FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates, generally, to wheelchairs that incorporate toilet facilities. More particularly, the invention relates to a seat arrangement for a wheelchair, which permits the wheelchair to function as a toilet facility. The invention also relates to a wheelchair including such a seat arrangement and to a method of retrofitting a wheelchair.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

People who are confined to wheelchairs (hereinafter referred to as “wheelchair users” or simply “users”) face challenges on a daily basis. For many wheelchair users, one of these challenges is the task of accessing and/or using a toilet facility.

The Inventors are aware of portable toilet units that have been developed to simplify the task of accessing a toilet facility by obviating the need for a wheelchair user to travel to a conventional toilet facility (i.e. a bathroom). However, such portable toilet units may still be difficult or challenging to use, as a wheelchair user is required to travel from his or her bed, chair, or wheelchair to the portable toilet unit in order to use it. The user may thus in many cases require the assistance of another person, e.g. a caregiver or family member, in order to use a typical portable toilet unit.

The Inventors are further aware of wheelchairs incorporating toilet facilities. A wheelchair of this type typically includes a seat provided with an opening through which waste matter can pass, in use. A waste receiving container, such as a bucket, can be positioned below the seat for receiving the waste matter. These wheelchairs thus provide a “mobile” toilet and enable a user to discharge bodily waste while seated on his or her wheelchair, thereby obviating the need for the user to travel to a conventional toilet facility or to a portable toilet unit.

While wheelchairs of the type described above (i.e. those providing “mobile” toilets) have proven to be beneficial to at least some wheelchair users, the Inventors have found that such wheelchairs may still be difficult to use without assistance. In particular, it may be difficult for a user to position, attach and/or remove the waste receiving container from below the seat, or to remove waste from the waste receiving container, without being assisted by another person.

There thus exists a need for a wheelchair incorporating a toilet facility that permits a wheelchair user to make use of the toilet facility with a greater degree of independence.

The Inventors have also identified a need for a device or arrangement that can be incorporated into a standard wheelchair to permit it to function as a toilet, without requiring significant alterations to the structure of the standard wheelchair.

The present invention aims to address the needs identified above, at least to some extent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a seat arrangement for a wheelchair, the seat arrangement including:a base which forms part of, or which is fixedly mounted or fixedly mountable, to a seat of the wheelchair, the seat being provided with or defining a seat opening;a connecting member which is slidably mounted or slidably mountable to the base, the connecting member being displaceable relative to the base between a retracted position and an extended position; anda supporting member which is pivotably connected or pivotably connectable to the connecting member, the supporting member being shaped and dimensioned substantially so as to mate with the seat opening, and the supporting being member further being pivotable between an open position and a closed position,wherein the connecting member and the supporting member are configured such that, with the connecting member operatively mounted to the base and the supporting member connected to the connecting member, when the connecting member is in the retracted position and the supporting member is in the closed position, the supporting member substantially mates with the seat opening such that the seat and the supporting member together define a sitting surface substantially concealing the seat opening, and when the supporting member is in the open position, the seat opening is at least partially exposed, thereby operatively permitting waste matter to pass through the seat opening.

In some embodiments, the seat arrangement includes the seat. Alternatively, the seat arrangement does not include the seat and the seat arrangement is configured to be fitted to the seat by mounting at least the base to the seat.

The seat opening may extend through an operative front region and into a central region of the seat. The seat opening may be generally rectangular or generally U-shaped in top view. The supporting member may also be generally rectangular or generally U-shaped in top view and may have a thickness similar to a thickness of the seat. The seat and the supporting member may include cushioning, e.g. foam material.

The supporting member may include a cushion. The supporting member may include a flat first end connected or connectable to the connecting member and a rounded free end.

The supporting member and/or the connecting member may be provided with a handle or strap to facilitate sliding displacement of the supporting member and the connecting member relative to the base. The handle or strap may be located such that it protrudes past a front of the seat when the connecting member is in the retracted position.

The supporting member may be complementally shaped to the seat such that, in use, when the supporting member is in the closed position and the connecting member is in the retracted position, the supporting member fits snugly into the seat opening.

The base may include a pair of mounting brackets, or rails, mounted or mountable to a bottom of the seat. The mounting brackets or rails may be spaced apart, extend substantially parallel to each other, located on opposite sides of the seat opening.

The connecting member may include or define a pair of elongate sliding elements. The connecting member may be a slidable frame which includes the pair of sliding elements. Each sliding element may be slidingly received by a corresponding one of the mounting brackets. The sliding elements may be mounted to inner sides of the mounting brackets. Relative sliding motion between the connecting member and the base may be provided and/or facilitated by a ball bearing arrangement. The connecting member may thus be connected to the mounting brackets via a pair of ball bearing runners configured to cooperate with the pair of mounting brackets and the connecting member.

The mounting brackets and sliding elements may extend generally parallel to the sitting surface or a sitting plane defined by the seat. Accordingly, the connecting member may be slid along the sitting plane relative to the base.

The seat arrangement may include a waste frame. The waste frame may form part of, be connected to or fitted to the connecting member. The waste frame may be operatively positioned removably on top of the connecting member. In some embodiments, the waste frame connects the sliding elements to each other. In such cases, each side of the waste frame may be connected to a respective sliding element. In other embodiments, the connecting member is in the form of a frame and the waste frame may be connected or fitted onto or over the connecting member.

The waste frame may define a central opening, or waste opening, which is configured to be at least partially aligned with the seat opening when the connecting member is in the retracted position.

It will be understood that the waste frame may form part of the connecting member and the waste opening may thus be defined by the connecting member, e.g. an opening in a sliding frame.

The connecting member may be configured such that, when the supporting member is in the open position, the waste frame is exposed. The central opening may have a rectangular or oblong shape.

The connecting member may be configured such that, when in the retracted position, the sliding elements and the waste frame are positioned operatively directly below the seat.

The supporting member may be pivotably connected to an operative front portion of the connecting member, e.g. to a front region of the waste frame. The supporting member may be connected to the connecting member by way of a hinge or hinge arrangement at one end of the supporting member.

The supporting member may be configured such that, when in the closed position, a length of the supporting member is generally parallel to or disposed in the sitting plane. A top surface of the supporting member may be substantially flush with a top surface of the seat when in the closed position, thereby defining the sitting surface. When in the open position, the length of the supporting member may extend at an obtuse angle relative to the sitting plane. A free end of the supporting member may thus face away from the seat when in the open position.

The connecting member may be configured such that, when in the extended position, the supporting element is at least partially clear of the seat. In some embodiments, the supporting element is completely clear of the seat when the connecting member is in the extended position.

The waste frame may be configured for the attachment of a waste receiving container thereto. The waste receiving container may be a disposable waste bag. The waste receiving container may operatively be attached to the waste frame such that a body of the container is positioned below the waste frame and an opening of the container faces the central opening, thereby ensuring that waste matter discharged through the seat opening and/or the central opening operatively falls into the container.

The waste frame may provide attachment formations by which the waste receiving container can be removably attached to the waste frame.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a wheelchair including a seat arrangement substantially as described above.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of retrofitting a wheelchair, the method including the steps of:providing a wheelchair;providing a seat arrangement substantially as described above; andmounting the base of the seat arrangement to a seat of the wheelchair, thereby providing the wheelchair with a toilet facility.

The method may include the step of providing a seat substantially as described above if the seat arrangement does not include the seat.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of retrofitting a wheelchair, the method including the steps of:providing a wheelchair; andreplacing a seat of the wheelchair with a seat arrangement substantially as described above, wherein the seat arrangement includes a seat.

The method may further include the step of providing the seat with a seat opening as described above, i.e. an opening which is shaped and dimensioned substantially to mate with the supporting member of the seat arrangement when the supporting member is in the closed position and the connecting member of the seat arrangement is in the retracted position.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a seat arrangement for a wheelchair, the seat arrangement including a seat and a complemental supporting member, wherein the supporting member is slidably and pivotably displaceable relative to the seat between a closed position, in which the supporting member substantially mates with the seat in complemental fashion to define a sitting surface, and an open position, in which a seat opening is defined or exposed between the seat and the supporting member, thereby operatively to provide a toilet facility for a wheelchair user.

