Span America Floor Lift Knee Belt

The Span America Floor Lift Knee Belt is the padded strap that holds a person's lower legs against the knee pad while a sit-to-stand lift raises them, manufacturer code P11616. It threads onto the knee pad with velcro tabs and adjusts on a pair of belt buckles. Westin Healthcare stocks lift parts in Brampton and ships them across the Greater Toronto Area.

It is the least expensive part in the Span America lift range and one of the most useful, because it fixes the specific problem of a user whose legs drift off the knee pad partway through a stand.

What it is for

A powered sit-to-stand lift does not hoist somebody vertically. It rotates them forward and up over their own feet, which is roughly how a person stands unaided. The geometry only works while the shins stay in contact with the knee pad, and Span America's transfer instruction says exactly that: make sure the patient's feet are firmly on the footplate and the knees are touching the knee pads, with the kneecaps just above the padding.

For most users the knee pad alone holds that contact. For some it does not. The lower legs slide back off the pad as the boom rises, and what should be a smooth stand becomes a drag. The knee belt closes the loop behind the calves so the legs stay where the transfer needs them.

It is the accessory to ask about when a transfer keeps stalling halfway, when a user braces against the lift, or when the caregiver finds themselves steadying somebody's knees by hand during every stand.

How it fits

Span America's fitting procedure, from the owner's manual, and it is worth following in this order:

1. Pull the belt open at the velcro.
2. Slide the velcro tab through the slot on the knee pad, matching left to left and right to right.
3. Wrap the velcro around the slot and press it back onto itself.
4. Check that the belt is actually strapped to the knee pad, on both sides.
5. Make sure the pad faces the back of the user's lower legs.
6. Adjust the strap on the belt buckles for fit and comfort.

Two details in that list do real work. Check that the belt is strapped to the knee pad is a step of its own because a velcro tab that has been threaded but not pressed home looks fitted and is not. And the pad faces the back of the legs, not the front, because the belt is there to stop the legs travelling backwards, not to press them forwards.

Span America adds one honest warning about behaviour in use: it is not uncommon for the strap to loosen and drop down as the lift proceeds. That is the belt telling you it is set too loose. Re-tension it at the buckles rather than accepting it.

It is a support belt, not a sling

The knee belt does not lift. It positions. The part that takes the user's weight on an F500S is the stand assist sling, hooked to the boom and sized to the person, and Span America lists those separately from this belt in the same table (D202MEDLP for small and medium, D202XLGLP for large and extra large, with an optional stand assist buttock strap and a bariatric variant).

Fitting a knee belt does not change what the lift can raise. The F500S is rated 500 lb (228 kg) and the rating of the whole assembly is the lowest rating on it, counting the lift, the spreader bar, the sling and every accessory. Span America's own instruction is to always check the sling weight capacity is suitable for the patient.

Setting the knee pad itself

A knee belt cannot rescue a badly set knee pad, so it is worth checking the pad before assuming the belt is the answer. On the F500S the knee pad has a height range of 21, 20 or 19 inches and a depth range of 4 inches, with a depth-adjustable knee pad position, and a length extension range of 4.5 inches. Set the height so the kneecaps sit just above the padding, then set the depth so the shins meet the pad squarely rather than at an angle.

If the pad is set correctly and the legs still travel, that is when the belt earns its place.

Span America Floor Lift Knee Belt specifications

Span America publishes no belt length, width, webbing material, mass or independent load rating for code P11616. The knee-pad figures above are the F500S's published adjustment ranges, printed here because they are what a buyer needs to check before deciding a belt is the answer, and each is labelled as a property of the lift.

One naming note. The F500S owner's manual carries a sling table that lists "WP-SA400E-KB, Knee Belt" alongside the stand assist slings, while Savaria's F500S card lists the accessory as "Floor Lift Knee Belt, Item # P11616". The two numbers appear to describe the same item from two different catalogues, one the fabric code and one the Savaria order code. Both are recorded here so a customer holding either number can be served, and we will confirm the pairing with Savaria when you order.

Which lifts this fits

One documented fitment, and a family that shares the same knee-pad architecture.

It is not a universal knee belt. It fastens through the slots on Span America's own single-piece moulded knee pad, so it does not fit a Beka Nora, a Handicare MiniLift, a Bure, a QuickMove or a Prism SGA-440, all of which hold the leg a different way. Call (905) 451-7743 with the model and serial number off your lift if you are not certain, and we will confirm before anything ships.

Related Span America lift parts

• The Floor Lift Battery Pack 24V, code P11618, the quick-release pack that powers the lift.
• The Floor Lift AC Charger, code P11619, the plug-in charger supplied with the lift.
• The Floor Lift Battery Charger Cradle, code P11617, the optional off-board cradle for charging a spare pack.
• The Digital Floor Lift Scale, code P11634, which weighs the person during the transfer.

Stand assist slings for the F500S are quoted separately and sized to the person. Span America lists D202MEDLP for small and medium and D202XLGLP for large and extra large, with an optional stand assist buttock strap that is used only in conjunction with the stand assist sling, never on its own. Our sling range is on the sit to stand slings shelf, the rest of our spares are on the lift parts shelf, and the complete machines are on the sit to stand lifts and patient lifts hubs.

Delivery and setup in Brampton and the GTA

Small parts ship on our standard service. Westin's own team delivers across Brampton and the Greater Toronto Area, and you are welcome to visit our Brampton showroom, or Mobility Specialties, our partner store in Etobicoke, if you would rather match the part to your lift in person.

Call (905) 451-7743 with the model and serial number off your lift and we will confirm the fit before the order goes out. Shipping terms are on the shipping policy page, and any charge is confirmed on your order.

Service, repairs, and warranty

When something on the lift needs work, you call the shop that set it up, not an overseas parts desk. Westin Healthcare has a service and repairs department, and our technicians come to the home or workplace.

Span America warranty and inspection

Span-America publishes a limited warranty on all patient lifts, slings and accessories to be free of defects in workmanship and product performance, extending to the original purchaser and non-transferable. Unusually for this catalogue, it prints the terms by component:

A knee belt is a reusable fabric accessory, so read the six-month row rather than the three-year one, and read it alongside the exclusion for normal wear and tear. All warranty claims go through the authorized dealer who sold the product, with proof of sale and the serial number where applicable, and a return authorization from Span-America is required before anything is sent back. Span-America excludes abuse, misuse, accidental or malicious damage, improper installation, use with parts or accessories whose quality or specifications are incompatible with the product, neglect, failure to maintain and service the product as specified in the owner's manual, a removed or defaced serial number, and normal wear and tear. Ask us for the terms current at the date of your order and we will handle a claim with you.

Span-America asks the operator to inspect the lift before each use, and asks for a thorough monthly inspection by somebody qualified to recognise wear, looseness of bolts and worn parts, with worn parts replaced immediately. It gives the lift an expected lifetime of 10 years or 20,000 cycles and the electrical components an expected lifetime of 3 years. Clean with pH-neutral detergents only, and remove the battery from the controller first. We can quote the annual service with the part.

Frequently asked questions

What does a knee belt do?

It holds the lower legs against the knee pad through the whole stand. On a sit-to-stand lift the person is rotated forward and up over their own feet, and that only works while the shins stay on the pad. The belt stops the legs travelling backwards partway through.

Will it fit my lift?

It is listed for the Span America F500S Powered Sit to Stand. It does not fit the F400 or the F600B, which are full-body lifts with no knee pad, and it does not fit a Beka Nora, a MiniLift, a Bure, a QuickMove or a Prism SGA-440. For an F450T, call (905) 451-7743 and we will confirm with Savaria first.

How do I fit it?

Pull it open at the velcro, slide the velcro through the slot on the knee pad matching left to left, wrap it around and press it back on itself, then check on both sides that the belt is actually strapped to the pad. The pad faces the back of the lower legs. Adjust the strap on the belt buckles for comfort. No tools.

The strap keeps loosening during a lift. Is it faulty?

Usually not. Span America notes in the manual that it is not uncommon for the strap to loosen and drop down as the lift proceeds, which is what a belt does when it is set too loose. Re-tension it at the buckles. If it will not hold tension when it is set correctly, the belt has worn out and should be replaced.

Is this a sling?

No. It supports and positions, it does not lift. The load-bearing part on an F500S is the stand assist sling, hooked to the boom and sized to the person. Fitting a knee belt does not change what the lift is rated to raise.

My user's knees are not sitting right on the pad. Do I need the belt?

Check the pad first. The F500S knee pad adjusts through three heights (21, 20 and 19 inches), has a 4 inch depth range and a depth-adjustable position, and a 4.5 inch length extension range. Set the height so the kneecaps sit just above the padding and the depth so the shins meet the pad squarely. If the legs still travel with the pad set correctly, that is when the belt is the right answer.

When should it be replaced?

When the velcro no longer grips, when the buckles will not hold tension, or when the webbing or the pad is frayed, cut, stiff or worn. Span America asks for a thorough monthly inspection with worn parts replaced immediately, and a belt is one of the parts that inspection is for.

Can I wash it?

Span America's cleaning instruction for its slings is to check the label for washing conditions, and its general cleaning rule for the lift is pH-neutral detergents only, never solvents or abrasives. Follow the label on the belt, and inspect it after laundering rather than before putting it back on the lift.

What is the difference between P11616 and WP-SA400E-KB?

They appear to be the same item under two catalogue numbers, the fabric code and the Savaria order code. If your paperwork carries either one, we can serve it, and we will confirm the pairing with Savaria when you order.