Patent Publication Number: US-2021170791-A1

Title: Ergonomic Central Wheel Lock for Ultrasound Consoles

Description:
FIELD 
     Certain embodiments relate to moving an object. More specifically, certain embodiments relate to ergonomic central wheel lock system devices for transporting objects. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Medical imaging machines such as, for example, an ultrasound scanner, may be used for imaging at least a portion of a patient&#39;s body as part of diagnostic procedures. The imaging machine may need to be moved within a room, or from room to room. When the imaging machine is not being moved, it may need to be secured to be in one position near the patient being scanned. 
     Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present disclosure as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     An ergonomic central wheel lock system for devices for transporting objects, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims. 
     These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of the present disclosure, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1A-1C  illustrate example operation for a first pedal for an ergonomic central wheel lock system at a rear portion of an imaging system, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIGS. 2A-2B  illustrate example operation for a second pedal for the ergonomic central wheel lock system at the rear portion of an imaging system, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIGS. 3A-3B  illustrate an example ergonomic central wheel lock system for a front portion of an imaging system, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIG. 4  is an illustration of an example ergonomic central wheel lock system for a rear portion of an imaging system when the imaging system is being moved, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIG. 5A  is a side view of an example directionally locking mechanism, in accordance with various embodiments. Referring to  FIG. 5A . 
         FIG. 5B  is a top view of an example directionally locking mechanism, in accordance with various embodiments. Referring to  FIG. 5B . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Certain embodiments may be found in a method and system for facilitating movement of an object such as, for example, an imaging system, a cart, a bed, etc., within a room as well as from room to room. The wheels may be locked to keep the object in place. The controls are ergonomically designed for smooth operation without interfering with a person who is pushing the object. 
     The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of certain embodiments will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. The figures provided illustrate diagrams of the functional blocks of various embodiments, and the functional blocks are not necessarily indicative of the division between mechanical parts. 
     It should be understood that the various embodiments are not limited to the arrangements and instrumentality shown in the drawings, and that various embodiments may be combined. Other embodiments may be utilized and structural, logical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the various embodiments. For example, sensors and/or motors, relays, circuitry including a display, etc., may be used to aid the mechanical parts. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. 
     As used herein, an element or step recited in the singular and preceded with the word “a” or “an” should be understood as not excluding plural of said elements or steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly stated. Furthermore, references to “an exemplary embodiment,” “various embodiments,” “certain embodiments,” “a representative embodiment,” and the like are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. Moreover, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, embodiments “comprising,” “including,” or “having” an element or a plurality of elements having a particular property may include additional elements not having that property. 
     Also, as used herein, the term “imaging machine” broadly refers to an ultrasound scanner. However, other devices that need to be moved, which may include other types of portable imaging machines or parts of imaging machines, may also use an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     In an embodiment of the disclosure,  FIGS. 1A-2B  describe rear pedals  104  and  106  that control the three states (fully locked state, directionally locked state, and released state) of the wheels  102  of an imaging system  100 , and  FIGS. 3A-3B  describe front pedals  302  and  304  that control two states (fully locked state and released state) of the three states of the wheels  102  of the imaging system  100 . The rear pedals  104  and  106  work in concert with the front pedals  302  and  304  such that the front pedals  302  and  304  can enter either of its allowable states, and the rear pedals  104  and  106  will reflect the same state. Similarly, when the rear pedals  104  and  106  control the wheels  102  to the fully locked state or the released state, the front pedals  302  and  304  can be used to change to the other state. 
     Moreover, while the front pedals  302  and  304  cannot put the wheels  102  into the directionally locked state, the front pedals  302  and  304  can be used to change the directionally locked state to either the fully locked state or the released state regardless of which of the three states the wheels  102  may be in presently. 
     Various embodiments of the disclosure may have the front pedals  302  and  304  be able to control the wheels  102  to enter all three states using similar pedal system as shown in  FIGS. 1A-1C . 
     When in the fully locked state, all of the wheels are locked in place so that they cannot roll in any direction. This state may be used, for example, when the imaging system  100  is in place by a patient or when the imaging system  100  is being stored. 
     When in the directionally locked state, the rear two wheels of the wheels  102  are directionally locked to roll only in forward and backward directions while the front two wheels of the wheels  102  are free to swivel and roll in any direction. This may be useful, for example, when the imaging system  100  is being moved from one location to another location down a hallway. Since the rear wheels  102  can only roll forward or backward, this allows the imaging system  100  to be pushed in a relatively stable manner down a hallway. 
     When in the released state, all four wheels  102  are free to swivel and roll in any direction. Accordingly, while this may not be conducive to rolling the imaging system  100  straight for a lengthy distance, this state makes it easy, for example, to maneuver the imaging system  100  in a smaller area where the imaging system  100  may need to be moved around objects or between objects. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1A-1C , there is shown a rear view of the imaging system  100  such as, for example, an ultrasound console comprising four wheels  102 , a first rear pedal  104 , and a second rear pedal  106 . The wheels  102  may comprise two front wheels  102  in the front of the imaging system  100  and two rear wheels  102  in the back of the imaging system  100 . The wheels  102  may generally be in three states—the fully locked state, the directionally locked state, and the released state. The wheel states may be changed using the rear pedals  104  and  106 . The rear pedals  104  and  106  may both have three positions—top, middle, and bottom. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1A , when the first rear pedal  104  is in the top position, the wheels are in the directionally locked state. As shown in  FIG. 1B , when the first rear pedal  104  is in the middle position, the wheels are in the released state. As shown in  FIG. 1C , when the first rear pedal  104  is in the bottom position, the wheels are in the fully locked state. Accordingly, it can be seen that when the first rear pedal  104  is in the top position, and the second rear pedal  106  is in its normal top position, there is maximum clearance between the rear pedals  104  and  106  and the floor, thereby allowing a user to push the imaging with minimal interference from the rear pedals  104  and  106 . 
     When the first rear pedal  104  is in the top position, pressing the first rear pedal  104  slightly puts it to the middle position of  FIG. 1B . When the first rear pedal  104  is pressed further, it is put in the bottom position of  FIG. 1C . Accordingly, the first rear pedal  104  can be put from the top position to the middle position, then from the middle position to the bottom position, or immediately from the top position to the bottom position. 
     The second rear pedal  106  may be spring loaded to be normally in the top position. When the second rear pedal  106  is pressed slightly to the middle position as illustrated in  FIG. 2A , the first rear pedal  104  is moved from the bottom position to the middle position. When the first rear pedal  104  is in the top position or the middle position, there is no effect on the first rear pedal  104  when the second rear pedal  106  is pressed to the middle position. 
     When the second rear pedal  106  is pressed to the bottom position as illustrated in  FIG. 2B , the first rear pedal  104  is moved to the top position. Accordingly, the first rear pedal may be moved from the bottom position to the middle position, then from the middle position to the top position, or directly from the bottom position to the top position. When the first rear pedal  104  is in the top position, moving the second rear pedal  106  to the middle position or the bottom position does not affect the first rear pedal  104 . 
     When the second rear pedal  106  is released after pressing it either to the middle position or the bottom position, the second rear pedal  106  goes back to its normal top position. In some embodiments of the disclosure, the second rear pedal  106  may not be able to move when the first rear pedal  104  is in the top position. 
     Therefore, when a user is moving the imaging system  100  from one location to another location nearby, the wheels  102  may be transitioned from the fully locked state to the released state to maneuver the imaging system  100  to the desired location, and then the wheels  102  of the imaging system  100  may be placed in a fully locked state. 
     When moving the imaging system  100  from one location to a location further away, the wheels  102  may be transitioned from the fully locked state to the released state to maneuver the imaging system  100  out of a room, and then the wheels  102  of the imaging system  100  may be placed in a directionally locked state to make it easier to push the imaging system  100  down a hallway. When the desired room is reached, the wheels  102  may be transitioned, for example, from the directionally locked state to the released state sot that the imaging system  100  can be located as desired in the room. The wheels  102  may then be placed in the fully locked state to keep it in place. 
       FIGS. 3A-3B  illustrate an example ergonomic central wheel lock system for a front portion of an imaging system, in accordance with various embodiments. Referring to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , there are shown the first and second front pedals  302  and  304 . When the imaging system is in the fully locked state, the first front pedal  302  and the second front pedal  304  may be in the top position. 
     To put the wheels  102  into the released state, the first front pedal  302  may be pressed down. The second front pedal  304  may be pressed down to put the wheels  102  in the fully locked state. Accordingly, the first front pedal  302  may return to the top position. In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first front pedal  302  may remain in the bottom position after being pressed, and the second front pedal  304  may return to the top position after it is released from being pressed down. 
     While  FIGS. 1A-3B  describe an imaging system  100  such as, for example, an ultrasound console, various embodiments of the disclosure may be used for any object that needs to be moved and then locked in place. Accordingly, the ergonomic central wheel lock described in  FIGS. 1A-2B  may be used for a cart, a bed, rolling tray, etc. 
       FIG. 4  is an illustration of an example ergonomic central wheel lock system for a rear portion of an imaging system when the imaging system is being moved, in accordance with various embodiments. Referring to  FIG. 4 , there is shown a rear view of the imaging system  100  where the wheels  102  are directionally locked. Accordingly, it can be seen that there is maximum clearance  400  from the rear pedals  104  and  106  in the top position to the floor. This may allow the person pushing the imaging system  100  additional room where his feet will not be entangled by the rear pedals  104  and  106 . 
       FIG. 5A  is a side view of an example directionally locking mechanism, in accordance with various embodiments. Referring to  FIG. 5A , there is shown the locking mechanism  500  comprising a locking bolt  502 , a receiving bracket  504 , and a bolt hole  506 . The receiving bracket  504  may be, for example, coupled to a rear wheel  102 . When the rear wheels  102  are put in the released state, the locking bolt  502  is not in the bolt hole  506 , thus allowing the rear wheel  102  to roll in any direction. When the rear wheels  102  are put in the directionally locked state, the locking bolt  502  may be released. When the locking bolt  502  drops into the bolt hole  506 , the rear wheel  102  may be restricted to rolling in specific directions such as, for example, forward/backward. 
       FIG. 5B  is a top view of an example directionally locking mechanism, in accordance with various embodiments. Referring to  FIG. 5B , there is shown the bolt hole  506  in the receiving bracket  506 . As can be seen, when the locking bolt  502  is not aligned with the bolt hole  506 , the rear wheel  102  may still roll in any direction. However, when the rear wheel  102  aligns during its rolling such that the locking bolt  502  can drop into the bolt hole  506 , the rear wheel  102  can only roll in the desired direction such as, for example, forward/backward. 
     Although a specific mechanism was shown for the sake of illustration, various other mechanisms may be used for directionally locking the rear wheels  102 . For example, rather than a round bolt hole  506 , there may be a different shaped bolt hole  506 . Also, rather than a bolt hole  506 , there may be a slot  506  where the locking bolt  502  may be any shape that fits into the slot  506 . Additionally, the bolt hole may  506  may be different shapes such as, for example, an inverted pyramid shape and the locking bolt  502  may also be an inverted pyramid shape to fit into the bolt hole  506 . 
     Accordingly, the locking mechanism  500  may be any of various mechanisms known to those skilled in the art. For example, the mechanism  500  may also be an electrical brake system such as for example, an electro-magnet  502  that may be energized to be attracted to a metal plate  506  to keep the rear wheel  102  oriented in a desired direction. 
     Additionally, a braking mechanism for locking the wheels  102  in a fully locked state is well known to those skilled in the art, and thus will not be described in detail. For example, the braking mechanism may exert a mechanical force to keep the wheels  102  from rolling, or the braking mechanism may exert a magnetic force to keep the wheels  102  from rolling. 
     Furthermore, while an example was used for an imaging system  100  having four wheels  102 , various embodiments of the disclosure may be applied to any mobile device with any number of wheels  102 . 
     Various embodiments of the disclosure may also have the front pedals  302  and  304  provide the same functionality as the rear pedals  104  and  106 . 
     Accordingly, it can be seen that the disclosure provides for a system comprising a movable device comprising front and rear wheels  102 , where the front and the rear wheels  102  may be configured to swivel and roll, first and second rear pedals  104  and  106  may be configured to control the front and rear wheels  102  in one of a fully locked state, a directionally locked state, or a released state, and first and second front pedals  302  and  304  configured to control the front and rear wheels  102  in one of the fully locked state or the released state. The fully locked state may prevent the front wheels and the rear wheels  102  from rolling, the directionally locked state may keep the rear wheels  102  from swiveling, the released state may allow the front wheels and the rear wheels to roll and/or swivel. 
     The first and second rear pedals  104  and  106  and the first and second front pedals  302  and  304  may be operationally coupled to each other. Each of the first rear pedal  104  and the second rear pedal  106  may be configured to be in one of a top position, a middle position, or a bottom position. 
     When the first rear pedal  104  is in the top position, the rear wheels  102  may be in a directionally locked state. When the first rear pedal  104  is in the middle position, the front wheels and the rear wheels  102  may be in a released state where the front wheels and the rear wheels  102  may be free to swivel and/or roll. When the first rear pedal  104  is in the bottom position, the front wheels and the rear wheels  102  may be in a fully locked state where the front wheels and the rear wheels  104  are not able to roll. 
     When the first rear pedal  104  is in the bottom position, and the second rear pedal  106  is pressed to a middle position, the first rear pedal  104  may move to the middle position to put the front wheels and the rear wheels  102  in a released state. When the first rear pedal  104  is in the bottom position or the middle position, and the second rear pedal  106  is pressed to a bottom position, the first rear pedal  104  may move to the top position to put the rear wheels  102  in the directionally locked state. The second rear pedal  106  may be, for example, spring loaded to return to the top position upon release of the second rear pedal  106 . 
     Furthermore, each of the first front pedal  302  and the second front pedal  304  may be configured to be in one of a top position or a bottom position. When the first front pedal  302  is in the top position, the front wheels and the rear wheels  102  may be in a fully locked state where the front wheels and the rear wheels  102  are not able to roll. When the first front pedal  302  is in the bottom position, the front wheels and the rear wheels  102  may be in a released state where the front wheels and the rear wheels  102  are free to swivel and/or roll. When the first front pedal  302  is in the bottom position, and the second front pedal  304  is pressed to a bottom position, the first front pedal  302  may move to the top position to put the rear wheels  102  in the fully locked state. The second front pedal  304  may be, for example, spring loaded to return to the top position upon release of the second front pedal  304 . 
     The disclosure may also provide for an imaging system  100  comprising front wheels and rear wheels  102  configured to swivel and roll, first and second rear pedals  104  and  106  configured to control the front and rear wheels  102  in one of a fully locked state, a directionally locked state, or a released state, and first and second front pedals  302  and  304  configured to control the front and rear wheels  102  in one of a fully locked state or a released state. The first and second rear pedals  104  and  106  may be operationally coupled to the first and second front pedals  302  and  304 , where the fully locked state may prevent the front wheels and the rear wheels  102  from rolling, the directionally locked state may keep the rear wheels  102  from swiveling, and the released state may allow the front wheels and the rear wheels  102  to roll and/or swivel. 
     Each of the first rear pedal  104  and the second rear pedal  106  may be configured to be in one of a top position, a middle position, or a bottom position. When the first rear pedal  104  is in the top position, the rear wheels  102  may be in a directionally locked state. When the first rear pedal  104  is in the middle position, the front wheels and the rear wheels  102  may be in a released state. When the first rear pedal  104  is in the bottom position, the front wheels and the rear wheels  102  may be in a fully locked state. 
     When the first rear pedal  104  is in the bottom position, and the second rear pedal  106  is pressed to a middle position, the first rear pedal  104  may move to the middle position to put the front wheels and the rear wheels  102  in a released state. When the first rear pedal  104  is in the bottom position or the middle position, and the second rear pedal  106  is pressed to a bottom position, the first rear pedal  104  may move to the top position to put the rear wheels  102  in the directionally locked state. 
     Each of the first front pedal  302  and the second front pedal  304  may be configured to be in one of a top position or a bottom position, where, when the first front pedal  302  is in the top position, the front wheels and the rear wheels  102  may be in a fully locked state where the front wheels and the rear wheels  102  are not able to roll. When the first front pedal  302  is in the bottom position, the front wheels and the rear wheels  102  may be in a released state where the front wheels and the rear wheels  102  are free to swivel and/or roll. When the first front pedal  302  is in the bottom position, and the second front pedal  304  is pressed to a bottom position, the first front pedal  302  may move to the top position to put the rear wheels  102  in the fully locked state. 
     As utilized herein, “and/or” means any one or more of the items in the list joined by “and/or”. As an example, “x and/or y” means any element of the three-element set {(x), (y), (x, y)}. As another example, “x, y, and/or z” means any element of the seven-element set {(x), (y), (z), (x, y), (x, z), (y, z), (x, y, z)}. As utilized herein, the term “exemplary” means serving as a non-limiting example, instance, or illustration. As utilized herein, the terms “e.g.,” and “for example” set off lists of one or more non-limiting examples, instances, or illustrations. 
     Accordingly, the present disclosure may be realized with mechanical and/or electrical devices. While the present disclosure has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the present disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.