Patent ID: 9555778
Date: 2017-01-31
CPC Classifications: A61G,A61M,B60T,G16H

Claim:
1. A method of actuating a brake on a caster wheel of a patient support apparatus to stop motion of the apparatus, the patient support apparatus including a support frame and a plurality of caster wheels supporting the frame, a patient support surface supported by the support frame, a manually operable brake for manually braking one or more of the caster wheels, and a manual brake activation handle or pedal for manually operating the manually operable brake, the patient support apparatus further including an actuator for selectively outputting a driving force and a control system, said method comprising: electrically coupling the control system to the actuator; generating an actuating signal with said control system; transmitting the actuating signal to the actuator to thereby actuate the actuator to generate a driving force; mechanically coupling the actuator with the manually operable brake wherein the driving force generated by the actuator actuates the manually operable brake to thereby brake the caster wheel; and mechanically coupling the actuator with the manual brake activation handle or pedal wherein the driving force of the actuator moves the manual brake activation handle or pedal between a first position and a second position when the actuator actuates the manually operable brake to brake the caster wheel.