Hospital bed equipment support apparatus

• US 6,704,956 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2002
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Riley, Carl W., Action, Troy D.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAGMAN, FREDERICK LYNDON
• Application Number:
  US10/224,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20030037375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 565/8, 550/31, 560/0, 560/7, 562/0
• US Class Current: 5/600
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/571 for clamping a support arm to a bed or other supports
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/107 Supply appliances supply appliances for dental machines A61C1/0007
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05 Parts, details or accessories of beds devices for prevention against falling out A47C21/08, A47D7/00 ; mattresses A47C27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0503 Holders, support devices for receptacles, e.g. for drainage or urine bags hanging-up devices for infusion A61M5/1414
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/187 with spring member in the socket
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6276 comprising one or more balls engaging in a hole or a groove
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 for medicine and surgery
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/58 Contacts spaced along longitudinal axis of engagement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/904 Multipart shell

Abstract

An equipment support for use with a patient assist apparatus having a signal source includes a receptacle adapted to mount to the patient assist apparatus having a plurality of contacts adapted to receive signals from the signal source and a cavity, and a support body or pole having an equipment mount on one end and a plug on the other end for being removably inserted into the cavity. The plug includes a plurality of contacts that are connected to conductors that extend through the support body to the equipment mount to provide the signals from the signal source to equipment mounted on the equipment mount. The plug contacts and receptacle contacts are arranged such that all of the plug contacts contact their corresponding receptacle contacts as the plug is inserted into the receptacle.

Claims

1. An equipment support for use with a patient assist apparatus having a signal source providing a first and a second signal, the support including:

a receptacle adapted to mount to the patient assist apparatus, the receptacle including a first contact adapted to receive the first signal, a second contact adapted to receive the second signal, and a cavity; and

a support body having an equipment end and a plug for being removably inserted into the cavity, the plug having a body including a first contact connected to a first conductor and a second contact connected to a second conductor, the first and second conductors extending to the equipment end of the support body and being adapted for connection to a first piece of equipment mounted to the equipment end of the support body;

wherein the first plug contact contacts the first receptacle contact and the second plug contact contacts the second receptacle contact only when substantially the entire plug body is inserted into the cavity.

2. The support of claim 1, wherein the receptacle cavity is substantially cylindrical.

3. The support of claim 1, wherein the receptacle contacts are detents.

4. The support of claim 1, wherein the support body is substantially cylindrical.

5. The support of claim 4, wherein each of the plug contacts includes a ring portion having a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the body, the ring portions cooperating with the receptacle contacts to resist removal of the plug from the receptacle when substantially the entire plug body is inserted into the cavity.

6. The support of claim 1, wherein the support body further includes a first section that is telescopically connected to a second section.

7. The support of claim 1, further including a flexible portion extending from the equipment end of the support body.

8. The support of claim 7, wherein the first and second conductors are adapted for connection to a second piece of equipment mounted to a free end of the flexible portion.

9. The support of claim 1, wherein the plug body is substantially cylindrical.

10. The support of claim 9, wherein the plug further includes an annular stop having a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the plug body, the stop being seated within an enlarged diameter portion of the cavity when substantially the entire plug body is inserted into the cavity.

11. The support of claim 1, wherein the plug contacts are annular.

12. The support of claim 1, wherein the cavity has a central axis, the first receptacle contact extending into the cavity at a first location along the central axis, and the second receptacle contact extending into the cavity at a second location along the central axis.

13. The support of claim 12, wherein the receptacle further includes a third contact extending into the cavity at a third location along the central axis, and a fourth contact extending into the cavity at a fourth location along the central axis, the plug body further including third and fourth contacts that contact the third and fourth receptacle contacts, respectively, only when substantially the entire plug body is inserted into the cavity.

14. The support of claim 13, wherein the plug body is cylindrical and the plug contacts are annular, the plug further including annular insulators separating the plug contacts.

15. The support of claim 13, wherein the second location is a first distance from the first location, the third location is a second distance from the second location, and the fourth location is a third distance from the third location, each of the first, second and third distances being different from the other distances.

16.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plug is included in a plug end of the support body.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plug is integral with an end of the second body.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plug fails to extend beyond the end of the support body.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cavity is sized and shaped to receive an end of the support body therein.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein distance between the first plug contact and the equipment end is always less than the distance between second plug contact and the equipment end.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support body is at least partially received in the cavity.

21. A hospital bed, including

a frame for supporting a patient, the frame including a receptacle having a first contact connected to a first signal, a second contact connected to a second signal, and a cavity;

and

an equipment support having a body with a first equipment mount adjacent one end, a plug connected to the other end for removable insertion into the receptacle cavity, and a pair of conductors extending from the first equipment mount to the plug, the plug including a first contact connected to one of the conductors and a second contact connected to the other conductor;

wherein the first and second plug contacts respectively engage the first and second receptacle contacts, thereby providing the first and second signals through the conductors to the equipment mount, as the plug is inserted into the cavity.

22. The bed of claim 22, wherein the frame includes a plurality of receptacles to permit placement of the equipment support at a plurality of different locations about the bed.

23. The bed of claim 22, wherein each of the receptacle contacts includes an electrically conductive ball and a spring that biases the ball into the cavity.

26. The bed of claim 22, wherein the support body is a pole.

27. The bed of claim 22, wherein the support body further includes a first section that is telescopically connected to a second section.

28. The bed of claim 22, further including a flexible portion extending from the one end of the support body.

31. The bed of claim 22, wherein the plug further includes a stop that engages the receptacle to prevent further insertion of the plug into the cavity when the plug is fully inserted into the cavity.

32. The bed of claim 22, wherein the plug includes a body having an outer surface, the plug contacts being annular and protruding from the outer surface.

33. The bed of claim 22, wherein the receptacle further includes a third contact and a fourth contact, and the plug further includes a third contact and a fourth contact that contact the third and fourth receptacle contacts, respectively, as the plug is inserted into the cavity.

36. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the plug is included in a plug end of the equipment support.

37. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the plug is integral with an end of the equipment support.

38. The apparatus of claim 22,wherein the plug fails to extend beyond the end of the equipment support.

39. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the cavity is sized and shaped to receive an end of the equipment support therein.

40. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein distance between the first contact and the equipment mount is always less than the distance between second contact and the equipment mount.

41. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the equipment support is at least partially received in the cavity.

24. The bed of claim 24, wherein each of the balls is disposed within a respective bore formed in the receptacle.

25. The bed of claim 24, wherein each of the plug contacts includes a ring portion having a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the plug, the ring portions cooperating with the balls to resist removal of the plug from the receptacle when the plug is fully inserted into the cavity.

29. The bed of claim 29, wherein the first and second conductors extend to a second equipment mount connected to a free end of the flexible portion.

30. The bed of claim 30, further including an interface connected to the first equipment mount and a pendant connected to the second equipment mount.

34. The bed of claim 34, wherein the plug contacts are separated by insulators.

35. The bed of claim 34, wherein the plug contacts are unequally spaced apart from one another along a length of the plug to prevent simultaneous contact between the plug contacts and their respective receptacle contacts when the plug is being inserted and removed from the cavity.

42. A patient assist apparatus, including:

a frame;

a receptacle mounted to the frame, the receptacle having electrical contacts that receive a signal;

a pole having a piece of equipment connected to one end and a plug connected to the other end, the plug having electrical contacts connected to the equipment that are in electrical communication with the receptacle contacts when the plug is inserted into the receptacle, thereby providing the signal to the equipment.

43. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the frame includes a plurality of receptacles to permit placement of the pole at a plurality of different locations.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the plug is included in a plug end of the pole.

45. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the plug is integral with an end of the pole.

46. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the plug fails to extend beyond the end of the pole.

47. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the cavity is sized and shaped to receive an end of the pole therein.

48. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the pole is at least partially received in the cavity.