Abstract:
An electric moving device for moving patient beds includes a power unit, a holding unit and a control unit. The power unit is connected to the underside of the moving device and the holding unit is connected to two columns of the moving device so as to connect the moving device with the bed. By operating the control unit to control the power unit, the bed is moved from one place to another by the moving device. Medical equipment is able to go with the moving device to provide sufficient caring surface to the patient.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Fields of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an electric moving device, and more particularly, to an electric moving device for carrying and moving patient beds from one place to another. 
         [0003]    2. Descriptions of Related Art 
         [0004]    Taiwan Patent No. 360532 discloses a moving device which allows the patient bed to be moved from one room to Intensive Care Unit conveniently. The moving device has caring equipment and pressure regulation device carried therewith. 
         [0005]    However, the moving device is moved manually so that there is a concern about the burden of labor. Besides, a latch unit is used to connect the moving device to the bed, and the latch unit is located on one side of the moving device so that the user has to move the moving device to a correct position to connect the bed to the moving device, and then the user moves to the pushing end of the moving device to move the moving device and the bed. This is inconvenient for the users. Furthermore, the conventional moving device cannot have more medical equipment installed thereon. 
         [0006]    The present invention intends to provide an electric moving device for moving the patient beds and the electric moving device improves the shortcomings mentioned above. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention relates to an electric moving device for moving patient beds, and the moving device comprises a support which has two columns on two sides thereof. At least one power unit has at least one electric motor, two active wheels and two casters, wherein the at least one electric motor has an output shaft connected with the two active wheels. The active wheels and the casters support the electric moving device. At least one holding unit is connected between the two columns and has a lever and a holding member. The holding member has a first plates and a second plate, the second plate is controlled by the lever to move toward or away from the first plate. A control unit is electrically connected to the at least one electric motor to activate or de-activate the at least one electric motor. 
         [0008]    The electric moving device is able to hold the front end or the rear end of the bed by adjusting the distance between the first and second plates by operating the lever. The bed is then connected to the electric moving device, and the electric motor is activated to drive the active wheels to move the bed easily and conveniently. During the transportation of the bed, the patient is still under good medical care. 
         [0009]    The primary object of the present invention is to provide an electric moving device for moving the patient bed more conveniently. 
         [0010]    The second object of the present invention is to provide an electric moving device wherein the user of the moving device and the medical personals stand on different sides of the moving device, so that the connection of the moving device with the patient bed is easily and conveniently. 
         [0011]    The third object of the present invention is to provide an electric moving device wherein the moving device is able to be equipped with racks for carrying more medical equipments. 
         [0012]    The third object of the present invention is to provide an electric moving device wherein the moving device has a cushion which absorbs shocks during transportation. 
         [0013]    The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view to show the electric moving device of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is another perspective view to show the electric moving device of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged perspective view to show a portion of the electric moving device of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view to show that the board of the electric moving device of the present invention is in extended status; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view to show that the board of the electric moving device of the present invention is in folded status; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view to show that the electric moving device of the present invention is connected with a bed; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view to show the holding unit of the electric moving device of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view to show the holding unit of the electric moving device of the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view to show the adjustment of the distance between the first and second plates of the holding unit of the electric moving device of the present invention, and 
           [0023]      FIG. 10  shows the block diagram of the control unit of the electric moving device of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0024]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an electric moving device  1  of the present invention comprises a power unit  2 , two holding units  3  and a control unit  4 . 
         [0025]    The moving device  1  has a support  11  which has two columns  12  on two sides thereof. Each of the two columns  12  has grooves  121  defined therein, the grooves  121  in the two columns  12  are located corresponding to each other. Two connection units  13  are connected to the grooves  121  of the two columns  12  respectively by two respective locking members “A” so that the two connection units  13  are connected to the two columns  12 . A transverse bar  14  is connected between the two connection units  13  and has multiple slots  141  defined therein. A pneumatic bar  15  is connected between the support  11  and the transverse bar  14 . A piston rod  151  of the pneumatic bar  15  is connected to an operation member  16  which controls the piston rod  151  to extend or retract relative to the pneumatic bar  15  so as to control the height of the transverse bar  14  between the two columns  12  according the height of the head board  51  of the bed  5 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the pneumatic bar  15  has a cushion  17  which absorbs shocks. Each of the two connection units  13  has a handle  131  for the users or medical personals to hold. The support  11  has an independent power supply unit  7  to provide electric power to medical equipments on the bed  5  and/or the moving device  1 . 
         [0026]    The power unit  2  comprises an electric motor  21 , two active wheels  22  and two casters  23 . The electric motor  21  is connected to the underside of the support  11  and the output shaft of the electric motor  21  is connected with the two active wheels  22 . The active wheels  22  and the casters  23  support the electric moving device  1 . 
         [0027]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the holding unit  3  is connected between the two columns  12  and comprises a lever  31 , a link  32  and a holding member  33 . The holding member  33  has a first plate  331  and a second plate  332 . The first end of the first plate  331  is connected to the slots  141  of the transverse bar  14  by the locking member  335 . The lever  31  is pivotably connected to the first plate  331  and the link  32  by two respective shafts. The lever  31  is pivoted about the pivotal portion between the lever  31  and the first plate  331  to control the second plate  332  to move toward or away from the first plate  331  by the link  32 . As shown in  FIGS. 7 to 9 , the first plate  331  has multiple locking holes  334 , the multiple locking members  335  extend through the locking holes  334  and are connected to the slots  141  to adjust the length that the holding unit  3  extends beyond the transverse bar  14 , such that the holding units  3  are moved to the best positions to be connected with the bed  5 . 
         [0028]    The link  32  has an adjustment unit  321  which adjusts the distance between the first and second plates  331 ,  332 . The adjustment unit  321  has threaded holes  322  defined in the link  32  and threaded holes  323  defined in the second plate  332 . A threaded rod  324  has positive threads defined in the first end thereof and negative threads defined in the second end of the threaded rod  324 . The positive threads are connected to the threaded hole  322  of the link  32 . The negative threads are connected to the threaded hole  323  of the second plate  332 . Two nuts  325 ,  326  are respectively connected to the positive and negative threads beyond the threaded holes  322 ,  323 . By adjusting either of the two nuts  325 ,  326  on the threaded rod  324 , the length of the link  32  is adjusted so that the distance between the first and second plates  331 ,  332  is adjusted to meet the thickness of the head board  51  of the bed  5 . 
         [0029]    The control unit  4  is electrically connected to the electric motor  21  to activate or de-activate the electric motor  21 . As shown in  FIG. 10 , the control unit  4  has a controller  41 , a forward/backward switch  42 , an electro-magnetic control switch  43 , an emergency switch  44  and a charging detection circuit  45 . All of the operation data is stored in the controller  41 , when the forward/backward switch  42  sends data to the controller  41 , the data is transformed from analog to digital and is then sent the forward/backward commands to the power unit  2  to have corresponding actions. When the moving device  1  encounters an emergency situation, the emergency switch  44  is pressed and the controller  41  sends a stop command to the power unit  2  so that the power unit  2  is stopped. The electro-magnetic control switch  43  controls the output shaft of the electric motor  21  to be engaged with or disengaged from the two active wheels  22 . When the output shaft of the electric motor  21  is disengaged from the two active wheels  22 , the active wheels  22  freely rotate and the moving device can be moved manually to adjust the position the bed  5 . The charging detection circuit  45  detects that the moving device  1  is charging the power supply unit  7 , the controller  41  controls the power unit  2  to stop so that the moving device  1  is stopped. This can prevent the users from improperly operating the moving device  1 . 
         [0030]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , when moving the bed  5 , the moving device  1  is moved to the front end or the rear end of the bed  5 , and the operation member  16  is operated to extend the piston rod  151  from the pneumatic bar  15 , and the transverse bar  14  moves upward. The lever  31  is operated to control the second plate  332  to move away from the first plate  331 . The transverse bar  14  is then pushed downward to retract the piston rod  151  into the pneumatic bar  15 , so that the transverse bar  14  is lowered. When the head board  51  of the bed  5  is located between the first and second plates  331 ,  332 , the lever  31  is operated again to move the second plate  332  toward the first plate  331  until the head board  51  of the bed  5  is clamped between the first and second plates  331 ,  332 . The electric motor  21  is then activated by operating the control unit  4 , the active wheels  22  are activated so that the bed  5  is moved to the desired position. The patient is under good medical care during transportation. 
         [0031]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  4  and  5 , two respective first ends of two first links  61  are connected to the two columns  12  respectively. Two respective second ends of the two first links  61  are connected to two ends on one side of a board  62 . Two respective first ends of two respective second links  63  are connected to the grooves  121  of the two columns  12  by two respective connection pieces  64  respectively. Two respective second ends of the two second links  63  are connected to the two ends of the other side of the board  62 . By unscrewing the connection pieces  64  and changing the positions that the connection pieces  64  are connected to the grooves  121  of the columns  12 , the board  62  can be adjusted to be extended status or folded status. The medical personals can put extra medical equipment on the board  62  according to needs. As shown in  FIG. 6 , a transverse link  18  is connected between the two columns  12 . The two ends of the transverse link  18  are connected to the grooves  121  of the two columns  12  by the locking members  19 . A hook  10  or the like is connected to the transverse link  18  so as to position a drop bottle  8 . 
         [0032]    While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.