TRASFERABLE PATIENT CARE EQUIPMENT SUPPORT

• US 20080217910A1
• Filed: 03/09/2007
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Newkirk, David C., Walke, James L., Seim, Douglas A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,104,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 285/121.7
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 12/002 Supply appliances, e.g. columns for gas, fluid, electricity supply vertical ducts or channels for receiving utility lines E04F17/08; installations of electric cables or lines, wall trunking H02G3/0431; structural combinations of lighting devices with other articles F21V33/0068; stands or trestles as supports for apparatus or articles F16M11/00; buildings for public purposes E04H3/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 12/008 mounted on a mobile base, e.g. on a trolley
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/107 Supply appliances supply appliances for dental machines A61C1/0007
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/723 Impact absorbing means, e.g. bumpers or airbags
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/80 for connecting a trolley to a device, e.g. bed or column table
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32704 Stud extends into ball

Abstract

A patient care equipment support is transferable between a first device having a first spherical socket and a second device having a second spherical socket. The equipment support comprises an equipment supporting portion configured to support patient care equipment and a coupler extending downwardly from the equipment supporting portion. The coupler has first and second spherical portions configured for receipt in the first and second spherical sockets, respectively. The first and second spherical portions are rotatable within the respective first and second spherical sockets about a multitude of axes to compensate for misalignment between the coupler and at least one of the first and second spherical sockets during transfer of the equipment support between the first and second devices.

Claims

1. A patient care equipment support transferable between a first device having a first generally spherical socket and a second device having a second generally spherical socket, the equipment support comprising:

an equipment supporting portion configured to support patient care equipment, and

a coupler extending downwardly from the equipment supporting portion, the coupler having first and second generally spherical portions, the first spherical portion being configured for receipt in the first spherical socket and the second spherical portion being configured for receipt in the second spherical socket, wherein the first and second spherical portions are able to rotate within the respective first and second spherical sockets about a multitude of axes to compensate for misalignment between the coupler and at least one of the first and second spherical sockets during transfer of the equipment support between the first and second devices.

2. The equipment support of claim 1, wherein the coupler comprises a post that extends downwardly from the equipment supporting portion, the first spherical portion is coupled to the post, and the second spherical portion is coupled to the post below the first spherical portion.

3. The equipment support of claim 2, further comprises a first generally cylindrical portion that projects downwardly from the first spherical portion and that has a diameter greater than a diameter of the post.

4. The equipment support of claim 2, further comprises a second generally cylindrical portion that projects downwardly from the second spherical portion and that has a diameter greater than a diameter of the post.

5. The equipment support of claim 2, wherein the post has a first portion that extends above the first spherical portion, a second portion that extends between the first and second spherical portions, and a third portion that extends below the second spherical portion.

6. The equipment support of claim 5, wherein the post is tapered at a lower end of the third portion.

7. The equipment support of claim 1, wherein the coupler comprises first and second posts extending downwardly from the equipment supporting portion, the first spherical portion is coupled to the first post and the second spherical portion is coupled to the second post.

8. The equipment support of claim 7, further comprises a first generally cylindrical portion that projects downwardly from the first spherical portion and that has a diameter greater than a diameter of the first post.

9. The equipment support of claim 7, further comprises a second generally cylindrical portion that projects downwardly from the second spherical portion and that has a diameter greater than a diameter of the second post.

10. The equipment support of claim 7, wherein each post has first and second portions that respectively extend above and below the associated spherical portion.

13. The equipment support of claim 1, wherein the equipment support comprises one of an IV pole and a rack adapted to carry infusion equipment.

14. A socket for use with a patient care equipment support having a coupler, the socket comprising:

a body having an upwardly-opening cavity that is configured to receive a first portion of the coupler and a bore that is configured to receive a second portion of the coupler, and

a locking member coupled to the body for pivoting movement and having a first region situated in the cavity, the locking member being configured so that contact of the first region of the locking member by the first portion of the coupler during downward movement of the coupler results in pivoting movement of the locking member so that a second region of the locking member engages the second portion of the coupler.

11. The equipment support of claim 14, wherein each post is tapered at a lower end of the second portion.

12. The equipment support of claim 11, wherein a first distance between the first spherical portion and the equipment supporting portion and a second distance between the second spherical portion and the equipment supporting portion are about equal.

15. The socket of claim 14, wherein the coupler has a longitudinal axis, and the locking member is coupled to the body for pivoting movement about a pivot axis that extends generally perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the coupler.

16. The socket of claim 15, wherein the locking member has a slot and a pivot pin defining the pivot axis of the locking member extends through the slot.

17. The socket of claim 14, wherein the body has an upper opening through which the first region of the locking member moves into and out of the cavity, and the body has a lower opening through which the second region of the locking member moves into and out of the bore.

18. The socket of claim 17, wherein the locking member is coupled to the body for pivoting movement such that, when the first region of the locking member moves into the cavity through the upper opening, the second region of the locking member moves out of the bore through the lower opening, and such that, when the second region of the locking member moves into the bore through the lower opening, the first region of the locking member moves out of the cavity through the upper opening.

19. The socket of claim 14, wherein the second region of the locking member that is configured to engage the second portion of the coupler comprises a tacky surface.

20. The socket of claim 14, wherein the second region of the locking member that is configured to engage the second portion of the coupler comprises a rubberized surface.

21. The socket of claim 14, wherein the second region of the locking member that is configured to engage the second portion of the coupler comprises a textured surface.

22. The socket of claim 22, wherein the locking member comprises first and second locking members disposed on opposite sides of the cavity and the bore.

23. A socket for use with a patient care equipment support having a coupler, the socket comprising:

a body having an upwardly-opening cavity that is configured to receive a first portion of the coupler and a bore that is configured to receive a second portion of the coupler, and

a locking member coupled to the body for translational movement between a first locking position engaging the second portion of the coupler received in the bore and a second unlocking position spaced from the second portion of the coupler received in the bore.

24. The socket of claim 23, wherein the second portion of the coupler has an annular groove and a portion of the locking member is received in the groove when the locking member is in the first locking position.

25. The socket of claim 23, wherein the coupler has a longitudinal axis, and the locking member is coupled to the body for translational movement along a direction that extends generally perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the coupler.

26. A socket for use with a patient care equipment support having a coupler comprising an enlarged portion and a necked-down portion that extends downwardly from the enlarged portion, wherein the socket has a generally c-shaped cross section having spaced apart end portions which define a laterally outwardly-opening slot in communication with an upwardly-opening cavity in the socket that is configured to receive the enlarged portion when the coupler is inserted into the socket through the laterally outwardly-opening cavity, and the laterally outwardly-opening slot has an upper region that progressively decreases in width and a lower region that progressively increases in width.

27. A patient care equipment support comprising:

an equipment supporting portion configured to support patient care equipment, and

a coupler extending downwardly from the equipment supporting portion, the coupler having a post, a generally spherical portion coupled to the post, and a generally cylindrical portion that projects downwardly from the spherical portion and that has a diameter greater than the diameter of the post.

28. A patient care equipment support transferable between a first device having a first generally spherical socket and a second device having a second generally spherical socket, the equipment support comprising:

an equipment supporting portion configured to support patient care equipment, and

a coupler extending downwardly from the equipment supporting portion, the coupler having first and second generally spherical portions, the first spherical portion being configured for receipt in the first spherical socket and the second spherical portion being configured for receipt in the second spherical socket.

29. A socket for use with a patient care equipment support having a coupler, the socket comprising:

an upper portion having an upwardly-opening generally spherical cavity that is configured to receive a spherical portion of the coupler and a bore that is configured to receive a post of the coupler, and

a lower portion having an upwardly-opening conical cavity that is configured to guide a lower end of the post into a bore in the lower portion having a diameter larger than the diameter of the post.