Beds – Attachment or accessory
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-23
2002-02-12
Trettel, Michael F. (Department: 3628)
Beds
Attachment or accessory
C005S600000, C005S503100, C600S022000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06345402
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a patient-support apparatus, and particularly, to a thermal support apparatus of the type having an isolation chamber with a thermally controlled environment. More particularly, the present invention relates to hinged panels, such as side guard panels, access door panels, and control panels, for the thermal support apparatus.
Thermal support devices, such as infant warmers and incubators, having an isolation chamber and various systems that maintain the isolation chamber at a controlled temperature and humidity to facilitate the development of a premature infant are known. Infant thermal support devices conventionally include a patient-support surface for supporting the infant in the isolation chamber and a set of side guard panels arranged around the patient-support surface. Many thermal support devices have a canopy over the patient-support surface. The canopy cooperates with the set of side guard panels to enclose the isolation chamber.
Conventionally, thermal support devices have access openings formed in one or more of the side panels and access door panels that normally close the access openings. When the access door panels are opened, a caregiver has access to the infant through the access openings. In such thermal support devices it is desirable that the access door panels have mechanisms that allow a caregiver with sterilized hands to open the access door panels without the use of his or her hands so that his or her hands remain sterilized.
The side guard panels of some thermal support devices are formed to include small windows with pass-through components in the windows. The pass-through components allow wires and tubes to pass through the side guard panels into the isolation chamber. It is desirable for the pass-through components to tightly seal against the side panels to which they are mounted to minimize leaks and to ensure that the pass-through components remain secure in the window formed in the side panel. It is also desirable that the wires and tubes pass through the pass-through components without too large of an opening being created in the pass-through component so that heat and air leaks are minimized.
The side guard panels of many thermal support devices can be moved from a raised position extending above the patient-support surface to a lowered position away from the patient-support surface to provide the caregiver with increased access to the patient. In many such thermal support devices, hinge mechanisms are provided for pivotably coupling the side panels to some other structure of the thermal support device and separate latching mechanisms are provided for locking the side guard panels in a raised position. It is desirable for the latching mechanisms to be easy to operate.
Infant thermal support devices having various systems that maintain the isolation chamber at a controlled temperature and humidity typically include a control panel that caregivers use to enter environmental control parameters, such as desired temperature and humidity levels. It is desirable for the control panels to be adjustable so that the caregiver can move the control panel to a desired position. For example, it may be desirable to adjust the angle of the control panel to reduce glare on a read-out screen of the control panel.
According to the present invention, a patient-support apparatus is provided. The patient-support apparatus includes a base, a patient support carried by the base, and at least one side guard panel pivotably connected to the patient support for movement between first and second positions. The patient-support apparatus also includes a combined hinge and latch assembly for pivotably connecting the side guard panel to the patient support. The combined hinge and latch assembly includes a mount fixedly connected to the patient support, a hinge member fixedly connected to the side guard panel and rotatably connected to the mount for pivoting movement about an axis, and a stop mechanism coupled to the mount. The hinge member is movable along the axis between a locking position in which the stop mechanism engages the hinge member to prevent relative rotation between the hinge member and the mount and a releasing position in which the stop mechanism is disengaged from the hinge member to allow relative rotation between the hinge member and the mount.
The stop mechanism includes a lug formed in the mount. The hinge member is formed to include a lug-receiving space that receives the lug when the hinge member is in the locking position. When the hinge member is moved along the axis to the releasing position, the lug is positioned to lie outside the lug-receiving space so that the hinge member can pivot about the axis. Thus, the side guard panel can be unlocked for movement between the first and second positions by grabbing the side guard panel with one hand, moving the side guard panel so that the hinge member attached thereto is moved axially away from the mount, and then pivoting the side guard panel about the axis.
The patient support of the patient-support apparatus includes a platform tub formed to include an interior region and a platform cover that is positioned to lie above the interior region. The combined hinge and latch assembly includes a second member that is also coupled to the mount for pivoting movement about the axis. The second member includes a latch arm that extends over a portion of the platform cover to secure the platform cover on the platform tub. The mount is formed to include a second lug and the second member is formed to include a second lug-receiving space. The second member is movable along the axis between a locking position in which the second lug is received in the second lug-receiving space to lock the latch arm in the position extending over the portion of the platform cover and a releasing position in which the second lug is positioned to lie outside the second lug-receiving space to allow the second member to be pivoted to a position in which the latch arm is moved away from the platform cover.
Also according to the present invention, a patient-support apparatus includes a base and a patient support carried above the base and having a patient-support surface. The patient-support apparatus includes a side guard panel coupled to the patient support adjacent to the patient-support surface. The side guard panel is formed to include an access port and a flexible sealing member is coupled to the side guard panel adjacent to the access port. The patient-support apparatus further includes an access door assembly including a mounting block, a door panel, and a lever with a locking member.
The mounting block is coupled to the side guard panel. The door panel has a first end pivotably coupled to the mounting block and a second end spaced apart from the first end. The door panel is movable between a closed position in which the door panel engages the sealing member and closes the access port and an opened position in which the door panel is spaced apart from the sealing member so that the access port is opened. The lever has a first end pivotably coupled to the mounting block and a second end space apart from the first end. The lever is movable between a locking position in which the locking member engages the door panel to lock the door panel in the closed position and a releasing position in which the locking member is spaced apart from the door panel to unlock the door panel. The door panel has a portion that engages the lever to move the lever from the locking position to the releasing position when the second end of the door panel is moved toward the side guard panel.
The door panel extends from the first pivot axis beyond the mounting block in a first direction and the lever extends from the second pivot axis beyond the mounting block in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction. The door panel includes a hinge plate that couples to the mounting block and an access port cover coupled to the hinge plate. The lever includes a lever plate that coupl
Aguilera Rafael E.
Goldberg Charles
Prows D. Scott
Schmidt Rick A.
Barnes & Thornburg
Hill-Rom Services Inc.
Trettel Michael F.
LandOfFree
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