1996-03-28
1997-12-30
Lindsey, Rodney M.
Beds
Field stretcher
5628, 5953, A61G 100, A61G 1044, A61G 1048
Patent
active
057016194
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a stretcher for moving of injured persons, as defined in the preamble of claim 1.
PRIOR ART
The main type of stretchers which have been in use for a long time consist of an elongated frame having handles at both ends. In the frame, an element with a resting surface has been mounted, which surface is to support the one to be transported on the stretcher. The element can for example consist of a piece of cloth which has been tightly stretched in the frame or, with simpler stretchers, a piece of cloth hanging between two rods which form the side pieces of the frame. In EP B1 0 294 378 it is proposed to use a heat-insulating foam material having an integrated surface layer for the resting surface. In the first place a piece of this material is intended to form a mattress or lying underlay when resting in the field. However, it is proposed to use this underlay as an emergency stretcher by pushing rods in through holes in the piece of material and using the protruding ends of the rods as handles. Alternatively it is proposed to use the piece of material as a stretcher even without rods by using specially formed holes therein as handles. A similar lying underlay having holes for forming handgrips is also known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,079.
The idea of using a lying underlay as an emergency stretcher, when being in the field and where said underlay is always taken along, has advantages per se. The lying underlay is usually available in an emergency situation when somebody has been injured during field service and the insulating, somewhat-rigid but at the same time resilient, material provides good comfort and at the same time also the heat insulation which is often very important for the injured person. However, disadvantages also exist. If one makes a stretcher by inserting rods into holes in the piece of material, such rods accordingly have to be acquired or taken along already. In this way, an important advantage is lost in that the stretcher can be formed only by the lying underlay, which can easily be carried and is usually also used in the field. If the carrying underlay is used only in carrying it by means of the holes at the edges, at least four bearers are required, two at each end. Even when four bearers are used, such a stretcher will be very uncomfortable since the piece of material is bowed between the carrying points and the injured person is made to assume a hunched-up position. This can be very disadvantageous and it can severely aggravate the injury if this relates to some central part of the body, for example the backbone. Even if bearers are also available for the middle part of the piece of material, this underlay will produce an uneven surface and will change its shape all the time, particularly during transport on uneven terrain. This can also be very unfavourable in respect of certain injuries.
STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims at eliminating such disadvantages, so that a lying underlay or mattress of the said type can be used as a stretcher, with which a person can be transported in an out-stretched position without being in a hunched-up position or the body being subjected to continuous changes of position during transport. The need for special rods having a greater length than the length of the body is eliminated.
These advantages are obtained by the arrangement of stiffening elements having a flat cross-section which can be divided into several shorter lengths, so that they can be rolled in into the piece of material during its transport. The possibility of using such stiffening elements without any larger space requirement is obtained in that special channels for housing these elements are arranged in the piece of material.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
One embodiment of the invention will be described below in connection with the attached drawings. These show in
FIG. 1 one view of the stretcher arrangement in a spread-out condition;
FIG. 2 an end view of the stretcher arrangement as in FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 the stretcher
REFERENCES:
patent: 2350573 (1944-06-01), Smith, Jr. et al.
patent: 3151343 (1964-10-01), McCormick
patent: 4053957 (1977-10-01), Regan
patent: 4723327 (1988-02-01), Smith
patent: 4922562 (1990-05-01), Allred et al.
patent: 5121514 (1992-06-01), Rosane
Lindsey Rodney M.
Santos Robert G.
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