Support arm for surgical light apparatus

• US 6,012,821 A
• Filed: 03/30/1998
• Issued: 01/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Martyna, Frank L., Peterson, Thomas M., Yeaney, Gerald L., Taft, Michael A., Bulko, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): CARIASO, ALAN B
• Application Number:
  US09/050,530
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 362/33, 362/287, 362/288, 362/289, 362/402, 362/418, 362/419, 362/422, 362/427, 362/428, 362/804, 248/280.11, 248/292.11, 248/292.13, 248/292.14, 248/325, 248/585, 248/586
• US Class Current: 362/33
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 12/004 mounted on the ceiling
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/107 Supply appliances supply appliances for dental machines A61C1/0007
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2064 for tilting and panning F16M11/2078 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/027 Ceiling supports
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/024 by positive interaction, e.g. male-female connections
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/044 for balancing rotational movement of the undercarriage
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/26 Pivoted arms
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/205 for operating theatres
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/804 Surgical or dental spotlight

Abstract

An arm assembly for supporting a surgical lighthead of a surgical light apparatus includes a first arm and a first clevis appended to the first arm and having a first stop surface and a second stop surface. The arm assembly also includes a second arm formed to include an interior region and a second clevis appended to the second arm and having a third stop surface and a fourth stop surface. The surigcal lighthead is supported by the second arm. The second arm and second clevis are pivotable about a main pivot axis relative to the first arm and first clevis between a first position in which the third stop surface engages the first stop surface to limit pivoting movement of the second clevis and second arm in a first direction and a second position in which the fourth stop surface engages the second stop surface to limit pivoting movement of the second clevis and second arm in a second direction

Claims

1. An arm assembly for supporting a surgical lighthead of a surgical light apparatus, the arm assembly comprising

a first arm,

a first clevis appended to the first arm and having a pair of separated first flanges, the first clevis including a first stop surface and a second stop surface,

a second arm formed to include an interior region, the surgical lighthead being supported by the second arm,

a second clevis appended to the second arm and having a pair of separated second flanges, the second clevis including a third stop surface and a fourth stop surface,

a pair of pivot pins pivotably coupling each of the pair of second flanges to a respective one of the first flanges so that the second arm and second clevis are pivotable about a main pivot axis relative to the first arm and first clevis, the pivot pins being spaced apart to define a gap therebetween,

a rod extending within the interior region of the second arm,

a link coupled to the rod and pivotably coupled to the first clevis for pivoting movement about a link pivot axis that is spaced apart from the main pivot axis,

a spring extending within the interior region of the second arm, the spring exerting a force on the rod and the link to counterbalance the surgical lighthead, and

wherein the second arm and second clevis are pivotable about the main pivot axis relative to the first arm and first clevis between a first position in which the third stop surface engages the first stop surface to limit pivoting movement of the second clevis and second arm in a first direction and a second position in which the fourth stop surface engages the second stop surface to limit pivoting movement of the second clevis and second arm in a second direction, the link moving into the gap between the pair of pivot pins during movement of the second arm and second clevis between the first position and the second position.

2. The arm assembly of claim 1, wherein the first clevis includes a first main body to which the first flanges are appended, the second clevis includes a second main body to which the second flanges are appended, the first main body provides the first and second stop surfaces, and the second main body provides the third and fourth stop surfaces.

3. The arm assembly of claim 2, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth stop surfaces are configured so that the second clevis and the second arm pivot through an angle of at least one-hundred-eighty degrees about the main pivot axis relative to the first arm and the first clevis during movement of the second arm and the second clevis between the first and second positions.

4. The arm assembly of claim 3, wherein the link is outside the gap between the pair of pivot pins when the second arm and second clevis are in the first position, the link is outside the gap between the pair of pivot pins when the second arm and second clevis are in the second position, and the link is positioned to lie in the gap when the second arm and second clevis are half way between the first and second positions.

5. The arm assembly of claim 1, wherein the link pivot axis is vertically above the main pivot axis.

6. The arm assembly of claim 1, wherein the first arm, the second arm, the link, and the rod are vertically aligned with one another when the second arm and second clevis are in the second position.

7. The arm assembly of claim 1, wherein the first clevis includes a first main body to which the first flanges are appended, the second clevis includes a second main body to which the second flanges are appended, the first main body provides the first stop surface, the second main body provides the third stop surface, one of the first flanges is formed to include the second stop surface, and one of the second flanges is formed to include the fourth stop surface.

8. The arm assembly of claim 7, wherein the first and third stop surfaces are configured so that the second arm and the first arm define an acute included angle therebetween when the second arm and second clevis are in the first position and the second and fourth stop surfaces are configured so that the second arm and first arm define an angle of about one-hundred-eighty degrees therebetween when the second arm and second clevis are in the second position.

9. The arm assembly of claim 8, wherein the link is outside the gap between the pair of pivot pins when the second arm and second clevis are in the first position and the link is positioned to lie in the gap between the pair of pivot pins when the second arm and second clevis are in the second position.

10. The arm assembly of claim 8, wherein the first arm, the second arm, the link, and the rod are vertically aligned with one another when the second arm and second clevis are in the second position.

11. An arm assembly for supporting a surgical lighthead of a surgical light apparatus, the arm assembly comprising

a first arm,

a first clevis appended to the first arm and having a pair of separated first flanges,

a second arm formed to include an interior region, the surgical lighthead being supported by the second arm,

a second clevis appended to the second arm and having a pair of separated second flanges, the second flanges being pivotably coupled to respective first flanges so that the second arm and second clevis are pivotable about a main pivot axis relative to the first arm and first clevis,

a rod extending within the interior region of the second arm and having spaced apart first and second end surfaces,

a link pivotably coupled to the rod adjacent to the first end surface, the link having a portion pivotably coupled to the first clevis for pivoting movement about a link pivot axis that is spaced apart from the main pivot axis,

a spring extending within the interior region of the second arm, and

an adjuster threadedly coupled to the rod, the adjuster including a rod-engaging portion and a spring-engaging portion, the rod-engaging portion having a first end face facing toward the second clevis, the spring-engaging portion having a second end face facing away from the second clevis, the spring being compressed between the spring-engaging portion and the second clevis so as to exert a force on the rod and the link to counterbalance the surgical lighthead, the adjuster being movable relative to the rod between first and second positions to adjust compression of the spring, and the second end surface or the rod being positioned to lie between the first and second end faces when the adjuster is in any position between the first and second positions.

12. The arm assembly of claim 11, wherein the rod-engaging portion of the adjuster is somewhat cylindrical and the spring-engaging portion extends radially outwardly from the rod-engaging portion.

13. The arm assembly of claim 11, wherein the spring is a coil spring having an interior region, the rod extends within the interior region of the coil spring, and the rod-engaging portion of the adjuster is positioned to lie within the interior region of the coil spring.

14. The arm assembly of claim 11, wherein the rod-engaging portion of the adjuster includes a first cylindrical outer surface having a first diameter and the spring-engaging portion of the adjuster includes a second cylindrical outer surface having a second diameter that is larger than the first diameter.

15. The arm assembly of claim 14, wherein the second outer surface is formed to include a plurality of radially extending holes and the second arm is formed to include a window through which the holes are accessed with an adjustment tool to adjust the position of the adjuster relative to the rod between the first and second positions.

16. An arm assembly for supporting a surgical lighthead of a surgical light apparatus, the arm assembly comprising

a first arm,

a first clevis appended to the first arm and having a pair of first flanges that are separated to define a first space therebetween,

a second arm formed to include an interior region,

a structure coupling the surgical lighthead to the second arm,

a second clevis appended to the second arm and having a pair of second flanges that are separated to define a second space therebetween, at least a portion of the pair of first flanges being positioned to lie in the second space such that each first flange is adjacent to a respective one of the second flanges, the second flanges being pivotably coupled to respective first flanges so that the second arm and second clevis are pivotable about a main pivot axis relative to the first arm and first clevis,

a rod extending within the interior region of the second arm,

a link coupled to the rod and having a portion positioned to lie in the first space and pivotably coupled to the first clevis for pivoting movement about a link pivot axis that is spaced apart from the main pivot axis,

a spring extending within the interior region of the second arm, the spring exerting a force on the rod and the link to counterbalance the surgical lighthead, and

a space filler positioned to lie in the first space, each first flange having a first edge, each second flange having a second edge, and the space filler having a third edge, the third edge substantially spanning the first space between the first flanges, and the third edge cooperating with the first edge to substantially span the second space between the second flanges.

17. The arm assembly of claim 16, wherein the first, second, and third edges are substantially concentric with the main pivot axis and have substantially equivalent diameters.

18. The arm assembly of claim 16, wherein the space filler includes a rim providing the third edge, the space filler includes a thin wall appended to the rim, the link includes a first vertical surface facing toward the thin wall, and the link includes a second vertical surface facing away from the thin wall.

19. The arm assembly of claim 18, wherein the thin wall is formed to include an arcuate slot and further comprising a link pin pivotably coupling the link to at least one of the first flanges, the link pin being received in the arcuate slot.

20. The arm assembly of claim 18, wherein the thin wall is formed to include a central aperture and one of the pair of pivot pins is received by the central aperture so that the space filler is supported for pivoting movement about the main pivot axis relative to the first flanges.

21. The arm assembly of claim 16, wherein the third edge is formed to include a link-receiving gap and the link extends through the link-receiving gap.