US2015272795A1PendingUtilityA1

Support Arrangement with Activation Mechanism

49
Assignee: STEELCASE INCPriority: Oct 12, 2012Filed: Jun 11, 2015Published: Oct 1, 2015
Est. expiryOct 12, 2032(~6.2 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Travis Spoor
B60B 33/0078A61G 5/101A61G 5/1013B60T 11/046B62B 9/082B62B 5/0433B62B 9/087F16D 65/28B62B 5/0457F16D 2125/60
49
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Claims

Abstract

A support arrangement having an activation mechanism to control the movement of wheels is provided. The support arrangement includes a platform, a chassis attached to the platform, a pair of wheel assemblies movably coupled to the chassis, and the activation mechanism. The pair of wheel assemblies are operable between a first state and a second state. The activation mechanism includes a track having a first stable position and a second stable position spaced along a length of the track, and a pin configured to travel along the track. Wheels are in the first state when the pin is in the first stable position and are in the second state when the pin is in the second stable position.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A medical patient support arrangement, comprising:
 a platform configured to support a patient;   a chassis attached to the platform;   a pair of wheel assemblies laterally spaced from one another across a width of the chassis and movably coupled to the chassis, the pair of wheel assemblies operable between a first state and a second state different from the first state; and   an activation mechanism that controls the movement of each of the wheels of the pair of wheels with respect to the chassis, the activation mechanism including a track having a first stable position and a second stable position spaced along a length of the track, the activation mechanism further including a pin configured to travel along the track, wherein each of the wheels of the pair of wheels is in the first state when the pin is in the first stable position and each of the wheels of the pair of wheels is in the second state when the pin is in the second stable position.   
     
     
         2 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the movement of the pair of wheels assembly is a rolling movement. 
     
     
         3 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 2 , wherein the first state is a rotationally unlocked state and the second state is a rotationally locked state. 
     
     
         4 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the pin is spring biased into the first stable position. 
     
     
         5 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 4 , wherein the pin is spring biased into the second stable position. 
     
     
         6 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the pin travels through a continuous loop. 
     
     
         7 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 6 , wherein the track is discontinuous. 
     
     
         8 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a movable input member adapted to receive an input from an operator, the input member operably coupled to the activation mechanism to move the pin between the first and second stable positions.   
     
     
         9 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 8 , wherein a first input to the input member from the operator moves the pin along the track from the first stable position toward the second stable position. 
     
     
         10 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 9 , wherein a second input to the input member from the operator moves the pin along the track from the second stable position toward the first stable position. 
     
     
         11 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 10 , wherein the activation mechanism is configured such the input mechanism is moved in the same direction for the first input and the second input. 
     
     
         12 . A medical patient support arrangement, comprising:
 a platform configured to support a patient;   a chassis attached to the platform;   a pair of wheel assemblies laterally spaced from one another across a width of the chassis and movably coupled to the chassis, the pair of wheel assemblies operable between a first state and a second state different from the first state;   an activation mechanism that controls the movement of each of the wheels of the pair of wheels with respect to the chassis, the activation mechanism including a track having a first stable position and a second stable position spaced along a length of the track, the activation mechanism further including a pin configured to travel along the track, wherein each of the wheels of the pair of wheels is in the first state when the pin is in the first stable position and each of the wheels of the pair of wheels is in the second state when the pin is in the second stable position; and   a movable foot pedal adapted to receive an input from an operator, the foot pedal operably coupled to the activation mechanism to move the pin between the first and second stable positions, wherein the foot pedal partially extends from beneath the chassis and is substantially parallel with a floor surface when the pin is in the first stable position.   
     
     
         13 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 12 , wherein the foot pedal forms an acute angle with a floor surface when the pin is in the second stable position. 
     
     
         14 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 12 , wherein the foot pedal is one of a pair of foot pedals, and wherein the pair of foot pedals are laterally spaced from one another across the width of the chassis. 
     
     
         15 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the medical patient support arrangement comprises a chair. 
     
     
         16 . A medical patient support arrangement, comprising:
 a platform configured to support a patient;   a chassis attached to the platform;   one or more wheel assemblies coupled to the chassis and operable between a locked state where a wheel of the one or more wheel assemblies is locked from rotation, and an unlocked state where the wheel is free to rotate; and   an activation mechanism that controls the operation of the one or more wheel assemblies, the activation mechanism including a track having a first stable position and a second stable position spaced along a length of the track, the activation mechanism further including a pin configured to travel along the track, wherein each of the wheel is in the unlocked state when the pin is in the first stable position and the wheel is in the locked state when the pin is in the second stable position.   
     
     
         17 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 16 , wherein the pin is spring biased into the first stable position. 
     
     
         18 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 17 , wherein the pin is spring biased into the second stable position. 
     
     
         19 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 16 , wherein the pin travels through a continuous loop. 
     
     
         20 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 19 , wherein the track is discontinuous. 
     
     
         21 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a movable input member adapted to receive an input from an operator, the input member operably coupled to the activation mechanism to move the pin between the first and second stable positions.   
     
     
         22 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 21 , wherein a first input to the input member from the operator moves the pin along the track from the first stable position toward the second stable position. 
     
     
         23 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 22 , wherein a second input to the input member from the operator moves the pin along the track from the second stable position toward the first stable position. 
     
     
         24 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 23 , wherein the activation mechanism is configured such the input mechanism is moved in the same direction for the first input and the second input. 
     
     
         25 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 21 , wherein the input member is a foot pedal. 
     
     
         26 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 25 , wherein the foot pedal partially extends from beneath the chassis. 
     
     
         27 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 26 , wherein the foot pedal is substantially parallel with a floor surface when the pin is in the first stable position. 
     
     
         28 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 27 , wherein the foot pedal forms an acute angle with a floor surface when the pin is in the second stable position. 
     
     
         29 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 25 , wherein the foot pedal is one of a pair of foot pedals, and wherein the pair of foot pedal are laterally spaced from one another across the a width of the chassis. 
     
     
         30 . The medical patient support arrangement of  claim 16 , wherein the medical patient support arrangement comprises a chair.

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