Patient support system

The present invention relates to a patient support system according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such a system is known, for example, from DE 296 10726 U1 or EP 457 246 B1. In order to transfer the support surface to the transport trolley, it is placed in a suitable position relative to the support column. By moving downwards the support device for moving the support column vertically, the support column is first lowered until it rests on the transport trolley. At the time of transfer, the first coupling elements on the support surface cooperate simultaneously with the second and third coupling elements on the column or transport trolley.

In the patient support system known from EP 457 246 B1, two spring-loaded bolts are assigned to the coupling surfaces of the support surface, one of which is locked in the column coupling element when the support surface rests on the column and the other is locked in the transporter coupling element. when the support surface rests on the conveyor. In the case of a takeover process, e.g. from the conveyor to the column by moving the column upwards, the bolt latched in the coupling element of the transport trolley is pushed back by the steering outline of the column, thereby unblocking the support surface on the transport trolley. In the same operation, the presence of a transport cart initially interferes with the second bolt snapping into the coupling member of the column. Only they remove the support surface from the transport trolley, along with the growing distance from the transport trolley coupling element, the second bolt can snap under spring tension in the column coupling element. In the opposite case, the bolt latched in the coupling element of the column is repelled back by the control profile of the conveyor, while the second bolt with the increasing distance of the column from the support surface latches under the action of the spring force in the coupling element of the transport trolley. At the time of acquisition, i.e. when the coupling member of the column and the coupling member of the transport trolley are coupled to the coupling element of the support surface, the support surface is not protected against slipping by any of the bolts. In addition, there may be situations in which it is impossible to latch the bolts under the action of spring force, e.g. when the coupling elements are slightly skewed relative to each other.

In order to eliminate this problem and increase the safety of the patient support system, it is proposed according to the invention that the locking means comprise at least one locking element arranged on one of the coupling means, which, in the coupling position of the two coupling elements, enters the recess of the adjacent coupling element, and that control curves are formed on the coupling elements, by means of which the bolting element is forced into the appropriate recess in the process of transferring the support surface from the support column to the transport trolley or vice versa. Preferably, the respective locking element is in the form of a two-arm, pivotally mounted lever, which is designed to cooperate with control curves, control edges positioned opposite the center of rotation of the lever, i.e. on both lever arms.

The embodiment of the invention leads to the fact that the locking element does not move into its latching position under spring pressure, but is guided in a forced manner. At the same time, during the transfer process, i.e. during the movement of the locking element, the support surface is always gripped between opposingly oriented control edges, and thus secured until it is picked up from falling out of the respective coupling element.

Preferably also in the solution according to the invention, as in the known patient support system described above, on each first coupling element there are two locking elements, one of which is intended for locking the first coupling element with the second coupling element and the other for locking the first coupling element. with a third coupling element, wherein the control curves for adjusting the locking elements are formed on the second and third coupling elements.

The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, explains the invention based on an embodiment, where:

Figure 1 is a schematic view of a patient support system, which system includes a patient support surface, a transport cart for the support surface and a support column for the patient support surface, Figure 2 is a partially schematic view of three cooperating coupling elements, and Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view three coupling elements coupled simultaneously to each other, Fig. 4 a partially schematic view of the first coupling element itself, which is

<td colspan="2">placed</td><td rowspan="2">for parts</td><td rowspan="2">from the side</td><td rowspan="2">surface</td>

<td></td><td>support,</td>

<td>fig. 5</td><td>schematic</td><td>view</td><td colspan="2">three coupled</td>

<td></td><td>at the same time</td><td>together</td><td>items</td><td>a coupling</td>

6 and 7 views of three coupling elements when transferring the support surface from the support column to the transport trolley and FIGS. 8 and 9 views corresponding to FIGS. 6 and 7 when transferring the support surface from the transport trolley to the support column.

The patient support system schematically illustrated in FIG. 1 includes the operating table bearing the general reference column 10 with a column base 12 and a column head mounted thereon vertically adjustable (in height direction). The vertical adjustment device is not shown. It can be made in any traditional way. As a rule, it is a hydraulic or mechanical lift.

On the left, next to the support column, there is a transport carriage, generally designated 16, on which the support surface or operating surface 18 of the operating table is located. The transport trolley 16 consists of two side frame parts 20 which are connected to each other by means of not shown crossbars, as shown in EP 457 246 B1. The transport trolley 16 can thus approach the support column 10 in such a way that it is located between the side frame parts 20.

On the longitudinal edges of the lateral surfaces of the support 18 there are first coupling elements 22 which are intended to be engaged in the second coupling elements 24 on the column head 14 or the third coupling elements 26 on the side frame parts 20 of the transport trolley 16 to connect the support surface 18 or to support column 10 or with a transport trolley

16. The construction of the coupling elements and the principle of their operation is to be described in more detail below.

In Fig. 2, reference number 28 is provided with a connecting frame which comprises a central plate 30 and two lateral walls 32 extending downwards at its longitudinal ends, of which only one is shown. The central plate 30 has on its upper side a bearing 34 to be connected to the respective patient support surface 18 which is mounted on the connecting frame 28 pivotably about the support axis 36 running transversely to its longitudinal direction. Each of the walls 32 has a first coupling element 22 on its inner side. It has the shape of a wide plug with an external contour 38 and a slotted recess 40 with an internal contour 42.

Under the connecting frame 28 there is only partly shown the saddle 44, which is part of the head 14 of the column. It has, like the connecting frame 28, a C-shape with a central rib 46 and two side parts 48, of which only one is depicted. The side part 48 has on its outer side forming a second coupling element 24 a retaining pocket for accommodating the first coupling element 22, the retaining pocket having an outer contour 50 adapted to the outer contour 38 of the first coupling element 22. The central rib 46 has a centering pin 52 adjacent to each of its side portions 48 on its upper side, which is intended to engage in a complementary seat 54 of the pin, formed on the bottom of the central plate 30 of the connecting frame 28.

In the view of Figure 2, the guide pocket, which forms the third coupling element 26, enters the retaining pocket 26, which is secured by means of a plinth 56 on a transport carriage 16 and intended to engage in the recess 40 of the first coupling element 22. It has it corresponds to the inner contour 42 of the first coupling element 22, the outer contour 58.

If all three coupling elements 22, 24, 26 when passing the support surface from the transport trolley to the support column, or vice versa, are simultaneously coupled together, then they are inserted into each other, as can be seen in the schematic view of Fig. 3. The pin forming the third coupling element 26 lies in the recess 40 of the first coupling element 22, which for its part fits into the retaining pocket forming the second coupling element 24, so that all three coupling elements lie simultaneously in one plane. As a result, a very flat structure stands up transverse to the longitudinal direction of the support surface 18.

Other advantages of this system arise from the following description of the locking mechanism by which the support surface 18 is connected either to the column head 14 or to the transport carriage 16.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic plan view of the inside of the wall 32 of the connecting frame 28. The first coupling element 22 is again visible on which the two locking elements 60 and 62 are stably mounted. Each of the locking elements 60 and 62 is made in the form of a two-arm lever which is pivotably mounted around the axis of rotation 64 or 66 and preloaded with a torsion spring 68 or 70 in a clockwise direction. The locking element 60 is intended for locking the support surface 18 with the column head 14. For this purpose, one lever arm 72 is provided with a hooked end 74, to be engaged in a recess 76 in the inner contour 50 of the second coupling element 24 (Fig. 5). The locking element 62 is intended for locking the support surface 18 with the transport carriage 16. To this end, the arm 78 of the locking element lever 62 has a hooked end 80 to be engaged in the recess 82 in the outer contour 58 of the third pin-shaped coupling element 26 (Fig. 5).

On the basis of figures 5 to 7, the operating principle of the locking elements is now to be explained when the support surface 18 is transferred from the column 10 to the transport trolley

16.

Fig. 5 shows three coupling elements 22, 24 and 26 in complete engagement with each other. In this condition, both locking elements 60 and 62 are tilted to their released position. In the case of the locking element 60, this is done in such a way that the lever arm opposite the arm 72, the lever 84, slides the control edge 86 along the control curve 88 formed on the third coupling element 26, tilting counterclockwise, opposite the hook end 74 of the first locking element 60, the end 90 of the first lever arm 72 is immersed in a semi-circular recess 92 in the outer contour of the third coupling element, as shown in Fig. 5. In the same way, the second locking element 62 is tilted counterclockwise when the lever arm opposite the lever arm 78 is sliding along the control edge 96 along the control curve 97 formed on the second coupling element 24, opposite to the hook tip 80 the end 98 of the first lever arm 78 sinks into a semi-circular recess 100 in the second coupling member 24, as shown in Figure 5.

When transferring the support surface 18 to the transport cart 16, the head 14 of the support column 10 is lowered from the position shown in Fig. 5, as can be seen in Figs. 6 and 7. Fig. 6 shows that as the downward movement of the column head 14, and hence the second coupling element 24, begins, the right locking element 62 is under the action of the control curve 97 of the second coupling element 24, sliding on the control edge 101 of the end 98 of the lever, tilted clockwise, so that the hook end 80 is inserted into the recess 82. Already in the position shown in Fig. 6 the support surface 18 could not rise from the transport trolley 16. When the head of the column further lowers, as shown in Fig. 7, then the hook end 80 of the second locking element 62 is completely tilted into the recess 82 in the third coupling element 26, so that the support surface 18 is firmly locked on the transport cart 16. In this position, the hook end 80 is held under the action of a torsion spring 70. Conversely, when lifting the column head 14 from the position shown in Fig. 7, the locking element 62 would be tilted counterclockwise, whereby the locking between the first and third coupling elements is lifted.

Figures 8 and 9 show the locking process when passing the support surface 18 from the transport cart 16 to the support column 10. In this case, the column head 14 is raised from the position shown in Figure 5, so that the third coupling element 26 slides down from selecting the first coupling element 22. At the same time, the first locking element 60 is forced to tilt clockwise by a control curve 88 sliding on the control edge 103 at the lever end 90 on the third coupling element 26, so that the hook end 74 of the first locking element 60 enters the recess 76 in placed on the column, the second coupling element 24, as shown in Figure 8. When the third coupling element 26 is pulled out of the first coupling element 22, the support surface 18 is firmly locked to the column head 14, as shown in Fig. 9. Conversely, when the third coupling element 26 is inserted in the recess 40 of the first coupling element 22, the locking element 60 remains anti-clockwise tilted, so that the locking between the second and first coupling elements is disengaged. The above description shows that in coupling processes both locking elements 60 and 62 are tilted in a forced manner, so that reliable locking between the support surface and the column head on one side and the support surface and the transport cart on the other is ensured.

It is further seen that, starting from the position according to Fig. 5, in which both locking elements 60 and 62 are tilted to their released position, when the support surface 18 is raised relative to the column head and the transport carriage, both locking elements would be tilted clockwise and bolted in this way. This effectively prevents the support surface 18 from escaping from the position shown in figure 5.

To transfer the support surface from the column to the transport trolley and vice versa with the least possible friction, the coupling elements 22, 24 and 26 should be exactly in line. If they are skewed relative to each other, then malfunctions may occur. To prevent this, a sensor is generally located on the saddle 44 inside the retaining pocket of the second coupling member 24, generally designated by reference numeral 102, to read the position of the third coupling member 26 relative to the second coupling member 24. The sensor consists of a rotatably mounted disc 104, which is for example connected to the end of the potentiometer and on whose outer side an eccentric finger 106 is provided. This lead finger 106 enters a recess 108, which is formed on the wide side of the third coupling element 26 and delimited by two control edges 110 and 112. If during the take-over process the transport carriage 16 and the column head 14 are inclined relative to each other, so the coupling elements 24 and 26 are not aligned in the desired manner in relation to each other, then the leading finger 106 hits one of the control edges 110, 112. As a result, the disc 104 rotates. This rotation is recorded, for example, by means of a connected potentiometer and can be converted into a control signal, which in turn is fed to the control system 14 of the column head. In this way, the column head 14 can be moved such that the second and third coupling elements are directed towards each other to allow friction-free coupling.

MAQUET GmbH &amp; Co. KG

Proxy:

83P24984PL00

EP 1 785 114 B1