Patent ID: 7735788

Claim:
A system for use with a hospital bed, the system comprising a patient equipment support having a first coupler which includes a collar, a conical frustum shaped portion that is lower in elevation than the collar, and a support structure that is interposed between the collar and the conical frustum shaped portion, and a stand having a wheeled base and a column extending generally vertically upwardly from the base, the stand further having a second coupler including a portion extending from the column and movable upwardly and downwardly relative to the base, the collar of the first coupler engaging the portion of the second coupler when the patient equipment support is coupled to the stand, and the first coupler being configured so that, when the collar engages the portion of the second coupler, the entire conical frustum shaped portion is exposed at a lower elevation than the collar for insertion into an aperture of a receiver of the hospital bed in response to lowering of the second coupler when the patient equipment support is coupled to the stand and the conical frustum shaped portion is aligned with the receiver, the conical frustum shaped portion being separated from the collar and supported in spaced apart relation from the collar by the support structure that is interposed between the collar and the conical frustum shaped portion and that has a vertical dimension larger than that of the conical frustum shaped portion such that a bottom of the collar is elevated with respect to a top of the conical frustum shaped portion by a vertical distance that is larger than a vertical length of the conical frustum shaped portion, the conical frustum shaped portion extending downwardly from the support structure and the collar being situated adjacent a top of the support structure, wherein the support structure interposed between the collar and the conical frustum shaped portion is devoid of any conical frustum shaped structure.