Technical field

The technical solution relates to a handle for pushing a transport bed and for connecting an infusion fluid container for use in health care on beds intended for transporting the patient and to transport beds with this handle.

Background art

In a hospital environment, the transport of patients on hospital beds is often required. The first bed type used for this purpose is the universal bed equipped with wheels that allow transport, but it is used primarily for permanent occupation by the patient. The second bed type is the stretcher, which is a bed designed exclusively for the transport of patients. For the purposes of the application, we will designate both of these bed types as transport beds. In general terminology, the stretcher is referred to as a device for the acute transport of patients that is mainly used by rescue units for transporting patients in rescue service vehicles or helicopters. Due to their very simple design and easy handling, stretchers are also widely used to transport patients within hospital facilities. There are also stretchers that are compatible for use during, for example, X-ray examinations, which allows the patient to stay on the bed on which he/she was brought for the entire duration of the examination, thus avoiding the sometimes difficult handling of the patient for the examination. For these beds, there is also a strong demand for compactness. Each centimetre by which the width or length of the bed is reduced greatly contributes to the manoeuvrability in the often busy corridors of hospital facilities. Transport beds are normally comprised of a lower frame, to which the wheels are attached, and of a height-adjustable upper frame, on which the patient's rest area for supporting the patient is located. The height adjustment is important for lowering the transport bed into the safe position, i.e. the lowest position. This reduces the risk associated with the possible fall of the patient from the bed. Most transport beds also allow the rest area to be adjusted to the Trendelenburg position, where the head section of the rest area is lower than the foot section of the rest area, and to the reverse Trendelenburg position (sometimes called anti-trendelenburg), where the head section of the rest area is higher than the foot section of the rest area. Handles for pushing the transport bed and infusion stands are other essential components of transport beds. Infusion stands are used for the placement of intravenous fluids that are distributed into the patient's body. The infusion stands are preferably situated in the corners of the head section of the transport bed's rest area. The medical staff is generally at the head section of the rest area when pushing the bed, where it has the best view of the state of the intravenous fluids and can easily handle them. The corner position also accommodates the handling of the infusion stand in a situation where the head section of the bed is facing the wall. An infusion stand of this type is, for example, the infusion stand described in the Chinese utility model CN203802712U. There are also infusion stands that are rotatably connected to the bed frame or to the frame of rescue stretchers such as DE3331935A1 , which makes it possible to fold these infusion stands. Furthermore, transport beds are provided with folding siderails, which extend upward vertically on both of the longer sides of the rest area and serve primarily to prevent the patient from falling off of the rest area, and in some cases with headboards, which are located on the shorter sides of the rest area (i.e. in the head and foot sections). It is necessary to have good access to the patient especially in the head section, and head section headboards are therefore either connected detachably, or are simply very low, or they are not used at all in order to ensure the best access to the patient's head. The transport bed can be gripped and pushed by all of these vertically-protruding parts.

As mentioned above, it is the most common to push the bed from the head section of the rest area. Handles are used for this purpose, which solve the problem of a missing headboard, and when they are suitably positioned as close as possible to the longer sides of the rest area, they minimize the problem of poor access to the patient from the head section side of the rest area. If the handles are foldable or removable, it can be ensured that the mentioned access to the patient's head is not limited at all. Positioning the handle as close as possible to the long sides of the rest area is also associated with the easiest handling of the transport bed due to the formation of the largest force arm in relation to the pivot point. However, by placing the handle in this position, it may interfere with the placement of the infusion stand, as is shown in US20030024048, for example. If the handle is located very close to the infusion stand, the medical staff often accidentally bump into the infusion stand or their hands get pinched between the handle and the infusion stand when they are handling the bed with the handles. The possibility of pinching the feed tubes of the pulmonary ventilator, which is most often located right in the head section, also presents a high risk. An infusion stand located next to the handle that folds towards the other handle must be positioned outwardly from the longitudinal axis of the bed to the longer side of the rest area. For this reason, the handle cannot be placed all the way in the corner, and the lever arm is thus reduced in relation to the pivot point. Alternatively, the handle could be placed in front of the infusion stand or behind the infusion stand in the longitudinal direction of the bed, but the overall length of the bed would have to be increased, which is undesirable as mentioned above.

However, the medical practice during the rapid transfer of the patient on the transport bed is such that in its haste, the medical staff makes use of all the possible options for gripping the bed for easy and quick handling. The infusion stand connected to the bed is most commonly used as a replacement for the handle, which allows the medical personnel to grip the bed at any height that suits them. However, the overall structure of the stand is generally not suitable for such handling, and in some situations, it can even be dangerous for the following reasons: the stand attachment is often damaged and the stand wobbles, hinged stands wobble in the joint and the stand joint can break out, and the stand can actually break when a large amount of force is exerted. Another disadvantage of using an infusion stand to manoeuvre the bed is its slippery surface. The operator's hand can slide over the surface, especially if the operator has sweaty or damp hands, which may make it difficult to handle the bed and can cause an accident if the stand slides out of the operator's hand due to the surface of the stand being slippery.

In the current state of the art, there are a number of electric drive systems for moving the bed without the operator having to push it. These systems are usually operated from handles located in the head section of the bed.

The object of the invention is to design a practical transport bed handle whose location and height will assist in handling the transport bed while offering the possibility to be used as an infusion stand.

Summary of the invention

The above-mentioned drawbacks are eliminated by a handle for pushing a transport bed and for connecting an infusion fluid container according to the invention comprising a guide profile at its first end adapted to be connected to the height-adjustable upper frame of the bed, wherein the guide profile carries a handle to be gripped by the operator which is characterized in that it further comprises a telescopic profile whose first end is retracted into the guide profile, wherein the guide profile is provided with an opening for retracting a telescopic profile at its other end and in that the telescopic profile is provided with an infusion holder at its other end, wherein the telescopic profile is retracted into the guide profile by at least one half of its of the length in the retracted position and is extended from the guide profile by at least one half of its length in the extended position. This arrangement makes it possible to eliminate a number of components that need to be used to provide a convenient spot for gripping and pushing the transport bed and for connecting an infusion fluid container, such as handles, a headboard and an infusion stand connected to the bed or a separate infusion stand. Furthermore, this solution provides the operator with more space during its use and thus allows good access to the patient.

In an advantageous embodiment, the guide profile is connected to the height-adjustable upper frame of the bed rotatably, which allows the entire handle to be lowered into the storage position while being left on the bed, where it is available at all times.

In another advantageous embodiment, the guide profile is detachably connected to the height-adjustable upper frame of the bed, which allows the complete removal of the entire handle from the bed and thereby allows the best access to the patient. The handle can also be used on other beds that are adapted for its use, and a smaller number of this accessory can thus be used for a larger number of beds, which means reduced costs.

A further advantage is that a locking mechanism preventing the movement of the telescoping profile in relation to the guide profile is connected to the guide profile or to the telescopic profile. This makes it possible to secure the telescopic profile at a certain height suitable for the application of an infusion fluid.

The handgrip is preferably connected at least to the other end of the guide profile, which is an ergonomic position for most people as well as an easy-to-manufacture position, or at least to the other end of the telescopic profile, which is advantageous due to the possibility to adjust the height within the range of the telescopic profile. It is, therefore, a placement at the ends that is further away from the height-adjustable upper frame of the bed.

Furthermore, the handle is preferably oriented approximately parallel to the axis of the guide profile, which is particularly advantageous for easy turning, or it is approximately perpendicular to it, which is advantageous when pushing the bed in a straight line or over long distances, because the weight of the hands is well supported by the handgrip in this position.

The infusion holder may be provided as fixed hooks, folding hooks, or hooks adapted to at least partially retract into the telescopic profile or as a sleeve for holding the infusion fluid bottle.

According to other advantageous embodiments, the cross-section of at least one of the guide profiles and one of the telescopic profiles has the shape of a circle, square, rectangle, convex polygon or a closed conic section.

Furthermore, it is advantageous for the ergonomic embodiment that the handgrip's body extend beyond the cross section of the guide profile. In order to achieve the widest possible range of extension, or the largest possible and smallest possible length of the handle, it is advantageous that the telescopic profile be retracted into the guide profile by at least three-quarters of its length in the retracted position and extended from the guide profile by at least three quarters of its length in the extended position.

The shortcomings of the solutions known in the current state of the art are eliminated by a transport bed with a handle for pushing the transport bed and for connecting an infusion fluid container including a lower frame to which the wheels are connected, a height-adjustable upper frame, on which the patient's rest area for supporting the patient is located which has two longer rest area sides along which there are siderails that protrude upward vertically and two shorter sides, a rest area head section and a rest area foot section, wherein the guide profile of the handle carrying the handgrip of the handle is connected to the height-adjustable upper frame with its first end and is characterized in that it further comprises a telescopic profile whose first end is retracted in the guide profile, wherein the guide profile is provided with an opening for retracting the telescopic profile at its other end, and in that the telescopic profile is provided with an infusion holder at its other end, wherein the telescopic profile is retracted into the guide profile by at least one half of its length in the retracted position and is extended from the guide profile by at least one half of its length in the extended position.

The guide profile is preferably pivotable around an axis perpendicular to the normal of the rest area.

In another advantageous embodiment, the height-adjustable upper frame further includes a pin adapted to rotatably connect the guide profile.

The guide profile is preferably adjustable to a first substantially vertical position for use by the operator and to a second substantially horizontal position for placement along the head section of the rest area so as to make the distance from the first end of the guide profile to the second end of the telescopic profile less than or equal to the width of the bed at its widest point in the position where the telescopic profile is retracted into the guide profile.

In an advantageous embodiment, the handle includes the controls of the bed's electric drive. This can be used, for example, to adjust the height of the entire height-adjustable upper frame using an electric lifting mechanism familiar to a person skilled in the art. A further advantage is that any drive system with which some of the prior art beds are equipped can be controlled with such controls, whether it be the activation or setting of the direction, speed, braking or other functions.

Preferably, two handles are connected to the height-adjustable upper frame, and the height-adjustable upper frame further includes a first pin adapted to rotatably connect the guide profile of the first handle and a second pin adapted to rotatably connect the guide profile of a second handle, wherein the first pin is positioned higher than the second pin so as to place the handles above one another when they are in their substantially horizontal second position for storage. This ensures that both handles can be folded and stored without colliding with each other.

The guide profile is preferably positioned near the corner of the rest area at the head section of the rest area such that it is outside the surface defined by the straight lines passing through the edges of the longer sides of the rest area, or such that a straight line passing through any edge of the long side of the rest area passes through it, or such that it is placed no more then 50 mm away from the straight line passing through any edge of the long side of the rest area between these lines passing through the edges of the longer sides of the rest area.

According to an alternative embodiment, the guide profile is detachably connected to the height-adjustable upper frame, and the upper frame preferably includes a hole adapted for retracting the first end of the guide profile.

Brief description of drawings

Figure 1 shows an axonometric view of a transport bed equipped with handles that have a telescopic profile provided with infusion holders, wherein the handles are illustrated in the folded position with the telescopic profiles retracted and in the raised position with the telescopic profiles extended.

Figure 2 shows an axonometric view with a detailed illustration of the handles rotatably mounted in the corner section of the height-adjustable upper frame, wherein on the right side of the bed, there is a handle with the retracted telescopic profile prepared only for handling the transport bed, and on the left side of the bed, there is a handle with an extended telescopic profile that is prepared for connecting an infusion fluid container.

Figure 3 shows a lateral view towards the head section illustrating the position of the handles where the left handle is in the raised position with the telescopic profile extended and prepared for connecting of the infusion fluid container and the right handle is in the folded position with the telescopic profile retracted.

Figure 4 shows the same situation as in Figure 3, but in an axonometric view.

Figure 5 shows a lateral view towards the head section illustrating the position of the handles where the left handle is in the raised position with the telescopic profile extended and prepared for connecting of the infusion fluid container and the right handle is in the folded position with the telescopic profile retracted.

Figure 6 shows the same situation as in Figure 5, but in an axonometric view.

Figure 7 shows a lateral view towards the head section which illustrates the position of the handles where the left handle is in the raised position with an extended telescopic profile that is also prepared for connecting an infusion fluid container and the right handle is in the raised position with an extended telescopic profile that is also prepared for connecting an infusion fluid container, and the right handle is shown in the figure with its telescopic profile less extended than that of the left handle.

Figure 8 shows the same situation as in Figure 7, but in an axonometric view.

Figure 9 shows a lateral view towards the head section which illustrates the position of the handles where the left handle is in the folded position with the telescopic profile retracted and prepared for connecting the infusion fluid container and the right handle is in the folded position with the telescopic profile retracted. Figure 10 shows the same situation as in Figure 9, but in an axonometric view.

Figure 11 shows a detailed illustration of the rotational connection of the handles on the height- adjustable upper frame in the lateral view towards the head section. The figure clearly shows the difference in the height at which the left and right handles are connected.

Figure 12 shows a sectional view of the handle's folding mechanism from the perspective of the longer side of the rest area.

Figure 13 shows a sectional view of the handle's folding mechanism in an axonometric view.

Figure 14 shows an embodiment of a handle that has a handgrip in a shape comprising a spherical segment.

Figure 15 shows an embodiment of handles with a handgrip that is oriented approximately perpendicular to the axis of the guide profile in the folded position.

Figure 16 shows an embodiment of handles with a handgrip that is oriented approximately perpendicular to the axis of the guide profile in the folded position.

Embodiments of the invention

Figure 1 shows an overall view of the transport bed comprising a lower frame 13 to which the wheels 12 are connected, a height-adjustable upper frame 2, a rest area 1 and siderails 1_1, which are in the folded position. The handles 3 are rotatably connected to the height-adjustable frame 2 in the folded and raised positions.

Figure 2 shows a section of the rest area 1 together with the height-adjustable frame 2 of the transport bed, namely the head section of the transport bed on the right side of which there is a rotatably placed handle 3, which comprises a guide profile 4 that carries a vertical handgrip 5 and/or a horizontal handgrip 6 and the locking mechanism of the telescopic profile 7, and the hooks of the folded infusion holder 9 are located at its end. A handle 3 that has a telescopic profile 8 with an open infusion holder 9 extended from its guide profile 4 at its end is rotatably placed on the left side of the transport bed's rest area 1 The telescopic profile 8 is defined by two positions in relation to the guide profile 4, one retracted position and one extended position. In the example in the figure, the telescopic profile 8 is retracted into the guide profile 4 by approximately nine-tenths of its length in the retracted position and is extended from the guide profile 4 by at least nine-tenths of its length in the extended position. It may be different in an alternative embodiment, but it is preferred that these values be as high as possible, i.e. that the telescopic profile 8 be retracted into the guide profile 4 by at least one half of its length in the retracted position and that it be extended from the guide profile 4 by at least one half of its length in the extended position. The purpose of the locking mechanism of the telescopic profile 7 is to fix the telescopic profile 8 at the required height. The locking mechanism of telescopic profile 7 may be placed on the guide profile 4. In an exemplary embodiment, a bolt-tightened sleeve is used as the locking mechanism located on the telescopic profile 7. In an alternative embodiment, the sleeve can be tightened with a quick coupler. Alternatively, other locking mechanisms may be used, such as a system of pins fitting into pits or holes in the profiles or a system utilizing the internal friction between the telescopic profile and the guide profile. Alternatively, a mechanism with a plastically deformable inner threaded section and a fixed outer threaded section with a conical shape can be used for locking, wherein the telescopic profile is clamped with the plastically deformable threaded section after the screw connection is tightened. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that there are many alternative solutions to the locking mechanisms of the telescopic profile 8 and that they do have to be located only on the guide profile 4, but can also be on the telescopic profile 8. The guide profile 4 and telescopic profile 8 have at least one vertical handgrip 5 or horizontal handgrip 6 in the exemplary embodiment. In an advantageous embodiment, the vertical handgrip 5 has a shape close to a cylinder and is located along an axis parallel to the axis of the handle 3. In an advantageous embodiment, the horizontal handle 6 also has a shape close to a cylinder and is located along an axis perpendicular to the axis of the handle 3. In another embodiment, the handgrips may be oriented along an axis that forms an angle of, for example, 20 or 45 degrees with the axis of the handle 3, or another angle in an economically preferred position. In another embodiment, the shape of the vertical handgrip 5 and horizontal handgrips 6 may be different from the shape of the cylinder. In an advantageous embodiment, the vertical handgrip 5 and horizontal handgrip 6 may be carried anywhere on the guide profile 4 or telescopic profile 8. Examples of a variety of embodiments are shown in Figures 14, 15 and 16. The vertical handgrip 5 and horizontal handgrip 6 may have their own locking mechanism for fixing them at selected heights. One of the aforementioned mechanisms for fixing the telescopic profile 8 can be selected as a locking mechanism. In an embodiment of the invention example, both the guide profile 4 and telescopic profile 8 have a circle-shaped cross section, but can alternatively have the shape of a square, a rectangle, a convex polygon or a closed conic section. The guide profile 4 must be hollow and have a larger diameter than the diameter of the telescopic profile 8, so that the telescopic profile 8 can be retracted into the guide profile 4. In an exemplary embodiment, the infusion holder 9 comprises two arms ending with hooks that are attached by means of an infusion holder 9 joint 10 which allows the infusion holder 9 to be folded when the telescopic profile 8 is fully retracted into the guide profile 4 and allows the infusion holder 9 to be opened when the telescopic profile 8 is not fully retracted into the guide profile 4. In another embodiment, the infusion holder 9 may be comprised of several arms ending with hooks and can be firmly connected to the telescopic profile 8 without the possibility of folding it, or it can be folded along the telescopic profile 8 or along the guide profile 4 if the telescopic profile 8 is in the fully retracted position. In another embodiment, the infusion holder 9 may be in the form of a sleeve for holding an infusion fluid bottle. The infuser holder 9 is designed for holding infusion fluid reservoirs or attaching catheters or other medical aids, and for the purposes of the application, we will sum up all these options into the designation "infusion container". In some embodiments, the vertical handgrip 5 or horizontal handgrip 6 can contain controls for the electric drive of the transport bed.

In the embodiment example, two handles 3 are connected in the head section of the transport bed. In another embodiment, the handles 3 can be connected in other locations. The handles 3 can be used in the raised position. When the handles 3 are not being used, they can be stored in the folded position. In the raised position, the handles 3 can be used with the telescopic profile 8 extended and prepared for the connection of an infusion fluid container. The handles 3 can be used in various combined raised and folded positions, and in the raised position, the telescopic profile 8 can be fixed at various heights. The different combinations in which the handles 3 can be used are shown in Figures 3 to 10.

In an exemplary embodiment, the handle 3 on the first end of the guide profile 4 is connected to the height-adjustable upper frame 2 of the transport bed. In the exemplary embodiment, the guide profile 4 can be fastened to the height-adjustable upper frame 2 either with a non-detachable rotatable connection or with a detachable translational connection. In both cases, the guide profile 4 is located in the corner section of the transport bed.

For the placement of the guide profiles 4, it is also possible to use the positions extending away from the axes along the shorter side of the height-adjustable upper frame 2 of the transport bed that go along the longer side of the height-adjustable upper frame 2 of the transport bed and out of the area defined by the axes of the sides of the height-adjustable upper frames 2 of the transport bed.

In an exemplary embodiment, the detachable translational connection is designed such that the holes into which the first end of the guide profile 4 can be retracted are placed in the height-adjustable upper frame of the bed in the corner section. The first end of the guide profile 4 can be, for example, adapted to be retracted into the hole in the corner section by giving the guide profile 4 a dimension that forms an overlapping storage or temporary storage with the hole. The movement of the guide profile 4 in the axial direction may be limited in one direction by the end of the guide profile 4 touching down on the bottom of the hole. Another possible embodiment of the end of the guide profile 4 is to provide the ends of the guide profile 4 with bearing surfaces that have a larger dimension than the hole, so that the bearing surfaces touch down on the mouth of the hole and the end section of the guide profile 4 is narrower for its insertion into the hole. For better insertion into the hole, the end of the guide profile 4 can be shaped like a spherical segment, a pyramid or a cone.

To prevent the movement of the guide profile 4 in the axial direction out of the hole, the hole and guide profile 4 can be fitted with, for example, a thread or guide grooves that allow axial displacement only at one position of rotation of the guide profile relative to the frame 2 of the transport bed using a system ratchets etc. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that there is a large number of alternative solutions to mechanisms and systems for connecting the guide profile 4 in the upper frame of the bed.

Another exemplary embodiment is the non-detachable rotational connection of the handles 3 to the height-adjustable upper frame 2 of the bed shown in Figures 12 and 13. The handles 3 can be foldable around an axis that is approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bed. The longitudinal axis of the bed is the axis that lies in the plane of the rest area 1 and is perpendicular to the segment formed by the positions of the guide profiles 4. The folding mechanism 14 is comprised of, for example, the body of the folding mechanism 15, which comprises the shaped sheet metal into which the pin 16 is placed. A rotation element 17 that has the first end of the guide profile 4 connected to it and a lever 18 with a stored locking pin 19 is connected to the pin 16. The locking pin 9 is provided with a pressing element which pushes it against the wall of the folding mechanism body 15. The swivel arrangement allows the handle 3 to move between the folded position, when the handle is approximately in the horizontal position, and the raised position, when the handle 3 is approximately in the vertical position.

In an exemplary embodiment, the handle 3 is positioned in the raised position to fit the locking pin 19 into the first hole 21 in the body of the folding mechanism 15. The locking pin 19 then further locks the rotation of the handle 3 around the pin 16. To unlock the rotation of the handle 3, the locking pin 19 is pushed out of the hole 21 in the body of the folding mechanism 15 by means of an unlocking element 22 and the handle 3 is rotated in the desired direction. Once the handle 3 has been set in the folded position, the locking pin 19 stays in the position where it pushes on the wall 20 of the folding mechanism body 15. The handle 3 is thus not locked in the folded position. In an alternative embodiment, the handle 3 can also be locked in the folded position using the same principle as when it is locked in the raised position, i.e. by retracting the locking pin 19 into the second hole in the folding mechanism wall 15. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many variations of folding and locking mechanisms can be utilized.

In an exemplary embodiment, the axes of rotation of the handles 3 are at different heights (as is shown in Figure 11) in order to prevent the possible collision of the handles 3 in the folded position. In the exemplary embodiment, the swivel axis of the right handle 3 is positioned lower than the swivel axis of the left handle 3. Furthermore, as is apparent, the right handle 3 is shorter than the left handle 3 in order to prevent a collision of the right handle 3 with the left hand 3 or with the folding mechanism of the left handle 3. Alternatively, the axis of rotation of the left handle 3 can be placed lower down, and the axis of rotation of the right handle 3 can be place higher up. An alternative solution to the collision of the handles 3 in the folded position can be to place the axes of rotation of the handles 3 parallel to one another so that they and the length of the bed form an angle within the radian interval (1 ; 1.45).

List of reference numerals

1 - Rest area

2 - Height-adjustable upper frame

3 - Handle

4 - Guide profile

5 - Vertical handgrip

6 - Horizontal handgrip

7 - Telescopic profile locking mechanism

8 - Telescopic profile

9 - Infusion holder

10 - Infusion holder joint

11 - Siderail

12 - Wheels

13 - Lower frame

14 - Folding mechanism

15 - Folding mechanism body

16 - Pin

17 - Rotating element

18 - Lever

19 - Locking pin

20 - Folding mechanism wall

21 - Hole in the folding mechanism wall

22 - Unlocking element