Ambulance cot with retractable head section and control system therefor

• US 7,725,968 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2008
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Inventors: Lambarth, Clifford E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trettel; Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/156,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20080276372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 561/1, 561/7, 5 8/61, 296/19, 296/20
• US Class Current: 5/611
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/013 foldable or collapsible A61G1/017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/0212 2 pairs having wheels within a pair on the same position in longitudinal direction, e.g. on the same axis
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/0237 having at least one swivelling wheel, e.g. castors
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/0262 having loading wheels situated in the front during loading
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/0293 stretcher supports with wheels, e.g. used for stretchers without wheels stretcher supports without wheels A61G1/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/04 Parts, details or accessories, e.g. head-, foot-, or like rests specially adapted for stretchers
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/048 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/052 Struts, spars or legs
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/0567 folding in x-shape
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 3/0816 Accommodating or securing stretchers support for stretchers independent from vehicle A61G1/06; loading stretchers A61G3/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0509 sliding or pivoting downwards
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0513 covering particular sections of the bed, e.g. one or more partial side-rail sections along the bed

Abstract

An ambulance cot is disclosed and the ambulance cot having a base frame configured for support on a surface, a litter frame configured for supporting thereon a patient and an elevating mechanism interconnecting the base frame and the litter frame and configured to interconnect the litter frame and the base frame in order to facilitate movement of the base frame and the litter frame toward and away from each other. A control mechanism is provided on the cot which is configured to facilitate the movement of the base frame and the litter frame toward each other and at differing speeds predicated on at least one of whether the base frame is supported on the surface and the litter frame is supported by an external support separate from the elevating mechanism.

Claims

1. An ambulance cot comprising:

a wheeled base; and

a patient litter disposed above and supported for adjustable vertical movement on said base by a support mechanism, the patient litter comprising;

a pair of longitudinally extending side rails, the side rails configured to extend from a head end to a foot end of the patient litter;

a retractable, generally U-shaped head section, the head section having a pair of parallel legs connected by a cross rail, the legs being configured to be slidably received into the interior of the respective longitudinally extending side rails, a pair of brackets connecting the legs to a head rail, a cross rail pivotally received by the brackets, at least one handle pivotally mounted for movement about an axis corresponding to or parallel to the axis of the cross rail, the handle being connected to a pin configured for rotation about the axis of rotation defined by or parallel to the axis of the cross rail.

2. The ambulance cot according to claim 1, wherein the at least one handle comprises first and second handles, the first and second handles being affixed to the cross rail such that actuation of either of the first and second handles effects a rotation of the cross rail and actuation of the other handle.

3. The ambulance cot according to claim 2, further comprising a locking mechanism for selectively fixing the position of the head section in one of an extended and a retracted position, the locking mechanism configured for actuation by the first and second handles.

4. The ambulance cot according to claim 3, further comprising a locking mechanism deactivation mechanism for preventing the locking mechanism from becoming disengaged by the actuation of the first or second handle.

5. The ambulance cot according to claim 4, further comprising a safety bar being configured to engage the locking mechanism deactivation mechanism.

6. The ambulance cot according to claim 3, further comprising a pin extending from each handle into the interior of a respective bracket for engaging a first end of a locking mechanism linkage, the linkage having a second end for engaging the locking mechanism, the locking mechanism comprising a retractable pin configured to engage one of a plurality of receivers within the side rail for fixing the position of the head section relative to the side rail.

7. The ambulance cot according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of receivers within the side rail are covered so as to be inaccessible from outside the side rail.

8. The ambulance cot according to claim 6, wherein the locking mechanism deactivation mechanism operates by preventing movement of the pin extending from each handle into the respective bracket.

9. The ambulance cot according to claim 1, further comprising the head section including a pair of steering wheels.

10. The ambulance cot according to claim 9, further comprising the steering wheels being mounted for rotation about a fixed axis (i.e. non-castered).

11. The ambulance cot according to claim 9, further comprising the steering wheels being mounted such that they are in contact with the ground only when the litter is in the lowered position and the head section is in the extended position to create a “

steer”

condition.

12. The ambulance cot according to claim 1, further comprising the patient litter being supported by the support mechanism at an angle α

relative to a support surface, the angle α

being between 1°

-10°

.

13. The ambulance cot according to claim 12, further comprising the angle α

being between 2°

-3°

.

14. The ambulance cot according to claim 12, further comprising the head section including a pair of steering wheels mounted such that they are in contact with the ground only when the litter is in the lowered position and the head section is in the extended position.

15. An ambulance cot comprising:

a wheeled base; and

a patient litter disposed above and supported for adjustable vertical movement on said base by a support mechanism, the patient litter comprising;

a pair of longitudinally extending side rails, the side rails configured to extend from a head end to a foot end of the patient litter;

a retractable, generally U-shaped head section, the head section having a pair of parallel legs connected by a cross rail, the legs being configured to be slidably received by the respective longitudinally extending side rails, and at least one handle pivotally mounted for movement about an axis of the cross rail, a latch mechanism for selectively fixing the position of the head section in at least one of an extended and a retracted position, the latch mechanism configured for operation by the at least one handle, and

a latch disabler configured to prevent the operation of the latch mechanism by the at least one handle.

16. The ambulance cot according to claim 15, the head section further comprising a safety bar connected by a mounting bracket for pivotal movement about the axis of the cross rail, the mounting bracket including a head portion eccentrically disposed about the axis of the cross rail.

17. The ambulance cot according to claim 16, the head portion further comprising a ramp portion configured for displacing a blocking pin within one of the parallel legs to block the link pin.

18. The ambulance cot according to claim 17, the at least one handle further comprising a first handle and a second handle, each associated with a respective parallel leg and corresponding latch mechanism within the respective parallel leg.

19. The ambulance cot according to claim 18, further comprising a pair of latch disablers, each associated with a respective parallel leg, handle and latch mechanism.

20. The ambulance cot according to claim 18, the first and second handles being affixed to the cross rail such that actuation of either of the first and second handles effects a rotation and actuation of the other handle.

21. The ambulance cot according to claim 15, further comprising the handle including a link pin extending into the interior of a respective leg for engaging a first end of a latch mechanism linkage, the linkage having a second end for engaging the latch mechanism, and the latch mechanism comprising a retractable latch pin configured to engage one of a plurality of receivers within the side rail for fixing the position of the head section relative to the side rail.

22. The ambulance cot according to claim 21, further comprising the latch disabler preventing the movement of the handle about the axis of the cross rail by blocking the link pin.