Ultrasound imaging system with improved lock device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12539102-B2
Application number	US-202318461148-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2023
Priority date	Sep 26, 2022
Publication date	Feb 3, 2026
Grant date	Feb 3, 2026

Abstract

A control panel coupled to imaging electronics in the main body housing of an ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system has
a flat panel display electrically coupled to the imaging electronics, an articulating arm assembly to adjust viewing position of the flat panel display, and a locking mechanism to restrict articulating arm assembly motion. Articulating arm assembly has a first lower arm movably mounted to the main body or control panel, a second upper arm movably connected to the first lower arm and to the flat panel display. At least one arm includes a 4-bar linkage.

Locking mechanism has a protrusion and a lever with corresponding seat to engage the protrusion. The lever can pivot from a rest position in a recess, to a lock position, with the protrusion being correspondingly located to engage the seat of the lever when the lever is in the lock position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system including a main body housing imaging electronics and a control panel coupled to the imaging electronics comprising:
a flat panel display electrically coupled to the imaging electronics; an articulating arm assembly to which the flat panel display is connected for adjusting the viewing position of the flat panel display, or the control panel is connected for adjusting the position of the control panel, the articulating arm assembly including a first lower arm movably mounted to the main body or to the control panel and a second upper arm movably connected to the first lower arm and to the flat panel display, or the control panel, wherein at least one of the arms includes a 4-bar linkage; and a locking mechanism which acts to restrict motion of the articulating arm assembly, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a protrusion and a lever having a corresponding seat for engagement of the protrusion, the lever being hinged on one of the two arms to pivot from a rest position to a lock position, the protrusion being correspondingly located on the other arm or the control panel or the main body or a support thereof to engage the seat of the lever when the lever is in the lock position, the rest position being a non-interfering position whereby the lever is substantially contained in a recess, the locked position being a position whereby at least part of the lever extends further beyond the recess than when in the rest position.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the recess is located in a plastic cover of the arm to which the lever is hinged and has a shape complementary to the shape of the lever so that such arm can expose an external even surface when the locking mechanism is in the rest position.

3 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the lever has a shape having a first and a second opposing flat surfaces, wherein the first surface is adapted to contact the arm to which the lever is hinged when the lever is in rest position while the second surface is adapted to contact the protrusion or a support thereof when the lever is in lock position.

4 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the lever is maintained in the lock position by an attraction force acting between a first element associated with the lever and an element associated with the protrusion or a support thereof.

5 . The system according to claim 4 , wherein the first element associated with the lever is associated with the second surface of the lever.

6 . An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system including a main body housing imaging electronics and a control panel coupled to the imaging electronics comprising:
a flat panel display electrically coupled to the imaging electronics; an articulating arm assembly to which the flat panel display is connected for adjusting the viewing position of the flat panel display, or the control panel is connected for adjusting the position of the control panel, the articulating arm assembly including a first lower arm movably mounted to the main body or to the control panel and a second upper arm movably connected to the first lower arm and to the flat panel display, or the control panel, wherein at least one of the arms includes a 4-bar linkage; and a locking mechanism which acts to restrict motion of the articulating arm assembly, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a protrusion and a lever having a corresponding seat for engagement of the protrusion, the lever being hinged on one of the two arms to pivot from a rest position to a lock position, the protrusion being correspondingly located on the other arm or the control panel or the main body or a support thereof to engage the seat of the lever when the lever is in the lock position, the rest position being a non-interfering position whereby the lever is substantially contained in a recess; wherein the lever is maintained in the lock position by an attraction force acting between a first element associated with the lever and an element associated with the protrusion or a support thereof; wherein the element associated with the protrusion is a metallic element, like the head of a screw; fixed to the protrusion or to a support thereof, while the first element associated with the lever is a magnet fixed to the lever or a support thereof or vice versa.

7 . The system according to claim 4 , wherein the element associated with the protrusion and the first element associated with the lever comprise corresponding parts of a fastening device of the hook-and-loop type.

8 . An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system including a main body housing imaging electronics and a control panel coupled to the imaging electronics comprising:
a flat panel display electrically coupled to the imaging electronics; an articulating arm assembly to which the flat panel display is connected for adjusting the viewing position of the flat panel display, or the control panel is connected for adjusting the position of the control panel, the articulating arm assembly including a first lower arm movably mounted to the main body or to the control panel and a second upper arm movably connected to the first lower arm and to the flat panel display, or the control panel, wherein at least one of the arms includes a 4-bar linkage; and a locking mechanism which acts to restrict motion of the articulating arm assembly, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a protrusion and a lever having a corresponding seat for engagement of the protrusion, the lever being hinged on one of the two arms to pivot from a rest position to a lock position, the protrusion being correspondingly located on the other arm or the control panel or the main body or a support thereof to engage the seat of the lever when the lever is in the lock position, the rest position being a non-interfering position whereby the lever is substantially contained in a recess; wherein the lever comprises a second element configured to exert a magnetic force on the metallic body of the arm to which the lever is hinged, or on a metallic element, like the head of a screw; associated with such arm, when the lever is in rest position.

9 . The system according to claim 8 , wherein the second element is associated with the first surface of the lever.

10 . An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system including a main body housing imaging electronics and a control panel coupled to the imaging electronics comprising:
a flat panel display electrically coupled to the imaging electronics; an articulating arm assembly to which the flat panel display is connected for adjusting the viewing position of the flat panel display, or the control panel is connected for adjusting the position of the control panel, the articulating arm assembly including a first lower arm movably mounted to the main body or to the control panel and a second upper arm movably connected to the first lower arm and to the flat panel display, or the control panel, wherein at least one of the arms includes a 4-bar linkage; and a locking mechanism which acts to restrict motion of the articulating arm assembly, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a protrusion and a lever having a corresponding seat for engagement of the protrusion, the lever being hinged on one of the two arms to pivot from a rest position to a lock position, the protrusion being correspondingly located on the other arm or the control panel or the main body or a support thereof to engage the seat of the lever when the lever is in the lock position, the rest position being a non-interfering position whereby the lever is substantially contained in a recess; wherein the lever has a slit in the end portion hosting a transversal cylindrical

Assignees

• Esaote Spa

Inventors

• Soresina Daniel
• Vigo Valerio
• Tedesco Daniele
• Rezzonico Fabio

Classifications

• A61B8/4405 Primary

  Device being mounted on a trolley · CPC title

• A61B8/462 Primary

  characterised by constructional features of the display · CPC title

• A61B8/4422

  related to hygiene or sterilisation · CPC title