Hospital Bed Footboard Mounting With Floating Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing footboards for person support apparatuses, such as hospital beds, face challenges with bed sheets obstructing the mounting structures when removed, and exposed electrical connectors are vulnerable to damage and static electricity.
Innovation Solution
A person support apparatus with a base, control system, and barrier featuring mounting structures with chamfered edges and floating electrical connectors, along with a locking mechanism using cams and a rotatable handle to securely align and lock the barrier, reducing mechanical load on connectors and preventing static damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the footboard is made removable to allow access to the mattress and patient, then ease of operation is improved, but the electrical connectors become exposed and vulnerable to damage and static electricity
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical connectors are nested within recesses in the mounting structures. When the footboard is installed, the connectors are housed inside these recesses, protecting them from exposure. The recesses act as protective cavities that shield the connectors while still allowing electrical connection when the footboard is properly installed.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting structures include chamfered edges that perform the preliminary action of guiding and aligning the footboard during installation. The chamfers prepare the mounting surface to facilitate proper positioning of the footboard and its connectors before the final locked installation occurs, ensuring connectors engage correctly without damage.
2Ease of operation
If the footboard mounting structures are exposed for easy installation, then ease of operation is improved, but bed sheets can obstruct the mounting structures making replacement difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting structures are nested within recesses in the footboard and base. This nesting configuration allows the mounting structures to be accessible for installation while being protected from bed sheet obstruction. The recesses create a stepped configuration where the mounting structures protrude enough to be accessible but are otherwise shielded by the footboard and base surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The recesses create local quality differences in the mounting structure geometry. By providing localized recessed areas for the mounting structures, the design allows those specific areas to be accessible for installation while the surrounding footboard and base surfaces maintain their protective function against bed sheet obstruction.
3Manufacturing precision
If the electrical connectors are fixed rigidly to the footboard, then manufacturing precision is improved, but the connectors are more vulnerable to mechanical damage during installation and removal
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical connectors are made movable within their recesses rather than being rigidly fixed. This dynamic capability allows the connectors to move independently to accommodate misalignment during installation and removal, reducing mechanical stress and damage risk while maintaining proper electrical connection. The mobility compensates for positioning variations without requiring high manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector positioning parameters are changed from fixed to movable. By allowing the connectors to move within their recesses, the system transitions from a rigid fixed-position configuration to a flexible movable configuration, enabling the connectors to adapt their position dynamically during installation and removal operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A person support apparatus includes a base, a controller, and a barrier having at least one electrical device. The base includes mounting structures for releasably mounting the barrier to the base. A first electrical connector is in communication with the at least one electrical device and mounted to the barrier. A second electrical connector is in communication with the controller and mounted at one of the mounting structures for connection with the first electrical connector when the barrier is mounted to the base at the mounting structures.