Patent ID: 6408464
Filing Date: 2002-06-25
Classification: A61G

Abstract:
A patient support apparatus including a main frame, a patient support coupled to the main frame, a removable section configured for insertion into the patient support, an attachment mechanism for attaching the removable section to the patient support such that the removable section is not aligned with the patient support until the removable section is fully inserted into the patient support and latched thereto, and such that the removable section is aligned with the patient support only when the removable section is fully inserted into the patient support and latched to the patient support, the attachment mechanism comprising:a guide member coupled to the main frame, the guide member including a first upwardly-facing surface portion on an upper side thereof and a second downwardly-facing surface portion on an underside thereof, both surface portions extending generally parallel to an upwardly-facing surface of the patient support, a guide track coupled to the removable section, the guide track including a first downwardly-facing surface portion on an upper side thereof extending generally at an angle with an upwardly-facing surface of the removable section and a second upwardly-facing surface portion on a lower side thereof extending generally parallel to the upwardly-facing surface of the removable section so as to form a diverging guide channel into which the guide member extends when the removable section is inserted into the patient support, the first generally-inclined, downwardly-facing surface portion of the guide track including a ramp portion near its diverging inner end adapted for engaging the guide member coupled to the main frame as the removable section inserted into the patient support (a) to cause the first generally-inclined, downwardly-facing surface portion of the guide track lo move away from the first generally-parallel, upwardly-facing surface portion of the guide member, and (b) to cause the second generally-parallel, upwardly-facing surface portion of the guide track to move closer to the second generally-parallel, downwardly-facing surface portion of the guide member to, in turn, cause the upwardly-facing surface of the removable section to align with the upwardly-facing surface of the patient support, and a removable section locking mechanism coupled to the removable section for latching the removable section to the patient support when the removable section is fully inserted into the patient support and the upwardly-facing surface of the removable section is aligned with the upwardly-facing surface of the patient support.