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Person support apparatus with spring assistance for articulation

  • US 9,833,368 B2
  • Filed: 10/29/2013
  • Issued: 12/05/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2012
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A spring assist system for use with a person support apparatus comprising a head support deck section supported by a supporting frame, said head support deck section configured to be variably inclined with respect to said supporting frame through an overall range of motion between a raised position and a lowered position, the spring assist system comprising:

  • a spring assembly comprising a spring configured to apply spring force assisting downward motion to lower said head support deck section through only a portion of the overall range of motion of the head support deck section that is less than the overall range of motion, the portion of the overall range being defined from a first position to a second position, wherein said head support deck section in said first position is at greater angle of inclination with respect to said supporting frame than in said second position and angular inclination of said head support deck section in said second position is greater than 0 degrees and less than 50 degrees with respect to said supporting frame such that no spring force is provided by the spring to the head support deck section at an end portion of the downward range of movement of said head support deck section toward and into the lowered position, said spring assembly configured to apply spring force exclusively between said first position and said second position, wherein the spring assembly further includes a tube and a rod that extends and retracts relative to the tube, wherein the spring is situated inside of the tube and is secured to the rod, the spring traveling with the rod relative to the tube while the spring remains in an uncompressed state as the head support deck section is raised from the lowered position toward the raised position until the rod reaches a position relative to the tube corresponding to the second position of the head support deck section at which point the spring begins to compress within the tube during further movement of the deck section toward the first position and toward the raised position.

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