Six-Wheeled Stretcher With Segmented Rotatable Casters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stretchers mounted in ambulances face challenges in smooth movement and safety when used at intermediate or lower heights, particularly due to obstructed brake pedals and fixed front casters, which hinder efficient patient transfer and emergency treatments.
Innovation Solution
A six-wheeled stretcher design with rotatable auxiliary casters above fixed casters on front legs and rotatable casters on rear legs, allowing for forward, backward, left, and right movement at any height, and automatic brake application when folded, ensuring safety on uneven surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If fixed casters are attached to front legs and rotatable casters to rear legs for rapid longitudinal movement, then transport efficiency is improved, but the ability to move smoothly forward and backward and left and right at intermediate heights is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The front leg caster assembly is segmented into two parts: a fixed caster for rapid longitudinal movement and a rotatable auxiliary caster positioned above it for lateral and rotational movement. This segmentation allows the stretcher to have both rapid transport capability and movement flexibility at intermediate heights, resolving the contradiction between transport efficiency and operational ease.
2Speed
If the stretcher is configured for rapid longitudinal movement with fixed front casters, then transport speed is improved, but the ability to perform cardiac massage and transfer patients at intermediate heights is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The auxiliary caster is designed to be rotatable and can contact the ground when the stretcher is at intermediate or low positions, dynamically changing the movement characteristics of the front leg from fixed to rotatable. This allows the stretcher to adapt its functionality based on height, enabling both rapid transport and flexible patient transfer operations.
3Device complexity
If brake pedals are positioned inside the stretcher for compact design, then device compactness is improved, but brake application accessibility is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
A link operation part is introduced as an intermediary mechanism that connects the brake pedal to the rotatable caster assembly. This link mechanism transmits the braking force from the pedal to the caster, enabling effective brake application even when the pedal is positioned inside the stretcher for compact design, thus resolving the contradiction between compactness and operational accessibility.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
According to the present invention, when a stretcher mounted in an ambulance car is used at an intermediate position with legs being folded, the stretcher can be moved forward and backward and left and right by rotatable casters. The stretcher (100) is provided with front leg fixed casters (23) fixed to front legs of the stretcher (100), and rotatable auxiliary casters (24) provided above the casters (23). When the stretcher (100) is set to the intermediate position, rotatable auxiliary casters (39) contact the ground in place of the front leg fixed casters (23), and together with the rotatable rear casters (24), make the stretcher (100) movable forward and backward and left and right.