KR20100004050A - Caster assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A caster assembly is provided to improve mobility of an ultrasonic diagnostic device by selectively controlling a space or interval between casters through a plurality of supports. CONSTITUTION: A caster assembly includes a first support(110a), a second support(110b), a caster(120), and a connection unit(130). The first and second supports are movably mounted on a movable object. The first and second supports cross. The first and second supports include a joint unit(111a,111b) and a support leg(112a,112b). One of the first and second supports has a bridge unit(113). The support leg is extended from both sides of the joint. The caster is combined with the both ends of the first and second supports. The connection device connects the first and second supports.

Description

Caster Assembly {CASTER ASSEMBLY}

The present invention relates to a caster assembly for use in a mobile body, and more particularly, to a caster assembly for use in medical imaging equipment that can be positioned in a variety of casters.

Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses have been widely used as a medical imaging device for displaying an image in a subject and diagnosing the subject using the same. In general, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes a main body for accommodating and embedding various components for ultrasonic diagnosis and a display device mounted to the main body for displaying an ultrasound image. Such ultrasound diagnostic devices may be manufactured in a stationary or mobile manner.

In the mobile ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the caster is generally mounted on the bottom side of the main body. The casters help to carry the ultrasound diagnostics easily. The caster generally includes a caster frame rotatably coupled to the bottom side of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and wheels coupled to the caster frame and rotatable about a hinge axis of the caster frame. As an example, four casters are provided on the bottom side of the body to support the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. In that example, the casters are arranged spaced apart from each other on the bottom side of the body and only allowed to rotate in their respective mounted positions.

As the technology of the related art develops, the main body of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is miniaturized and lightened to improve mobility and space, while the display apparatus is enlarged to provide a wider field of view and more information to the user. However, the mobile ultrasound diagnostic apparatus is configured to carry the display device through the main body. The body of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus should have a height sufficient for the user to operate. Therefore, it is difficult to simultaneously satisfy the miniaturization of the main body and the enlargement of the display device. That is, the miniaturized main body cannot carry the display apparatus stably, so that the main body is enlarged as the display apparatus is enlarged or the display apparatus is miniaturized as the main body is miniaturized.

The present invention was devised to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to stably support a medical imaging device having a miniaturized main body and a large display device, and to position the caster in consideration of mobility and spatiality of the medical imaging device. It is to provide a caster assembly that can be selectively adjusted.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, a caster assembly for use in medical imaging equipment includes a plurality of supports rotatably mounted to a moving body and casters coupled to opposite ends of each support. In this embodiment, the plurality of supports are rotatable relative to each other at their central portions. In one embodiment, the moving body includes a body of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. In one embodiment, the plurality of supports include two supports that cross each other. In one embodiment, the caster assembly has one of the two supports having a bridge portion, and the bridge portion is formed to allow a portion of the other of the two supports to extend through the bridge portion and pivot in the bridge portion.

In one embodiment, the caster assembly further includes a coupling device for rotatably coupling the bridge portion and the other of the two supports. In this embodiment, the coupling device comprises a joint shaft which sequentially passes through the other one of the two supports and the bridge portion, between one end of the joint shaft and the bottom side of the other of the two supports, and the other of the bridge portion and the two supports. It includes a thrust bearing disposed between the upper side of the, and between the bridge portion and the movable body.

In one embodiment, the caster assembly further includes an interconnect for interconnecting the plurality of supports. In this embodiment, the interconnect includes a engagement pin provided on one of the supports and a link bar having a portion rotatably coupled to the other of the supports and the other end engaging the engagement pin.

First, the support is mounted on the bottom of the main body of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus to provide a sufficient separation distance of the caster, so that the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can be stably supported regardless of the size of the main body and the size of the display apparatus.

Second, by providing a plurality of rotatable supports each to selectively adjust the space or spacing between the casters according to the surrounding environment, it can be moved or installed even in a narrow space. Thus, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is provided with improved mobility and space.

Third, the configuration can be relatively simple to secure the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus while ensuring improved mobility and space of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can reduce the manufacturing cost.

Hereinafter, the caster assembly of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 to 4, in one embodiment of the present invention, the caster assembly 100 includes a plurality of supports 110, casters 120 disposed on each support 100, and the supports 110. Device 130 for interconnecting. The support 110 is rotatably mounted to the movable body. The casters 120 are each coupled to both ends of the support 110 (eg, opposite ends of the support).

For example, the moving object may include a medical imaging device, more specifically, the main body 210 of the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 200 (see FIGS. 3 and 4), but the moving object is not limited to the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 200 may include an ultrasonic probe 230 for radiating an ultrasonic wave to a subject and converting a reflected signal into an electrical signal, and various components (eg, ultrasonic waves) for ultrasonic diagnosis. A main body 210 for accommodating or embedding a control unit (not shown) for processing an electrical signal input from the probe 230, an input unit (not shown) for inputting various execution commands to the control unit, and a control unit; And a display device 220 for displaying the ultrasound image processed by the controller.

1 and 2, the plurality of supports 110 may include two supports 110 that cross each other. In such a case, the plurality of supports 110 may include a first support 110a that is placed above and a second support 110b that is placed below. Each support 110a, 110b includes joint portions 111a and 111b and support legs 112a and 112b extending in both directions from the joint portions 111a and 111b.

The joint part 111a of the first support 110a and the joint part 111b of the second support 110b may have, for example, a ring, a sleeve, and a cylindrical shape. In addition, the joint portions 111a and 111b are located at the center portions of the respective support bases 110a and 110b. Thus, when the first and second supports 110a and 110b are coupled to each other, the first and second supports 110a and 110b have an alphabet letter "X".

The first support 110a may include a bridge portion 113 at the center thereof. The joint part 111a may be disposed in the bridge part 113 and integrally formed with the bridge part 113. The bridge portion 113 is formed to protrude upward by a predetermined height with respect to the support leg 112a. In one embodiment, the height is determined such that each support leg 112a, 112b is the same height. The bridge portion 113 protruding from the support leg 112a by the height has a portion (specifically, a portion including the joint portion 111b) of the second support 110b extending through the bridge portion 113 and the bridge. It allows to rotate in the bridge section 113 within the range that the section 113 can provide. In an alternative embodiment, the bridge portion may be provided on the second support 110b instead of the first support 110a. In another alternative embodiment, two bridge portions may be provided on the first support 110a and the second support 110b, respectively. In this case, the two bridge portions are formed to protrude in opposite directions to each other.

The first and second supports 110a and 110b are mounted to the main body 210 of the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 200 by a hinge shaft or a joint shaft 115 which sequentially passes through the joint portions 111a and 111b. The joint shaft 115 includes bolts formed to penetrate the joint portions 111a and 111b.

The joint shaft 115 penetrates through the joint portions 111a and 111b and is screwed to the bottom side of the main body 210 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200. The body 210 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200 is provided with a screw hole for screwing to the joint shaft 115. Accordingly, the first and second supports 110a and 110b are mounted on the bottom side of the main body 210 by the joint shaft 115 and are rotatable about the joint shaft 115, respectively. Between the main body 210 and the first support 110a of the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 200, between the first support 110a and the second support 110b, and the head and the second support 110b of the joint shaft 115. The thrust bearing B is provided between ()). The thrust bearing B serves to reduce friction between the first and second supports 110a and 110b and to help relative rotation therebetween. In an alternative embodiment, studs formed through the joint portions 111a and 111b and having threaded portions at their ends may be provided on the bottom side of the body 210. In such an embodiment, the supports 110a, 110b may be mounted on the bottom side of the body 210 in such a way that the joints 111a, 111b fit into the studs and the nuts engage the threaded portions of the studs.

Caster 120 is attached to the support legs (112a, 112b) of the support (110a, 110b). The caster 120 is caster frame 121 coupled to the end side of the lower surface of the support legs (112a, 112b) to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the ground, and the caster frame (121) by the support shaft to rotate about the support shaft It includes a wheel 122 coupled to. Since such casters 120 are known in the art, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The device 130 for interconnecting the supports 110 maintains the open range between the first and second supports 110a and 110b to maintain the space between the casters 120. In one embodiment, the interconnect device 130 is a link bar 132 formed to connect the engagement pin 131 provided on the upper surface of the first support bridge (112a) and the first and second support (110a, 110b) with each other. Includes. The link bar 132 is rotatably coupled to the second support leg 112b at one end thereof. The link bar 132 has an engagement portion 132a that engages with the engagement pin 131 at its other end. The engagement portion 132a is "U" shaped and allows the engagement pin 131 to be inserted or inserted into the "U" shaped recess. In other embodiments, engagement portion 132a may be "C" shaped and may include an elastic material to provide elastic force to such "C" shaped. When the engagement pin 131 and the link bar 132 are engaged with each other, the first and second supports 110a and 110b have the caster 120 engaged between the engagement pin 131 and the link bar 132. They are interconnected while maintaining the space provided by them. Therefore, the space between the casters 120 is prevented from changing due to the rotation of the first and second supports 110a and 110b.

Hereinafter, an operation example of the caster assembly described above with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8 will be described.

When the moving object (eg, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus 200 in one embodiment) is fixed for use or manipulation, the caster assembly 100 is arranged as shown in FIG. 5 to stably support the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus. In the example arrangement shown in FIG. 5, the first and second supports 110a, 110b are radially disposed about the body 210 and constrained by the interconnect 130. Since the interconnect device 130 interconnects the first and second supports 110a and 110b, the caster 120 is in a state where there is no change in space or spacing therebetween and the first and second supports 110a and 110b. Are arranged at fixed angles (eg, at right angles) with respect to each other. Interconnection between the first and second supports 110a, 110b when the moving body (eg, in one embodiment, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 200) needs to be moved for changing, storing, maintenance, etc. of the installation position. 6 may be released by disengaging the engagement portion 132a from the engagement pin 131, and the first and second supports 110a and 110b may be released as shown in FIGS. The first support 110a and the second support 110b may be rotated in opposite directions, respectively, to have an orientation different from that of FIG. 5. In particular, in the arrangements shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the first and second supports 110a, 110b may have a narrower opening angle therebetween than shown in FIG. 5. Thus, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can be transported or installed in a narrow space, thereby providing improved mobility and space.

The present invention described above is not limited to the above-described embodiment and the accompanying drawings, and it is common in the field of the present invention that various substitutions, modifications, and changes can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. It will be evident to those who have knowledge of.

1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the caster assembly for use in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the caster assembly shown in FIG. 1.

3 is a perspective view showing an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a caster assembly mounted on the bottom side of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

4 is a partial side view of FIG. 3 showing an exemplary connection between the supports of the caster assembly, wherein the supports are shown in partial cross section.

5 to 8 are plan views showing an operation example of the caster assembly shown in FIG.

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

100: caster assembly 110: support

110a: first support 110b: second support

111a, 111b: joint portion 112a, 112b: support leg

113: bridge portion 115: joint shaft

120: caster 121: caster frame

122: wheel 130: interconnection device

131: engagement pin 132: link bar

132a: engagement portion

Claims (8)

A plurality of supports rotatably mounted to the movable body, It includes a caster coupled to the opposite end of each support, The plurality of supports are pivotable relative to each other at their central portions. Caster assembly. The method of claim 1, The movable body includes a main body of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. Caster assembly. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The plurality of supports includes two supports that cross each other Caster assembly. The method of claim 3, One of the two supports has a bridge portion, The bridge portion is formed to allow a portion of the other one of the two supports to extend through the bridge portion and rotate in the bridge portion. Caster assembly. The method of claim 4, wherein Further comprising a coupling device for rotatably coupling the other one of the bridge portion and the two supports Caster assembly. The method of claim 5, The coupling device A joint shaft which sequentially penetrates the other one of the two supports and the bridge portion; Thrust bearing disposed between one end of the joint shaft and the bottom side of the other one of the two supports, between the bridge portion and the upper side of the other one of the two supports, and between the bridge portion and the movable body. Caster assembly comprising a. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Further comprising an interconnecting device for interconnecting the plurality of supports; Caster assembly. The method of claim 7, wherein The interconnect device is An engagement pin provided on one of the supports, A link bar having one end rotatably coupled to the other of the supports and the other end engaged with the engagement pin Caster assembly comprising a.

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