OVERBED TABLE WITH WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER

• US 20120312196A1
• Filed: 06/08/2011
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Newkirk, David C.
• Application Number:
  US13/155,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20120312196A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 108/23
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 23/046 C-shaped bed tables, e.g. foldable
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 12/00 Accommodation for nursing, e.g. in hospitals, not covered by groups A61G1/00 - A61G11/00, e.g. trolleys for transport of medicaments or food service or tea-tables, trolleys or wagons A47B31/00; Prescription lists
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

An item support apparatus receives electrical power wirelessly and stores the electrical power in a power storage device at the item support apparatus. The item support apparatus supplies the electrical power for one or more electronic devices and/or applications, such as charging electronic devices, wireless data transmission, and/or operation of the overbed table.

Claims

1. An item support apparatus, comprising:

a base,

a support column extending upwardly from the base,

a table surface cantilevered from the support column,

a receiver configured to receive electrical power transmitted through a wireless medium by a transmitter that is not in physical contact with the receiver, and

a power storage device configured to store electrical power received by the receiver.

2. The item support apparatus of claim 1, comprising power supply circuitry configured to transfer electrical power received by the receiver to the power storage device.

3. The item support apparatus of claim 2, comprising a receptacle electrically coupled to the power supply circuitry and configured to supply electrical power to an electronic device connected to the receptacle.

4. The item support apparatus of claim 3, wherein the power supply circuitry is configured to selectively supply at least one of charging power and direct power to the receptacle for transfer to the electronic device.

5. The item support apparatus of claim 3, wherein the receptacle is supported by the table surface.

6. The item support apparatus of claim 2, comprising a plurality of receptacles, each of which is electrically coupled to the power supply circuitry to receive power received by the receiver, and each of which is configured to supply a different form of electrical power to an electronic device.

7. The item support apparatus of claim 6, wherein the power supply circuitry is configured to determine the appropriate form of electrical power to supply to each of the receptacles and transfer the appropriate form of electrical power from the power storage device to each of the receptacles.

8. The item support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises an inductive coil.

9. The item support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises a resonant magnetic coil.

10. The item support apparatus of claim 1, comprising a powered actuator configured to adjust the position of the table surface relative to the base, wherein the actuator is powered by electrical power received by the receiver.

11. The item support apparatus of claim 1, comprising a receptacle supported by the table surface, wherein the power storage device is supported by the base and the receptacle is electrically coupled to the power storage device.

12. The item support apparatus of claim 1, comprising a light assembly supported by the table surface, wherein the light assembly is powered by electrical power received by the receiver.

13. The item support apparatus of claim 1, comprising a wireless data transmitter supported by the base, wherein the wireless data transmitter is powered by electrical power received by the receiver.

14. The item support apparatus of claim 13, comprising a receptacle configured to supply electrical power received by the receiver to an electronic entertainment device and power supply circuitry configured to route audio output from the electronic entertainment device to the wireless data transmitter for wireless transmission to a speaker.

15. The item support apparatus of claim 1, comprising an audio speaker supported by the table surface, wherein the audio speaker is powered by electrical power received by the receiver.

16. The item support apparatus of claim 1, comprising a plurality of receptacles supported by the table surface, wherein each of the receptacles is configured to receive electrical power received by the receiver and stored in the power storage device, and a cover positionable over the receptacles.

17. The item support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base comprises a leg, the leg defines an interior region, and the receiver is located within the interior region of the leg.

18. The item support apparatus of claim 1, comprising at least one of a lamp socket, a cigarette lighter electrical port, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) electrical port, a digital media player electrical port, and a portable electronic computing device charging port supported by the table surface.

19. A wireless electrical power transfer system, comprising:

a person support apparatus configured to support a person in at least a horizontal position, the person support apparatus comprising a transmitter configured to transmit electrical power through a wireless medium during normal use of the person support apparatus, and

an item support apparatus comprising a receiver configured to receive electrical power transmitted by the transmitter without physically contacting the transmitter or the person support apparatus and during normal use of the item support apparatus.

20. A method of wirelessly transferring electrical power to an electronic device, comprising:

receiving at an item support apparatus electrical power transmitted wirelessly by an electrical power transmitter located on a person support apparatus,

storing the electrical power in a power storage device located at the item support apparatus, and

supplying the electrical power to an electronic device at the item support apparatus.