Systems and methods for facilitating movement of a patient transport apparatus

• US 10,568,792 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2016
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Inventors: Derenne, Richard A., Patmore, Kevin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Knutson, Jacob D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arce, Marlon A
• Application Number:
  US15/336,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20170119607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/0243 with lockable swivel action, e.g. fixing castor in certain direction locking of castor swivel action in general B60B33/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/0275 having driven wheels, e.g. motorised
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/0281 having a steering device
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/0287 having brakes, e.g. slowing down and/or holding details of brake actuators on castors B60B33/0078; brakes on hand carts B62B5/04; brakes in general F16D49/00 - F16D65/853
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/16 Touchpads
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/32 for force
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/34 for pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/36 for motion
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/38 for torque
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/40 for distance
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1051 Arrangements for steering
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0506 Head or foot boards head or foot boards for comfort or ergonomics A47C19/022
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0524 characterised by integrated accessories, e.g. bed control means, nurse call or reading lights
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0528 Steering or braking devices for castor wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/08 Apparatus for transporting beds
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2200/242 Hospital beds
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 33/006 characterised by details of the swivel mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 33/0086 acting on rim or side portion of tyre
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 33/0092 actuated remotely, e.g. by cable or electrically
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 33/026 being actuated remotely, e.g. by cable or electrically

Abstract

Systems and methods for facilitating movement of a patient transport apparatus. The patient transport apparatus has a support structure and a patient support surface. Caster assemblies are coupled to the support structure to roll about a roll axis and swivel about a swivel axis. A control system is configured to control brake mechanisms, steer-lock mechanisms, and pre-swivel mechanisms of the caster assemblies based on one or more inputs.

Claims

1. A patient transport apparatus comprising:

a base;

a patient support surface supported by said base;

a wheel coupled to said base and configured to roll about a roll axis in response to a force being applied to said patient transport apparatus by an operator, said wheel having a swivel axis and configured to assume a trailing orientation and a non-trailing orientation;

a pre-swivel mechanism coupled to said wheel;

an input device configured to generate an input signal; and

a controller configured to actuate said pre-swivel mechanism based on said input signal received from said input device,

wherein said pre-swivel mechanism is configured to swivel said wheel about said swivel axis from said non-trailing orientation toward said trailing orientation relative to a direction of desired movement of said patient transport apparatus so that the force required to be applied to said patient transport apparatus by the operator to manually move said patient transport apparatus in the direction of desired movement is reduced.

2. The patient transport apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to detect said direction of desired movement based on said input signal received from said input device.

3. The patient transport apparatus of claim 1, wherein said input device comprises a force sensing system configured to detect the force applied by the operator to said patient transport apparatus to determine said direction of desired movement.

4. The patient transport apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a brake coupled to said wheel and operable in a braked mode and an unbraked mode, wherein said controller is configured to determine when said brake is in said braked mode, and said controller is configured to prevent actuation of said pre-swivel mechanism if said controller determines that said brake is in said braked mode.

5. The patient transport apparatus of claim 1, further comprising three additional wheels, with said wheel and said three additional wheels respectively arranged in each of four quadrants of said base.

6. The patient transport apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pre-swivel mechanism is configured to swivel said wheel at least 180 degrees between said non-trailing orientation and said trailing orientation.

7. The patient transport apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to detect whether said wheel is in said trailing orientation or said non-trailing orientation.

8. The patient transport apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a position sensor in communication with said controller and configured to detect whether said wheel is in said trailing orientation or said non-trailing orientation.

9. The patient transport apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to actuate said pre-swivel mechanism after a predetermined amount of time after receiving said input signal from said input device.

10. The patient transport apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pre-swivel mechanism comprises a motor coupled to said wheel.

12. The patient transport apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a motion sensor to monitor movement of said patient transport apparatus;

and

wherein said controller is further configured to determine a speed of said patient transport apparatus based on input signals associated with said motion sensor, and to actuate said pre-swivel mechanism in response to the speed of said patient transport apparatus being less than 1.0 miles per hour.

11. A method of reducing a start-up force necessary to initiate manual movement of a patient transport apparatus by an operator in a direction of desired movement, the patient transport apparatus comprising a base, a wheel coupled to the base and capable of assuming a trailing orientation and a non-trailing orientation, a patient support surface supported by the base, a pre-swivel mechanism coupled to the wheel, and an input device, said method comprising:

detecting an input signal generated by the input device; and

actuating the pre-swivel mechanism based on the input signal generated by the input device to swivel the wheel about the swivel axis from the non-trailing orientation toward the trailing orientation relative to the direction of desired movement of the patient transport apparatus so that the start-up force required to be applied to the patient transport apparatus by the operator to manually move the patient transport apparatus in the direction of desired movement is reduced.