WO1989007357A1

WO1989007357A1 - Flexible panel for electric and gas outlets

Info

Publication number: WO1989007357A1
Application number: PCT/SE1989/000044
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lars Agne Harry Nilsson
Original assignee: Astra Meditec Ab
Priority date: 1988-02-04
Filing date: 1989-02-06
Publication date: 1989-08-10
Also published as: AU3043189A; SE8800361D0

Abstract

A panel for mounting electric outlets in a hospital room. The panel comprises a support profile (10), a front profile (20) and a lid profile (30). The lid profile (30) locks the front profile in place. The front profile is divided into several modules each comprising an electric outlet and/or other equipment attached thereto via a holder (40). Each module is provided with a male contact and a female contact positioned in a pocket (28). Guide pins (41, 42) cooperate with adjacent modules in order to unload the contacts. Below the panel, a gas panel can be mounted and one module can be a gas module comprising dosage tubes and dosage knobs and be connected to the gas tubes positioned therebelow through hoses.

Description

FLEXIBLE PANEL FOR ELECTRIC AND GAS OUTLETS

AREA OF INVENTION

The invention relates to a flexible panel for electric and gas outlets, particularly intended for a hospital room. PRIOR ART

Outlets for electricity and gas of different types of rooms, such as hospital rooms, must be adapted to the specific function of the room and should have a placement and shape adapted to the nursing function of the room.

In building hospitals today, the use and function of a specific hospital room is planned, whereupon an electric and/or gas panel is specially designed for the room, meaning special construction of the panel at the supplier. The assembled panel, which often is very long, is transported to the hospital and mounted at place. The long panels are sometimes difficult to get inside the buildings in an ordinary way. In certain cases it was necessary to lift the panels through the window of the room in which the panel should be mounted. The special construction and the special transportation result in high costs and poor flexibility.

The specially constructed panels are assembled on a base plate for attachment to the wall. The equipment, connectors and wires required for the installation are mounted on the base plate which then is covered with cover plates provided with different types of outlets and sleeves. Thus, the base plate and the cover plate both have an extent in the depth direction which must be considered, which means that the cover plate and the parts mounted thereon must have place between the equipment mounted on the base plate. In certain cases, the result is that the equipment cannot be placed where required in functional respect. Thus, said construction is not sufficiently flexible and at the building of a hospital, this may mean that certain specified functions cannot be fulfilled due to construction limitations in the panel. Connectors at the base plate may prevent the placement of outlets in the cover plate where desired.

Another system used in hospitals today is described in our Swedish patent application No. 8306438-6. This system is based on the principle that a standard unit of suitable electric and gas outlets is prefabricated. The unit is mounted in a suitable position in a panel and is connected to the current supply.

The units include all details necessary for the function of the room. Thus, there is one unit for an ordinary nursing room, one unit for an intensive care room and one unit for an infarct room etc. As a rule, one unit is placed to the left of the bed of the patient and one unit to the right.

However, said system means that several units must be manufactured and stored, since each special unit must also be made in a mirror version. In spite of a certain flexibility of the system, the possibility to meet specific desires is missing, e. g. the placement of a telephone outlet where desired etc. Also, this system means a locking to the original planning of the hospital. If new requirements are put forward later, the units can be altered at the fabric or completely replaced.

There is today a desire to be able to adapt and rearrange a hospital room to completely another function than that previously planned. With the previously used systems this means that new panels must be installed, which means high costs. There is also a desire to be able to repair a damaged equipment without interrupting the function of the entire room. The above-mentioned problems cannot be easily solved by the previously used systems, which thus are too expensive. By the present invention, a panel system is provided which can be mounted very easily and is completely flexible With very simple manipulations and without placing the entire equipment in the room out of function, damaged parts can be replaced and repaired at another more suitable site. This flexibility also means that the hospital room, very soon and efficiently can be altered to another function. These properties form together a system which in the long run is much cheaper than the previous systems.

The essential idea of the present invention is that the hospital function for any room is divided in several sub-functions, as small as possible, and all parts and equipment for a certain sub-function is mounted on a separate front plate, a module.

The module construction is made possible by the construction of the panel. The panel comprises a support profile, to be attached to the wall and for supporting a replaceable front profile. The front profile comprising several interconnected modules, each being provided with all parts for the intended sub-function of the module.

Thus, it is important that all parts for a sub-function is assembled on the front plate as a module.

The components for a sub-function can ordinarily be mounted on a front plate with a length of 10 cm, while some sub-functions require a length of 20 cm or 30 cm.

When constructing a panel with a desired function, the modules included are assembled in a desired sequence. It is very easy to mirror reverse the panel for mounting the panel to the left or to the right of the bed, since the order of the modules is completely arbitrary. If it is desired to add another module, e. g. a telephone outlet, it is easily added where desired.

It is however also necessary to solve the problem of providing main current (220 V) and signals to the modules. According to the invention this problem is solved by providing a buss circuit passing essentially all modules. Thus, if it is desired to add a module to a previous chain of modules, said new module will automatically be provided with main current by the connection to the buss system. Thus, the buss system is an essential part of the invention. Another advantage with the buss system is that if a module should be replaced, the current to all modules must not be interrupted. Thus, the adjacent moduie of the electric panei will continue to operate even if a module is replaced.

A similar system for providing electric power is previously know per se, confer for example US- A-3546360.

Also included within the invention are modules without any electric function, viz. a gas module. The gas moduie is still provided with the buss system although the module does not use any electric power. It is also possible to shunt the module by wires if so is desired. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus, the invention relates to a panel for supporting electric and/or gas outlets and similar and intended to be mounted preferably in a hospital room for including all necessary parts for the treatment function of the room. The panel comprises a support profile to be attached to a wall or similar in the room, and a front profile to be attached to the support profile. According to the invention, the front profile is divided in several modules with modular length and the treatment function of the room is divided in sub-functions, whereby all outlets and equipment required for performing a certain sub-function is mounted on one and the same module of the front profile. Each module comprises at least one male contact on one side of the module and at least one female contact on the other side of the module for cooperation with corresponding contacts in adjacent modules or with contacts in a wire shunting the module, in order to form a through circuit for main current and/or weak current. The outlets and equipment are connected to said male contact or female contact in order to be parallel connected with the through circuit.

Preferably, the module is provided with a pocket for enclosing said male and female contacts and that the module is provided with two or several guide pins for cooperation with corresponding guide grooves in adjacent modules in order to unload said contacts at the mounting of the modules. Moreover, a lid profile is attached to the support profile and locks the modules so that they cannot be removed and fixes the modules so that they cannot be moved at the insertion and removal of a contact in said outlet. The lid portion is locked by at least one screw.

At least one of the modules can be a gas module comprising dosage tubes and dosage knobs and similar, connected with tubes or hoses to a gas panel adapted below the panel and enclosed by a gas conduction protection profile mounted below the panel in order to protect the gas tubes leading the gas to said gas modules.

Preferably, the support profile is provided with a recess opposite a corresponding opening in the wall for entering electric leads. A bushing is positioned in said recess with flanges adapted interior of the wall. The flanges are provided with several holes for attaching electric mounting tubes surrounding the electric leads which pass to the interior of the panel through the bushing. Electric contacts for connection to said leads are placed opposite to said recess and opening to hide them.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described below in more details by means of preferred embodiments of the invention and with reference to the appended drawings.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the short side of a nursing room equipped with an electric panel according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view showing modules according to the invention interconnected with a buss system.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a panel according to the invention.

Fig. 4 is a detail enlargement of the encircled area in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the rear side of a module. Fig. 6 is a plan view schematically showing a contact according to the invention.

Fig. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the panel including a gas module according to the invention.

Fig. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sleeve for use together with the panel according to the inventions. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONS

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a nursing room. The short wall 1 of the nursing room is provided with several support rails 2, on which apparatuses can be mounted. Furthermore, there is a panel 3 according to the invention. With the system according to the invention, each room can be mounted to the desired function without any real construction limitation. Each room can thus be made into a nursing room, an infarct room, an intensive care room etc.

The panel extends preferably over the entire width of the room, except for the cabinets to the left and the portion to the right. To the left and to the right of the bed, there are electric outlets of mam current type and low voltage type. The main current outlets are used for the apparatuses required for treating the patient and also for bedside lamps and other apparatuses for the convenience of the patient. The low voltage outlets can be for bedside lamps of low- voltage type, telephone wires, signal wires for alarms and monitoring, wires for radio programs and other programs etc.

The main current outlets can be of several types, e. g. with one or two interconnected outlets and/or with integral switches and can be adapted in connection with automatic fuses, earth fault alarm etc. Fig. 2 shows some alternative modules. Each outlet etc is mounted at the front profile of the panel as described more closely below. Each module 4 is provided with a male contact 5 facing to the left and a female contact 6 (shown in broken lines) facing to the right. The male contact 5 and the female contact t> are interconnected as suggested by the wire 7, c. f. also Fig. 5. The different groups or chains of modules are interconnected by a wire 8. The wires 8, the wires 7 and the contacts 5 and 6 form a through circuit for 220 V parallel with the panel and can be compared with a buss system. Anywhere along the buss, preferably at one of the ends (or both ends, see below), the buss is connected to a current source outlet by a wire 9 as shown to the left in Fig. 2.

Between the groups of modules there is mounted front plates without modules and the length of said front plates can easily be adapted to the distance between the groups of modules.

In Fig. 2 first line there is shown five different modules, a mam current outlet module, a main current outlet module with integral switch, an automatic fuse module, an earth fault breaker module and a bedside lamp module, respectively. These modules are interconnected in different manners as shown in the lines therebelow. Line two from the bottom of Fig. 2 also includes two earth fault alarm modules. These modules are a few examples of modules according to the invention. It is clearly understood that each module includes all necessary components for the intended function of each moduie. Thus, the bedside lamp module includes a transformer from 220 V to 24 V, impulse relays for switching between full power and 5S power for night lighting, a lamp support brace etc.

Fig. 3 shows the panel 3 according to the invention. The panel comprises a L-shaped support profile 10, a front profile 20 and a lid profile 30.

The front profile 20 is attached to the support profile 10 by hooking the front profile over an edge 11 of the support profile , c.f. also the enlargement of Fig. 4.. The front profile 20 is provided with a recess 21 comprising an angled portion 22 and a vertical portion 23, c.f. Fig. 4. The front profile 20 is hooked on the edge 11 by portion 22 in an angled position, in which inspection and mounting of the contacts and the wires mentioned above can take place. When the mounting is ready, the front profile is pivoted to a vertical position in which the edge 11 engages the vertical portion 23 and the front profile is locked in the vertical position. In order to return to the angled position, the front profile must be lifted so that the edge 11 reaches out of the vertical portion 23, whereupon the front profile is pivoted The lid profile 30 is pivotably attached to the support profile 10 via a groove 12 in the support profile and a tongue 31 in the lid profile. The lid profile 30 also cooperates with the front profile in the horizontal position thereof, as appears from Fig. 3.

The lid profile 30 is thus provided with a depending edge 32 griping around an upper edge 24 of the front profile 20. At the inner end thereof, the depending edge 32 is provided with an inclined surface 33, which together with an adjacent second inclined surface 34 of the lid profile form an acute angle for receiving the upper edge 24 of the front profile. The second inclined surface 34 is positioned on a tongue 35, the function of which is explained in more details below. The front profile 20 has the shape of a U-profile. The reason therefor is that the electric outlets and contacts at the interior of the front profile then will have an increased tactile protection of the electric parts.

Furthermore, the front profile has a recess 25 at the lower end thereof for enclosing the lower edge of a brace 40 for the electric outlets and/or the equipment intended to be mounted on the front profile. Moreover, there is a lower circular guide groove 26 and an upper circular guide groove 27 for enclosing guide pins 41, 42 in the nature of tubes. The lower guide pin 41 is secured in the guide groove 26 by a short screw 43. The upper guide pin 42 is secured in the upper guide groove 27 by a screw 44. Said screw 44 also attaches the upper part of the brace 40. The screw 44 passes both walls of the upper guide tube 42 for giving a better fit and there is a recess inside the guide groove 27 enclosing the tip of the screw.

In the upper part of the front profile 20, there is a U-shaped pocket 28 facing downwards and enclosing the male and female contacts 5, 6. On the upper side of the pocket 28 there are two longitudinal shallow recesses 29 for enclosing nuts 45 to prevent rotation of the nuts at tightening of a corresponding screw 46 for retaining the contacts 5, 6.

The front profile described above is specifically suitable for forming a module with an electric outlet or a module of any of the other types mentioned above. An electric outlet 47, c. f. Fig. 5, is mounted on the brace 40, which has different shape and size depending on the outlet or other equipment to be mounted thereon The brace 40 is hooked in the recess 25 in the front profile 20, which has been cut to a desired modular length to form a module 4. The upper edge of the brace 40 is attached to the front profile 20 by means of screw 44. The front profile 20 is provided with a hole of suitable size so that the electric outlet 47 is available from the outside of the panel for insertion of contacts. The front surface of the front profile is then free from screws, which makes easier the cleaning. Thence, a male contact 5 and a female contact 6 is attached at each side edge of the module in pocket 28 by means of screws 46 and nuts 45. The male and female contacts are interconnected and the outlet is parallel connected to the male and/or female contacts. In order to make said parallel connection more easy, male and female contacts of a certain type is used in which the connection takes place with double screw contacts 48, 49 for each contact pin, as shown more closely in Fig. 6.

As shown in Fig. 5, the guide pins 41 and 42 extend outside the side edge of the front portion to the left seen from the front, i. e. at the same side as the male contacts 5. Said guide pins have such a length that they engage the corresponding groove 26 and 27 in the other side of the adjacent module so that the modules are fixed in relation to each other before the contacts 5, 6 engage with each other. Thus, the contacts are unloaded from mechanical loads, which increase their life time.

All said modules can with a simple manipulation be connected in the chain of modules and automatically be provided with 220 V through the buss system according to the invention. If a module in the chain does not require 220 V, said module can still be provided with male and female contacts in order not to unnecessary break the buss, Alternatively, such a module can be bridged by wires 8, A similar buss can exist for low voltage and signal purposes if so is motivated. Said low voltage and/or signal buss can then be positioned in parallel with the main current buss. Alternatively, the same buss can at different positions along the electric panel be provided with different types of electric signals.

A great advantage with the buss system is that if a module is damaged and must be repaired, said module is easily separated from the chain of modules and replaced with a new one (the damaged module is then repaired at another site). The replacement can take place without breaking the current supply to the other modules i the room, since all contacts are tactile protected. Moreover, the modules before the damaged and replaced module are never affected but still operate as previously. In some cases it is desired to assure current supply to all modules through a ring connection, i. e. the current is supplied both from the lift and the right in Fig. 2. Then, if the chain of modules is breaked anywhere (at one place only), the left modules are suppled from the left and the right modules are suppled from the right. A skilled person realizes the advantages and possibilities inherent in the system according to the invention. As mentioned above, the lid profile is provided with a depending tongue 35 ended with a protruding edge 36, see Fig. 3. Some of the modules are provided with a screw 50, which in the normal engaged position extends above the edge 36 of the tongue 35 and prevents the lid profile from being removed. Thus, the lid profile, extending along the entire length of the panel, is fixed and cannot be removed. Note that this function may be achieved with only two screws at the ends of the electric panel, ι. e. each moduie must not. be provided with said screw 50 However, each module is locked by the lid profile and cannot be removed until the screws 50 are unscrewed and the entire lid profile is pivoted upwards.

Moreover, the surfaces 33 and 34 are used for cooperation with the upper edge 24 of the front profile 20 of each module for retaining the front profile in its normal position. Due to the angle between these surfaces 33 and 34, said upper edge 24 is retained so that the front profile cannot move when a contact is inserted or removed from the outlet. The front profile seems to be stiff, which is a great advantage.

Moreover, as appears from Fig. 3, the lid profile covers the entire support profile 10 up to the wall so that the support profile will not be visible from the outside. Thus, the support profile 10 can be made without any specific surface treatment, which means a considerable economical saving. The lid profile and the front profile are anodized or provided with any suitable surface coating for being easy to clean.

The support profile 10 is provided with several recesses and grooves with specific objects as explained below with reference to Fig. 3. Below the groove 12, there is a guide groove 13 similar to the guide grooves 26 and 27 in the front profile and at the bottom there is another guide groove 13a. Said grooves are used as guide grooves at the lengthening of several support profiles. Above the guide groove 13 there is a screw groove 14 and at the bottom there is a similar screw groove 14a. Said screw grooves are used in order to attach an end piece or similar at the ends of the electric panel. Below the guide groove 13 there is a recess 15 for attaching a brace 53 with a screw. The other end of the brace 53 is inserted in a recess 15a. Above the recess 15 there is another recess 15b for fastening a wire shelf 51 by a screw 52 which is threaded below the shelf and keys the shelf. The shelf 51 can be attached in two other positions as shown by the broken lines. Adjacent said recess 15a, there is another groove 15c for enclosing several screws with square or rectangular heads for being earthing points for the electric outlets. The screws are inserted from the end of the panel and are moved to the position along the panel where they are required.

Between the screw groove 14 and the recesses 15, there is space for boring a hole for attachment of the support profile 10 to the wail, e. g. by means of a MOLLY bolt 16, 16a. In the horizontal lower part of the support profile, there are two support members for supporting shelter profiles for weak current wires or similar. A recess 17 grips a free edge of the shelter profile 54 and the other edge thereof cooperates with a bead 18. Another variant of the shelter profile is shown in Fig. 8

Below the support profile 10, there is a recess 19 and a groove 19a for attaching a protection cover 55 for gas conduits 56 extending below the support profile to a gas outlet as described in more details below.

Fig. 8 shows electric leads 77 entering the panel according to the invention. The panel is provided with a large rectangular recess 70. A bushing 71 extends through a corresponding opening 73 in the wall 72 and extends inside the panel so that the bushing covers the edges of the recess 70, thus protecting both the leads 77 and the hands of the assembler from sharp edges of the recess. The bushing 71 has large flanges 74 provided with several holes 75. Said flanges 74 are attachment points for electric mounting tubes 78 tied to the flanges so that they open just outside the bushing. The electric leads 77 are inserted in the mounting tubes to that they pass a suitable length into the panel. Thence, the leads are mounted in special contacts 76 of known type and the wires 8 are connected to these contacts 76, c.f. also Fig. 2. Since the contacts 76 after the mounting are placed above the recess 70 in the panel, no space will be unnecessarily lost for the bushing or the contacts but said space will be used twice. The contacts 76 can be of the main current or weak current type with or without the specific contact system used in the wires 8.

Fig. 7 shows a panel according to the invention provided with gas outlets. The gas outlets are positioned in a separate gas panel 60. The gas panel comprises gas outlets 61 for air, oxygen, nitrous oxide and for pressure air depending on what is needed in the relevant room. The tubes for these gases reach the gas panel 61 through the tubes 56 below the electric panel protected by cover 55. In a nursing room, often only oxygen and air are used, and thus only two tubes are required.

Above the gas panel 60, there is mounted a gas module 65 in the panel instead of an electric module. The gas moduie is mounted on a length of the front profile 20 through grooves 25 and 27. The entire brace is constructed as a box or a cover 66 which is gas sealed against the front profile 20 so that possible gas inside the cover 66 cannot reach outside the cover. The gas module comprises dosage tubes 67 and dosage knobs 68 according to what is required for administering the gas.

The tubes 56, which according to Fig. 3 reaches the gas panel 60 are connected to the gas outlets 61. Thus, the gas, e.g. oxygen, can be taken out directly from said gas outlet 61 to an apparatus to be driven with oxygen, e. g. a breathing apparatus. The oxygen is also conducted from the outlet or from a special previous branch to a tube 63 or a hose to the dosage tube 67 in the gas module 65 positioned thereabove. The tube 63 passes a bushing 64 to the gas module 66. The bushing 64 is sealed against the bottom of the panel by a sealing 69 of very soft plastics, which adapts itself to the irregular shape of the bottom of the support profile. The oxygen passes through the dosage tube and is controlled by a knob 68. The oxygen is taken out via a hose connection 61a at the front as shown in Fig. 7. Other gases can be treated in a similar way or in ways specific for the gas of that type.

Normally, there is also an ejector driven by pressure air. The pressure air passing to the ejector passes freely to the space inside the cover 66 and further through the bushing 64 to the gas panel and then through a hole in he bottom of the gas panel. In this way any leaking oxygen or other gases inside the cover 66 are brought away and the risk of leakage to the surrounding electric equipment is eliminated. By the fact that the ejector is placed inside the gas module 65, the draw sound from the ejector effectively muffled, whereby a previous great drawback has been eliminated. Moreover, the gas outlets 61 and 61a will now only be loaded by the weight of the apparatus since the control equipment now is fixedly mounted on the electric panel in its own gas module. As appears from Fig. 8 there is a support rail attached to the gas panel for supporting further equipment. Hereinabove, a system of modules with an integral buss circuit has been described. However, it is possible to achieve the same result by a contact rail positioned on the support profile and contacts on each module for cooperation with the contact rail in any desired position. The invention has been described above for illustrating the invention. The construction described can, however, be modified in many respects without leaving the scope of the invention. Such constructions obvious to a skilled person reading this specification are intended to be included within the scope of the invention. The invention is only limited by the appended patent claims.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. A panel for supporting electric and/or gas outlets and similar and intended to be mounted preferably in a hospital room for including all necessary apparatuses for a treatment function of the room, comprising a support profile (10) to be attached to a wall (1) or similar in the room, and a front profile (20) to be attached to the support profile, character ize d in that a) the front profile (20) is divided in several modules (4); b) the treatment function of the room being divided in sub-functions, whereby all outlets and equipment required for performing each sub-function are mounted on one and the same module (4) of the front profile (20); c) each module comprising contacts for connection to a buss circuit for providing main current and/or low voltage current and/or signals.

2. A panel according to claim 1, characterized in that each module is provided with at least one male contact (5) on one side of the module and at least one female contact (6) on the other side of the module for cooperation with corresponding contacts in adjacent modules (4) or with contacts in a wire (8) shunting the module, in order to form a through circuit for main current and/or weak current, whereby the outlets and equipment of the module are connected to said male contact and/or female contact in order to be parallel connected with said through circuit.

3. A panel according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each modules has a modular length being a multiple of a unitary length.

4. A panel according to anyone of the preceding claims, charact erized in that said outlets and equipment are attached to the module of the front profile (20) with a brace (40), which is attached to the module at the rear side thereof so that no screws are placed at the front side of the front profile.

5. A panel according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that each module (4) is provided with a pocket (28) for enclosing said male and female contacts (5, 6) and that the module is provided with two or several guide pins (41, 42) for cooperation with corresponding guide grooves (26, 27) in adjacent modules m order to unload said contacts (5, 6) at the mounting of the modules, and that the support profile comprises a longitudinal earth rail (15c) for enclosing several screws with rectangular heads, which screws are moveable to the position is which earthing is required.

6. A panel according to any of the preceding claims, c h aracterized by a lid profile (30) being attached to the support profile (10) and locking the modules (4) so that they cannot be removed and fixing the modules so that they cannot be moved at the insertion and removal of a contact in said outlet, and that the lid portion is locked by at least one screw (50).

7. A panel according to anyone of the preceding claims, character ized in that at least one of said modules is a gas module (65) comprising dosage. tubes and dosage knobs (67, 68) and similar, connected with tubes or hoses to a gas panel (60) adapted below the panel.

8. A panel according to claim 7, char acterized by a gas conduction protection profile (64, 69) mounted below the panel in order to protect the gas tubes (63) leading the gas to said gas modules.

9. A panel according to claim 7 or 8, ch ar act e r ize d in that the gas module comprises a gastight brace or cover (66) with holes (64) extending to the gas panel (60) positioned therebelow.

10. A panel according to anyone of the preceding claims, c haracter ized in that the support profile (10) is provided with a recess (70) opposite a corresponding opening (73) in said wall (1) for entering electric leads, and that a bushing (71) is positioned in said recess with flanges (74) adapted interior of the wall, said flanges being provided with several holes (75) for attaching electric mounting tubes surrounding said electric leads which pass to the interior of the panel through said bushing, and that electric contacts (76) for connection to said leads are placed opposite to said recess and opening to hide them.