and the end of the pad 26 is rotated around the hinge pin 26a so as to come in contact with the outer surface of the rear wheel 13b, and thereby the rear wheel 13b is stopped.

In case the user moves the patient exercise and lift apparatus, he/she releases the grip 22. At this time, the pad 26 is rotated around the hinge pin 26a by the elastic force of the return spring 29 provided on the hinge pin 26a and then the pad 26 is released from the rear wheel 13b. Also, the cable 25 is moved downwardly, and the cam 24 and the lever 23 which are connected to the cable 25 return to an initial position.

Additionally, in case the user stops the patient exercise and lift apparatus for long time, as shown in Fig. 5b, he/she rotates the grip 22 in a direction marked by an arrow B. Thereby, the lever 23 is rotated around the hinge pin 23a, and the cam 24 is contacted to the recess of the lever 23 so as to move upwardly around the hinge pin 24a. Accordingly, the pad 26 is contacted to the outer surface of the rear wheel 13b by the cable 25, thereby the rear wheel 13b is stopped. At this time, as shown in Fig. 5b, when the grip 22 is rotated until it cannot be rotated anymore, the recess of the lever 23 comes in close contact with the cam 24 so that the cam 24 is prevented by the elastic force of the return spring 29 from being returned to the initial position. Thereby, although the user releases the grip 22, the lever 23 is still stopped by the cam 24, and thereby the rear wheel 13b is braked for long time.

Afterward, when the user applies force to the grip 22 toward the handle 20, the lever 23 supports the cam 24 while beginning to rotate. Also, the cam 24 is downwardly rotated by the elastic force of the return spring 29 so as to return to the initial position. Thus, the pad 26 is released from the rear wheel 13b to allow the rear wheel 13b to rotate.

A lift operating part 30 is provided between the pair of cylinder frames 12 in order that the patient exercise and lift apparatus can be controlled according to the height of a patient . Fig. 6 is a partial cross section view showing the first preferred embodiment of the lift operating part 30.

As shown in Figs .1 and 6, the lift operatingpart 30 includes a driving motor 31 capable of driving in clockwise or counterclockwise direction at a low or high velocity, ascending/descending switches 33, 34 for controlling the driving motor 31, and a lifting member being elevated by the driving motor 31.

Preferably, a direct current motor is used as the driving motor 31, and a reducer (not shown) and a speed controller (not shown) to control the rotating speed of the motor 31 are provided in a motor housing. The lift member includes a shaft 35 being rotated by the driving motor 31 in clockwise or counterclockwise direction, a screw bar 36 being connected to the lower end of the shaft 35 and having threads formed on outer surface thereof, a moving nut 37 being connected to the outer surface of the screw bar 36, a guide pipe 39 being installed between the pair of cylinder frames 12 and receiving the shaft 35, the screw bar 36 and the moving nut 37, and an operating rod 38 which is supported by the moving nut 37 and moved along with the moving nut 37 in a state where it is inserted in the guide pipe 39.

More specifically, a supporting protrusion 37a for supporting the lower end of the operating rod 38 is formed on the one side of the outer surface of the moving nut 37. Also, the outer surface of the supporting protrusion 37a and the inner surface of the guide pipe 39 are formed to be rectangular or hexagonal. So the surfaces are connected to each other, and thereby the moving nut 37 does not rotate together with the screw bar 36, but elevates. Further, the upper end of the screw 36 is inserted in the operating rod 38 and rotatably supported by a bearing. Thereby, when the screw bar 36 is rotated, the moving nut 37 is elevated together with the moving nut 37 without being rotated.

Further, a limit switch (not shown) for restricting the upper/lower moving limit of the moving nut 37 and the operating rod 38 is installed on the upper/lower portion of inner side of the guide pipe 39. That is, when the moving nut 37, which is elevated by controlling of the ascending/descending switches 33, 34, comes in a direct contact with the limit switch at each upper and lower limit. The upper end of the operating rod 38 is fixed to a connecting bar 45 of a lifting part 40 by a fixing bracket 44.

The lift part 40 being elevated by the lift operating part 30 and supporting the patient is comprised of a lift bar 41 being movably inserted in each cylinder frame 12, a connecting nut 42 being connected to the upper end of each lift bar 41, a supporting bar 43 having a "^~i" shape, which comprises a vertical bar 43a detachably connected to each connecting nut 42 and a horizontal bar 43a bent at the upper end of the vertical bar 43a to extend horizontally. The pair of connecting bars 45 fixed to the upper end of the operating rod 38 by the fixing bracket 44 is provided between the pair of connecting nuts 42 to connect the nuts 42 each other.

Furthermore, the lift bar 40 includes a cross bar 46 which is disposed between the pair of horizontal bars 43b in order to connect the bars 43b each other. A circular and rotating frame 47 provided with plurality of hooks 47a is rotatably installed at an intermediate portion of the cross bar 46 by means of a universal joint or thrust bearing, etc.

A body supporting member 50 being worn on a patient' s body is connected to the hooks 47a of the rotating frame 47. The body supporting member 50 comprises a worn part 51 which is worn on the femoral region and the waist of the patient and which is fixedby a buckle andthe like to the patient' s body, anda plurality of connecting strips 52 which is integrally formed on the worn part 51 and which has the hook member 52a to hang the connecting strip 52 to the hook 47a of the rotating frame 47. The patient held by the worn part 51 can be rotated in a direction that he/she wants to rotate by a third party or by himself/herself . Also, since the patient wears the worn part 51 on his/her body, the patient can walk more safely, and also the patient having a difficulty of walking can be lifted in a state that the patient sits. The body supporting member 50 is formed in a variety of types to easily replace it with new one, and thereby it can be used during walking as well as physical therapy by supporting a portion of the patient such as arm or legs.

Meanwhile, when a person is walking, generally the body of the person is shaking upwardly and downwardly. Further, in case that a weak patient walks in a state that his/her body is held by the body supporting member 50, the portion of body which contacts to the worn part 51 and the connecting strips 52 is subjected to pains . Therefore, to solve this problem and to walk easily, the patient exercise and lift apparatus further includes an air suspension part 60. As shown in Figs .1 and 7 , the air suspension part 60 includes an air tank 61 having a bar shape, which is combined with a rear end of the two base frames 11 to connect the base frames 11 each other and which is empty, a pressure controlling valve 62 which is installed at one side of the air tank 61 to introduce and discharge air into/from the air tank 61, and an air cylinder 63 of which a lower end is communicated with the air tank 61 and of which an upper end is combined with a lower portion of the motor case 31a of the lift operating part 30. The pressure controlling valve 62 is provided with a pressure gauge 64 to check pressure in the air tank 61. An expansible bellows pipe 65 is provided to enclose the air cylinder 63.

When the user introduces a predetermined amount of air in proportion to a weight of the patient into the air tank 61 through the pressure controlling valve 62 using a typical air pump (not shown) , the patient can smoothly walk due to a buffering action of the air cylinder 63. The pressure controlling valve 62 and the air cylinder 63 are already known in the field of the air suspension apparatus. Therefore, the description and drawings relating to the pressure controlling valve 62 and the air cylinder 63 are omitted.

The patient exercise and lift apparatus according to the present invention has not only a function of exercising the patient to walk, but also a function of a wheel chair for the patient who cannot walk due to a bone fracture of leg, a paralysis of the lower half of his/her body, etc.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 8, a chair supporting part 70 is installed to the respectively cylinder frame 12. The chair supporting part 70 includes a body 71 having a circular through-hole 71a formed therein and an opening formed thereon, a close contact member 72 having a predetermined curvature to come in contact with the cylinder frame 12 along the peripheral surface of the cylinder frame 12, which has an opening formed at a side thereof, and chair supporting rods 73 of which a portion is inserted in the body 71 and which is rotatably combined with the body 71 by mean of a hinge pin. The close contact member 72 has a pair of extension portions 72a extending outwardly from both ends thereof. A screw member 72b extends through the extension portions 72a to combine the extension portions 72a each other. A wrench member 72c is combined to an end of the screw member 72b to facilitate the rotation of the screw member 72b. That is, when the screw member 72b is tightened by means of the wrench member 72c after the close contact member 72 is moved to a suitable position to the height of the patient in the state the screw member 72b is unscrewed, the two extension portions 72a through which the screw member 72b is extended come in close contact with each other so that the chair supporting parts 70 are fully fixed to the cylinder frame 12.

In the chair supporting parts 70 as constructed above, when the pair of the chair supporting parts 70 is supported by means of the body 71 to be held horizontally, a separate chair 80 is combined to the chair supporting rods 73. As shown in Fig. 1, the chair 80 comprises a body frame 81 generally formed in a U shape and a seat portion 82 combined to the body frame 81 in order for the patient to seat on the seat portion 82. That is, the chair supporting rods 72 are respectively inserted at both ends of the body frame 81 in parallel with each other, so that the chair 80 is fixed to the patient exercise and lift apparatus . Furthermore, armrests 90 are installed at a higher position than that of the chair ^'supporting portions 70 to the respective cylinder frame 12 in order that the patient seat on the chair 80 comfortably. The armrests 90 includes a body 91 having a circular through-hole 91a formed therein and an opening formed thereon, a close contact member 92 which is integrated with the body 91, which has a predetermined curvature to come in close contact with the cylinder frame 12 along the peripheral surface of the cylinder frame 12, and which has an opening formed at a side thereof, armrest supporting rods 93 of which an end is inserted in the body 91 to be rotatably combined by means of a hinge pin to the body 91, and cushion members 94 which are attached to a surface of the armrest supporting rods 93 so that the patient puts his/her arms on the cushion members 94. A pair of extension portions 92a is formed at both ends of the close contacting member 92 to extend outwardly, through which a screwed member 92b extends. A wrench member 92c is coupled to one end of the screwedmember 92b to facilitate the rotation of the screwed member 92b. That is, when the screwedmember 92b is made by means of the wrench member to be tight after the close contacting member 92 moves to a position in proportion to the height of the patient in the state that the screwedmember 92b is released, two extension portions 92a combined with the screwed member 92b come in close contact with each other so that the armrest portion 90 is fully fixed to the cylinder frame 12. As shown in Fig. 1, a pair of feet supporting part 100 is separately provided to the patient exercise and lift apparatus to give a convenience for the patient together with the armrest portion 90. The feet supporting part 100 includes a hollow supporting frame 101 and a feet plate 102 combined with a lower end of the supporting frame 101. Inserting projections 11a are respectively formed on an upper surface of two base frame 11 to be inserted in the supporting part 101 in order to fix the feet supporting to the patient exercise and lift apparatus. When the function of the patient exercise and lift apparatus is transferred from the wheel chair to an auxiliary walking device, the chair 80 and the feet supporting part 100 are respectively separated from the chair supporting part 70 and the inserting projections 11a. As shown in a phantom line in Fig. 8, the supporting rod 73 of the chair supporting part 70 and the supporting rod 93 of the armrest portion 90 are vertically rotated at an angle of 90 degrees so as to be positioned in parallel with the cylinder frames 12. At this time, a central axis X of the supporting rod 73 of the chair supporting part 70 is coaxial with a central axis X' of the close contacting member 72, while a central axis Y of the supporting rod 93 of the armrest portion 90 is eccentric at a predetermined distance D from a central axis Y' of the close contacting member 92. These are to prevent a mutual interference of the chair supporting rod 73 and the armrest supporting rod 93. Thus, the distance D is large enough to prevent the mutual interference. Of course, the shapes of the chair supporting part 70 and the armrest portion 90 can be modified.

Hereinafter, an operation and an effect of the patient exercise and lift apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention as constructed above will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . Fig. 9 is a side view of the patient exercise and lift apparatus accordingto the present invention, inwhich the patient exercise and lift apparatus is used as the auxiliary walking device for exercising.

As shown in Figs. 1, 6 and 9, to use the patient exercise and lift apparatus according to the present invention as the auxiliary walking device, the femoral region and the waist of the patient is firstly secured to the worn portion 51 of the body supporting member 50, and then the hook members 52a of the connecting straps 52 are hung on the loops 47a of the rotating frame 47.

In this state, when ascending switch 33 installed to the lift operating part 30 is pushed to turn on the driving motor 31, the driving motor 31 rotates in the original direction. Accordingly, the screwed rod 36 connected to the rotating shaft 35 also rotates in the original direction, and a shifting nut 37 engaged with the screwed rod 36 is ascended along the screwed rod 36 with being restricted by means of the guide pipe 39. Therefore, the operating rod 38 of which a lower end is supported by the shifting nut 37 of the supporting projection 37a, the lifting rod 41 which is combined by means of the fixing bracket 44 to the operating rod 38, and the supporting rod 43 which is combinedwith the lifting rod 41 are ascendedtogether . Similarly, when the descending switch 34 is pushed to turn on the driving motor 31, the driving motor 31 rotates in the reverse direction. Thus, the shifting nut 37, the operating rod 38, the lifting rod 41 and the supporting rod 43 are descended together. Preferably, the lift operating portion 30 is adjusted to lift the patient with feet slightly contacting a surface of a ground, so that the patient can walk without weighting to his/her legs while standing against the patient exercise and lift apparatus . In the state that the patient exercise and lift apparatus is set up as described above, when the patient walks, the patient exercise and lift apparatus moves by means of front and rear wheels 13a and 13b in a direction that the patient or a guardian wants to move.

Furthermore, an operation of the air suspension combined to a lower portion of the driving motor 31 of the lift operating part 30 causes to reduce a pain in the patient's body which is caused due to a contact of his/her body and the worn part 51 and the connecting strap 52 when he/she walks, while making the patient walk smoothly.

In the case that the patient wants to stop the movement of the patient exercise and lift apparatus for a short time or for a long time, when the patient pulls the respective grip 22 of the brake devices to the handle 20 or pushes the respective grip 22 of the brake device toward a position apart from the handle 20, the patient can stop the rotation of the rear wheels 13b of the patient exercise and lift apparatus as described above with reference to Figs. 5a and 5b.

When the patient walks alone using the patient exercise and lift apparatus without an assistance of the guardian, furthermore, the screwed member 21c extending through the handle 20 is released using the wrench member 21d, the patient can adjust the handle 20 to be presented at a convenient position for the patient. Then, the screw member 21c is tightened toward the cylinder frames 12, so that the handle 20 is fixed to the cylinder frames 12. Moreover, the patient can easily turn his/her to all direction by means of the rotating frame 47 rotatably combined with the cross bar 46 which is coupled to the horizontal rod 43b of the supporting rod 43.

Fig. 10 is a view showing the patient exercise and lift apparatus according to the present invention which is used as a patient traveling apparatus .

As shown in Fig. 10, to move the serious patient unable to walk toward a suitable place such as an infirmary, the patient exercise'and lift apparatus is placed beside a bed 110 such that the base frame 11 is positioned under the bed 110 while the lifting part 40 is presented over the bed 110. After the patient is fixed to the body supporting member 50' suitably formed to support the laid patient and then the body supporting member 50' is connected to the loop of the rotating frame 47, the ascending switch 33 is operated so that the patient is lifted from the bed 110 so as to move the patient to a desired place (see Fig.

1) • Fig.11 is a view of the patient exercise and lift apparatus according to the present invention, in which the patient exercise and lift apparatus is used as a physical treating device.

As shown in Fig. 11, a separate provided body supporting member 50" is connected to the loop 47a of the rotating frame 47 in order to settle a certain portion of the body such as arms or legs. In the state that the arms or legs is settled by means of the body supporting member 50", then, the ascending and descending switches 33 and 34 are alternatively operated to repeatedly elevate and lift down the lifting part 40, resulting in establishing the physical treatment (see Fig. 1) .

Fig. 12 is a view of the patient exercise and lift apparatus according to the present invention, in which the patient exercise and lift apparatus is used as a wheel chair.

As shown in Fig. 12, after a supporting rod 73 of the chair supporting part 70 is horizontally rotated, the chair supporting rod 73 is inserted into the body frame 81 of the separate provided chair 80 so that the chair 80 having the seat portion 82 is fixed to the patient exercise and lift apparatus. Furthermore, to give the most convenience for the patient, the supporting rod 93 of the armrest portion 90 is horizontally rotated so that the patient puts his/her arm on the armrest, while separately provided feet supporting part 100 is mounted on the inserting projection 11a which is formed on the base frame 11, so that the patient puts his/her feet on the feet supporting part 100. The structure and operation of the chair supporting part 70 and the armrest 90 are already described with reference to Fig. 8. Accordingly, the description relating to the structure and operation of the chair supporting part 70 and the armrest 90 is omitted.

It is preferable that the descending switch 34 is operated such that the lifting part 40 is moved to the lowest of the base frame 11, and that the supporting rod 43 including the rotation frame 47 is released from the combination nut 42 which is combined to an upper end of the lifting rod 41.

Moreover, when the patient wants to take the physical treatment for the neck, arm and the like with seating on the seat 80 see Fig.11), the supporting rod 43 including the rotation frame 47 is held in the state of being set to the patient exercise and lift apparatus.

Fig. 13 is a view of the patient exercise and lift apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in which an alternative lift operating part is employed to the patient exercise and lift apparatus.

As shown in Fig. 13, the lift operating part 230 includes a pressure supplying part 232 which is positioned over an air cylinder 63 of an air suspension 60 and the bellows pipe 65, a cylinder 234 which is vertically combined to an upper portion of the pressure supplying part 232 to receive/ reciprocate pressure from/to the pressure supplyingpart 232, and an operation rod 236 which is movably inserted in the cylinder 234, of which an upper end is connected by means of the fixing bracket 44 to the connecting bar 45 of the lifting part 40. In the case of using oil as working medium in the lift operating part 230, the pressure supplying part 232 includes a hydraulic pump (not shown) for pumping the oil, a motor (not shown) for operating the hydraulic pump, and a directional selecting valve (not shown) for supplying or discharging the pumped oil to/from the cylinder 234.

In the case of using air as working medium in the lift operating part, meanwhile, the pressure supplying part 232 includes an air tank (not shown) and a compressor (not shown) for generating air pressure.

Such pressure supplying part 232 is already known in the technical field such as a hydraulic systems using oil or air. Thus, the description of the pressure supplying part 232 is omitted.

First and second pipes 238a and 238b are installed at a side of the pressure supplying part 232 to respectively extend to lower and upper ends of the cylinder 234 in order to supply oil pressure or air pressure.

A pressure receiving projection 240 is formed at a lower end of the operation rod 236 to come in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder 234.

The cylinder 234 includes a single acting cylinder as well as a double acting cylinder, and the operation rod 236 includes a piston-typed operation rod and a plunger-typed operation rod.

The description of an operation of the lift operating part

230 employed to the patient exercise and lift apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention is as follows. When the user operates the ascending switch, the oil pressure or the air pressure generated fromthe pressure supplying part 232 is supplied through the second pipe 238b to the lower portion of the cylinder 234 to be applied to the pressure receiving projection 240 of the operation rod 236, so that the operation rod 236 and the supporting rod 43 combined to the operation rod

236 are ascended (see Fig. 1) . At the same time, the oil pressure or the air pressure applied to the upper portion of the pressure receiving projection 240 in the cylinder 234 is reciprocated through the first pipe 238a to the pressure supplying part 232. When the descending switch (not shown) is operated, the oil pressure or the air pressure is conversely applied in comparison with the ascending of the operation rod 236 and the supporting rod 43.

Fig. 14 is a view of the lift operating part of the patient exercise and lift apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the patient exercise and lift apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention which has the lift operating part in Fig. 14.

As shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the lift operating part 330 of the patient exercise and lift apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes a hollow guide pipe 332 which is vertically installed to be parallel with the cylinder frame 12 and which is combined to an upper end of the bellows pipe 65 ofthe suspension 60, a drivingmotor 334 which is installed at a side of an upper portion of the guide pipe 332 to rotate in an original or reverse direction at a low or high velocity, ascending and descending switches 341 and 342 for controlling the driving motor 334, and an operation rod 336 which is movably inserted in the guide pipe 332 to be elevated by the operation of the driving motor 334. The driving motor 334 is disposed of which a central axis is perpendicular to a central axis of the guide pipe 332. A pinion gear 338 is combined with the driving shaft 335 of the driving motor 334, which is engaged with the operation rod 336. Preferably, a DC motor is used as the driving motor, which has a reducer (not shown) and a velocity controller capable of controlling the original/reverse velocity.

Gear teeth 337 are formed along the whole length of the operation rod 336 to be engaged with the pinion gear 338 mounted on the driving shaft 335 of the driving motor 334. A side of the guide pipe 332 is opened in order to engage the gear teeth 337 with the pinion gear 338. An upper rod of the operation rod 336 is fixed by means of the fixing bracket 44 to the connecting bar 45 of the lifting part 40.

Furthermore, limit switches (not shown) are installed at an upper portion and a lower portion in the guide pipe 332 in order to limit a movement of the operation rod 336. That is, when the operation rod 336, which is ascended as the ascending/des.cending switches 341 and 342 are operated, comes in direct contact with the limit switch at an ascending limit and a descending limit, the driving of the motor is stopped at once . Meanwhile, when the driving motor 334 stops after the operation rod 336 is ascended at a desired height, the operation rod 336 may be rapidly descended by the weight of the patient resulting in physically damaging the patient. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a stopping device (not shown) to the gear teeth 337 of the operation rod 336 in order to prevent the damage of the patient.

The operation of the lift operating part 330 of the patient exercise and lift apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention having the structure as described above will be described hereinafter.

When the user operates the ascending switch 341, the driving shaft 335 of the driving motor 334 and the pinion gear 338 mounted on the driving shaft 335 rotate clockwise (see Fig. 14) . Thereby, the operation rod 336, and the lifting rod 41 and the supporting rod 43 combined with the operation rod 336 are ascended by means of the gear teeth 337 engaged with the pinion gear 338, together. Similarly, when the user operates the descending switch 342, the driving shaft 335 of the motor 334 and the pinion gear 338 rotates counter-clockwise (see Fig. 14). Thus, the operation rod 336, the ascending rod 41 and the supporting rod 43 are descended together. As described above in detail, the patient exercise and lift apparatus according to the present invention comprises the body supporting member which is ascended and descended by means of the lift operating part, and the air suspension which absorbs the impact applied to the patient when the patient is working. Thus , the patient exercise and lift apparatus can help the patient to walk according to the body condition and the state of disease of the patient , while capable of easily moving the patient unable to walk from a place to the other place. Furthermore, there is an advantage of carrying out physically treating the patient. In addition, there is the other advantage in that the patient exercise and lift apparatus is used as not only an auxiliary walking device but also a wheel chair as having a chair detachably installed thereto.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to particular embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A patient exercise and lift apparatus comprising: a frame part including a pair of base frames having front wheels, and a pair of cylinder frames vertically mounted to rear ends of the base frames, to which a handle and the rear wheels are combined; a lifting part including lifting bars which are movably inserted in a respective cylinder frame, and supporting bars which respectively have a vertical bar detachably coupled to a top end of each lifting bar and a horizontal bar horizontally extending from a top end of each vertical bar; a body supporting member which is detachably mounted to the supporting bar of the lifting part and which hold a body of a patient; a lift operating part which is combined to the frame part and the liftingpart , and which includes a drivingmean, ascending and descending switches to control the driving mean and a lifting member being lifted by operating of the driving mean; and an air suspension including an air tank mounted between rear ends of the base frames so as to combine the base frames each other, a pressure control valve mounted on one side of the air tank for introducing and discharging air into/from the air tank, and an air cylinder of which a lower end is connected to the air tank and of which an upper end is connected to a lower portion of the lift operating part.

2. A patient exercise and lift apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the front wheels are rotatably combined to the base frames in order to change a moving direction of the patient exercise and lift apparatus.

3. A patient exercise and lift apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the handles are fixed by means of a fixing means to outer periphery surface of the cylinder frames so as to rotate at an angle of 360 degrees, and the fixing means including: a close contact members which are fixed to a side of the handle, which have a predetermined curvature to come in close contact with the cylinder frame along the peripheral surface of the cylinder frame, andwhich have an opening formedat a side thereof; a pair of extension portions extending outwardly from both ends of the close contact members; screw members extending through the extension portions ; andwrenchmembers which are respectively combined to an end of the screw member to facilitate a helical movement of the screw members.

4. A patient exercise and lift apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising brake devices for stopping rotation of the rear wheels, brackets being installed to a side of handles to mount the brake devices thereon, the brake devices comprising: grips which a user holds; levers which extends from the grips and of which an end is rotatably connected to the bracket; cams of which one end is rotatably installed to the bracket and which comes in contact with the lever to rotate upwardly according to the rotation direction of the lever; stopper pins which is installed to the bracket to restrict the rotation of the cams; cables of which one end is combined with the other end of the cams and which extend toward the rear wheels; pads of which one end is connected to the cable, of which an intermediate portion is rotatably combined to the bracket attached to the cylinder frame, and of which the other end comes in direct contact with/is released from a peripheral surface of the rear wheels; and return springs for applying elastic force to the pad to release the other end of the pads from the rear wheels, wherein the cams rotate upwardly so as to make the other end of the pads come in direct contact with the peripheral surface of the rear wheels through the cables when the levers are rotated by an outer force in an original direction, while the levers and the cams are returned by the elastic force of the return springs to an initial position when the application of the outer force is stopped, and wherein the cams rotates upwardly so as to make the other end of the pads come in direct contact with the peripheral surface of the rear wheels through the cables when the levers are rotated by an outer force in a reverse direction, while the cams are supported by means of the levers to be held in the upper position .

5. A patient exercise and lift apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lifting part further comprises : combination nuts which are fixedly combined to an upper end of the lifting bar and to which a lower end of the vertical bar is detachably combined; connecting bars which are provided between the combination nuts to connect the combination nuts with another and to which the lifting members are combined; cross bars which are disposed between the horizontal bars so that both ends of the cross bars are respectively combined with one of the horizontal bars ; and a rotating frame which is rotatably combined to an intermediate portion of the cross bar and which is provided with a plurality of hooks.

6. A patient exercise and lift apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the body supporting member includes a holding part for holding a body of a patient, and a plurality of connecting straps which are integrated with the holding part and which have hook members hung on a loop of the rotating frame.

7. A patient exercise and lift apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driving means of the lift operating part includes a driving motor which is combined to the upper end of the air cylinder of the air suspension part to rotate in an original or reverse direction at a low or high velocity, wherein the lifting member includes: a rotating shaft which is connected to the driving motor to rotate in the original or reverse direction; a screwed bar of which a lower end is combined to the rotating shaft and which has an outer peripheral surface thereof formed with threads; a shifting nut which is engaged with the threads of the screwed bar to move upwardly and downwardly as the screwed bar is rotated; a guide pipe which is vertically mounted between the cylinder frames so as to be in parallel to the cylinder frames , which receives the rotating shaft, the screwed bar and the shifting nut, and which has a limit switch is mounted on an upper and lower portion therein; and an operating rod which is movably inserted in the guide pipe, which is supported by means of the shifting nut to move upwardly and downwardly along with the shifting nut, and of which an upper end is combined with the lifting bar, and wherein the upper end of the screwed bar is inserted in and rotatably supported by means of the operating rod.

8. A patient exercise and shift apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a supporting protrusion is formed on a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the shifting nut to support the lower end of the operating rod, of which an outer peripheral surface is engaged with .an inner peripheral surface of the guide pipe so that the shifting nut moves upwardly and downwardly without the rotation thereof.

9. A patient exercise and shift apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driving means of the lift operating part includes a pressure supplying part which is combined with the upper end of the air cylinder to supply and release pressure to/from outside of the air cylinder, and wherein the lifting member comprises: a cylinder which is vertically combined to an upper portion of the pressure supplying part to have the pressure supplied from and returned to the pressure supplying part; first and second pipes which extend from the pressure supplying part to the cylinder so as to be respectively communicatedwith upperportion and lowerportion of the cylinder; and an operating rod which is disposed to be movably inserted in the cylinder, of which an upper end is combined to the lifting rod and of which a lower end is integrally formed with a pressure receiving projection which comes in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder.

10. A patient exercise and lift apparatus according to claim9, wherein the pressure supplyingpart includes : ahydraulic pump for pumping oil; a motor for operating the hydraulic pump; and a directional selecting valve for applying and returning oil pressure to/from the cylinder.

11. A patient exercise and lift apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the pressure supplying part includes an air tank and a compressor for generating air pressure.

12. A patient exercise and lift apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lifting member a hollow guide pipe which is combinedto an upper end of the air cylinder of the air suspension portion, which is vertically installed to be in parallel to the cylinder frames, and which has a limit switch installed at lower and upper ends therein, and an operating rod which is movably inserted in the guide pipe, on a surface of which gear teeth are formed lengthwise, wherein the driving means includes a driving motor of which one end is installed to a side of an upper portion of the guide pipe to be perpendicular to a central axis of the guide pipe so as to rotate in an original or reverse direction at low or high velocity, which has a pinion, which is engaged with the gear teeth of the operating rod, combined to the driving shaft of the driving motor.

13. A patient exercise and lift apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air suspension portion further comprises a pressure gauge which is provided to the pressure controlling valve to check the pressure in the air tank, and a bellows which is expandable with enclosing the air cylinder.

14. A patient exercise and lift apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a pair of chair supporting parts which are respectively installed to the pair of cylinder frames and a chair which is installed on the chair supporting parts, wherein the chair supporting parts includes: a body which has a through-hole formed therein and an opening formed on an upper surface; a close contacting member which is integrated with the body and which has a predetermined curvature to come in close contact with the cylinder frame along a peripheral surface of the cylinder frame; and a chair supporting rod which is rotated in a range of a predetermined angle and of which one end is inserted in the through-hole of the body so as to be combined with the body, and wherein the chair includes a hollow body frame in which the chair supporting rod is inserted and a seat portion which is combined to the body frame.

15. A patient exercise and lift apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a pair of armrests which are mounted on the pair of the cylinder frames to be in a higher position than that of the pair of the chair supporting part, wherein the armrests includes : a body which has a through-hole formed therein and an opening formed on an upper surface thereof; a close contacting member which is integrated with the body and which has a predetermined curvature to come in close contact with the cylinder frames along the peripheral surface of the cylinder frame; an armrest supporting rod which rotate in a range of a predetermined angle and of which is inserted in the through-hole of the body to be combined with the body; and a cushion member which is mounted on a surface of the armrest supporting rod so that a patient places his/her arms thereon.

16. A patient exercise and lift apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the chair supporting part is formed in which the chair supporting rod has a central axis to be coaxial with a central axis of the close contacting member and wherein the armrest parts are formed in which the armrest supporting rod has a central axis to be eccentric at a predetermined distance from a central axis of the close contacting member.

17. A patient exercise and lift apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the armrest parts is formed in which the armrest supporting rod has a central axis to be coaxial with a central axis of the close contacting member and wherein the chair supporting part is formed in which the chair supporting rod has a central axis to be eccentric at a predetermined distance from a central axis of the close contacting member;

18. A patient exercise and lift apparatus according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the close contacting member has a pair of extension portions formed at both ends thereof to extend outwardly, wherein a screwed member extends through the pair of extension portions so as to make the pair of extension portions come in direct contact with each other or to be released from each other as the screwed member moves helically, and wherein a wrench member is combined with one end of the screwed member to facilitate the rotation of the screwed member.

19. A patient exercise and lift apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a pair of hollow supporting frames and a pair of feet supporting parts respectively having foot plate combined to a lower end of the pair of supporting frames, wherein projections are formed on a surface of a side of the pair of base frames so as to be inserted in and to support the supporting frames.