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Flexible joint for medical transport cartRelated Patent Categories: Motor Vehicles, Power, ElectricFlexible joint for medical transport cart description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060169500, Flexible joint for medical transport cart. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to a transport cart for transporting a patient care apparatus from one location to another within a medical facility. [0002] During the care of patients in a medical care institution, particularly with the care of infants, the infant is often maintained in a specialized environment contained within an infant care apparatus, such as an incubator or a combination incubator and warmer. An example of an infant incubator is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,824 of Koch et al entitled "Infant Incubator With Air Curtain" and a combination apparatus that combines the function of the infant incubator along with the function of an infant warmer is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,935 of Mackin et al and entitled "Infant Warming Apparatus" and both of which patents are assigned to the assignee of the present application. [0003] In either types of the aforedescribed infant care apparatus, the infant is normally resting on a bed within the apparatus, however, there are times where the infant must be moved from one location to another within that medical facility. While it is, of course possible to remove the infant from the particular infant care apparatus and thereafter transport the infant by means of a separate vehicle, it is more advantageous to move the infant care apparatus itself with the infant still contained therein. In such manner, the various services and treatment being provided to the infant need not be discontinued, such as monitors and the like and also there is less disruption and consequent stress to the infant since the infant can remain in the protective environment throughout the move rather than being removed therefrom during the move and eventual returned back to the protective environment of the original infant care apparatus. [0004] Accordingly, to facilitate or carry out the move of the infant care apparatus containing the infant, there can be used a transport cart that basically docks with the infant care apparatus and both the infant care apparatus and the transport cart are moved, coupled together. The infant care apparatus is thereby disconnected from the normal electrical power and gases, such as oxygen and air, supplied by the medical facility and those basic needs are thereafter provided by the transport cart during the move. The transport cart normally has batteries to supply the electrical power and gas tanks to supply the needed gases to the infant care apparatus. As such, the transport cart and the infant care apparatus are moved together without any loss of service or care to the infant. [0005] One of the difficulties, however, with the use a transport cart that docks with an infant care apparatus is that the combined transport cart and infant care apparatus becomes difficult to traverse inclining and declining surfaces since one or more wheels can be raised off of the surface over which the combined transport cart/infant care apparatus is being moved and there is a corresponding loss of stability and control. Thus, the overall combination transport cart/infant care apparatus is rather unwieldy and is difficult to maneuver over such surfaces such as door portals, ramps and the like. [0006] One proposed solution to the problem is in the use of a specialized flexible coupling that makes the connection between the transport cart and the medical apparatus and is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,739 of Newkirk and entitled "Docking Assembly". In that patent there is shown a pair of spaced-apart leaf springs that join a first piece of medical equipment to a second piece of medical equipment and the use of those leaf springs is stated to enable the combined apparatus to move over even an irregular surface without suffering from unintended decoupling. [0007] It would be therefore advantageous to have an alternate means of allowing a combined transport cart and medical apparatus to traverse over irregular surfaces, including inclines and declines smoothly and easily. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008] The present invention relates to a transport cart for use in transporting a patient care apparatus within a medical facility. The invention is applicable to any patient care apparatus where a patient is being maintained in a medical environment, such as a patient bed for adults and the like, but will be more specifically described herein as usable with an infant care apparatus where an infant is being maintained in a protective environment such as an incubator or an infant care apparatus that combines the functions of an incubator and an infant warmer. [0009] Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, there is a transport cart supported on wheels and which is attachable to a wheeled infant care apparatus so that the transport cart can thereby move along with the infant care apparatus through such interconnection. Once affixed together the transport cart provides necessary services such as power and gas supply to the infant care apparatus. [0010] The infant care apparatus typically is supported on casters that, as is normal, swivel about individual vertical axies so that the infant care apparatus can readily be moved in the desired direction across the floor of the medical facility. In the usual situation, the user can push the infant care apparatus so as to relocate that apparatus to the desired location within the facility. [0011] The transport cart is also a wheeled apparatus and has a plurality of casters that also may be rotatable about vertical axies in the movement of the transport cart. As explained, the transport cart normally includes batteries to provide electrical power as well as container(s) of gas which are used to supply those services to the infant care apparatus when it is desired to move the infant care apparatus while continuing the normal operation of the infant care apparatus in support of an infant contained therein. [0012] In such case, the transport cart is docked to the infant care apparatus, that is, the transport cart is wheeled up to the location of the infant care apparatus and affixed thereto by means such as latches or the like so that thereafter both the transport cart and the infant care apparatus are moved together in the joined relationship with the infant care apparatus being supplied with the utilities that are present on the transport cart. [0013] The present invention, therefore, relates to the transport cart, the combination of the transport cart affixed or docked to the infant care apparatus and to a method of bringing about that combination of transport cart and infant care apparatus. [0014] Accordingly, in accordance with the present invention, the transport cart has a rear section having at least one wheel and a front section also having at least one wheel and each of the wheels is preferably a caster that is rotatable or pivotable about a vertical axis in the manner of a standard caster. Alternatively any number of differing types of wheels can be used, it only being of importance that the wheel or wheels allow the infant apparatus and the transport cart to easily be rolled across the floor in order to move the infant apparatus and transport cart over that surface. The front section of the present transport cart faces and docks with the infant care apparatus when the two are affixed together. [0015] In the embodiment disclosed, the front section is adapted to be firmly affixed to the infant care apparatus. The rear section has a grasping device, such as a handle, that can be grasped by the user in order to push the transport cart along the floor as the transport cart thus propels the infant care apparatus along that floor when the transport cart and infant care apparatus are docked together. [0016] There is a flexible coupling that joins the front section and the rear section of the transport cart such that the two sections can flex vertically with respect to each other during the movement of the transport cart/infant care apparatus along the surface of a floor. Since there are wheels on both the front and rear sections of the transport cart, the user can readily push the rear section by means of the handle to move the infant care apparatus that is firmly affixed to the front section. Since the front section is affixed to the infant care apparatus with the rear section affixed to the front section through the flexible coupling, the rear section is free to flex vertically as the combined transport cart/infant care apparatus moves over an uneven floor, such as an incline or a decline and both the wheel or wheels in the front section and the wheel or wheels in the rear section can maintain contact with the floor surface, thereby better stabilizing movement of the transport cart/infant care apparatus and improving the steerability thereof. [0017] As a further feature or advantage of having the flexible coupling between the front and rear sections of the transport cart, that flexible coupling can include dampers or linear springs in the design to retard or limit the vertical flexing allowed by the coupling and thus the vertical movement of the infant care apparatus and the transport cart with respect to each other. By such means, the amount and extent of flexing can be customized to the particular configuration and the flexing only be permitted where there is a large load placed on the combined transport care/infant care apparatus. The dampers or linear springs also can prevent the coupling from flexing excessively and eliminate the coupling from flexing when not intended. There can also be a mechanical feature built into the coupling that limits the movement of the combined apparatus. [0018] These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent during the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an infant care apparatus having a transport cart coupled thereto; and [0020] FIG. 2 is a side schematic view of a transport cart illustrating the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Continue reading about Flexible joint for medical transport cart... Full patent description for Flexible joint for medical transport cart Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Flexible joint for medical transport cart patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Flexible joint for medical transport cart or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Tiller-guided industrial truck Next Patent Application: Patient support apparatus with powered wheel Industry Class: Motor vehicles ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Flexible joint for medical transport cart patent info. 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