Bedside control unit for a hospital bed
First Claim
1. A bedside control unit for a hospital bed which is operable from positions both within and without said bed, comprising:
- a) a base member for attaching to a frame of said hospital bed and including a rotatable member that comprises a sleeve received in a cavity on said base member, said sleeve being rotatable within said cavity;
b) a control module having one or more manually operable controls;
c) an articulating arm structure secured to said rotatable member and connected between the base member and the control module, said articulating arm structure including a stem insertable into an axial bore in said sleeve, a vertically extending support member pivotally connected to said stem, and an overhead support arm pivotally connected to an upper end of said vertical support member, said control module being suspended from said overhead support arm; and
d) a quick connect mechanism for securing the articulating arm structure in the sleeve, said quick connect mechanism comprising a latching member on one of said stem and said sleeve, a mating groove engageable with said latching member in the other of said stem and said sleeve, and a biasing member for biasing said latching member into engagement with said groove;
e) wherein said overhead support arm is movable between a first position in which said support arm extends over said hospital bed and a second position in which the support arm extends outwardly from said bed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A bedside control unit for a hospital bed is operable from a position within the bed and also from a bedside chair. The bedside control unit includes a base which attaches to the frame of a hospital bed. An articulated support is connected to the base which includes a vertically extending support member pivotally connected to the base, and an overhead support arm pivotally connected to an upper end of the support member. The control module is suspended from the overhead support arm. The support arm is moveable between a first position in which the support arm extends over the hospital bed and a second position in which the support arm extends outward from the bed. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bedside control unit includes data storage means for storing data, such as patient information, and a display for displaying information stored in the control module.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A bedside control unit for a hospital bed which is operable from positions both within and without said bed, comprising:
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a) a base member for attaching to a frame of said hospital bed and including a rotatable member that comprises a sleeve received in a cavity on said base member, said sleeve being rotatable within said cavity; b) a control module having one or more manually operable controls; c) an articulating arm structure secured to said rotatable member and connected between the base member and the control module, said articulating arm structure including a stem insertable into an axial bore in said sleeve, a vertically extending support member pivotally connected to said stem, and an overhead support arm pivotally connected to an upper end of said vertical support member, said control module being suspended from said overhead support arm; and d) a quick connect mechanism for securing the articulating arm structure in the sleeve, said quick connect mechanism comprising a latching member on one of said stem and said sleeve, a mating groove engageable with said latching member in the other of said stem and said sleeve, and a biasing member for biasing said latching member into engagement with said groove; e) wherein said overhead support arm is movable between a first position in which said support arm extends over said hospital bed and a second position in which the support arm extends outwardly from said bed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A bedside control unit for a hospital bed that is operable from positions both within and without said bed comprising:
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a) base member for attaching to a frame of said hospital bed and including rotatable member; b) a support structure secured at one end to said rotatable member and movable between a first position and a second position; c) a control module mounted to another end of said support structure and having one or more manually operable controls; and d) a limit switch for disabling specified functions of said control module when said support structure is rotated to said second position. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A bedside control unit for a hospital bed comprising:
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a) a base for supporting said bedside control unit on a frame of said hospital bed; b) an adjustable support extending from said base; c) a control module having one or more manually operable controls mounted on said adjustable support, which are accessible to a patient lying in the hospital bed; d) data storage means within said control module for storing patient data; e) input means for entering said patient data into said data storage means; and f) data retrieval means for retrieving said patient data from said data storage means. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A bedside control unit for a hospital bed comprising:
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a) a base for attaching to a frame of said hospital bed; b) an adjustable support extending from said base; c) a control module including a front side and a back side mounted on said adjustable support; d) one or more manually operable environmental controls mounted on the front side of said control module; e) a processor disposed within said control module; f) data storage means operatively connected to said processor for storing data; g) input means operatively connected with said processor and said data storage means, said input means being mounted on the back side of the control module; and h) a display operatively connected to said processor and mounted on the back side of the control module adjacent said input means. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A bedside control unit for a hospital bed, comprising:
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a) a control module mounted to a frame of the hospital bed and including i) one or more manually operated controls, ii) data storage means within said control module, iii) data input means for entering data into said data storage means, iv) a first microprocessor within said control module for performing specified data processing functions; b) an interface module segregated from said control module for providing an interface between said control module and existing control functions of the hospital bed, said interface module including a second microprocessor for performing specified functions different from those performed by the first microprocessor; and c) a two-wire communication buss connected between said control module and said interface module for coordinating functioning of the first and second microprocessors. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification