Wheeled carriage having a powered auxiliary wheel, auxiliary wheel overtravel, and an auxiliary wheel drive and control system
US6752224B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 28, 2002 |
| Grant date | Jun 22, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 28, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB60L2200/34
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A wheeled carriage for supporting a patient in a substantially horizontal position includes a patient support having head and foot ends and a wheeled base supported by castered wheels. Auxiliary wheels are suspendably mounted on a wheel support structure with the axis of the auxiliary wheels spaced from a midpoint of the wheeled base. A control apparatus controls the wheel support structure to move the auxiliary wheels between a first deployed position whereat castered wheels at one end of the carriage are elevated from a floor surface, and a second stored position with the auxiliary wheels out of engagement with the floor surface. The wheeled carriage includes a drive motor for powering the auxiliary wheels. A drive member applies force to a load cell on the wheeled carriage. The load cell outputs a drive signal to drive the auxiliary wheels. An auxiliary wheel drive and control system accelerates or decelerates the carriage by comparing the drive signal with a threshold value that changes dependent on the velocity of the carriage.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.