Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US6481739B1/en
Timestamp: 2018-12-12 08:53:32
Document Index: 138105817

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art.\n22', 'art.\n23']

US6481739B1 - Docking assembly - Google Patents
Docking assembly Download PDF
US6481739B1
US6481739B1 US09310250 US31025099A US6481739B1 US 6481739 B1 US6481739 B1 US 6481739B1 US 09310250 US09310250 US 09310250 US 31025099 A US31025099 A US 31025099A US 6481739 B1 US6481739 B1 US 6481739B1
US09310250
A docking assembly configured to allow a first medical device to move with a second medical device includes a hitch, a base, and a connector. The hitch is configured to be coupled to the first medical device. The base is spaced apart from the hitch and is configured to be coupled to the second medical device. The connector interconnects the hitch and the base and permits movement of the hitch relative to the base.
The present invention relates to a docking assembly for medical equipment. More particularly, the present invention relates to a docking assembly that allows one piece of medical equipment to be hitched to a second piece of medical equipment to allow the second piece of medical equipment to be towed with the first piece of medical equipment.
Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a docking assembly 10 in accordance with the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, docking assembly 10 allows a first medical device, in this instance an accessory cart 12, to be coupled to a second medical device, in this instance an incubator 14, so that accessory cart 12 can be towed behind incubator 14. Docking assembly 10 is securely fastened to incubator 14 and allows accessory cart 12 to be hitched and unhitched as desired from incubator 14. As described in more detail below and shown in FIG. 2, docking assembly 10 allows accessory cart 12 to move rotationally (arrow 16) and vertically (arrow 17) relative to incubator 14 as accessory cart 12 is towed behind incubator 14 to compensate for bumps and the like on the floor, but prevents accessory cart 12 from moving horizontally (arrow 18) relative to incubator 14 so that accessory cart 12 is easily steered behind incubator 14 when accessory cart 12 is hitched to docking assembly 10.
Coupling portion 36 extends from mounting portion 32 at an angle 37, as shown in FIG. 4. Coupling portion 36 is formed to include two laterally spaced-apart holes 38 and a central finger 40 extending inwardly relative to mounting portion 32 from a location between holes 38. Retainer 30 is also formed to include two holes (not shown) that are sized and spaced to align with holes 38 of coupling portion 36. A fastener such as a rivet or screw (not shown) extends through each of the two holes 38, through each hole (not shown) formed in retainer 30, and through a pair of first holes (not shown) formed in connector 22 to couple base 20 to connector 22, as shown in FIG. 2-4.
Latch plate 140 of latch receiver 128 includes a mechanism mount portion 158, a base mount portion 160 extending outwardly from mechanism mount portion 158, and a guide portion 162 extending outwardly from base mount portion 160. Mechanism mount portion 158 is C-shaped and extends from base mount portion 160 to define a slot 164 between mechanism mount portion 158 and base mount portion 160. The C-shape of mechanism mount portion 158 defines an opening 166 that is sized to receive latch mechanism 142, as discussed below. Base mount portion 160 of latch plate 140 is formed to include three holes 170 that are sized and spaced to align with the three holes 154 of base member 13 8 to allow latch plate 140 to be coupled to base member 138 using screws or the like. Guide portion 162 is configured to angle slightly downwardly, as shown in FIG. 9, to help guide latch plate 60 of docking assembly 10 onto accessory cart 12.
Latch mechanism 142 includes a base portion 178 and a latch 180 coupled to base portion 178, as shown in FIG. 6. Latch mechanism 142 is commercially available from Eberhard Manufacturing Co. located in Cleveland, Ohio. Base portion 178 is formed to define a recess 179 that is sized and shaped to receive post 82 of docking assembly 10. Latch 180 includes a release member 182 and a latch member 184. Release member 182 is configured to extend through slot 164 in latch plate 140 and slot 152 in base member 138 so that a user may reach under base member 13 8 to move release member 182 from a closed position to a released position. Movement of release member 182 from the closed position to the released position causes latch member 184 to move from a latched position to an unlatched position to allow post 82 of docking assembly 10 to be hitched and unhitched from accessory cart 12.
As shown in FIG. 7, hitch 24 may be moved to a retracted (storage) position when docking assembly 10 is not being used so that it is “out of the way”. In the retracted position, latch plate 60 pivots relative to transition plate 58 about hinge pin 62 to be positioned on top of transition plate 58. In this position, docking assembly 10 resides entirely within a footprint of incubator 14 defined by the perimeter of rollers 212, as shown in FIG. 7. Thus, in the retracted position, docking assembly 10 does not interfere with the normal use of second medical device 14.
1. A docking assembly configured to allow a first medical device to move with a second medical device, the docking assembly comprising
a hitch configured to be coupled to the first medical device,
a base spaced apart from the hitch and configured to be coupled to the second medical device, and
a connector interconnecting the hitch and the base to permit vertical and rotational movement of the hitch relative to the base while inhibiting horizontal lateral movement of the hitch relative to the base, the connector including a pair of spaced-apart leaf springs.
2. The docking assembly of claim 1, wherein the leaf springs are each made from a flexible material.
3. The docking assembly of claim 2, wherein the hitch is movable when decoupled from the first medical device between an extended position wherein the hitch extends beyond a footprint of the second medical device and a retracted position wherein the hitch resides within the footprint of the second medical device.
4. The docking assembly of claim 1, wherein the leaf springs are rectangularly shaped.
5. The docking assembly of claim 1, wherein the hitch is movable when decoupled from the first medical device between an extended position wherein the hitch extends beyond a footprint of the second medical device and a retracted position wherein the hitch resides within the footprint of the second medical device.
6. The docking assembly of claim 5, wherein the hitch includes a transition plate, a latch plate, and a hinge mechanism pivotably interconnecting the transition plate and the latch plate.
7. The docking assembly of claim 6, wherein the transition plate is S-shaped.
8. The docking assembly of claim 6, wherein the latch plate includes a vertically-extending post for coupling the hitch to the first medical device.
9. The docking assembly of claim 1, wherein the leaf springs are each made from a strip-like material.
10. The docking assembly of claim 1, wherein the first medical device rides on rollers, wherein the rollers define a perimeter, and wherein the docking assembly is positioned to lie within the perimeter.
11. A docking assembly configured to couple a first medical device having a latch receiver to a second medical device, the docking assembly comprising
a hitch configured to be selectively coupled to and decoupled from the latch receiver and having a central finger,
a base spaced apart from the hitch, configured to be coupled to the second medical device, and having a central finger, and
a connector interconnecting the hitch and the base, the connector having a first leaf spring and a second leaf spring extending between the hitch and the base, the first and second leaf springs being positioned to lie on opposite sides of the central fingers, the first and second leaf springs being configured to allow rotational movement of the hitch relative to the base about a longitudinal axis defined by the connector, the first and second leaf springs being further configured to block horizontal movement of the hitch relative to the base.
12. The docking assembly of claim 11, wherein the first and second leaf springs are substantially parallel to one another.
13. The docking assembly of claim 11, wherein the first and second leaf springs are made of a flexible metal material.
14. The docking assembly of claim 11, wherein the first and second leaf springs are rectangularly shaped.
15. The docking assembly of claim 11, wherein the first and second leaf springs are further configured to allow vertical movement of the hitch relative to the base.
16. The docking assembly of claim 11, wherein the hitch is movable when decoupled from the latch receiver between an extended position wherein the hitch extends beyond a footprint of the second medical device and a retracted position wherein the hitch resides within the footprint of the second medical device.
17. The docking assembly of claim 11, wherein the first medical device rides on rollers, wherein the rollers define a perimeter and at least a portion of the docking assembly is positioned to lie within the perimeter.
18. The docking assembly of claim 17, wherein the hitch is movable between a storage position and a use position.
19. The docking assembly of claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the docking assembly is positioned to lie outside the perimeter when the hitch is in the use position and the entire docking assembly is positioned to lie within the perimeter when the hitch is in the storage position.
20. The docking assembly of claim 11, wherein the first medical device is an incubator.
21. The docking assembly of claim 20, wherein the second medical device is an accessory cart.
22. The docking assembly of claim 11, wherein the first medical device is an accessory cart.
23. A docking assembly configured to allow a first medical device to move with a second medical device, the docking assembly comprising
connector means for permitting vertical and rotational movement of the hitch relative to the base while inhibiting horizontal lateral movement of the hitch relative to the base, the connector means including a pair of spaced-apart leaf springs.
24. The docking assembly of claim 23, wherein the first medical device rides on rollers, wherein the rollers define a perimeter, and wherein the docking assembly is positioned to lie within the perimeter.
25. The docking assembly of claim 23, wherein the leaf springs are made from a flexible material.
26. The docking assembly of claim 23, wherein the hitch is movable when decoupled from the first medical device between an extended position wherein the hitch extends beyond a footprint of the second medical device and a retracted position wherein the hitch resides within the footprint of the second medical device.
US09310250 1999-05-12 1999-05-12 Docking assembly Active US6481739B1 (en)
US09310250 US6481739B1 (en) 1999-05-12 1999-05-12 Docking assembly
PCT/US2000/012742 WO2000069387A1 (en) 1999-05-12 2000-05-10 Docking assembly
AU4998400A AU4998400A (en) 1999-05-12 2000-05-10 Docking assembly
EP20000932240 EP1176935B1 (en) 1999-05-12 2000-05-10 Docking assembly
US10293629 US6669224B2 (en) 1999-05-12 2002-11-13 Docking assembly
US10293629 Division US6669224B2 (en) 1999-05-12 2002-11-13 Docking assembly
US6481739B1 true US6481739B1 (en) 2002-11-19
ID=23201646
US09310250 Active US6481739B1 (en) 1999-05-12 1999-05-12 Docking assembly
US10293629 Expired - Fee Related US6669224B2 (en) 1999-05-12 2002-11-13 Docking assembly
US (2) US6481739B1 (en)
EP (1) EP1176935B1 (en)
WO (1) WO2000069387A1 (en)
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