Bathtub lifter

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article or the following section is not adequately provided with supporting documents ( e.g. individual evidence ). Information without sufficient evidence could be removed soon. Please help Wikipedia by researching the information and including good evidence.

Bathtub lift , bathtub lifter or bath lifter are names for a person lifting device in or on bathtubs .

functionality

A bath lift supports people in using the bathtub. It is mostly used by people who cannot get into or out of a bathtub on their own as a result of a physical disability or restricted mobility.

Technically, it is a lifting platform that lifts and lowers a load or a person.

Designs

There are different groups of bath lifts:

  • Installation next to the bathtub: a support arm swivels the person over the edge of the bathtub and into the bathtub. A downward and / or upward stroke and a lateral movement are performed.
  • Installation on the wall: With a cloth lift, the person who has sat down on a movable seat cloth is lowered mechanically to the bathtub floor and brought back to the starting height.

(Special form: cloth lift, which is installed in front of the tub, also called the front tub lift)

  • Use in the bathtub: a frame construction that is brought into the bathtub lifts the person. The device performs a lifting movement between the bottom of the tub and the edge of the tub.

Person carrying device

Most bath lifts offer a tight fit or a seat-like device. Lifters with a lifting column and swivel arm can also have support belts or fabric seats that are hung on the support arm. Another system are the belt lifts (also called cloth lifters), which allow lowering to the bottom of the bathtub.

Drive devices

Can be used as a drive for bathtub lifters

The pressurized water from the drinking water network was often used directly for the water-hydraulic drive. In lifting columns, the water pressure is used to move a piston in a cylinder and the support device attached to it up and down. Large-sized pieces of tubing are used in removable bathtub lifters, which stretch when filled with water and thereby cause a lifting movement on a scissor lever construction. The latter type of use is only permitted in Germany with a backflow valve due to the drinking water ordinance , as there is a risk of contaminated water flowing back into the drinking water network.

Electric motors on bathtub lifters are mostly used to drive downstream oil-hydraulic , pneumatic or mechanical lifting devices. For safety reasons, the power supply of the bath lift should be done with a battery. A direct connection to the mains voltage is only permitted with a power pack with "medical" approval.

Legal requirements

As medical products, bathtub lifters may only be placed on the market and operated with a CE mark . This documents that the device is manufactured in accordance with the basic requirements of the European directives and the Medical Devices Act and that this has been verified by a conformity assessment procedure.