ES2834061T3 - Device to activate the quick release of an ambulance stretcher - Google Patents

Abstract

Means of ambulance transport for injured or sick people, consisting of an ambulance stretcher (1) or a patient transport wheelchair that includes a release device (10) to release the ambulance stretcher (1) or the patient transport wheelchair of at least one relative restraint (2); said clamping (2) being integral with the ground or with a mobile support structure of an ambulance to lock said stretcher (1) or said wheelchair in a transport position (T) during transport thereof; said fastening (2) being provided with at least one releasable locking system (7) for said stretcher (1) or said wheelchair and activation means for said at least one releasable locking system (7) controllable by means of a control device located in a housing (8) arranged in said clamping (2); said release device (10) comprising: an actuating element (20), mounted on a frame (3) of the stretcher or wheelchair, located in the vicinity of said housing (8) when the stretcher (1) or the wheelchair is located locked in the holder (2) in the transport position (T) thereof and can be moved between a rest position (R), in which said permanent actuating element (20) was of said housing (8), and a release position (S) characterized in that in said release position (S) said actuating element (20) fits into said housing (8) to operate said control device; wherein the ambulance transport means further comprise control means (25) for said actuating element (20), arranged close to a gripping element (31) arranged in a rear part of the stretcher (1) which, when it is loaded in the ambulance, is closer to the loading door of the same, or said grip element (31) arranged at a rear part of the wheelchair, said grip element (31) being operable to move said grip element actuation (20) alternately between the rest (R) and release (S) positions.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Device to activate the quick release of an ambulance stretcher

The present invention is included in the technical field relating to means of transport by ambulance for injured or sick people, or for those for whom it is necessary or recommended to transport them in completely safe immobilization conditions.

In particular, means of transport are defined as stretchers, self-loading or otherwise, and wheelchairs for transporting patients.

In particular, the invention relates to a device for safely releasing the aforementioned means, stretchers and / or wheelchairs for transporting patients, from a corresponding support provided on the traveling surface of the ambulance; in particular, using a knob that is located on the stretcher itself or on the wheelchair to transport patients, instead of the restraint system. Such a release device for a stretcher is known from US 5913 559, whereas a release device for a wheelchair is described from US 5489 170.

For example, for the movement and transport of people who are unable to move autonomously, but for whom an equipped ambulance must be used, stretchers manufactured in a particular way and appropriately designed and used for some time are known, in which the The person to be moved is arranged in a prone position, and is then appropriately mobilized.

Such stretchers only comprise a frame of light metal material, laterally provided with protective sides that can be pulled down, and on which a shock-proof patient bed is installed, often provided with adjustments to tilt the head on the patient's legs. A mattress is installed on the bed, on which the same patient is lying on his back; also said mattresses are designed and manufactured to make transport as comfortable as possible, also considering the delicate conditions of the transported patient.

A trolley extends from the bottom of the frame, provided with wheels to allow the stretcher to be pushed between the ambulance and the point of collection or unloading of the patient. The cart is normally of the removable type, and in this way it is provided with particular mechanisms adapted to make the introduction into the ambulance and its subsequent extraction simple and that it does not require effort from the operators.

When inserted into the ambulance, the stretcher is fixed to the displacement surface, or to the supporting surface of the same that is also translatable, by means of a clamping device integral with the floor. The holding device comprises a type of slide, arranged longitudinally with respect to the ambulance's direction of travel, provided with semi-automatic locking systems for the stretcher, front and rear respectively, which can be made in different ways.

In one of the best known modes, the prior art locking system provides a cross piece that forms a housing, adapted to receive the axle of the front wheels of the cart, and a locking element provided with a release control mechanism. . When the front axle of the trolley is pushed against the locking element, the latter is lowered, loading a contrast spring, and subsequently returning to the locking position due to the elastic reaction of the spring itself.

The stretcher locking system typically provides a flap, extending centrally from the bottom of the frame, intended to be inserted into suitable housing provided on the holding slide. Also in this case, an automatic coupling system is provided.

support, releasable at will.

The release mechanisms of the front and rear locking systems are made within the clamping slide, and can be manually actuated by an actuator, typically a button actuator, arranged within a slot-shaped housing. Said housing is manufactured in the rear part of the holding slide, in a position accessible by the operator assigned to insert and extract the stretcher from the ambulance.

The detailed structure of the front and rear stretcher locking systems and relative release mechanisms, along with the other devices necessary for the proper functioning of the stretcher, are well known to technicians and field operators, and are also not relevant to the present invention. Therefore, they will not be described further in the following.

In ambulance stretchers of the type described above, or in conventional stretchers, there is a particularly serious disadvantage regretted by the operators who use them with respect to the system for releasing the stretcher from its grip. As mentioned above, the locking of the stretcher in the respective support mounted on the traveling surface of the ambulance occurs without the intervention of the operator, since both the front axle that the stretcher and its rear wing, under the frame, are automatically coupled when they reach the respective locking position, pushed by the operator who introduces the stretcher into the ambulance. Activation of the release of the locking systems prior to removal of the stretcher is instead controlled by the operator with the actuation of a button normally arranged in a slot-shaped opening, manufactured in the support surface in the vicinity of the rear end thereof.

When the stretcher is locked in the clamp, such a groove is not immediately visible, and the operator must look for it, lowering his head and extending his arm between the stretcher and the support itself, until he inserts a finger into the groove to find the button. release.

Such an operation is however inconvenient, especially considering the emergency situations that are being carried out for the patient, and may also involve some risk for the operator. In fact, in this way the hand and arm of the operator become located, at least for some instant, between the support and the frame of the stretcher. An evaluation error in the handling times of the stretcher itself, perhaps produced by a particular emergency situation, or due to a lack of understanding with a colleague who helps the operator in the extraction maneuver, can lead to a contact or between the stretcher and the arm, hand or even just a finger of the operator, with consequences that could even be quite serious for the latter.

In any case, the operation of searching for and activating the release button involves wasting time and poor control of the stretcher, which are preferably avoided in patient transport operations in emergency situations.

The aim of the present invention is to propose a device for releasing an ambulance stretcher that makes it possible to avoid the aforementioned disadvantages.

Another objective of the invention is to propose a release device fully included in the stretcher itself, which can be actuated without wasting time and without stopping paying attention to patient movement operations, giving the operator the possibility of controlling, with both hands, unloading the stretcher.

These and other objectives of the invention are fully achieved by means of ambulance transport according to claim 1 comprising means for a quick release device that can be activated by a stretcher or wheelchair, arranged to release the stretcher or wheelchair. wheels of an integral relative clamping with the traveling surface of the ambulance. The stretcher or wheelchair comprises a bed support frame on which a patient to be transported is laid and a cart articulated to the frame. In the clamping device, a locking system for the releasable stretcher and a release mechanism controllable by means of a control device located in a housing is provided.

According to the invention, the quick release device comprises a curved tube, mounted in the lower part of the frame, in the vicinity of the housing, operable by the operator to bring said curved tube alternately between an equilibrium position and a release position. , in which one end of the curved tube fits into the housing to actuate the control device and disengage the stretcher.

According to a first embodiment, the curved tube can be actuated by a control gripping element arranged in the vicinity of the gripping element of the stretcher; between the control grip element and the curved tube, a lever is interposed which is adapted to transfer movement therebetween. According to a further embodiment, the movement to release the stretcher can be impressed by means of the curved tube pin that operates on a bar of the hook mechanically, hydraulically or electrically. The characteristics of the invention will be evident from the following description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the extractor device according to what is reported in the claims and with the help of the tables of drawings included, in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a rear three-quarter perspective view of an ambulance stretcher supporting the release device, object of the present invention;

Fig. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the back of the stretcher in Fig. 1, from which the patient surface has been removed, with the release device in an operative position;

Fig. 3 illustrates the same view as Fig. 2, with the release device in the operative position;

Fig. 4 illustrates a top perspective view of the stretcher portion of Figs. 2 and 3, with the release device in the inoperative position;

Fig. 5 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the rear half of the stretcher, with the release device in the operative position.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 5, the reference number 1 indicates a stretcher for ambulance, particularly of the self-supporting type, intended to receive a patient in a lying position on his back to be subsequently locked in a support or support 2, integral with the sliding surface of the own ambulance (not illustrated for simplicity). In the following, reference will be made to the front and rear parts of the stretcher 1, respectively, to indicate the parts on which the head of the patient's feet is arranged. The back of the stretcher 1 is the one that, when loaded in an ambulance, is closest to the loading door of the same.

The stretcher 1 comprises a frame 3, made with a tubular structure, provided laterally between protective sides 35 which can be pulled down and on which a shockproof bed 4 is installed, provided with adjustments to tilt the head and the patient's legs. A mattress is installed on the bed, not shown in the figures to make the invention more visible. The frame 3 is also arranged, in the vicinity of the rear end thereof, with an extension 33, constituted by a shaped plate that extends towards the lower part of the frame itself 3. Attached to the latter, and to other parts of the frame 3 , there are pairs of load wheels 34, intended to facilitate the insertion and extraction of the stretcher 1.

At the rear of it, the frame 3 also forms a gripping element 31, similar to a grab bar, to allow the operator to easily handle the stretcher 1 during its movement.

From the bottom of the frame 3, the trolley 5 is extended which can be lifted and retracted, provided with wheels 6 to allow the stretcher 1 to be pushed between the ambulance and the collection or unloading area of the patient. For this purpose, the trolley 5 is provided with known mechanisms suitable for carrying out the introduction of the same in an ambulance and the subsequent extraction thereof in a simple way and that does not involve efforts for the operators.

The fastening 2, in the non-limiting embodiment illustrated in the figures, is made up of a plate that has an elongated shape, against whose surface 2a the load wheels 34 of the stretcher 1 are intended to support it during the insertion and extraction operations thereof. in / out of the ambulance. The clamp 2 is also provided, in a fully known way, with suitable devices to facilitate the insertion and removal of the stretcher 1, and with a releasable locking system 7, to lock the stretcher 1 itself in a transport position T.

The locking system 7 is only partially illustrated in the figures since its structure is not directly relevant to the invention, and it comprises a front locking device 7a, adapted to lock an axle 61 of the wheels 6, and a rear locking device 7b, adapted to receive a fin 36 (see Fig. 5) mounted centrally on the bottom of the shaped plate 33. The locking device 7 provides an activation mechanism, controllable by means of a control device, both arranged inside of support 2 and not visible in the figures.

The device for controlling the locking device 7 is located inside a housing 8, accessible from the outside through a longitudinal slot 8a made on the surface of the support itself 2. The control device is not directly illustrated in the figures, and in essence is made up of a button that can be activated by pressing. In accordance with conventional modes of use, in order to perform the release operation, the operator inserts a finger into slot 8a, inserts it into housing 8 and presses the button of the control device, after which he releases the finger. stretcher 1, dragging it towards the exit opening of the ambulance.

The device 10 for the quick release of the stretcher 1 obtained according to the invention is fully included in the stretcher 1 itself, and comprises (see Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5) an actuating element 20, mounted on the lower part of the frame 2 in such a way that, when the stretcher 1 is located locked in the support 2 in the transport position T thereof, it is located immediately above the slot 8a of the housing 8 (Fig. 2).

The actuating element 20 comprises, in particular, a curved tube 21, pivoted centrally in the frame 3 by means of a fork 29 fixed to the shaped plate 33 of the frame 3, and connected at one end thereof 21a to the transfer members movement 28.

In this way, the tube 21 can oscillate between a rest position R (Fig. 2), in which it is raised to the height of the plate 33 and does not interfere with the movements of the stretcher 1, and a release position S (Fig. 3) in which the opposite unconstrained end 21b thereof is moved into the housing 8 to actuate the button of the control device, and thus release the stretcher 1 from the support 2.

At this last end 21b, the curved tube 21 provides a contact pin 22 protruding from the convex side of the tube 21 and is intended to engage the button of the control device during the operation of uncoupling the stretcher 1 from the support 2.

The release device 10 also comprises control means 25 for the actuating element 20, arranged in the vicinity of the gripping element 31 of the stretcher 1. In the preferred embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, the control means 25 comprise a handle 26, arranged within the same gripping element 31, in a position immediately accessible to the operator's hand and manually actuated by the operator.

The handle 26 is slidably mounted on a block 32 disposed on the frame 3, with one end thereof connected to the aforementioned motion transfer members 28. In essence, the handle 26 is located in the stable position thereof, corresponding to the rest position R of the curved tube 21, in which it is distant from the gripping element 31, and the operator can pull it in a movement towards it, in order to actuate the tube 21 itself and bring it into position. release position S.

The handle 26 is kept in the rest position by the elastic return members 27, constituted by a helical spring mounted axially on a branch of the handle 26.

The aforementioned movement transfer members 28 in the illustrated embodiment, are constituted by a suitably articulated lever, the end arms of which are respectively connected to an arm of the handle 26 and to an end of the tube 21. These are intended to transfer the action of the operator exerted on the handle 26 to the tube 21, in order to bring it from the rest position R to the release position S and vice versa.

According to an embodiment of the invention, not illustrated but easily deduced, the tube 21 can be actuated by an electromagnetic actuator, fixed to the plate 33 of the frame 3. In this case, the control means 25 comprise an electric button switch , and the transfer members 28 a single pair of electrical cables. In this case, of course, a suitable rechargeable storage cell must be provided to supply electrical power to the electromagnetic actuator.

A further variant of the embodiment provides that the tube 21 is actuated by a pneumatic actuator, too fixed to the plate 33, supplied by a suitable container of refillable compressed air. In this case, the control means 25 comprise a pneumatic switch, possibly operable by a handle mechanism similar to that already described for the preferred embodiment of the invention.

The operation of the release device 10 is simple and quite intuitive. With the stretcher out of the ambulance, or inside in the transport position T (Figs. 1 and 2), the handle 25 is located in its stable position, and keeps the tube 21 in its rest position R by means of the lever 28. In such a position, when the stretcher 1 is in the transport position T, the tube 21 is located distant from the housing 8, and does not engage the button to activate the release mechanism of the stretcher 1.

When the operator wishes to extract the stretcher 1 from the ambulance, he grasps the handle 26 and pulls it towards himself, bringing the gripping element 31 closer. In this way, he operates on the lever 28 and imparts an oscillation to the tube 21, of approximately 90 ° bringing it to the release position (Fig. 3).

In this position, the foot 22 mounted on the end 21b of the tube 21 engages the button to actuate the release mechanism, and releases the front axle 61 and the flap 36 of the stretcher 1 from the respective front locking devices 7a and rear 7b.

The operator can then begin to extract the stretcher 1 from the ambulance, and simultaneously release the handle 26, which is brought back to its stable position by the return spring 27. The tube 21 is then brought back to the rest position R of the same using lever 28.

A clear advantage that the invention allows to obtain consists in preventing the operator from inserting his hand between the stretcher 1 and the support, and his finger inside the housing 8, to actuate the release button.

With this device, the operator can control the stretcher with both hands and this mode avoids the operation, generally performed without looking, or in any case in a hasty situation due to the emergency, and therefore particularly risky, of harming the operator himself.

The release operation of the stretcher 1 carried out by means of the release device of the invention also allows, in any case, to save time for ambulance operators, which has proven to be valuable in particularly urgent situations.

In any case, it is intended that what is described above is by way of example and not by way of limitation, in this way the possible detailed variations that may be necessary for technical and / or functional reasons are considered within the same defined scope of protection. per the appended claims. In the embodiment, reference was made to a device 10 for the release of stretchers, self-supporting or otherwise; however, it is intended that device 10, as discussed from the outset, is also applicable to self-operating or releasing patient transport wheelchairs; the same premises are necessary for the placement of the release device 10, together with its means of actuation and control; in such a way that a wheelchair can also be released from restraint and controlled with both hands. In conclusion, the device 10 for the release of at least one relative fastening 2 of a stretcher 1 to ambulance or wheelchair includes:

- an actuating element 20, mounted in the lower part of the frame 3 of the wheelchair or of the stretcher, in the vicinity of a housing 8 of the same and that can be moved between a rest position R, in which said actuating element 20 remains outside said housing 8 and a release position S, in which the same aforementioned actuating element 20 fits into the aforementioned housing 8 to actuate the aforementioned control device;

- control means 25 for said actuating element 20, arranged in the vicinity of the gripping element 31 of the aforementioned stretcher 1, operable to move said actuating element 20 alternately between the positions of rest R and release S.

Claims (7)

1. Means of ambulance transport for injured or sick people, consisting of an ambulance stretcher (1) or a patient transport wheelchair that includes a release device (10) to release the stretcher (1) for ambulance or patient transport wheelchair of at least one relative restraint (2); said clamping (2) being integral with the ground or with a mobile support structure of an ambulance to lock said stretcher (1) or said wheelchair in a transport position (T) during transport thereof; said fastening (2) being provided with at least one releasable locking system (7) for said stretcher (1) or said wheelchair and activation means for said at least one releasable locking system (7) controllable by means of a control device located in a housing (8) arranged in said clamping (2); said release device (10) comprising: an actuating element (20), mounted on a frame (3) of the stretcher or wheelchair, located in the vicinity of said housing (8) when the stretcher (1) or the wheelchair is located locked in the holder (2) in the transport position (T) thereof and can be moved between a rest position (R), in which said permanent actuating element (20) was of said housing (8), and a release position (S) characterized in that in said release position (S) said actuating element (20) fits into said housing (8) to operate said control device; wherein the ambulance transport means further comprise control means (25) for said actuating element (20), arranged close to a gripping element (31) arranged in a rear part of the stretcher (1) which, when it is loaded in the ambulance, is closer to the loading door of the same, or said grip element (31) arranged at a rear part of the wheelchair, said grip element (31) being operable to move said grip element actuation (20) alternately between the rest (R) and release (S) positions. The transport means according to claim 1, characterized in that said actuating element (20) comprises a curved tube (21), centrally pivoted in said frame (3) and connected at one end (21a) to the members (28), the opposite unconstrained end (21b) of said tube (21) being arranged to move, with said tube (21) in release position (S), within said housing (8) to actuate said device control and thus release the stretcher (1) or the wheelchair from the restraint (2). The transport means according to claim 2, characterized in that a contact pin (22) is arranged at the unconstrained end (21b) of said curved tube (21), intended to engage with said control device during the uncoupling operation for the stretcher (1) or the wheelchair from means of transport. The transport means according to claim 1, characterized in that said control means (25) comprise a handle (26) slidably mounted on a block (32) arranged in said frame (3), of the stretcher or of the patient transport wheelchair, with one end thereof connected to said transfer members (28) and manually operable between said rest (R) and release (S) positions, elastic return means (27) that they are arranged to keep said handle (26) in the rest position (R) in the absence of effort. The transport means according to any of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that said transfer means (28) consist of a lever, suitably articulated to transfer the action of said control means (25) to said control means (25). drive (20). The means of transport according to any of claims 1 or 5, characterized in that said transfer means (28) comprise an electromagnetic actuator, mounted in the lower part of said frame (3), and in that said means of Controls (25) comprise an electric button switch adapted to activate said electromagnetic actuator, an electrical storage cell being arranged on said stretcher (1) to supply power to said electromagnetic actuator. The means of transport according to any of claims 1 or 5, characterized in that said transfer members (28) comprise a pneumatic actuator, mounted on the lower part of said frame (3), and in that said means of Controls (25) comprise a pneumatic switch adapted to activate said pneumatic actuator, a compressed air container that is arranged on said stretcher (1) or wheelchair in order to supply energy to said pneumatic actuator.