SUPPORT POLE LIFT MECHANISM

Abstract: A support assembly (10) for process control equipment includes a cabinet containing processing equipment (12). A vertical support pole (100) is supported on said cabinet through a collar (102) for extension and retraction. Process control equipment such as electronic control equipment (246) and a video monitor (248) is mounted in the upper end of the pole (100). At least one, and preferably two, constant force springs (120, 122) biased into fully coiled position are attached at one end to the lower end of the pole (100). The opposite end of the springs (120, 122) are mounted for free rotation on a spool (124) which is secured to the cabinet, whereby raising and lowering of the process control equipment (246, 248) is facilitated.

Description: SUPPORT POLE LIFT MECHANISM Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a lift mechanism for process controllers. More specifi- cally, the invention relates to an improved lift assisting device for support poles on centrifuges for supporting process controllers and video termi¬ nals of the type used as input/output terminals on such process controllers. Background of the Invention Blood processing equipment such as centri¬ fuges which are conventionally used to separate the blood into its various constituents εuch as red blood cells, platelets and plasma require sophisti- cated and complex process control equipment. Such process controllers often take the form of an elec¬ tronic controller provided with an input/output CRT terminal. It is desirable that such equipment be extendable to a lifted position during use, and it is capable of being lowered to a storage position during transport or storage of the equipment. A simple and economical device iε needed to assist in lifting of the process control mechanism so that it can be handled by hospital personnel who may not have sufficient or physical or lifting strength to lift heavy objects, particularly to an elevated position which may be somewhat above the head of the operator. When conventional springs are used to provide such lifting assistance, the problem exists of the spring being under increasingly greater tension as the mechanism is lowered. Thus, excessive upward force is applied on the mechanism when it is first released. This raises the possi¬ bility of injury to personnel or damage to the equipment being supported. A need has, thus, existed for a lift mecha¬ nism for supporting poles which is both economical and effective in lifting of the equipment. It is an object of the present invention to provide a lift assisting mechanism for εupporting poles used on blood processing equipment. In accor¬ dance with an important aspect of the invention, such a lift mechanism is provided which is economi¬ cal but which provides a uniform lifting force to the mechanism as it is raised and lowered. In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a pole lift mechanism iε provided which utilizes at least one conεtant force εpring and preferably two of εuch springs to provide an even and uniform lift asεiεting force on the mechaniεm. In accordance with a yet further aspect of the in¬ vention, the supporting pole iε provided with εuch constant spring lift mechanismε which work in con¬ junction with a εerieε of bearings which facilitate raising and lowering of the supporting pole. Briefly, a support assembly for procesε control equipment according to the invention in- cludeε a cabinet containing processing equipment. A vertical εupport pole iε εupported on εaid cabinet through a collar for extenεion and retraction. Pro¬ cess control equipment such as electronic control equipment and a video monitor is mounted on the up¬ per end of the pole. At least one, and preferably two constant force springs biased into a fully coiled position are attached at one end to the lower end of the pole. The opposite end of the springs are mounted for free rotation on a spool which is secured i_r> the cabinet, whereby raising and lowering of the procesε control equipment iε facilitated. Further objectε and advantages of the in¬ vention will become apparent from the following de¬ tailed description, the claims and the accompanying drawings. Brief Description of the Drawings FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a blood centrifuge device embodying the invention; FIGURE 2 is a rear elevational view of the device shown in FIGURE 1; FIGURE 3 iε a εide elevational view of the mechaniεm of FIGURE 1 εhowing the process controller by phantom lines in the lowered position; FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view of a sup¬ porting pole and lift assist spring mechanism viewed from the side in the fully extended poεition; FIGURE 5 is a rear fragmentary rear elevational view of the mechanism shown in FIGURE 4; FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIGURE 5; and, FIGURE 7 is a sectional view of a releas- able εtop mechaniεm uεed in connection with the in¬ vention. Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment Referring more εpecifically to the draw- ingε, FIGURES 1 through 3 εhow a centrifugal pro- cessing system 10 that embodies the features of the invention. The εyεtem 10 can be uεed for processing various fluidε. The system 10 is particularly well suited for procesεing whole blood and other suspen¬ sions of biological cellular materials. According- ly, the illuεtrated embodiment εhows the system 10 used for this purpose. The syεtem 10 includeε a centrifuge assem¬ bly 12 (see FIGURE 1) and a fluid processing asεem- bly (not εhowi:) uεed in aεεociation with the centrifuge assembly. The centrifuge assembly 12 iε intended to be a durable equipment item capable of long term, maintenance free use. The fluid processing assembly is a single use, disposable set loaded on the cen- trifuge assembly 12 at time of use in accordance with known practices. The operator removeε the fluid proceεsing assembly from the centrifuge assem¬ bly 12 upon the completing the procedure and dis¬ cards it. A centrifuge or processing chamber is pro¬ vided within the assembly 12 and is accessible through a cover 18. In use, the centrifuge asεembly 12 rotates the processing chamber to centrifugally separate blood components. The construction of the processing chamber can vary, with numerous con¬ structions being known in the art. The processing asεembly 12 includeε an ar¬ ray of flexible tubing that formε a fluid circuit which conveyε liquidε to and from the proceεεing chamber. The fluid circuit includes one or more in line fluid processing containers and devices, as is known in the art, in association with pump and valve stations on the centrifuge assembly 12 to direct liquid flow among the multiple liquid sources and destinations during a blood procesεing procedure. The aεsembly 12 thereby formε an integral, εterile unit. The proceεεing chamber can be variously constructed. For example, it can be constructed like the double bag proceεεing chambers shown in Culliε et al., U.S. Patent 4,146,172. Specific de¬ tails of the construction of the processing chamber 14 and other components of the syεtem are not essen¬ tial to an understanding of the invention and can be also be found in copending U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 07/965,074, filed October 22, 1992, and entitled "Enhanced Yield Blood Procesεing Syεtems and Methods Eεtabliεhing Vortex Flow Conditionε", which iε incorporated herein by reference. The centrifuge aεsembly 12 includes a processing controller 246. The controller 246 gov¬ erns the operation of the centrifuge asεembly 12. The processing controller 246 preferably includes an integrated input/output terminal 248 as εeen in FIG- URE 1) , which receives and display information re¬ lating to the proceεεing procedure. Controller 246 and terminal 248 are εupported on vertical εupport pole 100 by meanε of a mounting bracket 101. It iε preferred to place the stationary functional components such as pumps, sensors, de¬ tectors, and the like for convenient accesε on the panel 19 by the uεer. Moεt preferably, theεe itemε are poεitioned at about the elevation of the waiεt of the average perεon. Statistics providing quantitative informa¬ tion about the location of this preferred access zone for a range of people (e.g. , Large Man, Average Man/Large Woman, Average Adult, Small Man/Average Woman, etc.) are found in the Humanscale™ Series Manuals (Authors: Niels Diffrient et al., a Project of Henry Dreyfuss Aεεociateε) , published by the MIT Preεε, Maεεachuεettε Inεtitute of Technology, Cam¬ bridge, Massachusetts. Further details of the chamber assembly are found in copending U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 07/814,403, filed December 23, 1991, and enti¬ tled "Centrifuge with Separable Bowl and Spool Ele¬ ments Providing Access to the Separation Chamber", which is incorporated herein by reference. Processing controller 246 and input/output terminal 248 are supported on a vertical support pole 100. Support pole 100 is movably supported within a collar 102 so that it can be moved between an elevated position shown in FIGURES 1-3 and low- ered to the lowered position shown by phantom lines in FIGURE 3. Due to the weight of the components being εupported, it is difficult for the average person to safely raise the support pole without as¬ sistance. A spring biased retractable locking pin 104 is provided to releasably poεition pole 100 in ei¬ ther the upper or lower poεition. For thiε purpoεe, receiving openingε 106 and 108 are provided on the pole to lockingly receive the end of pin 104. Pin 104 which iε mounted in an opening 103 in collar 102. It will be apparent that additional receiving holes εimilar to 106 and 108 can be provided if more than two vertical poεitionε are desired for the com¬ ponents being εupported on pole 100. In the pre- ferred embodiment it iε alεo preferred that projec- tions 110 and 112 be provided to act aε maximum down and up εtopε, reεpectively, to limit the upward and downward motion of pole 100. Aε beεt εeen in FIGURE 7, pin 104 iε pro- vided with a knob 114 and iε retractably poεitioned within a εupporting cylinder 116. The pin 104 iε biased into the extended position by a coil spring 118 as εeen in FIGURE 7. Attached to each εide of εupport pole 100 at its lower end is one end of a constant force εpring 120 and 122, reεpectively. Springε 120 and 122 are mounted for free rotation upon εpoolε 124 and 126, reεpectively. Each of the εpringε 120 and 122 is in the form of a stiff coil of εpring mate- rial that iε biaεed to return to the fully coiled position. Considerable force iε required to εtraighten the εpringε. The stiffness and weight of the εpringε iε dictated by the weight of the compo- nentε εupported at the top of support pole 100. Due to the fact that springs 120 and 122 are biased to return to the upward position, they serve to pro¬ vide a constant upward force on pole 100 as it is raised or lowered, thus, facilitation easy movement thereof. As seen in FIGURE 6, pole 100 is mounted for ease of movement on collar 102 by meanε of bear¬ ings 128 which facilitate movement of pole 100 up¬ wardly and downwardly. While it is preferred to use two constant force springε, it will be really appar- ent to tHose εkilled in the art that the benefitε of the invention could be achieved by the uεe of a sin¬ gle such εpring or a greater number than two, three or four such εpringε. Although the preεent invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versionε thereof, other versionε are possible, therefore the scope of the appended claimε εhould not be limited to the description of the preferred embodiments described above.

Claims: What is claimed is: 1. A εupport aεεe bly for proceεs control equipment comprising: a cabinet containing processing equipment, a vertical support pole supported on said cabinet through a collar for extension and retrac¬ tion, proceεs control equipment mounted on the upper end of said pole, at least one constant force spring biased into a fully coiled position attached at one end to the lower end of εaid pole, the opposite end of said spring being mounted for free rotation on a spool, said spool being secured to said cabinet, whereby raising and lowering of εaid proceεε control equipment iε facilitated. 2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said cabinet contains blood procesεing equipment including a centrifuge. 3. An aεsembly according to claim 1 wherein a process controller and a video monitor are supported on the upper end of εaid pole. 4. An aεεembly according to claim 1 wherein a retractable pin iε mounted on εaid collar and said pole is provided with a plurality of holeε for receiving εaid pin to releaεably lock εaid pole in a plurality of vertical poεitions. 5. An aεεembly according to claim 1 wherein εaid εpool iε mounted within εaid collar.

Inventors: WEST RICHARD L, WEST, RICHARD, L.
Applicants: BAXTER INT, BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC.
Application year: 1995
Main classification: F16M11
IPC codes: A61M1, F16M11