Method, Kit, and an Associated Adaptor, Usable with a Hospital Bed

• US 20110005072A1
• Filed: 09/12/2010
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael L. Biggs
• Original Assignee: Michael L. Biggs
• Inventors: Biggs, Michael L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,096,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/874
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/718 Contact members provided on the PCB without an insulating housing contacts for abutting H01R12/714
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/75 connecting to cables except for flat or ribbon cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/06 Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/94
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 Contact or terminal manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5313 Means to assemble electrical device

Abstract

A method of installing an adapter, a kit including an adapter, and an adapter are disclosed. The adapter includes a first connector, a second connector, and a component adapted for facilitating the second connector to electrical communicate with a portion of a plurality of pins or sockets of the first connector in a predetermined pinout. The first connector has a first plurality of pins or sockets. The second connector has a plug and a socket. Each of the plug and socket has a second plurality of pins or sockets. One of the plug and the socket of the second connector is adapted to mechanically communicate with a first portion of a third plurality of electrical conductors to facilitate electrical communication. The other of the plug and the socket of the second connector is adapted to electrically communicate with a first portion of the first plurality of pins or sockets of the first connector.

Claims

1. An adapter including

(a) a first connector having a first plurality of pins or sockets;

(b) a second connector having;

(i) a plug,

(ii) a socket, and

(iii) each plug and socket having a second plurality of pins or sockets,

a. wherein one of the plug and the socket of the second connector is adapted to mechanically communicate with a first portion of a third plurality of electrical conductors to facilitate electrical communication while

b. the other of the plug and the socket of the second connector is adapted to electrically communicate with a first portion of the first plurality of pins or sockets of the first connector; and

(c) a component comprising a plurality of conductors adapted for facilitating the other of the plug and the socket of the second connector to electrically communicate with the first portion of the first plurality of pins or sockets of the first connector in a first predetermined pinout.

2. The adapter according to claim 1, further including indicia adapted to provide guidance for the mechanical communication of the third plurality of electrical conductors to the one of the plug and the socket of the second connector to facilitate electrical communication of the third plurality of electrical conductors with the first portion of the first plurality of pins or sockets of the first connector in the predetermined pinout to facilitate electrical communication among preselected equipment associated with a preselected hospital bed and a preselected nurse call station.

3. The adapter according to claim 1, further including:

(d) a third connector having;

(i) a plug,

(ii) a socket, and

(iii) each plug and socket having a third plurality of pins or sockets,

a. wherein one of the plug and the socket of the third connector is adapted to mechanically communicate with a second portion of the third plurality of electrical conductors to facilitate electrical communication while

b. the other of the plug and the socket of the third connector is adapted to electrically communicate with a second portion of the first plurality of pins or sockets of the first connector;

(e) a forth connector having;

(i) a plug,

(ii) a socket, and

(iii) each plug and socket having a forth plurality of pins or sockets,

a. wherein one of the plug and the socket of the forth connector is adapted to mechanically communicate with a third portion of the third plurality of electrical conductors to facilitate electrical communication while

b. the other of the plug and the socket of the fourth connector is adapted to electrically communicate with a third portion of the first plurality of pins or sockets of the first connector; and

(f) indicia adapted to provide guidance for the mechanical communication of the third plurality of electrical conductors to the one of the plug and the socket of the second, third, and forth connectors to facilitate electrical communication of the third plurality of electrical conductors with the first, second, and third portions of the first plurality of pins or sockets of the first connector in the predetermined pinout to facilitate electrical communication among preselected equipment associated with a preselected hospital bed and a preselected nurse call station,

wherein the component comprising the plurality of conductors is adapted for facilitating the other of the plug and the socket of the second, third, and forth connector to electrical communicate with the first, second, and third portions of the first plurality of pins or sockets of the first connector in a first predetermined pinout.

4. The adapter according to claim 1, where the first connector comprises a D-subminiature connector.

5. The adapter according to claim 1, where the second connector comprises an insulation-displacement connector (IDC connector) or insulation-piercing connectors (IPC connector).

6. The adapter according to claim 1, where the component comprising a plurality of conductors comprises a printed circuit board (PCB).

7. The adapter according to claim 1, where the indicia adapted to provide guidance comprises a cross-reference between the pins or sockets the second connector and a color of the third plurality of electrical conductors.

8. The adapter according to claim 3, where the third plurality of electrical conductors comprise a plurality of cables and where the indicia adapted to provide guidance comprises a cross-reference between a color of the electrical conductors of each cable of the plurality of cables and the pins or sockets each of the second, third, and forth conductors.

9. A kit including:

(a) an adapter including;

(i) a first connector having a first plurality of pins or sockets;

(ii) a second connector having

a. a plug,

b. a socket, and

c. each having a second plurality of pins or sockets,

i. wherein one of the plug and the socket of the second connector is adapted to mechanically communicate with a first portion of a third plurality of electrical conductors to facilitate electrical communication while

ii. the other of the plug and the socket of the second connector is adapted to electrically communicate with a first portion of the first plurality of pins or sockets of the first connector;

(iii) a component comprising a plurality of conductors adapted for facilitating the other of the plug and the socket of the second connector to electrical communicate with the first portion of the first plurality of pins or sockets of the first connector in a first predetermined pinout; and

, optionally,

(b) a tool adapted to facilitate a mechanical communication of a third plurality of electrical conductors to one of a plug and a socket of a second connector to facilitate electrical communication of the third plurality of electrical conductors with a first portion of a first plurality of pins or sockets of a first connector.

10. A kit according to claim 9, further including indicia adapted to provide guidance for the mechanical communication of the third plurality of electrical conductors to the one of the plug and the socket of the second connector to facilitate electrical communication of the third plurality of electrical conductors with the first portion of the first plurality of pins or sockets of the first connector in the predetermined putout to facilitate electrical communication among preselected equipment associated with a preselected hospital bed and a preselected nurse call station.

11. The kit according to claim 9, wherein the adapter further includes:

(iv) a third connector having;

a. a plug,

b. a socket, and

c. each plug and socket having a third plurality of pins or sockets,

i. wherein one of the plug and the socket of the third connector is adapted to mechanically communicate with a second portion of the third plurality of electrical conductors to facilitate electrical communication while

ii. the other of the plug and the socket of the third connector is adapted to electrically communicate with a second portion of the first plurality of pins or sockets of the first connector;

(v) a forth connector having;

a. a plug,

b. a socket, and

c. each plug and socket having a forth plurality of pins or sockets,

i. wherein one of the plug and the socket of the forth connector is adapted to mechanically communicate with a third portion of the third plurality of electrical conductors to facilitate electrical communication while

ii. the other of the plug and the socket of the fourth connector is adapted to electrically communicate with a third portion of the first plurality of pins or sockets of the first connector; and

(vi) indicia adapted to provide guidance for the mechanical communication of the third plurality of electrical conductors to the one of the plug and the socket of the second, third, and forth connectors to facilitate electrical communication of the third plurality of electrical conductors with the first, second, and third portions of the first plurality of pins or sockets of the first connector in the predetermined pinout to facilitate electrical communication among preselected equipment associated with a preselected hospital bed and a preselected nurse call station,

wherein the component comprising the plurality of conductors is adapted for facilitating the other of the plug and the socket of the second, third, and forth connector to electrical communicate with the first, second, and third portions of the first plurality of pins or sockets of the first connector in a first predetermined pinout.

12. The kit according to claim 9, wherein the first connector comprises a D-subminiature connector.

13. The kit according to claim 9, where the second connector comprises an insulation-displacement connector (IDC connector) or insulation-piercing connectors (IPC connector).

14. The kit according to claim 9, where the component comprising a plurality of conductors comprises a printed circuit board (PCB).

15. The kit according to claim 9, where the indicia adapted to provide guidance comprises a cross-reference between the pins or sockets the second connector and a color of the third plurality of electrical conductors.

16. The kit according to claim 11, where the third plurality of electrical conductors comprise a plurality of cables and where the indicia adapted to provide guidance comprises a cross-reference between a color of the electrical conductors of each cable of the plurality of cables and the pins or sockets each of the second, third, and forth conductors.

17. A method for replacing a connector adapted to facilitate the electrical communication among preselected equipment associated with a preselected hospital bed and a preselected nurse, the method including:

(a) providing an adapter, wherein the adapter includes;

(i) a first connector having a first plurality of pins or sockets;

(ii) a second connector having;

a. a plug,

b. a socket, and

c. each having a second plurality of pins or sockets,

i. wherein one of the plug and the socket of the second connector is adapted to mechanically communicate with a first portion of a third plurality of electrical conductors to facilitate electrical communication while

ii. the other of the plug and the socket of the second connector is adapted to electrically communicate with a first portion of the first plurality of pins or sockets of the first connector; and

(iii) a component comprising a plurality of conductors adapted for facilitating the other of the plug and the socket of the second connector to electrical communicate with the first portion of the first plurality of pins or sockets of the first connector in a first predetermined pullout; and

(b) communicating the third plurality of electrical conductors to the one of the plug and the socket of the second connector mechanical in a manner of the indicia.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising providing indicia adapted to provide guidance for the mechanical communication of the third plurality of electrical conductors to the one of the plug and the socket of the second connector to facilitate electrical communication of the third plurality of electrical conductors with the first portion of the first plurality of pins or sockets of the first connector in the predetermined pinout to facilitate electrical communication among preselected equipment associated with a preselected hospital bed and a preselected nurse call station, wherein the communicating the third plurality of electrical conductors to the one of the plug and the socket of the second connector mechanical is in a manner consistent with the indicia.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein any one of:

(α

) the first connector comprises a D-subminiature connector;

(β

) the second connector comprises an insulation-displacement connector (IDC connector) or insulation-piercing connectors (IPC connector);

(χ

) The kit according to claim 9, where the component comprising a plurality of conductors comprises a printed circuit board (PCB);

or

(δ

) any two or more of the preceding.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein any one of:

(ε

) the indicia adapted to provide guidance comprises a cross-reference between the pins or sockets the second connector and a color of the third plurality of electrical conductors;

(φ

) the third plurality of electrical conductors comprise a plurality of cables and where the indicia adapted to provide guidance comprises a cross-reference between a color of the electrical conductors of each cable of a plurality of cables and the pins or sockets each of the second, a third conductor, and a forth conductors;

or

(γ

) both.