Cot fastening system having a crash stable, cot fastener track and method of affixing an emergency cot thereto

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10568787-B2
Application number	US-201515504154-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2015
Priority date	Aug 19, 2014
Publication date	Feb 25, 2020
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020

Abstract

Cot fastening systems (2) which fix and hold an emergency cot (14) to a crash stable cot fastener track (12) provided within an emergency vehicle (8). The track (12) has a longitudinal length with front (85) and back ends (80), open side rails (28, 30) longitudinally extending between the ends, and a channel (86, 88) centrally located between the rails. The side rails (28, 30) align, accommodate and guide a forward fixture (4) of the cot towards the front end (85) as the cot (14) is rolled within the vehicle to retain the forward fixture (4) adjacent the front end (85) at least vertically and laterally. The channel (86, 88) accommodates and retains a rearward fixture (6) adjacent the back end (80) at least vertically and laterally. A securing mechanism (70,102) releasably prevents removal of the forward fixture (4) from the open side rails and removal of the rearward fixture (6) from the channel (86, 88).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cot fastening system which fixes and holds to a floor of a transport vehicle an emergency cot having mounted thereon load wheels, a first fixture and a second fixture, said cot fastening system comprising:
a cot fastener track for mounting to the floor of the transport vehicle and having a longitudinal length with opposite first and second ends that define a loading direction therebetween, the first end being wider than the second end, and
first and second central channels spaced-apart and aligned coaxially with respect to each other in the loading direction along the longitudinal length in a fixed relationship between the first and second ends, wherein the second central channel is arranged lower in height relative to the floor than said first central channel such that the first fixture passes over the second central channel when the cot is moved in the loading direction.

2. The cot fastening system according to claim 1 , wherein the second central channel is located closer to the second end than the first central channel is to the first end.

3. The cot fastening system according to claim 1 , wherein the cot fastener track has a pair of opposed sidewalls longitudinally extending between the first and second ends.

4. The cot fastening system according to claim 1 , wherein the cot fastener track is shaped to guide the first fixture of the cot along the longitudinal length towards the first end and into alignment with the first central channel as the cot is rolled by the load wheels within the vehicle.

5. The cot fastening system according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of the cot fastener track tapers from a first width to a second width.

6. The cot fastening system according to claim 1 , wherein the cot fastener track has a locking mechanism operably selectable between secure and unsecure conditions, in which said secure condition prevents removal of the first fixture from the first central channel.

7. The cot fastening system according to claim 6 , wherein the locking mechanism has facing surface which extends into the first central channel in the secure condition.

8. The cot fastening system according to claim 6 , wherein the locking mechanism is operable to be placed in the unsecure condition via a wireless remote control or a pushbutton.

9. The cot fastening system according to claim 1 , wherein the cot fastener track is configured to provide power to the cot when secured thereto via charging connectors.

10. The cot fastening system according to claim 1 , wherein the cot fastener track is configured to provide data communications to the cot when secured thereto via an electrical connection.

11. The cot fastening system according to claim 1 , wherein the first central channel and the second central channel each have a first side-to-side channel width that is smaller than a second side-to-side channel width, the first side-to-side channel width being closer to the first end than the second side-to-side channel width.

12. The cot fastening system according to claim 1 , wherein the cot fastener track has opposite longitudinal sides and a roof plate having a portion which overhangs the opposite longitudinal sides.

13. The cot fastening system according to claim 12 , wherein the roof plate has a portion which tapers from a first width to a second width.

14. The cot fastening system according to claim 1 , wherein the cot fastener track has a roof plate, wherein the roof plate adjacent the first end has a first width and the roof plate has a second width that is smaller than the first width, wherein the roof plate tapers from the first width to the second width.

15. The cot fastening system according to claim 14 , wherein the roof plate over a majority of the longitudinal length of the cot fastener track has the first width.

16. The cot fastening system according to claim 1 , wherein the cot fastener track has a fixed safety hook adjacent the second end.

17. The cot fastening system according to claim 1 , wherein the cot fastener track has a safety hook adjacent the second end, the safety hook being spring biased.

18. The cot fastening system according to claim 1 , wherein the cot fastener track has a safety hook adjacent the second end, the safety hook being moveable between an extended position and a retracted position in which the safety hook is retracted into the cot fastener track.

19. The cot fastening system according to claim 18 , wherein the safety hook is movable remotely by a wireless remote control and/or a pushbutton.

20. The cot fastening system according to claim 1 , wherein the cot fastener track has a locking mechanism operably selectable between secure and unsecure conditions, in which said secure condition prevents removal of the second fixture from the second central channel.

21. The cot fastening system according to claim 20 , wherein the locking mechanism is operable to be placed in the unsecure condition via a wireless remote control or a pushbutton.

22. The cot fastening system according to claim 20 , wherein the locking mechanism is located in the second central channel.

Assignees

• Ferno Washington

Inventors

• Valentino Nicholas V
• Wells Timothy R
• Way Christopher
• Cambridge Alan Raymond
• Broadley Gavin Lee

Classifications

• A61G3/0833 Primary

  using other support · CPC title

• B60P3/06

  for carrying vehicles (B60P3/12 takes precedence; caravans, camping, or like vehicles with vehicle-carrying means {B60P3/36}) · CPC title

• A61G3/0891

  by preventing longitudinal movement · CPC title

• A61G3/0263

  by moving the stretcher on an inclined path, e.g. sliding or rolling · CPC title

• B60P7/16

  Protecting against shocks {(B60P7/065 takes precedence)} · CPC title