Techniques for power transfer through wheels of a patient support apparatus
First Claim
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1. A power transfer system comprising:
- a patient support apparatus comprising a support structure having a base and a patient support surface for a patient and wheels coupled to said support structure to facilitate movement of said patient support apparatus over a floor surface and wherein one or more of said wheels includes a power receiver integrated therewith; and
a power transfer device separated from said patient support apparatus and being energizable to interact with said wheel to facilitate power transfer between said power transfer device and said power receiver through said wheel.
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Abstract
A power transfer system comprises a patient support apparatus and a separate power transfer device. The patient support apparatus comprises a support structure having a base and a patient support surface for a patient and wheels coupled to the support structure to facilitate movement of the patient support apparatus over a floor surface. One or more of the wheels includes a power receiver integrated therewith. The power transfer device is energizeable to interact with the wheel to facilitate power transfer between the power transfer device and the power receiver through the wheel.
380 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A power transfer system comprising:
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a patient support apparatus comprising a support structure having a base and a patient support surface for a patient and wheels coupled to said support structure to facilitate movement of said patient support apparatus over a floor surface and wherein one or more of said wheels includes a power receiver integrated therewith; and a power transfer device separated from said patient support apparatus and being energizable to interact with said wheel to facilitate power transfer between said power transfer device and said power receiver through said wheel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A patient support apparatus comprising:
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a support structure having a base and a patient support surface for a patient; and wheels coupled to said support structure to facilitate movement of said patient support apparatus over a floor surface; and wherein one or more of said wheels includes a power receiver integrated therewith and with said power receiver of said wheel configured to interact with a power transfer device that is energizable and separated from said patient support apparatus to facilitate power transfer from said power transfer device to said power receiver through said wheel.
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20. A method of transferring power to a patient support apparatus, the patient support apparatus comprising a support structure having a base and a patient support surface for a patient and wheels coupled to the support structure to facilitate movement of the patient support apparatus over a floor surface and wherein one or more of the wheels includes a power receiver integrated therewith, and with a power transfer device being separated from the patient support apparatus and being energizable to facilitate power transfer between the power transfer device and the power receiver through the wheel, the method comprising:
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moving the patient support apparatus such that the wheel is adjacent to the power transfer device; energizing the power transfer device; creating interaction between the power transfer device and the wheel; and transferring power to the power receiver from the power transfer device in response to interaction created between the power transfer device and the wheel.
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Specification