Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7311657?dq=5,266,072
Timestamp: 2014-10-20 09:26:05
Document Index: 384266170

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 14', 'art 14', 'art 14', 'art 14', 'art 14', 'art 14', 'art 14', 'art 314', 'art 314', 'art 314', 'art 314', 'art 314', 'art 314', 'art 314', 'arts 14', 'arts 14']

Patent US7311657 - Patient-support device and docking cart combination - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA combination comprises a patient-support device and one or more carts that dock to the patient-support device. Some of the disclosed carts that dock to the patient-support device have pivotable storage bins. Some of the disclosed carts have equipment-carrying surfaces. Some of the disclosed carts have...http://www.google.com/patents/US7311657?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7311657 - Patient-support device and docking cart combinationAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7311657 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 10/490,825PCT numberPCT/US2002/031636Publication dateDec 25, 2007Filing dateOct 3, 2002Priority dateOct 5, 2001Fee statusPaidAlso published asCA2462567A1, DE60236445D1, EP1434546A2, EP1434546B1, US20040236175, WO2003030798A2, WO2003030798A3Publication number10490825, 490825, PCT/2002/31636, PCT/US/2/031636, PCT/US/2/31636, PCT/US/2002/031636, PCT/US/2002/31636, PCT/US2/031636, PCT/US2/31636, PCT/US2002/031636, PCT/US2002/31636, PCT/US2002031636, PCT/US200231636, PCT/US2031636, PCT/US231636, US 7311657 B2, US 7311657B2, US-B2-7311657, US7311657 B2, US7311657B2InventorsOtho N. Boone, Ian McDermott, John H. Richards, Nancy St. ClairOriginal AssigneeDraeger Medical Systems, Inc.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (42), Referenced by (6), Classifications (44), Legal Events (4) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetPatient-support device and docking cart combinationUS 7311657 B2Abstract A combination comprises a patient-support device and one or more carts that dock to the patient-support device. Some of the disclosed carts that dock to the patient-support device have pivotable storage bins. Some of the disclosed carts have equipment-carrying surfaces. Some of the disclosed carts have work surfaces or trays that move between storage and use positions. One of the disclosed carts has a storage module that transfers from a frame of the cart to a base of the patient-support device.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a U.S. national counterpart application of international application Ser. No. PCT/US02/31636 filed Oct. 3, 2002, which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/327,496 filed Oct. 5, 2001.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present disclosure relates to patient-support devices, such as infant thermal support devices, that support patients during their stays in hospitals and to carts that dock to patient-support devices. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to carts that carry supplies and/or equipment and that dock to mobile patient-support devices to be transported with the patient-support devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to this disclosure, a combination comprises a patient-support device and one or more carts that dock to the patient-support device. An illustrative patient-support device has a base, a set of wheels coupled to the base, and a patient-support platform supported above the base such that a first space for receiving a portion of a cart is defined between the base and the patient-support platform. In illustrative embodiments, a cart has a base, a set of wheels coupled to the base, and a structure for carrying supplies and/or equipment supported above the base such that a second space is defined between the structure and the base of the cart. When the illustrative cart is docked to the illustrative patient-support device, at least a portion of the structure of the cart is situated in the first space of the patient-support device and at least a portion of the base of the patient-support device is situated in the second space of the cart.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS According to this disclosure, a combination 10 comprises a patient-support apparatus or device 12, a cart 14, and a docking mechanism 16 that releasably couples cart 14 to device 12 as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1. Device 12 has a base 18, a set of wheels 20 coupled to base 18, a patient-support platform 22, and a support 24 that supports platform 22 above base 18 as shown in FIGS. 1-3. Cart 14 has a base 26, a set of wheels 28 coupled to base 26, a structure 30 for supporting supplies and/or equipment, and a support 32 that supports structure 30 above base 26 as shown in FIGS. 1-3.
Wheels 20, 28 engage a floor or ground surface 34 over which device 12 and cart 14 are transported as a unit when cart 14 is docked to device 12 and over which device 12 and cart 14 are transported independently when cart 14 is undocked from device 12. Illustrative wheels 20, 28 are part of casters 21, 29, respectively, and therefore, are able to swivel about respective vertical axes in a manner well-known to those skilled in the art. In alternative embodiments, some or all of wheels 20, 28 are not able to swivel, but rather are either rotatable about a fixed horizontal axis or are steerable via appropriate steering mechanisms (not shown). As used in this disclosure, including in the claims, the term �wheel(s)� is intended to cover all types of structures, assemblies, or elements, including, for example, tracks, belts, rollers, balls, and the like, that support a patient-support device or a cart on a floor and that provide for the movement of the patient-support device or cart along the floor.
During the process of transferring module 330 to device 12 from frame 316, cart 314 is moved into a �docked� position having module 330 of cart 314 received in space 44 of device 12, having a portion of base 326 of cart 314 received in space 48 beneath base 18 of device 12, and having a portion of base 18 of device 12 received in a space 346 defined between module 330 and base 326 of cart 314. As cart 314 moves into the docked position, the first and second portions of the second coupling mechanism, which couples module 330 to device 12, lock together. Base 326 interacts with base 18 to properly orient cart 314 relative to device 12 during movement of cart 314 toward the docked position so that the first and second portions of the second coupling mechanism are properly aligned prior to docking.
Although illustrative device 12 is an infant thermal support device capable of heating an infant with convective heat and/or radiant heat, it is contemplated by this disclosure that carts 14, 114, 214, 314 may be used with other patient-support devices, such as, for example, hospital beds, stretchers, infant warmers, infant incubators, and the like, that are appropriately configured to have carts 14, 114, 214, 314 (or portions thereof), docked thereto. Thus, the term �patient-support device� as used in this disclosure, including in the claims, is intended to cover all of these types of device and the equivalents thereof, unless specifically stated otherwise in a particular instance.
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