Vibrating patient support apparatus with a spring loaded percussion device

Abstract

A vibrating patient support apparatus has a spring loaded percussion device preferably for treatment of pulmonary problems of a patient. Preferably, the percussion device is part of a bed mattress and is located beneath an upper cushioning member of the mattress for patient comfort. The percussion device preferably has a resilient pad in contact with the cushioning member, a rigid member disposed below the pad, a plurality of springs engaged between the pad and rigid member, a cam in biased contact with the rigid member by the springs and an electric motor for rotating the cam.

1 . A percussion device of a patient support apparatus for therapeutic treatment of pulmonary problems of a patient, the percussion device comprising: 
 an electric motor;    a cam connected operably to the electric motor;    a rigid support member biased against the cam;    a resilient pad spaced from the support member; and    a spring engaged between the support member and the resilient pad.    
   
   
       2 . The percussion device set forth in  claim 1  wherein the spring is a coiled spring having a upper first end connected to the resilient pad and an opposite lower end connected to the support member.  
   
   
       3 . The percussion device set forth in  claim 2  further comprising a rotation axis of the motor wherein the cam is disposed concentrically to the rotation axis.  
   
   
       4 . The percussion device set forth in  claim 3  further comprising: 
 a cam surface of the cam facing radially outward; and    a push rod in sliding contact with the cam surface at a first end and engaged to the support member at an opposite second end.    
   
   
       5 . The percussion device set forth in  claim 4  wherein the cam surface has a radially inner first end and extends circumferentially in a spiral fashion to a radially outer second end.  
   
   
       6 . The percussion device set forth in  claim 5  further comprising a fall face of the cam projecting radially outward from the inner first end to the outer second end.  
   
   
       7 . The percussion device set forth in  claim 6  wherein the first end of the push rod is biased against the cam surface by the spring so that as the first end slides against the rotating cam surface the push rod moves radially outward against a biasing force of the spring until the first end of the push rod reaches the outer second end of the cam surface at which point the push rod falls radially inward and impacts the inner first end of the cam surface.  
   
   
       8 . The percussion device set forth in  claim 6  wherein the fall face and the rotation axis both lie in a common imaginary plane.  
   
   
       9 . The percussion device set forth in  claim 1  wherein the resilient pad is a pressure controlled bladder.  
   
   
       10 . The percussion device set forth in  claim 1  wherein the spring is one of a plurality of springs.  
   
   
       11 . A patient support apparatus for providing therapeutic treatment to a patient, the patient support apparatus comprising a bed mattress having a cushioning member and a percussion device having a resilient pad located below the cushioning member, a spring disposed below and connected to the resilient pad, a cam engaged to the spring and an electric motor connected to the cam.  
   
   
       12 . The patient support apparatus set forth in  claim 11  wherein the cushioning member is a main bladder inflated by a variable speed pump at a pressure controlled by a controller.  
   
   
       13 . The patient support apparatus set forth in  claim 11  further comprising: 
 the spring being one of a plurality of springs; and    a rigid member of the percussion device having an upper surface engaged to the plurality of springs and a lower surface biased toward the cam by the plurality of springs.    
   
   
       14 . The patient support apparatus set forth in  claim 13  further comprising a rotation device having two rotation bladders located below the rigid member of the percussion device, and wherein the two rotation bladders are independently inflated and deflated by a pump and controller.  
   
   
       15 . The patient support apparatus set forth in  claim 13  further comprising: 
 a cam surface of the cam facing radially outward; and    a push rod in sliding contact with the cam surface at a first end and engaged to the rigid member at an opposite second end.    
   
   
       16 . The patient support apparatus set forth in  claim 15  wherein the cam surface has a radially inner first end and extends circumferentially in a spiral fashion to a radially outer second end.  
   
   
       17 . The percussion device set forth in  claim 16  further comprising a fall face of the cam projecting radially outward from the inner first end to the outer second end.  
   
   
       18 . The percussion device set forth in  claim 17  wherein the fall face faces in a circumferential direction that is opposite to a direction of rotation of the cam.