Motorized bearing surface transporter for an operating table system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10603236-B2
Application number	US-201815883088-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2018
Priority date	Jul 28, 2015
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a bearing surface transporter comprising an upper part for receiving an object to be transported, such as a patient bearing surface of an operating table, and a lower part. The lower part may comprise: at least three castors for manually moving the bearing surface transporter in any horizontal direction, at least one motorized drive wheel/roller, and a lowering mechanism for selectively lowering and raising the at least one drive wheel/roller relative to the castors, wherein the drive wheel(s)/roller(s) assume(s) an upper position for moving the bearing surface transporter manually and a lower position for moving the bearing surface transporter in a motorized manner. The lowering mechanism may have a pedal which can be actuated in an actuation direction, and the lowering mechanism may be designed such that a first actuation of the pedal in the actuation direction lowers the drive wheel(s)/roller(s) from the upper position into the lower position and that a second actuation of the pedal in the actuation direction raises the drive wheel(s)/roller(s) from the lower position into the upper position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bearing surface transporter comprising an upper part for receiving a patient bearing surface of an operating table, and a lower part, the lower part comprising:
a frame;
at least three castors configured for manually moving the bearing surface transporter via wheeled transport in any lateral direction, the at least three castors connected to the frame;
at least one motorized drive wheel/roller, and;
a lowering mechanism for selectively lowering and raising the at least one drive wheel/roller relative to the castors;
wherein the at least one drive wheel/roller may assume a raised position for manually moving the bearing surface transporter and a lower position for moving the bearing surface transporter in a motorized manner through propulsion contributed to by the drive wheel/roller, and
wherein the lowering mechanism comprises a pedal that can be actuated in an actuation direction, and in which the lowering mechanism is configured such that a first actuation of the pedal in the actuating direction lowers the at least one drive wheel/roller from the raised position to the lower position and that a second actuation of the pedal in the actuating direction raises the at least one drive wheel/roller from the lower position to the raised position.

2. A bearing surface transporter according to claim 1 , wherein the lowering mechanism comprises at least one spring which, when the at least one drive wheel/roller is in the lower position, exerts a force onto the at least one drive wheel/roller in a direction of a ground surface underneath the bearing surface transporter to permit a rotational torque applied to the at least one drive wheel/roller to propel the bearing surface transporter.

3. A bearing surface transporter according to claim 2 , wherein the pedal is attached to at least one torsion bar spring such that an actuation of the pedal in the actuation direction applies torque to the torsion bar spring.

4. A bearing surface transporter according to claim 1 , wherein the lowering mechanism comprises a cam disk having a groove and a guide pin for guided movement in the groove of the cam disk, wherein the guide pin moves along a closed path between a starting position and a locking position when the pedal is actuated.

5. A bearing surface transporter according to claim 4 , wherein upon the first actuation of the pedal in the actuation direction, the guide pin is moved along a first path from the starting position to a first stop and from there to the locking position, and upon the second actuation of the pedal in the actuation direction, the guide pin is moved along a second path from the locking position to a second stop and from there to the starting position.

6. A bearing surface transporter according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one drive wheel/roller is fastened to a respective rocker, and in that a spring is arranged between the rocker and the lower part of the bearing surface transporter to exert a force in the direction of the raised position of the drive wheel/roller.

7. A bearing surface transporter according to claim 6 , wherein the spring is a torsion spring or leg spring.

8. A bearing surface transporter according to claim 1 , wherein the at least three castors are attached to the lower part and permitted to rotate about a vertical axis of rotation.

9. A bearing surface transporter according to claim 1 , wherein the at least three castors are double castors, and the at least three castors are configured to rotate about a vertical axis of rotation.

10. A bearing surface transporter according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one drive wheel/roller is attached to the lower part and is at least partially restricted from rotating with respect to the frame about a vertical axis of rotation.

11. A bearing surface transporter according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one drive wheel/roller is attached to the lower part and is restricted from rotating with respect to the frame about a vertical axis of rotation.

12. A bearing surface transporter according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one drive wheel/roller is driven by a brushless external rotor motor.

13. A bearing surface transporter according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one drive wheel/roller comprises at least two drive wheels/rollers, and when in their lower position, the at least two drive wheels/rollers are pressed against the ground by at least two springs, each of the at least two drive wheels/rollers being assigned to one of the at least two springs.

14. A bearing surface transporter according to claim 13 , wherein the at least two springs are torsion bar springs.

15. A bearing surface transporter according to claim 1 , wherein the actuation direction is a downward direction.

16. A roller drive for a frame for the transportation of loads, the roller drive comprising:
at least three castors for manually moving the frame in any direction lateral direction through use of the at least three castors;
at least one motorized drive wheel/roller;
a lowering mechanism for selectively lowering and raising the at least one drive wheel/roller relative to the castors, wherein the at least one drive wheel/roller may assume a raised position for manually moving the frame without assistance of a motorized propulsion and a lower position for moving the frame through the use or assistance of the motorized propulsion;
wherein the lowering mechanism comprises a pedal that can be actuated in an actuating direction, and in which the lowering mechanism is configured such that a first actuation of the pedal in the actuating direction lowers the at least one drive wheel/roller from the raised position to the lower position and that a second actuation of the pedal in the actuating direction raises the at least one drive wheel/roller from the lower to the raised position.

17. The roller drive of claim 16 , wherein the lowering mechanism further comprises a cam disk having a groove and a guide pin for guided movement in the groove of the cam disk, wherein the guide pin moves along a closed path between a starting position and a locking position when the pedal is actuated.

18. The roller drive of claim 16 , wherein the at least three castors comprise double castors.

19. The roller drive of claim 16 , wherein the frame comprises two longitudinal beams and a crosshead bridging the two longitudinal beams.

20. The roller drive of claim 16 , comprising two longitudinal beams which are generally parallel with respect to each other, and a crosshead bridging the two beams;
wherein the two longitudinal beams and the crosshead collectively form
a U-shaped profile when viewed from a location elevationally higher than the roller drive.

21. A roller drive according to claim 16 , wherein the actuation direction is a downward direction.

Assignees

• MAQUET GmbH

Inventors

• Kottmann Heiko

Classifications

• A61G7/08 Primary

  Apparatus for transporting beds · CPC title

• A61G13/104 Primary

  Adaptations for table mobility, e.g. arrangement of wheels · CPC title

• B62B2202/42

  Persons or animals, dead or alive · CPC title

• B62B2301/044

  arranged remote from the longitudinal centreline of the hand propelled vehicle · CPC title

• B62B3/10

  characterised by supports specially adapted to objects of definite shape · CPC title