Life support litter having a plurality of vibration dampers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9205007-B2
Application number	US-201113884385-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2011
Priority date	Nov 10, 2010
Publication date	Dec 8, 2015
Grant date	Dec 8, 2015

Abstract

Life support litters ( 10 ) include a bed assembly ( 20 ) including a mattress ( 26 ) connected to a mattress frame ( 25 ), a chassis assembly ( 30 ) connected to and supporting the mattress frame, the chassis assembly operable to secure the life support litter to a transport vehicle, and a plurality of vibration dampeners ( 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 50, 54, 60, 61, 39, 26 ), disposed about the life support litter and operable to reduce vibrations of a plurality of frequencies, wherein the plurality of vibration dampeners comprises a first vibration dampener operable to reduce vibrations of a first frequency range from a first vibration source and a second vibration dampener operable to reduce vibrations of a second frequency range from a second vibration source and wherein the first frequency range is different than the second frequency range.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A life support litter comprising:
a bed assembly comprising a mattress connected to a mattress frame;
a chassis assembly connected to and supporting the mattress frame, the chassis assembly operable to secure the life support litter to a transport vehicle;
a plurality of vibration dampeners disposed about the life support litter and operable to reduce vibrations of a plurality of frequencies; and
wherein the plurality of vibration dampeners comprises a first vibration dampener operable to reduce vibrations of a first frequency range from a first vibration source and a second vibration dampener operable to reduce vibrations of a second frequency range from a second vibration source, wherein the first frequency range is different than the second frequency range; and
wherein the first or second vibration dampener comprises a plurality of grip assemblies connected to the chassis assembly and operable to collapse in towards the chassis assembly from an extended position to a collapsed position;
wherein each of the plurality of grip assemblies comprise:
a connection-end attached to the chassis assembly;
a plug insertable into and extending out from the connection-end;
a core configured to slide over and extend away from the plug;
an insulator operable to slide over the core, wherein the insulator comprises a vibration dampening material; and

a grip connected to the core and the insulator, wherein the configuration of the grip assembly is operable to reduce vibrations.

2. The life support litter of claim 1 wherein the second vibration dampener comprises a mattress frame connection between the chassis assembly and the mattress frame, the mattress frame connection comprising a connection between an outer tube of the mattress frame and the chassis assembly.

3. The life support litter of claim 1 wherein the plurality of vibration dampeners further comprises a third vibration dampener operable to reduce vibrations of a third frequency range from a third vibration source.

4. The life support litter of claim 3 wherein the third vibration dampener comprises the mattress.

5. The life support litter of claim 1 wherein the first frequency range is between about 1750 Hz to about 1850 Hz, and the second frequency range is between about 450 Hz to about 550 Hz.

6. The life support litter of claim 3 wherein the third frequency range comprises from about 30 Hz to about 70 Hz.

7. The life support litter of claim 1 wherein the chassis assembly comprises a first upper horizontal tube connected to a first lower horizontal tube by a first plurality of vertical chassis supports and a second upper horizontal tube connected to a second lower horizontal tube by a second plurality of vertical chassis supports, wherein the first upper and lower horizontal tubes are connected to the second upper and lower horizontal tubes by a plurality of crossbars.

8. The life support litter of claim 7 wherein the first vibration dampener comprises the first plurality of vertical chassis supports and the second plurality of vertical chassis supports.

9. The life support litter of claim 1 wherein the bed assembly comprises an adjustable upper body section and an adjustable lower body section, wherein the first vibration dampener is disposed about either the adjustable upper body section or the adjustable lower body section.

10. A life support litter comprising:
a bed assembly comprising a mattress connected to a mattress frame;
a chassis assembly connected to and supporting the mattress frame, the chassis assembly comprising a first upper horizontal tube connected to a first lower horizontal tube by a first plurality of vertical chassis supports and a second upper horizontal tube connected to a second lower horizontal tube by a second plurality of vertical chassis supports, wherein the first upper and lower horizontal tubes are connected to the second upper and lower horizontal tubes by a plurality of crossbars;
a plurality of grip assemblies connected to the chassis assembly and operable to collapse in towards the chassis assembly from an extended position to a collapsed position; and
a plurality of vibration dampeners disposed at a plurality of mattress frame connections between the chassis assembly and the mattress frame, wherein the plurality of vibration dampeners are operable to reduce vibrations of a plurality of frequencies;
wherein each of the plurality of grip assemblies comprise:
a connection-end attached to the chassis assembly;
a plug insertable into and extending out from the connection-end;
a core configured to slide over and extend away from the plug;
an insulator operable to slide over the core, wherein the insulator comprises a vibration dampening material; and
a grip connected to the core and the insulator wherein the configuration of the grip assembly is operable to reduce vibrations.

11. The life support litter of claim 10 further comprising a first standardized mounting track disposed between the first upper horizontal tube and the first lower horizontal tube and a second standardized mounting track is disposed between the second upper horizontal tube and the second lower horizontal tube, the first and second standardized mounting tracks being operable to engage standardized mounting pins which are complementary to the standardized mounting track and used to mount medical equipment.

12. The life support litter of claim 10 wherein the bed assembly comprises an adjustable upper body section and an adjustable lower body section, and a moveable strut connecting the adjustable upper body section of the bed assembly to one of the plurality of crossbars of the chassis assembly, the moveable strut operable to raise and lower the adjustable upper body section.

13. The life support litter of claim 12 wherein the plurality of vibration dampeners are disposed where the moveable strut connects to the adjustable upper body section and where the moveable strut connects to the one of the plurality of crossbars.

14. The life support litter of claim 10 wherein the bed assembly comprises a plurality of safety restraints selected from the group consisting of an upper torso harness, a mid-section belt, a leg belt, or combinations thereof.

15. The life support litter of claim 10 wherein when the grip assembly is in the collapsed position, vibrations that would have passed through the grip when in the extended position may no longer pass through to the bed assembly.

16. The life support litter of claim 10 wherein a plurality of feet are connected to the chassis assembly and are operable to support the life support litter when on a floor, wherein the plurality of feet comprise vibration dampeners.

17. The life support litter of claim 10 wherein the chassis assembly is operable to secure to a collapsible litter transport assembly.

Assignees

• Chinn Robert
• Ferno Washington

Inventors

• Chinn Robert

Classifications

• A61G1/048

  Handles · CPC title

• A61G1/042

  Suspension means · CPC title

• A61G1/04 Primary

  Parts, details or accessories, e.g. head-, foot-, or like rests specially adapted for stretchers · CPC title

• A61G2001/042

  Human Necessities · mapped topic