Caster system for mobile apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10874359-B2
Application number	US-201715718164-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2017
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A mobile imaging device includes a base having at least one caster, a first drive mechanism that moves the system in a transport mode and translates an imaging component relative to the base in a scan mode, and a second drive mechanism that extends caster relative to the base to raise the base off the ground in the transport mode, and retracts the caster relative to the base to lower the base to the ground in the scan mode. A caster system for a mobile apparatus includes a base containing a housing and a caster, attached to the base, the caster having a wheel defining a wheel axis and a swivel joint defining a swivel axis and a pivot point defining a pivot axis, wherein the caster pivots on the pivot axis as the caster is retracted into the housing and extended out of the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile imaging system, comprising:
a base having a housing;
a caster coupled to the base that extends from and retracts into the housing, the caster comprising a wheel defining a wheel axis, a swivel joint defining a swivel axis, and a pivot point defining a pivot axis, where the wheel is pivotable about the pivot axis with respect to the swivel joint to change an offset distance between the wheel axis and the swivel axis;
a first drive mechanism that moves the entire mobile imaging system in a transport mode and translates at least one imaging component relative to the base in a scan mode; and
a second drive mechanism that extends the caster from the housing in the base to raise the base off the ground, and retracts the caster relative to the base to lower the base to the ground, the wheel pivots about the pivot axis with respect to the swivel joint to decrease the offset distance between the wheel axis and the swivel axis as the caster is retracted into the housing of the base and the wheel pivots about the pivot axis with respect to the swivel joint to increase the offset distance between the wheel axis and the swivel axis as the caster is extended from the housing of the base
wherein the second drive mechanism comprises a motor coupled to an actuator that drives the extension and retraction of the caster by generating a motive force in a longitudinal direction substantially along a length of the base, and a linkage apparatus that translates the motive force to a substantially vertical force that extends and retracts the caster.

2. The mobile imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the base comprises a plurality of housings and the mobile imaging system further comprises a plurality of casters coupled to the base, each caster of the plurality of casters are extended from, and retracted into, a respective housing of the plurality of housings in the base.

3. The mobile imaging system of claim 2 , wherein the base comprises a central opening and the first drive mechanism is located within the central opening, and the at least one imaging component is located in a gantry that is mounted above the first drive mechanism, and the weight of the gantry and at least one imaging component is supported by the drive mechanism during the transport mode and the scan mode.

4. The mobile imaging system of claim 3 , wherein the first drive mechanism comprises a main drive geared into a drive wheel and a suspension system coupled between a first portion of the first drive mechanism and the drive wheel, and the suspension system is tuned to expect a given downward force on the drive wheel from components of the system that are supported by the drive wheel.

5. The mobile imaging system of claim 4 , wherein the suspension system raises the first portion of the first drive mechanism, the gantry and the at least one imaging component away from the drive wheel in response to the second drive mechanism extending the plurality of casters from the respective housings in the base.

6. The mobile imaging system of claim 5 , wherein the suspension system lowers the first portion of the first drive mechanism, the gantry and the at least one imaging component towards the drive wheel in response to the second drive mechanism retracting the plurality of casters into the respective housings in the base.

7. The mobile imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising a cable management system in the base that couples power and/or data between the base and at least one component that translates relative to the base.

8. The mobile imaging system of claim 7 , wherein the cable management system comprises a cable chain having a first end connected to the base and a second end connected to the first drive mechanism.

9. The mobile imaging system of claim 8 , wherein the cable chain is enclosed on at least three sides by the base and extends in a loop between the first and the second end, and the first drive mechanism translates relative to the base in the scan mode and a leading edge of the loop travels at a lower speed than a speed at which the first drive mechanism translates relative to the base.

10. The mobile imaging system of claim 9 , wherein the base further comprises a bearing surface that mates with a scan drive of the first drive mechanism that drives the translation of the at least one imaging component relative to the base in the scan mode.

11. The mobile imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile imaging system is an x-ray CT imaging system.

12. The mobile imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the linkage apparatus includes a caster arm longitudinally extending and pivotally coupled with a suspension linkage, the suspension linkage longitudinally extending and operatively coupled with the second drive mechanism.

13. The mobile imaging system of claim 12 , wherein the second drive mechanism exerts the motive force onto and moves the suspension linkage, the suspension linkage movement pivots the position of the caster arm, raising and lowering the caster.

Assignees

• Mobius Imaging Llc

Inventors

• Stanton Russell
• Gregerson Eugene A

Classifications

• B60B2200/26

  Medical appliances · CPC title

• B60T1/14

  directly on road (portable devices, e.g. chocks B60T3/00) · CPC title

• A61B6/035 Primary

  Mechanical aspects of CT · CPC title

• B60B33/066

  by use of a hinge and lever mechanism to swing wheel upwards relative to wheel mount · CPC title

• A61B5/055

  involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging · CPC title