Mobile unit comprising a collapsible dome-shaped hood
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for providing privacy and reducing external stimuli for patients in lying positions, such as hospital beds or gurneys, are not easily movable or adjustable, limiting their versatility and effectiveness in different scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible, dome-shaped hood unit with a frame that is adjustable in height and can be used as a standalone unit, equipped with an electric drive mechanism and wheels, allowing for easy placement and removal, and featuring rigid segments for hygiene and cleanability, along with an electric drive mechanism and user interfaces for operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a fixed or semi-fixed privacy hood is used for patients, then privacy and reduction of external stimuli are improved, but mobility and ease of repositioning deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The hood is designed with collapsible and expandable characteristics, allowing it to transition between a compact stored state and an expanded privacy-providing state. This dynamic structure enables the hood to be easily moved and repositioned while maintaining its privacy function when deployed
Solution Approach 2:
The hood is divided into multiple collapsible segments or panels that can be folded together for mobility and deployed to form a complete privacy enclosure. This segmentation allows the structure to be both mobile and effective at blocking external stimuli
2Ease of operation
If a collapsible hood structure is used, then mobility and ease of repositioning are improved, but structural stability and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The hood employs a dynamic collapsible frame structure that maintains stability when deployed through mechanical locking mechanisms or rigid joint connections, while allowing easy collapse for repositioning. The structure transitions from a stable operational state to a compact transport state
Solution Approach 2:
The dome-shaped or curved structure of the hood provides inherent structural stability when collapsed, as the spherical or curved geometry distributes forces evenly across the framework, maintaining reliability during both stored and deployed states
3Adaptability or versatility
If a complex adjustable mechanism is added to the hood, then adaptability to different patient positions and devices is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The hood is designed as a universal device that can be adapted to various patient support devices (hospital beds, gurneys, stretchers) through a standardized mounting interface or flexible positioning system, eliminating the need for device-specific configurations
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning and adjustment mechanisms are integrated into the collapsible frame structure itself, combining the support, positioning, and privacy functions into a single unified system rather than separate components
Data Source
AI summary
For the purpose of covering at least the head of a person lying on a person supporting device such as a hospital bed or gurney, a unit having a hood is provided. The unit is particularly a mobile unit so that the unit can be easily put in place relative to a person supporting device or moved away from a person supporting device and taken to another area. The hood has a generally dome-shaped appearance and can be put in an expanded state and in a collapsed state according to desire. The hood is supported on a floor surface through a frame. Preferably, the unit is configured to enable adjustment of a height position of the hood relative to the floor surface. The hood provides privacy to a person and shields the person from external stimuli.