GB2580175A

GB2580175A - An assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2580175A
Application number: GB1821172.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lambert Piers; Moldram Geoff
Original assignee: Linde GmbH
Current assignee: Linde GmbH
Priority date: 2018-12-24
Filing date: 2018-12-24
Publication date: 2020-07-15
Also published as: GB201821172D0

Abstract

The assembly has: a bed hanger 10 with an attachment for attaching to a bed, an arm 12; and a holder 20 for attaching to a compressed gas cylinder, e.g. an oxygen tank or canister. The arm 12 and holder 20 are connected via a releasable connection 15 of: a shaft with an enlarged head; and a slot having an insertion portion through which the head can pass, and a narrower retaining portion through which the head cannot pass. The releasable connection 15 may be a keyhole connector allowing a sliding connection. The slot may also include a restricted portion between the insertion and retaining portions, which is narrower than the insertion and retaining portions, which may bias the location of the head, and may be a bump stock. The arm 12 may be resiliently deformable. The releasable connection 15 may prevent damage when disconnecting the bed hanger 10.

Description

AN ASSEMBLY

The present invention relates to an assembly for attaching a bed hanger to a compressed gas cylinder.

Compressed gas cylinders are commonly used to deliver oxygen, or other gases, to a user who is (at least partially) bedridden. In such situations, it is convenient to be able to readily attach the compressed gas cylinder to the bed of the user. This is particularly relevant where the user is in a hospital environment and the bed may be intended to be moved during use. In such a situation, it is impractical to also have to carry the compressed gas cylinder separately.

In order to address this issue a bed hanger is provided which attaches to the cylinder or a component thereof and provides a hanging mechanism for hanging the compressed gas cylinder from the bed. Typically, these bed hangers have been in the form of curved arm components which attach via a snap fitting to the compressed gas cylinder.

This snap fitting is not ideal as it can be difficult to safely assemble the device without requiring a large amount of force, which can break components. In particular, it can be difficult to force the snap fitting past the typically plastic components.

Additionally, removal of the bed hanger is difficult which restricts operators in the event of damage or replacement. There is therefore a need for an improved bed hanger.

An assembly according to the present invention is provided according to claim 1.

This assembly allows for easy insertion and removal of the bed hanger from the handling device with less risk of damage to the components.

The slot may further comprise a restricted portion between the insertion portion and retaining portion, the restricted portion being narrower than the insertion portion and retaining portion. This restricted portion biases the bed hanger to maintain it in either the retaining portion or the insertion portion.

The restricted portion may be a bump stock.

The handing device or the arms may be resiliently deformable. This allows for easy assembly.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures in which: Figure 1 shows a bed hanger; and Figure 2 shows a close-up of the bed hanger of Figure 1 Figure 3 shows the bed hanger of Figure 1 attached to a handling device and gas cylinder; Figure 4 shows a bed hanger attachment; Figure 5 shows a bed hanger attached to the bed hanger connection of Figure 4 to form an assembly; Figure 6 shows the assembly in a second position; Figure 7 shows the assembly in the second position, Figure 8 shows the assembly attached to a gas cylinder in a third position; and Figure 9 shows the assembly attached to a gas cylinder in a fourth position.

As shown in Figure 1, a bed hanger 10 is provided. The bed hanger 10 may be formed of any suitable material, for example plastics or metals. The bed hanger 10 comprises first and second arms 12. These arms 12 include a connection mechanism 15 at one end, and a holding portion 18 at the other end. Each arm 12 is substantially u-shaped between the connection mechanism 15 and the holding portion 18 so as to allow the arms to hook over a part of the user's bed. For example, the arms 12 may hook over an edge of the bed frame or onto any railings attached to the bed. A central connecting arm 13 is provided between each of the first and second arms 12. The holding portion 18 may be sleeved in a material to improve grip such as a rubber.

The connection mechanism 15 of the bed hanger 10 is shown in close-up in Figure 2. In Figure 2 a bed hanger attachment is formed via the bed hanger arm 12 having a protrusion 14 extending therefrom. The protrusion 14 has a reduced diameter compared to the portion of the arm 12 which it extends from. An enlarged head 16 is provided on the end of the protrusion. This enlarged head 16 is generally conically shaped. This bed hanger protrusion 14 is inserted into a corresponding circular hole on the cylinder handling device and snaps into place as a result of the differing diameters of the protrusion 14 and head 16.

However, it is difficult to attach and remove the bed hanger as the entry and release mechanism relies upon the conical head 16 which must be deflected inside the connection. This may result in damage to the hanger or the cylinder.

Figure 3 shows a bed hanger 10 as per Figure 1 attached to a handling device 20. The handling device 20 is further connected to a gas cylinder 40. As can be seen, the connection mechanism 15 of the bed hanger 10 has been passed through the connection of the handling device 20. The bed hanger 10 is rotatable in this connection to move it from the closed position of this Figure into an open, hanging, position.

Figure 4 shows an improved connection for a bed hanger 30. The bed hanger 30 is generally as described above with respect to Figures 1 to 3. The connection point is formed on a handling device 20. The handling device 20 comprises one or more slots 22 for attaching to the bed hanger 30. The slot 22 is generally elongated in a direction towards and away from the compressed gas cylinder. The slot 22 comprises an insertion portion and a retention portion. The insertion portion of the slot 22 may have a first width and the retention portion of the slot may have a second width. The first width may be larger than then second width. The slot may further comprise a restriction portion between the insertion and retaining portion. The restriction portion is a third width smaller than the first and second widths. This restriction portion can be in the form of a bump stock.

As can be seen in Figure 5 the bed hanger 30 includes arms 32 which connects to an attachment portion which attaches to the bed. The arms 32 comprise a shaft 34 extending therefrom. The shaft 34 generally extends transverse to the arms 32. Preferably, the shaft extends perpendicular to the arms 32. The shaft further comprises a head 36 with a dimeter greater than the dimeter of the shaft 34.

In use, the shaft 34 and shaft head may be inserted through the slot in the insertion portion as shown in Figure 5. The shaft head 36 is then slid in the slot to the retention portion 26 as shown in Figure 6. The dimeter of the shaft head is greater than the second width of the slot 22 and as such the bed hanger 30 is retained within the slot 22 in the retention position 26. In this position, the restriction portion 28 acts to hold the shaft 34 in the retaining portion to thereby engage the bed hanger and cylinder handling device. The hanger 30 can then be rotated in the slot 22 to attach the arms 32 to a bed, as shown in Figure 7.

In order to remove the bed hanger from the cylinder handling device the shaft 34 and head 36 must simply be slid past the restriction portion 28 and removed via the attachment portion 24. In order to achieve this, the arms 32 or handling device 20 may be resiliently deformable to facilitate the removal via the slot.

While the described embodiment has the shaft 34 extending from the arms 32 and the slot 22 formed on the handling device 20, the opposite is also considered a viable configuration. That is, the slot 22 may be formed on the arms 32, with corresponding shafts 34 formed on the handling device 20.

The drawings show an embodiment with two slots 22 and shafts 34. However, it is anticipated that any suitable number of slots 22 and shafts 34 may be used. In particular, there may be a single slot 22 and shaft 34, or there may be a greater number.

In this manner, the bed hanger 30 may be easily and safely attached a detached from the cylinder handling device.

Figures 8 and 9 show the bed hanger 30 attached to the handling device 20, with the handling device 20 attached to a gas cylinder 40. In Figure 8, the bed hanger 30 is towards a folded, storage position. Figure 9 shows the bed hanger 30 having been rotated from the storage position into an operating position. In this operating position, the bed hanger 30 can engage with a surface to hang the gas cylinder 40.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. An assembly for attaching a compressed gas cylinder to a bed comprising: a handling device for attaching to a compressed gas cylinder, the handling device comprising one or more slot(s); a bed hanger comprising: an attachment portion for attaching to a bed; and one or more arm(s), wherein one of the handling device or the arm(s) comprises N slots, each slot having an insertion portion and a retaining portion, the retaining portion being narrower than the insertion portion, and the other of the handling device or the arm(s) comprises N shafts and N shaft heads, each shaft head having a diameter greater than the respective shaft, wherein N is a positive integer, wherein the bed hanger is moveable between: a first position in which each shaft extends through the slot(s) in the retaining portion to connect the bed hanger and handling device such that the head is retained by the slot; and a second position in which each shaft extends through the slot(s) in the insertion portion and is removable from the handling device as the head is able to pass through the slot.
2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the slot further comprises a restricted portion between the insertion portion and retaining portion, the restricted portion being narrower than the insertion portion and retaining portion.
3. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the restricted portion is a bump stock.
4. The assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the handing device or the arms is resiliently deformable