Elesa components for postural and therapeutic equipment

The specifications for components of postural seating and therapeutic equipment – such as chairs, wheel chairs, wheeled walker frames, massage couches, beds and support frames – have developed substantially in recent years along with the industry. This is perhaps especially true of those products designed to improve the quality of life for children with special needs. Widespread requirements have been identified for seating of able bodied individuals to maintain good posture and good health as well as seating for people with special needs to aid greater comfort and stability. In these cases individual adjustment is essential to provide properly distributed support e.g. to feet, arms, buttocks, thighs, back/lumbar region and head. This often complex seating can require fully adjustable components frequently customised with additional items such as lateral supports. Similar needs were found in transport conversions, adjustable desking and tables for home or office working as well as adjustable beds and access equipment. Not only are these extremely functional mechanisms but they are also required to be aesthetically of a high standard. At Elesa we have found that applications into this product group require standardised but specialised components for the locating and clamping of these adjustable assemblies. Specific categories of mechanism were identified: - Extensible tubes with clamping actions - Rotating joints with indexing positions - Rotating joints with continuous clamping adjustments - Temporary locating & clamping of equipment - Operating levers for actuating mechanisms Consequently our engineers initiated a program of development that sought to accommodate the needs of this important industry. Initially we found that typically the design of these types of adjustments can involve an inner tube sliding within an outer tube or sleeve. The inner tube which extends to achieve the required distance setting is invariably of a high surface finish for aesthetic reasons and may often be chrome plated for aesthetic or hygienic reasons. We listened to Postural Seating Manufacturers who often commented on problems of achieving sufficient torque on clamping components to achieve the necessary clamping forces required to hold adjustments in place, specifically those that could experience a lot of weight such as foot plates and back rests. It also became evident after a period of use that the inner adjustment tubes were becoming scratched and damaged from the clamping systems then being used. Invariably this was down to the use of poorly designed clamping products that were not of an ergonomic design and as such didn’t allow sufficient torque to be applied - and in many cases this was further compounded by the incorporation of conventional bolts to form the clamping point as oppose to custom designed inserts. Other factors found to be influencing design requirements were the need, in some cases for adjustment to be made by occupational therapists or under parental control and protected from misuse, or the ability to make adjustment when the grip of an operator may be impaired in some way. All of these factors were taken into account by the Elesa technical department while understanding that cost would also be an issue when investigating suitable solutions. The specification mix defined a number of new products and variants derived from the Elesa range thus extending the lineage of quality, functionality and value previously established. Elesa took its well proven VCT five lobe knob design which already incorporated purpose designed inserts with faced and chamfered ends and overmoulded a "soft-touch" thermoplastic elastomer to improve grip and aid torque. In instances where the end of the stud is clamping highly finished tube, further enhancements were enabled with the addition of delrin inserts in the end of the studs. The standard range of VCT Clamping Handknobs represent a significan

For more information on Elesa components for postural and therapeutic equipment talk to Elesa (UK) Ltd