Reconfigurable patient support

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9486373-B2
Application number	US-201414206257-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2014
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

A patient support includes a base, a deck for supporting a patient, and a lift mechanism supporting the deck on the base and configured to adjust the orientation of the deck while allowing the head and foot sections of the deck to be articulated with respect to the seat section of the deck.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A patient support comprising:
a base;
a deck for supporting a patient, said deck having a seat section, a head section articulatable relative to said seat section, and a foot section articulatable relative to said seat section, and said deck being reconfigurable between at least a flat configuration and a chair configuration wherein said foot section is folded downwardly and is generally vertical relative to said seat section;
a lift mechanism supporting said deck on said base, said lift mechanism operable to raise or lower said deck and configured to adjust the angular orientation of the deck while allowing the head section and the foot section to be articulated relative to said seat section, wherein said lift mechanism is coupled to said deck at foot end and head end pivot connections at said seat section only wherein each of said head section and said foot section is foldable relative to said seat section without interfering with said lift mechanism raising or lowering said deck; and
a track, and said track being mounted to said base beneath said seat section laterally inward of said foot end and head end pivot connections of said lift mechanism, wherein when said deck is arranged in its chair configuration, said lift mechanism is operable to adjust the angular orientation of said deck relative to said base such that a patient supported on said deck maintains a generally seated position when said track is inclined while traveling over a variable angle surface.

2. The patient support according to claim 1 , wherein said lift mechanism has a central pivot axis about which said lift mechanism collapses or extends to lower or raise said deck; and
said patient support having a center of gravity extending through said central pivot axis when said deck is in a fully raised position and offset toward said head end when said deck is in a lowered position.

3. The patient support according to claim 1 , wherein said lift mechanism comprises an X-frame lift mechanism.

4. The patient support according to claim 3 , wherein said X-frame lift mechanism comprises a double X-frame lift mechanism having lower and upper pairs of X-frames, each of said pairs of X-frames having upper ends and lower ends, with the upper ends of said lower pair of X-frames pivotally coupled to respective lower ends of said upper pair of X-frames, and said upper ends of said upper pair of X-frames including said foot end pivot connections and said head end pivot connections.

5. The patient support according to claim 4 , further comprising a frame supporting said deck, wherein said foot end pivot connections or said head end pivot connections are is pinned at said frame and the other of said foot end pivot connections or said head end pivot connections are slidably, pivotally mounted to said frame.

6. The patient support according to claim 5 , wherein one pair of said lower ends of said lower pair of X-frames is pinned at said base and another pair of said lower ends of said lower pair of X-frames is slidably, pivotally mounted to said base and is beneath said upper ends of said upper pair of X-frames that are slidably, pivotally mounted to said frame.

7. The patient support according to claim 1 , wherein said X-frames include telescoping legs to vary the angle of said seat section to thereby tilt said deck relative to said base.

8. The patient support according to claim 1 , further comprising a drive mechanism, wherein said drive mechanism is operable to drive said track.

9. The patient support according to claim 1 , further comprising a drive mechanism, wherein said drive mechanism is operable to extend or contract said lift mechanism.

10. The patient support according to claim 1 , wherein said base includes a plurality of wheels and a pair of auxiliary wheels, each of said auxiliary wheels having a diameter larger than a diameter of each of said plurality of wheels, said auxiliary wheels providing increased maneuverability and stability to said patient support.

11. The patient support according to claim 10 , further comprising a drive train for driving said patient support.

12. The patient support according to claim 11 , said drive train driving said auxiliary wheels.

13. The patient support according to claim 1 , wherein said deck is operable to tilt relative to said base at an angle in a range of 0 degrees plus or minus about 40degrees from horizontal.

14. The patient support according to claim 1 , further comprising a user input device at said patent support and
an electrically powered device at said patient support; and
wherein said user input device is in wireless communication with said electrically powered device for wireless control of said electrically powered device.

Assignees

• Stryker Corp

Inventors

• Lambarth Clifford Edwin
• Wroblewski Jason James
• Naber Brandon David
• Dacy Iv Alfred James
• Puvogel Thomas Alan
• Lucas Ross Timothy

Classifications

• A61G1/0225

  other configuration, e.g. odd number of wheels · CPC title

• A61G5/1075

  tilting the whole seat backwards (tilting forwards for standing-up or sitting-down aids A61G5/14) · CPC title

• A61G5/1059

  adjusting the height of the seat · CPC title

• A61G2007/165

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A61G1/025

  having auxiliary wheels, e.g. wheels not touching the ground in extended position · CPC title