Abstract:
An operating table comprises a patient support carried by a column, wherein the column has a foot having at least two base arms which are arranged next to one another and which extend with variable spacing in the longitudinal direction of the patient support.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the priority benefit of German Patent Application Number 10 2010 046 845.2, filed Sep. 29, 2010, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an operating table in accordance with the preamble of claim  1 , comprising a patient support carried by a column, wherein the column has a foot having at least two base arms which are arranged next to one another and which extend in the longitudinal direction of the patient support. The base arms are in this respect provided with a foot which can be fixed or adjustable or which can also be made in the form of a castor. 
     2. The Prior Art 
     Restricted access to the patient due to the base arms which are present is problematic for some operations with such operating tables. In some operations, for example for gynecological surgery, the folding down of a leg plate of the patient support is furthermore impeded by the base arm. It is the object of the invention to further develop an operating table of the above-named kind such that improved access to the patient is provided. 
     This object is satisfied by the features of claim  1  and in particular in that the spacing between the base arms can be varied. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the invention, the base arms are thus not rigidly fastened, but the spacing between the base arms can rather be varied so that the free space between the base arms can be increased at their ends, i.e. at the point at which the feet are fastened. Considerably improved access to the patient is hereby provided and parts of the patient support can be folded down to just above the floor since the base arms are not in the way. 
     Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the description, in the drawings and in the dependent claims. In accordance with a first advantageous embodiment, the base arms can be adjustable such that the spacing between two adjacent outer ends of the base arms is increased. This can be realized, for example, in that the two base arms are pivotably supported. The relative spacing can be varied in a simple manner by pivoting the base arms to obtain the desired free space. 
     In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, each base arm can be pivotable about a vertical axis, with a drive for pivoting the base arms being arranged in the region of the pivot axes. A compact arrangement is provided in this embodiment. In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, the base arms can be adjustable from a substantially parallel position into a position in which they include an acute angle which in particular amounts to approximately 10° to approximately 40°. In this respect, the base arms can be formed as two cross-members which are movable from a mutually parallel position into a spread apart position. 
     It can be advantageous if the base arms are pivotable by a single spindle so that, for example, a simultaneous pivoting of the two base arms is possible with the aid of an electric motor by driving the spindle. For this purpose, the spindle can have a left-hand thread and a right-hand thread to allow the opposed pivot movement. 
     It can be advantageous for a good stability if each base arm has a support element which can be moved into a base located between the base arms. A stable support of the operating table is hereby achieved both in the parallel position and in the spread apart position of the support elements. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be described in the following purely by way of example with reference to an advantageous embodiment and to the enclosed drawings. There are shown: 
         FIG. 1  a perspective view of a foot of an operating table with two base arms in a parallel position; 
         FIG. 2  the foot of  FIG. 1  with the base arms in the spread apart position; 
         FIG. 3  a perspective rear view of a part of the foot of  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of an operating table, with different components and cladding parts not being shown for a better illustration. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The operating table includes a patient support  15  which has, in the embodiment shown, a total of three support parts  15   a ,  15   b  and  15   c  which can be arranged in a row to form a lying surface. The patient support  15  is mounted in a manner known per se on a column  11  which is in turn carried by a foot  10  which will be described in more detail in connection with  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 . 
     The foot  10  shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3  has, in the embodiment shown, a total of two base arms  12  and  14  which are arranged mutually parallel and are fastened to a foot well  16 . A foldable castor  18  is arranged at each of the four ends of the two base arms  12  and  14 , with only one of the castors  18  being shown in the Figures. The castors  18  are formed in a manner known per se as castor wheels and can be folded down for a transport of the table. After a raising of the castors, the foot stands on four supports  20  of which only two can be recognized in  FIG. 3 . 
     In  FIG. 1 , the two base arms  12  and  14 , which are formed as hollow crossmembers, are shown in their parallel position in which they extend parallel to one another. The two base arms are pivotable out of this parallel position into a spread apart position shown in  FIG. 2 . For this purpose, the two base arms  12  and  14  are pivotally connected via a bolt  22  and  24  respectively (cf.  FIG. 3 ) to the foot well  16  so that each base arm  12  and  14  is pivotable about a vertical axis A from the parallel position into the spread apart position. In this respect, the bolts  22  and  24  form the vertical pivot axis A for the base arms. The spacing between the base arms and in particular between the outer ends of the two base arms  12  and  14  is hereby variable. When the two base arms are moved from the parallel position into the spread apart position, the available space  17  (cf.  FIG. 4 ) between the two base arms  12  and  14  is increased. 
     The most varied drive means are conceivable for a movement of the two base arms. For example, pneumatic, hydraulic or electric drives can be used for this purpose. In the embodiment shown, a single drive is provided for the pivoting of the two base arms  12  and  14  which is arranged in the region of the pivot axes A which are formed by the two bolts  22  and  24 . As  FIG. 3  illustrates, the drive includes an electric motor  26  which drives a spindle  28  which is provided with a right-hand thread at one end and with a left-hand thread at the other end. In addition, a bearing  30  which is held via a vertical assembly plate  32  in slits of the foot well  16  is provided at the spindle  28 . An additional stabilization of the spindle  28  is hereby achieved which cooperates at its two ends with a spindle nut  34  and  36  respectively. Both spindle nuts  34  and  36  are pivotably supported about a vertical pivot axis at a base arm  12  and  14  respectively. In this manner, the spindle  28  can be set into rotation by actuating the electric motor  26 , whereby the two spindle nuts  34  and  36  move toward or away from one another, which in turn has the effect that the two base arms  12  and  14  move into their spread apart position ( FIG. 2 ) or into their parallel position ( FIG. 1 ). 
     So that a stable position of the operating table is ensured both in the parallel position and in the spread apart position, each base arm  12  and  14  has a support element  38 ,  40  which extends into the foot well  16  and which extends through an opening provided in the foot well. 
     In the embodiment shown, the central support part  15   b , which is arranged above the column  11 , is approximately of exactly the same size as the support part  15   c  and the support part  15   a  forming a head part is approximately half the size of the two support parts  15   b  and  15   c . The support part  15   a  can be folded downwardly via a positioning cylinder  19   a.    
     In the same way, the support part  15   c  can be folded down via a positioning cylinder  19   c  into the vertical position shown in  FIG. 4 . As  FIG. 4  illustrates, the two base arms  12  and  14  are moved so far apart at their outer ends in the spread apart position that the space  17  between the two base arms  12  and  14  makes it possible that the support part  15   c  can be folded down into the space  17  between the two base arms. 
     Although a comparatively long foot support part  15   c  is therefore provided which has approximately the same longitudinal extent as the central support part  15   b , the foot support part  15   c  can be folded completely into the vertical so that it does not impeded the surgeon. 
     As  FIG. 4  further shows, the central support part  15   b  has at its end face facing the foldable support part  15   c  a central cut-out  21  which provides the surgeon with additional free space, in particular for gynecological operations.