Patent ID: 6073285
Filing Date: 2000-06-13
Classification: A61G,E05B,E05C,Y10T

Abstract:
A combination comprising:a mobile hospital bed having spaced ends and spaced first and second sides;a mobile auxiliary support unit having a relatively heavy base providing a low center of gravity for said support unit to minimize tilting and tipping of said support unit during transport;a latch on said support unit for releasably connecting said support unit to said bed proximate one of said ends thereof, said latch permitting said support unit to swing through an arc, said latch permitting said support unit to be selectively connected and disconnected from said bed without direct manual manipulation of said latch by a user's hand; anda tow arm extending from said bed, said tow arm having a ball thereon and at least one rib projecting therefrom;said latch further including a plurality of tracks, a socket and a keeper resiliently biased toward a locked position, said ball and said at least one rib engaging said socket and at least one of said tracks, respectively, when said bed and said support unit are abutted into engagement, said keeper maintaining said ball in engagement with said socket and said at least one rib in engagement with said at least one track, respectively, in said locked position to thereby releasably connect said bed to said support unit.