The invention relates to a mobile stand provided with a vertical stand body.

Stands of this kind are frequently used in hospitals for attaching drips. These stands are placed next to a hospital bed and can be placed in the correct position on a number of pivot castors. If the patient moves beyond the hospital bed, he/she can take the stand or "drip pole" along with him/her without having to detach the drip. However, if the bed is moved with the patient in it, the stand has to be moved along behind the bed by a different person or it has to be detached from the drip. This is time-consuming and makes it difficult to move a bed with a patient connected to a drip in it.

One object of the present invention is to provide a mobile stand in which the abovementioned problem is eliminated. A further object of the invention is to provide a stand which can be coupled to a mobile object in a functionally secure manner without there being any risk of this stand falling over during the movement. A further object of the present invention is to provide a mobile stand which can be moved together with an object to be moved over, for example, uneven floors. To this end, a stand according to the invention is characterized in that a vertically displaceable sleeve is positioned around the stand body and provided with a hook for detachably coupling to a horizontal bar of a mobile device, the sleeve being freely displaceable along the stand body during the movement. In the event of coupling to, for example, a horizontal bedpost, the displaceable sleeve can be moved along the stand body to a height such that the hook is situated above the bedpost. The sleeve is then moved downwards, so that the bedpost is accommodated in a reception cavity between the hook and the sleeve. In this way, the stand pole is anchored to the bed in a functionally secure manner. If the bed is moved, the sleeve remains freely movable along the stand body in the vertical direction, so that if bumps or other unevenness in the ground are passed over they can be taken up by a movement of the sleeve along the body of the stand pole. This results in a shock-absorbing action and the stand pole is prevented from leaving the ground, as would occur if the sleeve were connected to the stand body in a fixed or clamping manner.

Furthermore, the movable suspension of the sleeve will also

prevent any tilting moment being exerted by the bed on the stand during the movement over even surfaces, so that they can be moved together without problems.

The invention is based on the insight that the free displaceability of the sleeve during the movement ensures a functionally secure contact of the wheels of the stand with the floor, irrespective of differences in level between the bed to be moved and the stand. The free displaceability of the sleeve along the stand pole also means that the sleeve can be moved to the correct level in a simple manner, which level is dependent on the configuration of the relevant object to be moved, and it can be coupled to the object to be moved by means of a simple hook.

In an embodiment according to the invention, the stand body is cylindrical and is provided with a slot or projection placed in the longitudinal direction. A guide element interacting with this slot or projection is situated on the inside of the sleeve, so that the rotation of the sleeve around the stand is counteracted, while the vertical displaceability is retained. The stand body may be provided on the outer circumference with a projection which limits the displacement path of the sleeve along the body. For example, the projection may be situated above the displaceable sleeve. In the case of vertically adjustable beds, the stand can be lifted clear of the ground by sliding the sleeve so far up the stand body that it comes to bear against the projection. A projection may also be incorporated on the outer circumference of the stand body at a position which is situated below the displaceable sleeve, in order to prevent the sleeve from sliding down onto the bottom of the stand body.

The hook of the sleeve may be provided on an inside with a material which on clamping provides sufficient friction, such as for example polyethylene. That part of the sleeve which slides along the stand body is preferably provided with a plastic which on sliding has a relatively low coefficient of friction, such as polyethylene or high- molecular weight polyethylene.

An embodiment of the mobile stand according to the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the enclosed drawing, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a mobile stand coupled to a bedpost of a mobile hospital bed.

Figure 2 shows a side view of the displaceable sleeve according to the invention, and

Figure 3 shows a cross-section on the line III-III of Figure 2. Figure 1 shows a mobile stand 1 according to the invention comprising a stand pole 3 with a mobile support carriage 5- At the top, the stand pole 3 comprises a hook 7ι to which a drip pouch 8 can be fastened. The stand pole 3 is of cylindrical design and is provided with a displaceable sleeve 10 which is positioned vertically displaceably around the stand body 3- The sleeve 10 comprises a hook 12 which can be placed around a bedpost 13 of a mobile hospital bed 15- An upper projection 17 and a lower projection 19 may be incorporated on the outer circumference of the stand pole 3- If the sleeve is not fastened to a bedpost, it will slide downwards along the stand pole 3 until it rests against the projection 19. In the case of vertically adjustable beds, the stand pole 3 can be lifted clear of the ground by bringing the upper edge of the sleeve 10 into contact with the projection 17. In the event of the bed 15 being moved, the sleeve 10 will slide up and down along the stand pole 3. in order to compensate for differences in level between the bed 15 and the stand 1, while the wheels of the support carriage 5 remain in contact with the ground. As a result, the bed 15 can be manoeuvred with great ease and can be moved at relatively great speed without the risk of the stand 1 falling over.

As shown in Figure 2, the stand pole 3 may be provided on an outer side with a longitudinal slot 21. An internal projection on the sleeve 10 engages in this slot, so that the sleeve is prevented from rotating around the stand pole 3- A wedge-shaped part 23 may be attached to the sleeve 10, which part, together with the hook 12, forms an upwardly tapering reception cavity in which the bedpost 13 can be clamped.

As shown in Figure 3. the sleeve 10 may be constructed from two layers. Thus the layer 29 which bears against the stand body 3 ^m ay ^De made from a plastic with a low coefficient of friction, such as for example polyethylene or high-molecular weight polyethylene. This ensures that the sleeve 10 can slide freely along the stand body in any position. An outer cover 27 may be arranged around the inner layer 29 of the sleeve. The material of this layer, may, for example, be formed from a frictional material, so that the inside of the hook 12 has a good grip on the bedpost 13 and so that horizontal displacement of the hook 12 along the bedpost is counteracted. A protective cap 30 ∞ay be arranged around the outside of the hook 12.

Although the invention is described with reference to coupling

a mobile stand to a hospital bed, the stand according to the invention may likewise be used for other mobile objects, such as for example, wheelchairs and the like. It is not necessary here for the component to which the stand is coupled to be cylindrical, but rather the hook 12 may also be coupled to objects of a rectangular cross-section.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown) , the hook 12 may be pivotably fastened to the sleeve 10, so that the hook can be folded upwards and downwards to be respectively uncoupled from and coupled to an object to be moved.