Patient Platform Connection With Ratchet-Pawl Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgery tables are difficult to manipulate safely and conveniently, posing hazards such as inadvertent unlocking and uncontrolled movement, and lack features for stable and audible indication of locking/unlocking states.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable support apparatus for surgery tables featuring a carriage with gear racks and towers, using a bayonet-type fitting and ratchet mechanism for secure, audible, and easy manipulation of patient platform movements, ensuring stability and compliance with lift limits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual rod insertion between parallel bars is used for platform adjustment, then the system is simple in structure, but it requires great care to prevent accidental patient lowering and is difficult to manipulate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual rod insertion mechanism with an electric motor-driven lifting mechanism. The motor (220) drives a lifting rod (222) through a reduction gear (224) to automatically adjust the patient platform position, eliminating the need for manual intervention and reducing the risk of accidental movement while improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The lifting mechanism incorporates a ratchet and pawl system (226, 228) that automatically maintains the platform at the desired height without requiring continuous manual adjustment. The ratchet mechanism prevents accidental lowering by allowing movement in only one direction, providing self-service safety functionality.
2Loss of information
If simple locking mechanisms are used for platform positioning, then the device complexity is reduced, but there is no audible indication of locking/unlocking states
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses visual indication through color-coded elements on the ratchet and pawl mechanism to show the locked/unlocked state. The indicator elements provide clear visual feedback about the current state of the platform positioning without requiring complex additional components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Facilitates safe, convenient, and stable patient positioning with audible indicators, preventing carriage drift and unauthorized movement, while meeting governmental standards.
Implementation Method 1
A controller associated with the carriage moves at least one pawl into and out of engagement with any of the gear racks, thus, allowing the end portions of the patient platform and the carriage to move upwardly and downwardly relative to a tower through a ratchet mechanism.
Data Source
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AI summary
An adjustable support apparatus for a surgery table utilizing a platform having first and second end portions. First and second end supports are used to mount the platform which is adjusted by a carriage having a pawl operator. The carriage includes studs having support surfaces for the platform. A tower utilizing a gear rack interacts with the carriage pawl operator to positon the platform relative to the first and second end support of the surgery table.