Patient support apparatus

Abstract

A patient support includes a frame and a mattress supported by the frame. The frame includes a deck support and a deck supporting the mattress.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A patient support comprising
 a frame including a base frame supported by a floor, an intermediate frame positioned over the base frame to move relative to the base frame, and an actuator interconnecting the base frame and the intermediate frame to cause the intermediate frame to move relative to the base frame,   a control system coupled to the actuator to provide a signal to cause the actuator to move, and   an obstacle detection device coupled to the intermediate frame and to the control system, the obstacle detection system being configured to provide an obstacle detection message to the control system to cause the control system to take an action when the obstacle detection device detects an obstacle positioned between the base frame and the intermediate frame.   
     
     
         2 . The patient support of  claim 1 , wherein the obstacle detection device is a pressure sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The patient support of  claim 2 , wherein the pressure sensor is configured to provide the obstacle detection signal when a higher than expected pressure is detected by the pressure sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The patient support of  claim 2 , wherein the pressure sensor is a pressure switch. 
     
     
         5 . The patient support of  claim 1 , wherein the obstacle detection device includes a first sensor coupled to the intermediate frame and a second sensor coupled to the intermediate frame and spaced-apart laterally from the first sensor. 
     
     
         6 . The patient support of  claim 5 , wherein the intermediate frame includes first and second longitudinally extending members spaced apart laterally from one another and the first sensor is coupled to a bottom surface of the first longitudinally extending member and the second sensor is coupled to a bottom surface of the second longitudinally extending member. 
     
     
         7 . The patient support of  claim 1 , wherein the obstacle detection is coupled to a surface of the intermediate frame that is arranged to face toward the floor. 
     
     
         8 . The patient support of  claim 1 , wherein the action includes a stop signal sent from the control system to the actuator to cause the actuator to stop moving. 
     
     
         9 . The patient support of  claim 8 , wherein the action further includes an alarm signal sent from the control system to an alarm device to cause the alarm device to communicate to a caregiver that the obstacle has been detected. 
     
     
         10 . The patient support of  claim 8 , wherein the stop signal further allows movement of the actuator to cause the intermediate frame to move away from the base frame. 
     
     
         11 . The patient support of  claim 8 , wherein the stop signal sent by the controller only blocks movement of the actuator that causes the intermediate frame to move toward the base frame. 
     
     
         12 . The patient support of  claim 1 , wherein the action includes a raise signal sent from the control system to the actuator to cause the actuator to move the intermediate frame away from the base frame for a predetermined time period. 
     
     
         13 . The patient support of  claim 1 , wherein the base frame has a perimeter and the obstacle detection device is further configured to detect an obstacle positioned to lie outside the perimeter of the base frame. 
     
     
         14 . A patient support comprising
 a frame including a base frame supported by a floor, an intermediate frame coupled to the base frame to move relative to the base frame, a deck coupled to the intermediate frame to articulate between a plurality of positions relative to the intermediate frame, and an actuator interconnecting the base frame and the intermediate frame to cause the intermediate frame to move relative to the base frame,   a control system coupled to the actuator to provide a signal to cause the actuator to move, and   an obstacle detection device coupled to a lower surface of the deck and to the control system, the obstacle detection system being configured to provide an obstacle detection message to the control system to cause the control system to take an action when the obstacle detection device detects an obstacle positioned between the deck and the floor.   
     
     
         15 . The patient support of  claim 14 , wherein the deck includes a head section pivotably coupled to the intermediate frame, a seat section pivotably coupled to the intermediate frame, and a foot section pivotably coupled to the seat section and the obstacle detection device is coupled to the lower surface of the foot section. 
     
     
         16 . The patient support of  claim 15 , wherein the foot section includes a first leg section and a second leg section coupled to the first leg section to move relative to the first leg section between a first position in which the foot section has a first length and a second position in which the foot section has a relatively greater length. 
     
     
         17 . The patient support of  claim 16 , wherein the obstacle detection device is coupled to the second leg section of the foot section to move therewith. 
     
     
         18 . The patient support of  claim 14 , wherein the base frame has a perimeter, the deck extends outwardly beyond the perimeter of the base frame, and the obstacle detection device is further configured to detect an obstacle positioned to lie outside the perimeter of the base frame. 
     
     
         19 . The patient support of  claim 14 , wherein the obstacle detection device is a pressure sensor. 
     
     
         20 . The patient support of  claim 19 , wherein the pressure sensor is configured to provide the obstacle detection signal when a higher than expected pressure is detected by the pressure sensor.