Side panel latch assembly for an incubator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12509928-B2
Application number	US-202117500273-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2021
Priority date	Oct 13, 2021
Publication date	Dec 30, 2025
Grant date	Dec 30, 2025

Abstract

A neonatal incubator system includes an enclosure having side panels that create a chamber that receives an infant. At least one of the side panels is movable between an upright closed position and a retracted open position. A side panel latch assembly is positioned to permit and prevent movement of the movable side panel between the open and closed positions. The side panel latch assembly includes a movable latch lever having a primary latch member and a secondary latch member that are spaced from each other. The primary latch member engages a first catch on a latch receptable to hold the side panel latch assembly in the latched position. The secondary latch member engages a second catch on the latch receptacle when the side panel is partially open. The primary and secondary latch members move together with the latch lever to release both the primary and secondary latch members.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A neonatal incubator system for use with an infant comprising:
an enclosure configured to create a chamber around the infant, the enclosure including:
a plurality of side panels, wherein at least one of the side panels is movable between an upright closed position and a retracted open position; and
at least one latch assembly engageable with the at least one movable side panel when the at least one movable side panel is in the closed position to maintain the at least one movable side panel in the closed position, the at least one latch assembly comprising:
a latch receptacle having a first catch and a second catch;
a latch base; and
a latch lever movably mounted to the latch base and including a primary latch member configured to engage the first catch and a secondary latch member configured to engage the second catch, wherein the primary latch member and the secondary latch member are laterally spaced from each other,

wherein the primary latch member engages the first catch and the secondary latch member is spaced from the second catch when the at least one movable side panel is in the closed position.

2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the latch lever is movable relative to the latch base between an extended latching position and a retracted release position, wherein the primary latch member is positioned out of engagement with the first catch and the secondary latch member is positioned out of engagement with the second catch when the latch lever is held in the retracted release position.

3 . The system of claim 2 wherein the at least one movable side panel is movable between the upright closed position and the retracted open position when the latch lever is held in the retracted release position.

4 . The system of claim 1 wherein the secondary latch member engages the second catch and the primary latch member is spaced from the first catch when the at least one movable side panel is in an intermediate position between the closed position and the open position.

5 . The system of claim 4 wherein the secondary latch member engages the second catch when the at least one movable side panel rotates less than an amount necessary for gravity to move the at least one movable side panel to the retracted open position.

6 . The system of claim 1 wherein both the primary latch member and the secondary latch member move away from the first and second catches with movement of the latch lever to a retracted release position, wherein the at least one movable side panel is movable between the upright closed position and the retracted open position when the latch lever is held in the retracted release position.

7 . The system of claim 6 wherein the latch lever is biased into an engagement position by one or more bias springs and is movable into the retracted release position against the bias force created by the one or more bias springs.

8 . The system of claim 1 wherein the latch receptacle is mounted to one of the stationary side panels and the latch base and latch lever are mounted to the at least one movable side panel.

9 . The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one hinge on a bottom side of the movable side panel such that the at least one movable side panel rotates downward between the upright closed position and the retracted open position.

Assignees

• Ge Prec Healthcare Llc

Inventors

• Klockow Helge B
• Thangavelu Mohanavenkatesh
• Noushad Shahasan
• Falk Steven M
• Ziegler Thomas
• Wandel Dominik
• Hug Hendrik

Classifications

• A61G11/005

  with movable walls, e.g. for accessing the inside, removable walls · CPC title

• E05C1/004

  parallel to the surface on which the fastener is mounted · CPC title

• A61G11/006 Primary

  by pivoting · CPC title

• E05B2015/023

  Keeper shape · CPC title

• E05C1/006

  parallel to the wing edge · CPC title