Patents by Inventor Joseph A. Ernst

Joseph A. Ernst has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Width adjustable person support system with dual inboard mounted motors and proximate, directly driven extension wings
    Patent number: 10357414
    Abstract: A system for changing the width of a person support apparatus includes a bed controller for receiving a command signal indicating a command for width alteration, a first motor controlled by the bed controller for driving an extension of a first deck section of the support apparatus thereby altering the width of the first deck section, and a second motor controlled by the bed controller for driving an extension of a second deck section of the support apparatus thereby altering the width of the second deck section. The bed controller controls the first motor and the second motor in a manner that causes the first deck section to reach a first deck section width alteration limit at a first time and the second deck section to reach a second deck section width alteration limit at a second time, wherein the first time and the second time are not equal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Bossingham, John D. Christie, Joseph A. Ernst, Brian Guthrie, Stephen E. Hutchison, Mark E. Lanning, James D. Lattimore, Mark Tyler Rigsby, Jeffrey A. Ruschke, Jonathan D. Turner
  • Occupant support with a translatable and parallel translatable upper body section
    Patent number: 9956127
    Abstract: An occupant support system for supporting an occupant comprises a frame, an articulable assembly which includes an upper body section, and a motion control system arranged to rotate the upper body section by an amount ?? relative to the frame, to translate the upper body section along the frame by an amount ?CS, and to translate the upper body section by an amount ?BS in a direction parallel to the upper body section. Both ?BS and ?CS are a function of ??.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Turner, Richard H. Heimbrock, Joseph A. Ernst
  • Person support system with width expansion wings which reach extension limits at different times
    Patent number: 9925102
    Abstract: A system for changing the width of a person support apparatus includes a bed controller for receiving a command signal indicating a command for width alteration, a first motor controlled by the bed controller for driving an extension of a first deck section of the support apparatus thereby altering the width of the first deck section, and a second motor controlled by the bed controller for driving an extension of a second deck section of the support apparatus thereby altering the width of the second deck section. The bed controller controls the first motor and the second motor in a manner that causes the first deck section to reach a first deck section width alteration limit at a first time and the second deck section to reach a second deck section width alteration limit at a second time, wherein the first time and the second time are not equal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Turner, John D. Christie, Joseph A. Ernst, David P. Lubbers, Scott M. Corbin, Mark E. Lanning, Mahesh Kumar Thodupunuri, Aziz Ali Bhai
  • Adjustable person support system with expansion wings driven by dual leadscrews and center mounted motors
    Patent number: 9757293
    Abstract: A bed comprises a deck section having a width and left and right outboard deck edges. Left side and right side wings are movably coupled to the deck section. The bed also includes a left leadscrew receiver mounted on the left wing, a right leadscrew receiver mounted on the right wing, and left and right motor assemblies both mounted on the deck section. A left leadscrew is coupled to the left motor assembly and to the left leadscrew receiver. A right leadscrew is coupled to the right motor assembly and to the right leadscrew receiver. Motor operation is capable of moving the wing to which it is coupled between a deployed position in which the lateral extremity of the wing is outboard of the respective outboard edge of the deck section and a stored position in which the lateral extremity of the wing is inboard of its deployed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Turner, John D. Christie, Joseph A. Ernst, David P. Lubbers, Scott M. Corbin, Mark E. Lanning, Mahesh Kumar Thodupunuri, Aziz Ali Bhai
  • PERSON SUPPORT SYSTEM WITH WIDTH EXPANSION WINGS WHICH REACH EXTENSION LIMITS AT DIFFERENT TIMES
    Publication number: 20170252243
    Abstract: A system for changing the width of a person support apparatus includes a bed controller for receiving a command signal indicating a command for width alteration, a first motor controlled by the bed controller for driving an extension of a first deck section of the support apparatus thereby altering the width of the first deck section, and a second motor controlled by the bed controller for driving an extension of a second deck section of the support apparatus thereby altering the width of the second deck section. The bed controller controls the first motor and the second motor in a manner that causes the first deck section to reach a first deck section width alteration limit at a first time and the second deck section to reach a second deck section width alteration limit at a second time, wherein the first time and the second time are not equal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Turner, John D. Christie, Joseph A. Ernst, David P. Lubbers, Scott M. Corbin, Mark E. Lanning, Mahesh Kumar Thodupunuri, Aziz Ali Bhai
  • Combined siderail and over-bed table
    Patent number: 9492340
    Abstract: A combined siderail/over-bed table unit 42 for a bed 20 has a table position in which at least part 62 of the unit overlies a mattress region 48 of the bed thereby serving as an over-bed table and also has a siderail position allowing the unit to serve as a siderail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.
    Inventors: David W. Hornbach, Richard H. Heimbrock, Jonathan D. Turner, Stephen Hutchison, Joseph A. Ernst
  • ADJUSTABLE PERSON SUPPORT SYSTEM WITH EXPANSION WINGS DRIVEN BY DUAL LEADSCREWS AND CENTER MOUNTED MOTORS
    Publication number: 20150128347
    Abstract: A bed comprises a deck section having a width and left and right outboard deck edges. Left side and right side wings are movably coupled to the deck section. The bed also includes a left leadscrew receiver mounted on the left wing, a right leadscrew receiver mounted on the right wing, and left and right motor assemblies both mounted on the deck section. A left leadscrew is coupled to the left motor assembly and to the left leadscrew receiver. A right leadscrew is coupled to the right motor assembly and to the right leadscrew receiver. Motor operation is capable of moving the wing to which it is coupled between a deployed position in which the lateral extremity of the wing is outboard of the respective outboard edge of the deck section and a stored position in which the lateral extremity of the wing is inboard of its deployed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: Stephen E. Hutchison, Jeffrey A. Ruschke, Jonathan D. Turner, John D. Christie, Brian Guthrie, Joseph A. Ernst, David P. Lubbers, Scott M. Corbin, Robert A. Bossingham, Mark Tyler Rigsby, James D. Lattimore, Mark E. Lanning, Mahesh Kumar Thodupunuri, Aziz Ali Bhai
  • Occupant Support With A Translatable and Parallel Translatable Upper Body Section
    Publication number: 20140013512
    Abstract: An occupant support system for supporting an occupant comprises a frame, an articulable assembly which includes an upper body section, and a motion control system arranged to rotate the upper body section by an amount ?? relative to the frame, to translate the upper body section along the frame by an amount ?CS, and to translate the upper body section by an amount ?BS in a direction parallel to the upper body section. Both ?BS and ?CS are a function of ??.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Turner, Richard H. Heimbrock, Joseph A. Ernst
  • Anthropometrically governed occupant support
    Patent number: 8555438
    Abstract: An articulable occupant support system for supporting an occupant, includes an upper frame, an articulable assembly comprising at least one section articulable relative to the upper frame and a motion control system. The motion control system is arranged to govern motion of the articulable assembly based on a relationship relating scheduled motion of the sections to anthropometric information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc,.
    Inventors: Jonathan D Turner, Richard H Heimbrock, Joseph A Ernst
  • Combined Siderail and Over-Bed Table
    Publication number: 20110191957
    Abstract: A combined siderail/over-bed table unit 42 for a bed 20 has a table position in which at least part 62 of the unit overlies a mattress region 48 of the bed thereby serving as an over-bed table and also has a siderail position allowing the unit to serve as a siderail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2010
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Inventors: David W. Hornbach, Richard H. Heimbrock, Jonathan D. Turner, Stephen Hutchison, Joseph A. Ernst
  • Anthropometrically Governed Occupant Support
    Publication number: 20100122415
    Abstract: An articulable occupant support system for supporting an occupant, includes an upper frame, an articulable assembly comprising at least one section articulable relative to the upper frame and a motion control system. The motion control system is arranged to govern motion of the articulable assembly based on a relationship relating scheduled motion of the sections to anthropometric information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Turner, Richard H. Heimbrock, Joseph A. Ernst