Valves and valve actuation – Electrically actuated valve – With nonelectrical actuator
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-13
2002-03-05
Kaufman, Joseph A. (Department: 3754)
Valves and valve actuation
Electrically actuated valve
With nonelectrical actuator
C251S114000, C251S129200, C251S295000, C005S615000, C137S636100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06352240
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to hydraulic controls for articulating and raising hospital beds and more particularly to a hydraulic control apparatus which uses solenoid valves and an electric pump which can be overridden by manual controls and a manual pump.
It is well known for patient support devices such as hospital beds and stretchers to be provided with hydraulic systems which allow the caregiver to raise the height of the bed and articulate a deck underlying the patient support surface to modify the configuration of the patient support surface. When such beds were originally conceived, the control valves and pumps associated with hydraulic cylinders were all manually operated. Manual operation of pumps and control valves can become fatiguing, therefore, articulatable and height adjustable beds were provided with electric motors and electrically controlled valves associated with the hydraulic cylinders. Combinations of electrically controlled pumps and valves and manually operated pumps and valves are also known. One problem with electrically controlled hydraulic cylinders is that during power outages the cylinder cannot be operated and the bed cannot be adjusted. Height adjustment and bed articulation facilitate appropriate treatment of patient injuries, and therefore, loss of the articulation and height adjustment is undesirable in a hospital environment.
Hospital beds with adjustable patient support surfaces moved by hydraulic cylinders which can be controlled either manually or electrically have been provided to address the need for bed adjustment in the event of a power outage. Smith et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,624, discloses a manual/electric twin jack bed which provides for manual or electric control of valves and pumps for providing fluids to hydraulic cylinders which will adjust the height of the bed and allow the bed to be configured in Trendelenburg and Reverse Trendelenburg positions.
Bailey et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,754, discloses a dual hydraulic hospital bed with emergency bypass circuit which provides manually actuated valves and electrically actuated valves for controlling hydraulic cylinders which raise, lower, and articulate a patient support platform. Both of these dually controlled hydraulic systems appear to use a different set of valves for manual operation and electrical operation of the hydraulic systems. Thus, the hydraulic controls could not easily be retrofitted to a bed previously having only a manual or only an electrically controlled hydraulic system.
Caregivers would appreciate a hydraulic control apparatus for a hospital bed that includes a hilow function and an articulating deck which can be operated manually, electrically, or through a combination of manual and electric operation using a single set of valves. Caregivers and healthcare facilities would appreciate a hydraulic control system allowing manual and electrical operation which could replace the controller on a bed which was operated with only manual controls or only with electrical controls.
According to the present invention a manifold and valve assembly includes a manifold block having an inlet, an outlet, and a conduit in fluid communication with the inlet and with the outlet, a valve having a portion movable within the conduit between a first position blocking fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet and a second position in which the inlet is in fluid communication with the outlet, a solenoid operable to move the valve from the first position to the second position in response to an electrical input applied to the solenoid, and a lever operable to move the valve from the first position to the second position in response to a manual input applied to the lever. The manifold and valve assembly may also include a lock engaging the lever to lock the lever in a position having the valve in the second position. The lock may include a lock solenoid and a lock bar coupled to the lock solenoid, wherein the lock bar engages the lever, and the lock solenoid is operable to move the lock bar in response to an electrical input to the lock solenoid. Often the lever is pivotally coupled to the manifold block and the solenoid is positioned to lie between the manifold block and the lever. The valve may include a stem a part of which is received in an opening in the lever.
According to the present invention a controller for a hospital bed having a bed frame and a support section arranged to receive a portion of a patient's body which is vertically movable with respect to the frame includes a fluid actuated cylinder attached between the support section and the bed frame, a supply of fluid, a fluid supply path providing fluid communication between the fluid supply and the fluid actuated cylinder, a manually operated pump in the fluid supply path, an electrically operated pump in the fluid supply path, a valve block having a solenoid operated supply valve with manual override in the fluid supply path and designed to selectively interrupt the fluid supply path, an electrical supply actuator connected to the solenoid of the supply valve and to the electrically operated pump to electrically control the interruption of fluid communication between the fluid actuated cylinder and the fluid supply, and a manual actuator connected to the manual override of the supply valve to manually control the interruption of fluid communication between the fluid actuated cylinder and the fluid supply. The controller may also include an electrically actuated manual setting remover coupled to the electrical actuator so that the manual setting is removed upon electrical actuation of the solenoid of the valve. The controller may include a fluid return path providing fluid communication between the fluid supply and the fluid actuated cylinder, a solenoid operated return valve with manual override to selectively interrupt fluid communication between the fluid actuated cylinder and the fluid return path, and an electrical control including the electrical supply actuator and an electrical return actuator connected to the solenoid of the return valve to electrically control the interruption of fluid return path arranged so that the manual supply actuator is also connected to the manual override of the return valve to manually control the interruption of fluid return path.
A valve block in accordance with the present invention includes a fluid supply path, a fluid return path, a valve assembly having a supply member and a return member, a multi-state manual actuator operably connected to the supply member and the return member, an electrical actuator operably connected to the supply member and to the return member, a controller for generating an override signal when the electrically operated actuator is actuated, and a manual actuator override. The supply member of the valve assembly is positionable between a supply interruption position in which the supply member interrupts the fluid supply path and a supply position in which the supply member does not interrupt the fluid supply path while the return member is positionable between a return interruption position in which the return member interrupts the fluid return path and a return position in which the return member does not interrupt the fluid return path. The multi-state manual actuator is designed and arranged to assume a supply state in which the supply member is in the supply position and the return member is in the return interruption position, a return state in which the return member is in the return position and the supply member is in the supply interruption position, and a neutral state wherein the supply member and the return member are free to assume any position. The electrical actuator selectively positions the supply member between the supply interruption position and the supply position and also selectively positions the return member between the return interruption position and the return position. The manual actuator override is designed and arranged to place the multi-state manual actuator in the neutr
Eckstein Gerald D.
Hornbach David W.
Moster Jeffrey A.
Bose McKinney & Evans LLP
Hill-Rom Services Inc.
Kaufman Joseph A.
Keasel Eric
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