Over bed table with enhanced base

Abstract

A base for an over bed table usable with patient beds having a retractable under-bed wheel(s) (e.g. a 5th wheel or drive wheels). The base includes a central portion, a pair of inner wings extending from the central portion to support a pair of inner casters, and a pair of outer wings extending from central portion to support a pair of outer casters. At least a segment of the central portion has a profile low enough to pass below a retracted under-bed wheel, while each of the outer wings has a caster segment of sufficient height to accommodate an outer caster and too high to pass below a retracted under-bed wheel. The base is configured so that, when fully inserted under a bed, the low-profile segment of the central portion is aligned with the under-bed wheel and the caster segments of the outer wings are offset beyond the under-bed wheels.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to over bed tables (“OBT”), and more specifically to bases for OBTs.[0002]Over bed tables are in widespread use in hospitals and other patient care facilities where patients are treated in beds. OBTs provide a convenient work surface that can be removable situated over a patient's bed. Conventional OBTs include casters, wheels are other rolling components and are easily movable into position over the patient bed from the side with a base that extends under the patient bed. There is a consistent problem with hospital and other patient beds in use today and it involves the extremely low clearance of many manufacturers' beds. This low clearance is due to the overall form and function of these beds, but of particular concern is the use of OBTs with patient beds that have a “5th wheel” or “drive wheels”. In these types of patient beds, there is a “5th wheel” located either in the center or close to the center of the bed or tw...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a stable base for an OBT table that can be easily moved on patient beds that have retractable under-bed wheels. The low profile central portion of the base allows the OBT to pass below the raised under-bed wheel without interference. The outer wings are designed with angled surfaces to guide the base around the under-bed wheel, especially in emergency situations. The use of wings with a raised-profile allows for casters, wheels, or other rolling components of sufficient size to provide smooth and easy movement of the OBT along the floor. The angled surfaces on the outer wings also help to guide the base around the under-bed wheel when the OBT is being moved in a lateral direction. Overall, the invention provides a stable base for the OBT table that is easy to move and can be used with a variety of patient beds.

Problems solved by technology

There is a consistent problem with hospital and other patient beds in use today and it involves the extremely low clearance of many manufacturers' beds.

As a result of the limited clearance, current OBT offerings do not work well with patient beds that incorporate under-bed wheels.

Further, the placement of these under-bed wheels make the use of OBTs almost impossible, and in many cases the OBTs purchased do not work at all.

The reason for this is that the base of the OBT must be placed either fore or aft of the under-bed wheel(s), this creates the issue of the OBT top being either too close to the patient or too far away to be comfortably used.

None of these configurations work well with patient beds that include under-bed wheels.

Positioning the base fore of the under-bed wheels limits movement of the OBT in the aft direction, which is likely to cause the OBT to be too close to the patient.

Positioning the base aft of the under-bed wheels limits movement of the OBT in the fore direction, which is likely to cause the OBT to be too far from the patient.

Positioning the base to straddle the under-bed wheels will capture the under-bed wheels between the legs and severely limit fore and aft movement of the OBT.

Although the “H” configuration allows a bit more movement in the fore and aft position than a U-shape base, an H-shaped base can create issues in a “Crash” situation when the patient is coding (life or death emergency situation) when the base is positioned so that the under-bed wheels are positioned with the one of the openings in the “H”.

Fore and aft movement of the OBT is limited by the under-bed wheels and the under-bed wheels can become entangled in the opening of the “C”, thereby making it difficult to remove the OBT from the patient bed in emergency situations.

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