Powered Ambulance Cot Automatic Leveling Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing emergency patient transport cots require manual assistance for loading and unloading, especially in vehicles with limited space and uneven terrain, which can be cumbersome and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A powered ambulance cot with a support frame, front and back legs, and a cot actuation system that can be controlled to raise and lower independently, allowing for automatic articulation and leveling to facilitate easy loading and unloading into various vehicles, including ambulances, vans, aircraft, and helicopters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual lifting and loading processes are used for emergency cots, then operators can load patients into ambulances, but the process becomes cumbersome and inefficient especially in vehicles with limited space and uneven terrain
Solution Approach 1:
The powered cot system performs loading and unloading operations autonomously through its own integrated actuation mechanisms. The cot raises itself to match vehicle loading surfaces and positions itself without requiring external manual lifting assistance, enabling self-service operation that eliminates the need for operators to physically support heavy loads
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical lifting operations are replaced by an automated powered actuation system. The cot incorporates electric or hydraulic actuators that automatically raise and lower the cot frame to match various loading surfaces, substituting human physical effort with automated mechanical systems controlled by simple buttons or switches
2Adaptability or versatility
If the cot is designed with fixed structure for stability, then it provides reliable patient support, but it cannot adapt to different vehicle types and terrains
Solution Approach 1:
The cot transitions from a fixed rigid structure to a dynamically adjustable structure. The powered actuation system enables the cot to change its height and orientation in real-time to adapt to different loading surfaces and vehicle types, while maintaining structural integrity through controlled movement and stable positioning at each configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The cot's physical parameters such as height, angle, and position are dynamically changed to match different loading scenarios. The powered system adjusts these parameters automatically based on the target vehicle's loading surface characteristics, enabling versatility across ambulances, helicopters, aircraft, and ground vehicles while maintaining stability through precise control
3Ease of operation
If operators manually support the cot load during loading, then the cot can be loaded into vehicles, but the process requires significant physical effort and time
Solution Approach 1:
The powered cot system performs loading operations autonomously without requiring operators to physically support the patient load. The automated actuation system handles all raising, positioning, and securing operations, freeing operators to simply monitor and control the process through simple interface commands
Solution Approach 2:
The cot prepares for loading by automatically raising itself to the appropriate height and positioning itself relative to the vehicle before the actual loading begins. This preliminary automated positioning eliminates the need for operators to manually support the load during critical transfer phases, reducing both physical effort and overall loading time
Data Source
AI summary
A power ambulance cot having a cot control system operably connected to a cot actuation system to control independent raising and lowering of front and back legs thereof, and which detects a presence of a signal requesting a change in elevation of a support frame thereof and causes the cot actuation system to raising or the lowering of the front and/or back legs automatically upon detecting a condition during loading/unloading a patient from an emergency vehicle or transporting the patient up or down an escalator and methods thereafter are disclosed.