Connecting device for selectively connecting a patient support means with the support column of an operating table

• US 5,611,638 A
• Filed: 06/28/1995
• Issued: 03/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Maquet GmbH & Company KG (Universal Robot Systems GmbH & Co KG)
• Original Assignee: Stierlen-Maquet AG
• Inventors: Kieferle, Hermann, Dorr, Holger
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US08/496,082
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 403/327, 403/326, 403/321, 403/331, 5/86, 5/81, 5/65, 5/63, 5/60, 5/81.1 R, 5/86.1, 269/322, 269/323
• US Class Current: 403/327
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/00 Operating tables; Auxiliary appliances therefor illumination of operating tables F21L, F21S or F21V ; adjustability of tables in general A47B9/00; tables for radiation diagnosis A61B6/04, drainage or irrigation pans, bags, or attachments A61G7/02, A61G7/0503
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/80 for connecting a trolley to a device, e.g. bed or column table
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1019 Vertical extending columns or mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1046 Mobile bases, e.g. having wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1057 Supported platforms, frames or sheets for patient in lying position
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/59 Manually releaseable latch type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/602 by separate spring

Abstract

At least two connecting elements are fastened to the patient support and are insertable into pin receivers of the column and carriage. Each connecting element has two latching elements each movable between a latching position and an unlatching position, and during relative movement between the transport carriage and the support column resulting in the transfer of the patient support from the column to the transport carriage, or the reverse, each connecting element becomes received at the same time in a column pin receiver and a carriage pin receiver. Each receiver has a detent recess for receiving one of the latching elements of a received connecting element in its latching position and a control surface associated with the other latch element of the received connecting element which control surface upon the reception of the connecting element transfers this latching element to its unlatched position. Each of the latching elements has associated with it a sensor for detecting the latching position of the latching element.

Claims

1. A connecting device for selectively connecting a patient support means (18) with a support column (10) of an operating table or a transport carriage (16), including at least two pin shaped connecting elements (24) adapted for fastening to the patient support means (18), which connecting elements are insertable into pin receivers in the column and carriage, each of the connecting elements (24) having at least two latching elements (38) which are so movably supported as to be adjustable between a latching position and an unlatching position, and wherein through relative movement between the transport carriage (16) and the support column (10) resulting in the transfer of the patient support means from the column (10) to the transport carriage (16), or the reverse, each connecting element is received at the same time in a column pin receiver (26) and a carriage pin receiver (22), each pin receiver (26, 22) further having a detent recess (46) for receiving one of the latching elements (38) in its latching position and also having a control surface (50) associated with the other latching element (38) which control surface (50) upon reception of the connecting element (22) by the receiver transfers this other latching element (38) to its unlatched position, and wherein when a connecting element is received at the same time by two receivers each latching element (38) of the so received connecting element (24) has associated with it a detent recess (48) of one of said two receivers (26,22) (column, carriage) and the control surface (50) of the other of said two receivers (22,26) (carriage, column), characterized in that associated with each of the latching elements (38) is a sensor (54,56) for detecting the latching position of the associated latch element (38), each of the sensors includes a Hall-detector (54,56) which is arranged in the column pin receiver (26) and which is associated with a magnet arranged in one of the latching elements (38), the latching elements (38) are formed as pawls pivotally supported in the connecting element, each of which pawls has two sections of which one section is adapted to be received in the detent recess of a pin receiver (26,22) of the support column (10) or of the support carriage (16) and the other section of which is adapted to engage the control surface (50) of the pin receiver (22,26) of the other component (16,10), transport carriage, support column, and in that in the carriage pin receiver (22) between the point (64) at the detent recess (48) which lies opposite to the magnet 60 in the pawl (38) in the latching position of the pawl (38), and the point (66) which the Hall detector (56) lies opposite to upon latching of the pawl (38), a magnetic field transmitting device (32) is arranged.

2. A connecting device according to claim 1 further characterized in that the magnetic field transmitting device (62) is formed from a soft iron element connecting the two points (64,66) of the carriage pin receiver (22).