Patent ID: 7282652
Filing Date: 2007-10-16
Classification: A61G,G01G

Abstract:
1. A weighing system for weighing a patient supported by a hospital bed, comprising: (a) a frame assembly having opposite ends and at least one transverse member mounted to each of said opposite ends of said frame assembly, each of said transverse members presenting two opposite outboard ends spaced away from the center of the frame assembly, (b) at least four carriage assemblies, each one of said four carriage assemblies including a longitudinal support member for supporting one of four wheels supporting a hospital bed, a transverse strut extending generally normally from said longitudinal support member, said transverse strut adapted for mounting to one of said outboard ends of one of said transverse members of said frame assembly, a pair of shear load cells each having a first end and a second opposite end and at least one strain gauge disposed between said first end and said second end for measuring shear stress in said load cell, each shear load cell mounted at its first end to respective one of the opposite ends of said longitudinal support member, caster wheel assemblies each including a caster stem rotatably mounted to the second end of each one of said shear load cells and a caster axle spaced away from said caster wheel stem, each said shear load cell and said caster wheel arranged such that said the horizontal distance between said strain gauge of said shear load cell and said caster wheel stem is greater than the horizontal distance between said caster axle and said caster stem, said shear load cells and said longitudinal support member of each carriage assembly arranged such that said wheel of said hospital bed may be supported at a location which is generally between said strain gauges of said shear load cells, (c) a weight display unit in communication with each of said strain gauges of said shear load cells for processing signals from said shear load cells and determining the total weight supported by said shear load cells, the weight display unit at least having a means for storing the measured weight of said hospital bed when not occupied by a patient and subtracting that measured the non occupied weight from the measured weight of said hospital bed when occupied by a patient whereby the weight of the patient may be displayed by the weight display unit.