Support Arrangement with Activation Mechanism
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.
This application is a continuation of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/650,255, which was filed on Oct. 12, 2012 and entitled Braking Mechanism, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a brake activation mechanism, more particularly, to a brake activation mechanism for movable furniture, such as chairs, beds, tables and the like. Although the following discussion relates to movable chairs, the present invention extends to all pieces of movable furniture on wheels.
Wheels are used on movable furniture, such as chairs, to allow for easy movement of the chair even while a person is seated in it. It is often desired to lock the wheels to secure the movable furniture when it is not being moved by a user. For example, a chair is equipped with caster wheels to allow a healthcare professional or other caretaker to easily move furniture, but locked casters are desired when a person is getting in and out of the chair or when the chair and person are not attended by a healthcare professional or other caretaker. Accordingly, pieces of movable furniture with casters may also include a braking mechanism. Users of the movable chairs, beds, and tables require a fast and simple way to activate and deactivate these caster brakes.
For example in healthcare, caretakers have faced a number challenges when dealing with movable furniture. One of those challenges has been the need to bend down to activate and deactivate the braking mechanism, and not having a stable hold on the chair, bed, or table while doing so. This is inconvenient for both caretakers and patients alike.
Caretakers often are not able to activate and deactivate the braking mechanism on both sides of the piece of furniture. This is inconvenient for the caretakers, and can create difficulties when transferring patients in and out of a movable chair because the activation device may be between the chair and another piece of furniture or too close to a wall, and therefore not accessible. Furthermore, braking mechanisms having one lever to activate the caster brakes and another lever to deactivate the caster brakes are cumbersome and confusing to users, especially in emergency situations.
Thus, a brake activation mechanism that allows a user to maintain a hold on a piece of movable furniture during activation and to access an activation/deactivation pedal from both sides of the furniture is activated is desired.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one embodiment of the present invention, a braking mechanism operably engages at least one wheel and can transition the at least one wheel between unlocked and locked states. The braking mechanism includes a flipper and a cam. The flipper includes a discontinuous track having an open slot portion and a surface path portion. The open slot portion includes a home position and an engaged position. The cam includes a pin which cooperatively moves along the discontinuous track. In the unlocked state, the pin is located in the home position. As the at least one wheel transitions from the unlocked state to the locked state, the pin moves along the open slot portion from the home position to the engaged position. As the at least one wheel transitions from the locked state to the unlocked state, the pin moves along the open slot portion and then along the surface path portion from the engaged position to the home position.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a braking mechanism includes at least one pedal, a connecting rod, a flipper, a cam, a cable junction and cables. The at least one pedal is fixed to an end of the connecting rod. The flipper is movable in X, Y and Z-directions and includes a discontinuous track. The cam is attached to the connecting rod and includes a pin cooperatively movable within the discontinuous track. The cable junction is attached to the connecting rod. Each cable includes one end attached to the cable junction and a second end engaging a brake.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a supporting platform includes a chassis, a plurality of wheels attached to an underside of the chassis, and a mechanism operatively connected to the plurality of wheels. Each wheel includes a brake and the mechanism is capable of transitioning the wheels between locked and unlocked states. The mechanism includes a connecting rod, an activation subassembly and a cable junction attached to the connecting rod, and a pedal fixed to a connecting rod end. The activation subassembly includes a plate fixed to the chassis, a flipper having a discontinuous track, a spring biased rod pivotally connecting the plate and flipper, and a cam fixed to the connecting rod. The cam includes a pin which cooperatively travels within the discontinuous track.
The foregoing and other items and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated more fully from the following figures, where like reference characters designate like features in which:
For purposes of description herein, it is to be understood that the specific devices illustrated in the attached drawings, and described below are simply exemplary embodiments of the invented concepts. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting. Also, components described hereinafter as making up various elements of the invention are intended to be illustrative and not limiting. Many suitable components that would perform the same or similar functions as the components described herein are intended to be considered within the scope of the invention.
Referring to
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Now referring to FIGS. 1 and 3-6, the cable junction 20 holds a plurality of brake cables 21 and includes a first cable holding portion 26 and a second cable holding portion 28. The first cable holding portion 26 of the cable junction 20 includes slits 30 at a top edge and fastening apertures at a bottom end. First ends 31 of the plurality of brake cables 21 fit in the slits 30 and are held there. Fasteners 32, such as bolts, pass through the fastening apertures at the bottom end of the first cable holding portion 26 to secure the first cable holding portion of the cable junction 20 to the connecting rod 12. The second cable holding portion 28 of the cable junction 20 includes a V-shaped plate 34 and an adjacent attached L-shaped bracket 36. The V-shaped plate 34 is attached to the chassis 24 by fasteners 38, such as bolts, and is apertured to contain a bearing 40 that surrounds the connecting rod 12 at a first bearing point. The L-shaped bracket 36 contains notches 42 for supporting brake cable end fittings 44 through which the plurality of brake cables 21 pass. A spring 46 having a first end 48 and a second end 50 is connected at its first end 48 to the first cable holding portion 26 and at its second end 50 to the second cable holding portion 28. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
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When the brake activation mechanism 10 is deactivated, the chassis 24 is movable and the at least one pedal 18 is parallel with the floor. The first and second cable holding parts 26, 28 of the cable junction 20 are perpendicular to the floor and parallel to each other as illustrated in
To activate the brake activation mechanism 10, a user depresses a pedal 18. The pedal 18 rotates downward relative to the connecting rod 12 forming an acute angle with the floor. Where there is a pedal 18 located on opposite sides of the chassis, the user only needs to push one of the pedals which causes both pedals to rotate downward. For clarity, activation and deactivation of the brake activation mechanism are described in terms of one pedal, but it is to be understood that the mechanism may include two pedals. Because the pedal 18 is fixed to the connecting rod 12, the connecting rod also rotates. As the connecting rod 12 rotates, the cam 60 which is fixed to the connecting rod, also rotates. As illustrated in
To deactivate the brake activation mechanism 10, the user again steps downward on pedal 18. This downward motion rotates the cam 60 with the connecting rod 12 causing the pin 82 to move out of the engaged position 100 (
As described in detail above, the flipper 64 is adapted to include three degrees of motion which facilitates movement of the pin 82 along the discontinuous track 66. As illustrated in
Claims
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.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 11, 2015
Publication Date: Oct 1, 2015
Inventor: Travis Spoor (Ada, MI)
Application Number: 14/736,368