Modular Patient Support Deck Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional patient support apparatuses, such as hospital beds, face challenges in rapid scaling and efficient manufacturing, shipping, and assembly due to complex logistics and large component assemblies, which can lead to strain on healthcare resources during sudden increases in patient volume.
Innovation Solution
A patient support apparatus with a modular design featuring a base frame and a pivoting patient support deck that can be easily assembled using basic hand tools and standard fasteners, allowing for quick configuration changes between multiple positions, and manufactured using conventional machining techniques to facilitate rapid production and efficient shipping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional patient support apparatuses are manufactured and shipped fully assembled or close to fully assembled, then the apparatus maintains structural integrity and functionality, but the volume footprint required for each apparatus limits the number of apparatuses that can be shipped on a single carrier
Solution Approach 1:
The patient support apparatus is divided into multiple separable components including a head section, foot section, and intermediate section that can be disassembled and shipped in a collapsed, space-efficient configuration. These segmented components are then reassembled at the destination to form the complete functional apparatus, reducing shipping volume while maintaining structural integrity when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular sections of the patient support apparatus are designed to nest within each other when collapsed, with smaller components fitting inside larger ones. This nesting arrangement dramatically reduces the volume footprint during shipping and storage, allowing more apparatuses to be transported on a single carrier while maintaining full functionality when assembled.
2Reliability
If conventional patient support apparatuses employ large assemblies of components that undergo various manufacturing and assembly steps, then the apparatus achieves required functionality and durability, but the manufacturing and assembly process is complex and difficult to rapidly scale-up
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus is segmented into standardized modular sections that can be manufactured independently using conventional machining techniques. Each module contains integrated fastening mechanisms and connection interfaces, reducing the need for complex multi-step assembly processes while maintaining required functionality and durability through standardized manufacturing procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular components are designed with self-aligning features and integrated fastening mechanisms that enable caregivers and emergency responders to assemble the apparatus themselves using basic hand tools. This self-service assembly capability eliminates the need for complex manufacturing and assembly machinery, simplifying the overall process and enabling rapid scaling of production.
3Quantity of substance
If the number of patient support apparatuses is increased to handle rapid increases in patient volume, then the healthcare facility can accommodate more patients, but the logistics of manufacturing, shipping, and assembling additional apparatuses becomes extremely complex
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the apparatus into modular, collapsible sections, the invention enables compact shipping configurations that fit more units per carrier. This segmentation also allows for standardized manufacturing of individual modules that can be produced independently and assembled at destination, dramatically simplifying the logistics of scaling up the number of apparatuses deployed.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus incorporates dynamic collapse and expansion capabilities, transitioning from a compact shipping configuration to a fully assembled functional state. This dynamic transformation allows the same physical object to occupy minimal space during transport and maximum functional volume during use, enabling rapid deployment of large quantities of apparatuses without proportional increases in logistical complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A patient support apparatus including a base frame arranged for movement about a floor surface. The base frame defines a foot end and a head end, and includes first and second longitudinal rails extending between the foot end and the head end with a plurality of lateral receivers formed in each of the first and second longitudinal rails. A patient support deck provides support to a patient, and includes a fowler deck section and a base deck section. The fowler deck section is coupled to the base frame for pivoting movement relative to the first and second longitudinal rails. The base deck section is attached to the first and second longitudinal rails, and includes a plurality of lateral braces having notched ends shaped to be inserted into a respective one the plurality of lateral receivers formed in the first and second longitudinal rails to assemble the patient support apparatus.