Medical trolley

Abstract

To provide a medical trolley that is lightweight, has preferable stability, is easy to be assembled and height-adjusted, and is easy to be manufactured while maintaining strength.SOLUTION: In a medical trolley, a mounting portion and a strut reception portion are integrally formed by resin, ribs are formed over a longitudinal direction of the strut reception portion in an inner surface of the strut reception portion, the strut reception portion is fixed to the strut by a screw inserted through a screw hole formed in the strut and the strut reception portion, and the ribs are at least two ribs formed at positions which sandwich the screw hole of the strut reception portion and in which the ribs are coupled to the screw.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a medical trolley used for transporting or installing medical devices.

Background Art

[0002] Medical devices such as electrocardiographs and biological information monitors are transported using dedicated medical trolleys. The medical devices transported using a medical trolley can also be operated while being installed on the medical trolley. Such a medical trolley is described in, for example, Patent Document 1.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, since a medical trolley transports medical devices important for a patient's life support activities, a structure with high stability is required so that it does not fall or rattle during transportation as compared with other trolleys.

[0005] In addition, medical devices such as biological information monitors, which are the objects to be transported by a medical trolley, are heavy, and since it is required that the medical trolley installs and moves such heavy medical devices at a relatively high position close to the user's line of sight, a structure with high strength is required.

[0006] On the other hand, it is preferable that the medical trolley itself is as light as possible, easy to assemble and adjust in height, and has a structure that is easy to manufacture.

[0007] This invention was made in consideration of the above points, and provides a medical trolley that is lightweight, stable, easy to assemble and adjust the height of, and easy to manufacture, while maintaining strength. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One embodiment of the medical trolley of the present invention is: A medical trolley having legs that can move on the floor, a support column erected on the upper part of the legs and extending upward from the legs, and a mounting body attached to the upper part of the support column on which medical equipment can be installed, The mounting body has a mounting section on which the medical device can be placed, and a cylindrical support column receiving section that extends downward from the mounting section and into which the support column is inserted. The mounting portion and the support column receiving portion are integrally molded from resin. On the inner surface of the support column receiving portion, ribs are formed along the longitudinal direction of the support column receiving portion. The support post receiving portion is fixed to the support post by screws inserted through screw holes formed in the support post and the support post receiving portion. The ribs are at least two ribs formed in a position that straddles the screw hole of the support column and is fastened to the screw. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, since the mounting portion and the support portion are integrally molded from resin, it is lightweight, highly stable, easy to assemble and adjust the height, and easy to manufacture. Furthermore, since at least two ribs are formed on either side of the screw hole in the support portion and at positions where they are fastened to the screw, strength can be maintained and looseness with the support portion can be prevented. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] A perspective view showing a partially disassembled medical trolley according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Front view of a partially disassembled medical trolley. [Figure 3] Perspective view showing the state where a biological information monitor is installed on a medical trolley [Figure 4] Breaking view of the support receiving part showing the internal structure of the support receiving part [Figure 5] Breaking view showing the state where the support receiving part is fixed to the support [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the wall thicknesses of the support receiving part and the rib respectively [Figure 7] Cross-sectional view for explaining the horizontal fastening position by screws [Figure 8] Cross-sectional view for explaining the heightwise fastening position by screws [Figure 9] Schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of another embodiment

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0012] <1>Overall Configuration FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a partially disassembled medical trolley 100 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a front view thereof. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the state where a biological information monitor 1 is installed on the medical trolley 100.

[0013] The medical trolley 100 is roughly divided into a leg 10, a support 20, and an installation body 30.

[0014] [[ID=4S0]] The leg 10 has a base 11 and a plurality of branch portions 12 extending from the base 11 in the planar direction. The leg 10 has four branch portions 12. The leg 10 has a substantially H-shaped configuration in plan view. Casters 13 are attached to each of the four branch portions 12.

[0015] The support 20 is erected on the upper part of the leg 10 and extends upward from the leg 10. The support 20 is erected on the upper part of the leg 10 by being screwed from below with a screw 23 in a state where the lower end portion is fitted into a fitting hole 14 formed in the base 11 of the leg 10.

[0016] The installation body 30 is attached to the upper end of the support column 20. The installation body 30 includes a placement part 40, a gripping part 50, a hook part 60, and a support column receiving part 70.

[0017] On the side surface of the support column receiving part 70, a plurality of screw holes 71 are formed extending in the vertical direction. In a state where any one of the plurality of screw holes 71 is aligned with the screw hole 21 formed on the side surface of the support column 20, and by screwing with a screw 22, the installation body 30 is fixed at a desired height position above the support column 20.

[0018] Medical devices such as the biological information monitor 1 are placed on the upper surface of the placement part 40 (see FIG. 3). In the placement part 40, screw holes 41 for fixing the placed medical device to the placement part 40 are formed. Further, on the side surface of the placement part 40, hook attachment holes 42 for adding hooks are formed.

[0019] The gripping part 50 is formed so as to protrude rearward from the placement part 40. The gripping part 50 is substantially U-shaped in plan view. The user can move the medical trolley 100 while gripping the gripping part 50.

[0020] In addition, the definitions of front and rear in this specification mean front and rear as viewed from the traveling direction of the medical trolley 6. On the other hand, there may be cases where front and rear are defined as viewed from the medical device generally placed on the placement part 40. For example, when based on the biological information monitor 1 shown in FIG. 3, the direction of the gripping part 50 is the front and the direction of the hook part 60 is the rear. Therefore, when defining front and rear in this way, the front in the specification may be read as the rear, and the rear in the specification may be read as the front.

[0021] The hook part 60 is formed so as to protrude forward from the placement part 40. The hook part 60 has a plurality of L-shaped hooks 61 to 63. The hook part 60 can be used to hang various cables connected to the medical device placed on the placement part 40, for example.

[0022] Furthermore, in the medical trolley 100 of this embodiment, a basket 90 is attached to the support column 20. The basket 90 is fixed to the support column 20 by screws 81. The basket 80 can hold, for example, terminals and files used by medical personnel.

[0023] Furthermore, a cable clamp 80 is attached to the support column 70. The cable clamp 80 is attached to the support column 70 by inserting it onto the screw 22 from above. The cable clamp 80 is designed to hold various cables connected to medical equipment, for example, that are placed on the mounting section 40.

[0024] Furthermore, the legs 10 and the mounting body 30 are made of resin, while the support column 20 is made of a metal such as aluminum. The medical trolley 100 is lightweight because the legs 10 and the mounting body 30 are made of resin.

[0025] <2> Configuration of the installation unit 30 Here, the configuration of the cable clamp 30, particularly the configuration of the support column receiving portion 70, will be explained in detail using Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Figure 4 is a broken view of the support column receiving portion 70 showing its internal structure. Figure 5 is a broken view showing the support column receiving portion 70 fixed to the support column 20. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the thickness of the support column receiving portion 70 and the ribs 72 and 73. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the horizontal fastening position by the screw 22. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the vertical fastening position by the screw 22.

[0026] In this embodiment, the mounting body 30 has a mounting section 40 and a support column receiving section 70 that are integrally molded from resin. This makes the mounting body 30 lighter. In particular, since the support column receiving section 70 is not made of metal and the mounting section 40 and the support column receiving section 70 are not connected using joints such as sheet metal, in addition to being lighter, assembly can be simplified.

[0027] In particular, since the mounting body 30 is located at the very top of the medical trolley 100, reducing the weight of the mounting body 30 lowers the center of gravity, increasing the stability of the medical trolley 100.

[0028] However, when integrally molding the mounting portion 40 and the support column receiving portion 70 with resin using a mold, there is a risk that the strength of the support column receiving portion 70 cannot be ensured. The support column receiving portion 70 of this embodiment is configured to take this point into consideration.

[0029] As can be seen from Figure 4, which shows the column support portion 70 cut in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, ribs 72a, 72b, 73a, and 73b are formed on the inner surface of the column support portion 70, extending along the longitudinal direction of the column support portion 70. Here, only the four characteristic ribs 72a, 72b, 73a, and 73b will be described, but as can be seen from the figure, in reality, ribs other than the four ribs 72a, 72b, 73a, and 73b are also formed.

[0030] Ribs 72a and 72b are formed in positions that sandwich the screw holes 71 of the support column receiving portion 70. In other words, ribs 72a and 72b are formed next to the screw holes 71 and along the alignment of the screw holes 71. Similarly, ribs 73a and 73b are formed in positions that sandwich the screw holes 71 of the support column receiving portion 70. In other words, ribs 73a and 73b are formed next to the screw holes 71 and along the alignment of the screw holes 71.

[0031] Furthermore, as can be seen in Figure 5, ribs 72a and 72b are formed in positions where they are fastened to the screw 22. Although not shown, ribs 73a and 73b are similarly formed in positions where they are fastened to the screw 22. The position where the screw 22 is fastened means a position that is included in the range of the screw 22 or the flange of the screw 22 in the fastening direction of the screw 22.

[0032] This prevents the resin support column support portion 70 from being damaged when it is pressed in the direction of the support column 20 by the tightening of the screw 22, thereby improving the reliability of the screw fastening.

[0033] By the way, as can be seen from Figure 6, which shows the installation body 30 cut by a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction of the support column receiving portion 70 and passing through the screw hole 71, a draft angle is required on the inner surface of the support column receiving portion 70 to remove the mold. Consequently, the thickness of the support column receiving portion 70 decreases from the boundary with the mounting portion 40 towards the lower end, and as a result, the strength of the support column receiving portion 70 weakens towards the lower end.

[0034] However, in the configuration of this embodiment, the thickness of the ribs 72a, 72b, 73a, and 73b is formed so that they become thicker towards the bottom to compensate for the thinning of the thickness of the column support portion 70, thereby preventing a decrease in strength at the lower position of the column support portion 70 due to the draft angle. In addition, since the gap caused by the draft angle is offset by the ribs, rattling between the column 20 and the column support portion 70 can be prevented.

[0035] In addition to this configuration, as can be seen from Figure 7, which shows the support column receiving portion 70 cut in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the fastening positions by the screws 22 are offset in opposite directions from the centers of the opposing surfaces (shown by the dashed lines in the figure).

[0036] Let me explain in more detail. In this embodiment, the support column 20 is rectangular prism-shaped, and the support column receiving portion 70 is rectangular tubular-shaped. A pair of screw holes 21 and 71 are formed on opposing surfaces of the support column 20 and the support column receiving portion 70. Because the pair of screw holes 21 and 71 are formed at positions offset in opposite directions from the centers of the opposing surfaces (indicated by the dashed lines in the figure), the fastening positions by the screws 22 are at positions offset in opposite directions from the centers of the opposing surfaces (indicated by the dashed lines in the figure).

[0037] Here, for example, if a user pushes the gripping part 50, applying a forward force to the mounting base 40, or if a force is applied to the gripping part 50 from above, a force will be generated in the column support part 70, which is integrally molded with the mounting base 40, that will cause it to tilt forward or backward. In this case, if the fastening position of the pair of screws 22 is at the center of the opposing surfaces (shown by the dashed line in the figure), the column support part 70 will try to tilt forward or backward with the same axis as the center of rotation. As a result, stress will be concentrated in the same direction on the column support part 70, which may cause the column support part 70 to break.

[0038] In contrast, in this embodiment, the fastening positions by the pair of screw holes 21 and 71 are offset in opposite directions from the centers of the opposing surfaces (the dashed lines in the figure). Therefore, even if a force is applied to the support column support portion 70 that would cause it to tilt forward or backward, the support column support portion 70 will tilt forward or backward using different axes of rotation as fulcrums. As a result, the stress is distributed (the direction of rotation is distributed), and damage to the support column support portion 70 can be suppressed.

[0039] In addition, as can be seen from Figure 8, which shows the support column receiving portion 70 cut by a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction and passing through the screw hole 22, the fastening positions by the screws 22 are further offset from each other in the height direction. In other words, the pair of screw holes 21 and 71 formed on opposing surfaces are further offset from each other in the height direction.

[0040] As a result, even if a force is applied to the support column support portion 70 that causes it to tilt forward or backward, the support column support portion 70 will attempt to tilt forward or backward using different axes of rotation as fulcrums not only in the horizontal direction but also in the vertical direction. This further distributes the stress (further distributes the direction of rotation), thereby further suppressing damage to the support column support portion 70.

[0041] In this embodiment, the example described assumes that the support column 20 is a rectangular prism and the support column receiving portion 70 is a rectangular tube. However, the shapes of the support column 20 and the support column receiving portion 70 are not limited to these. Even if the support column 20 and the support column receiving portion 70 have other shapes, the same effect as described above can be obtained by shifting the screw holes in the same manner.

[0042] For example, the support column and the support column support portion may be cylindrical in shape. Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example where the support column 120 and the support column support portion 170 are cylindrical in shape. In short, the pair of screw holes formed in the support columns 20, 120 and the support column support portions 70, 170 should be positioned so that the screwing direction of the screws 22 does not lie on the same straight line. In this way, as described above, even if a force is applied to the support column support portions 70, 170 that would cause them to tilt forward or backward, the support column support portions 70, 170 will attempt to tilt forward or backward using different axes of rotation as fulcrums, thus distributing the stress (distributing the direction of rotation) and suppressing damage to the support column support portions 70, 170.

[0043] <5> summary As described above, in this embodiment, the medical trolley 100 has a mounting section 40 and a support column receiving section 70 integrally molded from resin, and ribs 72a, 72b, 73a, and 73b are formed on the inner surface of the support column receiving section 70 along its longitudinal direction, and the support column receiving section 70 is fixed to the support column 20 by screws 22 that are inserted through screw holes 21 and 71 formed in the support column 20 and the support column receiving section 70, and the ribs 72a, 72b, 73a, and 73b are at least two ribs 72a, 72b, 73a, and 73b that are positioned to sandwich the screw holes 71 of the support column receiving section 70 and to be fastened with screws 22.

[0044] As a result, the mounting section 40 and the support column receiving section 70 are integrally molded from resin, making it possible to realize a medical trolley 100 that is lightweight, has good stability, is easy to assemble and adjust the height, and is easy to manufacture. In addition, at least two ribs 72a, 72b, 73a, and 73b are formed on either side of the screw hole 71 of the support column receiving section 70 and at positions where they are fastened to the screw 22, so that strength can be maintained and rattling can be prevented when fastened.

[0045] Furthermore, by forming a pair of screw holes in the support columns 20, 120 and the support column support parts 70, 170 at positions where the screw threading directions are not on the same straight line, the support column support parts 70, 170 tend to tilt forward and backward with different axes of rotation as pivot points. This distributes the stress (distributes the direction of rotation) and suppresses damage to the support column support parts 70, 170.

[0046] The embodiments described above are merely examples of how the present invention can be implemented, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited by them. In other words, the present invention can be implemented in various ways without departing from its gist or its main features. [Industrial applicability]

[0047] The present invention is widely applicable to medical trolleys used for transporting medical devices such as vital signs monitors and electrocardiographs. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0048] 1. Biological Information Monitor 10 legs 11 Base 12 Branches 13 Casters 14 Fitting holes 20, 120 posts 21, 71 screw holes 22, 23 screws 30 Installation body 40 Mounting section 50 Gripping part 60 Hook section 70, 170 Support column base 72a, 72b, 73a, 73b Ribs 80 Cable Clamps 90 Basket

Claims

1. A medical trolley having legs that can move on the floor, a support column erected on the upper part of the legs and extending upward from the legs, and a mounting body attached to the upper part of the support column on which medical equipment can be installed, The mounting body has a mounting section on which the medical device can be placed, and a cylindrical support column receiving section that extends downward from the mounting section and into which the support column is inserted. The mounting portion and the support column receiving portion are integrally molded from resin. On the inner surface of the support column receiving portion, ribs are formed along the longitudinal direction of the support column receiving portion. The support post receiving portion is fixed to the support post by screws inserted through screw holes formed in the support post and the support post receiving portion. The ribs are at least two ribs formed in a position that straddles the screw hole of the support column and is fastened to the screw. Medical trolley.

2. The thickness of the support portion decreases from the boundary with the previously described mounting portion towards the lower end. The thickness of the rib increases as it goes downwards to compensate for the decreasing thickness of the support column support portion. The medical trolley according to claim 1.

3. The screw holes are a pair of screw holes formed in the support column and the support column receiving portion. The pair of screw holes are formed in positions where the screw threading directions do not lie on the same straight line. A medical trolley according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The aforementioned support column is shaped like a rectangular prism, and the support column receiving portion is shaped like a rectangular cylinder. The screw holes are a pair of screw holes formed on opposing surfaces of the support column and the support column receiving portion, The pair of screw holes are formed at positions offset from the center of the opposing surfaces in directions perpendicular to the direction in which the opposing surfaces face each other and in directions perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The medical trolley according to claim 3.

5. The pair of screw holes are further formed at positions offset from each other in the height direction parallel to the longitudinal direction. The medical trolley according to claim 4.

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