Hospital Bed Lifting Linkage for Axle Retention and Module Swapping
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hospital beds face issues where the axle can be easily lost during disassembly for transportation and the head and tail modules are not interchangeable, leading to functional limitations when trying to combine broken beds.
Innovation Solution
The hospital bed design includes a frame with connected sections, a hanger that retains the axle to the frame, and a gear assembly connecting the axle to a crank, allowing for the axle to be always connected and enabling interchangeable head and tail modules by synchronizing the lifting units through the gear and crank mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the axle is disconnected from the lifting units for disassembly, then the bed can be dismantled for transportation, but the axle is easily lost during transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a hanger as an intermediary component that connects the axle to the frame. The hanger serves as a mediator between the axle and the frame, ensuring the axle remains securely attached during disassembly and transportation, thus preventing loss while maintaining ease of assembly and disassembly
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the connection system into separate functional components: the hanger is separated from the frame but remains connected to it, while the axle connects to the hanger. This segmentation allows the axle to be easily disconnected for transportation while the hanger remains with the frame, preventing loss without requiring permanent attachment
2Stability of the object's composition
If the head and tail modules are designed with fixed connections, then the structure is stable, but the modules cannot be replaced with each other
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the head and tail modules with universal connection interfaces that allow them to be interchanged. The hanger and axle system serves multiple functions: it provides structural stability during operation and enables module interchangeability when needed, allowing the same components to serve both stability and adaptability requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a dynamic connection system where the modules can be firmly connected during operation for stability, but can be easily disconnected and swapped when needed. The connection mechanism transitions from a fixed state during use to a movable state during maintenance, balancing stability and interchangeability
Data Source
AI summary
A hospital bed includes a frame including connected first and second sections, a head plate connected to the first section of the frame, a tail plate connected to the second section of the frame, a first lifting unit for lifting and lowering the first section of the frame relative to the head plate, a second lifting unit for lifting and lowering the second section of the frame relative to the tail plate, an axle connected to the first lifting unit, a crank connected to the second lifting unit, a hanger for hanging the axle to the frame, and a gear assembly for connecting the axle to the crank so that the crank is operable to spin the axle to actuate the first and second lifting units.