Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Ambulances
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-27
2001-05-22
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Ambulances
C296S019000, C248S316400, C005S118000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234551
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stretcher fixture which fixes and holds a stretcher within a vehicle such as an ambulance.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, a stretcher fixture as disclosed in JP-Y 2-33773 is known well.
The stretcher fixture in the prior art comprises a main body pipe fixed substantially in horizontal state within a vehicle, a front side locking pawl fixed to a front part of the main body pipe for locking one leg pipe at front side or rear side of the stretcher, a positioning piece fixed to a rear part of the main body pipe for determining the locking position of other leg pipe at front side or rear side of the stretcher, an operation grip which is arranged at the rear side of the main body pipe and on which the forward operation force is exerted from the outside, a working rod the rear end of which is connected to the operation grip and which is arranged within the main body pipe so as to be moved forward and rearward, bias means arranged within the main body pipe for normally exerting the rearward bias force on the working rod, and a rear side locking pawl which is connected to the working rod and is moved forward and rearward according to the motion of the working rod and which pushes the other leg pipe against the positioning piece by the biasing force of the bias means while moved rearward so as to lock the other leg pipe.
According to the stretcher fixture in the prior art, however, a problem exists in that when the stretcher is fixed to the stretcher fixture or the stretcher is detached from the stretcher fixture, since the operation force must be continuously exerted on the operation grip, the burden of the worker is large.
Also since the operation force must be continuously exerted on the operation grip, the bias force of the bias means can not be set to so large value considering the burden of the worker. Therefore the force for the rear side locking pawl and the positioning piece to lock the other leg pipe is weak, and a problem exists in that the rear side locking pawl is vibrated in the longitudinal direction and abuts on the other leg pipe intermittently and a noise is produced due to the vibration of the vehicle or the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide a stretcher fixture where since operation force need not be continuously exerted on an operation grip in the configuration adopted here, release of burden of a worker can be intended and noise can be prevented by increasing the biasing force of the bias means.
A stretcher fixture of the present invention in order to solve the above-mentioned problems comprises:
a main body pipe fixed in substantially horizontal state within a vehicle;
a front side locking pawl fixed to a front part of the main body pipe for locking one leg pipe either at front side or at rear side of a stretcher;
a positioning piece fixed to a rear part of the main body pipe for determining the locking position of other leg pipe at front side or rear side of the stretcher;
an operation grip which is arranged at the rear end of the main body pipe, and on which the forward operation force is exerted from the outside;
a working rod the rear end of which is connected to the operation grip, and which is arranged within the main body pipe so as to be moved forward and rearward;
bias means which is arranged within the main body pipe for normally exerting the rearward bias force on the working rod; and
a rear side locking pawl which is connected to the working rod and is moved forward and rearward according to the motion of the working rod, and which pushes the other leg pipe against the positioning piece by the biasing force of the bias means while it is moved rearward so as to lock the other leg pipe,
characterized in that a stopper is provided between the positioning piece and the rear side locking pawl,
that when the forward operation force is exerted on the operation grip from the outside, the stopper is projected in the outside direction of the radius of the main body pipe so as to allow the rear side locking pawl to lock, and
that when the rear side locking pawl is in the lock state, if the stopper is pushed by the other leg pipe, it is retracted in the inside direction of the radius of the main body pipe and allows the rear side locking pawl to be moved rearward.
Wherein, the stopper comprises a rocking lever which is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the main body pipe and can be rocked in the horizontal direction with the positioning piece being the rocking center, and a compression spring which is arranged along the radius direction and normally exerts the biasing force in the outside direction of the main body pipe on the front part of the rocking lever,
that the front part of the rocking lever is provided with a top end part being narrow in the plan view, and with a stepped part projected from the rear end of the top end part in the outside direction of the radius of the main body pipe,
that when the operation grip is not operated, the front part of the rocking lever is advanced in a locking hole of the rear side locking pawl along the longitudinal direction of the main body pipe in the state that the advance of the rear side locking pawl is not inhibited,
that if the forward operation force is exerted on the operation grip from the outside, the stepped part of the rocking lever slips from the locking hole of the rear side locking pawl and is projected in the outside direction of the radius of the main body pipe by the biasing force of the compression spring, such that the top end part of the rocking lever is advanced in the locking hole of the rear side locking pawl,
that if the operation force exerted on the operation grip is released, the rear side locking pawl abuts on the stepped part of the rocking lever and is locked, and
that when the rear side locking pawl is in the lock state, if the rocking lever is pushed in the inside direction of the radius of the main body pipe by the other leg pipe, the front part of the rocking lever is retracted in the inside direction of the radius of the main body pipe by overcoming the biasing force of the compression spring and the stepped part can be advanced in the locking hole of the rear side locking pawl, and the rear side locking pawl is retracted by the biasing force of the bias means while accommodating the stepped part into the locking hole, and the other leg pipe is pushed against the positioning piece and is locked.
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patent: 2-33773 (1990-09-01), None
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Dayoan D. Glenn
Gutman Hilary
Toyo Seiko Co., Ltd.
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