Conductive connection for track-riding patient hoists

Abstract

A patient hoist is provided on a trolley which tides along a track, with the hoist being powered by a conductor extending along the track. A contact carrier is loosely fit within the trolley, and it bears a contact which elastically biased against the track conductor, with die contact being in electrical communication with the hoist: The contact carrier is tree to laterally displace with respect to the trolley so that it (and its contact) follows the contour of the track, with the contact remaining in electrical communication with the track conductor.

Description

technical field [0001] This document is concerned with the following inventions, which relate generally to lift cabins mounted on ceiling-mounted or other tracks to various locations for lifting or transporting patients or equipment, and more particularly to along-track Lifting cabins that require electrical power supply at various locations. Background technique [0002] Ceiling-mounted or other rail-mounted lift pods are commonly used in hospitals and other care centers and in the homes of people with mobility impairments to transport people and / or equipment to different areas (e.g., from bed to bathroom) . Examples of such lift bays are provided in, for example, U.S. Patent 7,237,491 to Faucher et al., International (PCT) Patent Application Publication WO 88 / 09159, and others cited in and citing these references. Patent pending. Such lift cabins are usually electric and they may be mounted on rails via manually driven trolleys or trolleys which are themselves electrica...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

A key difficulty is maintaining a reliable conductive connection between the trolley and the track, especially as the trolley travels around bends in the track; at this point, the contact between the trolley and the track is more likely to break away, resulting in a lift Loss of power to the tackle in the cabin system

Images